Lauren
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Posts posted by Lauren
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pastrymama,
Thanks so much! That definitely helps clear things up. Do you make your own fondant, or do you only use Petinice?
Lauren
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Hi everyone!
Has anyone tried Choco-pan? Did you like it? Could you describe for me the texture and taste?
I would go buy some of my own, but as there aren't any suppliers in my area, I'd have to order it. I thought I'd ask you all (deferring to your greater experience) before I do that.
Thanks so much!
Best,
Lauren
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Claire are you referring to this thread here?
When I need a cake for carving I like to use the chocolate cake from our Best Chocolate cake thread here..........the recipe written by Scott Wooley Clark.
I also like to use the almond cake in Baking With Julia. I believe the recipe is credited to Martha Stewart and it's the cake she used to demonstrate making a wedding cake in that book.
The thing I look for is a moist dense cake. Those work best for me verses light chiffons or even cake mix cakes. Also the recipe Patrick posted in this thread should work well to carve.
Wendy,
Do you have a recipe for the moist dense cakes you refer to?
Lauren
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At room temp, my RLB Mousseline Buttercream seems unstable. Does anyone else have this problem? Also, does any one of you use the Mousseline to ice the entire cake? Do you have buttercream recipes that you swear by? I loved the way that the Mousseline tasted, but I am worried about transporting (four hours away) the wedding cake I'm making this June if it is iced in this. Can you tell if I have done something wrong to the recipe that might cause it to seem unstable, or is it just like that?
Thanks!
Lauren
Hi Lauren,
I love the Mousseline buttercream and use it often, to cover entire cakes as well as for piped decorations. I never have a problem with it seeming unstable, which makes me think you may have had a problem with the recipe. Did you add the full amount of optional flavoring that she suggests -- I think she says up to 2 fluid ounces? I have never been able to add that much liquid without the emulsification starting to get funky, so that's one possibility.
As for transporting a cake iced with this buttercream, I agree with Sarensho. Chilling the cake down hard is the key. In fact, if you're driving 4 hours, I'd freeze the iced, decorated cake overnight and let it slowly thaw during the drive. Just be sure to have it well boxed so that any condensation will form on the box rather than on the cake itself.
Ruth,
Thanks for your pointers - I did in fact add all THREE ounces of liqueur she called for, plus I added the 3/4 CUP of lemon curd that she suggests for to make the fruit flavored version. I'll definitely not include as much liqueur next time. How much do you usually add? The emulsion definitely started to do weird things when I added the liqueur (I did it gradually, although it didn't seem to matter much). I wrestled with the buttercream until it finally emulsified, but it became almost transparent when it came to room temp.
Also, about the transportation question - I don't have a problem at all with freezing the iced layers and transporting them frozen (thawing). I've got the freezer space, and I'd feel much more secure transporting the very smooth finish I am able to get with this buttercream recipe if it were frozen for most of the trip. How long should I expect the 12" tier to stay frozen in a very air conditioned vehicle? If I began my trip safely frozen, could I expect to get there relatively frozen still? If I am planning to go to the site the day before the wedding, could I assemble the cake that night, or do you all think I would need to keep the cake chilled until the next morning? (RLB says the icing is fine for two days at room temp).
Thanks so much for your help!
Lauren
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At room temp, my RLB Mousseline Buttercream seems unstable. Does anyone else have this problem? Also, does any one of you use the Mousseline to ice the entire cake? Do you have buttercream recipes that you swear by? I loved the way that the Mousseline tasted, but I am worried about transporting (four hours away) the wedding cake I'm making this June if it is iced in this. Can you tell if I have done something wrong to the recipe that might cause it to seem unstable, or is it just like that?
Thanks!
Lauren
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I also just made RLB's Mousselline buttercream for the first time this weekend. Does anyone else's seem very soft at room temperature? I ice my cakes chilled because I find it helps me achieve a very smooth finish on the icing, but when I let my iced cake come to room temp, the icing looks very soft. Is this normal for this buttercream, or am I messing up the chemistry by icing the cake cool? (The icing is room temp, by the way, when I use it.)
Thanks!
Lauren
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freddurf,
I wish I could say the house were ours, but it belongs to my in-laws, and, believe it or not, we actually just ate cake there immediately after the ceremony and a few pictures. There is a hugh backyard with a creek in the back of it, and we had a whole smoked pig BBQ there a couple of hours later.
A great day, and a fantastic party!
Lauren
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That sounded to me like the first paragraph of a very funny story written after the fact (and after the cleanup). I hope for your sake, that your adventure isn't anything like the scenario my crazy brain came up with.
Also, bkeith, I wanted to make sure you all knew I wasn't undertaking this task lightly - I don't want anyone to try to talk me out of this.
I would like as much advice on any aspect of this process as any of you are willing to give me. Information is my friend, and experience is something I don't have enough of yet. 
So, I'll take help where I can get it.Lauren
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Ah ha! I got it now, I think.
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No, the craziness of baking my own wedding cake didn't actually happen for me. No crazy catastrophes. Moments of nervousness, sure, but we did a bunch of trial runs to work on icing smoothing techniques and cake flavor and filling combinations. The most nerve-wracking moment(s) were transportation - we took the cake over an hour away unassembled - and assembly with my soon-to-be mother-in-law (best m-i-l in the world, I think), husband, and sister-in-law watching my every move. We were at my in-laws' house where we were having the reception. Anyway, short answer is that things turned out great! I've got pictures, but I can't figure out how to get them up here.
Lauren
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I suppose I took it for granted that everyone would read this as including an internal support system of either wooden or plastic dowels. I've used them before and understand the vital role they play in this engineering feat that we set for ourselves.
So, yes, I realize no cake will hold up the weight of two or three other tiers of cake. My question, really, is what the benefits of one type of cake over another are for weddings - is sponge, genoise, pound (is there such a thing as a light, not too dense pound cake?), or butter better for the job? What makes your choice better than the others?
Lauren
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I'm making a good friend's wedding cake for a late June wedding. My grandmother and I made my wedding cake, and I am certain that with the planning and organization I'm going to dedicate to this project, I can create the simple cake that my good friend would like.
My grandmother and I used cake mixes for my cake and, while they tasted fine (better than any other wedding cake I've eaten - I'm not sure that says much), I think I would like to bake this cake from scratch.
The logic behind this decision comes in part from the taste factor, but my main concern is ability (durability) to travel (the wedding site is over an hour away) and ease of icing. I'm thinking that I need a cake with a fine crumb - wouldn't that help with both the durability and the ease of icing?
She's currently deciding between a chocolate cake (not sure on the filling we'd opt for with this) or a lemon cake with raspberry filling and lemon buttercream.
I have read other threads about wedding cakes, about the best white cakes, etc., so I know how broad and deep the pool of knowledge is here at eG. If you have any suggestions as to what type of cake recipe I should be looking for or, better yet, a recipe you would suggest, I would truly appreciate it!
Thanks!
Lauren
Anyone tried Choco-pan?
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
That's been my experience as well. I have made fondant that I thought tasted better than bought fondant, but I can't seem to get it to be as pliable/elastic or as smooth as the bought version. You're right - probably ingredients they've got access to that we, unfortunately, do not.