Posted by paul on 07 May 2008 at 2:45 pm under good idea, success
Here’s an article from The Daily Gleaner, Brunswick News that examines in a high level overview, the scientific principles of cake baking.
Baking is a very “scientific” process… in which all the
ingredients are building blocks that interact, causing chemical
reactions to create the structure of the cake.
Of interest to beginner cake bakers is the notion that it is very important to understand the terminology in a recipe.
For example, Hofner says, no matter how hard you beat a butter cake,
you can’t hurt the batter. But with a sponge cake, if you stir the
other ingredients into the egg whites instead of “folding” them gently,
you’ll stir all the air out of the eggs and the cake will fall.
This is a great little article to remind us that its not all magic and art in the kitchen! There is a great deal of study and know-how required to make the best cakes…. dailygleaner.com - Let them eat cake
If you’re like me, you love watching the process of cake making — especially when it’s condensed down into a few minutes. This video from the folks at chocolatetelevision.com is mesmerizing. Navigate over to their site where, as they say,”television never tasted so good.”
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to decorate with fondant but were afraid of how difficult it looks, check out this video from the instructors at Planet Cake.
Check out ‘Ace of Cakes’ on thestreet.com as he shares some excellent advice for cake decorating beginners and pros alike.
On his must-have list: a cake wheel, serrated knife (for carving), filet knife (for “getting underneath things”), spatulas (for spreading icing), food coloring (from a baking or candy supply company, not the cheap stuff in the supermarket) and cake pans galore.
There are some incredibly valuable tips for aspiring cake decorators who love using fondant:
…Have shortening on hand — preferably “a very neutral vegetable oil that’s been hydrogenated,” like Crisco — so you can loosen up fondant that’s too firm. (Conversely, if it’s too loose, Goldman suggests using corn starch to firm it up.)
“Good art is borrowed, great art is stolen…”
Goldman has no problem with beginners — or even advanced — cake makers patterning their designs after icons or famous works or art. (Or for that matter, cakes made by other cake designers, including Goldman himself.)
Practice, Practice Practice
Goldman notes that his formal training in cake design consisted of two weeks worth of lessons in culinary school. The rest all came from trial and error.
Posted by paul on 24 Mar 2008 at 2:50 pm under inspiration
The amazing and inspirational cake blog Cakespy has a great interview with Claudia Saraniecki of Babushka Bakery. If you haven’t already seen this, check it out. What I loved were the words of wisdom Saraniecki eloquently stated about why her work is important to her. Read the whole interview and if you have a moment to consider… what is your why?
CS: Do you have any advice for someone considering starting up their own baking business?
BB: I have friends who create beautiful objects for people. They ask me why I get so stressed about baking–after all, it’s just cake. But the beautiful object that I make for people is put into their mouths and swallowed. It becomes a part of my customer! If this thought doesn’t scare a novice baker from the business, then my advice is to get the best training you can afford, bake daily, take good notes, and find people who will evaluate your work kindly, but honestly. And always wear supportive shoes.
Lolo over at VeganYumYum.Com (voted Best Food Blog of 2007) has a great idea for cupcake or cake decorations made from marzipan. She was featured on the Martha Stewart show on February 25, 2008. Again we see how critical the use of the internet and social tools like flickr and youtube are in reaching wider audiences.
Not only are the cupcakes beautiful, but the photography is awesome and immediately draws you in. I love the thoughtful detail in ideas like this.
Lolo posted the video demonstration from her Martha appearance.
Check it out and be sure to bookmark VeganYumYum for more ideas and fun.
Here’s a twist on bite-sized cupcakes. Bakerella has posted the recipe for her beautiful and innovative Red Velvet Cake Balls. While the recipe is from a box, this is a really interesting idea that is something that is between a cupcake and a piece of candy. I could see this as a nice revenue generating product for a wedding cake business.
Check out her blog, it is really inspiring and a nice use of artistry throughout her baking process.
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