Cakes

Party Cake Tips

 

Top Cake Decorating Tips

A properly baked cake is the best foundation for your icing and your decorations. If you are plannning on making a three dimensional or layered cake, use batters with a firm texture like pound cake. If you prefer lighter cake and still want a three-dimensional or layered cake, you can use various supporting elements to hold your cake together. Some of the items I have used are, toothpicks, straws, skewers, and of course the glue that holds it together, icing!

When making a cake there are a few basic principles you need to know that can help make a cake look and taste better.

• Grease and Flour.

  Grease your pan with vegetableshortening or vegetable cooking spray. Your cake will come out easy and in one piece. Use a brush to coat all areas or sometimes I use a small piece of paper towel. Sprinkle flour inside the pan and make sure to coat evenly by shaking the flour all over the pan. Tap to make sure there are no excess flour in a certain areas and that all corners are coated. This is essential if you want your cake to come out in one piece and not stick to your pan. Bake according to recipe directions.

• Cooling Time.

  When cake is done, take out of the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool for at least one hour. When cool, brush off excess crumbs and you are ready to frost the cake.

• Thinning Icing.

  Thinning buttercream with corn syrup makes it easier to spread and to pipe. Use about 2 teaspoons of corn syrup to each cup of icing.

• Degreaser Liquid Soap.

  Use degreaser liquid soap to clean icing off from tools when cleaning up. The soap really do work and it makes clean-up much easier. Clean tools are tips are important when using royal or color flow icings.

• Size of tips for icing.

  When covering a large area with stars use tip 20 or tip 21. You can cover a large area with this size tip without the stars looking too big.

• Ziploc Bags.

  Use large ziploc bags if you don't have parchment bags. Just snip off a small amount of the plastics from one of the corners and use a regular decorators tip like you normally would with parchment bags.

• Coloring and Tinting Icing.

  Start with white icing and use a toothpick to add color a little bit at a time. Colors are intense so you will need to mix thoroughly to see if you have gotten the desired color. Colors also tend to darken after a couple of hours. Use a new toothpick each time you add more color.

• Stop messy cake bottoms.

  To prevent messy cake bottoms place wide strips of waxed paper under each side of the cake. Ice the sides of the cake as usual. When done, simply pull out the wax paper for a neat look.

Italian Meringue Icing

 

Icing Ingredients

I have been making icing using this delicious crustless icing and all my guests and customers love them! The icing will stay soft and won't harden. The top might form a very thin crust but inside it will stay soft and smooth, almost like whipped cream. Even kids who don't normally like cake and who only like to eat the ice cream at birthday parties request for this icing. It is more work but for special occassion, it is well worth it!

 

Part 1

• 3 egg whites at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbs cold water
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Combine all the ingredients for Part 1 in a metal bowl using a hand mixer on high speed over a large double boiler until you have a thick meringue. This takes about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside, and cool.

 

Part 2

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 Tbs milk
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp almond extract

Mix until well blended in a large bowl (hand mixer). Spoon in meringue from Part 1, fold until well blended.

Basic White Cake Recipe

 

Cake Batter

 

Ingredients for Basic Cake

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk

 

Basic Cake Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin pan with paper liners or if making a cake, grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extract. In a separate bowl, combine sifted flour and baking powder. Add the flour mix slowly to the creamed mixture and mix well with beater. Add in the milk into the mixture and beat until batter is smooth. Pour batter into pan or muffin tin.
3. Bake at 350 F temperature for 30 to 40 minutes until brown and center is done. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.