"See the line where the sky meets the sea?"
Gateau Moana
Anybody seen this Moana movie? Actually, anyone who hasn't seen it? Do yourself a favor. Get in your comfy clothes, make a nice snack for yourself and a loved one(cake maybe?), turn on Netflix and watch Moana. It's just AWESOME! I'll admit at first watch I was meh. But it hooked me on the second watch, and now I've found myself singing along to the soundtrack as it plays on repeat.
That takes us to the evening of March 30th. Julie's BFF Maria, and close family friend's 32nd birthday party. Moana themed birthday party I might add. Birthdays are a journey, a fresh start, a new beginning of endless possibilities for yourself. I wanted the cake to symbolize those themes, be decorated with Moana influences, and have tropical flavors...no biggie.
There's a part in the movie where she places a shell on top of a cairn of stones symbolizing the new traditions and journeys she will lead her island to, and also just actin' a BOSS. I wanted Maria to have this same ritual, only in cake form. Check it...
The Filling: Mango Curd. Tart, refreshing and fruity, perfect balance to the cake. This filling was similar to any other type of curd. Egg yolks, a little sugar, lime juice, and mangos all pureed together and cooked to thicken up. I used frozen mango chunks and they worked out fine. I heated the curd over a double boiler, or bain-marie. This cooks the filling indirectly over a simmering water bath to prevent the eggs from cooking too fast and turning to scrambled eggs...with mango. No special equipment needed, just a pot with an inch or two of water, and a bowl that sits in the top of it without actually touching the water. I made way too much of it though, so come over and try some if you please.
Dat Frosting: Hibiscus Swiss BC. This was the part of the cake I was most excited about, and unfortunately, most let down as well. I had ordered a special hibiscus extract off of amazon, 4oz bottle I believe. I put the entirety of the bottle into the buttercream and it still lacked results. Turned a lovely dusty rose color, but little to no flavor. Maybe the butteryness was too overpowering, or maybe I should have added a little raspberry extract or citrus to cut the fat and boost up the tart notes. Hindsight man...
It almost looks like there's a couple finger swipes taken out of that bowl...hmm
Overall I was a bit disappointed with the flavors of this cake. I think they went together well, but it was difficult to distinguish each one on it's own. The decoration turned out exactly how I had planned. The ritual placing of the birthday shell on top went over very well...and made the cake more than just a cake. It was a birthday experience...maybe even the start of a life changing journey. Cake can do that. Now go forth and eat more cake!
Pro Cat Lady Tip: If you, like me, have a kitty who loves to help bake but doesn't realize it's gross to lick the cake layers or get fur in frosting, then listen up. Your kitty wants to be with you and needs attention. Take an ordinary chair that's close to the baking area. Arrange a soft blanket in a kitty sized ring. Place said kitty on the blanket, and watch as they instantly fall asleep...making the cake process much smoother .
That takes us to the evening of March 30th. Julie's BFF Maria, and close family friend's 32nd birthday party. Moana themed birthday party I might add. Birthdays are a journey, a fresh start, a new beginning of endless possibilities for yourself. I wanted the cake to symbolize those themes, be decorated with Moana influences, and have tropical flavors...no biggie.
There's a part in the movie where she places a shell on top of a cairn of stones symbolizing the new traditions and journeys she will lead her island to, and also just actin' a BOSS. I wanted Maria to have this same ritual, only in cake form. Check it...
I feel like pictures didn't do this cake justice...or maybe it's the photographer. It looked more put together IRL.
The Cake Layer: I wanted tropical, so I decided on a coconut macadamia nut cake. I ended up semi making up my own recipe for this part. Started with a vanilla basic cake mix. I ground up and toasted macadamia nuts, tossed that with some unsweetened coconut, and folded it into the batter. Threw in a little coconut extract and that's how it's done. I wished I could have put more extract in, but the bottle had leaked and I was only left with a few drops. The macadamia nuts added a nice nuttiness to the cake and a pleasant crunch as well. By now you should be assuming all cake layers are brushed with a simple syrup. This was just a plain syrup, but why not use coconut rum instead. Ya feel me?
The Filling: Mango Curd. Tart, refreshing and fruity, perfect balance to the cake. This filling was similar to any other type of curd. Egg yolks, a little sugar, lime juice, and mangos all pureed together and cooked to thicken up. I used frozen mango chunks and they worked out fine. I heated the curd over a double boiler, or bain-marie. This cooks the filling indirectly over a simmering water bath to prevent the eggs from cooking too fast and turning to scrambled eggs...with mango. No special equipment needed, just a pot with an inch or two of water, and a bowl that sits in the top of it without actually touching the water. I made way too much of it though, so come over and try some if you please.
Dat Frosting: Hibiscus Swiss BC. This was the part of the cake I was most excited about, and unfortunately, most let down as well. I had ordered a special hibiscus extract off of amazon, 4oz bottle I believe. I put the entirety of the bottle into the buttercream and it still lacked results. Turned a lovely dusty rose color, but little to no flavor. Maybe the butteryness was too overpowering, or maybe I should have added a little raspberry extract or citrus to cut the fat and boost up the tart notes. Hindsight man...
It almost looks like there's a couple finger swipes taken out of that bowl...hmm
Decor: This cake had four 6 inch layers tiered on top of two 9 inch ones, with dowels and cake boards for support. When using a filling in between cake layers it's important to secure the filling with a piping of buttercream along the edge of the cake. This acts as a barrier to keep all the delicious curd/jam/ganache from seeping out of the sides(#cakefail). Once all that delicious curd was safe and secure within a fortress of cake and buttercream I piped an ombre of blue waves along the bottom of the cake. I staggered the 6 inch layers, and frosted them roughly with grey/black frosting to look something like a stack of stones. I blended in some darker piping as well to make a marbled effect in the rock. I decided to pipe some moss growing on the rocks which helped frame up and distinguish each individual slab. I finished things off with the rice krispy molded and fondant decorated conch shell for Maria to place on top during her birthday ritual!
She turned 32!
Piped on a few Heart of Te Fiti swirls
Pro Cat Lady Tip: If you, like me, have a kitty who loves to help bake but doesn't realize it's gross to lick the cake layers or get fur in frosting, then listen up. Your kitty wants to be with you and needs attention. Take an ordinary chair that's close to the baking area. Arrange a soft blanket in a kitty sized ring. Place said kitty on the blanket, and watch as they instantly fall asleep...making the cake process much smoother .
#yearofthegateau
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