The epic tale of Holly and the Safari Cake (Part 2)

Day 2

I woke up this morning and headed to the store for more powdered sugar and a back-up plan. I decided to go ahead and buy a 5lb box of crappy store bought fondant just in case everything goes to crap and I'm here at 2am with no more powdered sugar and no energy. I was going to just use the stuff, but a woman on the cake decorating isle told me that homemade fondant is so much better, and that the boxed stuff, although easy and great to work with, tastes like a mixture of bubble gum and toothpaste. So, I grabbed a box, kept the receipt, and got another 2lbs of powdered sugar.

Things have been working much better so far. I finished both the white batch of fondant and the light light brown batch (for the top and bottom layers- giraffe and leapord background colors). Instead of coloring the brown with food coloring or gel, I decided to omit a little powdered sugar and substitute Ghiradelli cocoa. It is a little darker than I was going for, but tastes great (for fondant).

Rolled Fondant

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water 1/2 cup glucose syrup 1 tablespoon glycerin

2 tablespoons shortening 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick. Place gelatin mixture in top of double boiler and heat until dissolved.
2.	Add glucose and glycerin, mix well. Stir in shortening and just before completely melted, remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Mixture should cool until lukewarm.
3.	Place 4 cups confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and using a wooden spoon, stir in the lukewarm gelatin mixture. Mix in sugar and add more a little at a time, until stickiness disappears. Knead in remaining sugar. Knead until the fondant is smooth, pliable and does not stick to your hands. If fondant is too soft, add more sugar; if too stiff, add water (a drop at a time). Use fondant immediately or store in airtight container in fridge. When ready to use, bring to room temperature and knead again until soft.

I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of what to do next. I started to cut the cakes, but I think I should have the filling finished so I can stack them as I cut them. I did realize that I did a crappy job of reading the instructions and made about 3 too many cakes. I thought it was a bunch! No worries, now I have even more "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards.

I made my Chocolate Ganache and I am waiting for it to cool so I can whip it for the filling. Since there is a PARTY here in less than 24 HOURS I guess I should take this take to clean instead of blog...

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
2.	Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.