My first Orchid Decorated Cakes..

           Hi..we meet again.. my blog is not very productive this month, theres a lot of stuff going around so I try my best to update the posts..

          This time its about my first orchid decorated 3 tiered cakes..I was actually a part time amateur cake decorator cause I've only learned the craft through books and my mother, because we have this little bakery business, so I've been doing this since I was 14 years old, helping her, besides nobody in my house was willing or skilled enough to do this ..we don't have a bakery of some sort just customers ordered by phones..For my part I was only did the decoration as I told earlier..I think I did post one picture of my decorated cake somewhere in this blog, Oh wait, its in my post about cake decorating using fresh orchids..

          Well, about this cakes, actually It was one of my orchid friend Mr. Ahmad Makarimi from Orchid De Dangau blog..that wanted me to do a 3 tiered cakes for his niece's wedding, He said to me that he wanted it to be decorated in a minimal way plus he wants me to use fresh orchids for decoration, In my country, using the real flower for decorating cakes are quite rare, they normally use the usual stuff like buttercream, royal icing or fondant for the flower, roses are themost common, so this is new experience for me to use real orchids for decorating..and here's the results..

          Sibuk, tak sempat nak buat pos baru..tapi kali ini tentang kek untuk majlis perkahwinan pertama yang saya hias dengan menggunakan bunga orkid...Sebenarnya saya ni adalah buat sedikit kerja-kerja menghias kek di rumah, belajar menghias pun sendiri, tengok internet, buku..dan dibantu sedikit oleh ibu saya..sebabnya famili saya menjalankan bisnes bakeri secara kecil-kecilan..jadi tak ada orang lain di rumah yang boleh buat hiasan kek, jadi sejak tingkatan 2 lagi saya dah kena buat..

         Berkenaan dengan kek 3 tingkat ni, sebenarnya kawan sayalah, En. Makarimi yang pesan untuk majlis perkahwinan anak saudaranya, dia minta saya buat hiasan yang ringkas tetapi bunga untuk hiasan, mesti guna bunga orkid segar, Di Malaysia ni jarang dilihat kek yang dihias dengan bunga segar..selalunya dengan aising juga..Jadi ini satu pengalaman baru, hias dengan bunga orkid pula tu.. Jadi inilah hasilnya..

           Well what do you think?..I forgot to take pictures of the process before the end product..but nevertheless this was how it turned out..I use fondant to cover the cakes and add a ribbon trimming..because the decoration is very simple, I've made a big flower spray in cascading style to add a little 'drama' on top..so it balances everythings up..As you can see I use 3 types of orchids in harmonious colours, white phalaenopsis hybrid as a main flower, green dendrobium hybrid in the middle and the lower ones are Encyclia tampensis var alba..The interesting thing is the white Phalaenopsis and green dendrobiums are from my plant, and the Encylias are from Mr. Makarimi's plant..so I joined everything together arranged it nicely add some ferns and fine leaves from my garden to make the spray 'fuller'..then just place it on top if the cake..done!

           Macam mana ok tak? Saya terlupa nak ambil gambar masa proses nak menyiapkan kek ini..tak apalah mungkin ada lagi lain kali..Di sini saya gunakan ising fondant untuk menutup permukaan kek dan hanya kemaskan dengan riben di bawahnya..disebabkan hiasannya yang ringkas saya buat jambangan orkid berjurai yang agak besar di atas untuk seimbangkan semuanya..Saya guna tiga jenis orkid iaitu Phalaenopsis putih, Dendrobium hijau dengan Encyclia tampensis var alba..Yang menariknya Phalaenopsis dan Dendrobium adalah dari koleksi pokok orkid saya manakala Encyclia dari pokok En. Makarimi sendiri..Jadi saya cantum dah gubahkan semuanya, tambah daun pakis dan daun-daun halus yang diambil di kebun untuk memenuhkan jambangan ini, kemudian letak atas kek..Siap!


Sampai jumpa lagi..dan Terima Kasih kepada Mat Anggerik dan Zambri yang sudi menjadi 'follower' saya yang ke 9 dan 10..

Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower 

- Charles M Schwab

 

Orchid and Cakes

         I'm still not done yet about orchid and food related stories..while browsing the net I've found a pictures of wedding cakes decorated with fresh orchid..I think this can be made an entry by their own..So I post it here..In Malaysia I've never encountered an orchid used as a decoration on a wedding cakes..Maybe some of you have seen it..I dont know..

What makes me interested in cakes, is that I've been doing cake decorating myself..Selling cakes and cookies have been my small family business until now..

         Saya masih tak habis lagi bercerita tentang orkid dengan makanan..Masa sedang cari-cari maklumat di internet jumpa pula dengan gambar kek perkahwinan yang di hias dengan bunga orkid segar. Rasanya cerita kek berhias orkid ni boleh buat satu entri baru..Di Malaysia saya tak pernah tengok lagi bunga orkid segar di hias di atas kek, Tapi tak taulah kalau ada yang pernah tengok..

         Lagipun saya memang terlibat dalam bidang hias-menghias kek ni, sebab ni bisnes kecil-kecilan keluarga..di bawah ini ada dua keping gambar kek yang sempat saya ambil..

Ini kek fondant..yang saya buat 'decoration' nya. Bunga ros saja,.orkid tak ada..

I made this fondant cake decorations..Just roses as the main flowers here..no orchids.

Ini bukan nak promosi, tapi just untuk lihat-lihat..pun bunga ros jugak..ini kek aising butter biasa..

This is a buttercream icing..still roses..roses are very popular as a deco flower in my country.

And now back to orchid and cakes..

Di bawah adalah beberapa jenis orkid yang biasanya dijadikan hiasan kek dan pada masa yang sama boleh dimakan..

Edible orchids for cake decorations..

Dendrobium orchids are a gorgeous and fresh addition to garnish or decorate a cake.

While plastic and ceramic cake toppers have their place on some wedding cakes, many other cakes are topped with orchids. Orchids add edible, natural beauty to a cake and are perfect for a tropical theme cake. They are also a pretty decoration for garnishing cakes at home, adding flair for a summer dinner party. The blooms of all orchids are safe to eat; however, certain orchids taste better than others.

                1.   Vanilla

    Vanilla is the most-known orchid, thanks to its flavor. It is a common ingredient in baking and has also found its way into perfumes and bath products, as well as beverages and candy. The use of vanilla in food products comes from the vanilla bean, a pod removed from the plant and dried out. The white orchid flower itself has a sweet flavor and is an excellent orchid for use as an edible decoration for a cake.

      Bunga Vanilla mempunyai rasa manis jadi sesuai untuk hiasan kek..Tapi memang susah nak jumpa la orang guna bunga ni untuk hiasan..

      2.  Dendrobium

     The Dendrobium orchid is another orchid famous for its uses in food. Sold in specialty food stores, it's used as an edible cake decoration, as well as in stir-fry recipes. Dipping a dendrobium orchid in beet batter or tempura and deep frying it is another speciality. The dendrobium orchid is a lovely decoration for a cake because of its various colors -- shades of white, yellow, pink and purple. 

      Dendrobium paling terkenal..Banyak kek menggunakannya sebagai hiasan. Warna pun ada macam-macam..ungu, putih, kuning, pink, hijau..Di sini senanglah nak dapat dendrobium..

      3.  Phalaenopsis

     The phalaenopsis orchid is larger than the dendrobium orchid and more exotic looking. It is an orchid found in abundance in Hawaii, but also grown on the mainland. This orchid has been a staple in Polynesian weddings for many years, either in bouquets or as decorations on the wedding cake. It varies in color, much like the dendrobium orchid. 

      Bunga Phalaenopsis juga agak susah nak jumpa dijual sebagai 'cut flower' di sini kebanyakannya dalam bentuk pokok pasu..cantik juga buat hiasan kek..

4.  Cymbidium 

      Cymbidium orchids are a larger orchid with strong, waxy petals, making them perfect for cakes because they can withstand the handling needed to put them on the cake without bruising. They are commonly used in corsages because of their size and strength. The available colors vary from white to pink to shades of orange.

      Orkid Cymbidium ni banyak terdapat di negara beriklim sederhana..Satu lagi bunga yang popular untuk hiasan kek, sebab teksturnya yang keras dan tahan lama..

4.  Cattleya

      Mainly Cattleya is a large flower.. they are often referred as queen of orchids..Cattleyas are perfect for cakes with their flamboyant display. Large cattleya make bold decorations They are also commonly used in corsages because of their size and strength. Like Dendrobiums or Cymbidiums they comes in variety of colour and shades

                       Orkid Cattleya memang cantik untuk hiasan kek.. 
                       Bunganya pun tahan lama dan bersaiz besar....

5.   Fondant and Gumpaste orchids

 

    While all orchids are considered edible, that does not mean they all taste good. Fondant and gum paste orchids not only look realistic for use on a cake project, but they taste delicious too. They can be ordered from cake decorators or people who specialize in the production of edible flowers from frostings or gum pastes. With the right materials, an ambitious decorator can even make the gum paste and fondant orchids herself.

                      Bunga orkid ni kena buat sendiri atau beli di kedai..dibuat dari gula..

                      ada yang nampak realistik jugak..

         Here are the pictures of a wedding cakes decorated with fresh orchids for your viewing pleasure...

         Ini dia gambar-gambar kek perkahwinan yang dihias dengan bunga orkid segar..

Very nice..As you can see various orchids decorating all these cakes Dendrobiums, Phalaenopsis, Cattleya and cymbidiums..

Pelbagai jenis orkid boleh dilihat menghiasi kek-kek perkahwinan ini..semuanya cantik-cantik belaka..

Why not a space flower? Why do we always expect metal ships?  

W.D. Richter