Santa Fe Clam Chowder and Strawberry Cake for dessert

It's the unrelenting heat; already temperatures are in triple digits. Somebody wants strawberry shortcake, but I talk her into trying my new strawberries and cream cake. Someone else wants a strawberry sugar-free pie. That shall be a challenge. The gauntlet is thrown. Where's my rolling pin...Meanwhile, here's a cake I made for my friend's daughter and a Santa Fe Clam Chowder made from no less than four types of chilies, from smoked sweet paprika to chilies from Chimayo and Gila Flats and fresh poblanos. I'm sure there's a pinch of habanero, 'cause I like it hot.

Pink Cake, Chocolate Frosting

That's what she wanted for him, and that's what I gave her. Under the chocolate ganache and pink (or pank, as we say in Texas) fondant, is an undercoat of chocolate buttercream and then a fresh strawberry cake with a fresh strawberries and cream filling.

If you want a cake delivered in Austin, Texas, call me at 512.698.5742.

Painting on Cake

With all this cake business going on, I haven't devoted much time to painting. So when I got this order to make a cake with a decoration to match the invitation--I decided to paint it onto the cake. The paint is food coloring. Otherwise, it's an all natural cake, per usual.

Mechanic's Cake

Kerry the Master Mech-

anic had every

com-

ponent covered for his annual birthday blowout--from food and libations to live music--that is, everything but the cake. Kerry needed a manly cake, I thought. So this was it: a simple vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. The screwdriver and mechanic's rag were make from fondant and were edible. The mechanic's grease smudges on both were chocolate powder. The beans on the rosettes were chocolate covered toffee.