Angel Cakes
Sweet treats that honour each of the twelve angels of Cosmos
Angel Cakes are cakes that represent each of the 12 angels in Cosmos. Every month, every bakery, cafe, and pastry shop in Favont has in stock the food of choice for that month's angel. It is believed that to eat the cake will invoke the intentions of the angel that it represents. How these cakes are represented can vary from the excessively complex, fit only for royalty, to the very plain, which you can usually buy in packs of six from your local supermarket.
The level of refinement in the cake should match the class of whoever is eating it. A rich person can not eat a low quality cake, and a poor person can not eat a high quality cake. To do so would not be within the design of the angels, and therefore, will not invoke their intentions.
Larimus
Month: 01 - Larimis
Larimus, the angel of marriage, the home, and childbirth, also has the first month of the year named after her and represents new beginings. Eating her cake brings promises of a new start, a happy family, and a happy home.
Larimus' Nest
A meringue, shaped as an egg and infused with cardamom. It sits on a nest made from fine strands of toasted vermicelli and crushed walnuts, drizzled with a honey sauce.
Make it special
Create a centre for the egg with peach crème, coat the shell of the egg with gold foil, sprinkle gold flakes into the nest, and place on a stand decorated with pink and yellow carnations.
Make it cheap
Don't include the cardamom flavour and place the egg on a nest made from honey-nut cereal flakes.
Corinus
Month: 02 - Corinis
Corinus, the angel of health, medicine, and knowledge is named after a month where it people commonly detox. Eating his cake is said to be good for your health, and is meant to improve your knowledge.
Corinus' Cheese Cake
A slice of light cheese cake on a biscuit base, topped with a layer of chia pudding.
Make it special
Sometimes the cream cheese is also infused with earl grey tea. The base can also be made with chocolate or ginger biscuits and the chia can be made blue with blueberries. For extra detox, puffed rice can be used as the base. Sometimes the top is decorated with edible flowers such as bergamot, or rosemary sprigs.
Make it cheap
A plain cheese cake, or cream cheese on a puffed rice cake.
Esoter
Month: 03 - Esoteris
Esoter, the angel of art, music, and creativity, has the third month named after her. During this month, many try to pursue creative activities. Eating her cake is said to supply creative thoughts and make great artists.
Esoter's Lyre
A coil of puff pastry shaped into a lyre and 'strung' with sugar strands or vermicelli.
Make it special
Fill the puff pastry with pistachio crème, dip it in choclate, and coat the strings in edible gold. For even extra flair, dust with toasted pistachios and served on a plate made from edible sugar amaryllises.
Make it cheap
A plain puff pastry coil will suffice without any strings.
Perile
Month: 04 - Peribis
Perile, the angel of weather and rain, is prayed to by farmers and gardeners for perfect growing weather, during the 4th month when there is most commonly 'Perile Showers'. Eating her cake is part of this ritual.
Perile's Crown
A pastry crown filled with baked blueberry custard, designed to appear as a splash of water.
Make it special
Some chefs use varying methods to make the cake appear as if it floating, including using Aetho-Magnetics to create levitation. Sometimes it is served on a wreath of dandelions (Perile's flower) or a type of gelatine, designed to look like water, is used instead of custard.
Make it cheap
A pastry round filled with custard made from powder with no blueberries or dandelions.
Merinosis
Month: 05 - Meris
Merinosis, the angel of money, law, and luck has the fifth month of the year which is also the start of the new fiscal year. It is common for people to exchange special money bags during this time between family, friends, and coworkers, and the more money one recieves results in more luck. It is considered even luckier to eat one of his cakes.
Merinosis' Money Bag
A pouch made from a single sheet of pastry, and glazed with egg. It usually contains either chocolate, caramel, or nuts and honey.
Make it special
The pastry can be swapped for spun sugar or chocolate, decorated to look a blue velvet bag with a gold rope also in either chocolate or sugar. Inside is a series of layers, usually with a hazelnut centre, then cholate, then caramel, then honey nut, then more chocolate.
Make it cheap
A plain pastry pouch filled with hazelnut spread
Brevus
Month: 06 - Brever
Brevus, the angel of summer, lust, and indulgence, his month is usally filled with wild parties. Eating his cake is said to help ease stress and is also a powerful aphrodisiac.
Brevus' Cup
A champagne flute layered with a champagne soaked cake, strawberries, champagne flavoured cream, meringue crumbs, and a mint garnish.
Make it special
The champagne flute can either be real glass or spun sugar, but in either occasion, it is considered correct to smash the glass after eating the pudding. The strawberries are also soaked for a day in champagne. The better the make of champagne, the more superior this pudding.
Make it cheap
A plastic cup with stale cake, any red berry, and a squirt of whipped cream.
Naurvine
Month: 07 - Naurvis
Naurvine, the angel of the sea, the moon, and the wind, she is celebrated by fishermen and sailors, and is prayed to for a good catch and fair weather. Eating her cake is most important in seaside communities, as its believed if even one person does not eat it, there will be disasters.
Naurvine's Fish
A layer of cake topped with a layer of gelatine, moulded into the shape of a fish.
Make it special
Fish and shell shapes made from chocolate or sugar, float in the gelatin. The cake base is soaked in gin, and the gelatine is flavoured with blackcurrants and blueberries. For added drama, its is served on a bed of chocolate shaped to look like seaweed with small truffles.
Make it cheap
A plain sponge topped with a jelly sweet in the shape of a fish, or a piece of moulded fruity jelly.
Athelros
Month: 08 - Athelris
Athelros, the angel of war, peace, and the crown is celebrated in the 8th month with military parades and a national minute of silence. Those who eat his cake increase their bravery and loyalty. The most potent cake is said to be made by veterans.
The Shield of Athelros
A shield with one side made from chilli flavoured chocolate and the other side made a chocolate fudge sponge. The front of the shield is decorated with the helradry of the country, or a specific military unit.
Make it special
The shield contains layers of different type of chocolate and sponge, some made with nuts, or chilli, or fruit, or caramel. The roulette of what you could get makes it an edible challenge of bravery. The decoration of the shield is very detailed with shading and gold leaf.
Make it cheap
A plain chocolate cake cut in the shape of a shield and decorated with squeezy tubes of icing.
Dalmaria
Month: 09 - Dalber
Dalmaria, the angel of the harvest, autumn, and farming, is assoiated the most out of all the angels with food. Each year, a feast is held in her honour by communities, and is finished by eating her cake, which is said to bring a good harvest for the following year. Those who don't eat, or do not eat the cake correct for their station, can cause the community to have a bad havest
Dalmaria's Cornucopia
A pastry horn that is filled with lots of small cakes. Commonly there are cakes flavoured with blackberries, carrots, pumpkins, and apples.
Make it special
The cornucopia is the centre piece of the harvest feast and for grand guests would have hundreds of small cakes pouring out of the horn. The horn would also be coated on the inside with cholate and cream, and surrounding it would be the prize vegetables from that year's harvest.
Make it cheap
A small horn with some whipped cream and blackberries inside.
Hepzibah
Month: 10 - Hebris
Hepzibah, the angel of the woods and animals, she is celebrated in the 10th month. Many take this opportunity to walk in the forests and crunch leaves. Eating her cake is said to bring tranquillity and connection to the natural world.
Hepzibah's Wreath
A wreath made with puff pastry and dusted with cinnamon to look like 12 autumn leaves.
Make it special
Each leaf is flavoured differently. Common ones include carrot, pumpkin, blackberry, apple, cinamon, cardamon, chocolate... Grander wreaths are crafted to look like actual leaves, with details painted on, and is served on a wooden board cut from an ancient tree.
Make it cheap
A single leaf made from puff pastry, and at a push, some cinnamon.
Torval
Month: 11 - Torvis
Torval, the angel of metal, forging, and fire, he is celebrated in the 11th month. During this time, there are many parades across the country with people carrying torches, there are also bonfires, and fireworks. Eating Torval's cake is said to ignite determination, and to create skills with metal.
Torval's Torch
A boiled fruit cake, seeped in brandy. When served, it is set alight. Inside is a piece of metal, which if someone finds, then they are said to have the strength of Torvis all year.
Make it special
Many chefs develop different ways to reveal the cake, including burning a paper bag that surrounds it, melting a chocolate cake of it, or when the fruit cake is lit, causing a chain reaction of spinning fireworks and lights to occur. The cake itself rarely changes, aside from to improve the quality of the brandy.
Make it cheap
A plain boiled fruitcake with no brandy and no fire.
Lucian
Month: 12 - Cianbris
Lucian, the angel of death, trickery, and drama. He is often perceived as the most disliked angel, as he brings death, but he also brings the promise of a new start. Eating his cake can help with grief, of any kind, and is a classic dish to end the year with.
Lucian's Cuckoo
Chocolate formed to look like a bird with 11 different colours, each representing one of the angels, painted onto the wings.
Make it special
The cuckoo is created to look very realistic and often with feathers for each of the angels that you can remove. After eating, inside the bird is a meringue egg. The bad luck of Lucian is said to be banished if the egg is saved and later eaten as part of Larimus' Nest.
Make it cheap
A small chocolate bird, made on mass in a mould, with no egg inside.
Wow, this is a great article. I'd love to try them all, even though you'd gain quite a bit of weight in 12 months. You've put together some wonderful recipes, and the accompanying sketches are charming. I love it.