Messy Ruffle Cake

I fell in love with a vertical ruffle cake then decided to play around with

other ruffling possibilities

I call this a messy ruffle

Use a petal/rose tip

and pipe with the fat side to the cake, and "swiggle" it.

tips 126 and 121

Happy caking!

Teresa

Vertical Ruffle Cake

My Sweet and Saucy made a ruffle cake, and my world has never been the same again!

Take a rose/petal tip and pipe vertical with the "fat" side to the cake

I also like to use one with a slight ripple to it

tips 126 and 121

Check out the "how to" video Sweet and Saucy was generous enough to make!

Happy caking!

Teresa

Damming a cake!

1. Start by anchoring your cake to a cake drum with a smear of frosting.

2. Place cake "face down" onto drum. Pip a thick border of frosting around the edge of your cake. This is a dam and will keep you filling from oozing out the sides.

3. Fill space with a filling that is thick!

4. Place next layer "face down" atop the filling and smooth out the dam frosting.

It is important to let a cake settle after damming and before frosting.

I let my cakes sit loosly wrapped for 2 hours prior to frosting.

Happy caking,

Teresa

Baking it perfect!

One of the most frustrating things is baking a cake and then having it fall apart or stick to the pan when you flip it out. Ugh!

Here's my tried and true method and I wouldn't do it any other way.

1. Coat your pans generously with my Pan Coating

2. Fill pans 2/3 full with batter

3. Bake SLOWLY and don't open the over door unless you need to.

I bake mine at 325 degrees

To get a perfectly smooth top and a guaranteed 2 inches WITHOUT cutting the top do this:

4. Lay a towel atop the dome and GENTLY press down with a cookies sheet.

Hold for a good minute. This compressed the dome and makes the cake an even 2 inches. No guess work here!

5. Look! No dome!

Let cake cool until pan is still warm but "touchable"

6. Turn pan over onto a clean towel (absorbs moisture) and GENTLY lift it off.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I show you how to dam a cake.

Happy caking,

Teresa

Our very own cake wreck!

I LOVE Cake Wrecks!

My sister in law ordered a birthday cake for her friend from Target.

It was supposed to have the "U" from University of Utah and Happy Birthday on the top.

I love the lack of artistic placement! Where's the "happy birthday" you ask?

On the side with what looks like a "bloody" good aribrushing job ;)

My daughter devouring the cake. I think she got a high from all the red dye!

Teresa

Mmmmm Ganache!

Ganache is a mixture of dark chocolate melted with heavy cream, it is delicious and rich!

My favorite cake and my clients will agree with me is a double layer fudge cake filled and iced with ganache. I like to dip fresh strawberries into the ganache while it is warm and use them for a cake topper like so:

Remember those "got milk" commercials?

This cake would be PERFECT for it!

More strawberries dipped in ganache, I use a toothpick, and twirl it until it dries slightly, it only takes a few seconds to stop dripping. Then I stick the toothpick into a foam cake dummy.

Here's another version of the fudge filled with ganache and the strawberries only I iced it with almond buttercream. YUM!

Here's the recipe I use:

12 oz dark chocolate chips (by weight)

8 oz heavy cream. (don't you DARE go for the lighter stuff)

1 oz sugar (by weight)

1 tbsp butter (this is optional and gives it a shiny look. I leave it out because I like the matte look)

For an extra special treat, turn your mixer on high in check back in 10 mins . . . whipped ganache is literally worth dying for!

Teresa

Duff Fondant

I have always made my own fondant for cakes, mostly because I'm cheap and the Wilton Fondant tastes like plastic!

But . . . I have ALWAYS wanted to make a red cake and no one wants a mouth full of red buttercream.

That's hot! ;)

Because I shop at Michaels a lot, I couldn't help but notice Duff from Ace of Cakes has come out with his own line of products . . . namely Fondant!

It was 30% which made it $14 for 2 lbs.

The cheapskate said: "Dang it, I can't use my coupon!"

The cakerator said: "TRY IT!!!"

The cakerator won! They were out of red, so I dyed it myself. The first ting I noticed when I opened the tub was the smell . . . the smell of candy corn! YUM!

The taste was also of candy corn, not plastic like Wilton.

It rolled beautifully, was forgiving and colored nicely.

I rate it 9/10.

(I couldn't give it 10/10 because the cheapskate inside DEMANDS a lower price)

Definitely try it and HERE is a coupon!

Happy Caking,

Teresa