My Birthday Cake

Monday was my birthday(the 24rd),I’m almost midway through my twenties!Scream!Do birthdays get you down?The years seem to be going by so quickly… I feel like I am missing out on things as they fly by… I was spoilt with breakfast in bed,many lovely phone calls, a nice lunch out and Birthday presents.

Yes people this is me when i was little..I must admit, I was a pretty cute child.. :)



INGREDIENTS:

250g cake flour
15g baking powder
6g salt
100g white sugar
120ml vegetable oil
6egg yolks
180 ml water
1tbsp vanilla extract
6egg whites
150g white sugar

Cream:
300g chocolate, chopped
300ml heavy cream

1½kg marzipan



DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 175 degrees C.
2.In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 100g sugar.Add oil, egg yolks, water and vanilla extract.Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
3.In a small bowl, beat egg whites until peaks form. Gradually add 150g sugar, and beat until very stiff and shiny peaks form.
4.Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
5.Bake in three parchment-lined Square cake pans(15X15cm) at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. Remove and cool on wire racks completely. Cut each layer in half, making six layers.
6.Place the chocolate into a medium bowl.Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat.Bring just to a boil,watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot.When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.
7.Allow the ganache to cool until thick,then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.
8.Fill layers with filling, finishing top and sides with remaining frosting.
10.Knead the marzipan for a while if it is too hard.Mix the marzipan with the food coloring to achieve the right color,once it is the color you want then.If you want you box to be all one color then cover cake and cut out box lid in the same color
If you want a contrasting box and lid, then cover the cake in one color for the box,
and Roll and cut the lid in a different color
11.Roll your marzipan to the required thickness.I would say from 5 mm to 1 cm, depending on the critical illness state of your cake.If too much holes and bumps make the marzipan thicker to hide them.The whole cake must be covered with marzipan,roll a big round shape and cover the cake,the way you do with fondant.Use a fondant smoother to smooth the surface.When finished,remeasure lid sides to fit over fondant box place the sides of the lid on the top side of your cake. Attach with Gumpaste Glue.Once complete you can attach labels, barcodes or lettering to the box.
12.The Shoe is made out of marzipan..How to make shoe you will find here How2Cakes and Shoe template