My “January” cake projects have finally finished:

The Snowman Cake:
Deep Chocolate Passion Cake, syruped with milk chocolate syrup as per RHC, filled with Strawberry Mouselline, and Frosted with White Chocolate Mouselline—Fondant Snowmen and Evergreen (with royal icing snow) and a hand made candy/sugar “frozen pond”. 

I cheated and used marshmallow fondant. 

The Snowflake Cake:
Rose’s Lemon Chiffon as per TCB but baked as per Orange Chiffon in RHC.  Filled with shortening based Lemon curd and fresh blueberries and frosted lightly with the “flour/gravy/roux” buttercream—strange stuff, but made with shortening and lemon juice.  Coated with marshmallow fondant and royal icing snowflakes. 

I am a devoted chocolate lover, but I (and many others!!) surprisingly loved the lemon cake—EVEN with all of the shortening.  I imagine it would be even better with butter—next time… as I was not sure my daughter could do dairy/egg whites, so had to go this route (she didn’t get to eat the snowflakes!).  Both cakes were moist and delicious, but I found the lemon flavours to really work together well!  The chiffon was excellent in spite of the centre falling from the pan when inverted!  The chiffon also held up the fondant well.  Unfortunately, it was very cold and dry here so I barely got the fondant smoothed let alone fiddling with the base—it was so dry I had to accept a few puckers. 

I initially had planned (and made) 2 dozen meringue snowmen to encircle the snowman cake, but decided more was less and left them off (I had to steal the chocolate arms I piped on the meringue snowmen to replace some broken ones on the fondant men).  However, I had an unsightly line or two on the cake that I planned to cover, but never did…lesson to do it perfectly the first time, just in case!

Sherrie, the cakes are beautiful…..the snowflakes, in particular, exquisite. I’m so glad your daughter’s cake worked out so well - I know you had a lot of concerns about it. Your children must have been very excited about them!

Sherrie, I cannot decide if your snowflakes are cuter or your pond/snowman/tree scene is cuter.

I’m glad you left the snowman cake as is.  It is so incredibly perfect and friendly!!!

I am tripping-out on them.

Sherrie, your cakes are stunning! I love everything about them, the decorations, the colors. Really stunning!

Sherrie,  both cakes are just beautiful.  I especially love your snowflakes.  They are so beautifully piped.

Sherrie, those are wonderful!  The snowflakes are incredible, and I love the snowmen and candy pond, it’s clear and has depth to it.  Your flavors sound delicious- the lemon chiffon baked as a layer is one of my all-time favorite cakes, I’m not surprised it was well-received. I’ll be your kids were happy!

Julie - 23 January 2012 09:40 PM

the lemon chiffon baked as a layer is one of my all-time favorite cakes, I’m not surprised it was well-received

  Perhaps I should clarify…I am surprised I prefered it to the chocolate….but definitely not surprised the cake was delicious since it was one of Rose’s recipes…that said I was surprised the shortening based curd and frosting weren’t off-putting as the frosting in particular was not something I would eat straight from the bowl!! ha ha

Although, had the chocolate cake been made with ganache, that would be another story!  I do prefer chocolate with chocolate as opposed to fruit based fillings.  But my son wanted strawberry inside, so that’s what he got!

It’s funny, my kids must be getting used to my baking because it was the “guest kids” who were really excited about the cakes!

Sherrie, I’m repeating what others have said, but these are so stinkin cute! I love your color choices, the delicate snowflakes and oh! those snowmen! Cuteness!!! The flavor combinations sound yummy too! Love, love, love the writing on the sugar pond! It looks like it’s floating.. Both cakes are just beautiful!!