INSTAGRAM INSPIRATION

Thanks to the power of social media, food trends have become more and more defined by what’s Instagram mable (think unicorn foods and succulent cakes). While the food needs to be pretty, we love it even more when it’s tasty – here are some of our favourite recipes for you to get cooking and snapping!

Thanks to the power of social media, food trends have become more and more defined by what’s Instagram mable (think unicorn foods and succulent cakes). While the food needs to be pretty, we love it even more when it’s tasty – here are some of our favourite recipes for you to get cooking and snapping!

Succulent Garden Cake

Now You Can Be A Food Blogger Too

Show off these impressive creations on your Insta feed for instant foodie cred

SUCCULENT GARDEN CAKE

Trim tops from 2 x 600 g shopbought mud cakes to level.

BUTTERCREAM Prepare a double quantity of buttercream following instructions in Brushstroke Cake (on facing page), adding extra ½ cup icing sugar (this will help icing flowers set firmly). Divide between three bowls. Tint bowls green and purple and leave one bowl untinted. Ice top and sides of cake with untinted buttercream. Using assorted piping nozzles, pipe flowers and succulent shapes onto top and sides of cake. Dust with sanding sugar before serving.

"Use tinted buttercream, if preferred."

UNICORN TOAST

MAKES 8 PIECES

Toast 8 slices bread, cool. Divide 250 g tub spreadable cream cheese into 3 bowls and add 2 tsps honey to each bowl. Tint one blue, one pink and one green using food colouring. Spread each colour in sections onto toast, smearing colours slightly. Top with edible glitter and coloured sprinkles.

"Stirring syrup after boiling causes crystallisation."

UNICORN POPCORN

MAKES 8 CUPS

Line 4 oven trays with baking paper. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup caster sugar and 2 tbsps water on low, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium, simmer without stirring 5 mins until mixture is reduced and syrupy. Add a few drops blue food colouring and swirl to combine. Add 2 cups plain popped popcorn and stir with a wooden spoon until completely covered. Spread popcorn on tray to cool. Repeat 3 more times using blue, yellow and green food colouring.

"To speed up chocolate becoming firm, place in fridge"

BRUSHSTROKE CAKE

SERVES 12

In a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt 290 g packet white chocolate. Divide between 4 bowls. Using a little gel food colouring, tint chocolate red, blue, yellow and green. Dollop 2 tsps onto a baking paper-lined tray. Using a pastry brush, brush the chocolate up slightly to form a brush stroke. Repeat for all colours. Set aside at room temperature to firm.

BUTTERCREAM In a bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 125 g softened, unsalted butter until as white as possible. Gradually beat in 1½ cups sifted icing sugar and 1 tbsp milk. Remove icing from 2 x 600 g shopbought white chocolate mudcakes and level with a large serrated knife. Sandwich together with a little buttercream on a cake board. Spread top and sides of cake with buttercream. Arrange brushstrokes on front of cake. Press gently into icing to stick.

PHOTOS: ROB SHAW/BAUERSYNDICATION.COM.AU

Click here to subscribe to The Singapore Women's Weekly!