MAKING STORE BOUGHT CAKES FOR A SUPER-PRETTY CHRISTMAS
We’ve all been guilty of the classic last minute trip to Coles or Woolworths for a cake. If you don’t want to or don’t have the time or don't know how to bake a perfect cake for this Christmas and want to respect your budget for a nice Christmas and also want to jazz up your cake, here is an idea or two to give a store bought cake a complete makeover with little effort… .. Luckily there's a lot you can do with a store bought cake plus some ingenuity. Turn a basic cake into a treat worthy of a celebration with blue butterfly powder on shredded coconut or some buttercream frosting are a few creative ideas.
Blue Snow Christmas Cake
INGREDIENTS Any orange cake, butter cake or marble cake 150 grams shredded coconut 1 teaspoon blue butterfly powder 2-3 tablespoon water (or more if required)
METHOD Dissolve blue butterfly powder with some water Once dissolved stir blue butterfly liquid onto the shredded coconut and mix evenly, you may also sprinkle some blue butterfly powder on top the mixture to give it some effect.
BLUE SNOWFLAKE ON BANANA MUFFIN
INGREDIENTS
A packet of 8 banana muffins or orange muffins 100 grams shredded coconut 1/2 tsp or 3/4 tsp - blue butterfly powder (depending on how blue or what colour you want) 2 tablespoon water (or more if required) Butter to spread on the muffins
Blue Snow Flakes on Banana Muffin A confession though! This is not mt wife's idea but credit has to be given to her and her friend from her school years, Madam Harlina in Ipoh, Malaysia, she made a beautiful Blue Coconut on Tapioca with Sambal. And Vana Ford of Vasnas Designs in Wauchope - blue was on her mind with Vana trying a few blue stuffs too "Blue Choc" and perhaps a new clothing line with Blue motives on Butterfly Pea flower. They are creative and would either create something new; something blue or just call and talk to my wife - "Hey, why don't we paint this Blue"? or "Can't we do this or that......... but must be in blue, purple or pink according to nature of this beautiful herb called, Clitoria Ternatea".
Blue Lemongrass tea
PRO TIP :
Note the above shredded coconut bought from the store are dried. If you are able to purchase fresh dessicated coconut – Do not add water You do not need to dissolve the blue butterfly powder Just sprinkle 1 teaspoon of blue butterfly powder onto the fresh dessicated coconut and mixed till even and let it rest. It will turn out beautiful as the coconut is still fresh and moist which will mix easily.
We find that the combination of banana or lime and blue shredded coconut or orange and blue shredded coconut are Yum! Try one today! Total costs $10.00 +/-.
Merry Christmas!
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Buttercream has been the traditional method of decorating a cake. There are many easy recipes for making classic buttercream frosting. Here is a simple one:
INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbsp warm milk
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of Blue Butterfly Powder (preferably to dissolve in the warm milk and let it rests of 10 mins)
METHOD
Cream together butter, extract and milk using a hand mixer. Add the sugar little at a time. The mixture should be fluffy. Pour milk and Blue Butterfly powder mixture and continue beating with paddle attachment of the mixed. Beat 30 seconds or until smooth. Chill for a few hours before frosting.
Note - The buttercream frosting may change colour to "Purple" depending on the type of icing sugar you use. We found that when we made Cookie Monster - it turned out to be Purple Cookie Monster. Look its gorgeous as well!
Eat Me! Cookie Monster - any natural colour you want with Blue Butterfly Pea Powder
Some information :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874108004911
http://www.wilton.com/buttercream-frosting/WLRECIP-41.html
Kamkaen N, Wilkinson JM The antioxidant activity of Clitoria ternatea flower petal extracts and eye gel . Phytother Res. (2009)