Turning 40

A lot of my co-workers and friends are turning the big 4-0 this year.  My turn will be coming up in June.....

I can't believe I will be 40

I really can't......seems like such a grown up number and I really still feel like I should be just turning 30!

But on the flip side of that I am grateful....
Grateful that I have been blessed to still be alive!
Blessed to still have time with my family and that we are all healthy and safe!
God willing I will continue to be blessed....

With that said one of my dearest friends just celebrated her 40th birthday

My friend Joni.....
(please don't kill me Joni for doing a blog about you)

This picture below is of Joni's mom, Joni and myself doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer a few years ago....


Avon Walk

 She is a dear friend, another one of God's blessings in my life! So to help celebrate her special birthday I made her a cake.....

The cake was a chocolate mud cake, covered with ganache and fondant.  The cake is a bit labor intensive but let me tell you.....YUMMMMM!  Well worth the effort!

I got the recipe from the book Planet Cake.....

 

Their tips on cake decorating were new for me and I was very excited to try something new!!
Instead of using frosting under the fondant you coat the cake in ganache! 

This is my first attempt at coating a cake with ganache and I know I need more practice but I thought it turned out pretty well!
Then after you smooth the ganache with a hot knife, you cover it in fondant....
I really hadn't put a whole lot of forethought into the design of the cake so I kept it simple.....

I do recommend that if you make this cake, follow the directions and include the syrup......the first time I made this cake I skipped the syrup, and just drizzled the ganache on top.....
It was still tasty but dried out where the ganache wasn't covering.......

Check out the book if you are interested in the recipe.....they also have a White Chocolate Mud cake recipe that I am anxious to try.....and a carrot cake, and a coconut cake and cupcakes.....
Which one should I make next?? 

Thanks for looking!  Have a wonderful day!!

Love,
Bronwyn