It was a challenge for me, as it was quite time consuming (especially with a toddler clamoring to be a part of it all).I think it took me three days. I made strawberry puree, strawberry juice, strawberry gelatin, cakes, cut out cardboard to insert in the pan, and dirtied almost every bowl in my mom's house. That is a lot of bowls.
The cake was not quite my style as far as desserts go, but trying new things is what being a daring baker is all about, so I am so glad I joined and participated in this challenge.
This could be a beautiful dessert for a special occasion. My cake was not so beautiful- notice the lumps and unnevenness - but it could be a beautiful cake under different circumstances. It had a nice, creamy, fresh strawberry taste to it.
For the recipe, and a picture of what this cake SHOULD look like, visit our lovely host's blog: http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2007/07/30/mirror-mirroron-the-wall/ .
Before all you lovers of stawberries jump up and go buy the ingredients for this cake, revert to 7th grade for a moment and take this brief quiz to find out if its right for you:
1. what does jell-o mean to you ? (a) a box of powder
or (b) mashed up strawberries cooked with water, sugar and gelatin, then strained and chilled
2. would you rather make a dessert that is (a) tasty and rustic looking OR (b) beautiful and bakery-like
3. Do you have 5 hours to spare (give or take a couple)?
If you answerd B, B, YES, then you should totally make this cake!
if you answered A, A, and NO, then see other desserts featured on The Glutton. Or make strawberry shortcake, which has all the good elements of strawberry mirror cake, but without the time investment and needed experience as a pastry chef.
UPDATE: later on the day of posting, I have checked out several other fellow Daring Baker's Mirror Cakes (and you can do it too, http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/). I have been put to serious shame! What beautiful cakes they have created! How smooth are their mirrors, how velvety their bavarians, and how embarrassing to showcase my little frumpy!
Posts
