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

Let the Baking Begin!

After a nice summer break and lots of sunshine it's time to start the baking up again!

I'm excited to work on fall and winter weddings and try out some new ideas. I'm thinking sugar snowflakes, autums leaves, vines and poinsettas. Yes, all on cakes!

I am donating the proceeds from a couple wedding cakes this fall to Isaac Sintz.

This little man was diagnosed with Dravets Syndrome and he needs all the help he can get!

Happy Caking,

Teresa

Threadcakes

Threadcakes are cakes made with inspiration from a Threadless T-shirt.

Inspiration: Phascolarctos Cinereus

Threadcake:

Threadcakes are cakes made with inspiration from a Threadless T-shirt.

Inspiration: Ink Happens

Threadcake

Every year they have a contest, check our this years entries:

http://www.threadcakes.com/gallery/

Now, check our last years winners!

http://www.threadcakes.com/home/winners

Happy caking!

Teresa