Lkfarkas

I'm pretty new to the sourdough gig myself. I started a starter, got it going, and then made some pretty nice loaves by following the recipe in the King Arthur book....maybe if you're new to this, check it out....it worked pretty well for me.

Gee, I didn't mean to start a "is-Wilton-crap" discussion here. I just wanted to state that while Wilton would be an ok starting point for some, I personally found their cutters to be frustrating to work with. I often tell my employees that when I started out, I thought Wilton stuff was GREAT! But, now that I work more often with various products, I find the majority of their stuff to be great for the at-home baker who occasionally dabbles in cakedom. Those who have a heavier use/more experienced hand will find most of Wilton stuff frustrating. The GP kit is how I started, and thought the book was interesting. However, I thinkI needed a more visual demo/book, and found some of the Nic Lodge videos really handy. Eeeeeek! I didn't want to start a Wilton argument!

Thanks, Chufi....are you Hungarian? I love rhubarb, and can't wait to make up this cake....thanks again!

I love my brownies a bit crunchy on the top, and fudgy in the middle. No nuts, either, please. Mmmmmm.

Chufi, Beautiful cake...did you use the recipe on the first page w/the crystallized ginger? I'd love to make your version, it's so pretty! Please share!

You can use petal dust on the flowers, color the paste before making them, "paint" (petal dust + small amt. of vodka) the petals, or dunk the whole flower in a vodka/dust bath & twirl to remove any extra residue. Be careful with dunking, though....too long in there can soften your flowers....eek!

Just my .02, but I loathe wilton ANYthing! Their book is okay to get the gist of what you're doing, but the cutters are awful. Scott Clark Wooley has a great book, and I *think* there may be some tutorial stuff at nicholaslodge.com. His recipe for GP is the only one I'll use. Many others won't dry properly, etc.... I'm self-taught, but have seen several videos and have several books. Honestly, it's cheaper time-wise for me to buy them (so, maybe my opinion isn't worth squat! LOL)...

I am, by far, NO expert on sourdough. But, from what I've been reading, sourdough starters will each take on the wild yeast in your area. So, that being said....a San Fransisco starter and an Indiana starter, both in Florida, will both end up being Florida starters. What happens in the interim, I'm not sure....but from what I've read they become "local" no matter where they came from.

I went through the first 2 pages of this thread only, so pardon the repeat if someone's already said this. I bake wedding cakes. I do so mostly with "doctored" cake mixes. However, my preference in doing so it twofold: I like to provide a consistant product every single time. I can't always do that with scratch. (maybe I just suck. ya never know...), and I want to give my client something that they're familiar with....which is, mostly, mixes. Now, my mixes aren't "typical" in that I add all kinds of crap to them, but they start with mixes, regardless. However, I know plenty of folks who will tell you that scratch cakes are "dry". Not really the case, but a substantially different crumb. So, I want to give the vast majority of people what they're used to. Does that make me wrong? I don't think so....plus, even my least...bright...employee can make them w/out messing them up....the "screw up factor" is pretty high.

We just bought a shop. We're looking to put an oven in there, but are unsure what's best for commercial cakes? I do weddings, etc., but from home currently. What kind do you use? Deck or rack? Convection or...not? Please help! Thanks so much! ~Lisa

*Gasp* ~Coming out from under the table~ I like powdered sugar too. *Sigh* I even like powdered sugar "buttercream". Granted, I like "real" buttercream too...but....each has it's place, for me...

I'm pretty sure it was K8 whom I quote, "Doritos crunch...cake shouldn't". I saw that Disney special & hate that many of my brides did too. They all think that fondant is inedible (as many of you do too, apparently!), but have never tried it, thanks to that stupid show. As far as I know, silver lustre dust is "outlawed" (er, whatever) in California for food consumption. There were about 10 million Mickey Mouse heads stamped on that cake - so that was my thinking on why they peeled off the fondant....but I could be wrong.

Oh yeah. The bakery at the Union does a lot of cakes. Perhaps they can tell you what they use? You can ask for the number (it's called Sugar & Spice) through the IU directory - 812-855-4848. Maybe they'd have some IU picks or something?

I'm in Bloomington, home to IU. I've done my share of cream & crimson cakes. My best advice is to airbrush it (of course you may not have access to that - Wilton does make a can of red spray, but some of them are rumored to taste "minty" - try it first!). Second advice is to do the fondant or gumpaste route. The pre-colored red fondant is a great option (no red flavor, by the way!). Just roll, cut, and place. Other options include a fondant or gpaste plaque colored w/the food color pens (not too "pro" looking, usually), or edible images printed on edible paper w/food coloring. Some bakeries will do an edible image for a small fee for you. Best of luck! Also, there are some food coloring brands that work better in reds. There are powdered colors that are great, as well as "Super Red" which is great too. Let color sit overnight, as it will often intensify.

I use these as sugar cookies. I think they make a really good cookie. However, I roll them pretty thick, so I'm not sure how they are as a thinner cookie. I glaze the entire cookie, which seals them, and have had them sit out for ages with little ill effect. Also, I usually cut fondant and stick them on top - but also know of a "modified royal icing" that a lot of decorators use. It's stackable, but not tooth-chipping. I'll see if I can find that recipe as well. Cookie: Cream 1 lb butter with 2 c. sugar. Add 2 eggs, and beat. Add 2 t. vanilla or butavan and mix. Mix in 6 c. flour. Will be slightly crumbly, but will come together when "pushed" together. Bake at 400 degrees F for 6-7 minutes or until just barely browned. Glaze: 1 c. confectioners sugar, 2-3 T. water, 1 T. light corn syrup, and a few drops of flavor. Mix & brush on. Modified Royal Icing: 1 lb. confectioners sugar, 3 T. merengue powder, 5-6 T. water, and 1/2 c. butter. Hope something works for you!

Mmmmm. Okay...so, how does one alter the original recipe to make them "fruity" or whatnot? I read Patrick's post, but he said they got very fragile. Did anyone do any further experiments with them? Yum! *Soooo happpppyyy!*

Not that it matters any more, but doesn't LorAnn oils make a rootbeer flavoring? Perhaps that would have worked? Interesting.

Call Choco-pan - they'll send you out a nice batch of samples. I find it a little hard to use - it's very stretchy. I make a chocolate clay (chocolate couverture & corn syrup) and mix it with Satin Ice (Or Pettinice...acutally, now that I'm thinking of it, I use FondX now....) at about a 50/50 ratio. Gets the chocolate flavor with the useability of the Satin Ice (FondX). Hope that helps!

I use a buttercream that is a bit less sweet than regular bc's. It's made w/crisco, though. It's like a cross between whipped cream (texture-wise) and bcream. Maybe it'd work for you? I use it under my FondX or SatinIce. The recipe is: 2/3 c. tepid water 2 c. confectioner's sugar 1/4 c. merengue powder heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt (popcorn salt) 3 teaspoons flavor - vanilla, almond, whatever... Beat these with a whip attachment on medium until smooth. Add 28oz crisco and whip on medium for 6-10 minutes. It's done when it rises up in the bowl. Covers a half-sheet, or a 14" 2-layer round w/borders. Edit to add: I just realized I'm a moron....merengue powder is out for you (eggs)....I have made this recipe w/out it, and it's fine...just a bit less whippy.

Could you pipe a "dam" of one of the flavors, in one of the shapes? That way, it'd hold it in while you flooded the other?

Thank you, thank you! Much appreciated!

Gave it a try. Defintely need a heat lamp, and the burner would be nice too. I can't say I was overly successful, but I started to get the hang of it a bit. It's fun! Thanks for the tips!

Good morning! I've decided I'm going to "dabble" a bit in sugar pulling/blowing. I only bought the minimum of supplies, as I don't want to invest much in something until I know it's something I want to work with a bit more. So, that being said, I've got clear Venuance pearls, a pump & hose, and a wooden tube. No lamp or burner yet...is there anything I can use temporarily? Can I nuke it in the micro for a second to reheat, or use the hair-dryer, a heating pad, or a culinary torch instead of the burner? Also, what's up with the wooden tube? I've heard that copper is great too. Is there a difference? And, how do I color this? I've seen the colored pearls - can you use food color gels? Thanks for any help - I've never done this type of work before. Any other advice (besides, "Watch out, it's HOT!" )? Thanks!

I didn't read thru the other posts, but I read that sea-bands (an accupressure bracelet from the drug store) are very helpful. Also, look for "Preggie Pops" - lolly pops that help with morning sickness. My Once Upon A Time carries them. Hope that helps!

Just my quick .02 here. I, too, "do cakes" (don't they all? LOL). I mostly use doctored mixes. My main reasoning for this is twofold: 1.) I want to offer a consistent product each & every time I bake for someone. For some reason, I can't do that from scratch. Scratch cakes seem more fickle to me, and while *sometimes* I can get something I'm happy with, other times I can't. (Er, maybe it's just a me thing...) 2.) Most of my clientele seems to be "used to" the texture/feel of a box mix. I've had a lot of my clients come to me and say that another local baker's scratch cakes are dry. Which, is always a possiblity, but I've had them and know it's just a finer crumb...which can appear dry to those who are used to boxed/grocery store stuff. So....I say give 'em what they like. I have clients who rave over my cakes - doctored or straight-boxed. If they like it, they'll come back. That's what matters, isn't it? When asked, I just simply say that it's my own recipe. It is, isn't it, when it's doctored? Good to see you here, K8 and Dailey! I've been here for awhile, just hard to find time to post very often...and, I'm in a sea of pros here, so I often just observe!