Checker Cake

So I got a new cake pan set over the weekend and I couldn't wait to try it out. I made each of the layers of this checkerboard cake but I have not put them together because silly me forgot to get icing. Though the cake layers look really pretty. I plan on making this cake for my room mates because their birthdays are back to back so I am going to do each of their favorite colors. Then I was thinking about taking the idea further and using it on the small vanilla cake for the bridal shower (using the 2 colors of the invitations).

Chocolate Roses

Well guys I decided to to see if I could use the rose pattern for the cake that I'm working on to make chocolate flowers for my friends for Valentine's Day. I found a modeling chocolate recipe online so I thought I was good to go. But, the chocolate stayed sticky and didn't get hard and was overall very difficult to work with, even after I put in the fridge for the recommended amount of time. So I thought about making it more a fondant material so I took my trusty bag of powered sugar and my shortening and began to kneed in powered sugar and about a tbs of shortening until the chocolate was pliable and easy to work with. I then began to mold the roses and at first I made them the same way as the fondant roses, but when I put them on the lollipop sticks they just didn't look full and big enough so I added another layer of pedals, they looked so much better and almost real. I brought about 4 of them to my dad's work party over the weekend since he works at a restaurant. My dad tried one and was like it tastes just like a tootsie roll (I had been trying to figure out what it tasted like). The pastry chef's were also impressed and were wondering why I was going to school as a math and education major. Well here is a picture of how they turned out.  Oh and the leaves on the bottom is just made with a green white chocolate using the exact modeling chocolate recipe.

Fondant Roses

Well I actually found a rose design that I like 10 times better than then the 3 that I asked you all to vote on. (Thank you too all who voted by the way number 2 was my favorite as well.) I made 2 for fun and took a picture of them this is how they came out ... I think you will also agree that they are much better.