chocolate mousse cake

chocolate mousse cake
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

Chocolate mousse on chocolate genoise. This'll be the last cake for a while! Ben and I will be in Thailand for three weeks starting Monday, and as soon as we get back, I'll be working in the kitchens of two bakeries.

chocolate on chocolate

chocolate on chocolate
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

Chocolate genoise layered with chocolate buttercream

My first order!

chocolate orange cake
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

(It was from Amy, but it counts!) Chocolate genoise layered with orange mousseline buttercream

cream puffs

cream puffs
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

I love cream puffs (filled with pastry cream) and profiteroles (filled with ice cream). Turns out they're surprisingly easy to make! Half of these are dipped in chocolate, and all are filled with pastry cream. If you want them with ice cream, you'll have to come over for dessert at our place!

chocolate chip cookies

chocolate chip cookies
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

Just needed some comfort food...

caramel apples

caramel apples
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

When I saw these crab apples at Berkeley Bowl, I couldn't resist. I love caramel apples, and of course, I love miniatures! My dad used to assemble little fruit plates for me made of currants (like tiny grapes), crab apples, and kumquats, to accompany my breakfast of sunny-side up quail eggs and silver dollar pancakes.

pound cake

pound cake
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

Thought I'd make a simple cake, as I've been busy planning our trip to Thailand, job interviewing, and dreaming about Palace BBQ, gorging at Palace BBQ, and recuperating from Palace BBQ. :)

Unfortunately, I think the cake is a little too simple. Kind of bland. So there's some of the custard from the Boston cream pie on the side to help liven it up.

boston cream pie

boston cream pie
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

so it's not the most aesthetic of the cakes i've made...it's actually supposed to be a trifle and the layers put into a bowl, but i didn't have a glass bowl, and thought i could make it work in a cake form. i hope it's not too much of a disaster cutting it!

raspberry tartlets

raspberry tartlets
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

a little different from before...tartlet shells are brushed with chocolate, filled with pastry cream, topped with raspberries glazed with red currant jelly. whew! unfortunately, they don't taste as sassy as they look :)

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin cupcakes
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

Having six pumpkins in the house has made me a little pumpkin crazy. I'm envisioning pumpkin pies, pumpkin creme brulees, pumpkin bread pudding, and pumpkin cupcakes. Unfortunately, they didn't come out how I wanted (as usual, when I bake). I started piping pretty swirls with the frosting, but the swirls required too much frosting, and the sight of that much frosting on each cupcake made me ill. So instead, there's just a smear of frosting on them. Not as pretty, but more edible, I think. Only if you like cream cheese though. Unfrosted ones for those of you who don't.

Pecan bars

Pecan bars
Originally uploaded by Sparkling Peach.

For Lucia's party...