Chocolate seems to be an ingredient that combines with pretty much any flavor combination with great results including bacon in one bizarre cupcake experiment which was too trendy to be a long lasting traditional flavor. This seems to be the idea behind a company called Komforte Chockolates which has come out with some rather amazing flavor profiles. These could be exactly the type of ingredient that elevates cakes to something truly unique when used as an ingredient. Simply try your favorite cake recipe with the addition of one of these bars instead of your usual chopped chocolate and see what the results are in the end.

Some of the available flavors include:

• Movie Night (popcorn flavored)
• French Toast
• Ramen Noodle
• Apple Pie and Graham
• Tortilla Lime and Salt

Before wonderful cake decorating supplies were available for budding cake designers we had to do a great deal of work ourselves such as tempering chocolate. The reason we temper chocolate is to create a shiny, crisp product. This was not a job that most people attempted right off the bat because tempering had the reputation of being quite difficult. It actually isn't if you follow a few rules and the resulting chocolate can be used to create wonderful design elements such as run outs, interesting gnarled tree trucks and sculpted roses.

Some important tips to follow are:

• Use good quality chocolate with real cocoa butter.
• Start tempering with a small amount such as 12 or 16 ounces to perfect the process in case you ruin it.
• Make sure your equipment is scrupulously clean and dry to prevent seizing.
• Cut your chocolate into similar sized pieces or buy chips or coins so that it melts easily and evenly.
• Do not heat your chocolate too quickly because it can crystalize if the cocoa butter content is high.
• Use a candy thermometer to test the chocolate so the temperature is precise, about 110 degrees F.

This cake looks like something out of a fairy tale wedding and is simply too fragile appearing to cut. Wedding cakes can have completely different looks and can be covered completely with decorations such as cookies, feathers and shards of white chocolate. Indulge yourself and have a cake that truly reflects who you are and your theme.

Have you ever thought about quitting your job using a cake? Probably not, but this is exactly what a man named Chris Holmes used to resign from his job in the United Kingdom Border Force in England to pursue a career in cake decorating. It was probably the best letter of resignation his boss ever received!This was also a brilliant marketing tool for anyone starting a cake design business.

The simple sheet cake was iced in white icing and Chris wrote his very polite letter in neat chocolate piped icing on the surface. This creative approach to career change has gone viral creating what might be an interesting fringe market for cake designers. No matter what your reasons for quitting your job, such as a new family for Mr. Holmes, you can certainly create a positive atmosphere in your former company with this sweet approach. It would be a good idea to practice your cake writing skills beforehand because getting very neat evenly spaced print is difficult.