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Student Name :: princess
Base Cake :: pink velvet
Icing Flavour and Fillings :: bubblegum icing covering entire cake; no filling
Decorations :: butterflies made of crystalised sugar; marzipan roses; flossed sugar around the edge

Response :: It was no surprised that Princess chose 'pink' as the theme of her cake. Always wanting to be the best, she wanted to stand out in the class by displaying a wide range of decorating skills. Making the pink velevet cake was in itself easy enough since it was clear the class was focused on the decorating, not the flavours. Nevertheless she made sure she mixed the right amount of bubblegum syrup into her icing, not wanting the synethic flavour to be too overwhelming.

When it came to the decorating itself, Princess started by pouring liquid sugar into butterfly moulds. They ranged from white to light pink to rose in colour. One particularly large butterfly sat on the top of the cake, surrounded by small to medium sized ones. With pre-dyed pink marzipan, she began to fold petals into roses, placing them delicately around the top of the cake, as well as three or four around the base. She placed some of the smaller sugar butterflies on top, as if they were resting on the flowers. Finally as an extra touch, Princess used her home-brought flossing machine to fluff up some sugar, wrapping it around the base of the cake. The end result was a fluffy pink fantasy. Princess stood back and admired her work, certain that it was fabulous from every angle.

Student Name :: chai
Type of Petit Four :: glaces
Decorations :: coffee beans

Response :: Chai, always keen to make desserts inspired by his favourite beverage coffee, had to make his petit fours inspired by tiramisu. He spent the first part of his time making a delicate sponge batter which he hastily put in the oven. While it was cooking, he set about making the chocolate filling. Perfecting this and ensuring it was the right consistency took most of the cooking time of the sponge, so he made sure to remove it in time for it to cool. While it was, Chai focused on making the irish cream glaze. Finally, with all of the components ready for construction, he set to work making the petit fours.

Being careful to measure the cake against a rule, Chai sliced the sponge into three sheets. Handling everything with care, he spread a generous layer of the chocolate filling between each of the sheets. Once again measuring with a ruler, he cut the dessert into 24 squares. Satisfied with their consistency, he placed them on a rack that sat over a shallow tin. Breathing deeply - trying to avoid the anxiety that had built up during the process - he began to pour the glaze over the cake. It was a mirror glaze, which were notoriously difficult to get right, but he did his best to cover every cake equally. Finally, he placed his petit fours on a platter and delicately placed a coffee bean in the top right corner of every cake. Letting out a sigh of relief, he sat back and admired his work. He could spot a few mistakes here and there, but to him they looked nearly perfect.

Student Name :: chai
Type of Drink :: iced mint tea

Response :: Chai didn't usually try to go against the fold, but he knew his taste-buds were good and was convinced he had the right idea. Not only did he present iced mint tea with his savoury pastry, he also made it sugared and sweet. His explanation was that the sweet but light drink would be refreshing and palette cleansing, so whatever pastry had been eaten wouldn't sit unpleasantly in the mouth.