For Dawn_MO's son: Firefly cake (by Whimsical Bakehouse)

M

marilynfl

Moderator
http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/Fireflycake0001.jpg

Fireflies are first made separately with tinted white confectionary wafers.

The cake is iced midnight blue and then small dots of yellow buttercream are randomly spaced. A dry, warm, off-set spatula pressed into the buttercream gently melts the edges into the blue sky, giving the illusion of a glowing bulb.

Fireflies are placed at a slight angle from each dot to simulate their lightbulbs.

Finally a white chocolate moon rises in a swirl of white buttercream.

I personally feel this cake should be served following a trick described by Barbara Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, one that is experienced during a summer's evening.

Drive your vehicle to the edge of a field filled with fireflies and shut off the headlights.

After a few minutes, turn the headlights ON and then immediately OFF.

According to Barbara, ALL of the fireflies will simultaneously shut off their lights--and then turn them back on...simultaneously!

How amazing is that.

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/

 
how sad. I remember the first summer when there weren't any more Whip-poor-wills calling

to mates in the night. I loved hearing their soft calls.

 
Thanks Marilyn for the cute cake.

I am looking out my window, and I can see so many fireflies flying around. I love it.

 
How cool is that? I haven't seen/heard about fireflies in ages...

guess they don't like the damp PNW weather...

 
I'm not sure if it was just the area on Long Island where I grew up or if they were

disapearing from other places too. I loved lying awake at night and listening to them till I fell asleep smileys/smile.gif

 
Marilyn, got any clue on how to make the fireflies?

"Fireflies are first made separately with tinted white confectionary wafers" - you lost me at tinted wafers...

Very cute, and I'd love to make them. Maybe the link tells how - I'll go back and look.

The Eggs in a Nest are cute too. Thanks for the link!

 
I'll Xerox the steps...super easy.

Take white confectionary chips from Walmarts or JoAnns (around the Wilton stuff), melt in microwave and tint it to various colors. Whimsical Bakehouse book recommends the oil-based colors used for candy because it won't cause the chocolate to seize up.

Melt dark chips for outline colors.

1. Draw an outline of your firefly (butterfly, John Cleese) on a piece of paper. Place a clear piece of cellophane/vellum over it and tape down.
2. Using either a handmade parchment pastry cone rolled to a fine tip--or a pastry bag with a fine metal tip, trace the outlines of the sketch with dark chocolate. Let harden (about 3 minutes)
3. Flood other colors inside the outlined areas. The side you're working on will be the bottom, so don't worry about it.

It only takes a few minutes to harden. Lift off and use!

You can even skip the tinting stage and use pre-tinted disks. I have a bunch--bought myself to make butterflies and a friend mailed me a batch.
If you want to play around, I'll drop some in the mail to you.

The hardest thing for me was getting the parchment cone right. Once you get it, the rest is very easy.

Oh, I kept a heating pad on the table and laid all my various parchment cones on it to keep them warm and fluid. Worked like a charm.

 
Thanks for the directions, M. I have a bunch of different colored

white chocolate wafers (I'm assuming that's what they mean?), so no thanks on your offer to send me some.

Kinda like ColorFlo, by Wilton. I've done that before, and after some practice, you really do get professional-loooking results.

But "super easy"?! You MUST be talented!! :eek:)

 
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