Cherry Blossom Tutorial

Here is the request from my friend for my second wedding cake:

3 tiers, bright green tospy-turvy with cherry blossoms and sculpted love birds.

Oh boy.  Mostly I was worried about getting the colors right and getting the ang;es on the topsy-turvy layers correct so it wouldn't turn out wonky. 

First I started with the flowers.  Here's the list of items:

Gumpaste
Rice Noodles
Candy Melts (orange)
Floral Tap
Petal Dust (pink)

Flower cutter
Rolling pin
Non-stick surface for rolling
Corn starch if gumpaste is too sticky to work with

I decided to try something new for the stems.  I found uncooked rice noodles at the store which I thought would work perfectly.  Rice noodles are stiff enough to hold their shape but can also bend a little which helps to shape the flower.  Rice noodles are inexpensive and one bag of noodles is all you would probably ever need to buy for stem making.  The cost is considerably cheaper than buying premade stems.

I cut the stems about 2 inches long and taped then together with floral tape.

I then melted a small batch of candy melts in the microwave and dipped the rice noodle stems in the candy.  Stems were then set a side to dry.

Roll out gumpaste and cut with flower cutter.  Smooth out edges with a ball tool.

After refining the edges with the ball tool, place the end of the stem through the center of the flower.  Squeeze the gumpaste at the base to attach it to the stem and fan out the pedals.

Here's a gumpaste drying tip:  Place in the oven overnight with just the light on (or the pilot light if you have a gas stove)  DO NOT TURN THE OVEN ON.  This creates a dry environment which speeds up gumpaste drying by a day or more.

In the end the cake turn out beautiful. 

Sweet Love's Dance ~ Chocolate Meringue Cake

This is an adapted "Autumn Meringue" cake, which is a classic french cake, distinctive in that it involves no actual cake. For the gluten free set...lots of love, no gluten.  :-)

There are 3 parts.  Each part by itself is simple and wonderful. The results of combining them are glorious.  Definitely worth a try.

Part 1:  3 Meringue Discs (I made chocolate discs, these form the "cake" part of the cake)
Part 2:  Chocolate Mousse (I purposely made a "no egg" mousse as I was feeding small children.  Worked beautifully.  This is the "filling" part of the cake)
Part 3:   Chocolate Ganache (this is the icing on the cake)

Sweet Mary's Meringue Recipe:

4 egg whites
1 pinch Cream of Tartar (helps stabilize the meringue, not needed if you are good at whipping. I was concerned about piping it into a disc, so I added the tartar)
1 cup sugar
1/4 Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder (I used dutch processed)

Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixing bowl, whip at high speed until soft peaks form, slowly add in the sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in the cocoa powder using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, careful not to break the meringue.

I made 3 nine inch discs as I wanted to assemble the cake in a 9 inch spring form pan.  I used the removable bottom round from the spring form and traced around it 3 times on parchment paper.  Filled a piping bag with the meringue and piped the discs starting with the outer rim working towards the center.  I piped using a size 10 tip but I think next time I will just cut a larger hole at the tip of the bag. I think a thicker meringue layer adds better texture to the cake.

Bake the meringues at 250 for 2 hours.  Then turn oven off, leave light on and let cool in oven for 6-8 hours (I let mine rest overnight)

Finished Meringues

Eggless Chocolate Mousse

This recipe is great for those that are immune compromised, pregnant or feeding young children or if you simply just shy away from raw eggs

I modified an Alton Brown recipe.  It is basically an awesome stabilized whipped cream recipe. It was so fun, so easy and the results were so excellent, I think I will stabilize all my whipped cream fillings this way.  Yay (thanks Alton)

12 oz bag/chopped Bittersweet Chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
3 oz strong coffee
1 TBSP Irish Cream
4 TBSP Butter
1 TS unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Melt together chocolate, butter, Irish cream, and coffee in a double boiler or in a glass bowl fitted  snugly on top of a pot of simmering water.  Remove from heat and cool.

Bloom gelatin in a metal pot, with 1/4 cup of whipping cream for 10 minutes (sprinkle gelatine into cold cream and let sit, do not stir), on low low low heat, warm gelatin until dissolved, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add to cooled melted chocolate mixture.

Whip 1 1/2 cups of cream at high speed until stiff peaks from.  Add 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture.  Fold in the remaining whipped cream in two batches, using 1/2 of the remaining whipped cream at a time.  Let chill for 1 hour.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream
12 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat whipping cream in a sauce pan to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, add chocolate chips and stir until melted and fully incorporated.  Let cool

ASSEMBLY

In a spring form pan, place 1 of the chocolate meringue discs on the bottom.  Pipe a layer mousse on top of the disc.  Add the second disc and repeat with a mousse layer.  Add the last disc and cover with the remaining mousse.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.  After set, remove the cake from the spring form pan and pour the ganache over the top.

Layer 1:

Layer 2:

I did have some left over mousse and chocolate, so I also made some chocolate fudge cupcakes.  These were beautiful.  Garnished with raspberries and fresh mint leaves

The next time I make this recipe I think I will add a thin layer of raspberry sauce (possible a raspberry reduction) on top first mousse layer. 

Smurf-tastic Birthday Cake

So to jump on the smurf bandwagon this summer, my daughter wanted a smurf cake for her sixth birthday.  This would be her second birthday cake this year.  You can see her first cake, the Rapunzel Cake, on this blog.  That cake was a major multi-week effort so I wanted something "easy" for the second go.  When she requested Smurfs, I thought oh..no...here we go again, especially because I have virtually no sculpting experience.  Hmmm....

I decided I would work with modeling chocolate to make the surfs, mostly because I'm out of gum paste :-(  My work recently moved locations and getting nice wonderful high quality gum paste at the ONE store in my area that sells it is no longer a simple trek during lunch.  :-(  :-(.  Needless to say, making a special trip just didn't fit into my "easy" definition.  BUT I had candy melts.  Lots and lots of candy melts.  And luckily...BLUE and RED.  Definite pantry score.

The recipe for the modeling chocolate/candy was straight from Wilton:



Melt bag of candy melts in microwave
Mix in 2/3 Cup of Corn Syrup until paste forms
Cool (Wilton recommends overnight, but if you are willing to work the dough until its pliable and smooth, you only need to let it sit for an hour or two)

I also found that candy melts are easier to work with than modeling chocolate made from chocolate chips.

 

I then molded the little blue men (and the one lady).  You can see them "naked" above. I used wire inside the bodies to support and hold their shape.  Somewhat sad smurfs, I know ,,,,but they do get better, I promise..................

Happy Smurfs!!!   Ok...not absolute look-a-likes, but you can clearly tell what they are.  Brainy was my favorite.

Now, a little about the cake: 

The base cake was an experiment recipe that turned out slightly dryer than most my cakes, but I'm pretty sure I know why and how to fix it. (I used too much brandy which I think evaporated too soon in the baking.  Will need add yogurt or sour cream next time, to hold the moisture, beyond the slight dryness, everything else in the structure of the cake was fabulous)  The filling was whipped cream with pureed strawberries to make "strawberries in cream".

The mushroom house portion was a gluten free cake as one of the party guest was gluten intolerant.  Betty Crocker has a new line of gluten free desserts.  It turned out much better than expected, a slight cornmeal taste and definitely sweeter than a regular cake.  As a gluten cake doesn't rise, I cooked it in a 8x11 pan and then used a circle cutter to cut the shape of the house.  I then stacked the small rounds, layering with the same strawberries in cream filling.   The Betty Crocker's cakes are a good stand in so you can provide something to your guests and no one is left out of the party, especially when its a young child.  I definitely however want to develop my own gluten free recipe so I have something fantastic at hand, if for some reason I need to make a whole cake.  The gluten free cakes remind me of the Victorian nut cakes in many ways...going to have to explore that later...

Frosting was a simple butter cream on all the cake  (1 lbs powdered sugar, 2 sticks butter, 1 ts vanilla, 6 tbsp milk).  The mushroom roof was modeling candy.

In the end... SMURF-ALICIOUS, SMURF-TASTIC SMURF CAKE.  yum

Berry Sweet...only crumbs

Blackberry Cupcakes with Key Lime Buttercream

These went so quick, I don't even have a picture but I do have one awesome recipe.  This is 100% Sweet Mary's own recipe.

Basic cupcakes with blackberry reduction

3 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup potato flour (can replace with 1/4 c flour)
1 TBSP Baking powder
1/2 TS Salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup blackberry reduction sauce (see below)
1/4 cup milk
1 TBSP vanilla

Whip egg whites into a merrange and set aside
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and set aside
Mix reduction sauce, milk and vanilla in a bowl and set aside
Cream sugar and butter
Add egg yolks, one at a time.  Mix thoroughly before adding the next egg
Alternate adding flour and liquid mixture, starting and ending with flour
Fold in egg whites
Scoop batter into lined cupcake pans
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350

Blackberry Reduction
2 cups blackberries
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP amaretto

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat stirring constantly.  As blackberries begin to breakdown, smash them with a spoon against the side of the pan.  Once berries are broken, remove from heat and strain through a metal strainer. Push as much of the berry through the strainer as possible.  Return sauce to heat and cook on medium stirring constantly until sauce coats the back of a spoon.  If the reduction does not create 3/4 cup of sauce for the recipe, use more milk to achieve one cup of liquid in the recipe.

Keylime Buttercream
This recipe makes for a lot of buttercream so cupcakes can be topped with a large amount of frosting similar to a cupcake bakery

2 lbs powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
1 TBSP Key lime zest
1 TBSP Key lime juice
5 TBSP Milk

Zest key limes and extract liquid.  Mix all ingredients together at low speed until incorporated then at high speed.  Add more milk if necessary to obtain desired texture.

Assembly:

Spread a small amount of frosting on each cake.  Add sliced fresh blackberries.  Pipe buttercream over the blackberries using an over sized frosting tip.  Top with a fresh blackberry and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw).  ENJOY

Sweet Mary's Baking Tips

I have search for many tips, secrets recipes, magic ingredients to create that most amazing cake.  What I have found out is that there is no "magic", otherwise we would all know what it is and there would be 1000's of cook books that would simply put it out there.. as baking has been around a long time.  What I HAVE learned from all this research is that it really just comes down to mixing and mixing well.  So here are my tips to becoming a better baker:

1.  Potato Flour is a "secret" ingredient, if you think its fun to say you have one. Replace 1/4 c regular flour for 1/4 cup potato flour in every recipe.  This replaces the need for "baking flour" and helps compensate for the tendency to over work the flour when mixing.  Using regular flour instead of baking flour creates a stronger, tastier "crumb" because the regular flour will bond better with your other ingredients (ie..flavor).  The potato flour helps prevent some of the over mixing problem.  It probably does some pretty cool other stuff too but that is beyond my knowledge.  I just love using it.  That is what I know.

2.  Cream sugar and butter slowly and completely.  Get as much air into it as you can.  If you beat it too fast you will actually push OUT the air.  Beat slow to INCORPORATE air into the batter.

3.  Mix eggs really well.  Eggs WANT to help you bind.  This is what they do and they are eager to help.  Get that stickiness worked through out everything evenly.  The result is happy eggs.  Happy eggs = happy cake eaters

4.  Liquids. You can add a lot of flavor to a cake by using liquids that have flavor in them.  Play with the flavors.  Experiment with combos such as booze (rum, amaretto, Baily's, Kahlua), creams, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, extracts, purees, etc

5. "Dry" ingredients. Sift flours, baking soda, salt, baking powder (etc, as specified in the recipe) together. YES...you do need to SIFT.  When incorporating into the batter, be careful not to OVER mix... but also don't UNDER mix.  This is where balance and practice comes in and is the true "art" of baking an amazing cake.  If you over mix you will make the molecules in the flour hard which will cause your cake to be dense and dry (yuck!).  If you under mix, the cake will drop/collapse in the middle or may not bake evenly (gooey cake..also yuck).  You are more likely to OVER mix than to under mix, error on the side of under mixing until you master this art.  Using baking flour helps compensate for the tendency to over mix (which is why we have "baking flour") but if you master the art of mixing real flour properly, you will have a much tastier and robust cake.

So there you have it.  Happy Baking and Have FUN.  Please add any tips that you found helpful in your baking.

Sweet Surrender

 Sweet Surrender  ............. just give yourself over now

Chocolate cupcake with chocolate peanut butter ganache filling and peanut butter buttercream frosting. 

With this cupcake, you will gain many a new follower and your admirers will genuflect.  Trust me...I've seen it with my own eyes.  Or just eat them all yourself...I almost did. 

Recipe:

Any dark chocolate, chocolate fudge, cake brownie or doctored box recipe (my favorite Dr. recipe is cake mix, 4 eggs, 2 TBSP veg. oil, 1/4 cup milk, 1 package pudding mix in complimentary flavor,  mix all together for 2 minutes, bake 350 till tooth pick comes out clean,  generally 40 min)

For the cake in the picture I used a slightly modified Warren Brown Cakelove recipe for chocolate pound cake which included brandy and turbinado sugar.  My version however still needs a little more work.  I wanted to go ahead and show you the other "parts" to the cupcake as they are so incredible that you do not need a "perfect" chocolate recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

Using a melon baller, carve out a cavity in each cupcake after baked and cooled.  Save the cupcake tops.

Ingredients:
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

Bring whipping cream to a soft boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add chips and peanut butter, mix until fully melted.  Set aside to cool to a thick but not solid consistency.  Ganache can be placed in fridge to speed up cooling if necessary.

Once cooled, place in piping bag and pipe into cupcake cavity.  Replace cupcake tops.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:
1 lbs powdered sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter
6 Tbs milk

Mix sugar, butter and peanut butter, gradually add milk 1 TBS at a time at low speed.  Add more/less depending on desired consistency.  Once milk is incorporated mix on high speed for 2 minutes.

I think I will go eat the last two that are in my fridge

One note about Chocolate.  I have read different opinions from bakers regarding using cocoa powder or melted chocolate or some combination of both for a chocolate cake.  I can't decide which is better. What recommendations are there out there?  I'm looking for a deep rich chocolate flavor without being too dense.

GUMPASTE GERBER (GERBERA) DAISY TUTORIAL

My brother-in-law got married this weekend and asked me to make the wedding cake.  The request was for Red Gerber Daisies on a 3 tiered, squared, stacked cake.  This was my first wedding cake.  Here's picture of the finished cake:

To make the Gerbers

Gumpaste (I used Satin Ice, the small container makes 16 large + 4 small Daisies)
Non-stick mat (Silplat)
Rolling pin
Daisy Cutters (I used the PME large and small daisy plunger cutters)
Gumpaste ball tool
Red (Fire and Poppy colored) Petal Dust
Super Red Americolor Gel
Forest Green Wilton Gel
Flower wire
Flower tape
Gumpaste "glue" (I use vodka, but you can use water or a paste made from gumpaste and water)


Step 1:  Roll out gumpaste on a non-stick mat.  1/8 an inch or thinner.  I use an upside-down glass to store gumpaste when not using.  I also use an old nylon filled with cornstarch to help keep the gumpaste from sticking to the roller and the mat

Step 2
Place the gumpaste on the cutter and use the palm of your hand to press the gumpaste into the cutter.  I discovered that this works better for getting a clean cut for all the petals, especially when working with the large cutter.  Make sure all the petals are cut through the gumpaste and wipe away excess gumpaste that may get stuck between the petals.

Step 3
Place the cutter down on the non-stick surface and press the plunger down to get the petal imprint on each petal and then lift away the cutter

Step 4:
Use the ball tool to smooth out the edges then place in flower former.  I used the cardboard separator things that come in apple boxes, which I got for free at the grocery store.  Love using free things!

Step 5
Paint the flowers with petal dust.  You could color the white gumpaste with gel prior to cutting as well which will save a lot of time.  I actually did both because I ran short of time, but the hand painted ones did have more definition.  After painting, add the next row of petals by cutting another set of daisies.  You could vary the sizes up for the second layer.

Step 6
For the center of the flowers, I cut out more gumpaste using a small 8 petal flower cutter.  I then cut the flower into 4 parts.  These parts were then placed in a circle in the center of the flower.  The process was repeated for a second row.  I then placed a ball of yellow/green gumpaste in the center.

Step 7

After the flower has fully dried, complete the back.  Wrap the floral wire with floral tape.  Place the wire in a small ball of gumpaste and attach to the back of flower using gumpaste "glue" and let completely dry.  After drying, cut a green flower (I used the small daisy cutter) attach to the back of the flower using a little "glue".  Let completely dry.  These flowers take several days to dry because of the multiple layers of gumpaste.  To speed up drying time, leave overnight in oven with just the light on.  This works really well and saved me a couple days. :-)

Here's final close up of the flowers

I hope you found this tutorial helpful.

The challenge with this project was achieving a nice bold red color.  I tried both painting and using color gel but neither produced the a bold shade of red.   I would love to hear suggestions on how to achieve a solid, bold red color.    Nothing I try seems to work...what is the secret to RED ????