RuthWells
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Posts posted by RuthWells
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I hope this worked -- this should be a photo of my somewhat lame attempt at a package or "gift" cake (thanks for the help, JSkilling!). I've been dreaming about how to get those wonderful flaps that Elegant Cheesecake shows, and I'm beginning to think that they must wrap their cakes just as you would wrap a gift. I'm going to try that next time.
My thoughts as to how it's done, is that a bottom piece of fondant/chocolate clay has been placed on the bottom, to create the bottom flap. That piece, along with the other 3 sides have been cut into a V shape, probably before draping the fondant over the cake, so that you don't have the excess fondant folded underneath it, as you would when wrapping a present. HTH LEt us know how it goes, and what you did.I forgot about the bottom flap when I posted earlier -- I didn't even attempt a bottom flap!
I managed to post a photo to my photo album using ImageGullet, but can't for the life of me figure out how to get the photo to show in my post -- the help function didn't help either. Can someone please guide me?
Thanks!
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I'm curious. Those of you who confess to being "shortening snobs", what type of icing do you use for piping?
I am definitely a shortening snob, so I'll chime in! Thus far I have relied almost exclusively on Italian meringue buttercream for piping, but it's really not stiff enough for more intricate flowers (I can do roses, but not daffodils). I'm looking for stiffer variations.
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My thoughts as to how it's done, is that a bottom piece of fondant/chocolate clay has been placed on the bottom, to create the bottom flap. That piece, along with the other 3 sides have been cut into a V shape, probably before draping the fondant over the cake, so that you don't have the excess fondant folded underneath it, as you would when wrapping a present. HTH LEt us know how it goes, and what you did.
I forgot about the bottom flap when I posted earlier -- I didn't even attempt a bottom flap!
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What's the deal with buttercream? (bear with me, I'm Dnish and have not grown up with the stuff) Most of the recipes I've seen in run-of-the-mill cookbooks look disgusting (lots of shortening and artificial flavouring), so I stopped after one attempt, because a mouthful of sweet, chemical tasting grease does nothing for me.
/Mette
I agree with you Mette...buttercream is absolutely my least favorite. As far as CC's cakes...I've had it four different times and 3 different cake flavors. All got and A+ for visual appearance and about a D for taste. To me the layers were dense with not too much "fresh" flavor and the mouth feel of the icing is just totally wrong for me. It tastes exactly like you have described...a mouthful of sweet, chemical tasting grease
They are wildly popular though, so I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to this sentiment.
JeAnne
Have you tasted a non-shortening buttercream? I agree that what most of the country considers to be buttercream (shortening + 10x sugar) is really revolting. If you haven't tasted a REAL buttercream, though, you're in for a great treat. My favorite true buttercreams all involve whipping eggs (yolks or whites), adding a cooked-sugar syrup, and incorporating real butter along with any number of flavorings.
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RuthWells, come to think of it, I didn't even check RLB's book. I have it and indeed use it as a bible. I should see how they compare. I love her silk meringue buttercream and I add her fresh strawberry conserve to it....
Oooh, the silk meringue buttercream is divine. I made the burnt orange variation several months ago (you caramelize the sugar while making the creme anglaise, then all orange juice & zest at a late point) and it was out of this world!
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I love the effect that Elegant Cheesecakes does on their package cakes where the fondant gets folded over on the edges to look like actual paper. My problem is that I can't for the life of me figure out how to replicate that look. It looks to me almost like they wrap the entire cake in fondant, which I wouldn't want to do, but I'd be happy to get as close to that look as possible. Anyone have any idea how I might achieve that effect? Thanks in advance for any help...
Links to the effect I'm referring to:
Hi CurlySue,
I'm so glad you asked this question! I've recently attempted the "wrapped corners" in rolled chocolate fondant with middling success -- my corners were close, but not at precise as I'd like. I will attempt to post a picture this evening when I'm at home. My method was to simply drape the fondant over the top of the cake and nudge/ease/fold the fondant over the ends until it vaguely resembled a package corner. I'd love to hear any other tricks for getting that clean look.
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"I've used an IMBC type of icing... the one Sylvia Weinstock uses in her book, but I add some white chocolate to mine. I find that if I cool it down, it stiffens up. This can be done by resting your metal bowl with icing on a cold rag or cloth. That's what I do."
Hi Diva --
Great minds thinking alike; after the disappointing airbubbles I got when I added 10x sugar to IMBC, I was thinking maybe white chocolate would be a better way to go. What proportions do you use?
Hi Ruth!
Sylvia Weinstock's recipe makes about 12 cups of buttercream. To that I add 1/2 lb of melted Mercken's white chocolate chips (pailletes). Her recipe calls for:
3 1/2 cups sugar
13 large egg whites
3 lbs (12 sticks) butter
6 tbsp clear vanilla extract
Thanks, Diva! Sylvia's proportions look pretty close to RLB's Italian buttercream, which is my default. I'm going to try this next time.
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Another suggestion that would really work is to do a cupcake tree, which also happens to be kinda trendy at the moment.
Basically, all you have to do is make a bunch of cupcakes.....ice each one, and stick a flower on it.....it can be a fresh flower, or an icing flower.....or a marzipan flower, a gumpaste flower, or chocolate flower........and you don't even have to make the flowers yourself.....you can buy them if you want to.
Or....you don't even have to put flowers on them.......you could ice each one and top it with the large coconut shavings (not angelflake, the other kind, also known as "chips"). That looks really frilly and wedding-y.
Then, all you have to do is put the cupcakes on a tiered stand (you can rent stuff like that at the party rental store) and voila! Cupcake tree, zero stress.....AND you don't even have to worry about cutting the darn thing.
Here's a great example of a cupcake tree........
I love that idea. It also has the benefit of being easily scalable for the number of guests -- I've seen displays where the cupcake tree is the center of the table, and there are additional cupcakes fanned out on the table itself.
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Why have you decided to put this kind of pressure on yourself? Is it an economics decision? Or you are just jazzed up about doing it yourself?
Will you also be making your own dress
(Couldn't help myself)You made me laugh, Chefette -- my mother made both my wedding dress (including up-to-the-minute fittings) and my wedding cake. I don't think she OR I would make the same choice again.....
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Okay, I am not an accomplished cook, but I am a huge fan of food. I love to cook, and I am actually really good at it, but not if I don't know how. I am gooing to make my own wedding cake. My wedding is the last week in September so I have only three months to learn how, and to practice. I know it sounds impossible but I would aprriciate some help anyway. SO.....if anyone can give me all the details, or everyone give me little tid bits on decorating it, making it, making the frosting....so on an whatnot, I would be tremendouisly greatful. You know, the works. Also if anyone has any inexpensive ideas for snacks, and the actual meal for my wedding I would be much obliged.
I intend to serve 50 at my wedding, but it may very well be 10 - 15 people instead.
Hi Ambyre,
If you're new to tiered cakes, I suggest investing a few bucks in the book "The Whimsical Bakehouse". Great, easy, clear instructions on tiered cakes; also great instructions for some basic flower piping (if you want to try your hand). Their buttercake recipes are terrific, also, but I'd stay away from their buttercream recipes that use shortening.
I especially love their attitude toward cake decorating, which is fairly loose and carefree. Great for beginners, and not too overwhelming. Good luck.And -- congratulations on your wedding!
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DiH, I didn't get a photo because it was a last minute order and I didn't have a camera, but next week the same people want a cake just like it so I will try to get and post a photo.
Ruth Wells, When I made the buttercream with the powdered sugar I did notice a funny texture, I didn't think it was air bubbles, but maybe the sugar not dissolved or something, so I beat the heck out of it and then turned the mixer to low for about 3-4 minutes to knock the air out. Seemed ok to me, I didn't see any air bubbles in the flowers.
Hi PastryMama -- interesting. I found that the texture got worse upon sitting -- I was piping with a full 12" bag and there was a marked difference in texture from first flower to last out of the bag. I did mix the heck out of it, so I don't think it was undissolved sugar causing trouble. Next time I'll try cycling it on low as you did and see if that helps.
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Welcome to The eGullet Society For Arts & Letters RuthWells! I'm glad your enjoying our site.
Thanks for the welcome, Wendy!
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You can also strain it before glazing through a fairly fine strainer. It doesn't quite get them all, but it eliminates a bunch of the bubbles.
I always mourn the amount of glaze left behind in my fine strainer when I do this.
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The key is to never create the bubbles in the first place. Stiring with a spatula or spoon is gauranteed to create bubbles. We use a small burr mixer (otherwise known as a hand blender) and make sure the blender head stays under the surface of the glaze while blending. No bubbles.
How counterintuitive -- I would have thought that a stick (hand) blender would incorporate even more air. I'm doing it this way next time -- thanks!
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shouldn't be leavening in a genoise - this cake is based on egg foam and does not use a chemical leavener
Yes, that was my point -- sorry if I was unclear!
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No matter how carefully I stir while making chocolate glaze, I end up with air bubbles. I've tried wapping the bowl against the counter (repeatedly), I've tried popping each bubble individuall after pouring (never again!). Does anyone have a method to share that can banish the bubbles?
Thanks!
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I've been trying to make 6" genoise rounds, but have been having the same problem twice. At first I thought it was the recipe, so I switched from a cake flour/corn starch blend to all cake flour. But that didn't seem to be the problem. The cakes haven't been rising; the top 1/4" looks okay, but then the bottom 1/2" is completely dense and flat; it looks like it didn't rise at all. I did use the magi-cake strips both times; Rose Levy Beranbaum suggested using them in The Cake Bible. Also, I had four 6" pans on the same rack in a 350F oven. I did grease the pans, line with parchment circles and then greased and floured again.
Anybody have any ideas as to what's going on here???
Is this the first time you've had trouble with genoise? My first guess is oven temp, second guess is overfolding. I'd suggest trying it again without the magi-strips -- seems to me that they are recommended for buttercakes that are chemically levened, and might not be appropriate for an egg-levened batter. I'm just guessing, as I've never used them myself.
I made genoise myself this week, 2 batches, using RLB's genoise classique recipe, which calls for equal parts cake flour and corn starch. I ran out of cornstarch after batch #1 and thus made batch #2 with all cake flour. I also managed to overfold batch #2 (it was getting late and I was getting punchy.........). Batch #1 rose beautifully high and evenly. Batch #2 rose less and was more dense. So, I'd suggest giving it another shot with a cake flour/cornstarch blend and very careful folding. Let us know how it goes!
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"I've used an IMBC type of icing... the one Sylvia Weinstock uses in her book, but I add some white chocolate to mine. I find that if I cool it down, it stiffens up. This can be done by resting your metal bowl with icing on a cold rag or cloth. That's what I do."
Hi Diva --
Great minds thinking alike; after the disappointing airbubbles I got when I added 10x sugar to IMBC, I was thinking maybe white chocolate would be a better way to go. What proportions do you use?
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With all of this caketalk going on, I figured that I'd bump this thread back up just in case anyone was looking for information that was previously discussed or if someone wanted to add any advice, tips, suggestions, etc. for those who are looking to get into the business of creating custom/specialty cakes.
Thanks for bringing this back up to the top, Brownsuga! I'm a brand-newby -- just discovered eGullet this week and am already completely addicted. I'm a passionate home baker and have toyed with the idea of creating my own business, but I make too much money at my day job!
Until the mortgage is paid off and the kids are through college, I will continue to satisfy my need to bake by making birthday cakes for each of my co-workers, kids, family members..... basically, anyone who will let me. I go into heavy pastry mode around the holidays and am so inspired by this site that I'm already planning the menu for Christmas 2005....... -
"I used a recipe that is on Sarah's Baking 911 site for Italian buttercream that has some powdered sugar worked in and it worked great for the flowers, the cake sat in my area for about 4 hours before it was taken out to the party and it held up great, no drooping petals or anything."
Hi PastryMama,
When you work the 10x sugar into the Italian buttercream, does your resulting icing contain lots of air bubbles? I tried this approach for a birthday cake this week, and the resulting icing gave me the stiffness I needed for nice big roses, but the quantity of air bubbles was extreme. Have you had this problem?
Thanks!
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Joshalow and Sugarbuzz:
When you make the Mousseline Buttercream, do you add the amount of liqueur she lists? It seems like quite a lot of liquid to add and might make the buttercream too soft. I've always cut it in half.
Cheesecakes "packages"
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
Thanks, CurlySue! One trick I've been using with the chocolate fondant -- I'm rolling it out on a large Silpat and using the Silpat to transfer the fondant to the cake. Much less hair-raising than using just my hands, rolling pin, etc. I imagine this would work well for moving the chocolate "paper" as well. I can't wait to see your pix!