chefpeon

And you'd rather eat egg replacer? If you hate "eggy" desserts, then don't make it. It's eggy. Perhaps, though, it is a dessert that calls for many eggs, but doesn't TASTE eggy. Could be that the almond meal overpowers that part of it which you dislike. My suggestion? Make it "as is" because any substitution you use just won't be as good. Taste it. If you hate it, then slice it up and give it to the neighbors. You'll be able to try something new, and if you don't like it, your neighbors will love you.

And I've always been told that stirring TOO vigorously can cause separation also. Hmmm. Talk about confusing. Who knows what's right anymore, eh? For the record, I've never had any problems with separating.....I just stir it a bit about every 30 seconds or so, approximately.

Try here. Really pretty laser cut black cupcake liners.....but.....they are $8 per 10.

In reading this thread and seeing what kind of recipes are offered in regard to what you are looking for, I think mine in particular doesn't quite fill the bill. You may want to try the others first.....if you try mine at all, you should do that one last. (As a last resort).

Yeah, my servings come out real similar to yours, Jeanne. I haven't seen RLB's serving chart....uh.....I don't own the "Cake Bible".....am I bad? I think if I bought that book now, it would just screw me up! I also give a gift certificate for the anniversary cake. BUT! If they lose the certificate....too bad! They must have it in their possession when they place their order (there's a number on it that I verify). I don't keep records of old cake orders (especially year-old cake orders) but I do have my certificates numbered. The reason for this? At my old cake shop, the record keeping was lousy. People knew they could get a "free" anniversary cake. They would tell friends. Friends would pretend they had a wedding a "year ago" and call the shop. The shop would give them a free 6" cake no questions asked. Yeah, that was just ONE of the reasons that place tanked. Being on a sinking ship was no fun at all. Sorry to veer off topic. Back to regular programming. Leavening? Yeah, that's it.

I actually have no problem baking larger cakes, just by adjusting the oven temp down. I'm trying the flower nail thing to see if there is a definite advantage to using one. If I don't detect much difference then I probably won't use it in the future. I just want to see if there IS a major difference. However, even when I use the flower nail, I will still lower the oven temp as needed for the larger diameter cakes. In my experience, I have not really had any problems when baking larger cakes that have the same percentage of leavening in them as the smaller ones. So I really don't see much of a need to adjust, to be honest. Also, having worked in a production cake shop, many sizes of cakes came from one mixerful of batter. It wouldn't have been a very efficient use of time to mix each cake individually with it's own measurement of leavening......

You know, what the heck, I think I'll try the flower nail thing. I'm always up for something new and better. Besides, I never use my flower nails for flowers, as I prefer to make my flowers on a stick. I've got some big cakes coming up this month and I will be anxious to see if there's any kind of difference. I'll report back on results as compared to my usual way of NOT using a flower nail. Of course, a "big" cake for me goes no larger than a 16" round......I don't have any access to an oven that will accomodate anything bigger than that! My commercial convection ovens will, but those stupid ovens have way too many hot spots for me to risk decent cake baking in them. So, that makes my wedding cakes less wide and more tall......

Flower nail? What does that do? Distribute the heat from the center out? I've never had a problem with cakes falling or anything, so haven't really sought out a solution since I've never had a problem. I use commercial mixers all the time....the only thing you have to watch with those is under or over-mixing. Either one can happen. You have to know your mixer. But you got me beat..... I have never baked a 20 inch cake. Holey moley!

Gotta say.....I've never "altered" a recipe for a cake. Messing with the balance of a cake...not a good thing. Other than the obvious doubling or cutting in half of ingredients (if you want to make a larger or smaller cake), lowering the oven temp a bit is always a wise idea if you go larger. That's about the only "alteration" needed.

Ok, ganache fits most of the criteria you are looking for (if you use a slightly whipped ganache, that is). But whipped ganache does not set on the surface like you are describing, and when whipped, is not shiny. I have a recipe you may want to try: 2 oz softened butter 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup cocoa powder (the darker the better) apprx. 1/2 cup milk (or water) 12 oz cream cheese In mixer, with whip, combine the softened butter, the powdered sugar and the milk. Whip it around a bit, it will seem kinda crumbly, but that's ok. Then add the cream cheese and whip til fluffy. Then add the cocoa powder, mix on low to combine, scrape down the bowl, and whip till fluffy. This is the point where you may want to add more milk or water (or even cream) to get it to just the right consistency you want. This recipe fits all the criteria you state above. I think it's pretty yummy too. This REALLY doesn't taste like a cream cheese icing, don't let the cream cheese fool you. The tang of the cream cheese offsets the sweetness of the sugar and enhances the dark chocolate taste you are looking for. Hope this works for you.

I cannot imagine that someone would hire you to teach a "pastry/baking party" for teenagers and have no clue what they want. Obviously they're interested in baking....you'd think they'd have at least SOME idea....... Of course, I get a lot of brides that have absolutely no opinion on their wedding cake either. Trying to get them to choose a design is like pulling teeth. I wish they had those heart defibrillators for people's brains. ZAP!!! Hellllooooooo? Any one THERE? Funny side note: Although I'm a professional PC now, (chose this career...would you believe), if my Mom had given me a "baking party" when I was 16, it would have been a room in hell. Back then, it was all about boys. All boys all the time. Talk about boys...look at boys.... dream about boys.....chase boys......baking????!?!?!? Bleah!

If you use the greater amount of butter, you will have richer, softer shells. Use less butter, and they will be a bit less flavorful (if you can call them "flavorful"), and a bit more crisp.

Holy freakin' moley!!!!! I echo Kris.......most cakes have a layer of buttercream already under the fondant. The buttercream is needed to create a smooth surface on which to lay the fondant, since fondant really can pick up surface imperfections in the cake. Not only that, but if you are laying white fondant on a chocolate cake you really need the buttercream or the cake will show through. I can't imagine delivering a wedding cake (it must be on the table before the reception begins), and then standing around and waiting for cake cutting time (usually about an hour into the reception), and then re-icing the whole thing I just got done decorating. Crazy. That's too crazy. Cake people have WAY too much to do to offer that kind of service. ESPECIALLY during wedding season!!!!

And in some countries, eggs are sitting out at room temperature in the store. I remember being so shocked when I saw that. Another thought.....think of how you make Creme Fraiche. People eat that all the time. One of my personal cardinal rules is that I ALWAYS chill down a wedding cake before I deliver it. Never ever, do I work on it up to the point of delivery, then take it to the reception site. That is just sitting out too long, and I'm not just talking about the stability of pastry cream filling, I'm talking about buttercream softening, etc. I've delivered enough cakes to know that heat is your main enemy. My cakes are finished at least 2 to 4 hours before it has to go, then into refrigeration it goes. Yes, even fondant cakes. I have found that if I use a large (or a couple of large food grade plastic bags) to completely seal off a fondant cake in the walk-in, condensation is a lot less a problem. Besides, I choose the lesser of evils. I'd rather deliver a chilled cake than a warm or semi-warm one. Chilled cakes are much easier to deliver.....much less disastrous. In comparison, a little condensation on fondant is like nothing to worry about anyway. Jeanne, why do you deliver your cakes so far in advance? I'm at the site from a half hour to even ten to fifteen minutes before the reception (it all depends on where the ceremony is though). If the ceremony is in the same place as the reception, then I deliver 15 minutes before the ceremony. Another thing I'm wondering.....why would you assemble fondant tiers on-site? I always build my cakes (fondant or not) so they can be delivered in one piece. (Except of course for the separated tier cakes). I can only assume it's because you don't have a delivery vehicle that's tall enough? Back to the original topic of pastry cream however, it's completely do-able provided you're not dealing with blazing hot heat and an outdoor wedding. Then I'd tell my client...."no, too risky". But if it's indoors, there's A/C, and you deliver close to reception time, and you deliver your cake chilled, there's no worries at all. Oh yeah, if you do fill your cakes with pastry cream, make sure you pipe a buttercream "dam" around the inside edge of each layer, then spread the pastry cream inside your circle. Otherwise, you're in for some slippy slidy problems......I use that trick for lemon curd too. Cheers.

I originally wasn't going to say much about this topic because a lot of various points have already been made. But, from my point of view as a professional cake designer, I consider fondant only a medium. Just like an artist has oils, pastels, canvas, fabric, paint, stone, etc.......I have my fondant, chocolate, buttercream, marzipan, etc. When I consult with a client, not only do I provide samples of cake, but I also have little samples of things like fondant, marzipan, modeling chocolate.....gumpaste.....anything that is edible. I use a flower cutter to cut out the little samples, so they'll look cute. I also provide tiny spoons for them to taste ganache and the like. I always ask the client what is important to them. Or rather, MORE important. Are they all about the taste? Or is it going to be this big showy grand centerpiece? I explain the pros and cons of the different mediums and let them decide. Sometimes a bride will come to me with a picture from a magazine and say "I want that". I will say ''Ok, but this design requires that I cover the cake with fondant." Then I will give her a sample of the fondant. She will be so turned off by the taste of the fondant, she abandons her original idea altogether, and I help her come up with a design she likes the looks of as well as the taste of. If you take the time to educate your clients, you will have much less headaches later. Personally, I don't think fondant tastes THAT bad, but it's not my favorite. But I will grant that some BRANDS of fondant are beyond horrible. I've always liked using Pettinice myself. And <gasp>, some people actually LOVE fondant! So there you go. One time I had a family consult with me, and they were from the South. When I showed them my cake books and explained some current trends to them, they were HORRIFIED to learn that people were actually putting FRESH FLOWERS on cakes. It actually grossed them out! For them, it was icing flowers or NOTHING. Diff'rent strokes you know. When you're in the specialty cake business, and you need to make a cake look a certain way, sometimes fondant is a must. As long as my clients KNOW what they're getting, and I make sure they do, there's really not a whole lot to fuss about. I think debating about using fondant, is like discussing whether or not Van Gogh was a great artist. Some will say he was brilliant, and some will say he was an overrated depressed one-eared worthless painter. Ahem. This thread has the distinct possibility of going on forever.

So true!!! Reminds me of a commercial I've seen on TV recently. I think it's for a mouthwash or something, they are trying to get the point across that the "freshness" lasts for several hours. Maybe it's toothpaste....heck, I can't remember because I was so glued to the commercial! Anyway, it starts out like: "This is Annie" And I go, "Hey, that's me!" They show "Annie" decorating a wedding cake, and it's obviously taking her all day. You see her eating a sandwich and looking at the cake. Then, you can tell by the windows outside her cake studio that it becomes nighttime....she glances at the clock, just puts the finishing touches on the cake, and in walk the bride and groom...I guess they're picking up their own cake??? And I'm like, "What the??" Then I notice the cake is TOTALLY a Colette Peters cake....seen the design tons of times. Then I'm thinking, "Geez, I'd never cut it that close"......heck, I wouldn't be taking any sandwich break if that were the case. Then there's a part where she's putting the fondant on the cake, and I'm thinking, "Hey, there's a better way to do that....."........so of course I don't know what the commercial was about. As an insider, I'm picking apart the details! You're right, I bet if I watched a movie that had anything to do with cake designing or decorating, I'd be so busy picking it apart I'd never enjoy it! I bet the people who do actual crime scene investigations have quite some good laughs over CSI.....I'm not even in that field, and there's some parts that are just so.......ridiculous. Like the fact that the guys who are in the lab doing all the analysis on the human hairs and paint chips, are NOT the same guys who are hunting down the criminals too. That cracks me up. But anyway!

Just viewed the trailer for the movie. The part about the rival cake decorators and the role Margaret Braun's cakes play are a very small part in the movie, mostly about New Yorkers finding new meaning after 9/11. It's a series of vignettes involving a lot of different characters. Don't think of it as a "cake decorating" movie, because it's not.

I'm sure there IS a high concentration of talent in NY, LA, Boston, Chicago, etc. I think any aspiring PC or wannabe PC should head for those areas if they really want to be on the cutting edge of the industry, and actually make a wee bit more money. Who knows where I'd be now, if I made the choice to re-locate. But I didn't, and I never will. I'm one of those people who DETESTS city life. Won't go there. No way. So there ya go. I'm not complaining about who makes the list and who doesn't, but I think a lot of us are puzzled about what the definition of "best" is. Is it purely innovation? Is it artistry? Is it the ability to pump out quality stuff day after day under unrelenting pressure? Is it pure luck in who you know and where you work? Chiantiglace has the opinion that PA&D is mostly a magazine geared toward the plated dessert PC. And yeah, you see a lot of that. But when you read the annual "State of the Industry" issue, you know that PA&D looks at every aspect in the industry, from artisan bread, to retail grocery to high end cake designers. It is my impression that PA&D is trying to be a mag for ALL PC's, no matter what their specialty is. If I were to decide the criteria for choosing the "Best" Pastry Chefs, this is what I would look for: 1. The most important......how good you are at being an all-around PC. Not only can you roll in a great croissant, but you can fry a doughnut, build and decorate a decent occasion or wedding cake, make a crapload of beautiful (and delicious petit fours), bake an artisan loaf of bread, make ice cream, do a little showpiece work (in their choice of media-chocolate, sugar, bread display, etc), make beautiful cookies, perfectly domed moist muffins, crank out tarts, genoise, meringues, napoleons.....you get my drift. The Jack-of-all-trades element is the most important element. 2. Temperament.......how do you treat people around you and your staff? Do you set a good example? Do you mentor your people? Are you inspirational to those around you? 3. Can you do well under pressure? If your exec says he needs 1000 petit fours by tomorrow, and you've already got 7 hours under your belt, do you rise to the occasion or crumble? Now, I'm not saying this necessarily should be a criteria, because my above example toes the line of martyrdom and "cruel and unusual punishment". A lot of PC's, wanting to please, or who are trying to climb the proverbial ladder, will bite their tongues and get the product out. Should this be rewarded? I'm not sure about that. Making yourself a martyr just sets you up to get taken advantage of. And yeah, I speak from experience on that one. Ok, here's my idea. In the spirit of America's favorite show, "American Idol" we should have our own "PC Idol" (to be broadcast on the Food Network of course). Every week, the competition should focus on a different aspect of the business. Whomever does the best overall in all the tasks gets to be "Best" for a while. Yeah, that's how I'd choose. I think Mr. Laiskonis is right........PA&D, should call their "Ten Best" issue what it really is: Then maybe we'd all quit whining about it.

First, I would like to say: It's all about the marketing. Second, I really would like to see PA&D list the criteria for their choices. You know, stuff like, talent, beauty, thoughts on world peace, and especially the swimsuit competition. Ok, one more thing: How about the 10 MILLION best PC's? There are tons of us who work our BUTTS off, no matter what our specialty. We'll never get "god-like" status, but that's not what it's about for us, it about personal satisfaction in the jobs we do every day. If a diner makes the effort to let a PC know they thought the dessert they made them was fabulous and made them happy, well, then I'd say that's better than any award from some schlocky Pastry rag. Ok, I'm done now.

Wow, thanks! The Lent Tart sounds exactly like it!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!! Annie

An English client of mine said her grandmother from Lincolnshire used to make it.....It was also sold in bakeries. Her recipe was lost when grandma died.....go figure. I almost thought it could have been a Bakewell Tart, but have thought otherwise. She describes it like this:

And foodies in the U.K. know what I'm talking about? Anyone have a recipe? Thanks......Annie

Sure...I think you can get away with it. You'll have a subtle difference in your crumb in that it will be a bit more crumbly, but it will be subtle enough not to matter I would think.

After you cook it and mash it up a bit, set it in a colander or strainer to drain off a bit. Fresh pumpkin is fairly watery compared to canned. You'll get better flavor and texture if you drain it. Speaking of pumpkin, I mentioned on the "Sugar price" thread that my Puratos rep warned me about difficulty getting canned pumpkin this year. My local Puratos warehouse could only get two pallets from Libby's for the ENTIRE HOLIDAY SEASON. I guess there was a bad crop last year and this year too. I just may end up having to use a lot of fresh this year!

I wonder if that explains why my brown sugar is "different" now. It's making all my cookies different too (in a slight way, that only I would notice ). It's definitely much more coarse, and does not pack well. It's the weirdest brown sugar I've ever had. I have not yet experienced sugar "shortage" or anyone telling me that it may be hard to come by soon, but I will check on that. If that comes to pass, I'll need to raise my wholesale prices for sure. BUT.....my Puratos rep told me that he's having a hard time getting PUMPKIN! They could only get two pallets in from Libby's for the WHOLE HOLIDAY SEASON, and he told me upfront that it will be very difficult to get pumpkin from them! Has anyone heard about the pumpkin thing???