Let Them Eat Cake

We've moved on to specialty cakes, using the techniques we learned in simpler projects to create layered cakes with various flavors and fillings. My favorite was the Frasier cake -- I love the peek-a-boo view of the fresh strawberries and the bright color they add. The Opera cake kept me awake for hours...I didn't realize how much espresso buttercream I tasted throughout the night until I was laying awake in bed, my head still buzzing.

Frasier Cake: layers of genoise with a pistachio or almond cream filling and strawberries, covered with marzipan. 

Opera Cake: almond sponge cake with espresso syrup and buttercream, covered with chocolate glaze.

Coconut Marjolaine: layers of coconut meringue and chocolate ganache

Peanut butter and chocolate Marjolaine

Coconut Marjolaine: layers of coconut meringue and chocolate ganache