JamericanDiva

See, you all in my head, Kris! I was like... "Hmmm... it would be nice to experiement with a mango mousse filling...." I'll be on the look out!

That's the stuff! You might need to run it thru a blender and a sieve, but it IS accessible. ← Thank you very much....

Jidiu... I was just putting together my order with Perfect Puree when I sighted your reply. Thanks so much! I will still keep Perfect Puree in mind as they have so many flavors, but I am not too far from Spanish Harlem, so I may just go ahead and venture up there and see what they have. Just to confirm... is this what it looks like? Just being sure as it's labelled "fruit pulp". Goya Fruit Pulp P.S. Looks like I'm going to really have to look for the Goya now... shipping was $30 for the Perfect Puree. With me ordering 3 purees, that took my order to a couple dollars short $100. I'm on a mission now....

Yeah, the mousse recipe I have calls for the gelatin. Actually, I should probably prepare a curd from the puree and then add that to the buttercream. Thanks so much. I noticed that you can only refreeze once. I guess I better make 1 oz frozen cubes with whatever is left over so I don't let it go to waste... especially at $22.50 for 30oz bottle....

Thanks so much, chiantiglace! Just to be sure, I can add these to my buttercreams or make mousse with them, right? I am excited!!!

I decided to make a passionfruit mousse for the wedding cake that I am doing, but couldn't find any fresh passionfruit. I think that maybe I'll buy pre-packaged puree. Where do you guys get yours from? Do you think this mousse would be better with a white cake or yellow cake. I have free reign to do whatever I want with this cake. It's due on August 7th. Right now I am working on gumpaste flowers, but want to get the flavor and stuff worked out for a test run. I was thinking about trying the coconut cake as you suggested, but I don't have recipe that I've tried that was for a large quantity. I am doing a 6", 8", 10" and 14". It'll be covered in rolled fondant. Help anyone! Thanks! P.S. I should add that I'm in NYC.

Thanks for sharing these ideas, guys... I myself am working on a wedding cake for my church. They are having a rededication ceremony for the married couples. Initially I was going to do the strawberry shortcake type of cake listed in Dede Wilson's book, but decided that I didn't want to wash and hull so many strawberries. Anything to make my life easier. I am working on the gumpaste flowers now, so it might be best to stick with a mousse. I think I'm going to try the passionfruit mousse mentioned. Would this mousse be best with a yellow cake or a white cake? I plan to cover the cake in fondant. Do you think passionfruit buttercream in addition to the mousse filling will be too much?

Thanks everyone for all of your helpful feedback and input. Onehsancare, I checked google as well... not sure what I put in, but I was getting a lot of box cake variations or Pineapple upside down cake. I think I got the recipe you posted as well. I've also noticed that the recipe you posted doesn't call for vanilla. Is that intentional? I guess I was looking for one that was close to my recipe. I will nonetheless try the one you've posted as well as the one contributed by middydd as I've got time to work on it. I'll have to look out for that Carole Walters book too. (Whoops! I almost forgot the part where JeanneCake said she'd give me the Carole Walters recipe. "Yes, Please!" ) The cream cheese frosting might actually work, considering that this person told me that they can't do nuts of any kind and even have reactions to coconut (so that tasty ingredient has to be omitted.) Ludja, you've got my creative juices flowing with a citrus type cream cheese frosting or maybe even a ginger cream cheese frosting. Hmm... time to get into my "laboratory." Thanks again, everyone!!! Once I get the Carole Walters recipe from JeanneCake, I'll have a bake off of the three recipes provided and get back to you guys.

Help! Client would like a pineapple layer cake. I've used eGullet's search feature and "nada!" I asked her if maybe she would like a pineapple upside down cake. She said no, an actual pineapple cake. So I even went a step further... how about a white or yellow cake with pineapple filling and/or icing. She instead would like an actual pineapple flavored cake with whatever icing I want to use. I know how to make decent yellow and white cakes, so I'm wondering about how much crushed pineapple I can use to make the cake a pineapple cake. Because it's going to be a layer cake, it shouldn't be too dense either. Any ideas from the pastry gurus out there? I am currently using Dede Wilson's recipes for yellow and white cakes, although I've tried the ones from the Whimsical Bakehouse. The recipe for a 6 inch yellow cake requires: 1 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/2 tsps baking powder pinch salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/2 cup whole milk More than likely, she'll probably want a 9 inch layer cake which requires: 3 cups cake flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/3 tsp salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 large eggs 1 cup whole milk If you can point me in the right direction, that would be appreciated as well. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!!!!

Chefette, I am lovin' this thread!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to share!!!! It has given me so many ideas already!!!!

I have made my own mold basically copying my cameo pendant and using it as decoration on a birthday cake for someone's mom. I get my silicone mold making material from here and basically follow their instructions. Here's the link Silicone Mold making material It shows a step by step here as well. I've had success with this product and my mold is re-usable.

Kerry, it was nice to meet you in person at the Cakewalk. I was the black girl with stroller and baby in tow and complained about how carelessly some observers were treating the cakes... especially in regards to Lori's cake. Lori and I had a good bit of conversation as she was doing repair work on her cake and encouraged me to come on down to Oklahoma and participate in the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show in October. She figured that if she could drive her cake cross country, surely I could do the same....Hmmmmm.......

I do alot of cheesecakes but I don't know if I'm your's or not Jamerican Diva. That depends on what form of chocolate you have to offer. Does this help? >;o} ← Ha! Ha! I was one of many that hounded you for a cheesecake recipe back at Delores' cake dec. board. YUMMY! Thanks!

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 ← Gurl, I guess we're a 2 member club then... ← uh... make that 3 - when it comes to Italian Meringue BC anyway. French Buttercream on the other hand is to die for. Ooh la la! I would love to know how to create a pipe-able French Buttercream. Any ideas, anybody? Di ← IMBC I like, only if it's flavored nicely... like when I put my white chocolate in there. I just know that people literally lick the plates, saying how nice and creamy it is, but just don't know "what" that flavor is that makes it sooooo good.

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 ← Gurl, I guess we're a 2 member club then... The cake is also waaay to dense for my liking.

Welcome to the board, Kathyf... is this MY Kathyf of cheesecake fame???

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....

JamericanDiva, you have been such a help... thank you! Is the icing recipe (shown in her book) the right consistency for piping? I don't want to spend the money if I'm still gonna' have to tweak 'yet another' recipe. Di ← I know, this seems rather stupid to be replying to my own post... actually I'm just expanding on it. It just occurred to me that Cupcake Cafe's buttercream icing is almost identical to the recipe that I use... I believe chefpeon (?) was the original poster. The only difference is that CC uses whole eggs whereas "our" French Buttercream recipe calls for 1 whole egg and 5 yolks -- and is way too soft for piping. My question now is... (if the CC recipe actually is thick enough to use for piping) does their addition of eggwhites make that big of a difference in the consistency? That is, using whole eggs as opposed to using either whites or yolks. If so, I much prefer the flavor of French buttercream to Italian or Swiss. Di ← I'm not sure about the answer to this question, but I know when I eat her cake, I feel like I'm eating a great big glob of butter when I eat the icing. Me no likey....

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

JamericanDiva, you have been such a help... thank you! Is the icing recipe (shown in her book) the right consistency for piping? I don't want to spend the money if I'm still gonna' have to tweak 'yet another' recipe. Di ← I think it should be. I've never made it as I've tasted her cakes and icings and didn't enjoy them. I've tried them on more than one occasion. (Yikes! Someone's gonna stone me!) I find when her cake sits out, the icing does get soft. It's made primarily of butter. 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. I would really love to try Betty Van Norstrand's buttercream as the poster above said it was pretty good, but they lost the recipe.

Hi there~ I agree with the other member who suggested the Martha Stewart Cake Decorating video. I have it as well and Ann Warren does have a segment where she briefly demonstrates how to do some of her flowers as well as making and tinting the icing for them. She pipes them directly on the cake. The cake is on a turntable that allows her to spin it at will. I also have her book "The Cupcake Cafe Cookbook". She gives her recipes as well as cake decorating instructions for various flowers. These include: roses, daisies, sunflowers, zinnias, dahlias, chrysanthemums, tulips, various lilies, wisteria, lilacs, hydrangeas, poinsettias, pine needles and pine cones. Each flower is also provided with recipes to achieve various shades. For her daisies, she uses #4 and #59 tips. The centers are done with the #4 and the petals are done with #59. Roses are made with a #103 or #104 tip. She instructs to use a tip #103 and pipe the base with which should be about 3/4 inch in diameter, preferably circular. To make the rose center, you should pipe an "O" which consists of two overlapping "U"s. Then you add petals around it, which are getting bigger and at a more "open obtuse angle as you go." (Dang! Can't run from that math, ya'll!!! ) FYI... Petals are made by positioning bag so that short base of rose tip is against the cake and the "long sides are almost vertical or flange out at an obtuse angle." Press out icing about 3/4 inch to one inch at a time in a random formation. Hope this helps... if all else fails, go to the library and check out her book in addition to her video. I still couldn't catch on to her roses after seeing the video. That chick moves fast! I got the book. While I've done a couple of her other flowers, the roses still give me trouble... then again, it's not like I've been practicing!!! Naughty me! Swept up in the wonderful world of gumpaste!

Well, it was quite a busy day for me. I went for about an hour and a half, left, then returned again. I think they did a switcheroo with the schedule. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see Chef Toba Garrett doing a demonstration on Australian stringwork. I've taken a cake decorating class with her that entailed this type of technique, so took the time instead to photograph cakes. I left then returned again. It appears that there were at least 3 demos going on simultaneously. Carolyn Wanke that did that Taj Mahal looking black and white cake (I remember that she's from Texas and may later have to double check her name) was doing a demonstration on gumpaste flowers. Kerry Vincent was demonstrating how she made some of the types of designs she had on her cake. The same for Kim Payne (her cake was the one that had a pleated table skirt looking botton and what appeared to be butterflies suspended mid-air holding ribbons on the top tier) and Lori Cossou (her lovely blue cake had stringwork which was damaged due to everyone touching the cake despite the "DO NOT TOUCH" signs.) My heart pained for poor Lori. Although she travelled with the cake all the way from Lousiana without any damage, she suffered damage at the hands of people who just could not respect other people's artwork. I know how time consuming that stringwork is. She patiently re-did her strings while we watched on and spoke with her. I'm going to post pics, but I guess I better upload them first. I shall come back and edit this post. OK... here we are.... Here's Colette Peters Kerry Vincent and Toba Garrett Chef Toba's Australian stringwork demonstration A Close-up of the stringwork Kerry Vincent posing alongside her creation... Carolyn Wanke doing a gumpaste flower demonstration. Kim Payne of Wedding Cakes by Kim Payne doing a demonstration (that's Kerry Vincent to her left.. and on the left of Kerry is Carolyn Wenke. This is to give you an idea as to how close the demos were being done within one another.) A close up of Kim's demo showing how to do the pleating By the way, this is Kim's cake Here is Lori Cossou with her lovely cake... Enjoy!

Hi, Guys! I discoverd this wonderful forum yesterday and this thread was like "BAM"... I live in NYC and was like "WooHooo". I intend on going today. Is there a set time that they allow entry? or is only from 1-7pm? I plan on going today. I'm glad I caught it in the nick of time! Thanks everyone for sharing the lovely pictures and offering your feedback on this event. Off I go!!!