Have you ever thought that birthday cakes should be easier?
What if they can be and you can take all the glory for not doing that much at all? Coles has the perfect cake to make you look like the best parent in the world.
If you are not a fan of the Pink Drip Cake, you can also get a Chocolate Drip Cake
Our summer-inspired Coles Vanilla Pink Drip Cake
Coles Vanilla Drip Cake Makes Birthday’s Easier
I like any mum who wants to make their child’s birthday party special. Each year I ask each kid what they would like for their birthday, and I go out of my way to make it happen.
Hubby is a bit over all the trouble I go to and keeps on saying I should just get a cake from the shop and make it look pretty.
So when I was asked to test out the new Coles Vanilla Pink Drip Cake I thought this might be the answer to making birthday’s easier.
The kids wanted to make it a summer cake filled with tropical decorations.
I think they did an amazing job and had fun too.
I think next time I have a party I will make things easier for myself. As a mum, there is so much to do and to organise, if you can get more time back it is a win, right?
Will you be testing out the Coles Vanilla Pink Drip Cake?
Did you know that the Coles Drip Cakes was voted product of the year for 2020?
I can see why it won product of the year, it’s yummy and a stunning-looking cake.
COLES VANILLA PINK DRIP CAKE The Coles vanilla pink drip cake is a stunning and cost-effective solution to creating the cake of your dreams! The white icing with a delectable pink drip puts this stunning dessert on par with the decadent, Insta-worthy cakes that are continuously popping up. This cake is light, fluffy and drizzled with a sweet pink topping and makes the perfect base for decorating and dressing as you see fit! Whether it’s for a bridal shower, kids’ birthday party or just for impressing your guests after dinner, the Coles pink drip cakes are perfect for every occasion. RRP $28.00 Available at Coles.
I hope this gives you some ideas on how to make your next celebration fantastic with this super stylish cake.
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Mission: To turn store-bought sponge cakes into a stunning wedding centrepiece.
Challenge accepted!
Armed with creativity, a vision, and a few store-bought sponge cakes from Woolworths, I ventured into the world of cakeovers to craft a delightful masterpiece fit for a dreamy wedding. Plus, with the help of gorgeous fresh flowers from Fine Flowers in Katoomba, the transformation was truly enchanting.
What is a “cakeover”?
A “cakeover” is a playful term used to describe the process of transforming an existing or store-bought cake into a more elaborate or personalized creation through decoration, embellishments, or alterations. Think of it as a cake makeover.
It involves taking a pre-made or basic cake and enhancing its appearance or flavour to suit a specific occasion or personal preferences better.
Cakeovers are often chosen for various reasons, such as time constraints, budget considerations, or simply to showcase creativity by customising a store-bought cake to suit a particular celebration, whether it’s a wedding, birthday, anniversary, or any other special occasion.
The Quest for Cake Perfection
Step 1: Cake Acquisition A trip to my local Woolworths store presented an array of sponge cake options. Opting for simplicity, I chose plain sponge cakes – the perfect blank canvas for my cakeover project.
Step 2: Visionary Designs Inspiration struck as I envisioned a multi-tiered cake exuding elegance. With a touch of whimsy in mind, fresh flowers were to be the pièce de résistance. The flowers allowed for a touch of colour and made the cake look so pretty.
Step 3: Assembly Time Stacking the sponge cakes, I sandwiched them with layers of luscious cream and fresh Panama passionfruit from Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Market. The passionfruit gave a great flavour and added a summer feel to the wedding cake.
Passionfruit added to the whipped creamStarting to layer the cakes with the cream between each layerThe whipped cream with passionfruit looks so deliciousCut Panama Passionfruit ready for the whipped creamAll the Panama Passionfruit at Todarello’s Katoomba Village Fruit Market
Creating the white icing
Mix the below ingredients in a bowl. You can mix with a fork or a mixer to ensure you get fluffy icing.
2 cups of icing sugar
2 egg whites
A few drops of lemon juice
A teaspoon of vanilla essence
Once all cakes are staked then ice all the cake as smoothly as you can. Use a scraper to have the icing on the cake look smooth and if you have parts of the sponge cake showing that is fine, this will allow you to have the naked cake look. If you don’t want the naked cake look make sure to cover the cake with the white icing and smooth it out with the scraper. If you want a wavy pattern, you can have a scraper that will do that too.
The scrapers I used for my cakeover wedding cake.
Step 4: The Flourishing Finish Here’s where the magic truly unfolded. Fresh blooms from Fine Flowers in Katoomba were carefully placed atop the cake tiers, infusing vibrant colours and natural beauty into the creation. The flowers were added with paper straws to make sure the stem wasn’t put into the cake. The flowers would then be easily removed to allow the cake to be cut for serving.
I put the flowers on one side of the top of the cake and then on an angle to have some flowers on the bottom of the cake. This allowed more decoration for the top of the cake if needed. I also added a gold “love” cake topper.
Flowers were put in paper straws to then add to the cake
Fine Flowers Katoomba There is always such stunning blooms at Fine Flowers Katoomba
I adore visiting Fine Flowers in Katoomba. They always have stunning flowers that put a smile on my face.
Pretty Teasel Seed headsLove the purple gerbrasStunning white chrysanthemums and rosesCarnations look fantastic and the purple are my favourite!I love the blue irisAll the different flowers at Fine Flowers Katoomba
The Splendor of Cakeovers
Personal Touches Though the base was store-bought, the personalised touch came through the decorations. The flowers’ choice, arrangement, and overall design spoke volumes about the couple’s style and taste.
Budget-Friendly Brilliance By utilising ready-made cakes, the focus shifted from baking stress to creative embellishment, ensuring a stunning outcome without breaking the bank.
Time-Efficient Elegance Crafting a cakeover was a swift process, perfect for those in need of a last-minute, yet spectacular, dessert for a special occasion like a wedding.
Lessons Learned & Tips Shared
Be Resourceful: Embrace store-bought items as a canvas for your creativity. A little transformation can yield exceptional results.
Freshness is Key: Utilise fresh flowers or edible decorations for an instant upgrade to the cake’s aesthetics.
Keep it Simple: Sometimes, simplicity speaks volumes. Focus on a few key elements for a striking overall effect.
Practice Patience: Attention to detail is crucial. Take your time arranging the decorations to achieve the desired look.
Conclusion
With a stroke of creativity and a sprinkle of resourcefulness, a store-bought sponge cake evolved into a mesmerizing wedding centerpiece. The cakeover journey not only showcased the potential of simple elements but also highlighted the beauty of personalisation and affordability in crafting a memorable dessert. So, whether it’s a wedding or any special occasion, remember, a store-bought cake can be the perfect canvas for your cakeover dreams!
So what are the costs associated with creating a cakeover wedding cake?
It might not surprise you that a cakeover will really save you money and still create a yummy and fantastic-looking cake for your special day.
You will see from the table below that creating a wedding cake from an existing cake is the cheaper option.
A simple search online found that if you had a cake that had four tiers and above you would generally pay between $420 – $650.
2 x Woolworths Double Unfilled Sponge 460g
$12.00 ($6 each)
Icing
$2.50
Flowers
$13.00
Cream
$2.80
2 egg whites
$1.25 (based on 6 eggs that cost $3.75)
Panama passionfruit
$4.60 ($2.30 each)
Icing scraper
$4.40 (VIP Spotlight price)
Love cake topper decoration
$11.20 (VIP Spotlight price)
Total:
$51.75
The stunning cakeover wedding cake is decorated and ready for the cake topper
If you already had eggs, icing, the icing scraper or didn’t want the love cake topper decoration (all of this would take $19.35 off the amount above) the new cost of the cake would be: $32.40
As you see, you can make the cake cheaper if you wish.
The flowers make this cake look so pretty
“Pink chrysanthemums represent longevity, attraction, and romance, making them a great choice for a first date or a new love. In general, chrysanthemums are believed to represent happiness, love, longevity, and joy.”
The cakeover wedding cake is all decorated and ready for the big event
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This post was originally published on December 19, 2023
Do you have an airfryer? If you do, I’m sure you are like me and love yours as much as I do.
A while ago I was sent the Philips Airfryer XXL to test out and see what magic I could cook up. I’ve now had this amazing appliance for a few months and I wanted to share with you all the great recipes that I’ve been able to cook in the airfryer. I also recently received the Philips Baking Master Kit, an extra addition to trying out new things.
Philips Baking Master Kit for the Airfryer XXL
Cakes always come out perfect in the Philips Airfryer Cake Tin
I’ve made it even more easy and used packet mixes from the supermarket (You can make from scratch or use packet mixes)
Method
• Make the cake mixture • Grease the cake tin with a little butter or oil • Pour mixture into the tin • Set the airfryer to cake setting, 180 degrees for 28 mins • Leave to cook for the full 28 minutes and then wait till the airfryer beeps to tell you it is all done. • Once all cooked, take out of the airfryer carefully as it will be extremely hot (make sure to have an oven mitt to take out without burning yourself) • Leave for a bit and then take out of the tin to cool on a cooling rack. • Once cool, ice and decorate or serve warm with ice cream.
Orange and Poppy Seed Pound Cake cooked in the Philips Airfryer
Cupcakes
Method
Mix cake mixture
Fill 2/3 full in a silicone mould
120 degrees for 22 minutes on the cake setting (Cake setting defaults to 180 so just press the temp icon and change it to suit)
Cook for the required time limit
Once cooked take out and allow to cool
The cupcakes will come out easily of the silicone moulds and you will not need butter or oil in them (So this is even better)
Chocolate cupcakes straight out of the airfyer
Steak and Vegetables
Cooking steak and vegetables in the airfryer is so quick and easy. I’ve been amazed at how well it cooks steak and in fact any meat, it seems to keep the meat so moist.
I served the Steak and Vegetables with homemade Beetroot and Orange Spiced Chutney.
Ingredients
2 Scotch Steak Fillets
Olive Oil
3 Carrots
4 Potatoes
Chilli Flakes
Italian Herbs
Marinade
Soy Sauce and Honey – I added a tablespoon of honey and a good splash of soy.
Method
Cut up the carrots and potatoes roughly, small enough to cook quickly and be like bite-sized chip sizes.
Put carrots and potatoes in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix so that all vegetables have the oil on them.
Add a tablespoon of chilli flakes and a tablespoon of Italian herbs. Mix well together.
Add the vegetables to the airfryer basket.
Put airfryer on the M (Mixed Setting)
Set the temperature for 200 degrees and cook for 20 minutes. Make sure to stop at the 10-minute mark to stir and to make sure that they are cooking okay. If you don’t like your veggies crispy you might want to take them out at the 10-minute mark.
Once the veggies have completed the second 10 minutes of cooking time, take them out and keep warm.
Now make up the marinade if you haven’t done so already. Once the honey and soy marinade is complete put in the steaks so that they can be fully coated with the marinade.
Put the steaks in the airfryer basket
Set the airfryer to the meat preset
Set the temperature to 180 degrees and cook for 12 minutes. No need to stop to turn over, just let the meat cook.
Sausages and chops
Before I cooked the Steak and Vegetables, I did lamb chops and sausages for the kids’ dinner.
It was very simple and very quick. I just had to clean up the tray and basket before I cooked the steak and veggies.
Alexander’s Dinner
Note: Before I cooked the sausages and chops, I sprayed the basket with a little bit of olive oil.
The following went into the airfryer:
2 chops
4 sausages
They were cooked at 200 degrees on the meat setting for 12 minutes.
So yummy it’s all eaten!
Roast Chicken and Salad
I saw the roast chicken recipe video on the Philips website and wanted to give it a go. I did mine with a twist, I purchased an already marinated and stuffed chicken from the supermarket.
However, my chicken was a little bigger than it should have been so I was lucky that it fit okay into the airfryer. My chicken was 1.7kg and I was hoping to get a chicken that was 1.5kg at the biggest or maybe 1.2kg but the smallest was 1.7kg at the shops. It didn’t look that big, so I gave it a go.
Philips Airfryer Roast Chicken with Salad
Ingredients
1 whole chicken either marinated and stuffed by others or you can create your own.
Salad – I picked up a salad kit at the supermarket to make dinner even easier.
You can add vegetables, rice or other things to the chicken if you don’t want a salad.
Method
Spray the airfryer tray with some olive oil
Add the chicken to the airfryer tray
Set the airfryer to 180 degrees and choose the poultry setting
Entertaining is so easy with the Philips Airfryer XXL.You will create some super yummy and tasty meals and impress your family and friends.
Another benefit is that the airfryer uses less oil and is a healthier way to cook, with up to 90% less fat. Plus, it is a super quick way to create some family favourites.
Find more recipes with the Philips Airfryer App, available at the App Store and on Google Play
Do you have an airfryer? What is the best recipe you have created in yours? Share so we can all try your delicious recipes.
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