I'm at a point in my life ("career"; the day one) where I'm not quite sure if I'm staying or if I'm going so this lucky girl (and boy) were extremely fortunate to be able to catch me in town to do their wedding cake. It was a case of 'maybe' for a long time!

4 mega tiers of Vanilla Coconut, Chocolate Peppermint and Mocha Caramel cake sandwiched with lashings of buttercream (a request from the bride.. she really really LOVES buttercream). The waiter who took the cake off to the kitchen where they promptly butchered it (I was livid) carried the cake as though it weighed nothing... hats off to him because I'm pretty sure the whole thing was a good 20 odd kg?!?!

And the flowers, oh they were so pretty: blushing brides with yellow chrysanthemums, billy buttons, baby breaths, lavender and roses. It made having to get up at 5 AM with minimal sleep so worth it!

There have been a few things I've come to a realization with in the past few months. It's probably been simmering on the back burner for a long time but it's kind of come to fruition with my time away from home and not having baked it so long. And the main one that stands out is: I would not want to do this full time and for a living. As much as I love baking and doing it in small doses, I don't think I'd enjoy it if it was anything more.

So this cake was a lot of fun and it made me realize that I still had it in me to pull something out of the proverbial hat. And I still loved (almost) every minute of it. But I was so stressed that the cake would fall over or something would go wrong and I just don't ever want to be responsible for something bad happening to the cake!

In short: time permitting (and that's not a lot of time), I would love to do more but here and now, I have other things I also want to do with my time...

Ingredients
3 T instant coffee, dissolved in 3 T hot water
1 C sugar
1/3 C water
3 eggs, separated
200 g butter, softened

Method
1. Melt 1/2 C sugar and water over medium heat until it reaches the small ball stage.
2. Beat egg whites and remaining sugar until thick and glossy.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter, yolks and dissolved coffee until light and fluffy.
4. Pour the sugar sugar into the egg whites whilst continuously beating.
5. Gradually add egg white mixture into butter mixture and continue whipping until the mixture increases in volumes and whitens.
6. Refrigeration may be needed to re-stabilize the buttercream.

Yield 1 x 10-inch round

Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 C flour
1 C icing sugar
2 T cornflour
1 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
1 t coffee essence
2 T instant coffee, dissolved
pinch of salt

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line cake tin with baking paper.
2. Sift flours, baking powder and salt at least 3 times.
3. Beat eggs and sugar until very thick and increase in volume, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Add vanilla, coffee and coffee essence and beat until combined.
5. Gently fold in sifted flours so as not to let air escapte.
6. Pour mixture into tin and bake 30-40 minutes until skewer comes out clean.
7. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Cut into 3-4 layers.

Filling:
600 mL thickened cream
1 t coffee essence
1-2 t instant coffee, dissolved
1/4 C icing sugar

Method
1. Beat sugar and cream until whipped.
2. Beat in coffee essence and instant coffee until combined.
3. Spread over layers and decorate.

Makes 30

Ingredients:
250 g butter, plus 60 g extra
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C icing sugar
2 C plain flour
1/3 C cornflour

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees and line a baking tray with paper.
2. Cream butter, vanilla and 1/2 C of icing sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Sift in cornflour and plain flour and combine until soft dough forms.
4. Roll small teaspoons of mixture onto baking tray and flatten with a fork.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and firm. Allow to cool on wire rack.
6. In a large bowl, beat remaining icing sugar and 60 g butter until light and fluffy. Add flavourings for different variations.*
7. Spread flat side of 1 biscuit with 1 teaspoon filling and sandwich together with another. Repeat with remianing biscuits. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

*Variations:
Add the pulp of one passionfruit to icing mixture for a passionfruit filling.
Add 1 T instant coffee, dissolved in 1 T hot water to icing mixture for a coffee-flavoured filling.
Add 1/3 C cocoa and an additional 1/3 C icing sugar to flour mixture for chocolate moments.

Torte simply means 'layered cake'.

Yield 1 x 8 inch round

Ingredients
Cake:
6 eggs, separated,
2/3 C sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t instant coffee, dissolved
1 C plain flour
1 t cocoa
1/4 C pecans, chopped
Cream:
300 mL thickened cream
2 T icing sugar
2 t instant coffee, dissolved

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 170 degress and grease and line baking tin.
2. Beat whites until stiff peaks form.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks whilst gradually adding sugar, vanilla and coffee.
4. Fold in whites, flour and cocoa.
5. Fold in pecans.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
7. Cool completely.
8. Using a sharp knife or cake layerer, cut cake in half horizontally. Set aside.
9. Beat thickened cream and sugar until stuff.
10. Beat in dissolved coffee.
11. Assemble torte by spreading cream between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.
12. Refrigerate before serving.