{MONDAY MOJO} The chocolate diaries

                

If you ask me to make you a birthday cake, chances are, I won't say no. I don't consider myself a baker but I can make something decent when I put my mind into it, especially if it involves creativity!

I made this cake for a special birthday: a layered chocolate & Guinness cake with hazelnuts, finished with a chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles, and chocolate flakes. My take is that if balanced enough and not too heavy, one can never indulge in too much chocolate!

I adapted this recipe to my own liking and you can also add a bit of dark rum in the ganache if that's what you like! Hazelnuts can also be replaced by pretty much any nuts you feel like having, and decoration is up to the artist! In my opinion, it's a pretty delish addition to any meals or celebrations (not just because I made but because I made it!) and quite easy to bake... So go for it, why don't ya?!

{MONDAY MOJO} Making cakies!

What a delicious and fun way to end an exhausting week! After drooling over Jonathan's The Candid Appetite blog, I thought it would be nice to make something yummy for my end of year party, so I made my not-so-own version of his Strawberry Shortcake under the supervision and with the help of baker extraordinaire Dewbien of Bailey Ana Cakes.

A creamy and delightful cake for the sweet palates...

2 layers of strawberries goodness, dark rum, whipped cream and a side chopped almonds... Delish!

The cake is a 2-tier vanilla sponge with strawberry and whipped cream, imbibed with a dark rum syrup and a side of almonds... It's hard to describe how tasty it was! And if I get into more deets (not to show off, of course), there more fresh strawberries and more whipped cream inbetween the tiers giving the whole cake a rich and creamy texture without overpowering flavours. My advice is that if you want that amazing recipe, you better ask somebody nicely!

In the meantime, I'm going to find the next best recipe and try it out. I definitely need more yumminess in my life!

{MONDAY MOJO} Work + fun with 'Bailey Ana Cakes'

I love working with fellow creatives and develop new skills. Last week end I had the opportunity to delve into the whimsical world of Bailey Ana Cakes, ran by baker extraordinaire Dewbien, for cupcake decoration sessions. It's interesting to enter someone else's world and witness the well-known intricacies of running a creative business while juggling life and its trials - props to all who do it and do it well. Behind-the-scenes moments were made of brainstorming, props sourcing, shopping, baby-sitting, preparing, baking, decorating, glittering (my ultimate favourite task pastime!), sugar-coating edible flowers for crystallizing (real flowers!), making sure every single cupcake looks a million dollar, while documenting the action! You can't imagine how much work goes into the process until you're part of the adventure. 

photo credits

While it was a lot of fun, the work that Dewbien puts into her craft is laborious, admirable, and inspirational. As creative souls, we must be able to multitask without crumbling under a mountain of distractions and she does that with a certain class. What I saw was an eagerness to execute her work to perfection, motivated by the love of making her clients happy. She's got it going on! The picture below is a proof of it and I'm glad I was part of the design process, I've learned so much! 

Photo credits

If you want to know more about Dewbien's work and her business Bailey Ana Cakes, get at her now! You can find a plethora of cake and cupcake inspiration (including those fabulous ones), super pretty designs, and learn more about the lady herself. Design drool guaranteed!

You can also give her a buzz on Facebook & Twitter.