It's that time of the month again. Daring Bakers every where are baking perfect party cakes. Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake to be exact. This months challenge was picked by Morven from Food Art and Random Thoughts. And what a fantastic recipe! I have baked this particular cake a handful of times and I know I will be baking it many more times. Five more times to be precise. Yes, FIVE. I have 6 friends who have birthdays in April and 5 out of the 6 picked Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake as their birthday cake.I was starting to panic. Not because the recipe is difficult, but what to do with all those leftover egg yolks! I finally settled on crème anglaise ice cream. A incredible ice cream recipe from Ina Garten. This will mean each of the birthday friends will receive a birthday cake and ice cream for their party.
As for the cake, I did not make many changes to the original recipe. The exceptions were the filling and not covering the top of the cake with coconut. I filled the cake with a homemade strawberry filling and then placed a large fanned strawberry on top.
If you would like to see more Perfect Party Cakes click here. If you would like to see the original recipe click here. The recipe for the strawberry filling is just below.
P.S. Unfortunately, I have to work today, so I cannot visit blogs until Monday morning. I promise I will visit and drool over all the perfectly baked party cakes!
STRAWBERRY FILLING:
1 pound of clean and hulled strawberries; quartered
½ cup of sugar
2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch
The juice of half a lemon
1. Place the strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the strawberries burst and start to look like jam. Remove from heat and squeeze half a lemon. Cool completely to room temperature.
2. Put the strawberries in a food processor and pulse until small pieces of strawberry remain. It should look like a thick puree with an occasional piece of berry.
3. Move strawberry filling to a bowl and cover. Refrigerate a couple of hours. Fill cake once filling is cooled.
44 comments:
What lovely piping, it just looks perfect! Another challenge well done. :)
Wow your cake looks stunning. You cake layers turned out so tall! Love the piping work.
Sounds as though you are going to be able to make this cake with your eyes closed by the end of April.
Really perfect! Congrats.
Oh! Soooo pretty! I have cake-layer-envy! They are so perfect and even. This was my first DB challenge and I'm loving it. It's such a blast looking everyone else's cakes. I've learned so much already. I need to sit and read your blog -- so impressive!
wow! your cake is so lovely. Love how you piped the borders...simply PERFECT!
Your cake looks amazing. The piping and fresh strawberries add so much.
Beautiful job!
Your cake is gorgeous! I would have wanted this cake for my birthday, too!
Really beautiful cake, I love the strawberries on top.
nice touch with the homemade strawberry filling! that sends it over the edge for me, requiring me to go from using a simple tissue to using a paper towel to clean up my drool. :)
WOW oh WOW what a beautiful cake!! I love the piping work very well done :)
Rosie x
Lovely cake! The piping work is great!
Fabulous piping skills! I love the strawberry garnish. Great job!
Clara @ I♥food4thought
Perfect with the coconut only on the sides. It looks beautiful!
Your cake looks gorgeous! Beautiful decorating!
Absolutely gorgeous! Can you add my September birthday to the list? You can make what you want...
j
Your cake decorating is inspired! Looks perfectly delicious!
You are so talented Gigi! Gorgeous cake!
Gosh, this is gorgeous...well done!!
So pretty! Tall and with great frosting on top! You are a good baker!!
Gorgeous overall creation!
this is what i call perfect party cake!! well done gigi for this month's challenge!! i love the redness of the strawberry and the whiteness of this cake!! beautiful combination!!
What a beautiful cake! Wonderful job. I used strawberry filling too, mmmm.
Your cake looks great! I like the decorated frosting on top.
Your red and white layers look so very clean and perfect. I made the custard from the Bostini cream with the leftover yolks, and the custard actually went down better than the cake. Honestly, you can't please some people...
WOW your cake is stunning, Gigi! your layers are perfect and it's decorated perfectly! I'm so impressed:) Great job!
That's a cake to die for...perfect & very pretty. WOW!!! I love the layers, the luscious icing & the strawberries within! STUNNING! Looks like a cover for a magazine!
Mmm looks beautiful. Lucky friends! :) And what a perfect way to use up those extra egg yolks. (Though creme brulee is another delicious option.)
Your cake looks absolutely beautiful! I love the way that you frosted it and the fresh starberry puree for the filling is making me drool!
Magnificent! I really want to eat this beautiful cake in an English garden with a cup of tea ;)
One question : if you had to choose between Dorie Greespan's book and Melissa Murphy's, which one would you choose? Because I hesitate between both and would like to buy just one...
Beautiful! Your layers are so tall!
Your fellow DB'rs have really been torturing me with all the lovely images of towering layers of perfect party cake! Yours looks just delectable. You have some very lucky friends!
Botacook,
I love The Sweet Melissa Baking Book! It was sent to me by the PR dept of her publisher (free). The Dorie Greenspan book, I bought, and it has been the best baking investment I have made. The Dorie book is more like an encyclopedia, I have dozens of recipes and still have not made a dent in the book! It will take me years to get through all the recipes! Go with Dorie if you can only have one.
your friends sure are lucky!
Your perfect party cake looks just perfect. You did a beautiful job on the decorating and the strawberry on top is just the right touch.
gig, you truly are a baking goddess - look at that cake!!! perfect, indeed!!!
Your cake did turn out perfect, just like the title!
Just perfect!
Maria
x
Beautiful! You're quite the piping maestro, aren't you? The malted cake, and now this?? You've left us all drooling!
what a beautiful cake!! your layers look so nice and tall!!
Perfect job- nice even layers and lovely deco!
xoxo
Gabi
Glad you got to share with friends! Cake looks great!
Your cake turned out gorgeous!!!
I am coming way late to say this, but you did a perfectly gorgeous job again! :)
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