I LOVE decorating Christmas cakes maybe because I love this season. I love Christmas. I love seeing Christmas themes and decorations. It brings back my childhood. My first priority in making these holiday cakes is that the cake must be attractive. I see to it that my designs are one of a kind, walang katulad, hindi kinuha ang design sa Internet, but inspired by my own ideas. The cake must be liked by people of all ages, which is why I often choose a pound cake for the base. It’s for all ages and it serves as a good base cake for other cakes such as a carrot cake or a fruitcake. It also stands up well to fondant icing.
The cakes often serve the multiple duties of decoration, table centerpiece and dessert.
For this cake, my main inspiration is a childhood Christmas. I made sure the designs would delight kids: Santa Claus, Christmas Tree, Santa’s House, and, of course, gifts everywhere. My new idea this year is based on the children’s classic The Nutcracker. I saw the nutcracker soldiers as the ones in charge of guarding Santa’s house and workshop.
In decorating your cakes, you must know the design you want, the theme needed, and of course it must be done according to the taste of your client. I also see to it that all decorations are edible. You must take into account that kids, especially always put things in their mouth. The cakes are where my passion for decorating comes out. It’s always a labor of love.
POUND CAKE
Ingredients:
500g All purpose flour
10g baking powder
450g unsalted butter
400g granulated sugar
480g (9pcs) eggs
10ml vanilla
5ml (optional) lemon extract
Procedure:
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside. Cream butter until light and lump-free. Add the sugar and cream until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time after each addition. Stir in the extracts.
Fold in the dry ingredients and divide the batter into greased pans.
Bake at 325˚F for 50 minutes to 60 minutes or until golden brown.
Chef Jojo Javier / Photo by Michael Anthony Sagaran
Image credits: Michael Anthony Sagaran