Squirrelly Cakes

Strawberry Kool-Aid it is, then!

No help here but this brings back wonderful memories. My father was quite the expert mushroom picker - which means he picked what he was familar with, never took any chances! But we grew up with baskets of freshly picked wild mushrooms. I can still see my father cleaning these with a paring knife, over sheets of newspaper while sitting at the kitchen table. I don't remember many names, other than Shaggy Manes and towards the later years, a mushroom that looked just like the common button mushrooms sold in supermarkets. The shaggy manes have a really high water content but Dad used to fry them up in tons of butter and they would become more like a soup. We would eat bowls of these during mushroom season. Years later a good neighbour would bring me morels from a farm in Petoskey, Michigan. But they were never quite my favourites. Delicious just the same. Unfortunately, my sister and I never accompanied him on these expeditions, so we never learned where to look or more importantly, what to look for. But thanks for triggering the memories! Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Didn't check the other suggestions but I make an angel food cake from scratch. Then: The Glaze and Filling While the cake is baking, make the strawberry glaze. Assemble 8 oz. frozen strawberries, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 Tbs. lemon juice and 1 Tbs. cornstarch. Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice and strawberries in a saucepan. I sliced the berries into about three pieces each. Stir to dissolve the sugar into the liquid while bringing it up to a boil.> Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about ten minutes. Remove from then heat and strain the liquid from the strawberries. Press on the solids to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Set aside the strawberries and return the liquid to the pan. Bring the liquid back up to a simmer. Whisk 3 tablespoons of water into the cornstarch and then pour it into the simmering liquid. Increase heat and whisk until the glaze comes to boil. Continue to whisk while the glaze boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool. Once the glaze has cooled down, place it in the refrigerator to chill. Cut a one inch torte off the top of the angel food cake. Take a spoon and make a small shallow tunnel about one half inch down in the centre being careful to leave at least an inch on either side of the tunnel and underneath to the bottom of the cake so the berries won't soak through. I replaced the bits of angel food cake I dug out and replaced them over the berries. Place the reserved strawberry solids into the furrow. Re-place top layer of cake over top. Using a pastry brush or spatula, coat the outside of the cake with a layer of strawberry glaze - it will be thick and fairly gel like consistency. Iced with Wilton Stablized Whipping Cream Recipe I double this recipe for this cake. Recipe Box Stabilized Whipped Cream Icing Ingredients: 1/2 pint (1 cup) heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons Wilton Piping Gel 1/2 teaspoon Wilton Clear Vanilla Combine whipping cream and sugar in mixing bowl. Whip to soft peak stage. Add piping gel and vanilla, then continue to whip stiff peaks. Do not overbeat. YIELD: 1 1/2 to 2 cups. I dip toasted almond slices in melted chocolate and make borders with them around the cake. Refrigerate until serving and shortly thereafter. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Good luck to you tomorrow! To me, you sound like a person of the type of character, that reflects a lot before making decisions. So I am certain you will make a decision that will be best for you to live with. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Well don't pitch or sell that tea ball yet. Just a suggestion for using that tea ball, they are wonderful for when you need a small bouquet garnis, for say, a herbes de Provence garni. Or if you want to add any whole spices or herbs or chilli peppers that you do not wish to have to fish around for later to retrieve. I keep an extra length of chain link handy to attach to the short chain and hook it over the pot. Haha, of course you could actually use it for green tea which is wonderful for speeding up the metabolism if you find yourself over-indulging in your own wonderful cooking! A springform pan isn't limited to cheesecake use either. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

OK, so I didn't have to say any of that stuff, cuz Sugarella said it better. Sorry. ← I don't think I missed the point at all - I have read the thread completely. First of all, these establishments should either post dress requirements or turn away those that they feel are not suitably attired rather than sit them and then treat them badly. And that was my point. In addition my post was in reference to the comments regarding how serving staff size up people by the price of their clothes, their haircuts and the sophistication of their order pairings. Of course you dress appropriately for the established dress code. But once you are seated at a table you should be able to expect the same quality of food and service that the more financially lucky patrons receive. Isn't that what a good restaurant is all about, consistency? Or is it more about the staff using their condescending and judgemental attitudes and less than gracious manners treating less financially fortunate folks with disdain so they will know their place - and then taking their hard-earned money for the "privilege"?

Good heavens, I hope this is just a New York "thang"! Good to hear that the wine servers and the general help and perhaps even the restaurant owners are making "the supreme effort" in trying to make dining experiences at their establishments, less intimidating. Otherwise, considering that they are operating in a hospitality and service industry one would have to wonder why anyone would want to "fork out" the big bucks to support their enterprise and yet be treated like the scum of the earth. Perhaps there should be a list stating the appropriate value of clothing items worn by the customers - designer names whenever possible. "No Rolex, Need Not Apply For a Table." Perhaps references that can vouch for the quality of the customer palette. A list of assets and holdings. Verification of educational degrees. And a cape of course which actually would be a great idea for many of the female customers to wear since they seem to wear very little - albeit designer-wear or not. Obviously manners, the ability to be a non-rowdy patron or to utter a sentence - no a phrase without the use of expletives are deemed to be non-important qualities in a clientelle or staff. The customer's ability to be pretentious and condescending in manner, will compliment the attitude of the owner and staff. Where have I been? I thought when you paid for a service you could expect to be treated with basic civility, respect and good manners. I thought you could expect a decent meal and good service. And in turn you would pay your bill, leave your tip and everyone would be rewarded for playing their part. But it is educational. It has taken me all of these years to discover, I had better wear a pair of $800 shoes if I want to insure that when I dine out in a city like New York, my asparagus will receive the attention it deserves in the steamer. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Good luck! Isn't this high humidity weather wonderful, grrhh! I have some fondant flowers to make and am waiting for it to drop too. Even with a gum hardener added, the humidity creates problems. With the central air, all doors and windows closed and working on the main floor of the house, I find after several days of this weather, the humidity still gets into the house. Hope you are able to get your chocolate work done! Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Well I knew I had seen the information on room humidity levels somewhere. I keep the house as a constant 68-70F and have central air so it was never an issue for me - until hubby decided to open the window so the female cat boss of the house, could get some fresh air. It came up in a conversation with a few chocolatier pals of mine. Here it is. Tempering (Room) Conditions- Tempering chocolate in a room that is warmer than 72 degrees F is difficult and often impossible because the temper temperature becomes too close to the room temperature. As a result, there isn't enough temperature difference for the process to finish properly. Tempering is best done in a room that is between 68 and 72 degrees F with humidity levels below 50%. Also, keep high voltage lamps from shining onto the chocolate since this will add unwanted heat. An air-conditioned room is recommended in the summer months. http://www.edaten.com/id26.htm

I don't know the humidity level in the air that chocolate can handle but the humidity most definitely will make the chocolate seize. I have had this experience on a reasonably cool rainy day where the kitchen window was open and enough humidity got into the kitchen that my chocolate kept seizing. Sounds like a de-humidifier is what you need, unfortunately! Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

K8memphis stated: "Newbies like mixes. Mixes are our friend. Hmm, if I can do this well, maybe I can go on to that." That is true to a degree in that once success is achieved with a mix, folks may go on to "from-scratch" baking because success builds confidence, but it also may create some false expectations. For example, the cake mix user likely does not have experience with creaming sugar and fat. Doesn't understand that once liquid is added to flour, gluten begins to develop and overbeating can make for a tough, dry cake. Doesn't understand that there is a time limit to when the leaveners in the recipe begin to work and will continue to work when exposed to the heat of the oven. Doesn't understand that baking is chemistry and a combination of ingredients in certain amounts usually produce success. Doesn't understand that the texture they get from mixes is not going to be the same as from-scratch. Doesn't understand that from-scratch baking is not as forgiving. Doesn't understand why they cannot "doctor" a recipe by adding another ingredient or several ingredients that are not called for as it throws the whole chemistry of the recipe out of whack. Doesn't understand that you cannot dump the egg whites and all into the bowl and expect the same results had you followed the instructions for whipping the egg whites until stiff and gently folded them into the batter. So really a cake mix maker has experience in putting all of the ingredients into a bowl and mixing them for the instructed time, knows how to prepare a pan for a mix, knows how to judge when a cake is done, knows how to remove the cake from the pan and how to level it, hopefully not by destroying the texture by using a smooshing method. But doesn't yet understand the chemistry of baking, the methods employed with various types of cakes, the ratios required, various pan preparations for different kinds of cakes and so on. So the learning curve begins again. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I find fondant yellows over time also. You can cover a cake dummy with Stretch and seal before applying the icing of your choice and remove it to re-use. If you purchase Perma-Ice you must purchase the colouring products meant to be used with this product. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Actually, most carrot cakes, like this recipe you used, are more of a quickbread than a cake. Therefore beating them isn't going to incorporate air the way a recipe containing butter or shortening would if you creamed it with the sugar, because you are using an oil. So normally you would follow a quickbread or muffin method. Whisking the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined, would be enough. Five minutes of beating on medium speed is not such a good idea as you risk overdeveloping the gluten and creating a dry, more dense cake. This recipe as most carrot cake recipes do, already produces a dense cake. This is the method I follow when making carrot cakes: In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir together. Add nuts and raisins. In a separate bowl mix eggs, oil, milk and carrots. Make a well in the bowl containing the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, whisking only to combine. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Actually poutine is made up of fries, fresh white cheese curds - and the sauce can vary from chicken-based velouté to beef gravy to a few other options like marianara, black mole, allemande sauce etc. However beef gravy is not considered authentic in poutine. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Hi again BakerTeresa, Well good for you, it is important to do things that are fun for us! You have always helped a lot of people along the way and the thing is, you are just always so nice, kind and friendly! Hugs Squirrely Cakes

"Oh yea of little faith", I am sure by "brekkie", "brunch" or "sup", it will be a "fait accompli". Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Hi BakerTeresa, Just wanted to say hi, how are you? Good to see you! Sarah has a couple of recipes at these links: http://www.baking911.com/recipes/pies/coconut_cream.htm http://www.baking911.com/recipes/pies/coconut_cream2.htm Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

The word "pretentious" when used to describe foods or restaurants when it more aptly describes the user of the word.

See: http://www.guide-to-home-brewing-winemakin...InvertSugar.asp http://www.sugar.org/consumers/sweet_by_nature.asp?id=275 See: http://www.rogerssugar.com/product/liquid.html

True RodneyCK, a lot depends on the refrigerator we are using. Commercial refrigerators generally have better moisture controls and options than fridges for home-use. And home-use fridges vary too. My thoughts are, we all use different timelines when making wedding cakes too. Some folks start on a Tuesday or Wednesday before a wedding. Some defrosting a cake as early as the Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or baking the cake at that point. This is just my opinion but most cakes decline after 2-3 days. So in some cases the glue or buttercream is going on the cake after the cake is already a few days old, and folks use varying types of buttercream along with varying amounts - and the cakes sits out or gets refrigerated. Then the fondant goes on. Again not everyone uses a commercial rolled fondant, some folks use marshmallow fondant, some apply it quite thinly - less than 1/8 of an inch, others by the old standards of about 1/4 inch thick. So that means we are not all starting off with "apples" if we refrigerate. So that was my point. Refrigerating a cake overnight could cause further drying issues when the cake is not covered. I agree that fondant and buttercream should provide a better seal than buttercream alone. But it still isn't impermeable. Some people use uncovered cardboards which also sucks some of the moisture out of cakes. I just feel that all cakes should be protected whether in the fridge or on the counter, before delivery. Another issue is the fact that they absorb other food odours or odours around them and we don't all have dedicated fridges. But I totally agree that often we may start off with a dry cake and not realize it. I think we see more complaints from bakers about dry white butter cakes than anything else. People seem to have to feel they have to use a soaking syrup to counter the dry cake when in fact the cake on its own should be moist enough, in my opinion and the soaking syrup should be optional. But I am just speaking from an unprofessional, home baker point of view. I try not to do business on a larger scale because that isn't what I wish to do. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Well depending on your fridge and what controls you have over humidity, I don't feel it is a good idea to store without boxing or packaging cakes to protect them against humidity changes. Buttercakes are notorious for drying out. I think the plastic wrap would help. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Haha, well you will be fine overnight even with a butter cake. But butter cakes typically do the least well refrigerated, drying out quickly. Hhmn, question for you, when you refrigerate your stacked cake, is it boxed and sealed against the elements? Also your other cakes that are drying out, how are you refrigerating them? Boxes are fine for 24 hours but after that the moisture of the icing and the cake becomes an issue. So you are better off having them in boxes and bagging the boxes or using sealed plastic containers. I use moving boxes to refrigerate stacked cakes. Usually leaving the front flaps up and taped and covering the top with foil or plastic wrap. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Haha, well I think you may be right and I would be leaning more to folks not having tried them yet as I haven't seen them around ! My only concern would be the fact that the silpats do have an insulating factor, so the bottom of the cake may take a bit longer to bake or set. But it would be likely no more of an issue than adjusting baking time. The only time I can see that being anything major would be with a thin torte type of cake. It might not bake up quite the same. Well you know, the time you spend cutting the circles will be cut in half, washing the silpat. I have a friend that keeps a dedicated rotary cutter and cutting board just for that purpose. I would imagine it is quite quick but I prefer to suffer through the scissors and cutting "inside the line" practice, haha! Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Hi there, Well I cannot tell by looking at the picture, if they are similar to silpat, but I am curious as to their purpose. Silpat in addition to providing a non-stick surface also stops, say cookies from browning too much on the bottom as it provides an extra bit of insulation. Don't know about you, but the bottom browning or over-cooking of a cake's bottom is not an issue for me. As far as non-stick issues, I would rather have the silicone treated parchment paper or even use waxed paper as I can just throw it out. So the only advantage I can see is you don't have to cut them to fit the bottom of the pan. But they seem to me to be a bit of a waste of money just for that. Perhaps too, in a cheaper quality cake pan that is not very heavy, they may help improve the baking to the underneath. Might also be handy when making a cheesecake that you want to remove from the pan. Haha, and having said all that, I haven't used them so I cannot really comment on that. But from a practical point of view, I cannot see that the cost is justified for most purposes. Just my opinion though! Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Hi Dailey, Well other than in Genoise and chiffon cakes, oil isn't generally used in non-commercial cake baking because it doesn't offer the advantage of creaming with sugar as a solid fat would and that factor is important in building the structure of white and yellow cakes. Oil doesn't hold air. Genoise and chiffon cakes have a totally different structure, a more delicate, spongey texture and because of the other ingredients and methods of incorporating air, it works well in those recipes. See: http://www.baking911.com/cakes/101ingredients.htm If you use high-ratio shortening in your cakes you will need to use a recipe that was developed for this shortening, one that contains high-ratio cake flour and has the ratio of ingredients that make it a high-ratio cake formula. You cannot just substitute it when shortening is called for in a cake recipe. I am not quite sure why you are using the timeline you are talking about, baking Wednesday, then freezing 24 hours and then refrigerating the cake until Sunday. Is that for an experiment? Actually most cakes are better kept at room temperature after thawing at room temperatures of less than 75F. I know that is a timeline many folks use for making wedding cakes, is that the reason? That is a long time to go before having the first serving. It is fine when you are talking about leftover cake but it will not be at its peak of quality at that point. Refrigerating cakes can change their texture, can dry them out - especially butter cakes - unless you have excellent moisture controls. Refrigerating a cake for that long will not result in the cake being at its best for the taste test. Some oil based cake recipes have a texture like muffins and can get quite rubbery in texture after being refrigerated that long. You likely will get a much denser cake when using oil in a cake, other than in a genoise or chiffon which I would not refrigerate or keep for that long. One of the disadvantages with oil cakes is that even though the oils are hydogenated, there is a tendency for an oil based cake to get rancid in a shorter period of time than those using other fats or shortenings. For home baking you would likely be happier with a shortening recipe which will probably give you the texture you want but unfortunately, without the taste butter provides. Hugs Squirrelly Cakes