30 March 2008

Daring Bakers Challenge #4 - Perfect Party Cake

Perfect Party Cake
Once again this month as a proud and yet hesitant and timid member of the Daring Bakers I rose to the challenge to make a layer cake from scratch. I am a big fan of cake mixes...sigh...yes you heard me correctly...wink...wink...when it comes to baking cakes for special occasions. They always turn out perfectly. But being the Daring Baker that I am I rose to the challenge from this month's hostess Morven at Food Art and Random Thoughts with Dorie Greenspan's 'Perfect Party Cake'.



The Daring Bakers are the brainchild of our lovely and industrious co-founders Lis at La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice . They started baking in their kitchens to challenge each other and it has grown to a movement of over 500 strong dedicated bakers. The greatest thing about belonging to the Daring Bakers is all the support from the DB community. I appreciate all the comments and encouragement from every one of you.

This was my 4th Daring Baker challenge. We were given a lot of liberties with flavouring our cake to suit our own tastes this time around. I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with...the possibilities are endless!!! I ended up covering my cake with a blanket of coconut and surrounded it with tiny vanilla meringues. You will find the recipe here on the the blogroll at over 500 sites. Thank you for the challenge!!

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

59 comments:

  1. What a great idea to decorate with meringues - I would have never thought of that before! It looks beautiful!

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  2. I love your cake!!! The meringues look so cute up there!

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  3. Hi Val, you really came up with a great idea here, I adore the meringue decoration on your cake :) Your cake does look stunning!

    Rosie x

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  4. I love the look of your cake Val...it's magical. The vanilla meringues look ever so pretty & am GLAD the DB challenge has shaken you out of box mixes!!WAY TO GO DARING BAKER VAL!!

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  5. Nice touch with the meringues! Looks great!

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  6. Looks beautiful Val! You know... I saw those little meringues recently, and I remember thinking that they would look lovely as cake decor!

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  7. Wow, wish I had some of those piping skills. I'm always thinking I'll try that and then other things push it out of my mind.
    Beautiful cake!

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  8. Thank you ever so much everyone for your encouragment. But Tanna I must clarify that the little meringues were storebought...my piping skills aside...wink...wink...I stick with what is within my limits:D

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  9. You did good, kid ;)

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  10. Oh, this is my kind of cake! Gimme that coconut! I've seen beautiful perfect party cakes today at both Coco Cooks and What's Cooking, but this is the one I'd most love to taste, I think.

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  11. I think your cake is fab, fab, FABULOUS! I love the little meringues! What a cute touch and so different! Well done! (but then, all your stuff always is!)

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  12. Yes, very nicely done!

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  13. Lovely idea with the meringues! They look adorable as a crown! Great job!

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  14. What gorgeous little meringues! Did you make them yourself? If so, that is one impressively steady hand you got there!

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  15. Oh the meringue decoration looks lovely! Great job on the challenge.

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  16. You got me with those tiny meringues Val! Your cake looks georgeous!!

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  17. Actually I did not see the recipe on the blogroll but the picture speaks of itself. Wow, I love your decoration. I'm still scared to join the Daring Bakers.

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  18. A lovely coconut cake with a meringue crown, looks great, well done :)

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  19. Look at those adorble meringues! Perfect cake Valli!
    xoxo

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  20. "Tiny vanilla meringues" sounds like something a baby fairy would eat.

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  21. Val, the cake is well decorated, pity it has to be cut into but it's necessary.


    I think Cabada Post allows you to mail cakes. (wink-wink)

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  22. Very beauty Vall, so nice Cake, congrats.xxxxGloria

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  23. Very fitting touch. I love all the ideas I've seen. I cant wait to make it again!

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  24. Val, your cake turned out lovely! The little meringue cookies are a great idea. Very clever!

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  25. Lovely, I love the meringue decorations.

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  26. Doesn't look like you have any reason to be a timid Daring Baker... your cake is beautiful! Love the meringue accents! :)

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  27. Beautiful!! I love the meringues. What a great idea! Your cake look so pretty!

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  28. Val I love how your cake turned out! I didn't use coconut because someone at Easter didn't like it. But yours looks just beautiful. I love the meringues too!

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  29. Awesome. I love the meringues on top. Incorporating all we have been doing as DB's.

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  30. this is lovely. i think the meringues are a great touch.
    i do agree with you- cake mixes are a very dependable. (especially after my disaster with the perfect party cake) ;-)

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  31. love the way you decorated with the meringues! what a great texture compared to the coconut, looks great!

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  32. Such a beautiful looking cake! I've seen so many already yet I love how each one looks. I like how you've used the icing tip to decorate your cake.

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  33. Your cake is fantabulous! I LOVE it! Great job, Valli, as ever.

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  34. Oh geez, I have been all over the net today, salivating over these beautiful cakes! So beautiful and all just a little different which makes it so interesting!

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  35. Lovely cake! I have to keep that idea in mind, love meringues!

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  36. Val, your cake looks superb! I love the little meringues round the edges. Now its time to throw out all those cake mix packages!! :)

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  37. The meringues are a lovely sweet touch. A beautiful cake. You did a great job!!

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  38. Pretty decorating. I'm blown away by everyone's creativity. Glad you enjoyed the challenge

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  39. It looks very purty! Nice and white. Heavenly.

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  40. It doesn't matter how well we can cook, but when it comes to cake mixes there is something magical about this. To see a cake rise in the oven, is like seeing something grow...

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  41. Gorgeous! Love the look of that cake!

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  42. Beautiful work, Val, love the meringues!

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  43. Your cake looks good! Nice decorations!

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  44. The cake looks gorgeous! I love all of the coconut, and the meringues around the edge are genious!

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  45. What a great idea to put the mini meringues on! It looks fantastic!

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  46. what a PERFECT Party Cake!!! Sooo prettty! :)

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  47. I *heart* the Daring Bakers. I do I do I do. I love the idea of challenging others to bake something special. Sadly, although I love baking, I'm not that daring, so I'm always admiring those who are.

    Your cake looks so pretty. YOu can't tell me you can't bake a good layer cake!

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  48. How whimsical with the meringues! I love it!

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  49. Your cake is beautiful!

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  50. I love your take on the 'challenge'. What an innovative idea using meringues as decoration.

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  51. I don't know how you DBers do it!
    The cake looks too pretty to be eaten! The little meringues look so adorable. I *love* coconut.:-)

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  52. Lovely cake Val..especially like the meringues around the edge...genius!

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  53. Wow!!! your little meringues are beautiful and the coconut just looks so inviting!!! Congratulations on your 4th challenge!!! you cake looks soo good.. maybe you won't need those cake mixes anymore *giggleS*

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  54. Do you ever sleep Val? How can you do all these wonderful recipes, go for walks and events and cook and blog? I'm amazed!!!!

    This looks like the king of cakes... so beautiful♥

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  55. What a great job you did on this month's challenge! Love the meringue decorations on top!

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  56. I love your meringues! They're gorgeous! Your cake looks positively dreamy...

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  57. Loved your blog! I came here through the latest post on Foodie blog roll's Left Over Queen - and am glad I did! All your photos are great too! This cake looks yummy!!

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  58. You did a lovely job on your cake. I love the meringue cookies for decorations.

    Natalie @ Gluten a Go Go

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  59. great job! i love how you decorated your cake; i'm still developing my cake decorating skills...

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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