Daring Bakers July 2011 - Mango Fraisier

Blog Checking Lines - Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.

I love making new desserts and that is one of the main reasons that I joined Daring Bakers. This Fraisier for example is something I would have never made or eaten if not for this challenge. I originally wanted to make the classic version with strawberries but since strawberries are not native to this place they are very expensive and even after paying so much I will never get plump, ripe strawberries. So I decided to go with  mangoes and I can say that it was a great pairing. Though I must say that Alphonso Mangoes would be simply stunning in this dessert. I am very picky when eating mangoes and eat only a few varieties. For this cake I used a Pakistani variety and it was a little too sweet for me. Next time I will surely use Alphonso or something similar.

It was great fun making the chiffon cake and everything went smoothly. I got a perfect cake even though I baked it in a regular 9 inch cake pan. I couldn't find the bottom of my spring form pan and was scared that the cake would not turn out well. To support the sides of the cake pan I attached my spring form ring to the upper edge of my cake pan. That gave good height to the pan and the cake rose very well.

I must confess here that I was not very happy with the whole process of making the pastry cream. It was too long and in the end it didn't even taste like pastry cream but more like whipped cream (very delicious though!). I am not sure if it is supposed to taste like that or not. Next time I will try another simpler recipe.

The whole thing took me about 4 hours to complete from start to finish, though each component can be made separately and stored in the fridge for assembly later on.

I decided not to use the almond paste layer as the fruit, cake and cream were already too sweet. I added some cocoa powder and grated dark chocolate to balance the sweetness in the dessert. Latif loved the dessert and gobbled an entire piece in seconds!

Recipe

Ingredients

For The Basic Chiffon Cake

1 cup + 2 tablespoons (155 gm) All-purpose Flour

1 Tsp (4 gm) Baking Powder

3/4 Cups (170 Gms) Sugar

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

3 Large Egg Yolks

1/4 Cup + 1 tablespoon Water

1 Tsp (5 ml) Vanilla Essence

3/4 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest

5 Large Egg Whites

1/4 Tsp Cream of Tarter

For the Simple Syrup

1/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Water

For The Pastry Cream Filling

1 Cup Whole Milk 

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Essence 

1/8 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch in U.S)

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Large Egg

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

3/4 Tsp Gelatin

1/2 Tbsp Water

1 Cup Heavy Cream

Make the Chiffon Cake

1. Preheat the oven to moderate 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).

2. Line the bottom of an 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan. (I used a regular cake pan and attached the spring form ring to it)

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add in all but 3 tablespoons (45 ml.) of sugar, and all of the salt. Stir to combine.

4. In a small bowl combine the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla and lemon zest. Whisk thoroughly.

5. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly for about one minute, or until very smooth.

6. Put the egg whites into a stand mixer, and beat on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a medium speed, until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat on a medium speed until the whites hold soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat on a medium-high speed until the whites hold firm and form shiny peaks.

7. Using a grease free rubber spatula, scoop about ⅓ of the whites into the yolk mixture and fold in gently. Gently fold in the remaining whites just until combined.

8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Removed the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack.

10. To unmold, run a knife around the sides to loosen the cake from the pan and remove the spring form sides. Invert the cake and peel off the parchment paper. Refrigerate for up to four days.

Make The Simple Syrup 

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Stirring is not necessary, but will not harm the syrup.

3. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool slightly.

4. Transfer syrup to a lidded container or jar that can be stored in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored for up to one month.

Make the Pastry Cream

1. Pour the milk, vanilla, and salt into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer add the cornstarch and sugar. Whisk to combine

3. Add the eggs to the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.

4. When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while the stand mixer is whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture.

5. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.

6. Remove from heat and pass through a fine mesh sieve into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool for ten minutes stirring occasionally.

7. Cut the butter into four pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece at a time until smooth.

8. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the top of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for up to five days.

9. In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes to soften.

10. Put two inches (55 mm) of water into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.

11. Measure 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 ml) of the chilled pastry cream into a small stainless steel bowl that will sit across the sauce pan with the simmering water, without touching the water.

12. Heat the cream until it is 120 F (48.8 C). Add the gelatin and whisk until smooth. Remove from the water bath, and whisk the remaining cold pastry cream in to incorporate in two batches.

13. In a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Immediately fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

For Fraisier Assembly

Components

1 Baked 9 inch Chiffon Cake

1 Recipe Pastry Cream Filling

1/3 Cup Simple Syrup

4 Large Alphonso Mangoes (Peeled and Sliced - 1/2 inch thick and 4 inch long)

Cocoa Powder For Dusting

Chocolate Curls for Decoration

1. Line the sides of a 9-inch spring form pan with plastic wrap. Do not line the bottom of the pan.

2. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form two layers.

3. Fit the bottom layer into the prepared spring form pan. Moisten the layer evenly with the simple syrup. When the cake has absorbed enough syrup to resemble a squishy sponge, you have enough.

4. Arrange the mango slices around the sides of the cake pan.

5. Place 1 Cup of cream in the center and using an offset spatula push it against the mangoes in the side and spread a thin layer across the top of the cake.

6. Chop the remaining mango pieces (reserve few for decoration) (use all the flesh from the seed) and spread it on the cream. Cover the mangoes entirely with the all but 1/4 Cup of the pastry cream.

7. Place the second cake layer on top and moisten with the simple syrup.

8. Spread the remaining 1/4 Cup of pastry cream on the top of the cake and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Decorate with chocolate curls and mango slices as desired.

9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

10. To serve release the sides of the spring form pan and peel away the plastic wrap.

11. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Happy Eating!! 

Caramel Banana Cake

I watched the final Harry Potter movie yesterday (The movie was playing from Tuesday in the UAE) and it's like the end of an era. I am a big fan of the books and have read each book at least 10 times (No, I am not kidding). I just love the way the books are written and every time you read it you feel like you are reading something new. Whenever I was bored at home I used to pick a book read it in one sitting. When any of the movies came out I would always come back from the theatre and read that part just to compare the book with the script. No matter how good the movie is, it can never compare to the actual story in the book. I feel people who have not read the book and have only watched the movie are missing out on so many details .

Sadly yesterday I didn't come home and open the last part to read as all my books are back home in India. But what I came home to was the amazing smell of freshly baked banana cake. I had some ripe bananas (as usual) in the fruit basket and needed to make a cake.  I would have gone with my favorite recipe but I didn't have enough butter in the house and searched for a new recipe. I had seen this on I am Baker and decided to give it a go. This is a very moist cake full of flavor.  However, I will still make the other recipe next time (the streusal topping makes me go weak in the knees!)

I did not make the caramel sauce and used the nestle caramel topping instead. I started making the cake at 7 and didn't realize that it needs one full hour to bake. After it went into the oven at 7:45 pm I had to leave for the movie at 8:15. I panicked and didn't know what to do as I could not leave my gas oven on and also did not have any timer.  Hubby said "you either sacrifice the cake or the movie". I almost cried but then saw my microwave. Ting!!  Removed the cake from the gas oven and put it in the microwave on convection at 155 Celsius for 40 minutes and left the house with a big prayer. Tada!! I came home to a perfectly baked cake.

Recipe Source - The Kitchn via I am Baker

Ingredients (Makes 1 nine inch round cake, this is half of the original recipe)

6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup (6 Tbsp) White Sugar

1/2 Cup (6 Tbsp) Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 Cups All purpose Flour

3/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Tsp Salt

3/4 Cup Milk 

3/4 Cup Mashed Bananas

1/2 Cup Roughly Chopped Walnuts

3/4 Cup Caramel Sauce (I used Nestle Caramel Topping)

 

1. Preheat oven to 165 degree C (325 degree F). Grease one 9 inch round pan.

2. Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk together. Keep aside.

3. Mix the milk with the mashed bananas in a separate bowl.

4. Beat the butter and sugars in a bowl until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

5. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the milk mixture in three parts, mixing until just combined.

6. Add the walnuts and mix.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Pour the caramel sauce in the middle and swirl around with a knife.

8. Place in oven and bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Happy Eating!!

Bake Me Some Baklava

O.K. I know I have been missing for a long time from here but I do have some pretty good excuses. An operation, a house move, some house guests and an additional role at work have all kept me very, very busy the past few months. But now that I am recovered (almost) and settled in my new home (again, almost!) I have decided to pay more attention to my blog. This is a fantastic new dish that I tried, which is also the last thing that I baked in my old house (I love you my old kitchen, you will always be my first love!)

Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

After missing the last two daring bakers challenges I was determined to at least attempt this one. I must say that I absolutely LOVE baklava. And I have eaten my fair share of it here in the middle east. Give me a box and I can polish it off entirely by myself (I have been known to have self control issues). So I was really excited to try making it myself. Because I could not stand on my feet for long after my operation, I knew rolling and kneading copious amounts of dough was out of the question. So I had to resort to store bought phyllo. Boy oh Boy! Did the dough give me a tough time! This was the first time I ever made Baklava or handled the store bought dough. The sheets just would not separate easily and I almost had a patchwork of sheets in my baking tray. But the end result was well worth the time and energy spent on it.

Most of this baklava was eaten by Latifs friends and one of them said that it was irresistible! Ah , music to a bakers ears! Before making the baklava I watched Alton Browns video from the Good Eats show and I I fell in love with that guy. He is so funny and explains so many things about the dish. As I did not make the phyllo from scratch I mixed and matched the given challenge recipe with Alton Browns recipe.

Check the Daring Bakers Website for the recipe and don't miss the great video of Alton Brown making baklava.
Switched On Baklava Part I
Switched On Baklava Part II

Happy Eating!!

Rainbow Baby Shower

The Rainbow Banner with the Mommy-to-be's name

I am so excited to share this party with you guys as this was my first ever party as a host.  I wanted to throw a baby shower for my cousin and since it is not something common in India I was a bit skeptical about asking her. But when I did she immediately agreed as she was really bored!! So I started planning and searching the Internet for inspiration and I found tonnes of it! I decided to go with a rainbow theme as it was easy to incorporate and there were so many rainbow parties on the net to get ideas from.

I wanted to try making a dessert table as it is something of a rage now and decided with some simple stuff like cake and cookies. I made the ruffle for the table using crepe paper and two sided tape based on an idea on the Hip Hooray blog.

I did all the baking at home and made all the decorations also at home. There was a lot of labor involved but in the end it was all worth it.

I made a rainbow cake using fruits which I had seen on I am Baker. I went with a box mix since I didn't have the time to search for a good recipe and try it out. I loved the concept and it was a hit with everyone except for the fact that the icing melted and the colors were see through!! I will post separately about the cake.

For the cupcakes I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe and divided the batter in two parts. With one I baked 12 cupcakes and with the other I baked a 9 inch round cake to be made into cake pops. The cupcakes were topped with chocolate ganache and they were absolutely amazing.

I made sugar cookies again and while I had a great idea in mind it didn't translate very well on the cookies. I used a glaze icing instead of royal because royal icing tastes so YUCK. My piping skills are hardly anything to brag about so I left the heart cookies bare which was a very good idea. They were really delicious and I packed them up in individual treat bags that I had on hand.

To make the cake pops I crumbled the entire cake and mixed half a can of chocolate frosting (again store bought to save time). I rolled them into 24 balls and dipped in white chocolate. I tried a new product this time called Dr. Oetkers Cake Covering and it is a good product for the price. Good quality white chocolate is just too expensive and too thick to get the results you want. So I am happy with this stuff. After dipping them in the chocolate I sprinkled crumbled cake on it which I took from each layer of the rainbow cake. So, I had four pops of each color of the rainbow. Unfortunately the heat got to my pops when I was transporting them to the venue (in an upright position), the coating melted and they fell off the sticks and lost their lovely looks.

Of course I was smart enough to NOT take photos of them the night before when I made them. After reaching her place I placed all of them upside down (hence the upside down rainbow) on a tray and put them in the fridge. They came out in one piece again but the coloring and looks were all gone :(

Fruit Kabobs - These were a hit with the children and I wish we had made more of them. We forgot the orange fruit (LOL!) but the idea was to create a rainbow on each stick.

Snacks - Since it was teatime we ordered snacks from outside. We got delicious Ragda Patties, Vegetable Grilled Sandwiches and Samosas with tea.

Games - We played two games - Guess the Baby Food and Guess the Chocolate in the Diaper. They were both super fun for me as I was watching every ones reactions to the faux poo!!

Favors - I picked up cute little favor bags from Tavola and we added candles and kisses for the women and chocolates for the kids in each bag. I made the rainbow printable and printed it out on card stock.

I also made the printables for the cake pops, place cards, bottle wrappers etc. If you would like the printables, please email me.
For the cupcakes I used free printables that I got from PaperGlitter.com They have a lovely set for a rainbow birthday party which can be found here.

All in all, it was a great party (if I may say so myself!) and I really enjoyed planning it. I am eagerly waiting for Latif to finish his graduation and then I'll throw him a big graduation party!!

Happy Eating!!

Southern Coconut Cake

 I made this cake some time back when we had guests over for dinner. Though it's a coconut cake, the coconut taste is only from the sweetened shredded coconut on top (yes, I colored mine pink and green). The cake itself doe not have a coconutty flavor and if you are looking for a more pronounced flavor then a dash of coconut extract would do the trick. Other than that the cake is fabulous. It is moist, soft and delicious.  My only gripe was with the frosting as I thought it was way too sweet. This was the first time I made a cooked buttercream (with the sugar syrup and eggs) and although it tasted very good and a million times better than regular buttercream, the sugar quantity was too much. Next time I will surely reduce the sugar. I got to use my candy thermometer for the first time and it was so much fun watching the temperature rise to the correct stage :) The cleaning afterwards was anything but fun though!

I forgot to take a picture of the cake after I finished decorating it and this was the only piece left. I tinted the coconut into pink and red colors and made alternating stripes all around the cake. On the top I made a pink circle in the center followed by a green circle and another pink circle. It looked so pretty and now  I am really sad that I didn't take a picture :(

Recipe Source - Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne Via Lulu The Baker

Ingredients - I halved the recipe and baked it in two  7 inch round pans.

For The Cake

1 Large Egg Plus One Large Egg White

1/4 Cup Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence

1 1/2 Cups Cake Flour

1 1/4 Cup Plus 1 1/3 Tbsp Sugar

2 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 Stick Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk

For The Frosting

170 Gms (6 Ounces approx) Cream Cheese (Slightly Chilled)

1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar (Sift After Measuring)

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar 

2 Tbsp Water

1 1/2 Egg Whites

For The Garnish

2 Cups Sweetened Flaked Coconut 

 

Bake The Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Butter the bottoms of two 7 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a parchment circle and butter the circle.

2. Put the egg and egg whites in a bowl and whisk slightly. Add the 1/4 cup of milk and the vanilla and whisk to mix thoroughly; set aside.

3. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, beat dry ingredients well in order to break up any lumps.

4. Add the butter and coconut milk on low speed and beat just to combine. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg mixture in 2 or 3 additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

5. Divide the batter among the pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Make the Frosting

1. Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed until slightly fluffy and smooth. 2. Add the butter 1-2 Tablespoons at a time, mixing until smooth.
3. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Set aside at room temperature.

4. Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and heat slowly, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, without stirring until the syrup reaches the softball stage, 228 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

5. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in a mixer bowl and have the mixer ready to go. When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer on medium low and begin mixing the egg whites. Slowly add the hot syrup to the whites, taking care not to pour onto the beaters (it may splash). When all the syrup is incorporated, raise the speed on the mixer to medium high and beat the egg whites until the mixtures has cooled and stiff meringue forms.

6. With the mixer on low, begin adding the cream cheese mixture by the spoonful. When all is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and whip until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Assemble The Cake

1. Place one layer--flat side up--on a plate. Cover this layer with 1 cup of buttercream frosting. Spread it evenly all the way to the edges. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded coconut on top.

2. Repeat with the next layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake and cover with the remaining coconut. Chill the cake for at least 1 hour to allow the frosting to firm up. . Remove one hour before serving. Store any remaining in refrigerator

Happy Eating!!

Chicken Pizza

We had this fabulous pizza for dinner last night and everyone loved it. Hubby's friends were at home for dinner and even they gave it full marks. The recipe is from Eat Laugh Love, my partner for Taste and Create for the month of March. I know its a bit too late to be posting this but I didn't want to miss it.

I had made a similar pizza for the previous taste and create but the BBQ sauce was different from this recipe. I couldn't find liquid smoke and made a few changes in the sauce. Some great bad luck befell me and I added two teaspoons salt in the sauce thinking it was sugar (a mistake many people have done in my house as my salt and sugar containers are very similar and kept next to each other, LOL!). To rectify, I added some more tomato sauce and a whole lot of sugar. The end result was a very yummy sauce and I am glad I have frozen the rest of it for the future.

The Pizza dough is good and rises well. I mixed the whole thing by hand and kept it in the oven (switched off) to rise for one hour as I had time to spare.

Recipe Source - Eat Laugh Love

Ingredients

For The Pizza Toppings

BBQ Sauce (Recipe Below)

Sliced Mushrooms

Green Peppers

Onions

Mozzarella Cheese

Chicken (Cooked and tossed in the BBQ sauce, Chopped to 1/2 Inch pieces)

Oregano

Coriander Leaves

For the Pizza Dough  - I got two crusts from this dough as I doubled the recipe.

2 Cups Whole-wheat Flour

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 1/2 Tsp Quick Rising Yeast (I used instant yeast)

2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Sugar

1 1/2 Cup Hot Water (120-130°F)

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Sauce

1 Cup Tomato Sauce - I used 2 Cups

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Cup Finely Minced Onions

3 Garlic Cloves (Minced)

1 Tsp Chili Powder - I used two tsp.

1 Tsp Paprika - Omitted 

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke - Omitted

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Cumin - I used cumin powder

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Oregano

1 Tsp Basil

Make The Dough

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Pour in the hot water and olive oil and knead till the dough comes together and forms a soft ball. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add more water if required.

2. Slightly oil the bottom and sides of the bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and swirl in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and keep aside to rise if using regular yeast.

3. If using rapid rise, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

Make The Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and saute till translucent. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Cool sauce.

Top the Pizza and Bake

Preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (about a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes, or as directed by your recipe.

Happy Eating!!

Water Park Cake

I had a lot of fun making this cake and even more fun looking at the expressions of two little kids for whom I made this. (Please excuse the horrible pictures. My camera is acting weird and the real thing looked a million times better). This week my cousin left to India for good and I will really miss her. She was very close to me and we had spent the last three years together in Dubai. Her daughter had been asking for a water park cake for a long time and so I decided to make this for her as a farewell.

I saw the idea for this on the Woman's Day website and gathered all the ingredients. The entire cake is edible and finding candy that matches your theme is like finding gold. You can use all candy to decorate any cake and it looks so realistic.

The cake is a simple chocolate cake recipe that I love and the frosting is simply whipped cream with powdered sugar. I made piping gel (recipe below) successfully at home using gelatin and corn syrup. It tasted just like sweet syrup and looked so realistic in the swimming pool.

Here is how I made it -

Baked one recipe for a 9 X 13 inch cake in two pans. One 6 X 9 rectangle and one 7 inch round pan.

I cut the round cake and shaped it as a swimming pool (free hand). Using a fork I scooped out some of the cake to get a pool.

Both the cakes where chilled, crumb coated and chilled again.

Meanwhile I made the decorations. With royal icing I piped the shape of a ladder on wax paper and also two candy cane shapes and two small straight lines. The candy cane shapes and lines were late rejoined to make the steps that go in the pool.

I used liquid food color to paint the lines on the lifesaver rafts.

I added eyes on the teddy bears using nigella seeds (that was the smallest black seed I could find!)

After both the cakes where chilled, I placed the small pool on one edge of the rectangle and finished icing both the cakes. The remaining whipped cream was tinted blue and I piped small stars on the entire edge with a pastry bag fitted with a star nozzle.

To make the slide I used a striped sour belt candy and cupcakes. The cupcakes were trimmed, stacked and frosted using chocolate icing. The belt was then placed on it to look like a double bump slide. There were two stacks of cupcakes to give the bumpy effect. I then filled the pool with the piping gel (frost the bottom of the pool with cream first to prevent the gel from seeping into the cake).

 Place all the teddy bears and lifesavers around the pool and one on top of the slide. Fix the ladder and the steps at the end. Decorate with any remaining candy (I used Mn M's and fish shaped candy)

Recipe for Piping Gel

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Unflavored Gelatin

1 Cup Corn Syrup

1 Tbsp Cold Water

1. Sprinkle the gelatin on the cold water and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. Heat the gelatin till it dissolves (On very low heat, do not let it boil)

3. Add the corn syrup once the gelatin has dissolved and heat thoroughly for few minutes.

4. Remove from heat and cool completely.

5. Store in a cool place (Keeps for two months)