I often use molten caramel to make decorative shapes for cakes etc but they always melt away in moisture, eapecially thin pulled strands and spun sugar nests.
I find that both keeping shapes in the freezer and coating them in fat, or vegetable oil prevents moisture from destroying your decorations.
1 box of white or yellow cake mix
1 carton of frozen strawberries thawed and pureed
OR 1 pint of fresh strawberries, pureed, with 1/2 cup set aside
Eggs (as called for on the box of cake mix)
Oil (as called for on the box of cake mix)
Water (1/4 LESS water than called for on the box of cake mix)
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract or butter flavored extract
Frosting:
1 bag of confectioners sugar
1 cup of butter or margarine, or butter flavor Crisco
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of sour cream
Strawberry juice
Cake Directions:
Once the strawberries have been pureed, set aside 1/2 cup of strawberry liquid for frosting. The rest will go into the cake.
Heat the oven - follow directions on the cake mix box per the kind of baking pans you will be using.
Mix the eggs, water, oil, vanilla, extract, and strawberry fluid together in a large mixing bowl.
While mixing on low speed or by hand, start sprinkling in the cake mix to the liquid.
Mix until there is no large lumps Dont over mix.
Grease and flour cake pan(s) or spray with non-stick spray.
Pour batter into pan(s) and bake according to box directions.
Cake is done with toothpick inserted to center of cake comes out clean.
(you might have to bake a little longer because of the berries in the cake)
Frosting Directions:
Sift the powdered sugar and salt into a a separate bowl.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter/margarine/Crisco with the vinegar, sour cream, vanilla, and strawberry juice.
Once the mixture is creamed together, start slowing mixing in the powdered sugar. The more sugar you put in, the thicker it will become. Depending on how thick you want your frosting, you may have to add a little bit more of another bag of powdered sugar, or add 1/4 cup of powdered meringue. Scrape down sides of bowl and fold into mixture. Place damp cloth or paper towel over bowl and place in fridge.
The vinegar and sour cream help cut the "sweet" from the sugar, so you can taste the strawberries more.
Since sour cream is used, this has to stay in a cool/cold place or in the fridge.
Once your cake is done and cooled, place on the plate you will be using for the cake, place one layer of cling wrap film or wax paper over the cake, then place into freezer for at least two hours.
Once cake has at least semi-frozen, then it can be taken out and frosted.
Take the frosting out of the fridge and mix it on slow, or until creamy and "loose" by hand. Then spread it on the cake.
Decorate with any leftover frosting or with cut strawberries or chocolate dipped strawberries.
Ive never had a problem with leftovers on this cake.
Alternative frostings:
Whipped cream with strawberry flavoring and vanilla
Melted white chocolate with the 1/2 cup of strawberry juice in it
Strawberry jam or jelly
I haven't tested this recipe because it doesn't really have a recipe but I thought I'd share this dish that mum makes.
It's a quintessentially Shanghai dish: Fried flounders in sweet sauce
You get your flounders and you prepare them and cut, whole across the spine into segments.
heat your oil, and fry them in batches till very crispy and golden brown.
While frying make the soaking sauce. Get a craptonne of dark soy sauce (chinese brand. Don't use Japanese soy, it's too salty. Don't use south east asian brands they're too savoury) and put a whole lot of rock sugar in it. Like a whole lot. Shanghainese cuisine is basically chefs in the kitchen going like this: "SOY SAUCE. OH MY GOD. THE SEA THE SEA. OH MY GOD IT NEEDS MORE SUGAR. OH GOD SUGAR." add a star anise and some szechuan peppercorn and cinnamon sticks.
Boil until the sugar dissolves and simmer to allow to the flavours infuse do not let it reduce too much.
dip the flounder into the sauce and put on a rack to drip.
These will keep for a long time since there is so much sugar in the sauce.
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