Message:
what is the purpose of a groom's cake? Is
it on a separate table? How is it usually decorated? Is it always
chocolate cake and chocolate icing? Is it
served with the regular wedding cake?
These are alot of questions, I know but I'm
just curious. Thanks in advance. Please Email
me: Cakegoddes
Author: Jennifer
Subject: groom's cakes
Date: Wed Feb 4 19:19:28 1998
Message:
I'm sure others can add to what I can tell you, but here's what I know. Groom's cakes are more of a Southern tradition in this country, but I'm not sure where the practice originated. The only purpose I can think of is to have something less feminine to represent the groom, although I think of the wedding cake as representing the couple, it is sometimes called the bride's cake. It may also be used to provide additional servings and/or flavors. The groom's cake is usually smaller than the wedding cake, often chocolate, but not necessarily. I understand it is becoming very popular in some places to top them with chocolate-dipped strawberries. It may be decorated to coordinate with the wedding cake, or to represent the groom's occupation, hobby, sports, etc. I think the old tradition of single girls sleeping with a piece of the wedding cake under their pillows to dream of their future husbands had to do with the groom's cake, too. In the Wilton books they sometimes show groom's cakes that coordinate with the wedding cake.
Author: Kathy M
Subject: Grooms Caketoo
Date: Thu Feb 5 00:16:58 1998
Message:
Kelly, my granddaughter got married this past
October. For the Grooms's Cake, she wanted boxed individual
cakes (chocolate with rolled buttercream icing, this
is kind of an ivory color). I baked sheet cakes and sliced them in
individual serving. I then crumb-coated them with regular buttercream and
froze them. The day before the wedding I took them out
of the freezer to thaw and applied the rolled buttercream, then finished
them up by adding their initals in navy blue and attached borders.
We then wrapped each of them in wedding wrapping paper and
attached navy blue ribbons to them. They were then stacked alternating
in a simi-circle. This allows the guests to take the grooms
cake home to enjoy later. It actually took longer to make the grooms cakes
that the entire wedding cake, which was 5 or 6 tiers.
Author: Earlene
Subject: Grooms cakes
Date: Thu Feb 5 11:46:05 1998
Message:
Grooms cakes are a southern/southeastern tradition.
I think it is part of our southern heritage in trying to please
people. I do a grooms cake with almost every brides cake. Sometimes they
are just good eating chocolate cakes in one to
many tiers. Sometimes they are armadillos, tabasco bottles, hamburgers
and etc. The groom requests these special construction
cakes. I even had one in December to look like a villa in Italy. When you
offer the couples both cakes you normally sell
more cake, work more hours but you do make more money also. Time is
the factor.
Author: Jane
Subject: Pricing
Date: Thu Feb 5 19:16:40 1998
Message:
How do you price your Groom's cakes? The same
as the Bride's? By the serving?
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Groom's cake info
Date: Thu Feb 5 15:23:18 1998
Message:
A groom's cake is a present from the bride
to the groom. It's a tradition that is about 150 years old and it's a very
Southern thing. It is usually an alternative flavor to the Bridal cake
and it's usually decorated with something to depict
the groom--a hobby, job, etc.. It was customary for unmarried women at
the wedding to take this bit of cake home and slip
it under their pillow to forsee their future husbands. This is all I'm
able to tell you at this time, but as Earlne (
the queen of groom's cake) can tell you it is added work, but it's work
that can show case your talents also. A simple
design for a groom's cake would be a set of intertwined rings, made out
of chocolate cake and were they meet, a nice arrangement
of flowers. ANother one would be his intials, artfully decorated. See,
you don't need to be stumped by this request!--by
the way check out Earlenes site for some GREAT CAKES!!!!
Author: kelly smith
Subject: one more question about the groom's
cake
Date: Fri Feb 6 09:13:10 1998
Message:
Do you put the groom's cake on it's own separate
table or with the bride's cake? IS it usually tiered also or does it
vary. OK that was 2 questions Sorry. Thanks
for your help. I really like this message board it is very educational.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Groom's Cake
Date: Fri Feb 6 09:59:39 1998
Message:
Yes, Kelly, I cater weddings where I fix a
separate Groom's table when I have a groom's cake ordered and when
I am doing the whole reception. If they are doing it on their own, then
sometimes, they don't have that separate table.
But I have a round cardtable that I take along
when I cater and I skirt it and all to match the Bride's table. The
only other thing I have on his table is a candlelabra, cake knives, and
the plates. The groom's cake varies - sometimes, it is
only a sheet type cake with his hobby or interest on it - usually a chocolate,
but not always and usually with chocolate icing. Recently,
I did a 4-tier square groom's cake (all chocolate/chocolate icing) with
chocolate dipped grapes cascading down the sides. Very elegant and everyone
was impressed. Next I have a 12x18 sheet cake with an
oval football shaped cake on top with the guy's favorite team emblem on
it. Sometimes, they only want them in case they need
extra servings, but in the case of the 4-tiered, they wanted everyone to
have a piece of each kind of cake. In my area, not everyone wants a groom's
cake - maybe 1 out of 10.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: grooms cakes
Date: Fri Feb 6 10:07:33 1998
Message:
Most grooms cakes I have seen are either a
novelty shape, a single tier, or two stacked tiers. Of course it will
vary, depending upon the servings needed and the desired design. I think
it would go on a different table than the bridal cake.
Hopefully someone who has done a lot of them can help you more, like Earlene.
Did you check out her website to see some of her unusual grooms
cakes? There's a link to it from Dolores' main page.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Grapes on Groom's Cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 04:00:16 1998
Message:
I'm happy to report that my Groom's cake last
week which was all chocolate cake, iced in chocolate, and was to
have clusters of grapes all dipped in chocolate starting at the top of
the 6" square tier and cascading down the cake turned out wonderful.
At first, when I did the trial run on the grapes, they seemed to clump
together, so I think the chocolate needed to be out of the
refrigerator for awhile because the next morning, it seemed to work
great. I just cut the grapes apart leaving smaller clumps because I didn't
want it to be so heavy that it would not stay put. I decided
to toothpick the grapes to the cake where need be and that worked fine
and did not show. If they did, I dabbed it with chocolate icing
and they were very impressed. The lady returning equipment said she
was amazed no one had ever asked for that and that I should do it again
as it was almost more popular than the beautiful bridal cake
which was all decorated with cascading flowers. Thanks to all of you that
helped answer my questions before I did it.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Grapes on Groom's Cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:05:22 1998
Message:
oh carolyn i'm sooo glad to hear it all went
well.
now, why don't you try doing something like
that on a *bride's* cake in white choco??? wouldn't that be
something? maybe mixed in with some flowers.
or yet, the *famous* martha stewart had a 'grape arborh cake' in
her mag last yr. make your own version and you become *famous* :) :)
lynne
Author: Vicky
Subject: Men In Black
Date: Thu Feb 5 22:55:20 1998
Message:
Does anyone have any ideas for a Men In Black cake? Any ideas very much appreciated. Thank you
Author: Susan
Subject: MIB
Date: Thu Feb 5 23:11:41 1998
Message:
I don't know how detailed you want to go, but I would do a space ship over head and 2 male figures standing underneath the spaceship wearing dark sunglasses. As I said I don't know how detailed you want it to be but this is what I would draw on the cake. You could also just do the initials MIB and draw dark sunglasses laying near the initials. Good luck. I am sure some-one will come up with an idea.. Susan
Author: Vicky
Subject: MIB
Date: Fri Feb 6 00:10:44 1998
Message:
Thank you for the idea. I was thinking about
something with the sunglasses and the intials but I like your idea with
the spaceship better. Thanks alot. Vicky
Author: Sue
Subject: MIB
Date: Sat Feb 7 07:42:05 1998
Message:
They do make a Edible Image for Men in Black and also a cake kit topper. And we carry it at Sugarcraft.
Author: Robin
Subject: petal dust
Date: Thu Feb 5 14:34:32 1998
Message:
I would like to make buttercream roses that are very very subtly colored, much like some gumpaste roses look, can you use petal dust on roses that have been somewhat air dried until they are stiffened??? or would the petal dust intensify as the paste colors do?? I want very subtle colors. any help would be appreciated Thanks
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: RE:petal dust
Date: Thu Feb 5 19:55:05 1998
Message:
Petal dust is a beautiful way to 'liven' up
dried buttercream or royal icing flowers! Dust as you would with
gumpaste to give them subtle highlights. It
will not darken with time, as does paste colors. Have fun!
Jackie
Author: Robin
Subject: Thanks!!
Date: Thu Feb 5 20:24:28 1998
Message:
Thanks!!
I've never used petal dust before so I'm a
bit scared. I'm wondering if I should use very soft brushes, such as
blush brushes rather than paint brushes. D you have any suggestions??
Robin
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: RE: petal dust
Date: Fri Feb 6 14:43:20 1998
Message:
Yes, You should use soft brushes. A blush brush is fine for larger items, but a small soft sable paint brush is better for smaller flowers-it will give you more control and definition when dusting. Dust the center of roses with a shade darker than the color of the rose, or just dust the edges of the petals....either way you flowers will 'come alive'!! You may want to experiment on some 'non-usable' flowers before you start your project. Have fun!! Jackie
Author: Jennifer Thomassian
Subject: "sugar work"roses
Date: Thu Feb 5 14:24:42 1998
Message:
Hi,I'm new here. I am a novice cake decorator. I am attempting to teach myself a few new techniques. I saw a wedding cake (in the Feb. '98 issue of Victoria mag.) with "sugar work" roses. They were stunning! How can I learn to make these? Thank you everyone!
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: "sugar work"roses
Date: Thu Feb 5 23:10:02 1998
Message:
hi jennifer; i have not seen the mag but i
think what you are refereing to are gum paste flowers. you say you are
a novice decorator. gum paste work is considered advanced work.
don't let that stop you if you get the chance to learn it.
personally i could not learn from a book until after i had taken basic
classes. that goes for gumpaste work.
problem with teaching yourself from a book
is there is noone to help you when something does not turn out right.
what did you do wrong? how do you correct it. some people just have a nack
for figuring out those things. i had to be shown :)
lynne
Author: Jennifer T.
Subject: roses
Date: Fri Feb 6 18:27:31 1998
Message:
Thanks Lynne. The magazine just said "sugar work", but it is apparently gum paste. I would love to have someone show me how, but there is no one. I have lived in a city my whole life, and have just recently moved to a (very) small town of only 3,OOO people! So, you see I have to teach myself. I taught myself to knit and I will do this. Somehow! Thanks for the help! Jennifer
Author: Jennifer T.
Subject: roses
Date: Fri Feb 6 18:42:04 1998
Message:
Hi Jeff. Thanks for the email. I will check
it out. The magazine said "sugar work", but that is apparently not what
it's called! I can bake like a champ, but I need help with making flowers.
I have previously used fresh (a la Martha Stewart), but
I recently saw a Sylvia Weinstock cake and was in shock by its beauty!
My grandmother baked wedding cakes professionally. I
am a dressmaker and am teaching myself most of what I need to know in the
cake decorating dept.
Thanks again for your advice, I will call
her up. While I'm here, do you have a recipe for raspberry buttercream
you would be willing to share? THANK YOU!!! Jennifer
Author: Jeff Subject: Do you want a Meringue-type
or Powdeered Sugar-type buttercr
Date: Sat Feb 7 01:39:28 1998
Author: Jeff
Subject: Here's a recipe to try!
Date: Sat Feb 7 01:50:10 1998
Message:
Go to the following URL. It contains a recipe
for Raspberry Buttercream from Chocolatier Magazine.
http://www2.godiva.com/recipes/recipes/chocolatier/birthday/
raspberry.html
[yes, the word recipes apprears TWO TIMES
in the URL]
If you need a powdered sugar type, let me
know. Jeff
Author: Nicole
Subject: Getting started (???)
Date: Thu Feb 5 13:45:13 1998
Message:
I've been decorating cakes for about 6 months
now. I get great compliments, and really enjoy my time in the
kitchen. My husband is encouraging me to try selling some from home. I
would be so happy doing this for a living (and getting
out of corporate America!)
I'm a super-cautious person, and the liability
in the beginning is scaring me a bit. I can't get a liscence in our county
unless I have a separate kitchen, no liscense means no insurance. And we
don't have the kind of cash right now required to get my own
separate kitchen.
How did others get their start? Is under-the-table
sales as dangerous as I've heard? Is it true I can't advertise if
I'm not liscensed? Do cakes really get confiscated from wedding receptions
by the health dept.?
Any and all advice would be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance! :) Nicole
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Getting Started???
Date: Thu Feb 5 19:51:01 1998
Message:
I think the key to this may be your location
- city, country, very rural, whatever. Most of us got our start doing it
from our homes. I still do it from my home - have a kitchen built in my
basement along with my bridal shop. That way, I don't
have to go out to work, don't have walk in traffic, don't do donuts, etc.
so I am not a bakery, per se.
I live in the country and each city, county,
state has different laws and some enforce them more than others. I have
friends in the city who do cakes big time for big bucks and big clients
and have no license. The best business is word of mouth
rather than advertising anyway, I think. You sound like you may be in a
city because of saying you'd like to get out of "corporate
America". Just call around and see what you can find out about your city
laws.
You don't have to give out your name in case
you decide that isn't the way you want to go. In my area, there are
many cake decorators doing it from home and I would say most of them are
not licensed. I have never heard of a cake being confiscated
around here, but I guess it could happen just as copying the copyrighted
stuff and getting caught can happen. Advertising usually
causes more than just customers to take notice of what you are
advertising. I think to start with, if I were you, I would stay with my
day job and do cakes for friends, family and co-workers
and then if you love it, you can decide how far you want to go with it.
Sometimes, people get into it and get burned out real fast.
I love my cake business, but never had a desire for a bakery because I
didn't want to do all the other things connected with a bakery.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Feel free to e-mail me with
any questions you might have.
Author: Jennifer T.
Subject: question about "getting started"
Date: Fri Feb 6 19:06:08 1998
Message:
HI Carolyn, I too am "getting started" in a
little cake decorating, but my biggest love of all (next to my husband)
is dressmaking. You mentioned you had a bridal shop and I have
been thinking about this non-stop for a long time.
If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me a
little about what you do? It would be a big help. My email is
JRIsom@aol.com
I will be out of town for a few days, but please respond. Thanks so much!
Jennifer T.
Author: Judy
Subject: Getting Started
Date: Fri Feb 6 15:51:29 1998
Message:
I live in Illinois and I have done cakes for 6 years out of my rural home and I am seriously considering starting my own business. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own business and the area I am in is a small community. I have already checked with the Health Dept about getting a license and talked with our Insurance person, what else do I need to do to get started? Thanks for your advise in advance, Judy
Author: Joanna
Subject: GETTING STARTED
Date: Thu Feb 5 20:30:13 1998
Message:
I have the same concerns as Nicole, as I would like to advertise and sell wedding cakes out of my home until I can afford to meet health code requirements. I never heard of confiscating a cake from a reception, though. That would surely be the demise of a business, and its a scary thought. I hope someone can answer Nicoles questions, I'm very interested to know how everyone else got there start without being branded illegal. Thanks!
Author: Jennifer
Subject: getting started
Date: Fri Feb 6 00:09:43 1998
Message:
I, too, am a very cautious person living in
an area where it is impossible to have a legal home business
(food-based, anyway). I put off doing cakes
for money for a long time because of this. However, after I started
asking around I found that most people doing cakes from home are not licensed
and rarely have any problems.
I've never heard of cakes being confiscated.
The health department is too underpaid and understaffed to worry
with us, unless someone forces the issue. That someone is usually a licensed
bakery that doesn't like the competition or a nasty neighbor.
That's why you don't advertise. Even if you're fully licensed, advertising
really doesn't bring in that much business. Word-of-mouth is
best. It's a little slow, but that gives you time to practice
your skills, pace, and organization. I started selling my cakes about 4
months ago, just by word of mouth. I haven't had a lot of orders
yet, but I'm getting there. I think the best thing to do is to start slowly
and quietly, give it 6 months, then re-eveluate and decide
whether to continue as you are for a while longer, give it up, or pursue
establishing a licensed business. Some tips I've heard to avoid getting
turned in: don't advertise, don't undercut the bakeries
too much, don't bad-mouth the other bakeries, don't allow business traffic
to be too obvious or disturbing to your neighbors. Good
Luck!
Author: Terry
Subject: Getting Started
Date: Sun Feb 8 19:56:35 1998
Message:
I was in your shoes for approx. 2 years then
i went ahead and opened up a full line bakery in town last
September.
When I worked out of my home I had no problem
with the
Health Dept. They did require licence but
they never contacted me. I did not advertise at all but used word of
mouth and also made wedding cakes for a caterer in town.
(I was able to work under his licence if anyone
asked).
I moved it out of my home to town because
it had gotten to large for my kitchen (20-30 cakes per week plus a
wedding). I would say keep on like you are doing. I was told the worst
that could happen is the Health Dept. would come in and
tell me noy to make any more cakes. I think alot of it will depend on how
many other fullty licensed bakeries there are in your town
and how much of competition you put up with your product. In my case,
there has not been a bakery in this town for over 20 years (population
9,500).
Author: kathi
Subject: BAKERY ICING
Date: Thu Feb 5 13:24:32 1998
Message:
i have been trying to duplicat the icing on bakery cakes foreve, i know they have crisco, but am not sure of the amount, etc, also does anyone have the icing for the browines they sell at bakeries, and while i am being a pest, if there are any bakery owners out there, i would love the recipe for the fudgie brownies they sell at the bakery. thanks guys
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: BAKERY ICING
Date: Thu Feb 5 23:21:01 1998
Message:
hi kathi; there are sooooo many different recipes
it is hard to say just what one you may be looking for. btw: most
of us are trying *not* to taste like bakery icing :)
many bakeries buy their icing already made
in huge buckets by wholesalers. you might not be able to dup such
icing -- that is unless you want to make 50 to 100 # at a time :)
if you go to the homepage on this board and
scroll down you will see dolores has a page of recipes. have fun! lynne
Author: Patty D
Subject: re: wedding cake price
Date: Wed Feb 4 20:58:53 1998
Message:
Jeff, Would you mind telling us what part of the country you come from? That was the most helpful information on pricing for me yet. Thanks.
Author: Jeff
Subject: Attn: Patty D.
Date: Wed Feb 4 22:05:53 1998
Message:
I'm from a town near Lexington, Kentucky,
in the county of Magoffin.
Author: Kathy
Subject: beginning books, esp. for children
Date: Wed Feb 4 20:17:56 1998
Message:
I'm a cake decorating project leader for 4-H
children. Our council doesn't provide any teaching material. I'm
trying to find a good, step-by-step book for teaching beginners.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Author: Kathy M.
Subject: Book for Beginners
Date: Thu Feb 5 00:21:22 1998
Message:
Kathy, Wilton has a good beginners book, it's
called Cake Decorating 1-2-3. It's also inexpensive.
Author: kelly smith
Subject: recipe request
Date: Wed Feb 4 17:33:38 1998
Message:
if any one has a recipe for a buttercream
that won't break down for an outdoor wedding let me know please . I
heard when you use butter it get very soft in the heat is that true?
Also I would like a recipe for a buttercream
that is not sickening sweet . The one in the Wilton book is too sweet.
One more request....does anyone know how to make a true cassada cake? You
know with the rum brushed on the cake layers?
Any recipes will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Email me : Cakegoddes
Author: Susan
Subject: Recipe
Date: Wed Feb 4 20:04:25 1998
Message:
If you have no aversion to crisco here is
one recipe that won't break down in 100 degree heat( the reason I know
is because I made a cake this summer for an out door party in 100 degree
heat and it held up beautifully)
1¼ C. crisco 2tsp. vanilla
½ C. water 2tsp. butter flavor
1tsp. salt 2lbs. Powder sugar
2tbsp flour***
*** For a less sweet frosting.
Make sure you desolve salt in water first
or you might get spots in your colored icing. The flour cuts down the
sweetness. This recipe is of a medium consistancy just add or decrease
water to recipe for your preference.
Good luck. I am sure other people will give
you more recipes but I am telling you this one stands up to heat!! And
tastes delicious. Susan
Author: Marie
Subject: recipe
Date: Wed Feb 4 23:58:02 1998
Message:
Thanks for posting this Susan. Will any flour
do or would cake flour be best? Marie
Author: Susan
Subject: Recipe
Date: Thu Feb 5 11:45:06 1998
Message:
I use regular flour. Good luck!
Susan
Author: lynne
Subject: icing recipe+
Date: Wed Feb 4 21:58:13 1998
Message:
hi kelly. have you gone to dolores' board
for recipes? she has several for you to try.
also, if you scroll down the page and click
on the button 'next page' you can go back to when the board originated
and fine all the recipes that have already posted. there are lots for everyone
to try. lynne
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Cassata alla siciliana
Date: Thu Feb 5 14:42:49 1998
Message:
I hope this is what you are looking for:
You need to start with 1, 12" (double recipe)
Pan di spagna, baked and cooled.--(see recipe)
RUM SYRUP: 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, 4
tablespoons white rum.
CREMA DI RICOTTA( cannolli filling): 4 pounds
ricotta, 3 cups confectioners sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract,
1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3 tablespoons white rum, 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely
chopped, then sifted(to get rid of the powder), 3/4 cup
diced citron or candied orange peel.(see recipe)
APRICOT GLAZE:1 1/2 cups apricot preserves,
3 tablespoons water.
PASTA REAL: 12 oz. almond paste(traditionaly
made with pistachio paste),3 cups confectioners sugar, 5
tablespoons light corn syrup, green food color,
cornstarch for rolling.
DECORATING:Red candied cherries, candied citron,
1 oz. semisweet chocolate, 1/2 tsp oil.
For the rum syrup, bring the water and sugar
to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, cool and add the
rum.
For the crema di ricotta, press the ricotta
through a fine sieve or strainer into a mixing bowl. Sift the confectionary
sugar over it and beat it in. a heavy mixer fitted with the whip. Continue
beating the ricotta and sugar untill it's very light.
Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon and rum, then stir in the chocolate and candied
fruit. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
Butter a 12" spring form , depending on the
size of the Pane di Spagna layer, and line it with plastic wrap. Cut 2
thin, horizontal slices from the pan di spagna , using a long, sharp, serrated
knife. (This is easier when the cake is chilled). Cut
the remaining cake into 1/2" vertical slices.( in other words, 2 thin layers,and
the rest into strips.
Place one of the layers in the bottom of the
springform pan and moisten it lightly with the rum syrup, using a brush.
Use the vertical slices to line the side of
the pan and moisten them from the inside. Pour the filling into the lined
pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Moisten the other round
layer lightly and invert it onto the filling. Press gently
with the palm of the hand to adhere the layer to the filling and cover
the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cake to make the filling
firm. Reserve any remaining syrup for finishing cassata.
While the cassata is chilling. prepare the
apricot glaze.
For the pasta reale: cut the almond past ito
1" cubes and place in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle or in
a food processor with metal blades. Add sugar, corn syrup and
mix on low until it masses aound the paddle. (in food
processor pulse 10 X). The mix will be crumbly. Add a drop of green food
color and knead smooth .Shape it into a sausage and wrap
in plastic, set aside, room temp.
Unmold the cake, remove the plastic from top
of the pan and place a cake board on pan. turn out cake onto
cardboard and unclip the ring, lift carefully, peel off cling film. Brush
the remaining rum syrup on the cassata.
Brush with apricot glaze.
Unwrap the Pasta reale, knead it smooth and
into a 5" disk. proceed to use like rolled fondant.
To decorate, melt the chocolate, use a small
paper cone filled with the chocolate to pipe series of overlapping arcs
at the top border . Cut citron into thin strips and make a geometric design
in center of cake.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Pan Di Spagna(used to make cassata)
Date: Thu Feb 5 14:54:08 1998
Message:
In italy potato starch would be more common,
but the corn starch give identical results.
4 large eggs-separated, 3/4 cup granulated
sugar-divided, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt, 1/2 cup
unbleached all purp. flour, 1/2 cup corn starch.
In med. bowl, whisk the yolks with the vanilla
extract. Whisk in half the sugar and continue to beat until very light
and frothy, about 5 min.( ribbon stage)
Combine the flour and cornstarch and sift
once.
In a clean dry bowl , beat the egg whites
with the salt UNTILL THEY HOLD A VERY SOFT PEAK. Beating
faster, add teh remaining sugar in a very slow stream, beating egg whites
til they hold a firm peak.
Fold the yolks into the whites, Sift the flour
and cornstarch mix over the eggs, in 3 additions, folding them in gently
. DO NOT OVERMIX batter.
Pour the batter into a buttered and paper lined
9" or 10" round 2" deep . Bake at 350 degrees, until well risen and
shrinks a little from the side--about 30-40 m.
Immediately lossen the layer from the side
of teh pan with a small knife or spatula. Invert the layer and leave the
paper stuck to it. Turn the layer right side up and cool on a rack.
Double wrap the layer in plastic and keep
in fridge for up to 5 days , or freeze it.
VARIATIONS:
Flavor the batter with grated orange or lemon
zest or a tablespoon of Anisette.
For the cassata you need to double this recipe!
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Does Anybody Have...
Date: Wed Feb 4 17:17:08 1998
Message:
a recipe for the Crisoless Buttercream that
seems to be the subject of debate? Being new to decorating, I have
not yet experienced anything but the frosting with the Crisco and would
like to try it. I trust it is used in the same manner as the recipe
with the shortening (or am I wrong?)
Author: Jennifer
Subject: icing recipes
Date: Wed Feb 4 19:30:05 1998
Message:
Charlotte,
Scroll down a bit, Mara posted a few recipes
that she uses for true buttercream, using eggs, butter, and sugar.
You can also use butter instead of crisco in the decorating frosting you're
using now; it will be ivory instead of white, and
much softer (keep it chilled). Also, in some of the older wilton books
there is a recipe for "Extra-Special Buttercream"
that uses butter and cream. I don't remember if that's cooked at all or
whether or not it has eggs, but I can look it up
and post it if you want. "The Cake Bible" by Rose Beranbaum has all the
traditional recipes for icings that contain butter and eggs.
Author: Nancy
Subject: Give us that "Extra Special Buttercream"
recipe PLEASE!!!
Date: Wed Feb 4 19:37:52 1998
Message:
If you have the time, I'd really like to have
the Wilton "EXTRA SPECIAL BUTTERCREAM" recipe you speak
of. Thanks in advance. Nancy
Author: Jennifer
Subject: recipes
Date: Wed Feb 4 23:34:52 1998
Message:
Actually, I was getting two recipes mixed
up, so I'll post them both. I've never tried either, so this is not a
recommendation! I just remembered seeing them
and that they were different from any of the recipes mentioned
recently.
French Buttercream
2/3 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1/4 t salt
3/4 C milk
1 C butter, cold, cut up
1 t vanilla, or clear vanilla flavor
Place sugar, flour, and salt in sauce pan and
mix thoroughly; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat and stir
constantly until very thick. Remove from heat
and pour into medium mixing bowl. Cool at room temp. Add 1/2 C
butter at a time and beat at med-hi speed until smooth. Add vanila and
beat well. Chill for several minutes, then use. Yields
2 cups. Iced cake must be refigerated. This is said to taste like vanilla
ice cream.
(Wilton yearbook)
Extra Special Buttercream
1 C butter
1 C crisco
2 lb powdered sugar
1/2 t salt
1-2 t flavoring(s)
6-8 oz whipping cream
Cream butter and crisco until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well-blended. Add salt, flavoring(s), and cream; blend on low speed until moistened. Beat on high speed until fluffy. Yields 6-7 cups. (Wilton Course 3)
Author: Carolyn B.
Subject: recipes
Date: Thu Feb 5 13:15:49 1998
Message:
Both of Jennifer's recipes are great. I use
the whipped cream buttercream alot. It is very easy to decorate with. It
will be an ivory color rather than stark white. The French Buttercream
is what I always called "Moms White Icing". It
is absolutely delicious but extremely soft and can be hard to decorate
with. When using this recipe, I frost and do borders
with it but do flowers, etc. in "regular buttercream. You can also use
1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter - still delicious - but
a little more stable.
Author: Kristy
Subject: Wedding Cake price
Date: Wed Feb 4 15:20:05 1998
Message:
Can anybody help me price a Wedding Cake?
The cake is on the Bridal Cakes (Wilton Book) on page 54. the
name of the cake is Woven Together As One. I don't have any idea how much
to charge for a cake like this... Thank you for all the
help. Kristy
Author: Jeff Arnett
Subject: This is my price scheme
Date: Wed Feb 4 16:53:27 1998
Message:
This is how I price my wedding cakes. Also
remember you must include any special items that you might have to
buy for the cake, the cost of separators [I add to my price...nothing is
returned to me] or other incidentals, such as unique/unusual
fillings, flavoring, etc.
BASIC BUTTERCREAM FROSTED CAKE with top/bottom borders and a side trim. Ready for the bride/florist to add fresh or silk flowers.....................$ 2.50 per serving
BASIC BUTTERCREAM FROSTED CAKE as above but
with PIPED FLOWERS..........................$ 3.25
per serving
BASIC BASKETWEAVE TRIMMED CAKE
without flowers.....$3.00 per serving
with piped flowers..$3.50 per serving
BUTTERCREAM CAKE with GUMPASTE FLOWERS....$
6.00 to $10.00
depending on type and number of flowers
BUTTERCREAM CAKE with PRESSED FONDANT LACE
and GUMPASTE FLOWERS..............$ 8.00
to 12.00 per serving depending on the number
of lace pieces and flowers
I hope this helps. I didn;t have the Wilton
Book handy so I do not know what the cake you speak of looks like.
Just make sure that, after it is done, your profit was worth the time and
talent YOU invested!
Jeff Arnett
Author: Jennifer
Subject: prices
Date: Wed Feb 4 23:49:37 1998
Message:
Wow, Jeff, when I first read your list I thought
you must be in the area where I am now, around Washington, DC.
Those are typical prices here. I was really surprised to read in your later
post that you're in Kentucky, that's where I'm
from originally. I grew up in Murray, and my mom lives in Frankfort now.
I would never have dreamed people there would pay
that much. Lexington must have more wealthy people than I realized, and
they must be throwing more extravagant weddings
than they used to. I only paid $100 for my 4-tiered wedding cake with
buttercream roses, though that was 10 years ago. Good for you, though!
Author: Carolyn B.
Subject: Wedding cake prices
Date: Wed Feb 4 17:44:17 1998
Message:
Kristy - you need to probably stay in line
with the other cake decorators in your area. Here in the Northern
Virginia area - a cake like the one you are considering would
begin at about 2.25 - 2.50 a serving for a basic cake with
filling. Depending upon the flavor we would charge more, ie; liquor, carrot,
etc. Delivery would be extra. Some decorators charge a rental on
the stand the cake is placed on. Hope this helps.
Author: Rita
Subject: Re: Wedding Cake price
Date: Wed Feb 4 18:03:11 1998
Message:
Kristy - You definitely need to check prices
in your area. I would never be able to sell a cake for $1.50 plus per
serving. I don't live in a city or near a resort area. The cost of living
here is low and my over head is much lower than it would be
in a busy shopping area. Take these things into consideration before pricing
your cakes. I am able to buy ingredients much cheaper here
in the rural area of Missouri than when I price them in St. Louis or other
larger cities. Good Luck and ENJOY.
Author: lynne
Subject: pricing
Date: Wed Feb 4 22:17:05 1998
Message:
i don't have to book handy so i don't know
what it looks like. the prices jeff mentioned are *much* too high for
my area. i'm in central calif and it's a struggle to get $1.25 for the
basic buttercream that jeff mentined getting $2.50
for.
you do have to stay close to what others in
your area are charging. are there local bakeries? call them and pretend
you have a daughter getting married soon and see what their basic charges
are. not everyone charges per slice.
around here, delivery is included. until i
opened my shop i didnot charge 'rent' on my fountain. just be sure to get
a deposit enough to replace the fountain should
it not be returned or broken. returned ok, refund the deposit. just be
sure you don't spend that money:) i also charge a seperate deposit on the
pillars/plates. it also is refundable when everything is returned
w/in 5 days after their affair.
hope this info helps. lynne
p.s. scroll to the end of this pg and click
on the botton 'next page'. you can go all the way back to when this board
started. lots of info of all kinds for everyone to read.
Author: Cheri
Subject: castle-shaped bday cake
Date: Wed Feb 4 11:06:00 1998
Message:
I am looking for information on how to make
a castle-shaped birthday cake for my son. I've been told by many
people to check out the Wilson books. The problem with that, is that when
I've gone to our local bookstores, they do not carry Wilton
books. I've tried craft stores, and they have 2 books. One is how to make
flowers, and the other is how to frost a cake! I am having
a terrible time trying to figure this one out. I even called a bakery and
asked how much it would cost for a small castle cake.....only $150.00!
I don't think I can spend that amount on a 5 year-olds party!
Can anybody help? Thanks, Cheri (Kdwtchr@aol.com)
Author: Susan
Subject: Castle cake
Date: Wed Feb 4 13:41:16 1998
Message:
Cheri
In the Wilton 1996 yearbook they have a castle
birthday cake. I had it but I sent it to some-one on this board.
Some-one else might have it on here also. If not then go to sugarcraft
they may have it.
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Castle Cake
Date: Wed Feb 4 17:06:43 1998
Message:
I have directions for a castle cake from a
Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls that I got 20 years ago. It
had the simplest of decorations - something like a Hershey Bar for a draw
bridge and those little pastel after dinner mints for
windows. Of course, you can decorate it however you choose - the book does
provide how to cut the cake to make the castle. If you'd
like me to send you a copy out of the cookbook, let me know and I'll be
glad to either send it or fax it. Charlotte (CHitner@FWENC.com)
Author: Jeannine
Subject: banana cake
Date: Wed Feb 4 08:15:13 1998
Message:
Does anyone have a recipe to turn a white
or yellow cake mix into a banana cake? Thanks.
Author: Jan
Subject: Banana Cake
Date: Wed Feb 4 09:59:42 1998
Message:
I'm at work so am unable to get you the number
(on the box) for Duncan Hines. The number you call is a
recording. If you call them and tell them
you are unable to purchase their banana cake mix, they'll give you the
recipe to use the yellow cake mix. Let me know if you can't get through
and I'll respond from home (where I have the recipe).
Author: Carolyn B.
Subject: Banana Cake
Date: Wed Feb 4 11:20:31 1998
Message:
If you are unable to purchase banana cake mix - try using
yellow cake mix and add: l box banana pudding - 4 eggs - 1/2
cup oil - 1 cup water - banana and vanilla flavoring - 1-2 soft bananas!
Should be great! Good luck!
Author: Jan
Subject: Banana Cake
Date: Mon Feb 9 20:37:19 1998
Message:
Hi Jeanine, Sorry
I didn't get back with you sooner but my computer crashed.
The recipe using a DH yellow cake mix is as
follows:
1 Yellow DH cake mix
3/4 c water
1 c bananas, mashed
1 T oil
Mix same as any cake mix and bake. Just make
sure you test it for doneness.
Hope this helps you out.
Author: Kelly
Subject: Has anyone ever made one of those
large, round, decorated pa
Date: Tue Feb 3 19:41:39 1998
Message:
Hi, I was wondering if anyone has made one of those
big pan cookies you can get at the local mall or grocery store.
Do you make them in a pan with high edges, or just use a pizza pan. Do
you use the basic Toll House cookie recipe, or must their be
modifications made. Also, what type of decorative frosting works best with
one of these large cookies? Any info. would be greatly appreciated!
Author: Lisa M.A.
Subject: Re: Has anyone ever made one of those
large, round, decorate
Date: Tue Feb 3 21:05:21 1998
Message:
I have had quite good success with these things
by using a regular 10" or 12" round pizza pan. I use the basic
choc. chip cookie recipe (although, I always substitute crisco for the
butter). Put about 1/2 of the dough in the pan, covering
the bottom of the pan sufficiently, yet not putting too much extra or it
won't bake evenly. Also, I grease my pan with crisco
and line it with wax paper cut to fit the bottom of the pan. This makes
for easy release.
I'm not sure exactly how long I bake it, but
I take it out when it starts to get golden...don't wait too long, or it
will get too hard. I flip it out of the pan IMMEDIATELY after
I take it out of the oven. Let it cool (right side up) and
decorate with regular buttercream icing. A really cute idea is to get a
pizza box to fit the cookie and put it in there if you are
going to give it as a gift...a local pizza place should be glad to sell
or maybe even give you one! Hope this helps!! Lisa
Author: lynne
Subject: big cookies
Date: Tue Feb 3 23:21:46 1998
Message:
hi kelly; i have done as many as like 75 of
these for valentine's day in the past.
i have a recipe for making a dry mix ahead
or i use cake mix for the cookie dough! they are great if eaten right
away. personally i think they become *very dry* after that. from one mix
you can get 3 10" heart cookies. they are about 1" thick when
baked. for this size it takes about 20 minutes to bake. i decorate them
w/buttercream. if you make wilton's class buttercream it will
harden enough as not to smash when handled. i make lots of g.p.
decorations -- animals; bells; angels; etc. etc. for decorating. over the
years i have collected hundreds of 'love sayings' to put on
them. i sell each one for $5. also have made bigger ones: 12" and 15"hearts.
sometimes make rounds or other shapes.
lightly grease your pan, then pat the dough
into the pan for baking. couldn't be easier. lynne
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Corn Syrup as a Glaze
Date: Tue Feb 3 10:45:20 1998
Message:
I'm interested in learning experiences using corn syrup
to add a sheen to rolled fondant. I'm planning to make a cake
for Valentine's Day that looks like a box of chocolates. I plan on using
rolled fondant and I would like the bottom "box" to have a
nice sheen. How long after the fondant is placed on the cake would I have
to wait before adding the corn syrup? Do you just brush on
a layer at a time or is the job done with the first layer? Do I even use
a brush? Thanks for the guidance.
Author: Renee V
Subject: Re: Corn syrup glaze
Date: Wed Feb 4 08:55:06 1998
Message:
I don't know about a corn syrup glaze but I do know
that chocolate clay and/or Rolled Buttercream remains shiny,
so if you use these, you may not need to glaze your "chocolate box"
Also, I just remembered, Rose Levy Birnbaum
has a confectionary glaze made from corn syrup in her book "The
Cake Bible". It is in the recipe for the cake on the cover with the red
roses. She coats these roses with a glaze. Hope
this helps. Renee
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Mara's Recipes(textbook)
Date: Tue Feb 3 09:53:55 1998
Message:
SWISS MERINGUE:
1/2 pint of egg white, pinch of salt(optional),
1 pound sugar.
Combine egg whites, salt and sugar in mixing
bowl. Place over simmering water. Heat, stiring with wisk untill egg
whites are hot and all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat to
mixer. Beat with whip on second speed till cold.
TO MAKE BUTTERCREAM:
butter, softened. As little as the weight
of sugar or up to twice that.
After meringue is whipped cold, add the softened
butter, a little at a time, continue beating till smooth. Flavor to
taste , it will accept up to 2 oz of flavoring.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Mara's adaptation to textbook recipe
Date: Tue Feb 3 10:14:18 1998
Message:
Here goes:
cube about 2 to 3 pounds of sweet butter and
soften in microwave.
place 1 1/2 cups of egg white ( 1 cup = 6
jumbo egg whites--so you would need 9 jumbo eggs for this recipe)
with 1 1/2 pound of sugar in metal mixing bowl, whisk to dissolve most
of the sugar and place over simmering water. Whisk ,
every now and again, to prevent the egg from cooking.Lift the whisk out
of the syrup and try pinching some of the run off syrup
between your fingers, there should be no trace of graininess from the sugar.
--
All the sugar must be dissolved.-- (This brings
the temp of the syrup to about 120 degreess or more. This is the
temp. that bath water would be to prevent 3rd. degree burns on your skin!)(
so it would be sanitary).
Remove bowl from the heat to mixer, beat with
whip untill cold. To test for this , you must place the inside of your
wrist to the metal bowl untill you can leave it there about a minute, then
the meringue is cold enough to add the butter a little
at a time. (This is when I change the whip for the paddle so I don't incorporate
too much air into my icing.)-- You must make sure the
meringue is not too hot or too cold--too hot and you get a melted mess,
to cold, you will get butter blobs in the icing--( this
is why I soften the butter in microwave first!)--
Beat untill smooth. Sometimes it may look curdled, just keep on beating-it
will smooth out---you can add up to 2 oz. of flavoring---(less
for an intense flavor like RUM or more for a mild flavor like Chambord.)I
just put 2 large capfulls of vanilla extract into it.
This recipe is very forgiving--sometimes I
don't measure my eggs exactly to the mark, more or less and If I would
like a stiffer icing I will add the larger amount of butter. This Recipe
can be doubled , and will cover a 3 teir wedding cake you can
pipe your borders and do most flowers with it. I make my flowers ahead
of time with any extra colors I have, throw them in the freezer
and have them on hand to decorate.
This icing is not white, but my customers
don't mind. I will post other recipes.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: storage
Date: Tue Feb 3 13:00:29 1998
Message:
Mara,
How do you store these icings, and the cakes
they are iced with? Since they contain eggs and butter, wouldn't
they have to be refrigerated until serving time? I would also be concerned
about Salmonella, since the egg whites are not really
cooked. This is why I'm more comfortable with (gasp) crisco decorating
icing; it will practically never go bad and never needs refrigeration.
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: storage
Date: Tue Feb 3 20:05:14 1998
Message:
Dear Jennifer and friends:
you may leave your iced and decorated cake
out in a cool place. I have left my decorated cakes on my counters,
ready for delivery the next day. But I have left the airconditioner on
overnight. In the winter I don't have to worry.
If you read the recipes , you will see that
you will be cooking the eggs with the sugar, in one recipe the syrup must
reach a temperature of 235 degrees F. and the other recipe will bring the
temperature of the syrup to about 120 to 140 degrees F. I don't know
about you but when I put my hands in 120 degree water, I get BURNED!--(ouch)--and
you must whisk the eggs and sugar in that recipe or you will have scrambled
egg whites.
If you start out with fresh, uncracked eggs,
you will be O.K.- ( when in doubt, you can rinse your eggs and wash
off the shells)-you can also use frozen egg whites. If you keep these cakes
in the cooler too long they get as hard as a stick of butter,
just don't leave them out too long.--use your judgment.
To store, I make my icing and put it in a
big bucket, put in fridge and eighter leave it out overnight to use the
next morning-( leave out in a cool place) or make a new batch
and nuke the cold batch and mix together.
By the way, don't fear!!! I will be posting
my CRISCO recipes also, like I said, I'm no icing snob--I use whatever
the customer likes!----
I will post a HIGH HUMIDITY CRISCO ICING,
amongst them. Mara
Author: MaryD Olz
Subject: safe egg whites
Date: Wed Feb 4 23:43:36 1998
Message:
I have not tried your recipes, but I did use
the Mousseline Buttercream recipe from Berenbaum's THE CAKE
BIBLE. I used dried egg whites found in a local gourmet shop. Very easy
to use, economical, and I never worried about Salmonella.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Another recipe
Date: Tue Feb 3 10:38:13 1998
Message:
Italian Butter cream:( I made a mistake--with
the names , the other recipe is the one I was talking about on the
board)
4 oz water, 12 oz sugar, 1/8 tsp cream of
tartar(optional)
Pour water into small saucepan and add sugar. Stir to combine well with a wooden spoon. With a new pastry brush dipped in cold water, rinse away all the sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan. Place the pan over low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve all the sugar crystals. Continue to rinse the sides of the pan with the brush, to remove any sugar that might stick. Dissolve the cream of tartar in 1 teaspoon water and add it to the sugar at the boiling point. Cease stirring, skim sugar if necessary. Continue to wash th sides of the pan with the brush while the sugar cooks.
1/2 pint of egg whites in mixing bowl, 4 oz
sugar.
When sugar syrup comes to a boil, begin beating
egg whites. Beat whites with a whip on second speed untill white
and opaque. Continue beating, adding the sugar in 4 additions, of 1 oz.
each. When the sugar syrup reaches 235 degrees( the mix should
just about be turning yellowish brown)--increase the mixing speed to third.
At 248 degrees add sugar syrup to the beaten whites in a slow
stream, carefull of the beaters. Decrease the speed to the second
and beat until cold.
Italian meringue buttercream:
sweet butter, softened, as little as the weigh
of sugar in meringue (4 oz) or twice that--(8 oz.)
After the mering is whipped cold, add the
butter a little at a time, continue beating with whip on second speed ntill
all the butter is incorporated. Increase speed to third and beat until
smooth.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Creme Englaise Buttercream
Date: Tue Feb 3 10:46:43 1998
Message:
This recipe will be given to make 3 different
quantities:
Milk: 1 quart, 1 pint, 1/2 pint,
Cream: 1 quart, 1 pint, 1/2 pint,
sugar: 16 oz. 8 oz. 4 oz.
yolks: 24, 12, 6,
1. Combine milk, cream and sugar in saucepan
over medium heat, bring to a boil.
2. Beat yolks to combine by hand, beat 1/3
of the boiling liquid into the yolks, return milk / cream mix to a boil
and beat in yolk mixture. Beat 30 seconds untill thichened. Remove from
heat, strain into a second bowl.Cool
Cream Anglaise buttercream:
cream anglaise in equal parts by volume,
butter: ( e.g. 1 pint cream anglaise: 1 pound
butter)
Beat the butter with paddle on first speed till soft. Beat in the cooled but not cold cream anglaise.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Flavorings for a pound of my buttercreams
Date: Tue Feb 3 10:53:26 1998
Message:
To flavor these butter creams to use as filling
here goes:
Mocca: 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder
dissolved in 1 tablespoon of liqueur. Beat in slowly.
Citrus: 2 oz. of strained citrus juice. beat
in slowly
Liqueurs: Up to 2 oz. of liqueurs. beat in
slowly
Pralinee: 6 oz. praline paste. Beat in
I will be posting more recipes if you'd like. Please feel free to experiment with these and let me know how it turns out. I will be posting some of MY favorite CRISCO icing recipes also! Good luck, Mara
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Ganache
Date: Tue Feb 3 11:04:14 1998
Message:
Ordinary ganache: is fairly liquid and used
mostly to glaze cakes and other desserts. is equal parts of chocolate
and cream.
Rich ganache: used as icing and filling, is
1 1/2 parts chocolate to 1 part cream.
Truffle ganache: used to make candies--2 parts
chocolate to 1 part cream.
ordinary ganache; 1 pound semisweet chocolate, 1 pint cream: Cut chocolate finely. Bring cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, allow to stand for 5 minutes. Whisk smooth. strain into a clean dry bowl. Cool to room temp and use for glazing cakes or pastries.
Rich ganache: 1 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, 1 pint cream: Cut chocolate finely, bring cream to a boil over med ium heat. Add chocolate. allow to stand 5 minutes. Whisk smooth, strain into clean dry bowl.Cool to room temp. or quickly over cold water. Once the ganache has set, beat with a paddle on medium speed to lighten.
Ganache Beurre:
1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 pounds Rich ganache
Beat butter with paddle on medium speed untill
very soft and light. Scrape bowl and paddle very clean. Add
cooled and set rich ganache all at once. Beat on medium speed about 1 minute,
untill evenly mixed , lightened and smooth.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: HIGH HUMIDITY ICING(with crisco!)
Date: Thu Feb 5 08:17:02 1998
Message:
Here it is: Yield, about 6 cups.
1 1/2 c. white vegetable shortening
2 heaping tbsp. dry powdered dream whip
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. powdered Van-O-Van(or powdered vanilla)
1 tsp. clear vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon flavoring
2 lbs. confectionary powdered sugar
1/2 c. cold water.
Cream shortening with electric mixer at low speed. Add dream whip and flour and mix untill well blended. Blend Van-o-Van, vanilla and lemon flavoring into the creamed mixture. Add 1/4 c. water and 1 lb. of the 10x sugar, blend until moistened, then beat on 4th speed of electric mixer untill icing is smooth. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Add the remaining water and 10x sugar. Stir until moistened. Mix at 4th. speed untill icing is smooth and fluffy. Add additional water, a few drops at a time, if a thinnner spreading incing consistency is desired. To stiffen add more confectionary sugar.
For a chocolate icing add:
3/4 cup cocoa.
Keep icing covered witha damp cloth untill ready to use. Refrigerate leftover icing in an airtight container, re-whip before using.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Air drying icing(with crisco)
Date: Thu Feb 5 08:25:24 1998
Message:
simple recipe, I make all my flowers with
this, let dry 24 hours and I can pick them up (gently) with my hands!
2 lbs. confectionary sugar--10x
1/3 c. water(more or less)
2 cups white vegetable shortening(any kind--even
comercial)
I usually cream the shortening with the water
and then add the sugar, mix with the padle untill smooth and fluffy.
YOu may want to scrape down the bowl about
1/2 way into the mixing. add water to get the consistency that is
right for you.
I call this my NUCLEAR icing, since it's so
sturdy, it doesn't need any refrigeration. I have had this icing in the
trunk of my car and have taken it from class to class and it still was
usable.
YOu can flavor this icing to your taste, with
any oil, extracts you like---just measure into the water to make your
1/3 cup of liquid.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: French Buttercream
Date: Thu Feb 5 15:04:05 1998
Message:
This icing tastes especially good on carrot
cake and is not very greasy.
1 quart milk, 1 3/4 cup butter(about 9oz. I think)---bring to just boil. 6 whole eggs, 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar( 9 oz. I think)--whip together.
When the milk comes to a boil add 1 cup full
to egg mix( slowly)---then whip---(hot to cold). Then pour whipped
mix into pot of milk , stir for 2 minutes. ( eggs into sugar).
Strain into a big mixer and beat for 20 minutes.
Add 6 1/4 pounds of butter , mix at low speed
until smooth and white, then whip on high until fluffy.
Enjoy!
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Cream Cheese Icing
Date: Thu Feb 5 15:09:50 1998
Message:
1 pound crisco. 1 pound cream cheese. 1/2
pound sweet butter. 1/4 tablespoon lemon juice. 2 tablespoons
vanilla extract. 5 pounds confectionary sugar.
Beat until smooth.
Author: Susanna
Subject: Vodka?
Date: Mon Feb 2 17:44:40 1998
Message:
I've seen references to the use of vodka in various
places but never a recipe that uses it. What is it used for?
(Probably something to do with gum paste flowers? That is what I've been
most interested in lately.) Is there a substitute for its use
where people want NO TRACE of alcohol in their food?
Author: Jeff Arnett
Subject: use of vodka
Date: Mon Feb 2 20:21:58 1998
Message:
Yes, your suspicion is correct. Vodka, or any pure grain
type alcohol, is often used in gumpaste work. It is used to
dissolve powdered colors, air brush or even paste colors, primarily since
these types of alcohols have little water, they do not soften
gumpaste. The alcohol evaporates quickly and should not leave an alcohol
trace. Hope this helps. Jeff Arnett
Author: Julia
Subject: Re: use of vodka
Date: Wed Feb 4 00:57:02 1998
Message:
Jeff, what about taste? Does the vodka used
to mix powdered colors on gumpaste, does the vodka leave an unpleasant
taste? Also, would results be as favorable, using flavorings, instead of
vodka to mix the powdered colors? I'm thinking of lemon flavoring or clear
vanilla flavoring. Thanks!
Author: Sly
Subject: lemon extract would work
Date: Wed Feb 4 06:45:04 1998
Message:
McCormicks lemon extract is a good substitute
if you don't wish to go to a liquor store for the vodka. Actually,
the lemon extract has a higher concentration of alcohol than vodka does.
(And it smells so nice when you're using it.)
It also will evaporate and not actually add "flavor" when it's used to
apply powdered colors.
Author: Alice Meade
Subject: Decorator's frosting containing cake
flour
Date: Mon Feb 2 16:59:06 1998
Message:
Recenly, I ate a decorated birthday cake and
the person who made it said the frosting was made with powdered sugar,
crisco, water, vanilla and CAKE FLOUR. The frosting was delicious and I
am wondering if anyone has such a recipe.
Author: lynne
Subject: cake mix in icing
Date: Mon Feb 2 20:28:09 1998
Message:
hi alice; yes! if you sub about 1/3 c cake
mix for that much powdered sugar there will be a great improvement in
the icing. it makes a great marriage :) lynne
Author: Alice
Subject: Do you mean CAKE MIX or CAKE FLOUR?
Date: Mon Feb 2 22:28:33 1998
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Do you mean CAKE MIX or CAKE
FLOUR?
Date: Mon Feb 2 23:25:49 1998
Message:
hi alice; i use cake *mix*. tho i have not
heard of using cake flour before it may well just be a variation. rather
than *just* cake flour, if you are makeing a scratch
cake, mix all the dry ingredients together before adding a bit (1/3
cup?) to your icing.
Author: Alice
Subject: Could the leavening in the mix reacts
with the liquid causin
Date: Tue Feb 3 08:27:29 1998
Author: Sly
Subject: cake flour in icing
Date: Wed Feb 4 06:41:25 1998
Message:
When I have a customer who requests a "not-so-sweet"
icing, I'll add cake flour to my buttercream (or
crisco-cream)and then just whip it a little
longer. I've never tried using past of the cake batter since I usually
add all sorts of things to it that I wouldn't normally want
in my icing.
Author: Renee V
Subject: Oops, I'm confused.
Date: Wed Feb 4 09:05:07 1998
Message:
Lynne,
Did you mean 1/3 cup of dry cake mix or of
batter? I thought you meant the dry stuff. I was going to try this on
the weekend. Thanks.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Cake flour
Date: Wed Feb 4 10:32:23 1998
Message:
I once used the flour (regular, I think -
not cake flour which might be better) and it gave a gray cast to the icing
which I did not like. I do use cornstarch in mine all the time and this
cuts the sweet taste and also gives it a firmness. I use about 1/3
box of cornstarch to about a 15 lb. batch of icing (buttercream, is what
I call it!)
Author: lynne
Subject: cake mix in icing
Date: Wed Feb 4 22:32:37 1998
Message:
renee; i am sorry i could not get back to
you sooner. having 'puter problems --key board wouldn't work:(
yes i did mean to add 1/3 c *dry* cake mix to your
icing recipe. i replace that much powdered sugar.
lynne
Author: Sly
Subject: I meant the dry ingredients. [NT]
Date: Thu Feb 5 07:04:04 1998
Author: Renee V
Subject: Revisiting the Buttercream debate.
Date: Mon Feb 2 15:49:47 1998
Message:
Hi All,
I don't have access to the web on the weekends,
so I have to catch up on the board during the week.
Admittedly, this is my somewhat cynical opinion,
but there are a lot of "buttercream snobs" out there who in a
BLIND taste test, would prefer good old 10x sugar, crisco/butter buttercream
to a more fussy gourmet-sounding swiss classic buttercream.
Many people are so "Martha Stewartized" and are afraid of sounding naive,
they would never admit to enjoying something so ordinary as
plain ol', good ol' buttercream. As though it is something to be
embarassed about!?!!? I don't mean to imply that other types of buttercreams
and Icings aren't good and equally delicious, but to be such
a snob as to outrule something catagorically because it contains crisco
is absurd! Crisco is just vegetable fat and infact, MORE digestable
than butter, as in any animal versus vegetable fat. Who came up
with the notion that crisco isn't digestable? It has been used in baking
and cooking for years, not just cake decorating.
However, crisco does have a higher melting
point than butter which accounts for a heavier or "greasier", if you
will, mouth-feel, but technically, is not greasier than butter. It doesn't
melt easily at body temp, which is why it is prefered for decorating.
IT doesn't break down easily. I generally go the route of Jackie and use
a cooked icing to cover and do borders and decorate with a
buttercream. Also good flavor for covering a cake is Earlene's cream
cheese buttercream. (And you can decorate with it, too and it doesn't need
refridgerating) Or add a 1/2 pound of melted chocolate, any
flavor, to a standard 2lb 10x sugar buttercream recipe. When you add white
chocolate , this really enhances your buttercream without changing
the color or giving it a real "chocolatey" flavor.
One last thought, cooked flour-paste icings
tend to be less sweet and lighter textured, so when I have a customer
who wants a "whipped" or "whipped cream" icing, since I don't make it,
I have them sample this and ususally they like it.
It is not the same thing, but generally they
are satisfied.
I know this was a long posting, but I just had to
get that off my chest! Whoever said 1,000's of decorators can't
be wrong was right! Have your clients taste your various icings and let
them decide ... not Martha.
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Criscoless Recipe
Date: Tue Feb 3 10:37:41 1998
Message:
This debate has me quite intrigued. Being
a new hobbyist to cake decorating, I am used to using the Crisco recipe
and didn't even know you could make a buttercream without the shortening.
Shows you what I know.
I'd like to try it - if someone can provide
the recipe (please) as well as provide some insight as to its uses - in
other words, can you do everything that you can with the other that uses
shortening?
Author: Anonymous
Subject: Re: Revisiting the Buttercream debate.
Date: Mon Feb 2 21:35:55 1998
Message:
Dear Clueless one,
1000's of decorators have no right comparing
their preferences to chefs and thats what i thought this message
board was about, professional pastry chefs sharing ideas, not wanna be
Betty Crocker's!!!
I was wrong, it is about amatures who decorate
cakes and who sacrifice flavor, quality and time all the while
charging tons of money for their crisco spiked icings.
For your information, Crisco is not vegetable
oil, it is partially hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oils and
anything partially hydrogenated IS NOT digestible by the human body (perhaps
you are something other than human)???
Butter, on the other hand, is a natural product,
produced by churning the milk of a cow. Animal fat comes from
the animals meat, not their milk. Butter does have a ingredient added though,
Annato color, which IS ALSO a natural product, it is color
derived from vegetables and it is added to butter in the seasons when cows
don't get enough of the grasses to naturally color their milk.
No one said that those icings which include
Crisco, which my dear, are NOT BUTTERCREAM, (FYI Wilton started that),
taste bad and i do enjoy an occassional bite or two of one of those grocery
store type icings, but i for one would never compromise my
standards or reputation using unnatural ingredients in ANY OF MY
PRODUCTS.
I cannot read your mind or see your books
so i cannot determine what kind of a price you get for a wedding
cake, but that is the bulk of my business and someone paying $4.00 to $8.00
a slice for a wedding cake deserves more than Crisco!!!
Children's cakes, on the other hand, are made
for children in mind, who prefer a more sickening sweet type of
frosting and i think this type of cake is acceptable with a Crisco frosting
(NOT BUTTERCREAM), should the amature baker choose to go this route.
Cakes from mixes are another story and i don't
want to go there right now.
My feelings exactly are this, any so called
"baker" who comprimises quality using Crisco or pre-mixed cakes should
find another profession. Jill
Author: Val
Subject: Cake Mixes & Icing
Date: Wed Feb 4 22:21:31 1998
Message:
I have used cake mixes for my cakes for years
and all my customers love my cakes. I never felt inferior for using
them, until I read the previous posting. I also use a favorite recipe for
frosting given to me by a dear friend who has decorated for
years. It uses Crisco and marshmallow creme. My customers adore the flavor
of it and it does not taste "sickening sweet" nor does it taste
greasy. I am not getting into the Great Debate, just expressing my
opinion on the subject. And I do not feel I should get a different profession
because of one womans opinion.
Author: jill
Subject: Partially hydrogenated nutrition
info
Date: Tue Feb 3 00:53:16 1998
Message:
If you look up:
http://www.solgar.com/nutrition-library/articles/enig1-interview.html
you will find a long but very informative
article on the subject of partially hydrogenated oils.
I hope you find this informative.
Jill
Author: Gerard
Subject: not pro
Date: Fri Feb 6 14:58:33 1998
Message:
Jill, Just got back from vacation in England,
I see theres no shortage of backbiting, backstabing and cat scartching.
I thought thats what I was supposed to be
accused of.
How can this happen without me being present.!
Joking aside, this isn't a pro site and you
can't converse(critique) with semi and non pros without them taking it
personally. Its human nature, part of pro training is de-personalizing
recipes.
To a pro pastry chef buttercream has to be
made with butter, you wouldn't be able to hold on to a job trying to
get crisco past anyone. I used to make cakes for the Gardner Museum in
Boston, using a bit of sweetex shortning to help transportation
in the summer, they said it tasted like garbage, greasy garbage actually.
I knew that already. Try webfoodpros , no bitchin just
pro's . Gerard
Author: Joanna
Subject: buttercream
Date: Sat Feb 7 00:46:28 1998
Message:
Gerard, what is your recipe ( a small one)
for buttercream? Thanks
Author: Jennifer
Subject: butter
Date: Tue Feb 3 00:15:26 1998
Message:
And to add, "Oh Clueless One", butter IS animal
fat. Where do you think milk comes from, anyway? Last time I
checked it came from a cow, which is an animal. The milk fat may or may
not be the same fat as is in the meat, but animal fat it is!
Author: jill
Subject: fats, clueless ones & crisco
Date: Tue Feb 3 00:30:12 1998
Message:
Animal fats and milk fats are different even
though they do come from the same source. You do have to kill the
source to get the animal fat, technically.
Animal fats and milk fats are indeed digestible
by us all.
Partically hydrogenated fats are not.
That is the point i was trying to make.
I was trying to add a bit of humor to this
group of people, however i did not succeed. I guess i did succeed in
offending you and i apologize.
Your stand on this product is just as strong
as mine and we all have the right to our own opinion.
Jill
Author: Shannon
Subject: PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED FATS
Date: Tue Feb 3 04:56:14 1998
Message:
Hi. I just wanted to make a comment about partially
hydrogenated vegetable fats. Besides decorating cakes I happen
to have a degree in human nutrition. I just wanted to get a few things
cleared up before you get everybody on this board who uses
Crisco scared to death and confused. I'll try to explain it in as simple
terms as I can for those of you who don't necessarily have
a background in nutrition or chemistry. Naturally occuring partially
hydrogenated fatty acids (like those in butter) have a certain stucture
or shape. Almost all of the naturally occuring PHFA have this
same shape (cis-fatty acids). When vegetable oils are hydrogenated (to
make Crisco for example) the fatty acids end up with a different
structure/shape. They are called trans-fatty acids. 'Cis' and 'trans'
BTW refers to the direction that the chemical
structure bends. For the most part, vegetable oils that have been
hydrogenated are not thought to be absorbed by the human body. THIS DOES
NOT MEAN, HOWEVER, that these fats stay in your body unabsorbed.
I was afraid some of you thought that. They pass through your body
undigested. The main concern medical researchers have about THIS fact is
the possible build-up of trans-fatty acids in the body OVER
TIME. The main point I want to get across about THIS is that NO ONE, I
HOPE, eats enough 'crisco contaminated' icing for this to be
of ANY concern to them. Consumption of trans-fatty acids, by
the normal person, on average, makes up a relitively small portion of their
TOTAL fat intake. (Trans-fatty acids from cake icing a smaller
portion still). A better purpose would be served by telling people about
sources of PHFA a person would be likely to consume on a DAILY
BASIS like margarine, peanut butter, and other processed foods.
To make this THIS one of the main reasons you put forth for not using Crisco
in your icing is illinformed and absurd. I don't mean
this to sound rude but if you are so concerned about the 'health' of your
customers you need to find an alternative to butter also. It has OVER TWICE
the amount of saturated fat per serving than Crisco.
(8g to Crisco's 3g). Dietary saturated fat is the main elevator of blood
choleserol levels.
(More so even than dietary cholesterol). Everyone
is aware of how heart disease is one of the biggest health
problems in this country today. People have different reasons for doing
things different ways. Besides, if ICING intake were that big
of a health problem/concern the public would be alot fatter and everyone
on this message board would be alot RICHER! :o) :o)
Shannon
Author: jill
Subject: great information
Date: Tue Feb 3 12:50:03 1998
Message:
Shannon,
Thanks for the very informative and intelligent
response. I am obviously not a nutritionist but have taken several
nutrition and food science courses when attending culinary school. I was
familiar with the chemical changes which occur when a product
is hydrogenated (doesn't this mean that hydrogen has been added to cause
the product to become solid), and understood that our bodies
cannot digest such products. Thanks for making it a bit more
clear. I do also understand that butter is not hydrogenated. It is a natural
product. Crisco, on the other hand, is not due to the hydrogenation
process. Even though butter does have more fat than crisco, i still prefer
a natural product that goes through my body the way nature
intended it to. And that is my preference. In moderation, like
you mentioned, any natural product, no matter how high in fat, is OK for
most people. I do also make a "buttercream" with soy margerine
for those vegans out there who still want a sweet, non dairy alternative.
Thanks again for the imput. Jill
Author: Shannon
Subject: hydrogenation
Date: Thu Feb 5 04:00:57 1998
Message:
I hope the following makes sense. :o) Butter
and Crisco both are 'hydrogenated' in a sense. The difference
between the two is that the extra hydrogen
molecules in butter are already there.That is why butter, ALSO, is
solid and not liquid. When you hear of saturated fats what that is refering
to is the degree to which a fatty acid is holding
all of the hydrogen it can hold. I'm not sure I read your post right or
not, but, I almost got the impression that you
were thinking it was the HYDROGEN being added that was making Crisco 'unnatural'.
ALL fats have hydrogen in their structure. A molecule
of hydrogen is the same wether it is in butter or Crisco. The only thing
that makes Crisco somewhat 'unnatural', like I
was saying before, is the way the molecule bends. There are, however,
some types fatty acids that DO bend this way naturally (but very few).
Researchers are STILL in the process of trying
to determine how significant this is in the human diet.
This would have been a good research paper
topic in college. Why couldn't I have thought of it back then? :o)
Shannon
Author: Jennifer
Subject: hydrogenated oils
Date: Tue Feb 3 06:41:30 1998
Message:
Thank you, Shannon, for refreshing my biochemistry.
If I remember correctly, it has not been fully determined whether
partially hydrogenated oils are digested or not. And as you said, even
if they aren't, that does not mean it is harmful. "Fibre",
for example, is cellulose, identical to starch except for one little chemical
bond which makes it undigestable, yet it is considered a necessary
part of our diet. Actually, I kind of like the idea of Crisco not being
absorbed, if it's not absorbed then it can't make me fat, so I don't have
to feel guilty about all that icing I eat! :)
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: hydrogenated oils
Date: Tue Feb 3 13:15:21 1998
Message:
You're right Jennifer. The 'jury', so to speak,
is still out on wether or not they are digested or not. Nutrition is one
of the relitively new sciences so new information becomes avalible every
day. Scientists may come out tommorow and change
their whole story. With so many new products and health concerns rising
so rapidly it's hard for nutritional researchers
to keep up. The fact that our society is so concerned about health issues
(rightly so), forces researchers to come out with
what may not necessarily be the WHOLE story on a topic. Like I said, the
jury is still out on this one. :o)
Shannon
Author: lynne
Subject: personal preferences
Date: Mon Feb 2 23:41:46 1998
Message:
yes! this board is for *anyone!* who enjoys
making a *beautiful* cake for another. some of us need help from
time to time -- coming up with an idea or needing another recipe that someone
has requested - etc. etc.
*this board was never ment to be for "professional
pastry chefs" only*
there is room in this world for *everyones*
different tastes.
jill do you like italian food? howabout the
food eaten by 'bush people' in places like indonesia or bora-bora? i've
heard they love dog, monkey, and rattlesnake meat. someplace (china?) it
is a *treat* to have *rats!*. now we are talking
personal choises:) compare that to this crisco/butter controversey.
please give others the right to 'like' different
kinds of food -- right down to crisco. name calling only hurst *you* in
the long run. if you don't like the company, don't visit.
lynne
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Butter vs. Crisco, THIS HAS GOT TO
STOP !
Date: Tue Feb 3 09:26:50 1998
Message:
Dear Friends,
This has got to STOP and STOP NOW!!!--I don't
come to this board to see "sugar artists" FLAME each other.
I am a decorator that uses both , a classic
butter cream and a crisco icing. THERE IS A TIME AND PLACE FOR BOTH!!!!!Sometime
I even combine the 2 mediums. (GASP!)-I will use my classic butter cream
when a classic, undestated look is in order, like
a very elegant cake or wedding cake. I will use the crisco icing when the
client would like airbrushing, cartooning, bright colors or things that
need to be built up with icing. I am lucky that I
can give my clients what THEY want!----I never have to turn away business,
and I keep my clients happy. They all know that
I would not steer them wrong, and sometimes I get an order for 2 different
types of cakes for the same party--( HA!). The
only way to break down these "icing snobs" is education!--the knowing the
when and were things are apropriate. If you are a die
hard, stuck in your ways with blinders on--and never try anything new
cake decorator--someone else will step in GIVE that customer exactly what
THAT customer wants and you will be left wondering were did
all your clients go? I have been decorating cakes for about 20 years and
I know how to do a little bit of everything---OH, and by the
way, I'm also a CERTIFIED PASTRY CHEF ( so if a piece of paper
impresses anyone out there!!----( the teacher knew my background and gave
me PROPS!)---SO PLEEEAAASSSEE LET'S STOP THIS NONSENCE AND
IF YOU INSIST ON CONTINUING, JUST E-MAIL EACH OTHER PRIVATELY
SO WE ALL ARE NOT SUBJECTED TO YOUR NARROWMINDEDNESS. BECAUSE I HAVE
HAD ENOUGH!!!!!!!
Mara
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Butter vs. Crisco--your right to
chose
Date: Tue Feb 3 09:48:11 1998
Message:
Dear friends,
Like I stated in my previous posting, I use
both icings, and I let my customer guide me. The clients are not
concerned by health factors, they are driven by their taste buds! and I
will do everything in my power to make that client HAPPY!-that
is the nature of MY BUSINESS. And , no I am not in an area that demands
$4.00 to $5.00 a serving but I am getting anywhere from $1.75--to
$2.00 a serving in an area where a slice of wedding cake goes
for about $.90.
By the way, some people here need a reality
check, because the last time I looked--becoming a professional chef
did not give anyone a licence to be RUDE!
By the way--for those of you that would like
to know what all the screaming is about I will post the recipes
under--Mara's Recipes----I will put on the board the Swiss Meringue and
Italian butter cream and I will also post some crisco recipes.
Author: Betty
Subject: flavored oils
Date: Mon Feb 2 14:25:00 1998
Message:
Please tell me where I can purchase flavored
oils for candy making in around the Omaha NE area.
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Flavored Oils
Date: Mon Feb 2 15:00:12 1998
Message:
Is there a store in the Omaha area called
"The Rolling Pin?" They carry a large number of Lorann oils.
Author: Betty
Subject: flavored oils
Date: Wed Feb 4 15:35:54 1998
Message:
Thanks Charolette for the information. We
do not have "The Rolling Pin" in the Omaha area. Any other
suggestions?
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Flavoring Oils
Date: Fri Feb 6 12:58:02 1998
Message:
Outside of your cake decorating supply store,
who should be able to order them for you if they don't carry them, I
don't know who else carries them. I have a few bottles at home. I'll see
if they list their address on the bottles - perhaps you can
contact the manufacturer to see which stores in your area carry them. The
manufacturer should keep a list of their vendors. Or perhaps
you can order them directly (??) Barring that, I can certainly pick a bottle
or two up to send to you so you can try them (they're tiny, tiny little
bottles).
Author: Betty
Subject: flavored oils
Date: Fri Feb 6 14:53:21 1998
Message:
Thanks Charolette. I have 28 different flavors
I just wanted to find different ones. Thanks so much for all your
help.
Author: Charlotte
Subject: Flavored Oils
Date: Fri Feb 6 15:21:11 1998
Message:
I'm curious as to what you typically add these
flavorings to? I have a couple but haven't gone so far as to actually
open them yet (my intentions were good when I bought them). Do you add
them to cakes or mainly just candies and such?
Author: Betty
Subject: flavored oils
Date: Mon Feb 9 17:28:51 1998
Message:
Charlette The oils are for candy making. I
found a a lot of them from www.sugarcraft.com Dolores web site. I did
copy her list 29 pages so now I will be ordering from her site. Thanks
again You have been a wonderful help to me.
Author: Debbie
Subject: Brush Embroidery
Date: Mon Feb 2 10:26:11 1998
Message:
Am interested in knowing about brush embroidery
designs on a cake. What medium is this done in? Buttercreme,
royal icing, fondant? What is the technique? Or does anyone know of a book
I can reference on how to do this? Thanks.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: Brushed embroidery
Date: Tue Feb 3 11:14:06 1998
Message:
Dear Debbie:
Brushed embroidery is usually done on rolled
fondant with royal icing. But you can experiment , if you let your
CRISCO icing crust up a little, you may be able to used a thinner consistensy
icing to do the brushed embroidery, just use a good brush and
plenty of Hot water. ( like smoothing when you do 3D cartooning on a cake!)
for the list of books there are 2 books on the market that cover all the
basics of European cake decorating and they are excellent books
by the Merenhurst people. E-mail me for the number to order if Dolores
doesn't carry them. Mara
marajami@ptdprolog.net
Author: Debbie
Subject: Thanks!
Date: Tue Feb 3 11:51:02 1998
Message:
Thanks for the info. You've gotten me started
in the right direction.
Author: Mickey
Subject: Re: Brush Embroidery
Date: Tue Feb 3 20:13:57 1998
Message:
Hi,
If you can find any material by Joan McDaniel
you will have about the best info on brush embroidery.
Basically what one does is pipe a design,
say a flower, and then using a brush, draw the medium out so as to
shade the design. It can be done on waxed paper (in royal), dried and the
put on a cake, so it's even more dimensional. Hope
this helps a bit. Mickey
Author: Charlotte
Subject: R2D2
Date: Mon Feb 2 09:31:45 1998
Message:
Does anybody know the trick in baking a cake
in a coffee can? My neighbor used one when she made a 3
dimensional R2D2 cake back in the 70s when
StarWars first came out. I'm sure it can't be that difficult, I'm just
wondering the baking time and whether it would be baked at normal temperature.
Author: Susan
Subject: Re: R2D2
Date: Mon Feb 2 18:57:56 1998
Message:
When you do 3D baking I find that it works
best if you lower your oven temp. by 25 to 50 degrees. Then let it
bake longer. I sometimes bake in a bowl and the cake is heavier than usual
but still tastes great. It does take a long time for it to bake though,
so don't panic if it is baking for 40 min. or longer. Good luck, Susan
Subject: coffee can baking
Date: Mon Feb 2 23:51:04 1998
Message:
hi charlotte;
i have done this. it does take more time.
*however* i would recomend you do this another way. if possible it
would be much better to bake 4 layers in a 6" or larger round (depends
on size of cake you want/how many to be served). that way you
can put filling between each two layers and support into the bottom 'tier'
to keep this from colasping (sp?)
another alternative is to make the cake in
the crisco can from pound cake or fruit cake. it needs body to support
that highth. lynne
Author: Lori Gonzales
Subject: cakes
Date: Mon Feb 2 08:17:37 1998
Message:
my mom has always made wedding cakes for family
memebers and I finally decided to learn the business , but I'm
worried about the legalities of baking out of my home for money , any words
of advice about permits and health depts ?
Author: lynne
Subject: scroll board for lots of info re
this
Date: Mon Feb 2 20:39:18 1998
Message:
hi lori; if you decorate for family/relatives
*w/o* charging money there is no problem.
if you want to do this for the public there
could be some problem down the road.
if you scroll down to the end of this page
you will find a botton that sayes next page. click on each one and scroll
each page looking for info. this subject has been discussed at length several
times. the board goes all the way back to spet. '97 so there is lots
to read:)
you don't have to read it all in one sitting,
but have fun and you'll be surprised how much you can learn here.
lynne
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: cakes
Date: Tue Feb 3 05:43:55 1998
Message:
Do you get American Cake Decorators magazine?
There was a GREAT 2-3 part series in there about things you
needed to do to start a cake decorating business out of your home. If you're
interested e-mail me your mailing address and I'll send
you a copy of it. Just click on my name to e-mail me. (I don't mean to
insult your intelligence if you already knew that, but,
you never know who is new to computers and who is not.) :o)
Shannon
Author: Sly
Subject: Chocolate information in ICES newsletter
Date: Mon Feb 2 07:20:44 1998
Message:
About a month ago, someone posted a request
about various types of chocolate and their uses/difference. I had
listed a brief summary of chocolate types that I had written for our local
newsletter. The entire article (which is too long to post here)
is used in this month's ICES newsletter, including a sister article on
couverture vs. summer coating. If anyone is still confused
regarding the differences in chocolate chips, baking chocolate, candy bars,
summer coating, etc, I hope this article helps.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Navy Blue Icing
Date: Sun Feb 1 22:25:36 1998
Message:
Today I did a shower cake and they requested
that it have navy blue on it since that was the Bride's color. I had
some navy blue foil so used it and then did an umbrella in navy blue on
the top of the sheet cake. Used white roses and white leaves
and then sprinkled the edible glitter on it and it turned out very pretty.
To make the navy blue match the foil, I used royal blue, a
touch of black, and a touch of violet. Matched great! Thought some of you
might have this request also as navy has become a very popular bridesmaid
color.
Author: Jane
Subject: Navy Blue Foil
Date: Mon Feb 2 17:48:56 1998
Message:
Sounds like your cake was just beautiful.
I am wondering where you purchased the Navy Blue Foil you
mentioned. I live in the Denver, CO area.
: Carolyn
Subject: Navy Blue Foil
Date: Tue Feb 3 02:06:23 1998
Message:
I live near Kansas City and there is a floral
supply in KC called Stuppy's. Am sure they would UPS it out to you.
They have lots of pretty colors - black, navy, beautiful red, burgandy,
orange, gold, silver, white, emerald green forrest green, sage
green, lavendar, purple, blue, pink and probably some others. It has the
plastic over the foil, but I use a glassine doily hot glued
on to that to make it safe. If you can't get a number to call, please let
me know and I will look it up for you.
Author: Donna
Subject: 7 minute icing
Date: Sun Feb 1 14:45:36 1998
Message:
I have been looking for a fat free white icing,
and when I saw the recipe for 7 minute icng it sounded like what I
had been looking for...I tried it and it was very close to an icing found
in Hostess cupcakes and twinkies...The only problem I had was
with the icing getting very hard when applied thinly to the out side of
the cake... It stayed moist inside the cupcakes... Is there
a way to keep it moist inside and out???
Thank you for time. Donna
Author: Sherry V.
Subject: Re: 7 minute icing
Date: Tue Feb 10 20:26:01 1998
Message:
Hi Donna!
No, there's not really a way to keep that
thin outside layer of icing moist because of the absence of fat, which
doesn't evaporate like liquids do. You might try a bit thicker layer, though,
so that just the outside of it crusts, leaving a moist layer
beneath. Aside from that, you can make sure it's covered tightly and used
as soon as possible. Keep trying!
Best wishes, Sherrry V.
Author: Elaine
Subject: Cookie decorating icing-royal icing
with meringe
Date: Sun Feb 1 14:29:42 1998
Message:
Cookie decorators - what do you think is the
best recipe to use for making designs on cookies? I am interested to
hear your experiences. For example, I tried the royal icing using meringe
powder the other day but the icing was so still I could hardly press
it from the decorating bag. I wasn't sure if I could add more water or
...?
On the other hand, buttercream is fairly soft
and its difficult to pack cookies without squishing the design.
I am interested because I would like to make
some Valentine cookies with decorative writing, scrolls, etc.
I like the royal icing because it hardens
but it just took too much strength to move it from the bag.
I look forward to hearing from you and thank
you in advance ... Elaine
Author: Ruth
Subject: Re: Cookie decorating icing-royal
icing with meringe
Date: Sun Feb 1 17:02:56 1998
Message:
Elaine, Royal icing should not be that stiff.
You can make it thinner by adding water to it. If it is the right
consistancy it pipes very easily. Another
icing for cookies you might want to try is made with candy fondant
available at Sugarcraft.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Icing for Cookies
Date: Sun Feb 1 22:20:10 1998
Message:
Personally, I do not like royal icing on cookies
- taste is terrible, I think. I prefer just regular buttercream. If you
will decorate them a couple of days ahead, they will be pretty well firmed
up and you should be able to stack carefully with wax paper/paper
towels in between. Otherwise, I have just packed them single layer until
I got to school or wherever I was going. If I were doing valentine
cookies, I would probably thin my red buttercream down a lot
or white if that is the color of choice and brush it on with a pastry brush
and let it set overnight. Then I would do the borders and writing
or whatever the next day. I do my Christmas cookies that way - like thin
and brush the whole Christmas tree cookie with green and then
let dry and pipe the decorations the next day and let dry.
Works good and tastes good. Your royal was way too stiff evidently. It
should be much softer so add few drops of warm water. Cookies
for school parties are how I really broke into cake decorating and built
up my business.
Author: Sly
Subject: cookie icing
Date: Mon Feb 2 07:10:40 1998
Message:
I frost cookies with an icing that has about
half the meringue powder or powdered egg whites than what most
recipes call for, and then I add a tablespoon or two of corn syrup. If
I'm wanting pastel colors I'll just add vanilla or lemon flavoring,
but if I'm making darker colors or colors that have yellow in them (like
green), I'll make the entire recipe using Domino's Lemon flavor
powdered sugar. So far everyone has loved it on sugar cookies. This
recipe usually hardens enough to stack all the cookies in the cookie jar
after several hours. However, it stays softer to bite into than pure
royal icing, which gets very hard.
Author: Debbie
Subject: Cookie Icing
Date: Mon Feb 2 10:20:41 1998
Message:
Elaine, I've had good success with Wilton's
cookie icing recipe. It dries to a hard shiny finish and you don't have
to worry about the icing smearing. 1 cup sifted powered sugar, 2 teaspoons
milk and 2 teaspoons light corn syrup. Mix sugar and milk thoroughly
and then mix in the corn syrup.
Author: Kelly
Subject: Question for Debbie
Date: Mon Feb 2 14:19:32 1998
Message:
Debbie, thanks for the cookie icing recipe,
how do you add colors or flavors to that recipe? I would appreciate
any exact measurements so I won't mess it up! Thanks so much!
Author: Debbie
Subject: Cookie Icing for Kelly
Date: Mon Feb 2 17:33:43 1998
Message:
Kelly--Add color a little at a time. I use
a toothpick to add color. I haven't tried adding flavor. You might want
to try experimenting by substituting 1 teaspoon of flavoring
in place of 1 teaspoon of the milk. If your recipe is too thin,
add powdered sugar a little at a time to get the desired consistency; if
too thick, add a little corn syrup.
Author: Rita
Subject: volleyball cake
Date: Sat Jan 31 14:31:54 1998
Message:
Our local high school won state at volleyball
this year, but, when I went to make the cake for them I was not able
to find anything volleyball (novelty or pick) to put on the cake. This
spring we will have our annual sports banquet and I would like
to represent the four sports that will be awarded that night. They are
volleyball, basketball, softball and baseball. If anyone knows
were to find volleyball items to use on cakes let me know. I've made
birthday cakes for several players and I'm running out of ideas to make
each a little different. I've used the ball pan several ways and
would like to do something different. Thanks for your help. Rita
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: volleyball cake
Date: Sun Feb 1 13:46:30 1998
Message:
Since vollyballs are completely white you
may be able to mold something out of rolled fondant. Score the pattern
on it with a knife or toothpick. I tinted some fondant orange and made
some little basketballs this way once. Hope this helps.
Shannon
Author: Shirley W
Subject: Butter Flavored Crisco
Date: Sat Jan 31 10:32:46 1998
Message:
Has anyone ever tried the butter flavored
crisco in place of regular crisco when making icing? What were the
results? Was there much of a difference in taste? Thank you in advance
for your answers.
Author: Jennifer Subject: butter-flav Crisco
Date: Sat Jan 31 15:07:29 1998
Message:
There's no difference between using butter-flavored
crisco and using regular crisco and adding your own butter
flavoring. By using regular crisco and adding clear butter flavoring, you
will have white icing, that will tint true colors. The butter-flavored
crisco also has yellow food coloring added (to make it appear more "buttery"),
which will make your icing ivory to pale yellow, and change your
colors.
Author: Kathy McGovern
Subject: Butter Flavored Crisco
Date: Sat Jan 31 19:13:11 1998
Message:
Shirley, Once my husband
bought butter flavored crisco by mistake and that was all I had, so I used
it instead of adding butter or butter flavoring. It was for a cake
at my daughters office. She said everyone raved about the icing.
Author: Sly
Subject: Butter Crisco
Date: Sun Feb 1 10:44:25 1998
Message:
Actually it will change your colors quite
a lot. I ran out of buttercream while decorating a cake a few months ago.
I had no regular crisco or butter in the house,
so I had to make a small batch with the butter Crisco to complete
my cake. Fortunately all I had left to complete were the borders and a
lace piece. I could not get a pink or lavender color, in fact,
the colors looked horrible. I kept working on it until I finally got a
dusky plum color that would work okay with the other colors on the
cake. Taste-wise it was fine, but the colors were altogether unnatural.
It was far more difficult to color than even pure-butter buttercream.
Author: Kathy McGovern
Subject: Wedding Cakes
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:33:42 1998
Message:
Hi, I'm new on here. I'm a novice cake decorator
by night and drafter by day. When I have a wedding cake to
do, I bake the tiers ahead of time and freeze them, then take them out
to thaw 2 nights before the wedding, so I can ice and decorate
them the day before the wedding. I'm usually up all night finishing. My
husband says I should be able to begin sooner, but I'm just
afraid that they would not taste fresh . . If I'm using icing flowers,
gum paste or rolled fondant decorations, I do make those ahead of
time. How soon do the rest of you start??
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Wedding Cakes
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:53:07 1998
Message:
hi kathy! welcome to our humble abode.
how far in advance do you bake those tiers?
why the need to freeze them?
tell hubby you are doing things right. if
possible i ice my wedding cakes just the day before the wedding. yep! all
nighters are part of this crazy world of offering wedding cakes to the
public :)
as for your ? re: making flowers etc ahead.
*yes!* do so as much as possible. gumpaste and rolled fondant do-dads
can be made as much as several months ahead! that's the beauty of using
those mediums. buttercream flowers also can be made up to a week
ahead. it depends on the color partly. some colors fade -- purple/vilot
are the worst!
personally i work mostly in buttercream. using
wilton's class buttercream in a consistancy between stiff and
medium i can make my flowers ahead and let them air dry. that means letting
them sit uncovered, not refrig. or fz'n. i put them on top
of the frig out of the way for a couple of days before putting them away
in tubberware-type pie containers. that should
help you some. maybe you won't have to pull so many all nighters :)
lynne
Author: Kathy McGovern
Subject: Wedding Cakes
Date: Sat Jan 31 19:07:54 1998
Message:
I usually bake them about a week in advance,
then freeze them, of course sometimes I don't get that much notice.
Once I was asked at 7:00 P.M. to do a cake
for a wedding which was to be at 3:00 P.M. the next afternoon.
That one was a killer, but just breaking into
the business, I didn't want to turn anyone down. I certainly appreciate
your tips. Now I know where to go when I need help. There was something
else I wanted to ask but I've forgotten what it was now, I guess
I have C.R.S. Thanks, Kathy
Author: lynne
Subject: freezing cakes
Date: Sat Jan 31 20:14:34 1998
Message:
hi kathy; hope i didn't give you and everyone
else the impression i have never frozen a cake. in fact right now i
have 7 1/4 sheets in the freezer for next sunday.
i was suppose to have a bridal show tomarrow,
but it was cancelled just after i put the cakes in the oven:) btw, the
power went out then too! but everything turned out ok.
i have another show coming up next sunday
so they will get used then along w/about 6 more.
anyhoooo..... glad we could help out...that's
what this board is all about. we are all in this together and every bit
of help is welcomed! we never know when we will be the one
needing info. no one is ever too old to learn something new.
when i was teaching i would tell my advanced students to take any and all
the classes they could from anyone and that when i heard about
them in another class after i finished crying i would cheer them on &
maybe join them! lynne
Author: Kathy McGovern
Subject: Helping Each Other
Date: Sat Jan 31 21:19:22 1998
Message:
Lynn, I think it's great, the way ya'll help
each other out. Just today, I drove over to Biloxi to a cake and supply
shop to buy fillings, colored sugar and plastic babies to make king cakes.
My husband baked a king cake last week but we weren't sure
whether to spread the filling on the rolled out dough and roll up or bake
it, slice it open, then spread the filling or what. I asked
the lady at the cake shop and she told me how they do it without hesitation.
I don't believe I have ever met a nicer group of people, than cake decorators!!
Kathy
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Wedding Cakes
Date: Sat Jan 31 00:47:25 1998
Message:
We're probably all about the same!! Nuts!!
I also freeze my cakes or at least chill them good, but mine are only
frozen probably 3-4 days at most. I have had a few longer and were still
very good and delicious. I usually take my cakes out
2 nights before or the morning before and let thaw. I freeze mine right
in the pans they are baked in and then put them together
as layers frozen. Then after about 2-4 hours out, I put them in plastic
bags that are unscented and leave to thaw another 12
or so hours - whatever time frame I have. I usually ice them the night
before the wedding, go to bed around midnight and up again at 3 - I can't
do the all night thing, need at least 3 hours sleep -
then catch up in a night or two. Up at 3 to get the decorating done. Depends
on how many I have to do also. If I have 3 or more, I
will try to get some completely done by Friday night which means they have
to be out thawing on Thursday. You learn about how long
all this takes after a few years. Some of us have been doing it
for ions and know about what we can accomplish in so many hours. The killer
is to book too many small cakes on Friday and still
have all those weddings to worry about!! My husband was a draftsman for
the Government - unusual combination (draftsman-cake decorator)!
Good luck to you as you pursue this wonderful career!
Author: Rita
Subject: Re: Wedding Cakes
Date: Sat Jan 31 13:00:33 1998
Message:
I' m sure I make my cakes different than most
but it works for me. I bake on Monday and freeze my cakes as
soon as they come out of the pan. I use unscented trash bags and bag each
cake. On Thursday I pre-ice my cakes. This is where I put the
filling between the frozen layers and put a thin coating (sometimes called
crumb coat) over the entire cake making sure none of the cake
is exposed. This ensures all the moisture stays with the cake.
On Friday I begin icing and decorating. I usually deliver early on Saturday
mornings. So the cakes have time to set-up over night. I have
less problems if the cakes aren't freshly iced. I travel through the hills
and have had problems with cakes sliding if the icing doesn't have
time to set-up. I use buttercream icing. Rita
Author: Jennifer
Subject: wedding cakes
Date: Sat Jan 31 15:02:23 1998
Message:
While many decorators do pull all-nighters,
there's no reason you couldn't start a day earlier than you are now,
and have two nights to ice and decorate, rather than just one, as long
as the icing and/or fillings do not require refrigeration
(or you have the refrigerator space). You could ice all the tiers 2 nights
before the wedding, maybe do some decorating, then finish
the decorating the night before. As long as the cakes are covered with
buttercream icing, they will stay fresh for several days. I once made a
tiered cake for a friends bridal shower, then found out late
the night before that it had been postponed until the next week and no
one had thought to tell me. I wasn't going to let the cake
go to waste and have to do it all over again, so I just boxed it up and
stuck it in the fridge for a week. It tasted just as fresh
and moist as if I had made it the day before. The only thing I noticed
was that the almond flavor of the cake was not as strong as if it
had been "fresh".
Author: Kathy McGovern
Subject: wedding cakes
Date: Sat Jan 31 21:38:23 1998
Message:
Jennifer, thanks, I believe I'll try the extra
day next week, I have an order for a birthday cake for 40 to 50 people.
It's for Thursday. By adding that extra day I should be able to get a good
night sleep each night.
Author: Buckley
Subject: Sylvia Weinstock and the buttercream
debate...
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:18:01 1998
Message:
Hi all! Great website. I came here to search
for recipes for buttercream cake and frostings. When I read a few of
the earlier messages, I was reminded of a situation that occured when I
was researching cakes for my own wedding over two years ago.
I had all the obligatory magazines and silly
books, and I remember seeing a couple of pictures of Sylvia
Weinstock cakes. They were gorgeous. Knowing
full well that I could never afford such a creation, I decided to
call her shop in New York (I guess I was bored that day). She answers her
own phone! Anyway, she told me all about her cakes, and how
the frosting should never, never be made with Crisco, only butter. However,
she had to be insane to want almost $1500 for a wedding party
of about 150 (like I said, I was only calling out of curiousity).
So what does this all mean? Do frostings which
require oil and Crisco taste greasy and heavy as she said? When I
search old messages, will all the recipes have these ingredients? I'm curious
to know as I will attempt to bake a cake and use buttercream
frosting. What ingredients should I be looking for? Thanks a lot.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: butter vs crisco
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:37:41 1998
Message:
Despite what some people will say, there is
little difference between butter and crisco, other than taste and melting
temperature. Fat is fat. Butter is animal fat (thus high in cholesterol,
and crisco is vegetable fat (no cholesterol), they are both
fat so they will both be greasy. Butter melts at a lower temperature, thus
is more difficult to work with, and the cake must be kept refrigerated,
or in a well air-conditioned room at the least. Butter also gives the
icing an off-white to ivory color, rather than a true white. I think it
comes down to personal convenience and taste.
If you don't mind having to keep the icing
refrigerated, and having to constantly switch decorating bags as one gets
too warm, then you could use butter. My mother never bought butter, only
margarine, so I personally don't like the taste of butter, or the
bother. A good compromise to try is using half butter and half crisco.
Author: Buckley
Subject: Jennifer...
Date: Sat Jan 31 10:17:38 1998
Message:
Thanks for answering. I never thought of it
that way. As far as butter giving frosting an ivory color. I remember
reading in "Bridal Bargains" that an alternative is to use European white
butter in the frosting. The authors claimed that many bakers
are reluctant to do this as butter of this sort is expensive. However,
for some this may be an alternative to Crisco, if they want white
frosting for their cakes.
Author: lynne
Subject: white butter
Date: Sat Jan 31 17:26:40 1998
Message:
hi jennifer and buckley;
now just *where* would one find such a 'white
elephant'??
in another post i mentioned i do use *real*
butter in my icing --the ratio is 1/2 # butter to 1 1/2# crisco to 3#
sugar. the taste is improved w/ very little color difference. yes, there
is a slight off-whiteness to it but unless one were to use royal
icing or wilton class buttercream noone really knows it is not *white*.
i do have one local hall that i guess the lighting is weird
or something because two people complained about the cake not being white
in there. that is the only complaints/comments ever recieved.
lynne
Author: Jeff Arnett
Subject: Is Ms. Weintsocks buttercream meringue
based or powdered sug
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:44:40 1998
Author: Buckley
Subject: Gee, Jeff, I'm not sure, but you
can try calling her bakery
Date: Sat Jan 31 10:14:44 1998
Author: Jill
Subject: Sylvia Weinstock, etal
Date: Mon Feb 2 21:44:45 1998
Message:
Mrs. Weinstock can get $10.00+ a slice of
wedding cake because she takes the time to use natural ingredients,
fresh products and her decorating skills are unmatched. Decorating cakes
the way she does takes lots of time.
I suggest you take a picture of a few cakes
you really like to a good baker (not an amature crisco user) who will
make you a cake that tastes wonderful, with all natural ingredients, AND
possibly be able to decorate it in the Weinstock fashion. Good
Luck and GREAT QUESTION! If you scrool back to messages from early december
you will find the recipe i use for Buttercream, a TRADITIONAL BUTTERCREAM,not
a fake buttercream with crisco and powdered sugar, YUK!
Jill
Author: Gracie B.
Subject: Re: Sylvia Weinstock, etal
Date: Tue Feb 3 20:35:30 1998
Message:
I feel the likes of weinstock,stewart, ad
nausem, do some of the ugliest, most poorly decorated 'things' put over
on an uneducated, bigoted strata of society.
And I assume the word you keep tossing about
is meant to be 'amateur', so at least spell it right. It's also 'scroll'
and not scrool, as I think you misspelled it.
You have a 'thing' about crisco vs butter,
and I have a thing about people that show their ignorance by their use
of the English language. GB
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: Famous cake decorators
Date: Tue Feb 3 11:34:28 1998
Message:
Dear Friends:
I don't know what the big to do about "certain
Decorators" has to do with anything. Especially "famous"
decorators that have a "Bad Attitude"--( these
could be anyone)-Just because someone is on T.V. or has done a
book, do we all fall down in adoration?--The world of sugar is a "very
small world" and everyone knows everything about everyone else.
( that is the heavy hitters in this business)
I have taken classes with the people that
have taught Ms. Weinstock ( never met her), Ms. Peters ( a very sharing
person), and Mr. Israel ( haven't met him yet) and I will put my talents
against theirs anyday!--I CHOSE NOT TO---there is a place for
everyone if they want it. My place is in my little bitty , sleepy town.
I do not think myself on a pedestal so small that there is
no room for anyone else. I teach cake decorating classes and when I see
someone with potential and desire, I encourage them to go on to the Masters
of this art. I have done radio, I am getting ready for my 3rd.
and 4th T.V. appearance and have had num. newspaper articles written about
me, and just completed my first video of a series-- all this
is is marketing!---if you would like to do the same thing--just call
the papers, just call the t.v. stations, invite them to your shop, BECOME
A HEAVY HITTER in your neigborhod too, you have talents, be
proud! show off a little AND NEVER POINT OUT YOUR MISTAKES!!!;-)
P.S. By the way a lot of these famous cake
decorators aren't Pastry chefs eighter-- the education is important, but
the experience is crucial!!!!--that's just my opinion.
Author: Linda Jones
Subject: The great Buttercream debate
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:38:15 1998
Message:
I realize I will probably start a heated discussion,
but I'd really like to hear your thoughts on which is better,
buttercream made with shortening/butter/powdered sugar or the meringue
type made with a boiled syrup and butter.
I recently read the recipe for a Swiss Meringue
Buttercream in THE CAKE BIBLE and gave it a try. I must say
that I was a bit disappointed. It tasted to me like I was eating a cake
frosted with pure butter. I would, personally, prefer by own
powdered sugar buttercream any day over the meringue type. My family felt
the same way. In fact, most of the cake was thrown out. I also
found it to be very soft and hard to work with without constantly
refrigerating the bowl and bags. I often have customers ask to purchase
bowls of my powdered sugar buttercream to take home [some say they
eat it with a spoon...but that's too much even for me!].
I would love to hear what everyone else has
to say...both positive and negative...about these two types of
decorating frosting.
Author: Mindy
Subject: buttercream
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:47:11 1998
Message:
I tried that recipe with the boiled sugar
syrup and butter awhile back, and I agree it was almost like pure butter.
I went ahead and used it but I had to thin it down a bunch by adding
powdered sugar. It tasted pretty good then.
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: The great Buttercream debate
Date: Fri Jan 30 21:13:04 1998
Message:
I agree with you about the buttercream. I
do use a good, tried and true buttercream (butter, shortening, powdered
sugar)for most of my cakes and have for 30+ years. I, too, have folks that
ask for frosting or my recipe, which I share regularly and happily.
For dessert or specialty cakes I do use different
types of frosting, but they are rarely fancilly decorated.
What it comes down to I reckon is that old
adage - there's a time and place for everything.
It will be interesting though to see what
kind of responses you provoke. Happy decorating,
Mickey
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Buttercream Debate
Date: Fri Jan 30 21:49:01 1998
Message:
If you'll scroll back to about December 4
or maybe in that time frame, you'll find a long and almost heated debate
by one or two people that thought their way was the "only" way that that
Crisco was not good for you to use because your body does not
digest it or something to that way of thinking. Maybe not, but I don't
plan to eat straight Crisco and surely the minute amount that
would cover 1 piece of cake would not hurt too many people.
My recipe is on the board back in December
with some of the rest. It is strictly buttercream which has worked for
me and my customers like better than anyone else's so that is what matters
to me - not what some chef thinks is the only way. I don't
have the room to refrigerate all the cakes I do which is what you need
to do with the Swiss meringue, I understand. I have never made it.
Will stick to the Buttercream!!
Author: Jill
Subject: correct information on frostings.
Date: Mon Feb 2 22:04:35 1998
Message:
Buttercream is made with butter, egg yolks,
water & sugar.
Decorator's Icing is made with confectioner's
sugar, crisco, and flavorings. Big difference.
Jill
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: Buttercreme debate
Date: Fri Jan 30 22:26:50 1998
Message:
Yes, I take the stand that it is all in what
works best for the individual-and the customer! I watched Martha
Stewart yesterday when she used that Swiss meringue-whatever-it-was-called....Maybe
it tastes great, but I don't have the time for such 'fooling
around'!! Most decorators use the traditional shortening/butter & 10x
sugar recipe, so 1000's of decorators can't be wrong. Use what works
best for YOU!
I, personally, use another type of icing to
frost my cakes, then decorate in the buttercream icing. It makes for a
nice combination-not too sweet. This icing is traditionally made by cooking
milk and flour to make a paste, then mixing it with butter
and granulated sugar. There is an easier method I use now, but the result
is pretty much the same-and my customers love it!
Keep decorating! Jackie
Author: Marie Subject: Icing
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:33:37 1998
Message:
Jackie,
Your icing sounds like what I make for the
red velvet cakes. Would you care to share your simplified version?
Seems like the way I do it is very time-consuming - cooking the flour and
milk, letting it cool, mixing the butter and sugar forever,
then the flour and milk....and on and on... :-)
Marie
Author: Jennifer
Subject: Buttercream debate
Date: Fri Jan 30 23:09:33 1998
Message:
I also use traditional decorating "buttercream"
made with Crisco (which is vegetable oil and easily digested,
BTW), powdered sugar, flavorings, and water. I prefer this over the recipe
using actual butter and cream for three reasons: I personally
don't like the taste of butter, butter makes it too soft, and I prefer
to use a non-perishable icing for my convenience, as well as
my customers. I work out of my home, and have no refrigerator space for
storing cakes. Also, many of my customers don't have the space, either.
I have never tried, or tasted, the versions using butter, eggs,
and syrup. I don't know how the taste would compare, but they sound like
too much trouble, and I have serious reservations about using
eggs in my icings. Some people may genuinely prefer it, but I think
others just have the attitude that something has to be a lot of work to
be good.
Author: jill
Subject: BTW...
Date: Mon Feb 2 21:59:05 1998
Message:
Crisco contains PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN
& COTTONSEED OILS, MONO AND
DIGLYCERIDES.
Anything partially hydrogenated is NOT digestible
by the human body (BTW). Pure untreated vegetable oil, on the other
hand, is. How do you think they get that oil so solid?
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: The great Buttercream debate
Date: Sat Jan 31 00:14:16 1998
Message:
i stand in line behind most everyone who has
already posted on this debate.
only i do use part butter in my recipe. the
ratio is 1/2 lb butter to 1 1/2 lb crisco to 3 lb pdwr sugar.
most of my customers prefere it over whipped
cream. there are a few die hards who insist on the whipped cream
saying it is not as sweet. i use a commercial non-dairy whipped topping
that i personally find so close in sweetness as not to make a difference
:) i don't tell the customer that, tho :) lynne
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Classic Buttercream Vs. Decorator
Buttercream
Date: Sun Feb 1 12:03:02 1998
Message:
Dear Friends:
I agree with most on this posting, there is
a time and place for everything. I use Classic Italian Buttercream Icing
for all my cakes, it is not too soft that I can't decorate with it and
it's a very forgiving recipe. You can use as much or as little
butter as your taste buds require. Now when I do cakes that need the bright
and cheerful colors I use the Decorator's icing--Crisco and
10X, with no problem and shame. My butter cream recipe is very easy and
you will not need to use a candy thermometer to make it as
you would need to use in making swiss butter cream. I can leave
my cake out in a cool room for a couple of days, no problem --and I have
a lot of customers that come to me from word of mouth because
of the icing that I use. It doesn't matter which one, because I make sure
that I use extracts to flavor my icings, which most major bakeries
won't because they are trying to be cost effective.(
that is why most people complain about "Bakery"
icing being too sweet--they only use shortening , sugar and
water)--so any thing you add to your Crisco icing will be a major improvement!---
If anyone would like my Classic Buttercream
recipe--e-mail me at "marajami@ptdprolog.net"--I will be more
than happy to send it to you ASAP.
Author: Judy Lubben
Subject: angelfood wedding cake
Date: Fri Jan 30 19:46:35 1998
Message:
I have gotten a request for an angelfood wedding
cake. I was told by my neighbor, who is originally from Wisconsin,
that many people in that area do angelfood wedding cakes. He said
it is the consistancy of regular cake but tastes like angelfood.
Can anyone help me? Or can I stack an angelfood cake? Thanks
for your help.
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: angelfood wedding cake
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:44:12 1998
Message:
Hi,
There is a white cake that tastes like angelfood,
and I'll have to go back and dig it out. It's good, not as dry as
some white cake tends to be.
You could use a regular angelfood cake too.
You'd have to be really careful with your support system, dowels or
what ever you use, but it could be done. I've done it one time
and it was only two tiers, but it can work.
You have to be very light handed with the
frosting, especially if you use buttercream, and it won't take a lot of
side work, but it will work! Good luck,
Mickey
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Re: angelfood wedding cake
Date: Sat Jan 31 00:18:24 1998
Message:
mickey when you get that recipe dug out could
you post it here? i'd be interested. thanks. lynne
Author: Jenny B
Subject: Angelfood wedding cake
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:57:17 1998
Message:
I suggest that, if you have them, bake the
cakes in 3" high pans using a baking core. This will allow you to create
any size angel food cake you want.
I would be hesitant about pillars and plates. Why
not use Wilton's Tall Tier Stand, the one with the central
column? That way, there is no weight on the cake. Or use one of the stands
that you simple set the cakes on, like Wilton's Garden Stand. A boiled
icing might be light enough, though you can't pipe much with it. How about
just frosting the sides and using flowers on top of the cakes? Hope
things work out.
Author: Mindy
Subject: chat rooms for cake decorators
Date: Fri Jan 30 16:01:21 1998
Message:
I was wondering if there are any chat rooms
dedicated to cake decorators. In my area there isn't a local phone
number for aol so I only have a local server that hooks me up to the internet.
But there isn't anyway to be in on the chats on Thursday night
with Dolores and all of you other cake decorators. Are there any other
people like me that can't be in on the aol chats and would be interested
in getting together a chat room on the internet.
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: chat room
Date: Fri Jan 30 19:52:56 1998
Message:
Soon after I got hooked on a chat room, I
wondered the same thing. I heard about the Thursday nites on aol, but
I can't get aol. I checked out some info on starting a chat room, but it
sounded expensive,& time consuming. I only have the 'bare
essentials' in computer equipment and knowledge...but if anyone has the
resources to support such an adventure I'd love to join in
! Until then, this board is the closest thing to a chat room....(thanks
Dolores!) Jackie N.
Author: Veronica
Subject: Black Icing ???
Date: Fri Jan 30 13:50:05 1998
Message:
Help!!! Everytime I make black icing, It comes
out gray. I have tried using Wilton Icing Coloring and it does the
same and also Black powder coloring. Anybody have any ideas how to make
the icing black not gray?????
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Black Icing
Date: Fri Jan 30 14:00:43 1998
Message:
It takes quite a lot of the black to get a
true black, but you might try adding some cocoa and that will help you
get dark faster. Sometimes, if I have leftover colors of any
colors, I will mix all together so they don't go to waste and then
put the black in.
Author: leigh
Subject: black icing
Date: Fri Jan 30 14:45:30 1998
Message:
buy apollo brand food coloring this is also
sold in other colors also red and royal blue. royal blue is what i use
for sky blue.
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: black icing
Date: Fri Jan 30 15:09:53 1998
Message:
Carolyn has the best solution-it's always
better to use colored icing to make a darker color. This way you
conserve your paste colors since you don't
need to use as much. I use leftover pink icing to make red, leftover
green or light blue to make royal blue, and like Carolyn, I'll mix together
some of my leftover colors(it'll make a sickly brownish color)
and use it to make black. You could also try chocolate icing-it will taste
better! Remember that it takes ALOT of coloring to make a dark
color! Also, the colored icing will darken as it sets, so make it the
day before you decorate. Hope this helps. Jackie
Author: Marie
Subject: black icing
Date: Fri Jan 30 16:12:54 1998
Message:
I use Chefmastaer Jet Black paste color and have no trouble getting
a true black. It doesn't take as much color when you start with chocolate
icing and I think it does taste better. I haven't tried mixing the leftover
colors - I'll have to try that. Marie
Author: Nancy
Subject: black icing
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:07:29 1998
Message:
Black and red are the 2 hardest colors to
achive. If you let the icing get to a dark grey in the bowl with foodcolor
then as the icing dries is should dry to black. If you try getting it black
in the bowl thats when the bitter taste comes in. The ideas about
using colored icing to start is are great too.
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: Black Icing ???
Date: Sat Jan 31 17:41:46 1998
Message:
I do it the REALLY EASY way. I just buy the
tubes of black icing already mixed. It is just so much more
convenient. Since the only thing I usually
use black for is outlining, pupils, and other small decorations I hate
to have to mess up a bowl just to mix up a 1/4 c of black
icing. And since there is usually not enough on the cake to
have a significant flavor I usually just get the cheap kind (If I can't
find Wilton's). If I have to cover a large area I do
what some of the others have said and add cocoa to make the icing dark
and then add my black coloring. (No risk of it being
bitter that way either). If your really lazy (and happen to have some on
hand) you can use pre made chocolate icing and add black
to it. If you still want to make it from white icing don't be afraid to
use alot of the icing color. The first time I made black
icing I thought ' Am I supposed to be adding THIS MUCH?!' It depends
on how much icing you're trying to make, but I have had to add half a jar
of the Wilton black (the 1 oz. jar) in the past to get
it good and black. Also, you'd be suprised how a grey color in the bowl
will look black on the cake. Some colors (like black and red)
will intensify (sp?) after they sit for a while too.
Hope this helps :) Shannon
Author: Jeannine
Subject: black icing
Date: Sun Feb 1 19:27:21 1998
Message:
I also will start with a chocolate icing,
or a mixture of all sorts of icing colors, but will sometimes add black
piping gel once I reach that "gray" stage and this helps to
achieve the black color and also gives a nice shine. You may want to start
with a little stiffer buttercream because the piping gel does thin it down
somewhat.
Author: Jane
Subject: Problem With Icing Buckling
Date: Thu Jan 29 22:03:02 1998
Message:
I have had several instances of buttercream
icing buckling on a completed cake. It looks good when I finish
smoothing and decorating, but hours later it has buckled outward at the
seam where the tiers meet. I have tried pushing it back in, but by
then it has crusted and it tends to crackle with lines. I'm not sure why
this occurs -- most of the time, it doesn't. Any ideas or suggestions?
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: I had that problem once too!
Date: Thu Jan 29 23:04:16 1998
Message:
Hi,
Years ago, when I was early in my career as
a decorator, I would often get bulged icing at the seams where two
layers met. This is how I've remedied the situation and it never happens
now.
1. If the icing is to soft, the weight of
the cakes may cause the filling to squeeze out. When you spread on your
filling icing, leave at least a 1/4 border all around and don't have it
too thick at the edges.
2. How are you leveling your cakes? I once
read an article in American Cake Decorating that suggested pressing
the edges of the cake to level, squeezing out the extra icing. I'd
almost guarantee that it would bulge!
I bake may cakes in pans with perfectly straight
edges. I bet you do too. Next, I use a cake leveling saw that
I purchased from MAID OF SCANDANAVIA to perfectly level my cakes. Even
the slightest rounded top may lead to a gap that will cause
bulging.
Once I have sliced my cake's top off so that
the layers
are perfectly flat, I place the first layer
CUT SIDE UP [TOP SIDE IS CUT SIDE] on the board, spread the icing,
then place the top layer CUT SIDE DOWN. The edges meet perfectly and there
is no gap where the layers meet. When forsted, no bulging occurs.
If you don't have the saw, buy one. If you
need MAID OF
SCANDANAVIA'S phone number, e-mail me. Give
my method a try...I think it's the solution you're looking for.
Good luck. Jeff Arnett
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Problem With Icing Buckling
Date: Fri Jan 30 00:34:45 1998
Message:
part of what jeff sayes is very helpful. you
must use pans with straight sides that should be 2" high. fill pan with
proper amound of batter for size of pan. very important to learn how much
batter each pan holds. always fill 1/2 to 2/3 full but more
than that will just be wasted.
use a good cake saw. 'maids' that he mentions
is now known as sweet celebration.
once cake has cooled level w/saw to the top
of pan.
*now here's the important part!*
use a tip 10 to make your dam to hold filling.
don't know if they still do but wilton used to teach using a coupler
w/o tube. *this is too high* and a person tends to put too much filling
in (bringing it level with icing dam top). when the top layer
of cake is added the weight of it pushed the filling out . that is what
causes you problem.
one last tip: make sure you are using sturdy
boards to hold your cakes so that cake &/or icing does not crack
when you move the cake. lynne
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Bulges on iced cakes!
Date: Sun Feb 1 12:12:47 1998
Message:
Dear Jane:
Lynne and Jeff's methods are good. Here is
my suggestion also. After you have "dammed " and filled you cake,
take a cake board and press down on the top cake to make a tight seal between
the cakes. If any of the icing bulges out it will do so then
and there. Take a small, angled spatula and use this excess icing to crumb
coat the sides of your cake, just have your cake on a turn
table and put spatula on the cake and spin lightly. Pressing the
cake board on the top of the cake will also distribute the filling evenly
and adhere the top layer to the bottom layer of cake making
it harder for the icing to bulge out when the cake settles.
Author: Flora
Subject: 2" or 3" standard?
Date: Thu Jan 29 18:03:37 1998
Message:
When wedding cakes are made, is it standard
to use 2" or 3" pans? (like when Wilton shows a particular cake in
a photo with a serving size listed - what is the depth of the pan?) Also,
is it assumed to be torted? (which might raise it, also)
Author: Carolyn
Subject: 2" or 3" high?
Date: Thu Jan 29 18:27:27 1998
Message:
Each of my layers is 2" high at least. I use
2 layers in each tier which means I have at least a 4" high cake - a week
or so ago I measured one and it was about 4 1/2". I do not like skinny
tiers of cake. To me it looks cheap and I want
them to feel they are getting a "piece" of cake" and getting their money's
worth. It doesn't cost that much more to use an
extra cake batter to make them happy. My business is strictly based on
word of mouth and I started out as a hobbyist doing
it for my kids. Never went into it as a business, but it evolved from word
of mouth and now I have more than I can keep up with. I've done cakes
for 34 years and never ever meant to do it for the money.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: 2" or 3" standard?
Date: Thu Jan 29 22:00:18 1998
Message:
i'm with carolyn on this one. if you read
the directions wilton gives for making each cake you will see they
recommend using 4" tiers. usually that means
using 2 two inch layers.
as for torting -- i don't. when i started
in this about 18 yrs ago the few cakes i torted did not look right -- seemed
the sides were rounded and the cakes were not stable.
so i stopped torting. look of cakes improved.
(now, now everyone -- just because i got practice
and improved my decorating skills does not mean anything here -GBG
:)
some of the new designs -- *especially* those
covered w/fondant are only 3" . usually baked in wilton's 3'' pans
so they get sales :) lynne
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: How high?????
Date: Sun Feb 1 12:20:41 1998
Message:
Hi all,
Your slice of cake should never be larger
than the smallest plate---( I think that is 6")---The only time I will
make a cake that high is for competion, to showcake any side
design. Usually I do the same, make 2, 2" layers and fill. I
have also done, small cake to feed a larger crowd. This is were I use 2,
3" cakes--I bake and fill each one. Then I put a cake board
in between --so the cake is slightly higher, (this is great from a visual
point of view) but the servings are still the same, the first
servings are made from the 1st. 3" cake, the board is then removed and
the next servings are made from the bottom 3" cake. ( I hope that
you can visualize this) I don't do this often but I have done it.
Author: Mindy
Subject: Martha Stewart wedding shows
Date: Thu Jan 29 12:03:27 1998
Message:
Just wanted to let everyone know that the
Martha Stewart wedding cake show is on today. Mindy
Author: Jackie
Subject: Martha Stewart...
Date: Thu Jan 29 16:19:36 1998
Message:
Saw it....she has some great ideas-loved the
idea of the rose cake they did- but I(and most of my friends) think
that she should leave the cake decorating to the experts! (Like those represented
here on this message board!) :o)
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Martha Stewart
Date: Thu Jan 29 18:49:56 1998
Message:
I (and about 4,000) other ICES members agree
with you!! We sent her a personal letter/invitation in 1995 to
attend and be a part of the 1995 ICES convention. We thought it might be
a drawing card, but we never heard a word from her. Maybe she
was afraid of all of us!! I had a bride bring me a picture of a wedding
cake from her book and asked if I could do it. I said "not to be
bragging, I can do it and it will look much better than that picture
does". After the wedding, she came back and said "you were certainly right,
it did look much better than in that book of Martha Stewart's!" It's
like comparing grocery store (most of them) cakes to ours! I understand
they have to mass produce and in 10 minutes have a cake done. I choose
not to do that kind of work. Sometimes, I can do one in an hour -
depending on the cake, but I always allow even an hour for a birthday cake.
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Martha Stewart
Date: Thu Jan 29 19:10:30 1998
Message:
Amen. Carolyn, tell'm how it is!!!!!!'Name'
don't cut it as we see over and over again.
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: Did anyone else think that Martha
Stewart's ROSE CAKE would
Date: Thu Jan 29 20:27:27 1998
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Cake
Date: Thu Jan 29 22:47:20 1998
Message:
No way possible that cake could stand up for
a very long period of time when they told us not to cut the dowels
all the same length because the cake might not be level - that's
for sure when they all would need to be level!!!
Better leave the driving (I mean cake decorating!) to us!!
Author: Jeff Arnett
Subject: AMEN!
Date: Thu Jan 29 22:53:15 1998
Author: Nancy
Subject: Ms. Stewart
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:28:38 1998
Message:
I quit watching her when I saw her do a wedding
cake and she stated that it only took her 15 minutes (although by
the looks of some of her cakes that is all the time she spent on it) All
the prep work was already done. The flowers were fresh, washed
cut and laid out on trays for her etc. I do get a LOT of people in my shop
that are looking for the Martha ingredient of the day (whatever
she happens to be using that day). She has been a great boon
to my business. Then they take my classes and learn the right way.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: foils
Date: Thu Jan 29 11:46:30 1998
Message:
Does anyone know of a source for colored,
especially patterned, FOOD SAFE foils, other than Wilton? I will not
use florist foil, though it is beutiful, those beutiful colors are imparted
by the use of heavy metals, which can be toxic. I could not
in good conscience use these with a food product; I'm surprised that so
many bakeries do. Unfortunatley, Wilton is the
only food-safe foil I have found, and as we all know it is very plain and
only comes in gold, silver, pink, and white.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Foils
Date: Thu Jan 29 13:13:31 1998
Message:
Just wanted to let you know how I use the
beautiful foils and not have the cake right on them. I use glassine doilies
that I get from the bakery supply warehouse in KC. I cut them the approximate
size of the cake and then hot glue them to the foil. This keeps
the cake off the foil and is safe. Just be sure that it is glued good so
it will not come up when they cut the cake. The foil just adds
so much color because I don't like colored borders at all. I like the
color on the board and in the design, but the rest if usually white.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Foils
Date: Thu Jan 29 13:14:27 1998
Message:
Just wanted to let you know how I use the
beautiful foils and not have the cake right on them. I use glassine doilies
that I get from the bakery supply warehouse in KC. I cut them the approximate
size of the cake and then hot glue them to the foil. This keeps
the cake off the foil and is safe. Just be sure that it is glued good so
it will not come up when they cut the cake. The foil just adds
so much color because I don't like colored borders at all. I like the
color on the board and in the design, but the rest is usually white.
Author: Aneta
Subject: foil
Date: Thu Jan 29 16:08:50 1998
Message:
I work at a bakery and have bought foil through
one of our cake decorating catalogs. I beleive it was through
Pheil and Hollings or Hein. They have about 15 different colors with a
fern pattern.Try through your local bakery.
Author: Shannon
Subject: Great idea!
Date: Fri Jan 30 01:06:00 1998
Message:
Here's a good way to use any cake board covering
you want, food safe or not. Cover your cake board with whatever
you want, even wrapping paper, then cover that with plastic wrap. Way WAY
back on this message board someone posted this idea (I can't
remember who) so I can't take credit for it. I have done this and it works
very well if you can get the plastic wrap on tight. Could someone tell
me if cellophane wrap (like they wrap fruit baskets and things
in) is food safe? I know it is fairly safe at least or they wouldn't wrap
food in it but is it safe to sit a cake on it? This would be
much easier to work with and hold up to a cake knife better. The person
who posted this idea MAY have recommended cellophane but I can't
remember. Shannon
Author: Patricia
Subject: Thanks to all!
Date: Thu Jan 29 08:42:33 1998
Message:
I just wanted to express my appreciation to
all of you for the inspiration you have given me to continue my cake
decorating. I had stopped making and selling birthday and wedding cakes
for a year due to family problems, but all of you have inspired
me to begin decorating again. My first big step was to participate in my
local bridal fair which was this past Tuesday night. I had
a wonderful time and was welcomed back by several other merchants
that I had dealt with in the past. I had many compliments on the taste
of my cake and also on my skill as a decorator. This encouragement
was just what I needed to boost my confidence and assure me that I had
made the right decision. This board is a wonderful place to
come for ideas and encouragement. Thank you.
Patricia
Author: Shirleyr
Subject: A-Tisket,A-Tasket
Date: Thu Jan 29 00:51:47 1998
Message:
I have to do a cake for a bake sale at the
school where my husband works,so i am doing the one on page10 in
the1994 yearbook of 3 cats in a basket and was just wondering how do you
wrap it or box it?I thought maybe i could wrap it in
pretty pastel colored saran wrap and tie a bow around it,but i'm not sure
now!So could someone give me a few ideas on what you would
do? I'd really appreciate it alot.
Thank You shirley
Need it before Feb.7
Author: RobinG
Subject: SHERRY - Castle Cakes
Date: Thu Jan 29 00:09:54 1998
Message:
Hi Sherry: A week or so ago, you asked about
castle cakes. Did you see the March/April 1997 issue of
American Cake Decorating? They have several
different castles you may be interested in. Just thought you might
want to know - I didn't know if you still were looking.
Author: Rita
Subject: packaging
Date: Wed Jan 28 15:10:54 1998
Message:
I was wondering if others have had problems
finding boxes for cakes such as the wondermold doll cake, I've
several request for 3-D lamb and bunny cakes but I haven't been able to
find boxes for these odd shaped cakes.
from Dolores..............we carry a tall box for these cakes...expect to pay a pretty penny though!
Author: Sly
Subject: packaging odd shapes/sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 21:51:13 1998
Message:
I rarely use a box with a lid when doing dimensional
cakes. I usually use a very heavy cardboard open box. I usually
put a rubber no-skid pad down between the cake board and the box, and that
way the cake doesn't usually hit the edge of the box. (they're about
2"-3" deep.)
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: wrapping odd cakes
Date: Sun Feb 1 12:28:02 1998
Message:
Dear friends:
I agree with Sly---only I do put a sheet of
food grade cello paper on the top to keep the dust off. I too use the
non skid mat under the cake and box.
Author: Shannon
Subject: cello paper
Date: Sun Feb 1 13:34:37 1998
Message:
Is it safe to sit a cake directly on this?
I was wondering about this in a post a little higher up on the board. We
were talking about covering cake boards. Someone had said something a LONG
time ago about covering their board with something other than
Wilton foil (wrapping paper I think) and then covering that with plastic
wrap. I was just wondering if cellophane would be safe. It
seems like it would be alot easier to handle than plastic wrap.
Shannon
Subject: Covered w/plastic.
Date: Mon Feb 2 07:02:40 1998
Message:
I guess forgot to mention it, but I also drape
the cake with plastic wrap to keep out dust/rain/bugs, etc. until it
reaches it's destination. After I finish decorating, I don't cover it until
everything has firmed up and crusted over though. Wouldn't
want to peel up any decorations with the wrap.
Author: RobinG
Subject: Boxes
Date: Wed Jan 28 23:33:12 1998
Message:
Rita -- I know what you mean, I usually use
the appropriate size cake box, and lower the top as far as possible,
without touching the cake and staple it in place. Then I put plastic wrap
across the open section and tape in place, so it's like a window,
and nothing can fly in.
Author: Mindy
Subject: cake boxes
Date: Fri Jan 30 20:55:29 1998
Message:
Dolores had some 3-D cake boxes that are 7.5
inches tall and 10L x 5W.
Author: Shannon
Subject: mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 02:22:10 1998
Message:
Does anyone have a good recipe for mints?
I'm not looking for any kind in particular. What kind of mints do get
the most requests for? I have a recipe for cream cheese mints but haven't
tried it yet. How much do you charge?
Sorry for all the questions but I'm starting
to get some requests for these and don't really know what kind are the
best. I would like to be able to offer a choice between cream cheese mints
and some other kind and I have absolutely no idea what to charge.
Any help would be VERY appreciated! Thanks,
Shannon :)
Author: RobinG
Subject: Mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 03:27:03 1998
Message:
Hi: Not sure if you have candy in mind, but
I add peppermint flavoring oil to my chocolate coating and mold in a
candy mold. Any color they want. Even personalize some of them with name
or initial using a squeeze bottle or pastry bag. The mold I
use is a little larger than a quarter, so they get about 80 in a pound.
Plain I charge $9.50 lb., personalized I charge $15.00 lb.
Tedious and time consuming. Really hate personalizing them :-(
Author: Jennifer
Subject: mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 10:15:32 1998
Message:
This is what I had at my wedding, and have
had at a couple of others (the mint flavored coating). My cake was
decorated with pink roses, so the mints were pink roses and green leaves.
I think the mint flavored coating is very good; I don't remember
having any other types of mints. There are at least three different mint
flavors available: peppermint, spearmint, and creme
de menthe.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 10:21:08 1998
Message:
I do tons of mints as I cater weddings and
the girls are so amazed that the mints will carry their colors through
so everything is coordinated. The favorite seems
to be the cream cheese and is less time consuming for me. I color
the cream cheese mixture sorta like doing gumpaste - small amounts as needed.
I then roll it out like pie dough on a marble slab,
but could use plain cabinet. On the marble, I don't need any pd. sugar
- just roll out. In case it is a little sticky
just add more pd. sugar either to mixture or to roll on. I roll out to
probably 1/8" thick - fairly thin, but strong enough
to not break easily. Then I cut away - usually making around 300-400 mints
in an hour. I use the tiny aspic cutters that are
like 1/2" or so across - usually the heart for weddings. I don't really
give them much choice on these for weddings I cater.
Now if I am just doing the mints only or with the cake, they can choose.
I rarely do the chocolate molded ones because they
are more time consuming and I charge them more. Just the
mints alone of cut out cream cheese, I charge 6 cents per mint - if they
are molded of either cream cheese or chocolate,
it goes to 10 cents per mint. For my weddings, I like to have at least
2 colors arranged in my mint dish - like pink and
white or whatever the bride's colors are. Looks very pretty and you'll
get lots of comments. I usually make these 2-3
days ahead and air dry in sheet cake boxes with saran wrap under them.
They can also be frozen, but I prefer to do fresh. Leftover
cream cheese mixture can be frozen or kept in refrigerator for quite a
period of time. Mints are very time consuming so don't underprice them.
Author: shirleyr
Subject: RE:mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 03:40:11 1998
Message:
Shannon,
If you check Deloris web site,I think she
has some there under recipes. shirley
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: RE:mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 14:32:47 1998
Message:
Thanks! Since I usually just come straight
to the bulliten board I forget about all the other places on Dolores'
page! :)
Author: Sly
Subject: cream cheese mints
Date: Wed Jan 28 07:59:37 1998
Message:
I use a "cookie shooter" with the cream cheese
mints to make dozens upon dozens at a time. I've never had to
mass produce them, but if I did, I'd use a cookie shooter or pipe them
so that things would go very quickly. You can also mold
the cream cheese mints into little shapes, but unless you want to buy LOTS
of molds, it's probably not the best way to mass produce them.
Author: Marie
Subject: mints
Date: Thu Jan 29 19:33:16 1998
Message:
Hi!
I make cream cheese mints with 1 large package
cream cheese, 2 pounds powdered sugar and a few drops mint
flavor or one drop mint oil. I mix it in my Kitchen Aid. Any paste color
you want can be added while mixing. This can be molded in the
mint molds by taking a marble sized piece, dipping it in sugar and stuffing
into the mold, then popping it out, but I don't like spending
the time. I charge $20. per hundred for these.
If you add 1 tsp milk when you mix the above
recipe, the dough can be squeezed through tip 199 (or whatever
one you like) into a patty. Then pipe a tiny rosebud and leaf on each one.
I pipe them out on waxed paper on a cookie sheet and let them
air dry a couple of days - however long it takes so they can be picked
up easily. This goes pretty fast except for the drying time.
I charge $15. per hundred for these.
My favorite is buying Guittard's Smooth N
Melty Mints. They're mint chocolate flavored and come in little flat
disks. They come in white, pink, etc. or can be tinted with powdered colors
or paste in a pinch. I separate them and pipe a rosebud and
leaf on each one. I charge $15. per hundred for these. A pound will usually
make 100.
The other mint I do is melting the Smooth
N Melty mints and piping it into chocolate molds. If you get a mold that
has lots of the same pattern on it, it goes pretty fast. Pop them in the
freezer and they're done in a few minutes.
This is probably the most popular with my
customers and I charge $20. per hundred. Around here, I do a lot of
cowboy boot mints, fish mints, 50th anniversary mints, and fancy hearts.
How many you get per pound depends on how big the molds are. One
can use mint flavored candy coating the same way.
Hope this helps. Marie
Author: Debbie
Subject: Cake Sizes
Date: Tue Jan 27 22:57:11 1998
Message:
I must be one of the few that has not figured
this out yet!! What is the actual size of a 1/4 sheet, 1/2 sheet and
full-size sheet cake? I consider a 1/4 sheet to be 9 X 13. Is a 1/2 sheet
then two 9 X 13's together? Does a full size consist of four 9 x
13's? The pans I work with are 9 X 13 and 11 x 15.
Author: Susan
Subject: Cake size
Date: Wed Jan 28 00:40:46 1998
Message:
Hi. According to my chart a half sheet is
11"x15" and a full sheet is 12"x18". I would assume (which I hate
doing!!!) that a quarter sheet is 9"x13".
Susan
Author: RobinG
Subject: Cake Sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 01:22:10 1998
Message:
Hi Ladies: I always do Dream Whip Cakes or
here's what I figure: 1/4 sheet is 9 X 13 - 1-1 1/2 batters- feeds
25-35; 1/3 sheet is 11 X 15 - 2 batters - feeds 35-45; 1/2 sheet is 12
X 18 - 3 batters - feeds 50-60; full sheet is two 12 X 16 pans
(16 X 24) - 6 batters total - feeds 100-110. I figure less servings than
Wilton, I want them to have enough, no matter how they cut.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Cake Sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 02:06:48 1998
Message:
hi gals;
to a degree the jurry is still out on this
one :)
here's what i use:
12x8 - one mix - serves 12-15 is a 1/4 sheet
12x16 - two & 1/2 mixes - serves 30-35
is a 1/2 sheet
2/ 12x16s makes one cake 24x16 - 5 mixes -
serves 60-70 is a full sheet.
these are all single layer (2") cakes that
i split and fill.
and the pieces are appx. 2"x2"x2" cube.
sometimes, if the decorating will stand it
i will make a 2-layer 1/2 sheet instead of the full sheet. according to
wilton charts a 12x16x4 cake serves 108 -- that's the usual 1"x2"x4" piece.
looking forward to hearing what you older
gals base your serving/cake sizes on. lynne
Author: RobinG
Subject: Cake Sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 03:20:28 1998
Message:
Hi Lynne: Seems the only thing we agreed on
is the size of a full sheet :-) -- I always work with 3" deep pans and
then split and fill them, so that's probably why I use 6 batters instead
of 5. I never use Wilton as a guide, because I use my family
to judge serving sizes, and 1x2x4 just wouldn't do it for them. 108 servings
from a 12x16, --not my family - we like our cake!!!! I must
admit though, most of the time my cakes are very high, sometimes I can't
even close the box completely. Of course, my customers love it, the higher
- the better. Let's see what sizes some of you other ladies come
up with!!!
Author: Marie
Subject: cake sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 13:29:23 1998
Message:
Dear Lynne,
I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.
There are no "older" gals, just seasoned ones! ;-D
Marie *smile*
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: cake sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 23:06:23 1998
Message:
as usual marie i was in a hurry when i answered
and could not think of any other way to say it.....yes, i did hesitate
and wonder what to say :) thanks for the smile. lynne
Author: Gracie B
Subject: Re: Re: Cake Sizes
Date: Thu Jan 29 19:05:05 1998
Message:
So far I haven't figured out what being older/seasoned
or whatever has to do with being a decorator. If I'm 50 and
just starting out does that mean I know more than a 30 year old that has
been decorating for 10 or 12 years.
Then there is the analogy of if older is seasoned,
then younger is 'fresh'.
I think one of the best ways to tell a more
seasoned baker/decorator is his/her reference to so many 'recipes'
instead of x number mixes, and you don't need a jury to compare a good
scratch cake and a mix.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Gracie
Date: Thu Jan 29 22:56:22 1998
Message:
I don't think anyone meant those terms "older"
or "seasoned" to be derogatory in any manner. I had to smile :) at
both of them because I am older - 57 and seasoned with 34 years of experience,
but that doesn't necessarily mean I am wiser or better than a 16
year old with 1 year of experience. I know Marie very well and I know
Lynne from ICES and we are all just trying to give information and help
where we can. We can all learn from one another and that is
what this board is all about. Appreciate and take what you can to help
you and give what you know and feel like will help someone
else. That's our ICES motto - Icing, Caring, and Everyone Sharing!! I think
most of us on this board feel that way and sorry that you felt otherwise.
Author: Gracie B.
Subject: Re: Gracie
Date: Fri Jan 30 21:01:45 1998
Message:
I'm sorry Carolyn, I didn't mean to come across
as unfriendly or that I took offense at anything anyone said, I
guess I just didn't reread what I wrote or whatever. I meant no offense
or hard feelings. GB
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Thanks Gracie!
Date: Fri Jan 30 21:35:03 1998
Message:
Apologies accepted. I just didn't want anyone
to feel hurt and not want to join in on the fun and experience of
using this board for the learning and entertainment we can all gain from
it. It is such an excellent source - I wish I had had some
of this knowledge even 30 years ago!! Most of mine has been earned the
hard knocks and trial and error way, but I've learned a lot in the
process!! Hope you will continue to enjoy the board!!!
Author: Sly
Subject: various sheet sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 07:40:48 1998
Message:
Since most of my customers have that "grocery
store" sizing chart in their head, they always state they want a
much larger cake than they really need, since they don't understand that
my cakes are usually 2 (or 3) times deeper than the grocery's
pathetic single 1" - 1.5" layer. So, they say they want a full sheet cake
for 35-45 servings. I usally ask them for the number of servings,
and base the size on this. I then tell them, "what you really need
is the same size cake, just 3" or 4" tall, instead of 2".
For some reason, my customers never think
of making a cake "taller" to get more servings, only wider.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: sheet cakes
Date: Wed Jan 28 10:37:46 1998
Message:
I've also seen that people are so used to
having to settle for mass produced sheet cakes, they don't, and
sometimes won't, consider anything else. People
insist on sheet cakes for birthday parties, thinking a larger top
surface for decorating means a prettier cake; they don't realize they're
missing out on alot of pretty and interesting side decorations that
you can't do on a skinny little sheet.
Author: Jennfier
Subject: sheet sizes
Date: Wed Jan 28 10:29:40 1998
Message:
I have found there doesn't seem to be any
standard for what is a 1/4, 1/2, or full sheet; it varies from bakery to
bakery. I have seen 7 X 11, 8 X 12, and 9 X 13 all called 1/4 sheets. I
prefer to avoid the terminology altogether and list everything
by dimensions and number of servings so there is no ambiguity. Your sizes
should be mathematically consistent, at least. For example,
if you choose to call the 7 X 11 a 1/4 sheet, then the 11 X 15
would be a 1/2 sheet, and a 22 X 15 a full sheet. If you call a 9 X 13
a 1/4 sheet, then the 1/2 sheet would be a 12 X 18. I wish there
was more of an industry standard for these terms, as well as serving size!
Author: Michelle
Subject: Need recipes for buttercream icing
and marshmello icing!!!!
Date: Tue Jan 27 17:41:39 1998
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: Buttercream Icing
Date: Tue Jan 27 21:51:28 1998
Message:
This is my favorite buttercream recipe.
1 3/4 cups Crisco
1/4 cup butter [at ROOM TEMPERATURE...but
not melted!]
2 tablespoons egg white powder*
1/2 cup warm water
2 pounds sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons colorless vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
Cream Crisco and butter in a heavy duty mixer
until completely blended and no butter lumps remain.
Mix the egg white powder and warm water and
stir until egg white powder is completely dissolved.
Add sugar, egg white-water mixture and flavorings
to Crisco-butter mixture. Mix at lowest speed until well
blended, scraping bowl frequently to ensure
all ingredients mix well.
Beat at lowest speed for about 8 to 10 minutes
until a smooth, stiff, workable buttercream is produced. If mixture
is too stiff add a few drops of warm water.
Storage: 3 days at room temperature
2 weeks refrigerated
6 months frozen
*If powdered egg whites are not available [the
brand I buy is called JUST WHITES, but most cake supply
houses sell powdered whites] you can use Meringue
Powder.
I prefer my Mix Master that has two beaters
instead of my Kitchen Aid for making icing. The Kitchen Aid beats
too much air into the icing for me....I like my icing as smooth as silk.
The Marshmellow Icing you are referring to....is
if an egg white-type frosting made by pouring a hot syrup mixture
into beaten egg white? If so, let me know and I'll post a recipe for that
too. Good luck!
Jeff Arnett
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Icings
Date: Wed Jan 28 23:58:50 1998
Message:
Scroll back a few pages and there is some
excellent recipes listed beginning around the first of December. You'll
have enough to begin your own trial and error and what "you like best"
method!
Author: Rita
Subject: buttercream icing
Date: Wed Jan 28 18:28:06 1998
Message:
Author: Valerie
Subject: Buttercream & Marshmellow
Date: Wed Jan 28 19:13:46 1998
Message:
Michelle,
Here is my favorite Buttercream recipe. It
was given to me by a friend who has been doing Weddings for over 20
years. This is fast and simple to make.
BUTTERCREAM
2# powdered sugar
1 c. crisco
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. clear flavorings (I use, Vanilla, Butter
and Almond)
1 tsp. salt (dissolve thoroughly in the milk)
Dump all ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Mix on low (if Kitchenaid) until very well mixed. Sometimes I then beat on medium until very smooth.
If you would like a creamy, off-white color with excellent flavor; Substitute half of the crisco for butter. Use real Vanilla and Almond and half the salf, (if your butter is salted).
MARSHMELLOW (My favorite is called White Mountain
Frosting)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp. water
2 egg whites (1/4 c.)
1 tsp. vanilla (clear, if you want it really
white)
Combine sugar, corn syrup and water in samll
saucepan. Cover; heat to rolling boil over medium heat. Remove cover
and boil rapidly, without stirring, to 242 degrees on candy therm. (or
until firm ball stage, or strings from spoon)
As mixture boils, beat egg whites until stiff
peaks form. Pour hot syrup very slowly in thin stream into the beaten
whites, beating constantly on medium speed. Beat on high speed until stiff
peaks form; add vanilla during last minute of beating.
It sets up fast, so you must work fast. Excellent
flavor.
Wilton also has a recipe that uses the Meringue
Powder instead of eggs. You can find it in the yearbook. I have never
tried it though.
Have fun decorating. 3lbs. powdered sugar
2 cups crisco
3/4 cup milk or water (always use milk for
purple icing)
1 1/2 tsp clear extract
dash of salt
With electric mixer beat 2 cups crisco at
lowest speed for 10 seconds. Sift 2 lbs. of powdered sugar directly into
bowl with crisco mixture. Pour 3/4 cup milk over powdered sugar. Beat for
about 2 minutes. Gradually add last pound of sugar. Add 1 1/2
tsp of clear flavoring and mix.
For chocolate icing: add 1 1/2 cup Hershey
cocoa and 2 TBSP water.
For Strawberry or fruit flavor: Substitute
cold water for 3/4 cup hot water and 3 TBSP disolved jello
Author: Pat
Subject: sugareggs[panroma eggs]
Date: Tue Jan 27 15:30:36 1998
Message:
I need help in making this how thin are they
to be I heard 1/4 in and thiner. How do you make the stand for the ones
to stand up out of royal icing. the eggs I am making are about 6inches
big any help would be great.
Author: Pat
Subject: Panorama sugar eggs
Date: Tue Jan 27 14:40:08 1998
Message:
Please help me I am trying to make these for
my grandchildren. How thick are they to be I've heard 1/4in. and
then thiner. How do you make the platform out of royal icing? Please can
anyone really help me I need to make quite a few. Or how do
you make any platform I am trying to make them stand up the ones I am trying
to make are about 6inches
How do you keep they from sticking I have
tried cornstarch in the mold can I use Pam or will that hurt the sugar
mixture?
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Panorama sugar eggs
Date: Tue Jan 27 20:57:50 1998
Message:
Hi Pat,
Maybe I can help out with your questions on
the eggs.
You mentioned them sticking to the forms -
that could be a sign the mixture is too damp, because if the mold is
dry and clean the sugar shouldn't stick.
The sugar should feel damp but not really
wet and heavy.
I usually put mine in the oven (just warmed
up and then turned off) for 15 or 20 minutes. When they cool
completely you can scoop the inside out, down
to as thin a wall as you are comfortable with. Let them dry
completely, like over night, before you do
anything else with them.
After they are totally dry you can pipe a
circle of small shells on the bottom and let that dry. If you want to be
sure of the foot being flat and even, pipe the circle and then dry
the half right side up on a piece of waxed paper.
Of course the easiest way to take care of
that problem is to get molds that have a flat base to start with.
When they are totally dry you can put the
decorations inside. When those are pretty well set and they will stay in
place, you can put the two halves together with a bead of royal, then let
them dry completely again.
The last step is to trim the outside.
It is a time consuming process, but a very
rewarding one when you see what you have accomplished.
Good luck with 'em and best wishes to you
and those grandkids!
Holler if you need more help or explanations.
I have a tendency at times to be clear as mud.
Mickey
Author: Pat
Subject: panorama eggs
Date: Wed Jan 28 10:52:11 1998
Message:
Thank You fro your help I am still trying
to figure out how to stand them up on one end. I can lay them down but
I like them better standing up as I fell I can do more with
them.
Any ideas.Also can I write NAmes on them and
do you think it will stay.
Author: Jackie N/
Subject: panorama egg base
Date: Wed Jan 28 15:05:23 1998
Message:
Hi Pat!
I love to do panorama eggs too! When I first
started doing them, I found that one of my daughter's toy casserole
dishes was the perfect size for an egg base! As soon as it is popped out
of the mold and onto a board, I carefully scraped out a 'dent'
on the top to fit the curve of the finished egg. I suppose it may have
been just as easy to leave it flat and slightly flatten the
bottom of the egg...never thought that far! :) Anyway, look around the
house...I'm sure you could find some little dish or container
that would work. The base isn't hollowed out-you'll need the weight for
stability!
For smaller eggs there is actually a candy/sugar
mold for egg bases. There are 4 base cavities in the mold, so you
could easily buy one and share it with a friend! :o) In my shop I cut out
each mold and sell them for 50 cents a piece!
If you can't find 'em in your neck of the
woods I'll gladly send you one! :o) Have fun!
Jackie
Author: Pat
Subject: panorama eggs
Date: Wed Jan 28 16:40:43 1998
Message:
Thank You so much Jackie great idea I will
have to look around we live out at a lake place and there are no big
citys close to us only little towns so will have to do some more looking
went to one of the bigger towns today and found nothing at
all. Thanks for your help.
Author: lynne
Subject: writing on eggs
Date: Wed Jan 28 23:17:40 1998
Message:
well glad to see you got your base ??s answered.
the only thing left that i have not see addressed
is your ? about writing on the eggs. sure you could.....expecially if
you use royal icing.
if you are not using royal use wiltons class
buttercream. it dries almost as hard as royal :)
lynne
Author: Pat
Subject: Att. Lynn
Date: Thu Jan 29 10:28:03 1998
Message:
ThanK you Lynn For all of your help. Yes I
am useing royal icing. This is the frist time I have made these and
there are a group of us there are going to try to do this in March
that is why I am trying now as I am going
to give them to my Grandkids and I have seven of them...... Again thank
you
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Panorama sugar eggs
Date: Tue Jan 27 22:48:30 1998
Message:
hi pat; what a fun project. like mickey said,
if the sugar is sticking in your mold, your sugar is too wet. it only takes
a tblsp or maybe two of water to moisten the sugar. if you live in a warm
area you could put the just made egg 1/2s out side in
the sun and let them dry there for an hour or two before scraping out the
damp sugar remaining in the middle. as for how thin to
make them it's up to you. the thinner you get them the more light allowed
inside so the scene is easier to see. if you want them
to last forever keep them thicker......less chance of kids squeezing
them into pieces :) don't forget before you dry them to cut one end off
for the hole. cover this cut area with a tiny piece of
plastic wrap so it will be easier to scrape away later.
how many are you making? that's a good size you have chosen
to make.
i started making thses back in '68 using a
magazine article and areolsol cans of buttercream icing :)
the sugar you scrape out can be used in cooking
-- especially where you melt it in a liquid (in coffee, etc). yes, it
will get hard, but just chop it as best you can &/or run it thru a
food processor. it never will get like it orginally was, but
can still be used. lynne
Author: Jeanne
Subject: truffles!
Date: Tue Jan 27 13:55:25 1998
Message:
I am looking for any information on making
truffles for Valentine's Day. I am both computor and truffle illiterate
so please write slow.
Author: shirleyr
Subject: RE:truffles
Date: Tue Jan 27 14:53:12 1998
Message:
Jeanne, I have an
address for you to go to it has all kinds of truffles and chocolate
treats.www2.godiva.com/recipes/recipesaz.html Hope it will help!
shirleyr
Author: Jeanne
Subject: truffle URL
Date: Tue Jan 27 16:38:19 1998
Message:
Shirley- having trouble
getting to the location....are you sure the URL you gave me is correct?
must I type in the http:/ ?? Remember...I'm computer
illiterate. :o) Jeanne
Author: shirleyr
Subject: Truffles
Date: Tue Jan 27 17:57:50 1998
Message:
Jeane
yes you do type in http:// before.
sorry about that!
shirleyr
Author: Sly
Subject: Corrected url
Date: Wed Jan 28 07:18:22 1998
Message:
I had to drop off the "treats" tag and was
able to reach:
http://www2.godiva.com/recipes/recipesaz.html
They also have a search feature where you
can type in "truffle" or some other word and get a listing of only those
recipes that contain the word.
Author: Sly
Subject: My Personal , Easy, Versatile Truffle
Recipe
Date: Wed Jan 28 07:25:56 1998
Message:
Gourmet Style Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients: (see flavor variations at the
end)
12 oz semisweet real chocolate, chopped (use
a good brand)
7 TBSP. unsalted butter
3/4 cup whipping cream
Directions:
1. In a heavy saucepan, bring cream to a boil.
Turn off burner.
2. Add chocolate in small amounts while stirring.
3. Repeat with butter. Stir until all is smooth.
Pour into a shallow dish, cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
4. Scoop up by teaspoonful and roll into ~1"
shape. Mixture should have the texture of soft fudge. (You can use a
"melon baller" or similar device. If you do this by hand, wear plastic
gloves, or you'll be a mess when you're done.)
5. Roll in nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa, toasted
coconut, grated chocolate or sprinkles.
[6. For use in candy molds, mixture should
be soft set in 2 hours. Spoon into mold coated with chocolate coating,
cap with more chocolate coating and chill overnight.]
Alternate flavor ideas:
- reduce butter to 6 TBSP., substitute 1/2
cup seedless raspberry jam for cream. (Everyone's favorite!)
- Add 1-2 TBSP. instant coffee granules to
cream.
- Add 2 TBSP. Amaretto (or Kahlua, Grand Marnier)
- Add 1-2 tsp. grated orange peel or toasted
coconut.
Author: Tracey
Subject: cake mix recipes on the internet
Date: Tue Jan 27 13:14:50 1998
Message:
Hello everyone. I had posted a message here
in response to someone asking for cake mix recipes. I had
mentioned that I found most of my cake mix
recipes on the internet. Since then I have had a few inquiries about
how I did it and made a couple of friends in the process (Hi Dana, Hi Shirley).
I thought I should share it with all of you here.
I used the search engines (i.e. yahoo, excite, etc.) using
the search criteria of "cake mix". You may need to use the double
quotes when searching so the search engine will find text with the two
words together. Someone in one of the postings here had mentioned
the site www.cookbooksonline.com as having a lot of recipes. I checked
this site out and it has tons of recipes for cake mixes. You may
want to go to this site first. This site has a search engine
which you can use with the search criteria
of "cake mix".
I hope I explained myself clearly enough.
Happy Searching!!!
Author: Rita
Subject: cake mix
Date: Thu Jan 29 11:05:17 1998
Message:
Thanks for the information. Your explanation
was great. I found the recipe I had lost several years ago.
Rita
Author: Susanna
Subject: How to stuff a wild decorating bag
Date: Mon Jan 26 18:59:57 1998
Message:
I've read (almost) all the posts here and
didn't see this "tip." It's not original with me (I think it's from the
Home Arts web site), but I tried it out and was so "jazzed"
that I had to pass it on. It works especially well with small
amounts of a color when it's hard to get it into a bag (or even a parchment)
without a lot of
moving-your-mouth-around-as-if-you-were-feeding-a-baby
and it results in much less waste and clean-up. Here's how:
Take a piece of cling-film ("Saran-wrap" or whatever) and lay it on the
counter. Scrape your icing onto the plastic wrap and roll it
up like a salami, twisting each end like a piece of salt-water-taffy. Prepare
the correct size bag or parchment with coupler and tip as usual.
Snip one end off of the twisty part of the plastic wrap where it
joins the "salami" part, and drop the cut end into the bag. Twist the bag
down and squeeze out to decorate as usual. The plastic squeezes
the filling down and empties almost completely, and the clean up is limited
to the very end of the bag and coupler and tip. You can get
"full value" out of a minute amount of icing (for tiny details when
you don't need a lot) and it's particularly good for "premium" items when
you can't tolerate waste - like when you're filling hundreds
of deviled eggs and can't just "make up" another batch of filling. That
was my first use of the technique and I was forever convinced!
Author: Mindy
Subject: Re: How to stuff a wild decorating
bag
Date: Mon Jan 26 22:56:49 1998
Message:
What's the home arts web site? Does it have
cake decorating too?
Author: Susanna
Subject: Home Arts
Date: Tue Jan 27 12:34:43 1998
Message:
Yes, Home Arts has a number of message boards
relating to food and other topics. URL is
http://homearts.com/cgi-bin/webX. The Food
topics include Recipe Exchange, The Bakery (with decorating
forum), Cook's Corner (chef expert answers questions), Diet, and Party
Planners. There are also decorating and personal relationship
topics. I "met" Mickey Moore here (hi Mickey!) when I asked for advice
on my first attempt at gum paste. By the way, the birthday
cake turned out GREAT for an amateur's first go...pastel peach and cream
roses and white orchids with green ivy cascading on a white cake iced in
dark chocolate basketweave - two tier (12" and 6") double layers
torted and filled with choc. mousse. Whew...wish I had a picture! (I do,
just not developed yet.) The "birthday girl" (80!) can't stop
talking about it. I was so exhausted I turned down all hints that
I might do this for MONEY! But maybe I'll change my mind...if it had been
white it could easily have passed for a smallish wedding cake.
The business aspects put me off... licensing and such. But I really need
a good supply shop in my (L.A.) area...
Author: Susanna Cawley
Subject: Any Los Angelenos out there?
Date: Mon Jan 26 18:39:27 1998
Message:
Ok, I'm hooked. Would like to join a "Cake
Club" in L.A. or at least find a good supply shop. I live in the San
Pedro area and work (alas, not cake related) in Pasadena. Any compadres
in those areas would be welcome. Email me at scawley@citysearch.com.
Author: Tammy
Subject: Funeral Cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 17:56:31 1998
Message:
Hi everybody! I hope some of you can help
me. I just had an order for a funeral cake that is need for tomorrow.
The cake is thawing now, so I have a few hours
until I can decorate it. Any suggestions on how to do this? I can't
even think of appropriate wording. It will be an 11x15 sheet. I may just
put flowers on it, but I still need a saying! HELP!!
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: Funeral Cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 18:43:50 1998
Message:
Dear Tammy
I don't think that I would put any saying
on that type of cake, I would just decorate it prettily and leave it at
that, unless the cake is being brought in by a mourner then
I would ask them what would THEY like to have the cake say.----something
like" In memory of SO and SO--???!!?!----Good Luck with this one Tammy!
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Funeral Cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 21:07:06 1998
Message:
I don't ever think I have done one for a customer,
but have done several for funerals when I felt it necessary to
take food to a close friend's house. I usually do a sheet cake and I have
a praying hands mold that I do in either chocolate (white with
flesh coloring) and then do the sleeve part in a pale blue. For the inscription,
I usually just write God Bless You or God Bless Your Family or something
of that nature. It is usually very appreciated when you have taken
the time to prepare something like that.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: re funeral cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 18:48:44 1998
Message:
Dear Tammy,
Thought of something, ---decorate it like
you said and just put on it " In memorium" ----That's the best I can do
for now.
Author: Susan
Subject: funeral cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 21:02:48 1998
Message:
Tammy , you could
put "In loving memory" Or " (name) lives within our hearts". I never heard
of any-one writing something on a funeral cake before but if
that is what they want, I would have them come up with the saying. Since
they new the person better. Good Luck! Susan
Author: Jennifer
Subject: funeral cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 21:22:27 1998
Message:
I have to say, this seems like an odd occasion
to order a decorated cake for. I would have had the person
ordering it be very specific about what they
wanted. Although you may not have time, a good source for ideas
would be to look at sympathy cards at the card store, or supermarket. That
might help give you some appropriate symbols, sayings, or bible
verses to use. I think I would rather not write a message unless they specified,
or approved it first. What would be appropriate would depend on the
circumstances, culture, and religion of the family.
Author: Sherry V.
Subject: Re: Funeral Cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 22:39:06 1998
Message:
Do you really need a saying, I wonder?
"The Lord is my Shepherd" is another comforting
theme, and one which is appropriate for most, I believe. You
could make a large shepherd's staff (the big cane-looking thing) be the
central theme, and arrange your florals around that. If you
have an airbrush, you could put a cloudy blue sky - or a beautiful sunset
- in the background.
You could also accomplish this with a paintbrush.
Perhaps some latticework, a gate, for example, could be
worked in, or used on the sides.
I agree with the others, though, whatever
words you use, I'd run it by the customer first. Perhaps in this difficult
time, they hadn't even thought of it and would appreciate your advice.
Please let us know how this turns out. I'd
consider this one a real honor and excellent experience. SherryV.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Funeral Cake
Date: Tue Jan 27 00:45:47 1998
Message:
hi; if it's not too late here is what i have
done in the past when i did a couple of these. i was able to find out the
loved ones birth year and put 'in loving memonry' alice 1900 - 1998. use
lost of flowers and make it nice and bright. with so much sadness
it will help to have a pretty thing to help brighten their day. lynne
Author: Tammy
Subject: funeral cake
Date: Tue Jan 27 08:30:34 1998
Message:
Hi! Thanks everybody. I got some of the messages
too late, but the ones I did receive in time did help. This cake
was ordered to take to the family's house. What I ended up doing was using
a cross stencil in brown, then airbrushed the background in
blue and wrote "In loving memory". Very under stated. Thanks again for
the help, I knew I could count on you all!!!!!
Author: Shannon
Subject: coconut cake
Date: Mon Jan 26 14:57:07 1998
Message:
Hello everyone! :)
A few pages back there was a recipe for a
3 day coconut cake. I tried it and it is delicious! I used my own tried
and true yellow cake recipe because I didn't want to spend all that money
and the cake part not turn out. My question is after the three
days in the refrigerator how long can the cake be kept at room temperature?
To me the cake was better after sitting out of the refrigerator
for 24 hours. I would think it would be safe for 2-3 days at least.
I would appreciate any advise anyone could give. Thanks!
Shannon
Author: Jennifer
Subject: cake shows
Date: Mon Jan 26 13:15:27 1998
Message:
I'll be attending and entering my first cake
show in March and I have no idea what to do! I have some idea of
what the judges look for, from the show registration package and the article
in ACD a few months back.
Unfortunately, I'll be forced to enter a division
that may be a little above me. I've only had two classes and been
decorating for 3 years. I consider myself at an intermediate level, which
this show doesn't have, so by their criteria
I'll be in the advanced division. The categories
are novelty/special occasion non-tiered, tiered, buttercream only,
and foreign techniques. I have no idea what category to choose or what
kind of cake to do. How on earth do you decide? I don't know
what to do without a specific occasion in mind to do one for. I've never
done a cake just to do one before. I've looked thru all my
books a dozen times and I still have no idea. Any advice on how to choose
a cake for a show, or shows in general, would be greatly appreciated!
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: cake shows
Date: Mon Jan 26 14:25:46 1998
Message:
Hello Jennifer! And welcome to the world of
cake competition! I've been competing for about 6 years now, and
love every minute of it! In fact, I've started a cake show in my area which
will be held on February 28 in Lancaster, PA. (this
is its third year) Competitions are a great way to improve your skills
and challenge yourself.
First of all, we (my decorating 'buddies')try
to enter as many categories on our divisions as we can! The average
number we enter is 3 or 4. Novelty designs can be found on cards, coloring
books, or in those 'junk mail' gift catalogs. Several
of my 'big winners' were cakes based on some cute little ceramic figurine
or picture I found in one of those catalogs! Special
occasion cakes or tier cake designs may be found almost anywhere-wallpaper
patterns, cards, newspaper clip-art....anywhere! The idea is to use a basic
skill you know well, and use it in a unique way
or use it in a basic design that is NOT directly out of a book. I recently
won a Best of Professional
Division for a victorian style stacked tier
cake-very 'basic' skills but a original design done well.
Take the challege to try something new, but
don't overextend yourself. It is better to go 'simple and well executed'
than fussy and poorly done! Keep colors natural; color schemes to no more
than 3 colors. Use good florist foil and a heavy
board (foamcore is the best) for cakeboards-not aluminum foil! We do our
cakes with styrofoam dummies and royal icing so
we can enter our cakes in several shows. Instead of using one big layer
if royal icing, we ice the styro with several thin layers,
allowing each one to completely dry before applying the next layer.(we
often lightly sand each layer as well)
So for starters, I would choose a category-novelty/special
occasion- and choose a theme-Christmas cake. And start designing!
We draw up designs and plan out cakes for several days before we start.
Start early and work a little at a time. I know
it all sounds overwhelming at first-I was scared stiff my first show! But
you will see that everyone else is pretty much in your
shoes and you will learn alot!
Have a great time and good luck! Start looking
thru those coloring books!! Jackie
Author: Jennifer
Subject: shows
Date: Mon Jan 26 17:50:46 1998
Message:
Thanks for all the tips! I'm not nervous or
anything about the show, since I'm not trying to win or anything. I just
want to see what everyone else is doing, and get some feedback on my work
from other decorators (as opposed to my family and friends
who are easily impressed!). One entry will probably be it for me, since
its my first show. I just can't make up my mind what
kind of a cake to do. I mean, how do I decide on doing , say a birthday
cake, when it's no one's birthday, or a baby shower cake
when there's no baby. Why only 3 colors? I can see for floral
designs, but I do alot of figure piping, which uses several colors sometimes,
if there are several different figures to do, or a scenery.
I'm just overwhelmed by all the different possibilities, I can't make a
decision. Oh well, maybe I should just write the names of various
types of cakes (child's birthday, adult birthday, shower, wedding, etc)
on pieces of paper and pull one out of a hat! :) Decisions, decisions!
Author: Jackie N/
Subject: cake shows
Date: Mon Jan 26 22:28:50 1998
Message:
Relax! And make a decision! :0)
About the 3-colors...from an artistic point
of view, more than 3 main colors are distracting-there isn't a focal point.
When doing figure-piping, you can still have
1 'main' color with two 'accent' colors. Sure, a kid's birthday cake
with a clown & balloons may have several bright colors, but you still
choose one color to 'stand out'. It's all about that artistic
balance.
So remember, this is just a show cake...for
a pretend occasion...for the sole purpose of displaying your skills to
others...and maybe winning a ribbon or trophy for your efforts! :0) Have
fun! Jackie
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: cake shows
Date: Mon Jan 26 16:35:19 1998
Message:
oh what fun you are in for! just relax, do
your *very best* and enjoy this learning time.
don't worry about having to be in the advanced
catagory. i know when i did my first rolled fondant cake all i could
think of was i would have to compete agains all those gals that wrote the
books! but usually they don't enter contests just because it
would keep many very good decorators from praticipating & they have
been thru it so many times.
as has been said, pick one or two catagories
to enter for the first time. after that you can do them all! :)
make sure you neaten up the board when finished
or protect it with thin strips of wax paper that you remove when
you are finished. use pleasing color combinations keeping it limited to
3 colors.........yes white is a color :)
always think odd #s.....for your flower petals,
# of flowers in a grouping, etc. for one of my first contests i
designed 2 cakes based on cook cutters....a
baby rattle and a set of booties cake cut from a 1/2 sheet. that was
about 15 years ago. fun, fun, fun, lynne
Author: Tammy
Subject: cake show
Date: Mon Jan 26 18:02:38 1998
Message:
Hi! I don't know if this will help, but maybe
since it will be in March, you could do something to do with St.
Patrick's day. That would give you a theme anyway, which would primarily
be dealing with green (helping you narrow down your color choises).
Or you could do an Easter theme in pastels. Good Luck!!!!
Author: Carolyn
Subject: You Go For It Girl!!
Date: Tue Jan 27 00:11:02 1998
Message:
Ah, the thrill of competition! I've been doing
it far too many years to mention - competed first in '69 at the state
fair - any of you ever competed there? Good experience - usually more low
keyed and at ours I walked off with 3 first place ribbons.
I was so excited! Then I found some cake shows to enter - drove almost
500 miles to my first actual cake show just because I knew
the area and won an honorable mention ribbon, but I was thrilled and
determined that I could do better the next time. Each show is so different
and the judges make such a difference too. I always say different
entries and different judges would make a completely different show. I
organized the first show held in our area in 1977 and have
continued to keep my fingers in it ever since to help it keep going.
With so many young people working, it is hard
to find enough people to run a show. I still love entering, but it is
almost more of a challenge now because my ideas seem to have all been tried
by someone else. Some never enjoy competition, but I have always
been competitive from school age right on up in no matter what I was doing.
I think it improves your work because you
are trying harder and it improves your confidence by winning. Of
course, there are others who go the wrong way with this. I have always
had the attitude that I can always learn something from someone
else no matter the number of years I have done it. I haven't had many classes
because my schedule has never really allowed it plus the financial
part of taking classes seems quite expensive if I go home and
never have the time to do practice it. If you're doing lots of cakes for
a business, there just isn't time to do the gumpaste that is
so time consuming. Yes, beautiful and a true art, but what about all the
people around the world now yearning to learn our knowledge
of buttercream decorating? We do have a beautiful and tasty form of
decorating.
As for what category to enter, how about the
buttercream? I once entered that in Des Moines, Iowa and did a 3-tier
stacked buttercream with simple swags on the sides and cascades of all
colors of springy flowers flowing down the side and curving
around the cake clear from the very top. I won first on it. Most everyone
else had done just like buttercream roses or 1 flower. I chose
to do every flower I could find in the books in buttercream. I did
them 2 or so weeks ahead of time and they were very firm and easy to work
with. Think about the possibilities.
If you're near Missouri, we're having our
cake show March 21 and 22 and you can enter the same cakes you enter
anywhere else - different cakes, different judges. E-mail our registration
chairman at mch2@Juno.Com if you'd like to get a show form.
Good luck! It is lots of fun and also a little nerve wracking even for
us seasoned competitors! Staying on top sometimes is not as easy
as getting there!
Author: Marie
Subject: show cake
Date: Tue Jan 27 23:21:46 1998
Message:
Hi!
Here's your chance! Is there a cake you've
always wanted to do, but nobody ever ordered it? Have you noticed a
cute design on a Christmas card or birthday card that you thought would
go well on a cake? Cake ideas seem to be everywhere! In my
experience, the judges like to have the cake board at least 2 inches bigger
than the cake all the way around ie: a 16" board for a 12"
cake. A nice touch is to find a board covering that exactly matches one
of the colors you're using on the cake. You might finish off the edge of
the cake board with a matching or coordinating ribbon the same
width of the edge of the cake board. Make your shells all the same size
- stuff like that - attention to detail. Take your time working
on it if possible - throwing it together at the last minute is extremely
stressful (the voice of experience). :-) The most important thing - enjoy
yourself! marie
Author: karen
Subject: Hard to Fine Cake Topper
Date: Mon Jan 26 03:46:23 1998
Message:
Hello,
I am looking for a cake topper for my wedding
cake that has a bride in a regular wedding dress and a groom in
military uniform (Naval). I saw one at a wedding show, but they would not
tell me where to get one. All I want is the couple not a whole
fancy topper, could anyone let me know where to look for this at?
Thank you
(Sugarcraft carries these...figure ONLY and you buy the tulle, lace, heart, etc and glue it together.
Author: Sherry V.
Subject: Soccer Ball (yipes?)
Date: Sun Jan 25 20:24:05 1998
Message:
Hi all,
I will be trying to make the soccer ball tomorrow
and it looks hard to get those patterns on right. Anyone have
inside secrets on this?
Also, they want the fluffy, boiled-typed icing,
which I've never decorated with before. [Thank goodness for this
family with 6 kids - they let me practice on them!] Once I get that ball
iced, will it crust well enough to transfer the pattern onto
it? How long might that take?
Any info on this cake and/or working with this type
of icing would be appreciated. :) Sherry V.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Soccer Ball (yipes?)
Date: Sun Jan 25 23:25:49 1998
Message:
hi sherry;
oh what fun! :) *not!* i've made those so
many times i hate them. i made myself a cardboard pattern. you could
use that to mark the cake and fill in with stars. i cut mine from rolled
fondant and stick them on. i never get it perfect :(
i have a customer that orders 9 to 14 of them
once or twice a year. he wants those mini 1/2 balls with each kids
name on it.
as for your boiled icing......i have only
tried that once -- a long time ago. i remember it as *not* setting up enough
to touch ever. maybe i'm wrong....hope someone else has more experience
with it will tell us. lynne
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Soccer Ball Cake (Yikes!)
Date: Sun Jan 25 23:57:29 1998
Message:
What a "sticky" situation!! : ) I just couldn't
resist this!
I don't make a complete round ball. I live
in the country on up and down gravel roads and always tell anyone who
wants a stand up cake that I will not do it. I do do a soccer cake that
is like a layer 12" round and I bevel the edges so they are
rounded and then I do the soccer pattern on it. I ice all in white, then
take the black and do the pattern. I have enlarged a flat pattern
of a ball and use my KopyRite machine to project it down on the cake.
Works great and everyone seems happy with that.
Author: Sherry V.
Subject: How the soccer ball turned out
Date: Mon Jan 26 22:19:44 1998
Message:
Thanks for your ideas!
Here's how it went...
I opted for buttercream instead of the boiled
because of the potential coloring (needed dark) as well as transfer
problems. I didn't crumb coat. Then I cut out the little pattern, put a
dot of icing on it and started sticking it on the cake. At
each corner of the pattern, I'd put a dot, then I'd remove the pattern
and connect the dots. This worked beautifully and didn't require
crusting, etc. This being my first one, and not having a real ball to copy
from, I didn't draw connecting lines between the pentagons,
but just filled the area in white. It still looked just like a soccer ball,
and we were all very pleased with the results.
I also live in the country with lots of hills,
so I cut a bit off the bottom to give a flatter, more stable base. I put
two long skewers in, which gave my daugter something to help
balance and support the cake with while we drove.
When we arrived, I simply removed the skewers
and used them to touch up the holes they'd made.
Yippee! It turned out, and now I have some soccer
ball experience. Thanks again!
Sherry V.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: soccer ball
Date: Tue Jan 27 13:12:52 1998
Message:
Thanks for letting us know how it turned out!
I haven't done one of these, yet, and I was curious how to deal with
some of the problems you mentioned. That's a great idea, using skewers
to hold the cake together, and to the board. They leave such a small
hole; it can be easily repaired on site.
Author: lynne
Subject: wedding colors?
Date: Sun Jan 25 19:41:27 1998
Message:
ok everyone;
since i'm ready to do a bridal faire i'm wondering
what your more popular wedding colors are? what accent color
is requested most? how do you handle those dark requests?
one of our local wedding dress shops advised
me the 'hot' colors this season will be 'ice' (or pastel). any -- green,
blue, pink as long as it is pastel-- one of the reasons i made a cake in
robin's egg blue w/peach.
problem is most of my orders are still! mauve
&/or navy blue! my population base is heavy on mexican and portugese
-- they want *color!* not pastels :)
i want to be 'current' on the latest ideas.
but this dress shop sayes this area is always 3-5 years behind in trends.
how would you handle this delima? (sp?) lynne
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: wedding colors
Date: Sun Jan 25 19:56:15 1998
Message:
Hello!
Is this your first bridal show? How much space
do you have and how many cakes can you display? My average
display consists of 5 or 6 cakes in various sizes and color schemes. Around
here, the bridal shows often have a color theme, so I make
at least one cake using that color. Here in PA my colors have been the
burgandy, royal blue, ruby red, black, and forest or hunter
green. Mostly I use the dark colors as small accents on base borders
or in other SMALL amounts on the cake...even better is to suggest the bright
colors be used in the fresh or silk floral arrangements on
or around the cake. (keep the cake all white or ivory) I often
look in current bridal magazines to see what the upcoming colors will be.
I even talk to a local flower shop sometimes. It's a hard choice
to know what to do sometimes...try a bit of both, I say! Good luck and
have fun! Jackie
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: wedding colors
Date: Sun Jan 25 23:38:08 1998
Message:
no jackie this is my third (&4th). i have
one a week from today and another a week later. each is a booth of
10'x10'. we get one 8ft table and can add
whatever we want. in the past i have put 8-10 cakes up, but this time
i'm only going to put in 5 or 6.
one 3 round tiers have just a hint of pink
overpiping ruffles (w/bells); 3 tier hearts has burgendy ribbon w/lace
points & gumpaste flowers and medallions; 3 stacked tiers in pale,
pale pink overall icing w/multi shade pink roses & green
leaves; then to please those that want color there is one w/red apple blossoms.
hope to get a couple more finished.
lynne
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: wedding colors
Date: Mon Jan 26 08:15:21 1998
Message:
Well, Lynne....sounds to me like you have
a wonderful display planned! I don't think I'd worry too much about
what the bridal shop wants...you know your customers better than she does!
I'd sure love to see those cakes myself!
Anyway, hope you have very successful shows!
By the way, how much business DO you generate from these shows?
Our shows cost anywhere from $300-$500 for a booth (sometimes smaller than
10x10!), I'm just a small in-home business and cannot afford
to do many of these. The response to my cake samples and displays are
always incredible, but one year after I had booked a dozen consultations
about half of them cancelled! Hmmm.
Perhaps I need to participate in the more
'upscale' shows where brides can afford ME!
Any suggestions? Jackie
Author: Earlene
Subject: bridal shows
Date: Mon Jan 26 09:43:27 1998
Message:
I also have a bridal show this next weekend.
I usually only show a couple cake styles and then have my portfolio
of pictures which is now up to 8 albums (with over 500 8X10's) for them
to thumb through.
My booth is almost always crowded. One of
the best caterers in town and I always work side by side and
coordinate our decorating colors. In fact
I must have a double booth space. I put two large round tables with
chairs around them for people to look at the cake books on easels. Tables
at the back with the cakes and pictures hanging from lattice.
One table on the front of the booth to serve cake from.
This is the most upscale bridal show in our
area. Two days and lots of people. The main thing they want is to taste
your cake and see examples of your work. I really don't get very many orders
from doing these shows. But it does keep my name out there.
I also work from my home and do not do advertizing.
My schedule stays really full because of referrals
from the other wedding businesses in this bridal show. They
know what type of work I do. The type of customer who wants and can afford
my style of cakes and they are my advertizing. I do the
Bridal shows to support them. These business representatives always come
by for a piece of cake and to see what we are doing
new. They flip through the books if they have time. They talk up my business
in their businesses when they are visiting with the brides. We each promote
the other. Referrals is the absolute best advertizing in any business.
Author: Patricia
Subject: Bridal Fair
Date: Mon Jan 26 11:06:36 1998
Message:
I'm participating in a Bridal Fair on Tuesday
evening. It is very small compared to the ones you are talking about. I
work at a university and this is through the University Fashion Board and
only cost $25 for a booth. I have a 3-tiered dummy cake that
I've stacked and iced in the basketweave pattern with royal icing. I made
a cake topper using silk roses in light pink with some small
white flowers for accent. I'm taking a sheet cake for tasting. I have an
album of wedding cakes I've made and my business cards. I work full-time
and do birthday and wedding cakes out of my home, so I'm very "small-time".
I haven't been actively doing cakes for the past year due to some family
problems, but am trying to get back into it. This is my first major effort
to get involved again. Wish me luck.:)
Author: lynne
Subject: bridal faire participation
Date: Mon Jan 26 11:38:56 1998
Message:
hi pat and everyone else;
bridal shows can be expensive! one i'm doing
is costing me $500. for that you get a 1/2 page ad in the booklet
given out; a 10'x10' booth w/one 8 ft table; and a printed list of each
bride that registers-- name, address, phone, wed date and info
as to what they may have already ordered (bride has to reg to come in but
those w/her don't-- comes about a week after show) this show
runs one day from 11-4. in the past (2 yrs) it has been held on super
bowl sunday. we had rather good turnout........about 1500 people. there
is a grand prize --usually a trip (honeymoon). this yr there
will be not just one grand prize but somewhat smaller (value wise) hourly
prizes. i always donate one wedding cake value about $125.
winner gets choice; any amount over the $125 they pay. i also give
out sample 'tastes' of cake all day long. usually serve about 4-5 1/2 sheet
cakes. i have always gotten at least 4-6 orders from
these shows. not that day == but eventually over the year.
the other one i'm doing is only $25 -- but
they do expect me to serve about $125 woth of food as others are
paying $150 for their booth. the town is about 1/2 hour south of here &
is smaller. they expect only a couple of hundred people and
the hours are only 1-4. same size booth but certainly not as fancy. this
is their 1st show so i don't expect much except exposure.
my understanding is the price of booth in
these faires is so high because of the cost of advertising it. when you
factor in radio, tv and newspaper it adds up fast. around here newspaper
ads are *very* expensive! i can get a radio ad for $10 a spot
(and i can trade-out -- that is give something away in exchange for the
radio time); a business card size ad in paper is about $100.
hope that helps everyone understand whys and
wherefore of bridal shows. lynne
Author: Shirley W.
Subject: Decorating tips
Date: Sun Jan 25 18:40:29 1998
Message:
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to
straighten decorating tips? I bought a Wilton tipsaver, but it won't
straighten the tips on # 104 and other odd shaped tips.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Decorating tips
Date: Sun Jan 25 19:16:33 1998
Message:
hi shirley;
my hubby sayes that's why they make *new*
tips :)
even the star tips i have straightened don't
work completely right. drives me crazy. once i have bought a tip that
should be it -- right?? lynne
Author: Shirley W
Subject: tips
Date: Sun Jan 25 21:11:05 1998
Message:
Hi Lynne,
I got a chuckle out of your response. Your
probably right about buying new tips, but they sometimes need straightening
after I only use them a few times. That could get costly. Maybe someone
else can help us out.
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: tips
Date: Mon Jan 26 08:45:21 1998
Message:
I got a chuckle out of her response, too!
:o)
I don't think I'll be of much help...my 'method'
of staightening odd-shaped is to use an x-acto knife, a kitchen
knife,the needle-nosed pliers, a skewer....you get the idea! I worked several
years in a bakery and I know how we beat those tips. I've learned
that for my own home business I had to take more care in washing and storing
my tips...I can't afford to continually replace stuff either!
All my tips are washed by hand-yes I hate it-and dried upright
on a towel. Many people use those decorating tip storage boxes to keep
tips from becoming damaged...I use one of those hardware storage
units that has a bunch of little clear plastic drawers. Now I hardly ever
need to repair bent tips-except when I drop one and step on
it!!! :o)
Perhaps one of us ingenious decorators will
have to invent our OWN tip staightener! :o) Jackie
Author: Kelly
Subject: Wedding and Party Cakes out of Cheescake
Date: Sun Jan 25 12:59:47 1998
Message:
Hi has anyone ever done a party or wedding
cake made out of cheescake before? I would really appreciate some
info. on this topic. I would assume a cake like this wouldn't have a crust
and wonder it it must always be made in a springform pan. I know
there are places that make cheescake wedding cakes in both round and rectangular
shapes, I wonder how they line their pans? I also wonder what type of icing
they would use to decorate a cake that may be prone to sweating due
to the consitency of the cake. Any help and recipes would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Cheesecakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 14:43:39 1998
Message:
I don't do these, but if you will scroll back
through some of the past notes from this message board, you should be
able to find a whole section about this exact topic. At the bottom of this
page, it says "Next Page". Just click on it and scroll down
through until you find it. Message board goes clear back to September and
sometimes you can scroll back pretty fast, other times, it is just
too, too slow. Hope this helps.
Author: Marie K
Subject: cheese cake
Date: Tue Jan 27 01:41:56 1998
Message:
Hi Kelly,
I've done a few cheesecake weddings. I use
the regular New York Cheesecake recipe from "Joy Of
Cheesecakes" cookbook or the recipe on the
box of graham cracker crumbs. Yes, I make the graham cracker or
cookie crusts. One can ice the sides and trim the cheesecake with creamed
cheese icing or regular buttercream or leave it plain. A row
of large shells around the top will make a "dam" for toppings like strawberry,
cherry or blueberry and a matching row of shells along the
base works well. Or, one can use the sour cream topping found
in some of the cheesecake recipes. Once, I left the cheesecakes plain and
had clear glass bowls of different fruit topping beside the
cake for guests to help themselves. I believe I got my large (12") pan
and small (6") pans from Parrish in California. I use the 9"
Wilton springform pans. For extra servings, just make more of whatever
size you want. That Wilton floating tier stand works well for
cheesecakes - no pillars to contend with. I glue 3 cardboard circles
together with Elmers with the grain of the boards going opposite directions
for strength. Then cover with freezer-type paper and glue ribbon
on the edge. This way, the cheesecake is not put directly on the plate
so you don't need so many plates. Can't think of anything else.
Hope this helps. :-) Marie
Author: Kelly
Subject: Question for Marie
Date: Tue Jan 27 10:38:49 1998
Message:
Hi Marie, Thanks so much for all
the info! What do you line the springform pans with as I am sure you don't
just leave the metal bottom on, or do you just take a knife and carefully
turn it out? Thanks for you time! Kelly
Author: Marie
Subject: cheesecake
Date: Tue Jan 27 12:12:02 1998
Message:
I have a long bread knife that I loosen the
cake from the metal bottom with - then just slide the cake onto the
prepared cake board. Never have had any trouble doing that. The graham
cracker crust holds together well.
Author: JILL
Subject: TIERED CHEESECAKES
Date: Fri Jan 30 18:48:12 1998
Message:
DON'T KNOW IF MY RESPONSE IS TOO LATE TO HELP
YOU BUT I HAVE DONE MANY
CHEESECAKE WEDDING CAKES. THEY ARE MUCH EASIER
THAN YOU IMAGINE. ANY
CHEESECAKE RECIPE WILL DO AND IF YOU NEED
ONE I WILL SEND IT TO YOU. TIERED
SPRINGFORM PANS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM CAKE
SUPPLY STORES.
MY SECRET IS TO POUR THE CHEESECAKE MIXTURE
INTO A GREASED SPRINGFORM PAN
WITH A GREASED CIRCLE OF PARCHMENT PAPER LINING
THE BOTTOM, BAKE AS DIRECTED.
WHEN IT IS TIME TO REMOVE THE CAKE FROM THE
OVEN I THEN SPRINKLE THE CRUST
ONTO THE "TOP" OF THE CAKE, PRESS INTO THE
CAKE AND COOL COMPLETELY IN THE
PAN. THEN, INVERT
THE CAKE ONTO CARDBOARD ROUNDS, AND THE "NEW TOP" OF THE CAKE,
WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE BOTTOM, IS PERFECTLY FLAT.
CHEESECAKES TEND TO SINK IN THE MIDDLE AND
THIS PROCEDURE HELPS TO KEEP THE
CAKES LEVEL. GOOD
LUCK AND PLEASE E-MAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS. JILL
Author: Kelly
Subject: Thank You Jill and more questions
for you!
Date: Mon Feb 2 15:04:30 1998
Message:
Jill, thanks so much for your very helpful
information! Do you completely ice your cheesecakes in buttercream?
How do you deal with refrigeration? Love the
idea about making the top the bottom! I would love some extra hints,
decorating ideas and recipes if you have any to share! Thanks again!
Author: jill
Subject: Kelly's wedding cake
Date: Mon Feb 2 22:19:35 1998
Message:
Hi Kelly,
Glad to help. I have done several cheesecake
wedding cakes, all different. I have frosted completely the layers,
stacked them (after adding dowels and cardboard rounds, of course) and
decorated them like a "traditional" wedding cake.
I have also topped each cheesecake layer with
"traditional cheesecake fruit", cherries on one, strawberries on the
other, and piped around the fruit, not on the bottom. I would do whatever
a customer wanted, EXCEPT USE CRISCO! (have you seen any of
the heated discussions i have been in regarding Crisco?).
As far as any tips, i probably have lots but
am not sure what to say unless you ask more specific questions. If i do
think of any i will e-mail them to you but
always feel free to ask questions. I have been baking a long time and
would be glad to help.
As far as refrigeration, i try to keep cakes
refrigerated as long as possible. The traditional buttercream frosting
keeps well, although it would not be my first
choice for a frosting on a hot summer day outdoor wedding!
Best wishes,
Jill
Best wishes,
Jill
Author: Jeannine
Subject: chocolate cake filling
Date: Sun Jan 25 11:26:44 1998
Message:
I am looking for a recipe for a chocolate
cake filling that is very thick and rich, almost fudge-like. Can anyone
help me with this?
Author: Kristiana
Subject: Chocolate Filling
Date: Sun Jan 25 12:23:00 1998
Message:
1 cans condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoon butter
4oz pk semisweet chocolate squares
Mix Condensed milk,yolks,and butter.Heat in a sauce pan over medium heat . Add the chocolate .Mix until smooth. Remove from heat. Let cool. Spread on cooled layers
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: Chocolate fillings
Date: Sun Jan 25 13:17:26 1998
Message:
I like to use Ganache FIllings for cakes. I
use Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate for chocolate cakes and White
CHocolate to
fill white or yellow cakes. The recipe is
below. Hope this works.
Ganache Filling
12 ounces of chocolate of choice [semi-sweet,
milk or white]
1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons Cognac, Grand Marinier or Kahluah
[optional]
Chop chocolate to fine pieces. Heat cream just
to the boiling point BUT DO NOT BOIL. Add chocloate and butter.
Stir until completely melted and smooth. Stir
in optional
liquor.
Allow to cool to room temperature [several
hours]. Whip with a mixer until light and of spreading consistency.
Storage: 3 days at room temperature
2 weeks refrigerated [soften over hot water
and rewhip]
6 months frozen [thaw, then warm over hot
water and rewhip]
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: another variation
Date: Sun Jan 25 13:22:30 1998
Message:
I forgot this one.
Praline Ganache
Follow the above recipe for Semi-sweet or
Milk CHocolate Ganache. Add 1/3 cup Praline Paste to the
chocolate before adding the cream. Proceed
according to directions.
Praline Paste can be purchased from : Maison
Glass
111 East 58th St
New York NY 10022
212-755-3316
Author: Jennifer
Subject: easy filling
Date: Sun Jan 25 18:26:57 1998
Message:
I just discovered a wonderfully rich chocolate-hazelnut
filling than can be used for either cakes or candies-Nutella!
Nutella is a spread made with hazelnuts and
chocolate, and can be found in the gourmet or peanut butter sections
at the supermarket. It is very rich, reminiscent of Godiva chocolates.
The texture is a little sticky right out of the jar, but if
you whip it or just stir it a little, it will be a good spreadable consistancy.
I tried it on a chocolate cake the other day and served it
to my daughter's playgroup (my usual guinea pigs!) and they loved it, particularly
my one friend who was PMS-ing!
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: easy filling
Date: Mon Jan 26 00:44:38 1998
Message:
I have used Nutella, myself, as a filling.
I love it! It's not quite as thick as hot fudge but it is similar. It's
pretty rich and you have to like hazelnuts to use it. A word
of caution: If you ever taste it there is no turning back. You'll eat
the whole jar. :) :) So I would fill the cake first. :)
Shannon
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Schedule of available classes
Date: Sun Jan 25 10:38:28 1998
Message:
Hi guys,
Since Dolores is not back to put this info
on the classes board , I will send anyone that's interested in these classes
the info on them.--There is a figure modeling class, a sugar doll with
period costume, a wedding cake class, a cake stenciling
class, a gumpaste class-- and a few more that I can't remember right now.
-all these instructors are being brought over from
the U.K. and they will be having a beginners class so no one that's interested
should be afraid to try. As soon as Dee gets back
I will ask her to post the info.
In the mean time you can e-mail me for further
info.( I love taking classes, and will be attending the sugar doll
class, as in some areas that will add anywhere from 35.00 to 300.00 more
to the cake--depending on where you live!)
Author: Jeannine
Subject: classes
Date: Sun Jan 25 11:28:26 1998
Message:
Mara, where are these classes scheduled to
take place? I might be interested if I knew where they were going to
be held.
Author: Terry
Subject: character cakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 07:53:34 1998
Message:
I have a bakery and have lots of requests
for different character cakes as I'm sure most bakeries do. I understand
that it is illegal to freehand decorate the different characters (especially
Disney) so I have purchased the kits from Decopac. These are working
out really well (although I do alter their deign/colors a bit).
Other surrounding bakeries continue to freehand
the characters and I get at least a couple of requests each week
to do the same. I refuse to do it and recommend
the Decopac kits. I was wondering what other bakers are doing in their
shops towards this problem. When I baked out of
my home I did not worry about it because I did no advertising and it was
all very low keyed. Please let me know how you handle this....Thanks...Terry
Author: Val
Subject: character cakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 09:27:28 1998
Message:
Terry-if you go back on the message board
probably in Dec. it was discussed at lenghth about this problem and
all the legal aspects and "checkers" who come into shops asking for these
cakes. Check back there,alot of your questions will be answered.
Author: Val
Subject: Illegal cakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 09:48:54 1998
Message:
I looked back and found the postings for illegal
cakes on Dec.23. Quite a discussion!!
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Re: Character cakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 09:59:03 1998
Message:
Dear Terry:
I too have a small shop and people were constantly
asking me in the beginning to make "Licensed Characters", I
refused nicely, educated the customer as to why I couldn't and gently steered
them to the "Deco-Pacs". One of the things you could point
out to your customer is: The fact that the child will always have a keepsake
of his birthday, it's like getting an extra present; Also,If
you like, and if you have the time, money and inclination you
could include--"grab bags" with the same theme as the Deco pac cake--a
lot of your suppliers will sell the little toys separately.(
it doesn't have to be anything fancy, maybe a small toy, ring, and some
few candies tied in a cello bag--Just be careful
of kids under 3, as you might of noticed, in the bottom of the deco pac
boxes there is a warning label for kids under 3---MAKE
SURE YOU USE IT!!) I did have a bit of trouble with people
understanding the why not, and leave my shop saying so and so will do it--then
I posted a sign in my shop with an article about
COPYWRITE LAWS-all I had to do is point to it and say--" I will always
do my best to make my customer happy but I will
not break the law" This seemed to impress people and boost my integrity;
So you may lose a few but you will be gaining so
much more in the long run. I hope this helps.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: character cakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 11:32:18 1998
Message:
The issue of character cakes is probably the
biggest source of frustration for me. I cringe everytime someone says
they're interested in a child's birthday cake because they almost always
want a copyrighted character. What's frustrationg
is that people seem to have such a hard time with the concept that they
are copyrighted and illegal to reproduce. Then
they try to talk you into making an exception "just this once, who's going
to know..." I Try to explain it to them, and I
tell them they could be fined, too, for buying it (I know this probably
never happens, but technically they could be).
That usually gets the point across! I don't have a licensed shop, so I
can't buy the kits. I tell them they can buy the
plastic figures, or any other small figure or toy, show it to me, and I
will design a cake for them to put them on. I try
to do more than a rather plain, quick airbrush job like they could get
at the supermarket. For example, for a friend who
wanted Sesame Street, I made a sheet cake with scenery and a train
track, made a train engine and cars cut out of cake, then she put the figures
on the train cars and added a candle It was very
cute. Another customer is using Baby Looney Tunes. The party plates have
blue sky with clounds and balloons, along with
the characters. So I am making a cake to coordinate-blue background with
figure piped clouds and balloons, then she will
add the figures. Meople usually don't like to use the plastic figures,
which is why
they come to you to begin with. But you can
be more creative and make a cake that is much cuter and more
unique than the supermarkets do with the same figures. Also, for some characters,
you can do something close. For example, if someone
wants Lion King, you can figure pipe lions and a jungle scene, just don't
call it LK, for the Little Mermaid, you can figure
pipe an underwater scene with a little mermaid, just a little different
and not The Little Mermaid. Of course, some kids would accept no
substitute, but others will.
Subject: Re:Character cakes
Date: Sun Jan 25 16:43:57 1998
Message:
Thanks to all who have responded to my posting.
I went
back and reviewed the Dec.23 discussion and
am glad
that I am not making the shaped/free-handed
cakes.
Now.....one more question and i promise I
will let this one
go.......Do you have to use Decopacs exact
instructions when using their kits? I think the cakes decorated with
their products have a lot more potential than what they put into them.
Where does everyone stand on this one?
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: decorating with deco pac kits
Date: Sun Jan 25 20:19:51 1998
Message:
Dear Terry:
I don't think so, I thing the instructions are a suggested way to decorate. I will try to find out for you and let you know. I do take some liberty myself. Thanks.......Terry
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: character cakes
Date: Mon Jan 26 00:54:00 1998
Message:
Where do you order these deco pack kits from?
I run a fully licenced HOME decorating business. Can home
businesses order these? Shannon
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Re: character cakes
Date: Mon Jan 26 01:57:36 1998
Message:
hi shannon;
sorry i don't have their address here. i'm
sure someone else will post it. they don't care if it is out of your home
or not it's that license they want. city/county business &/or
tax resale # is what's important. lynne
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Cost of Dowel Rods
Date: Sun Jan 25 00:57:04 1998
Message:
Lynne, is there really that much difference
in prices for dowel rods? I am paying 19 cents for the 1/4" dowel rods,
same length, I am sure. I get them at a Lowehr's farm store which sells
a little of everything. Wal-Mart is a little higher at
about 29 cents each. You're on the West Coast - right? I am in Missouri
(the Midwest). I have tried the straws - some I bought
in bulk at a floral supply place, but was never really comfortable with
them. I use a pair of good pruning shears bought at a
floral supply for getting my dowels all the same length. I don't ask for
return of them, of course.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Cost of Dowel Rods
Date: Sun Jan 25 14:24:56 1998
Message:
mornin' carolyn :)
couldn't remember last night how much they cost but knew it was no more
than $1. haven't bought any in awhile so you are prolly
right :) lynne
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: Gumpaste Irises
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:26:48 1998
Message:
Does anyone know how to make an Iris from
gum paste? I have a wedding cake coming up in March and the
bride wants roses, lillies and irises in spring colors. I make GP roses,
lillies, etc., all the time, but no one has ever
requested irises and I can find an example to follow. I'd like to find
a method using the cutters I have rather than having
to ones just for this flower. Any ideas appreciated.
Jeffery Arnett
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Gumpaste Irises
Date: Sat Jan 24 20:36:32 1998
Message:
Jeff, I've done iris and they can be really
pretty. It seems to me they are in one of my flower books and I'll dig
it out and post or send it to you. mickey
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Simple gumpast Iris
Date: Sun Jan 25 10:11:27 1998
Message:
Dear Jeffery:
if you have an Orchid cutter, ( Primrose cutters
would be better) all you need to do is cut 6 throats in a Iris color.
Dry 3 curved up and 3 curved down. You could make the petals on wires,
it would be easier. Then with some yellow royal
icing mark the joins with the yellow royal.--Make sure that you ruffle
the edges of the 6 petals.
With a primrose cutter , after you cut out
your petals you will need to separate them with pizza wheel or similar;
Then you proceed the same as with the Orchid throat's. These are very simple
directions to making a stylized Iris, but, they are acceptable
since they are not for competion. Most people are not going to scrutinize
your flowers they will all be amazed that you could even make
the darn thing look so much like an Iris, and anyway, most cakes
are admired from afar like art(NO CLOSE UPS, MR. DEMILE) :-) I hope this
helps.
Author: Bonnie
Subject: Sugar Cookies
Date: Sat Jan 24 17:20:57 1998
Message:
Does any one have a goodsugar cookie recipe.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Author: Kris
Subject: sugar cookie recipe
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:42:48 1998
Message:
Hi Bonnie, I love
this recipe for fool proof sugar cookies.
3/4 Cup margarine or butter
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
21/2 Cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Cream the butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla
and whip well.
Add dry ingredients. Regrigerate over night.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 400 for 6-8 minutes.
Glaze for Sugar Cookies
1 egg white
1 1/2 Cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 T. orange juice or milk
Food coloring
Hope this helps Bonnie
Author: Stacy
Subject: Best Ever Sugar Cookies
Date: Sat Jan 24 22:47:24 1998
Message:
Best Ever Sugar Cookies
1 cup margarine or butter 4 cups flour
1 cup confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon baking
soda
1 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cream
of tartar
2 eggs 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Additional sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 375. Cream margarine with
sugars. Add eggs and
vanilla, mix well. Add oil. Mix dry ingredients
and add to batter. Roll
into small balls and then roll into sugar,
( May use colored sugars or sprinkles. (May be necessary to add more
flour for easy handling)
Place 2 inces apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Flatten with fork
or glass dipped in sugar, Criss cross tops,
sprinkle tops with additional sugar. Bake 10 minutes or until light
golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers to keep
crisp. Baked cookies may be frozen. (Yield: about
6 dozen) Enjoy!
Author: Elaine
Subject: Sugar cookies
Date: Sun Feb 1 14:13:53 1998
Message:
Your recipe sounds great. Can it also be used
for cookie cutouts?
Author: Val
Subject: basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:27:36 1998
Message:
When you do a basketweave design on cakes,do
you put a thin base coat of white icing first to prevent the cake
from showing through and how do you keep the design vertical and horizontal?
Do you mark it or free style?? I'm afraid mine will go crooked and
I have a wedding cake to do and want opinions on this.
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:33:23 1998
Message:
Hi Val, Yes, I do
put a light layer on first before I do a basketweave.
When you put the verticals on, use a straight
edge of some sort to get the first ones straight, and then, since you
would only be putting a few on at the time as you work, you should be able
to keep them straight. Keeping the lines close together like
they should be will help too.
Good luck with it - basketweave makes a spectacular
cake. Mickey :> :>
Author: Val
Subject: Basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:48:23 1998
Message:
Mickey, thanks for the advice. That will help
me alot!! I love this message board and find myself checking it almost
everyday,just like my e-mail!!
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 11:53:56 1998
Message:
Hi Val, This
really is nice. I know when I started working there were few people that
I knew to call or ask for help or advice. My best source was
and is my sister, but since she's 450 miles away, the communication was
slow and/or expensive! This really brings us all together.
Mickey
Author: Val
Subject: Basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 14:14:11 1998
Message:
I thank all of you for your help and guidance
with my basketweave wedding cake. I will use your techniques and I
appreciate all of you taking your time to write. I have done it before,but
was not pleased with the results so this will help me alot.The
cakes are all different sizes on different height clear acrylic stands
and have flowers draped around each one. You may have seen it on
the internet. Thanks again.
Author: Susan
Subject: Basket weave
Date: Sat Jan 24 22:13:30 1998
Message:
Val, the only thing
I didn't see mentioned for your basket weave is the color of your frosting.
I always use the same color frosting to first cover the sides
of the cake and then do the basket weave. That way all mistakes are hidden.
Good luck. I love this forum also. I have
been on here for about two months and have enjoyed the learning and
the fun of it. Take care, Susan
Author: lynne
Subject: color of basketweave
Date: Sun Jan 25 19:24:12 1998
Message:
it's fun to make them two colors, too.
just did a demo cake for the shop with pale
peach uprights and off white weaving, then used robin's egg blue,
peach and ivory flowers on it. so far only hubby has seen it but will have
it at the bridal shows i'm doing next week and the week after that.
we'll see what reactions i get. lynne
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Basketweave
Date: Mon Jan 26 00:08:54 1998
Message:
I do all of my basketweave with usually an
18 or 20 tip. Customers don't know the difference and it is so much
faster for me. I know several who say they charge more for basketweaving,
but I think it is just as fast as you are eliminating marking
for swags or whatever side work and then actually doing that work, plus
you can put the columns on and not worry about them lining
up. I eyeball most all my sidework and get it pretty straight. With
several weddings in a weekend sometimes, you can't always spend the amount
of time you would on a show cake. I do take lots of pride in my work
in wanting it to be as perfect for my customer as if it were my own child's
wedding.
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 11:59:46 1998
Message:
Basket weave is one of my favorite techniques
for wedding cakes, especially those stacked and decorated with gum
paste flowers.
I ice my cakes first..that way if there are
imperfections in the weaving it will not show. Also help the weaving,
which is thick abd heavy, to stay in place.
I use the triangle marker from the WIlton Diving
Set [the one with the big plastic circle] to get the first couple of
lines vertically straight. If you are unsure of yourself, go a head and
mark vertical lines on the under coat of icing.
That way it will be evenly spaced too. But
don't worry so much about perfection, a basket isn't usually perfect.
Strive for realism. Even amateurish weaving
usually looks good when trimmed with flowers, etc.
I vary my teachnique too. Sometimes I use
the basket tip for both horizontal and vertical strips. Sometimes I use
a round tip for the vertical line and the basket weave tip
for the horizontal, and other times I use a round tip for both
to produce a wicker look. I have even done the weaving at an angle...intersting
effect. Good luck with your project.
Jeff Arnett
Author: Jennifer
Subject: basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 13:57:14 1998
Message:
As the others have said, you definately need
a thin coat of icing under the basketweave. This serves serveral
purposes, to give the basketweave something to stick to, to seal in the
crumbs, and mask any imperfections. I do all mine freehand,
though my horizontal lines get a little slanted or wobbly sometimes. But
as Jeffrey said, it is the imperfections that make it more
realistic. If it's too perfect and uniform it looks like you simply pressed
the pattern into the icing. I also like to combine tips, such
as flat with round, ribbed with smooth; star tips also give a nice
effect. Just remember to charge extra for basketweave because it is fairly
time consuming, especially if you haven't done it alot. Good luck!
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: basketweave
Date: Sat Jan 24 17:54:53 1998
Message:
hi val; isn't it *great*
to get help that calms your fears almost instantly? :) How great this b
oard is!
i do mine just a bit differently than the
others have mentioned. first thing after crumb coating is to do *all* my
upright lines on one tier. to get the spacing right use the tip you are
going to use for the weave and mark your upright lines the
width of that tip. ie: tip # 48 -- flat basketweave tip. hold it at the
bottom of the cake pointing into the cake. this gives you the
width of the tip. make a mark on either side of the tip. continue all around
the cake.
hopefully it will come out with an even #
of uprights. if not you need to do some adjusting to get it to an even
#. that's important to get the weave right. once all the uprights
are in place i start at the bottom of the cake piping a line
of icing from one upright over the next, then skip one and continue all
around the cake. doing it this way helps keep the lines from
going on a slant as you mentioned -- helps but does not gurentee it! :)
i also like to vary the tips i use, making different combinations. i really
like using a plain round tip for the uprights with a star tip
for the weave. play around with it. you'll be surprised how different combinations
look.
if you or anyone else needs further explenation
of how i do this, feel free to e-mail: kakeladi@mindinfo.com
lynne
Author: Val
Subject: basketweave
Date: Sun Jan 25 09:22:24 1998
Message:
Lynne, I found your instructions to be very
easy to understand and looks to be fail-proof.I will save all this for
future reference. One small point I'd like to make is--the small imperfections
in basketweave, not having it perfect I could live with but
to have my work look amatuerish just because I didn't take time out to
practice and learn from others knowledge, that I couldn't handle.
I want to be proud of my work and I could always improve on certain
techniques. So to you and everyone who helped--Thanks a MILLION!!
Author: mickey
Subject: In general.....
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:27:18 1998
Message:
Hi everybody,
The posting about moving the stacked cake
back a little ways set me to thinking, and while that can at times be
dangerous I do have a comment or two on the whole thing.
Relax some folks, don't get in such a tizzy.
I used to do that and would be an absolute wreck by the time I got a
cake finished/delivered or whatever. It just isn't worth it. If you prepare
the cake correctly and move it using common sense you'll be okay,
and so will the cake.
Of course things happen - I got rear ended
one time, and the bride's tier landed upside down, but we made it
through.
Worrying and fretting won't 'protect' a cake,
but taking care to prepare it properly will.
Anyway, happy baking and decorating - and
Enjoy it!
BTW, we're artists so we're allowed to be
a little wacky! Best wishes, Mickey
Author: Val
Subject: Wacky Artist
Date: Sat Jan 24 14:23:12 1998
Message:
I Liked your term of cake decorators being
artists. I never quite thought about it in those terms but you are right.
Only thing ours get eaten and without pictures
we have nothing left but a memory!! I had a customer who liked
her cake so well that she wouldn't let anyone cut it. My son wouldn't either
and put his cake in the freezer for a year!! And they say we are
the wacky ones!! I say cut and enjoy it. If ya want to keep it--take pictures!!
Author: Vi Eastman
Subject: Wacky Customers
Date: Sat Jan 24 14:58:22 1998
Message:
I also had a customer who loved the cake of
her three kitties done in a realistic manner, that she wouldn't let
anyone eat it, too. I even made the kitty design on a gumpaste plaque that
fit on top of the cake, so the whole design could be removed
in one piece. But she STILL wouldn't let her husband or others cut into
it for the birthday party. Her husband had to run to a local
grocery store and buy a quickie cake just so they could have
cake at the party! She kept it for 2 years, and finally had to throw it
out. But when she heard I had taken photographs of the cake,
she asked for an 8" x 10" photo, and she has had that hanging in her kitchen
for the past 6 years now! Definitely out of the ordinary.
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Sugar Artist in general!
Date: Sat Jan 24 15:18:23 1998
Message:
Dear Mickey and others:
I've always said that sugar art is a living
art, art that changes and evolves from person to person. But I do have
one better, we are not only "sugar artist" we are architects (when we design
tall, tierd cakes), carpenters (when we build our own boards
and supports), designers ( when we can execute a design that's in the customers
head), cooks ( when we bake a most outstanding cake) and best
friend/councelor ( when we have to step in between the customer
and the family--ie: during wedding season)all rolled into 1. I wouldn't
change it for the world. This is one of the jobs that let's
me be creative and get paid at the same time.( I know there are others
but I'm too satisfied to find out)
Author: Marie K.
Subject: Sugar Artists
Date: Sat Jan 24 17:23:13 1998
Message:
My daughter is a senior this year and has
been filling out piles of papers, applying to colleges, student aid etc.
In the blank for mother's occupation, she has been putting
"culinary artist." After reading that, I believe I'm standing a little
straighter and feeling a little perkier. ;^)
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Sugar Artists
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:00:46 1998
Message:
oh how sweet! you are so luck to have a daughter
that appreciates what you do. niether of mine would ever concider
any such thing. lynne
Author: T.Leech
Subject: Moist cookie secret
Date: Sat Jan 24 03:13:04 1998
Message:
Does anybody have a secret ingredient that
they use for moist cookies, like adding sour cream to the batch?
Thanks.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Moist Cookies
Date: Sat Jan 24 04:03:00 1998
Message:
If you have never tried cookies with honey
in them, do try some as they are the BEST. I'm not a honey fan, but I am
surely sold on honey cookies for that reason as I like soft cookies. There
are actual honey cookbooks dedicated to baking.
Author: Val
Subject: soft cookies
Date: Sat Jan 24 14:27:34 1998
Message:
When the Soft Batch cookies came onto the
market , there were some home recipes that contained glycerin to copy them.
I don't have the recipe but they were supposed to stay soft.
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Glycerine?
Date: Sat Jan 24 19:13:33 1998
Message:
Didn't I just read recently on this board
that glycerin and corn syrup are nearly the same thing?
Author: Val
Subject: glycerin
Date: Sun Jan 25 09:36:06 1998
Message:
Yep, you did read that and I bet you get the
same results with corn syrup or glycerin!!
Author: Carolyn
Subject: Another suggestion
Date: Sat Jan 24 13:32:18 1998
Message:
I was sorting some stuff and ran across this
suggestion this morning - add 1 Tablespoon of corn syrup to 2-3# of
flour used in cookie recipe. Maybe this does the same thing that honey
does. I really don't know, but if you are trying ideas, you may want to
check it out and in turn, please let us know the results!! Thanks.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Moist cookie secret
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:11:06 1998
Message:
you know nice moist cookies can be made *without*!
changing your recipe. just *under* bake them. most cookies
are overbaked. there are two ways to underbake them..........turn the oven
down a bit and/or take them
*out of the oven* minutes before the time
stated to bake them. if the time sayes 7-10 minutes i'd bake them only
5 or 6.
this is another idea you might want to experiment
with.
let us know what your results are.
lynne
From Dolores....Lynn is SO right! ...Everytime our cookies are dry and hard at the shop, its simply because we left them in the oven too long. Most cookies shouldn't get very brown at all...only a tint.
Author: Kris
Subject: Moist Cookies ( oatmeal )
Date: Sat Jan 24 18:52:09 1998
Message:
This recipe is my grandmother's. These are
by far and away the most moist cookies I have ever had. My family
loves them.
Oatmeal Cookies
1 Cup butter
1/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 Cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 Cup instant oats
Cream your butter and sugars, add eggs, and
vanilla. Whip well. Add your dry ingredients, ending with the oats.
Bake at 375 for 8 min.
Enjoy!!!
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: Methods to ice a cake
Date: Fri Jan 23 23:02:09 1998
Message:
I am constanly trying to find new and better
ways of handling cake decorating chores.
Recently I purchased one of those #279 cake
icer tips and a 20" bag. I haven;t used it yet and was wondering
what other decorators have to say about this method vs traditional spatula
techniques for icing/smoothing cakes.
What's your smoothing method. I used the hot
water/spatula method. I never really liked the paper towel
method...never could get it as smooth as I
like.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter.
Thanks. Jeff Arnett
Author: RobinG
Subject: Decorating Methods
Date: Fri Jan 23 23:10:53 1998
Message:
Jeff: The cake icer tube helps get a more
even layer of icing on the cake, but you still have to smooth with a
spatula. I still put a thin layer of icing first & then a second thin
layer and smooth. I have a very light touch so I really have no problem,
I use the small spatula on the sides and the large one on top.
How about putting a piece of parchment on
the frosted cake & using a fondant smoother, after the icing crusts,
of course.
Author: Shannon
Subject: Re: Decorating Methods
Date: Sat Jan 24 03:14:49 1998
Message:
That's a great idea, using the fondant smoother
with the parchment paper. I have always just used a spatula or my
hand and have never gotten it quite as smooth as I've wanted it. I think
that is going to be my next purchase :)
BTW My method for icing is the same as Lynne's.
The scraper I have now is plastic but the metal ones are better.
They usually have a smoother edge. Shannon :)
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Methods to ice a cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 01:36:13 1998
Message:
hi jeff;
wouldn't be w/o the quick icer! much easier......much
less time spent.
the trick to icing quickly is having freshly
made icing just the right consistency.........soft, but not to soft.
i find a 20" bag just too big. prefere 16
or 18. once you have icing on the cake you do have to 'smooth' it. i use
a commericial 'blade'......don't know really what it is called....maybe
a scraper, but it is metal not plastic. it is about 4 1/2"
high , about 2 1/2 -3" wide. hold it much as one would a spatula except
it dosn't have a handle. turn the turntable one *complete turn
w/o stopping* and the cake is ready! sometimes, if the icing has started
to airate (sp?) it will take using something to finish smoothing--ie:
paper towel/non-woven interfacing/parchment/waxed paper.
today i iced 16", 10" and 6" tiers in about
8 minutes -- that's a bit slow, but icing was *not* my usual recipe. they
were 'dummies' i'm making for display in my shop so i used wilton's class
icing. getting it just to the right consistency i like was a problem :)
lynne
Author: Connie
Subject: Re: Methods to ice a cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 02:08:21 1998
Message:
Jeff' I really like
the quick icer tip but I use it with the 16" bag and then I use a turntable
with a large metal spatula and it's smooth with one full turn.
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Methods to ice a cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:08:43 1998
Message:
Morning all,
I think this is one of those subjective subjects
- no right or wrong answer but whatever works best for you. I've always
used small and large offset spatulas.
A 'funny' from times past. I always suggest
offset spatulas to students, and one came to class with straight ones.
She reported that the clerk in the cake shop said the offset ones were
too hard to use, since it put your hand down on the top of the cake,
- --\__ instead of _____/---
On the subject of spatulas, make sure you
buy good ones, Some of the cheaper ones are very limber, and just
won't work very well. Happy decorating!
Mickey :> :>
Author: Tami
Subject: re:Icing a Cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 11:23:52 1998
Message:
Jeff, Believe it or
not, I use a putty knife to help smooth.
One of the large ones. It's longer than my
large spatula
and just as easy to use, but I do only use
in on the top.
I also use a non-textured paper towel for
the sides, the trick is to use it when the icing has just dried enough
to touch, about 3 or 4 minutes, if the icings too dry, the
results are awful.
With all the replys, you'll have lots of new
ways to try. Good luck!
Tami
Author: MaraTLee
Subject: Methods of icing cake smooth
Date: Sun Jan 25 10:24:19 1998
Message:
Hi guys:
Here is my method, it's strange but it's fast
and when you get used to it, it's super easy -especially when you have
a ton of cakes to do. I use classic buttercream recipes and use cake rings
in assorted sizes. The sizes they don't sell, I have made. I use a cake
ring 1" larger than my cake then pipe a thin layer of icing all around
the inside of the ring; Place it on a board the same size as
the ring, place the layer of cake inside, use a bag to fill in all the
holes, make my dam, use my filling, lay another layer of cake
on top, ice the top, smooth with a large spatula. Place whole
thing in freezer to let the icing freeze, remove, Hit the ring with a portable
butane torch (very lightly) the ring slips off and I have a
perfectly smooth, with perfect right angles cake. I train my staff to do
it like this because it takes to long for them to do it the
other way and they will spend "hours" to work smooth, as they gain confidence,
they learn new tech.( It's a lot simpler than it sounds actually!)
: lisa wenneman
Subject: icing
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:15:19 1998
Message:
Hi, I have purchased several cakes from sugar
craft for different occassions and I have been very pleased. I have
however tried different icings and prefer the one that is not as sweet
and that you have to refrigerate but the last time that I ordered
that it was not the same as the time before and when I ordered this last
cake I was not sure which it was that I like so well and they explained
the difference but neither one seemed to be correct. One of the ladies
that makes the cakes her daughter waited on me and let me try one of the
icings that she likes very much and that is the one that I ordered
and it was very good but the last time I ordered it was like Krogers icing
which i do not like. Please help me figure out which one it is that
i want so that my cake is exactly what i order. thenk you very much.
Author: Jeannine
Subject: cake mix recipe
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:06:59 1998
Message:
I am looking for a recipe to make cake doughnuts
from a cake mix, i.e., cherry chip, sour cream etc. Can anyone help
me with this? Thanks.
Author: Connie
Subject: Wedding cake problem
Date: Thu Jan 22 23:17:17 1998
Message:
I have a wedding cake coming up that's 5 tiers,One8"
seperated by the crystal clear spiked set then a 10" and 12"
thats stacked and then seperated by the spiked pillars with the base of
the cake being a stacked 14" and 16". I have a 10 mile up and
down hill journey to the reception hall. How can I put a center dowel in
the 2 stacked cakes (I don't want them to shift) if I'm using the
spiked set? I don't want to use cardboard circle's between the stacked
layers because I'm afraid the weight of the cake will push through the
cardboards. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Wedding cake problem
Date: Thu Jan 22 23:37:21 1998
Message:
connie, connie, connie :(
you *must* use cake circles between the stacked
tiers with support under them.
you do *not* put the tiers together until
you are at the reception.
in other words: make/stack any tiers that
are together. place your pillars but do not have the tier on top of the
pillars.
if you have your cake done the night before
the icing will have time to set up enough to hold those stacked tiers
together for the 10 mile trip. Or at least have it done early in the morning
for evening delivery. another help if you have room is to chill
those layers stacked. cold icing is harder than warm and will hold the
two cakes together. lynne
Author: Val
Subject: traveling cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 14:32:26 1998
Message:
I lay a piece of new carpet pad in the vehicle
I'm transporting my cakes in. Set the cakes on it and it keeps them from
sliding as it is real "grippy". Space them out on the pad. I keep a piece
of this just for that purpose.
Author: Connie
Subject: Stacked Wedding Cake
Date: Fri Jan 23 00:28:18 1998
Message:
Thanks for the advice. My main concern was
the stacked cakes sliding apart during the trip. I will be using a
plastic separater between the l6" cake and the 14" cake because I am concerned
that cardboard will not support the weight of the 12" and 10" stack on
the tier above.
Normally I would use a cardboard circle with
a dowel thru the stack to prevent them from shifting and I don't
want to drill a hole thru the plastic separater plate if I can avoid it.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Stacked Wedding Cake
Date: Fri Jan 23 01:48:26 1998
Message:
cake circles -- those sold in shops will support
the weight if you properly support the tiers with dowels, straws or
jacks. don't try to make your own boards by cutting up a box or such.
the seperator plates is another good choice.
again, supporting them w/dowels or whatever is important. i have
transported many a cake as much as 300 + miles with no problem. the main
thing i feel is giving it time to 'dry' or set up which means
letting the icing harden. this time of year there should not be a problem.
if it was middle of summer with high heat then there might be some
concern. let us know how it all goes. lynne
Author: Julia
Subject: Re: Re: Stacked Wedding Cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 17:28:15 1998
Message:
When people talk about supporting stacked
tiers with dowels, straws, or jacks, I'm not sure if they mean regular
drinking straws, or the hollow, plastic dowels on the market? Can regular
drinking straws be used? Also, what are jacks? Thanks.
Author: lynne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Stacked Wedding Cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 19:17:54 1998
Message:
hi julia;
straws: regular plastic soda straws used for
soft drinks in take out resturants! yes they do work. tho i'd hesitate
to use them in the bottom tier of a 5 or 6 tier cake :)
dowels: usually referes to 1/4" to 3/8" round 'sticks'
that can be purchased at hardware/lumber/craft stores. they
usually come in 3' lengths for about $1or $2. these are then cut with a
saw into lengths as needed. take one dowel and insert it into your
cake and mark it level with cake. remove and cut all needed to this same
length. usually 6-8 are used in the bottome tier, then 4-6 in each
tier progressing up.
the hollow plastic 'dowels' (simular to a
pillar) are useable also. very good. these can be cut to length. problem
i found is getting them cut completely straight. even with
a miter box it was not possible.
test to know if dowel is cut straight -- does
it stand alone straight up and down?
jacks: at ices a number of yrs ago, a lady
had 'perfected' a plastic rod (about the diamator of a thin pencil) that
had a screw head in it. the ideas was all cakes (even tho leveled) do not
come out completely the same height each and every time so
all you had to do was adjust the screw until you had all the 'jacks' level.
problems was getting them back. at about $1 ea it got expensive.
their answer was to charge more for the cake and not worry
about getting them back. well i didn't always use them so i never knew
when to charge extra :) besides i don't like to have to pay for something
to be thrown out when it can be re-used over and over.
hope that explains it plain as mud :) lynne
Author: Sherry V.
Subject: Re: Wedding cake problem
Date: Fri Jan 23 07:40:14 1998
Message:
Connie,
I certainly have no expertise in this size
and complexity of cake, but I do have a thought about the transportation.
I don't know what type of vehicle you'll be using, but is it
possible for someone else to drive, and for you to "babysit"
the cakes? If I can, I get someone to drive so I can hold on my lap the
one I'm most concerned about, supporting and acting as a sort
of "shock absorber." You have two stacks...will they be in the back of
a van?
Could you ride back there with the cakes?
I feel safer doing this, knowing I could at least catch a problem before
it could turn disaster. And Lynn's right - I'd make sure that cake was
cold, cold, cold....goosebumpy even. :)
BTW, this cake sounds huge; how many servings
is it?
Best wishes, and don't forget to let us know
how it goes! Sherry V.
Author: Connie
Subject: Wedding cake
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:12:25 1998
Message:
Hi Sherry,
Yes,this is a large cake and it will also
have 2-16" satellite cakes that are going with it,so it should serve around
470 people.To answer you guestion about the kind of vehicle I'll be using
I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee so there's plenty of room for
this cake. I had planned to have my husband drive while my son sat in front
with the 8" cake while I sat in the back with the 2 stacked cakes
and 2 satellite cakes but my concerns were because I have done
cakes this big before but I've either used the dowel&pillar and/or
stacked method or just the spiked pillars.I've never done a
spiked and stacked combination before and was afraid to put cardboard cake
circles between the stacked layers like I usually do because I thought
the excessive weight of the cake would cause the pillars to pierce
or warp the cardboard after I assembled it at the reception.So I decided
on plastic plates instead for more support but then I couldn't use
a center dowel because of the plastic seperator plates unless I drilled
a hole in them.I guess the whole problem is can I get away with not
using a center dowel without having the cakes shift during transport?
Author: lynne
Subject: re:center dowel
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:32:29 1998
Message:
yes connie you can. in fact if dolores was
around she would be scolding you for even thinking of using it. she
thinks it comprimises your cakeboard to begin with. since i have used a
center dowel method to transport many cakes and never had any problems
i guess i really don't agree with dolores on this one :)
lynne
Author: RobinG
Subject: Wedding Cake
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:54:22 1998
Message:
Connie: When I do a huge cake like this, your
14" & 16" should have cardboard between the layers, but make
sure your 16" has at least 4-6 dowels in it - and the same with your 10"
& 12" layers, the 12" should have 4-6 dowels in it.
This gives your bottom layers support &
keeps it from bulging out on the sides. I then put a single dowel through
the center of each, through the cardboard, so it won't shift. The 8" is
in one box, the 10" & 12" is already together in another
box, and the 14" & 16" in already together in the third box. I even
place the spiked pillars into the cakes & all you have
to do then, is sit the plates on the pillars when you get there. With all
this good advise from everyone, I'm sure you'll be fine!
Author: Jeffery Arnett
Subject: A GREAT idea about stacking cakes.
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:55:01 1998
Message:
I used to worry about the same thing. Now,
when I do a stacked cake, I do it the easy way.
I purchased several of the one-plate divider
systems that are common these days. The particluar one I use is the
Easy To Use Trimmable Pillar Set, found on page 71 [item D] of the Maid
of Scandanavia Sweet Celebrations Catalog [call 1-800-328-6722
for a catalog if you don't have this one].
This set is a single plate with four of the
push-in type pillars that are very slender and cut easily to any length
with a serrated kitchen knife, though I bought an inexpensie
miter box at the hardware store to do this with.
To stack a cake, ice the lower tier. Using
a plate of the same size as the upper tier of the stack, press the pillar
projections into the cake to mark the location of the pillars.
Ice the cake on the same size plate. Using
a large wooden skewer [like those you buy at the grocery for kabobs]
or a long thin dowel, insert the skewer into the bottom layer to find the
lowest point. Cut the four pillars to this exact length.
I usually chill both layers before stacking. Attach
the pillars to the plate, center over the projection marks and
release. THe pillars will sink into the cake and come to rest on the bottom
plate.....the results...a perfectly supported stacked cake.
THe plates can be reused. I usually keep a
supply of pillars [4 for about $3.00] and just add their cost to that of
the cake. No center dowel is needed and I have never had any problems moving
a cake such as this. I have taken cakes as far as 200 miles without
incident. Hope this helps. Jeff Arnett
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Wedding cake problem
Date: Sat Jan 24 09:49:56 1998
Message:
Hi,
If you wrap or cover the cardboard round so
it will not absorb moisture, and dowel the lower tier of each set,
they should not sink one in the other. Be sure the upper layer of each
set is on the suface and not even slightly above the lower one, and they
should not move.
If you have the cakes really cold, you could
run in to a sweating situation, and that could add to the cakes possibly
moving.
Let your hubby drive, and you ride and chat
with him. If you try to hold a cake, if it does try to go somewhere you
could do more damage trying to hold it than if it were sitting on the carpeting.
I have baked and delivered cakes for 30+ years and have never had
major problems with moving them. Like I mentioned several
pages back, I use plastic straws cut to length for 'dowels' and they work
extremely well! Good luck, Mickey
:> :>
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: RE: stacked cake
Date: Sat Jan 24 22:32:49 1998
Message:
Well, Ladies....you are all braver than I!
I live on a mountain...getting a cake out of my driveway is a challenge,
let alone off the mountain!! I NEVER, NEVER transport a cake
stacked!!!! (I've learned the hard way-and yes, I've tried most all of
the stated suggestions) All my cakes are decorated individually on plasic
plates. I use the cakejacks for support (and don't seem to have much
trouble having them returned-lucky me). Cakes that are to be stacked
do not have a bottom border and are placed on plates only an inch larger
than the cake size.(i.e. a 8" cake on a 9" plate)At the reception
I set up the cake and pipe the final base borders. With the 1" size difference,
the base border covers the edge of the plate. This method eliminates certain
decorating styles, and requires some extra time at the reception
site, but all in all, it is worth the extra effort. Good luck!
Jackie
Author: Margaret
Subject: Buttercream or whipped?
Date: Thu Jan 22 20:12:27 1998
Message:
Which is the sweetest? Customer is not sure
which one she wants, all she knows is she doesn't want a real sweet
frosting on her cake. Thanks Margaret
Author: Roshelle
Subject: Buttercream or Whipped
Date: Thu Jan 22 21:30:20 1998
Message:
Like lynne stated earlier, I think it's a
matter of personal taste. I have found that snow white buttercream is not
as rich and sweet as the buttercream that uses butter and/or
butter flavored shortening (my personal taste). You might go
down to your local grocery where they make the whipped icing and ask if
you can taste it. Also, if you don't want to make it, I have in the
past bought just the icing premade from the grocery/bakery in a tub (just
had to call a day or so ahead of time so they would have it made).
It was so much more convenient. I don't get much call for whipped
icing, so it was just easier that way. Just some ideas. Good luck!!!
Author: Val
Subject: Whipped?
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:44:15 1998
Message:
Is this whipped icing like the marshmallowy
creme type you find on the ice cream cakes from Dairy Queen?
Author: Roshelle
Subject: Whipped Cream Icing
Date: Sat Jan 24 12:19:37 1998
Message:
I've never had any of the whipped cream icing
from Dairy Queen, I don't know where you are from or if they
have these grocery stores in your area, but Kroger and Albertson's is where
you can find it around here. I don't remember it having a marshmellow
taste, I just remember that it melted so easily, and you had to keep it
really cool. It was good, but I don't really like to deal with it
because I don't have enought space to keep the cake in my refrigerator
when it's completed.
Author: Margaret
Subject: Store
Date: Sat Jan 24 15:42:41 1998
Message:
I tried the Kroger here in town, but they
said they can't sell it to me, but I will check with ALbertons and Winn
Dixie, Thanks Margaret
Author: Margaret
Subject: Not sure
Date: Sat Jan 24 15:40:11 1998
Message:
I am not real sure, never had that kind ,
all I know is she wants the kind the stores use and I asked the store bakery
here in town & the told me that aren't allowed to sell their frosting
Author: RobinG
Subject: Buttercream or Whipped
Date: Fri Jan 23 23:02:20 1998
Message:
Hi Margaret:
Since buttercream is made mostly with sugar
& shortening I personally feel buttercream is definitely sweeter.
Whipped cream is less sweet, but has to be
refrigerated so that has to be a consideration also.
Most of my customers prefer the whipped, but
I do use the non-dairy whipped cream as opposed to the heavy cream because
it holds up & is much easier to work with.
Good luck, whichever one you decide on.
Author: Jennifer
Subject: which is sweeter
Date: Sat Jan 24 01:54:07 1998
Message:
Buttercream icing is sweeter and richer by
far than whipped cream icing. I've never had the commercial non-dairy
whipped icings, other than Cool Whip, so I don't know about them. However,
many people have the misconception that whipped cream is much less
fattening that buttercream because it isn't as rich and has a lighter
consistency, which it isn't. Whipped cream made with heavy cream has about
40 g of fat per cup, my buttercream has about 50 g per cup. The buttercream
does have more sugar, but they're not really that different. Whipped cream
is definately not "light" in terms of calories!
Author: Janet
Subject: 2" cake layers
Date: Thu Jan 22 19:06:21 1998
Message:
I have not been decorating for a very long
time. I have recently made a couple of wedding cakes and both times
had trouble getting my layers to bake up the full 2" height without being
very coarse or else cracking, collapsing of being overly browned
and dried out.
I've tried those metallic cloth strips, but
the layer still weren't full height. This makes it hard to get the layers
leveled perfectly flat ( I have one of those saw-type levelers) without
having to make the layer more thin than I want. I use Duncan-Hines
mixes prepared as per their instructions.
Soes anyone know a better way of doing this?
Any additives or other suggestions to get high, moist, evenly baked layers
will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Janet Mills
Author: Tami
Subject: Re: 2"cake layers
Date: Thu Jan 22 20:35:44 1998
Message:
I use the instruction section in the back
of the Wilton Yearbooks. For each size of layer, it gives the
number of cups to put in the pan. I use that is they always
rise to their full height. Be sure to use the correct baking temp.
and time (test for doneness) as the bigger pans cook at a reduced
temp. For a all the mixes I use a 1/4 Cup flour and 1 egg added
to each mix for a firmer cake.
I haven't had a problem with cracking, but
I use a different commercial mix. I do level my cakes after
they've cooled fifteem minutes while they are still in the pan. But
I use dental floss (I use this to torte too).
Hope this helps. Tami
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: Re: 2"cake layers
Date: Thu Jan 22 20:53:04 1998
Message:
Hi,
Do you use the butter or oil mixes. I prefer
the butter mixes and I use Betty Crocker. The work very well for me
and handle easily. I think the butter mixes give a better, firmer texture.
Do you use a core when you bake larger layers
- if not try it with your next one and see if that helps. You can buy
the cores or make your own - small metal juice cans or even soup cans work
well. After the cake cools you can take the cake piece out
of the core and just put it in the cake center.
Check your oven temp too. If it's a bit hot
your baking time could be off. I've seen ovens off by 50 degrees or
more. Can really make a difference. Hope this helps a
tad. mickey :>)
Author: Val
Subject: cake cores
Date: Fri Jan 23 00:23:59 1998
Message:
Mickey,
Could you explain the core method you described?
I'm not sure what you mean or how to use a soup can. Do you cut both
ends out and place it in the middle of the cake?
Author: Sly
Subject: flower nail as a baking core
Date: Fri Jan 23 07:23:55 1998
Message:
For 2" deep pans under 14" you can also use
a flower nail as a baking core. Just grease & flour it and invert it
into the center of your pan.
This leaves only a small hole when you remove
it after baking, and there's no "plug" you have to piece back in.
Author: mickey
Subject: Re: cake cores
Date: Sat Jan 24 09:29:04 1998
Message:
Hi,
Sorry I didn't explain myself. I have the
bad habit sometimes of being clear as mud!
Take both ends out of the can, wash it well.
I don't grease it so the cake core is the same height as the rest of the
layer. If you grease it the batter can't hold on to the sides as will give
you that notorious 'rounding' we try to avoid.
Really it's the same principle as not greasing
the sides of cake pans.
You don't have to put as much batter in the
core or it will rise over the top.
Sometimes when I want to cut the number of
servings but retain tier size, I use up to a 6 inch pan wall in the center
and leave it empty.
I hope this helps you out. Just holler if
I didn't make it clear. Happy baking all,
Mickey :> :>
Author: Val
Subject: Cake cores
Date: Sat Jan 24 09:59:19 1998
Message:
Mickey,
Thanks for the explanation. I understand alot
better,but a few more questions.. Is the idea of this to have less
amount of cake?? Then what do you put where that empty hole is?? Or is
the idea to help it bake from the middle out(like with the rose nail in
the middle)? Or both?? I would like to try these techniques and is it usually
used on larger cakes?? TIA!!
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: 2" cake layers
Date: Thu Jan 22 21:58:46 1998
Message:
Hello!
Sounds to me like your pans are not filled
enough. Fill at least 1/2 to 2/3 full. One box of mix will not make two
2" high 8" round layers...I always make double batches and
fill my pans as I suggested. I use the baking strips, I also
turn my oven down somewhat...some people turn the temp. down 25 degrees.
Another item that produces nearly level results is a baking
stone (available thru 'Pampered Chef'and gourmet kitchen shops). The stone
helps to evenly distribute the oven heat...coupled with the
baking strips, I get white cakes that come out barely brown and
incredibly moist!
I add a box of instant pudding and an extra
egg to my mixes.
I use Pillsbury Plus white cake mix, which
often needs 1/4 cup of flour added to it. Keep at it, and good luck!
Jackie
Author: Janet
Subject: Baking Stone?
Date: Fri Jan 23 22:39:11 1998
Message:
Can you tell me more about this baking stone
and how it's used? Thanks.
Author: Val
Subject: baking stone
Date: Sat Jan 24 10:15:30 1998
Message:
I didn't sumbit the original article on the
baking stones,but I will tell you about them. They are bakeware,such as
cookie sheets,cake pans pizza pans,etc. made of a clay material that you
bake with.They are wonderful as they bake more evenly . I have
3 of them. The idea of using them for cakes is (I think) to put one under
your cake pan & the cake will rise more evenly. Never use
soap with these as it will absorb the taste. The nice thing about them
is you just scrape off the food under running water rinse dry and store
in you oven. Also they need to be "seasoned" like cast iron
does, With oil, the first time or 2 you use it. Then you don't need to
grease it each time. I use mine for everything-potatoes, chicken,cakes,cookies.Cookies
made on a baking stone cannot be compared to a regular cookie sheet--thay
are moister & rise nicer.I have made an attempt to explain,if I have
not made anything clear,write back.
Author: Jackie N.
Subject: baking stone!
Date: Sat Jan 24 22:39:11 1998
Message:
You did a good job of describing the baking
stone, Val...I love mine! I just want to make sure that everyone
understands that the stone (I use the 9x13's) should be place on the rack
BELOW your cake pans-don't put cake pans directly on top of
them! Also, with the stone in place, you may notice that cakes take a bit
longer to bake-even up to 15 minutes more, depending on the
flavor! Try 'em! Jackie