Always the centre of attention – Why cakes are always a statement

Did someone say cake?! We haven’t met a single soul yet who doesn’t adore a crafted cake on the table to celebrate their special day! From birthdays to bar mitzvahs, cake is a global hallmark centrepiece for almost every celebration. But where did these elaborate edible towers originate from? Cakes have been a part of western culture celebrations since around the 19 th century and are said to date back to ancient Roman times! ‘Birthday cakes’ were first marketed in Germany and took on their contemporary form in the 17 th century with their multiple layers, decorations and icing.. however these darling desserts were once only available to the very wealthy but
over time became accessible to the lower class folk as a result of the industrial revolution.

These days, you’d be hard pressed to attend a celebration without some sort of cake as the crowned centre of attention, and cake making has become a huge phenomenon throughout the globe with incredibly talented artists who pour their patience and persistence into creating these sugary statement pieces. Here are a few elements that help create these delicious desserts.

Cake mix
Baking a cake is simply one of those things what you cant just ‘wing it’. A successful cake must be meticulously measured and mixed with specific measurements and methods to ensure they rise properly, cook to the right consistency and keep their form once cooled. As a no fail basic cake base, a simple vanilla cake will always be a hit if you follow the instructions correctly. Our fav is this easy peasy Vanilla Cake. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 ½ cups of plain all-purpose flour (make sure you sift it!)
1 ½ tspns of baking powder
1 ¾ cups of caster sugar
250g of butter (melted)
4 eggs
1 ½ cups of milk
1 tspn of vanilla extract

Filling
From fresh cream to hidden edible surprises, the filling of a cake is perhaps one of the most important elements of a cake and has become a trend in recent times. Everyone loves that moment when a cake is carefully cut into a wonderous wedge revealing what’s inside the masterpiece. These days we are delighted with all different kinds of sugary surprises from rich rainbow layers to little lollies and bright bits that delicately fall out once the slice is served. These hidden treasures bring out the big kid within making for a fabulous flare of fun to add to our celebrations!

Fondant &  Icing
Of course its what’s on the inside that counts but when it comes to cakes, the wow factor truly begins on the outside. Weather it is buttery icing or firm fondant that covers the cake, its safe to say this is where you can get truly creative. Once a theme is chosen you can finish of your cake with all kids of delicious designs and fine detailing. Fondant comes in two forms (poured or rolled) and is made with sugar, water and corn syrup. To make a fondant dough, gelatine is added and the mix is rolled out into sheets that can be coloured and used to make figurines as cake toppers. Icing on the other hand is soft and used to spread over the naked cake to create a creamy top layer made of butter, icing sugar and a touch of milk.
Prepare to be dazzled and delighted at the glorious ranges of cakes over at Pishon Bakery in Chatswood Interchange.