Daring Bakers Challenge : Filbert Gateau with praline buttercream
I know.
I know!
You’ve come here in search of a Filbert Gateau and now you’re looking at the picture above, wondering what the heck I’m on. Where’s the buttercream? What about the flippin’ filberts?
That, I promise you, is the gateau by Carol Walters that Chris picked as this month’s challenge. Plunge a spoon into it, drag it back up for air and what you’ll get is layers of moist almond genoise between blankets of rich praline buttercream and whipped cream. A filbert gateau, even by any other name, is still…
It all started when I made the initial decision to do mini versions of this gateau, and then had a heck of a time using the chocolate glaze. The finish on the cakes I achieved was rather displeasing to say the least and while trying to figure out how to decorate the cakes, I was suddenly struck by the idea of having them vaguely resemble flower pots (I really should stop listening to myself!). I started making some green tea flowers and leaves, as well as bits of chocolate biscuit to look like soil. At this point I realised that part of the baking challenge required buttercream to adorn the top of the cake, so I had to make more buttercream and piped it underneath each flower and leaf. In the end the whole exercise was all kind of exhausting, really, but thankfully I now have cake to replenish my energy.
The whole concept of a layer cake is genius. The cake itself is almost nothing more than a vehicle for the copious amounts of flavoured buttercream and glaze involved. I’ve never been too much of a buttercream fan, but I love making cakes for others, so was only too happy to attempt this recipe in the name of the Daring Bakers. The recipe for this cake is rather lengthy, so I have decided not to include it. However, you should be able to find it on Chris’ blog. The recipe for green tea biscuits can be found here.
This post is dedicated to the memory of Sher, a fellow blogger and Daring Baker member, who passed away on July 20th 2008.
Courtney said,
July 30, 2008 @ 7:53 am
I love love love you mini flower pots! Its a creative idea and twist on the recipe. The green tea biscuits look so cute on top.
megan said,
July 30, 2008 @ 8:56 am
I love the mini cakes! You did a great job. 🙂
Cakelaw said,
July 30, 2008 @ 9:00 am
Your little cakes are so cute! I think the flowerpot idea is great – keep listening to yourself.
Christie @ fig&cherry said,
July 30, 2008 @ 10:26 am
Gorgeous styling! Love the colour contrasts between the green, pink and chocolate. Got any left to share? 😉
maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) said,
July 30, 2008 @ 11:15 am
first, lovely to dedicate it to sher.
second, darn did you go and make a really lovely cake. lovely, lovely.
Deeba said,
July 30, 2008 @ 11:18 am
The cutest & prettiest cake I’ve seen in a while…you really MUST listen to the little voice in your head! I love the flower & leaves…how did you make those? Pretty please…if you are OK to share your styling ideas! They are STUNNING!! Cheers Deeba / a fellow DB
Y said,
July 30, 2008 @ 11:25 am
Thank you to everyone who likes the cake! I thought I was going to be getting some “Hey, you cheated with the buttercream decor” comments instead ..hehe.
Deeba, I made the flowers and leaves using some cutters I already had back from when I thought I was going to plunge into the world of making sugar flowers – that has yet to happen, obviously, but they’re proving useful for making cookies 🙂
courtney said,
July 30, 2008 @ 11:56 am
Outstanding. Its more beautiful in in its mini simplified form. You accomplised all the elements and it works !
Vera said,
July 30, 2008 @ 12:17 pm
Y, what an adorable little cake! Lovely! Using the buttercream as a glue is a truly brilliant idea! Why, Why I haven’t thought about it myself! I hate my buttercream piping on the chocolate glaze.
stickyfingers said,
July 30, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
Your cakes, as always look divine – and a nice piece of lateral thinking too. I think Aussies are more fondant oriented than buttercream, so that was a really nice solution. Green tea, chocolate, hazlenuts – an excellent combo.
Lorraine E said,
July 30, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
I’ve never heard of a Filbert Gateau before but it sounds like the sort of cake that I’d love. Actually I’ve yet to meet a cake I don’t love lol I like the flowers and leaves, they look so cute!
Chris said,
July 30, 2008 @ 2:08 pm
This is a lovely cake! Your interpretation is inspiring. And I agree, using the buttercream as the clue was brilliant! Thanks for a super job.
cyn said,
July 30, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
heh your creations are too cute to eat i reckon! very nice as usual.
Foodie Froggy said,
July 30, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
oooohh, it is so cute ! Congrats !
cookemila said,
July 30, 2008 @ 4:49 pm
magnificent.Very beautiful.xoxo
Jen Yu said,
July 30, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
Love the concept and the execution! It’s beautiful and creative 🙂 Great job.
Christy said,
July 30, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
How cute!! I thought about making it in smaller moulds too, so I can decorate them all differently, but I just couldn’t afford to buy them at the moment. Love how they look, especially the top view!!
linda said,
July 30, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
The flowerpot idea is just lovely! Your decoration sticks out from the millions of other DB-ers.
Suzana said,
July 30, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
Mini cakes! I love them, and what you done with the challenge. Wished I have done the same… Stunning presentation, and very beautiful photos. 🙂
Mandy said,
July 30, 2008 @ 10:13 pm
that is one pretty mini cake! Love the flower pot idea and it is nicely executed.
prettytastycakes said,
July 30, 2008 @ 11:21 pm
really beautiful mini cakes! green and brown are one of my favorite color combinations!
Sweet Tooth said,
July 30, 2008 @ 11:50 pm
I bet the cookies added the perfect amount of crunch. I love the mini versions and the flower pots are really cute (continue to listen to yourself).
Alexa said,
July 31, 2008 @ 2:15 am
I would be happy to dig in to this lovely pastry to prove that there is indeed buttercream layers in it… that is, if you need volunteers. The flower and leaves on top are just so pretty. You have such talent for adding more beauty to the already beautiful…
grace said,
July 31, 2008 @ 2:50 am
“The cake itself is almost nothing more than a vehicle for the copious amounts of flavoured buttercream and glaze involved.”
amen, and amen. that is precisely my stance on the matter. you’ve done an awesome job here, y. awesome.
ELRA said,
July 31, 2008 @ 4:37 am
May I borrow the flower decoration to decorate my cake? It’s so cute!
Madam Chow said,
July 31, 2008 @ 5:15 am
Creative and lovely. And you are so right that cake is nothing more than a buttercream transfer device. I don’t like either, but my husband does, and I love to make them for him.
Katie B. said,
July 31, 2008 @ 6:22 am
Darling little cakes – beautiful and creative!
Tartelette said,
July 31, 2008 @ 9:24 am
I hope that you never stop listening to yourself! They are adorable! Little chocolate flower pots and with matcha? Yum!
Gina said,
July 31, 2008 @ 10:16 am
Well, the blogosphere is thrilled that you listened to yourself! What a stunning little cake!!
Laura said,
July 31, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
Gorgeous cake! Your pictures are so beautiful!
Rosa said,
July 31, 2008 @ 2:05 pm
Beautiful! Now that’s a pretty cake! You are very creative!
Cheers,
Rosa
Elle said,
July 31, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
Mini cakes as flowerpots for greeen flowers…with buttercream leaves…brilliant! It’s true..cake id merely a vehicle for all the coodies we pile between the layers and on top.
kitten said,
July 31, 2008 @ 3:53 pm
i love your little flower pot cakes.. so adorable.. very creative idea !
cookemila said,
July 31, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
From everything I have seen, I have come to the conclusion that yours is the most original and that if I had to give a prize just for the haria aqui.No cookies you but for your consideration with the person who died and because you leave a bit of norma.
congratulations
cookemila.blogolosas.com
Aparna said,
July 31, 2008 @ 6:53 pm
I’d say you ought to listen to yourself more often.
These are the prettiest filbert gateau flower pots I’ve ever seen.:) So now you can have your cake and eat it.
Dagmar said,
July 31, 2008 @ 9:00 pm
The flower pots are beautiful!
veron said,
July 31, 2008 @ 9:57 pm
cute cute cake, and I love the flower cutout decoration too!
Jeanine said,
July 31, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
your cake is gorgeous! You got such smooth sides. I love the minis, I think next time, no matter what we do, I’m gonna go mini. They’re just too cute! (and they look easier to work with too). Great job!
leslie said,
July 31, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
These are the most adorable cakes I have seen! wonderful job! The sides gave me a fit as well! But your did a much better job at hiding any imperfections!
zorra said,
July 31, 2008 @ 11:40 pm
You are so creative! Brilliant idea. If I should do something cute like that you could take me to a clinic, a special one, you know. 😉
Anita said,
August 1, 2008 @ 2:21 am
That is so gorgeous and creative! I love it!!!
venus said,
August 1, 2008 @ 2:39 am
Oohh, so lovely! I love the floral green tea cookies on top (it is green tea right?)! Bravo!
Lin said,
August 1, 2008 @ 2:54 am
umm…cutest. thing. ever. looks yummy!
Hannah said,
August 1, 2008 @ 3:45 am
Your version of this challenge is so unique and creative, I just love it! I’m also a huge fan of matcha, so this sounds like it would be right up my alley. 😉
redmenace said,
August 1, 2008 @ 11:31 am
All I know is that it’s beautiful!
Clumbsy Cookie said,
August 1, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
This is soooooo cool! I love mini cakes and I adore your matcha biscuits!
Stephanie said,
August 2, 2008 @ 4:47 am
Oh, how adorable!! I’m loving your min-cakes. Of course, I *am* partial to tiny foods…
Just lovely.
Candace said,
August 3, 2008 @ 7:24 am
Lovely job! Your cookies are adorable too!
Indigo said,
August 4, 2008 @ 9:03 pm
Aww, these are so adorable! I love that you made them so original; I always wish I could come up with something different to do with the Daring Baker recipes (but end up being too intimidated by the DBers to stray far XD).
Lauren said,
August 5, 2008 @ 12:41 am
Your cakes are beautiful! I love the mini cakes, and the Green Tea biscuits are perfect!