Search the Community

I am in the middle of baking my mom's wedding cake. So far. I have had nothing but problems. Some of this, I think, comes from using cake mixes - the cakes are too spongey and fall apart easily. I had sent my mom trial versions of the e-gullet Best White and Best Chocolate cakes, and she decided they were "too rich, dense, and sophisticated" (Bwah!? They were plain chocolate and plain white - how is that too sophisticated?) The people at work LOVED them, but my mom said she prefers cake mix cakes, so cake mix cakes it is. Unfortunately, Every single cake has fallen apart when I have tried to turn them out of the pan. Funny how the trial run 'scratch' cakes came out perfect every time! Anyway, I promised my mom I would torte the cakes and put icing between every layer. So far with my attempts (which worked beautifully on the trial run scratch cakes), if I slice a layer, the top layer falls to pieces when I try to move it to another surface. How can I keep this from happening? At what point should I slice them - when they are completely cooled? Frozen? Right now, I have the crumbling layers (my third attempt, and they are still crumbling) in the freezer, hoping that freezing them will make them stable enough for me to move the layers after they are sliced so I can fill with icing. Please give me some advice - this is my third night of trying to make these cakes, and I am losing major sleep because of this!

I should have posted this earlier... oh well. Any ideas on something I can make at home? Have access to most, but not all Asian ingredients. Any and all suggestions welcome... recipes and links to sites with recipes especially appreciated. TIA

As a personal chef without a commercial kitchen, I do all of my prep and cooking in clients' homes. Desserts are always a challenge, especially when I do a party for 30-50 people, since I normally only have 1 oven available, sometimes two, and those have to share with the other cooking for the meal. I only have the client's home fridge available, and you know how little space those have. No big Hobart, and only a limited amount of space on the counter for decorating and plating. You get the picture - it's like you were giving a party of that size in your home and couldn't make anything before the day of the event, and had to fit the whole dinner and dessert into one day's space and schedule. That said, I still want to give my clients something special in the way of dessert. So far the only thing I've resorted to buying is tiny tartlet shells from my local bakery, which come frozen, and really are just fine, even though I cringe at using something I didn't make from scratch. Well, if I used puff pastry or phyllo I'd buy that too, but both are relatively hard to work with under the circumstances I've described. I'm hoping, and even begging, for advice from the pros about tricks, tips, and even recipes that I might be able to use in these conditions to create beautiful, delicious desserts with a lot of wow factor. I can't wait to hear what you all might have to say.

Boulangers et pâtissiers often use spirits & liqueurs in their work. Yet how many of us reach for a bottle of beer – that is, to pour its contents into a dessert! Over the few years, I have become increasingly fascinated w/ the range of imported beers offered at the local liquor shops and their prospective culinary strengths. A recent statement from the gov’t-sanctioned corporation which regulates the importation & sale of beers has revealed that the import-beer category manifested a third-straight-year of double-digit growth. The current inventory sheet lists about 80 different imports, appended by the corporation’s aspiration to add another 20 labels in the near future. Many of us are now learning that supposedly de rigueur food-wine matchups may be contested and sometimes be surpassed by beers. Witness this interesting comment from Alan Skversky, regional exec. Chef for the Arizona-based Hops! Bistro & Brewery restaurant: “There are no set rules. But, everytime we try a different beer with a different food, we’re blown away by the possibilities.” (Neil, I am intrigued to ask you whether similar knowledge transpires to your guests at the great Bellagio in LV?) It was fascinating to read recently of a contest held in NYC between a sommelier (I think he was from the Gramercy Tavern restaurant) and a prominent authority on beer. The final showdown on their slate of food-&-liquor pairings was a supposedly difficult, rare cheese from France. Ultimately, the judges awarded the prize to the beer advocate. Beer has a great gustatory range. Examples: Belle-Vue Kriek, a dessert beer from Belgium, is an admirable choice to serve w/ a bittersweet, glazed chocolate-&-dried-cherry cake à la mode. Sweet stout – famously matched to fresh oysters – is delicious served with a caramelized cheesecake. (A creamy stout, including my all-time favourite dark beer, Young’s Double Chocolate, froths up beautifully beside a devil’s food cake. A doppelbock complements a spicier dessert such as pumpkin pie. And a wheat beer can be drunk happily with a raspberry crumble. I wonder if any of my beloved Pilsners (Urquell, Okacim, Frydenlund, Zywiec) would blend with anything from the sweets trolley? Hmmm…unlikely! Perusing my journal earlier today, I selected some of the beer-flavoured desserts I’ve prepared: Chocolate Cake (using Nethergate Old Growler Porter) Gingerbread Cake (using Marston’s Oyster Stout) Pumpkin Cookies (using a dark Bock) Cheddar-Cheese Corn Bread (using Mexican Sol beer); I know, it's savoury. Prudence Hilburn’s Beer Biscuits (using an India Pale Ale) On several occasions I’ve baked a large pretzel-shaped bread (using either Bitburger from Ger. or Kronenburg from Fr.) And, I’ll confess that I made an unusual Dark-Beer Sabayon to accompany a Lebkuchen Soufflé! There’s nothing highfalutin about this Green-Tomato Chocolate Cake , except that with a later-than-usual ripening season for my tomatoes this year, I expect there’ll be a huge basket of green ones to process! You’ll need 1 cup of peeled, seeded, puréed green tomatoes. Cream: 2/3 cup butter & 1¾ cups granulated sugar. Add 2 large eggs & 4 oz. melted, unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tsp vanilla extract. Blend well. Sift together: 2½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup non-alkalized cocoa, 2 tsp. Each of baking powder & soda, and ¼ tsp salt. Stir tomato purée into chocolate mixture. Then stir in half of dry ingredients. Next, pour in 1 cup of flat beer (enchances texture, moistness, & lightness of cake). Fold in remaining dry ingredients. Spoon batter into two greased, floured 9-inch layer pans. Bake for about 30 mins. in preheated 350° F. oven. Later you may cover w/ your choice of Cream Cheese Icing. And perhaps decorate w/ chocolate butterflies or marzipan ladybugs. Bon appétit – and cheers, too!

what do most folks top they're opera cake with? Pour on ganache or use a tempered chocolate sheet? TIA, danny

I humbly admit it. Of the readily available US dessert wines, I have many uses for the Bonny Doon Framboise (raspberry dessert wine). The Vin de Glaciere, which I'm sure will be discussed later, is lovely but expensive for many people. The Framboise half-bottle is an explosion of pure raspberry flavor. After an exhausting, foot-swelling wine festival I've been known to bypass every other wine and pour an aperitif glass (in my case, a vodka glass) of chilled Framboise, put up said feet, and just breathe for 10 minutes. For the holidays, Framboise with fresh, pitted dates stuffed with a fingerful of cream cheese, topped with a raspberry and tiny slivers of toasted almond, drizzled with Framboise.

Having a big party in November and the place I use to buy cakes from closed down. Any suggestions on the best place to have cakes made in North Jersey? Im particularly looking for around Nutley area and don't want to go too far out of the area. I'm talking fresh whipped cream. All fresh ingrediants. Top notch. Expense is no issue. The kind of cake that your guests have a second piece of and fight for it. Throw me out your recs! Thanks in advance.

Hello everyone, Im looking for a good apple cake/bread recipe to make for my fiance(its her favorite cake). Its the kind that you can buy from 'farmers market'. Im not sure if its a bread or cake. It tastes like a cake and it comes in a small pan. banana bread is more like a cake but it is labeled as a bread??? sorry if my post is confusing. anyways, what's a good recipe? What kind of apples should I buy? etc... Thanks for the help.

I'm thinking a yellow cake, with lots of coconut. A light, coconut icing. Topped with toasted coconut. Capable of being made well by an idiot.

I hope this is the right forum for this inquiry - I've never posted here before! My daughter is turning three on November 12, and we are having a big party on the 14th. The party will be for both adult family and all of her friends. The theme is Halloween Redux, and everyone will be in costumes. All of the decor will be Halloween, and the activities will be Halloween-related as well (painting mini-pumpkins, etc.). When I asked Dylan what kind of cake she wanted, she said she wants a hot pink chocolate cake. She has clarified that the hot pink is referring to the frosting (or crossing, as she says). Here is what I'm wondering: What is the best chocolate cake recipe for 3 year olds? I want something moist but not fudgy. They are all likely used to cake mix cakes, which I refuse to do, but I don't want to fall on my sword - I want them to actually eat it. How can I decorate it? Hot pink isn't exactly "Halloween'y". Luckily, Dyl's costume is a hot pink (see a theme here?) butterfly, so I'm thinking I can coordinate? What shape is best? My friend offered to lend me her round cake pan, which makes a giant half dome. I think that might be hard to cut. I am leaning towards a sheet cake, as that will be easy to cut and serve out to the little ones. A layer cake seems too large for 3 year olds. We'll probably have about 10 kids and 10 - 15 adults. Thanks all!

Peter , Thank you so very much for your generous, sage advice. This has been the most informative Q&A I've come across on egullet. Also, thank you for all of your wonderful books. Your generous style and spiritualty instill a sense of connectedness with the prepartion and sharing of food. I teach cooking classes and have put "Sacramental Magic in a Small Town Cafe" on the required reading list for novices (pun intended). My question is about high altitude cake baking. I live at 5,000 feet and have a cabin at 7,200 feet elevation. Do you have a formula for high altitude cakes? We generally have low humidity which plays a part too, and how does barametric pressure effect high altitude baking? Many Thanks CG

Greetings I'm looking for a pancake recipe that inspires fluffiness, that is nice thick pancakes, but not heavy. Thin will simply not do. Flavor is not of quite as much importance. This recipe is for a contest that is graded on flavor, presentation, and fluffiness. Also, does anyone know of any exciting ways to present pancakes? Thanks a heap!

I LOVE Wendy's Banana Cake!! So does everyone who tries it. Even my 2 year old daughters will eat more of it than any other banana loaf recipe. That said, I'd like to use it in the coffee shop in loaf form but as you mentioned Wendy, it doesn't rise much which is fine for a cake but to sell in individual slices I need some rise. The dough pretty much fills a 9x5 loaf pan so more dough is not the answer. The first time I tried it I used cake & pastry flour which gave it great texture. Last night I tried it with AP flour and 2 tsp baking powder but other than make it a bit rubbery it didn't rise any higher. Does anyone know how I can adjust the recipe to fit my needs?

Mario just did a segment on Food Network with a recipe called virgin's breasts. Eric Ripert has nun's farts in his book and Nancy Silverton has nun's breasts. Any other strange desserts out there that you've heard of?

hello everyone, i'm making a wedding cake for some friends for sept. 25th (still a beginner, though have had experience in pastry production, more finishing tarts, etc.) and my friend wanted something like the one in this image (by Cheryl Kleinman?) she really wants this kind of simple, elegant, modern look. http://www.newyorkmetro.com/shopping/guide...ery_cakes/4.htm 1. how does one create that type of real flower sprays and attach them to the cake? this is one of my biggest stresses since i'm not sure of the timing for getting the flowers and putting them on the cake. the bridesmaids' dresses are lavender so i'm thinking of using purple/lavender flowers mixed with 1 or at most 2 other colors (any suggestions?) that would go well. 2. how far in advance should i make the cake/filling and assemble it? 2. keeping loosely to that look, how does one create the pleats in such a cake? does one use rolled fondant, sugarpaste, marzipan or?? does one do them one band at a time? how does one attach them to the cake? or do you band the pleats on a sheet of (marzipan) and then adhere it to the cake? 3. one of my concerns, if it is perhaps marzipan, is allergy to nuts. 1 tier of the total 3 tiers of the cake (12", 9" and 6") i'll be making with almond and the other 2 tiers will be sans almonds to cater to those with allergies to nuts. if it is marzipan pleats, what can i substitute on the non-nut layers? 4. what should be adhering the (fondant)? should i be using buttercream? 5. what's the best way to color the fondant (or marzipan or whatever it is) a light green? 6. after putting the (fondant) on, i can't refrigerate the cake, right? how do i deal with the fact that the pastry cream in the cake needs to be refrig. and the outer layer needs to be room temp.? i need tips and help in understanding how to decorate this cake most efficiently since i'm working full-time while making this cake for sept. 25th. thanks in advance for your experience and help in any and all of the above issues!!!

If you were preparing dinner for a very special occasion in your home this summer, what would be your list of desserts to choose from? Recipes, ideas, thoughts and anything that can help us learn from each other are welcome.

Last night I got a call from that pain in the ass chef (the one that causes me all the headaches) I went from being his employee to his dessert supplier. 1 guest complained "How dare he charge $5.95 for 2 bites of tiramisu!" , I listened to him , but was cursing him in head. I use these rapid molds purshased from Kerekes they are 4 oz. individual round molds, pretty much standard in our realm. I have 3 sets (105 molds in all) as well I have other shapes. 4 oz. production molds My Tiramisu is flavored intense, so what do I do? change the size for this one guy (I'm only charging him $1.75 each). I have costed them out for this size. I really want to tell this guy that this is one customers opinion and that you cant expect to please everybody, no one else has complained except him and this customer. I feel the problem is he does nothing to the desserts, puts it on a plate with sauce and calls it a day. The real question-on both sides of the spectrum, as a pastry chef are these too small (or perfect) and to the consumers, would you make the same complaint? When is a dessert considered too small?

There was an article (p64) in the Star Ledger 8/27 about "Marc's Cheesecakes." Anyone been? They sound wonderful. Which places in NJ have the best cheesecakes? Who remembers the cheesecakes they served at Weequahic Diner?

I'm having a barbecue for 30 people and I'm a bit stuck about desert. I'm planing to make tomato and goats cheese tart to start, barbecued leg of lamb with sauce vierge and then..... I was thinking about Summer Pudding but I would need to make a couple of really large ones and I'm worried they'd collapse when I turned them out. And I really can't make 30 individual ones. And I only have a small fridge :-( Does anyone have any bright ideas for either a way to make Summer Pudding, or some sort of alternative easyish desert? I don't mind it if needs to be prepared in advance (in fact that might be a good thing) The tart is very cheesy so I'm looking for something with a bit of a tang to it to balance the richness. ANY help appreciated!

Has anyone ever had this? I saw it advertised at the Ground Round recently. It made me think about how they're made...Are they actually breaded frozen bits of cheesecake that you dunk in the fryolater? (shudder) I was tempted to try it but would really only want a sample...

I've tried five of Steve's desserts in the past week, three at Café Atlantico ($7.00 each) and two at Zaytinya ($5.95 each). My love lies in France, and I mean that quite literally, so first on my list of priorities was the classic french dessert Baba Au Rhum, or simply "Baba" at Café Atlantico. It's served "in a modern Latin style," meaning there is Jamaican rum, spices and "panela," which is basically pure cane sugar made from evaporation. The cream is tangy, not sweet, and this is a traditional but interesting rendition. Coconut is served two different ways in "Coco En Dos Formas" at Café Atlantico, and this simple, elegant dessert is accented by a "mango salad" and a "vanilla-lime Gelée," both of which surpass their understated names, and deliver the proper acidity to compliment this interesting dessert which - tragically - reminded me of Coppertone on the nose in the same way that Rossini's William Tell Overture reminds me of the Theme from The Lone Ranger. The Yogurt Cream at Zaytinya is a brilliant, must-have destination dessert. Layers of apricot, top-and-bottom, sandwich a brilliant "Samos Island Muscat-vanilla gelée" (the yogurt). This is a WOW dessert by my way of thinking, simple, but beautiful in every way. It's served in the same vessel as the "Coco En Dos Formas" dessert listed up above. If you go to Zaytinya, then get this. A trusted friend told me about it, and this reminds me of why I trust her. Ooh, bébé, the Warm Chocolate Cake at Café Atlantico is goood. Labeled "Bizcocho <a sponge cake> Templado <warm> de Chocolate con Banana," it's a three-ring circus of this wonderful cake which at once seems like ganache, a souflée and a flour-based cake. The banana foam was another take on creme (all three creme presentations at Café Atlantico were slightly different), and the banana-lime salad was a dazzling sidecar to the decadent chocolate cake. And then of course the Turkish Coffee Chocolate at Zaytinya, made with cardamom foam (espuma), was every bit the naughty diet-breaker. Literally cut from the same mold as the Bizcocho at Café Atlantico (it's served in the exact same shape), this is even richer, with less cutting acidity though it's tempered by Raki, a traditional distilled Turkish drink made usually from grapes. It can come across as a platitude to say things are "well-conceived," but all five of these desserts were, in fact, that. There was a little plug-and-play action going on in terms of the actual molds used to make the cakes and parfaits, but nobody would ever notice. These were brilliantly thought-out desserts. Let me finish by saying one thing: you would not do yourself a disservice by going out to get these desserts first, and then worrying about your savory courses afterwards. Nontraditional? Yes, but who cares. They're worth it, especially at these price points. Bravo, Steve, Rocks.

First, I've never been to Italy and all my information comes from books and Italian restaurants I've patronized in the States. That's why I seek info. here, I need help. Is there a difference between a French macaroon and Italian amaretti? The things I notice as different: is the French place two together with a filling in the center, the French use many flavors and the Italians don't and many recipes call for ground amaretti inferring that these cookies are crisp. Perhaps I've looked at too many recipes because I can't find anything consistant ie. proportions or almond flour vs. almond paste. Please, help me so I can identify and make authentic amaretti. Also, I have some other challenges. I'm expected to make a "almond and chocolate cake" and mini Italian pastries that must be totally completed one day before serving. As far as an "almond and chocolate cake" I've seen none in my Italian cookbooks that really fit that description closely. Some authentic Italian cakes have chocolate and almonds in a cheese or whipped cream based filling that are supported by either a pound or a sponge cake. Have I missed something, is there a "almond and chocolate" cake (not torte) that is "known" in Italian dining? Lastly, mini pastries...that can't be put together on the day of the event only the day before is a challenge. So far all I can think of doing is a take on traditional Italian flavors like almonds, pistachio, lemon and building items that would probably never be sold in an Italian bakery unless someone can update my knowledge on Italy and it's pastries. Thank-you in advance.

Mid-Autumn festival is still a month away but mooncakes are starting to rear their ugly heads in SF Chinatown. I know people who actually like them, but I suspect most people view them as China's version of the fruitcake. They're for giving, not for eating, and you sort of know that whomever you give them to will give them to someone else. (At least that's my view.) Do you like mooncakes? If so, what style do you prefer, the Cantonese varieties that have everything but the kitchen sink in them, or the more spartan northern style? Meat-filled Jiangsu-style? Ice Cream mooncakes (I kid you not)? Any mooncake memories?

Americans deep-six desserts at dinner One result, according to the article, "Mini Desserts." Houlihan's now, but I'm hoping the trend will catch on. I understand the economics of large desserts at large prices, but for those of us trying to cut down calories and minimize sugar intake, it's either smaller desserts or foregoing dessert. I'm all for mini desserts.

Some of Joyce White's thoughts on the meaning of soul food -- not to mention a coconut cake recipe -- can be found in today's Daily Gullet. Enjoy!