Showing posts with label Course Cake Decoration I. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Course Cake Decoration I. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Chocolate Cake Recipe for Beginners

Chocolate Cake -  only for reference
I really wanted to share this recipe with my readers. I really enjoyed making this chocolate cake last weekend in house of my friend Francisco. I own you the pictures, but my camera was without batteries at the time of the making (I was taking pictures of my son the entire day).

Francisco's wife called me early last week to help her making a cake for Francisco's birthday, that we were going to celebrate over the weekend. My friend Francisco is Venezuelan  and a chef, and he wanted a chocolate cake Venezuelan style. Venezuelan style means for us very soft and moist, the sponge cake from Trinidad is a little bit heavy for what we are use to.

This cake was fantastic, I borrowed the recipe from my mom, she found the recipe I do not where, and the result was fantastic. Even more I can call it the foolproof Chocolate Cake. This is the perfect cake for whom do not have much expericen baking.


CHOCOLATE CAKE (difficulty: NONE)

2-1/4 cup of flour
1-2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cacao (powder)
1-1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1-1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of butter
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tbsp of butter to grease the molds
2 tbsp of cocoa in powder to cover the molds.
Pre-heat oven at 350 F (180 C)

  1. Prepare two cake molds (6" x 2") with the butter and sprinkler with cacao.  Another way to prepare the molds is grease the molds with butter and line them with wax paper.
  2. Measure carefully all ingredients.
  3. Put all the ingredients together in the mixer's bowl with the exception of the eggs. Do not break the eggs on the bowl's mixer, break them on another bowl and then add to the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Beat the mix for half minute at low velocity; increase the velocity to medium speed and beat the mix for three (3) more minutes.
  5. Pour half of the the mix in each mold.
  6. Bake for 30 minuts or push a skewer in the centre, it should come out clean and the top should feel firm.
  7. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completly.
  8. when the cake is cold, decorate it with buttercream.

See recipe for buttercream here. I did a variation of this buttercream recipe (coffee buttercream, I love tha coffee flavour with chocolate)  adding 2 tsp of instant coffee disolved in 2 tbsp of water.

I hope you enjoy it!!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

How to Make Gum Paste

This Gum Paste recipe is the one given by my teacher in the Cake Decoration Course Level 1, that I am taken in UWI (University of the West Indies) Open Campus in  Trinidad.

I has done this gum paste a couple times an the result is very good.  And the best thing is that you may find all the ingredients right in your kitchen or just in the super market without any need to go to an Cake Decorating Shop.

Ingredients:
4 tbs. water - measured
1 tbs. gelatin
1 level tbs. of shortening
1-1/2 tbs. corn syrup.
1 lb. icing sugar + 1 pot spoon


Method:
 
Some of the Ingredients used



1. Set stove on medium to low heat.
    
    Mix of Gelatin, shortening & water
    
    My double boiler technique
2. Using a double boiler, add water and sprinkler the gelatin  and dissolve completely, using a wooden spoon. Then add the shortening and the corn syrup. Keep stirring until mixture melt.
All ingredients dissolved

3. Gradually add the icing sugar, until it rich the consistency of a paste, and you can make easily a ball and nothing stick in your hand, the mixture most be soft, smooth and easy to work with, like "play doh".

    Adding Sugar little by little
    More sugar and more sugar
    ...And more sugar
    This is how the mix look ... you may have to put it on the counter to work it
    Almost ready, just one more step
4. Put the gum past in an airtight container, damp the top with a small amount of water. Put it in the refrigerator and leave for 24 hours to mature.
5. Next day the mix is ready to be colored as needed.
    
    I colored my gum paste and I put it in a plastic bag
    

I was trying to make flowers, this is  my first one



Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Easy Technique to Decorate with Royal Icing




You may not be familiar with using Royal Icing to decorate the entire cake, but here in Trinidad & Tobago we use Royal Icing to decorate the cake and not only for the details, in fact the Buttercream frosting is not that popular. And I will tell you why... in this weather, the buttercream frosting will melt almost in not time. I am telling yo from experience, while the Royal Icing will last on the cake perfect.



In my last assignment in the Cake Decoration Class was to decorate a 8", 2 tier cake with filling. I was looking in my mind for an easy way to decorate the cake, but good looking and fresh. We usually cover the cake with the icing, then do borders, and put some flowers on top or that kind of things, I was looking for something more edgy.

I created this design using a tip No. 2D, 3 cups of royal icing medium consistency. I used a dark pink color for the icing, (you will appreciate more in the slice cake below), of course a pastry bag. This tip does not require to use a coupler.




Technique: 

1.COVER ONLY THE TOP of the cake with icing (use a lot) to avoid problems with the crumbs. The trick to kipping crumbs out of your icing is gliding your spatula on the icing , and do not allow  to touch the surface of the cake. Put the icing on the center of the cake and spread across the top, pushing towar the edges. Then smooth sides by holding the spatula upright with the edge against to the sides, slowly spining the turntable without lifting the spatula from the cake surface. Return excess icing to the bowl. - Decorating Cakes, Wilton

2. PREPARE THE BAG: Use the pastry bag without a coupler, cut 3/4 inch off the end of the bag, then drop the tip (2D) in, narrow end first. Note: the icing will hold the tip in place. Load the bag with icing.

3. DOING THE SIDES: Using the bag at 6:00 pm. With the tip on the top border of the cake. Apply pression to the bag (medium) and pipe down moving your hand in a zig-zag motion while you are descending . Stop applying pressure when you reach the base of the cake.

You can make this design with Buttercream too!!

Friday, June 3, 2011

How to Make Character Cakes

The character cake is one of the most popular cakes, that's why my teacher wanted to show us how to make it. This type of cake is very popular for children parties and it is very easy to decorate. you just need to get  a character cake pan, some icing and gel color and start practicing.

There are basically 2 techniques used for character cakes. Definitions and techniques has been taken from  the book Decorating Cakes by Wilton. Here the techniques:

OUTLINE: Character cakes are usually outlined first, then piped with the start or any other technique used. Outline facial features, outline the shape of the character, etc.
Tip No. 3
Icing Consistancy: Thin
Bag Position: 45 degrees
Hold Tip: slightly above surface.

START FILLING IN:  The character cake are usually decorated with stars. Those stars need to  be be very close together, stars require so much piping from the same bag, It is a good idea to keep  replenishing the icing. Change the icing when soft, otherwise the stars will eventually be poorly defined.
Tip No. 16
Icing Consistancy: Medium
Bag Position: 90 degrees, straight up
Hold Tip: 1/4 inch above surface

Very Important: when you fill the character cake with the stars, pipe a row of stars evenly and close together, adjusting the tip position slightly each time


MY LITTLE HERO CAKE

 
My T&T Astro Kid
For this cake I use a Little Hero Pan from Wilton, I loved this pan since I saw it in the store because g

Astro Boy by Wilton - Little Hero Pan


ave me 4 decoration options, the fire fighter, the soldier boy, Astro Kid and a police. I am the mother of a 15 month old boy, so this pan is the right choice for me. I decided to make the Astro Kid.

The good thing about Wilton Character Cake Pans is that they came with instructions for baking, how to use the decorating bag and couple, recipe  for butter cream icing, how to decorate the cake and every thing you will need to complete the project.

For this project I used a chocolate cake mix , but you can use your favorite recipe, I suggest you the moist yellow cake, it is very good all the time. Or your favorite chocolate cake recipe.

I did not made it quite like in the instruction, but here you have the list of color fromWilton Little Hero Pan. I followed the instruction but due to availability I used other colors or I changed the design somehow. But I love my own T&T Astro Kid. Other Ideas how to use the same cake pan, see here.

NOTE: follow the baking instruction that comes with the cake pan, very important!!!

You will need:
Tips:
# 3 for outline the cake
# 16 (star tip) for the face
# 18 for the entire body

Make 5  cups of butter cream icing, tint them with food color in gel as  follow
1-1/4 cup blue  (all around the cake and outline the cake)
1 cup dark blue - use small amount of black (for the shoes and part of the arm shirt)
1/4 cup black (eyes, mouth, hair)
1/2 cup copper (I combined red and yellow in a very small proportion to get the skin color)
1/4 cups yellow (for the stars around the boy and around the head)
1-1/2 cup of white (for the body)

Mix very well the colors in separate containers, for bright colors add color with a toothpick. Add color and mix properly until you get the color that you expect, for bright color you have to add a lot of this color gel.

...Well I did not read all the instruction, but I should had trimmed the ears, hose and arm extension off the cake, in other words, whatever thing that you do not need from the original cake design.
.


1. Outline the cake with tip # 3 (blue color), outline helmet, arms, shoes, legs, packets, etc.
2. With the star tip No. 18 and white butter cream start making stars and cover the cake, make sure that the stars are very close together and not pointing.
3. With the same star tip, but with dark blue color, fill the shoes area and the end of the arm shirt.
4. Add the stars around the body in yellow icing.
5. Add stars in blue (same color used to outline the body) around the head and on the sides, be careful to do not cover the "yellow stars".




6. Apply the copper color for the face, star tip # 16, leave space for the eyes. To make the nose, overpipe three layers of stars to build up the nose.


My beautiful Astro Boy almost done!!!

7. For the eyes, with Tip No. 3 and white icing  make a flat dot and then with the same tip # 3 and black icing make a small flat dot . With same tip outline the eyebrow and mouth.  Change tip to # 16 and make pull out stars to make the hair.
8. I use blue color and tip No. 3 to write T&T (Trinidad and Tobago)... I did not have any flag available at that time.
Here my lovely Astro Kid, I had such a good time decorating this cake, It is a lot of work when you are not accustom to squeeze the decorating bag so often, and my hand was hurting me. But I was happy with the final product.

My T&T Astro Kid

Pick a character cake for your next birthday and enjoy it the jurney!!!


Wednesday, June 1, 2011

How to Make Fondant


This is the recipe from my Cake Decoration Class Level 1, at the West Indies University, Open Campus. Trinidad & Tobago.

My first cake decorated with fondant was a small cake, 8 " round cake. I realy enjoy working with fondant. To make foundant take a lot of time, but after is ready and you cover the cake, it is so easy to work with ir. And you can make elaborated design on it.
The cake at the right was decorated by me with gum paste flowers, the monogram was done using a technique call Satin Stitch was made in Royal Icing well as all de details. I got inspaired by  the book The Well Decorated Cake by Toba Garrett, that I recomend to any one who want to learn how to decorate cakes.





 

 Ingredients:
1 tbst gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup liquid glucose or corn syrup
2 lb icing sugar
Corn starch for kneading and rolling out fondant
1 oz. shortening (1 tsp.)

Equipment.
Airtight container
Plastic wrap
Bowl
Sauce pan
Foundant rolling pin
Flour Sift


Method
  1. Sprinkler gelatine over cold water in a small bowl. Leave to soften 2-3 minutes.
  2. Please the gelatine from the step 1 in sauce pan, add also the glucouse and the shortening.
  3.  Put the sauce in a double boiler, until all the gelatine and shotening are disolved.
  4. Place a sifted icing sugar in a large bowl  and add the gelatin mixture.
  5. Mix ingredientes with paletle. Knead until get consistancy.


Note: Brush cake lightly with corn syrup before putting on fondant.
         You have to knead for a while, the final consistancy is soft, smooth, flexible, firm and shine.

Petunias in Royal Icing





In this opportunity we are going to make a square shape cake and decorate it with Petunias, vains and leaves, as you see in the picture above. The Petunias and the rest of the decoration were made in Royal Icing, check recipe here.















I made my Royal Icing and I added some color, you can find petunias in any imaginable color, well a pick this blue, that was the combination of 1/2 tooth pick of blue in about 2 cups of white icing. Mix it very well with the spatula.


I made about 10 petunias, I was practicing and I picked the best 3 for my decoration.

Here I am bringing you a video that I found in YouTube, personally I found that the explanation is very good, and it also  will help me to improve my technique. My petunias are not that bad, but her petunias are perfect. I think I will watch this video at least three times before I go and practice. Remember, to get it right you have to practice and practice and practice. This video is from http://designmeacake.com/





Here all the cakes from my Decoration Class, the fist two were made by me. I hope you enjoy the creeativity of our group.













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