Bonne Fete - Aureliu

I felt that I am getting better at making cakes now.  This cake took me 3 hours from scratch to completely decorated.  I planned to make this cake for Aureliu yesterday. But for some reason I was busy for this and that, I forgot it completely till this noon. Suddenly I remembered.

I don't know how to decorate a cake for guys.  Women’s cakes are easier: make some colorful flowers, put them all over the cakes.  But I don't want to use fancy roses on guy's cakes.   I watched chef Anna Olson made caramel springs and some chocolate designs on Food Network. I really like them. They are simple and elegant.  Thanks Antoinetta helping me find the recipe.  The caramel springs are hard to make.  It took me over hour to get done.  I have to find the right temperature, the right softness, the right elasticity to get it.  Otherwise, it is very easy to break.  Here is the recipe for caramel springs.

(see here for more details: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Dessert/recipe.html?dishid=12629)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon white corn syrup

 Directions

1. Before cooking your sugar, have ready a parchment lined baking tray, a few clean tablespoons and a few wooden spoons with straight, unpainted handles. Lightly grease the handles with shortening.
2. Add the water, sugar and corn syrup to a small saucepot and bring to a boil over high heat, without stirring. Continue to boil, occasionally brushing the sides of the pot with cold water, until the sugar barely begins to color. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool to the point where it no longer drips off a spoon in droplets, but can be pulled and stretched (be careful, it will be hot).
3. Dip a tablespoon in the caramel and hold the wooden spoon over the pot, letting the caramel slowly catch onto the handles of the wooden spoon. Slowly twirl the wooden spoon so that the caramel wraps around it, spiraling into a coil or “spring”. After about 5 to 8 rotations, set aside the spoon to set for just a minute, then carefully twist and remove the spring and set aside. Repeat this with the remaining sugar (it does take a little practice to develop a rhythm and flow) and don’t worry if a few springs break or aren’t perfect – these can be crushed up and sprinkled onto desserts or ice cream. If the sugar becomes to hard to work with, put it back on low heat and stir just a little to re-melt it.
4. The springs will keep up to a week in an airtight container. 

 

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