Happy Friday everyone!  It has been a big week for me with lots going on with dessert tables and there is always lots on with the kids – Sofia had her first school orientation morning this week in preparation for starting big school and was most disappointed when she had to come home after 2 hours – she is more than ready for big school!

This weeks Friday Favourites is all about some wonderful cakes I have seen around the virtual world – loads of gorgeousness from the wonderful cake decorators out there.  Enjoy …

This perfect Ruffle Cake was made by Katena from Taylor Made Baking – we have become great online friends and she made some of the goodies for Sienna’s party earlier in the year – she did an amazing job with her daughters first birthday cake – find out all the details here.

Next is a perfect In the Night Garden Cake that my friend Mira put together for her one year olds birthday party last weekend – Mira and I are friends from pre-school and she had her first attempt at a dessert table for her little man’s party – go and check it out here.

This perfect Princess Castle was made by Jo from The Cupcake Gallery – Jo made the devine cupcake toppers for Sienna’s circus party and is ever so clever at making incredible cakes – please go and visit more of her work here.

Always wonderful inspiration at My Sweet and Saucy

Another perfect cake from the talented Hello Naomi

The incredible cakes from Sharon Wee are a must see

Yum by Cake Journal

Have a lovely weekend everyone – I am hoping the Sydney weather improves after a cold and rainy week – Oprah will be here in a month so I am presuming the weather gods will be on her side and provide lovely weather for December!

I found some lovely inspiration recently when flipping back through some old magazine pages I had saved into my must keep folder – I was particularly inspired by this fabulous Passionfruit Layer Cake so I combined it with my love of pretty ribbons, tags, stationery and beautiful paper to create these inspiration boards.  Please enjoy some gorgeous green images I took and the wonderful recipe that comes with this lovely looking cake.

Passionfruit layer cake

500g butter, softened

2 cups (430g) caster sugar

2tbs finely grated lemon rind

8 eggs

3 cups (450g) self-raising flour

1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice

1 3/4 cups (425g) sour cream

500g cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup (150g) icing sugar mixture

Fresh flowers, to decorate

Passionfruit Syrup

1/2 cup (125ml) fresh passionfruit pulp

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line the base and side of two 22cm round cake pans with baking paper.

2. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, caster sugar and lemon rind together until pale and creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.  Add the flour and stir to combine.  Ad the lemon juice and 1 cup (235g) of the sour cream and stir until just combined.

3. Spoon the mixture evenly among the lined pans.  Use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.  Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 min before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To make the passionfruit syrup, combine the passionfruit and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat.  Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves.  Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

5. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and remaining sour cream together until light and fluffy.  Add the icing sugar and beat until well combined.

6. Use a serrated knife to split each cake in half.  Place a cake layer on a serving plate.  Drizzle with one-third of the passionfruit syrup.  Spread with one-quarter of the cream cheese icing.  Continue layering with remaining cake layers, passionfruit syrup and cream cheese icing.  Decorate the top with fresh flowers.

Enjoy!

Last weeks Stillbirth Foundation Australia Fundraiser was a huge success with the generous guests helping us to raise just over $51,000 – such a wonderful result that we were thrilled with.

The atmosphere was just wonderful and during guest speaker Premier Kristina Keneally’s speech the tears flowed throughout the room – her own personal account of the loss of her daughter eleven years ago rang true with so many of us in the room, and touched the heart of every person listening.

We decided that I should put together a candy table for the guests as this celebration was in honour of The Stillbirth Foundation Australia‘s 5th Birthday – the table was finished off beautifully with an incredible cake made by the amazing Faye Cahill – please check out more of her amazing work here.

Here are a few photo’s from the day

The table included:-

Cool Mints

Mini Jelly Beans

Lollipops

Chocolate Frogs

Chocolate Buds

Rock Candy

Sour Straps

Milk Bottles

Fruity Acid Drops

Gum Balls

Sugar Sticks

and that amazing cake

And to finish off the amazing girls of the Stillbirth Foundation Australia (with our Premier Kristina Keneally)