The one about the rainbow cake

When I first saw this cake , I knew that I'd make it some day.

It was several years back, on Martha Stewart's website, that I saw it.  And the waiting began, for the right time.  Well the day came, and my what an epic cake it was. '

It's like ticking off "do a marathon' on your bucket list.

The ingredients (or more so the quantity of ingredients) is a little lets say, shocking. Like 19 egg whites, 5 1/2 cups sugar, and 750g butter. We didn't have an ounce of butter in the house Monday morning.

Then you have the food dye... You gotta let all your nature mamma go if you want to make this cake, just forget it.

I really enjoyed the process of making this cake, and I followed the recipe to the tee, unusually for me.  The texture and softness of the cake is really good, the icing is a swiss meringue, lovely in small doses. The wow factor is really worth it.

Eliza had seen me assemble the cake, as much as she tried to avoid it, so she knew what is was going to look like.  But seeing her face lighting up as that first slice and  came out was just worth every free-range egg white.  And the days of custard that followed, not that the kids (or Aaron) complained.

Although Eliza saw the cake, I will tell you that we like a little secret party crafting round here the night before the party, after she'd gone to bed. Eliza's big sister Beatrix and Aaron and I stayed up way too late crafting pinwheels (that made our fingers bleed and wouldn't spin at night, but somehow did on the day) and ribbon sticks.  Bea had been with me buying the ribbons and embarrassed me in the fabric store, chortling loudly "Mum don't you know the colours of the rainbow?" when I wondered aloud what colours to get. Ahh I love it when she knows more than me.

The party was a big success and so much fun.

My recipe for the perfect rainbow party:

Punch balls in rainbow colours
A string of balloons aranged in the rainbow spectrum
Ribbon sticks in either a bright or pastelly rainbow hue
Pinwheels, just because they are so pretty
Some big sidewalk chalk
(I didn't need games with all this for everyone to play with!)
and of course
Rainbow cake..

my party with a 20's twist: part two, food

useful purchases (plus a tart), by ines brenneman.

I love everything about cooking for a party.

I love the shopping for your ingredients, especially if it involves something I've never used before,like smoked paprika, gold leaf, and saffron. In this case I even needed a paella pan. The wonderful Spanish deli I went to had an enormous one, it would feed a hundred, imagine that.

I love the books I accumulate along the way with sticky notes and pages of recipes and the plans I scrawl out over endless cups of tea. The friends that sit around with you and listen to your ideas, the way they try and reign your ideas back a little, they keep reminding you that the aim is that you have fun. The same friends that come around the night before to prep with you.

I loved most of all the communal cooking. It felt very Like Water for Chocolate.

We had corn-chip crusted crab cakes with lime and mango mojo, sticky pine nuts and artichoke, gazpatcho (which so looked like vomit I couldn't serve it), fire-roasted peppers with caramelised onion and goats cheese quesadillas, manchego (this sheep's cheese was so good, my husband would not stop making "love ewe" jokes) served with membrillo quince paste, belinis, empanadas (these were beyond good, it took two people to keep Aaron off them), and of course paella.

Oh, and of course, the cake! It was a chocolate almond from Julia Childs, with chocolate butter icing.

Did I go to far?

my party with a 20's twist: part one, props

I wanted to share my 40th birthday ideas with you all. I feel that tasteful party ideas are so hard to find.

When I thought of having a party I knew I wanted it to be fun, memorable and have a 20's feel to it. I didn't expect people to dress up but they could if they wanted to.

In case they hadn't I had prepared a whole lot of props to use in fun photo booth shots.

These were some things I used...

• Firstly a large wooden frame with the picture removed. An op shop one will set you back anywhere between $20 to $50 dollars. Ouch! This one was a lucky roadside find.

• Some handmade headbands, elasticised lace, sequins, and some silver elastic, also some florals which can all be bought by the metre. I also used feathers. you could use gemstones or old bits of costume jewellery or beading they would be equally good.

• A hot glue gun is needed or some hand or machine sewing. I made about 8 an easy way to add a 20's touch.
• Your local $2.00 shop will have feather boas and parasols these are really good for photos. Keep these in some vintage suitcases, laid out. They look awesome, wish I had had more time.

• If you wanted to go further you could source a cloche hat in wool, felt or crochet even. Men wore boater hats shirts, bow ties, suspenders.
• Stiff felt, skewers for moustache on a stick. This was a great way to add some fun. I asked at the always-fabulous Kit and Nancy (who also shares a  birthday with me) for some tips making them. An online tutorial with templates found at Lisa Welge also helped. Thanks xxx, these were brilliant.

You could have a backdrop like a velvet curtain, we just used the parasols or the wall.

Your party could use some cute cues, like these.

A welcoming framed backboard for guests to see as they come in with the words welcome come this way. I love the old pointed finger, but I'd left that too late and was stressing about not being ready. This blackboard was made from a painting also found on the side of the road, with the frame we used to take pictures. Nice one, me!

I also used a blackboard to encourage flow through the house and to get people outside. I made this one, it sat at the wine table.

Loads of candles, fairy lights and some LED lanterns made the place look amazing. I had decorated a 40th in this same house for my friend. She had purchased these lanterns. lots of them. At her party we grouped them en mass in corners and against windows at varying heights, they were whimsical and gorgeous.

Lastly my outfit.

I love you Savers, this dress cost me $6.99 at a 50% off sale.  Brilliant for a party, particularly with a vintage theme. Another wonderful store is Lost & Found Market in Brunswick, wonderful place. I found these pearls there for $12.00.

I will share my food for the night on my next post, just too much to fit in.