Panda Love

This was our second wedding at the restaurant since I started working here, and I think this might be my favorite cake so far.  It pairs cute personality with simple elegance.   And the best thing: it was easy to make!  No fiddling with smoothing buttercream, no garish sugar flowers, no edible paint spraying.  Even the pandas, with their matching bowler hats, were surprisingly a cinch to put together.  The cake was built in more of a French entremet style, with a vanilla genoise at the base, a layer of sweetened red azuki beans spread on top, then covered with green tea mousse.  Once frozen, I was able to unmold and stack the tiers.  The naked sides were then shingled with plaques of white chocolate.  The exposed borders of mousse got sprinkled with fresh raspberries and simple gum paste leaves.