Great Bake-off 4, cake

 Sandwich cake

I love it how everyone evolves during the seasons of this show. Paul was somewhat an a-hole during the first season, I remember the row he and Mary Berry had about what level they should be judging. Mary Berry saying these are HOME bakers, not professionals, Paul Hollywood almost expecting professional bakery level quality. I mean, of course everything should be as equal in quality, the flavors should be right, the techniques unquestionable, but perfection of decoration and precision? No. Professional bakers must spend time to learn to do things like piping and chocolate work, home bakers focus on different things. 

So... if I was a sandwich cake, what would I be? I'm Finnish, so to me "sandwich cake" means only one thing; savory one :-D

In this context it means two layer naked cake. I would like to make a Victoria Sandwich cake inspired by the Japanese fruit sandwiches. Now, one of the styles is to create all kinds of flowers or geometric patterns with fruit, but that isn't possible with a cake - I can't force people to cut the slices exactly the way it needs to be cut to create those patterns... but maybe one could. I could draw the cutting lines on the top of the cake the way they make these illustrated swiss roll skins. A simple geometric pattern divided into 10 (as that Victoria Sandwich recipe is meant to be cut into 10 pieces), and use that to create the flower patterns in the filling... and just so that the cake isn't too bland looking from outside, add a layer of something, like mango curd, on the cake between cream and cake... like this sandwich here. You see the thin yellow layer there. 

I don't think the judges would have liked it :-D

Things that I notice: 

- get the sugarwork, chocolate work, and piping game down. The judges are quite impressed with small touches like that.
- I keep looking at all that hair being shaken above the bakes and wonder how much hair the judges eat. I'd make myself 10 40s inspired dresses from different baking related fabrics, and aprons to go with each one, have a 40s hair and makeup, and wear a scarf over my hair while I bake. :-D

- do a bit more. The judges appreciate effort, even when it fails.

Angel Food Cake

Chocolate cake decorated with at least two types of chocolate and elaborate decorations

I do like me chocolate cake... Devil's food cake is my favorite chocolate cake. If we are to go "choco loco", Death by the Chocolate it is :-D

Now, Death by Chocolate is two layers of chocolate brownies, with chocolate ganache, mocha meringue, and chocolate mousse in between layers, then topped with chocolate ganache and mocha mousse. They have changed the recipe a little after the restaurant was sold. It is now glazed.

I think I want to experiment with mirror glaze / acrylic pour techniques... I want to know how much one can combine the two, and how it would look on a cake :-D

I suppose some chocolate work needs to be done as well. I love David's Black Forest Floor cake from season 1. 

But that's too much on a mirror glaze cake, so maybe just one flower :-D
Or maybe make bones from white chocolate, as it's "Death by Chocolate" :-D