Cake Decorating Archives - Page 4 of 18 - Sugared Productions Blog

All About Buttercream!

January 10, 2016 by Sharon Z 30 Comments

Hi guys!

So you might remember, a while back we posted a blog post titled: “Does It Really Matter What Buttercream I use?”

We talked about the different types of buttercreams in general terms, and some of the high points of each. Today, we’re going to get a little bit more in depth about the two most popular types of buttercreams.

Crusting vs. Non-Crusting

Crusting buttercream consists of powdered sugar, butter, and/or shortening, and a liquid component (like milk, cream etc.) Non crusting buttercream is usually made with butter, granulated sugar, and egg whites. For this type, the eggs are whipped then boiling sugar is slowly added. That mixture is then whipped to room temperature and butter is added and whipped some more until light and creamy. Shortening is not usually used in this type of icing, and this is called a meringue buttercream. Crusting buttercream is often called American buttercream, whereas non crusting buttercreams include Italian Meringue and Swiss Meringue.

But what exactly is crusting? That sounds kinda yucky and not like something you want to eat 🙂 But it’s not really “crusty”. The icing will develop a “sugar skin” over the surface that will allow it to be touched without pulling up the icing. This occurs because of evaporation of the liquid in the icing, creating that fine crust. This is also what allows the use of paper towels to aid in smoothing, as they won’t stick to the surface of the icing.

However, it is possible to make an American buttercream that does not crust. Crusting is not determined by the ingredients, but by the ratio of fat to sugar in a recipe. Once the proportion of fat to sugar gets over a certain level, the icing will no longer crust. A rule of thumb is that a buttercream with up to a 1:1 ratio will still crust. 1:1 ratio refers to one cup of fat to pound of sugar. If the amount of fat gets much higher than this, the icing will no longer crust, even though it is made with powdered sugar. This icing will stay sticky and be pulled up when touched; paper towels can’t be used for smoothing.

I know it’s a bit confusing so here it is in a nutshell:

American buttercream (ABC) is made with butter and/or shortening, powdered sugar, and liquid. It may or may not crust.
Meringue buttercreams (SMBC, IMBC) are made with egg whites, granulated sugar and butter. They never crust.

Types of Meringue Buttercreams

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC)

For SMBC, the egg white and sugar is cooked together over a bain marie (water bath) to 160F, then whipped into a meringue with the butter added after and whipped further. Swiss Meringue Buttercream tends to deflate quicker than the Italian Meringue buttercream, but is the easier of the 2 to make, as it’s the most forgiving if you make a mistake while preparing it. (See troubleshooting below).

Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC)

Italian Meringue Buttercream is the most stable of the meringue buttercreams, and holds up better in warmer environments. The egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks, while the water and sugar are boiled together to 238F, making a syrup, then slowly whipped into the egg whites, and the butter added after.

French Meringue Buttercream

French Meringue buttercream is the softest of the 3, is very similar to a pastry cream, and may also be used as a filling in cakes and pastries. Whole eggs or egg yolks are used here. Similar to Swiss Meringue buttercream, the eggs are cooked with the sugar over a bain marie, then whipped into a meringue, with the butter being added last.

Tips and Techniques:

? The very first and most important thing to remember when making a meringue based frosting is that grease will break down your eggs. Make sure that you use metal utensils and bowls that are clean and have been wiped with lemon juice.

? You can use either pasteurized fresh or carton whites, however, fresh whites will make a fluffier, more voluminous icing.

? When making Swiss Meringue Buttercream or French Meringue Buttercream, make sure that your bowl is not submerged in the boiling water, or you will have scrambled eggs. It’s the steam from the bain marie that is going to slowly heat the eggs, and make a fluffy meringue.

? Be careful not to add the butter too early in the process. Make sure that the meringue is room temperature and the bowl is cool to the touch before adding your butter.

? Each of these meringue based buttercreams can be kept for about a week in the fridge in an airtight container. When you need it, take it out and allow the buttercream to come back to room temperature then rewhip it. These buttercreams can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.

? These meringue based buttercreams can be used under fondant, however, you’ll want to place an iced cake in the fridge to firm it up first before applying your fondant.

? Raw eggs should be cooked to the proper temperature called for in the recipes to kill any bacteria present.

Troubleshooting:

Sometimes even the most experienced baker will encounter a batch of buttercream that just won’t cooperate. Fortunately, MOST of the time, your buttercream can be saved.

? If your buttercream looks “soupy”, the meringue isn’t quite cool enough. Stop whipping, and put the mixer bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to allow it to cool down. Resume whipping in the butter when cool, and it should come together. OR just continue whipping until it the bowl feels cool to the touch. This can take quite a while, even 20-30 minutes.

? If it appears “curdled”, don’t panic, the butter has simply not emulsified with the meringue yet and may have been too cool. Continue to mix on low speed or wrap a warm towel around the bowl while mixing, just to bring the temperature back up. Keep whipping and it will come together into a nice, fluffy frosting.

With both of these techniques for troubleshooting, remember, patience is the key to success.

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RECIPES:

Sharon’s American Buttercream:

NOTE: I have a whole blog post dedicated just to this recipe here.

Ingredients

5 generous cups Sweetex shortening or other brand of hi-ratio shortening (may sub up to half butter)
5 pounds powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. Wedding Bouquet flavoring (or substitute your flavoring of choice in the appropriate amount)
12 – 14 Tbsp. hot coffee creamer liquid made from powder mixed with hot water 1:1 (adjust amount used as needed) (more if needed)

Directions

Cream the shortening, flavorings, and hot liquid with the paddle attachment until well combined and creamy. Then stream in the first 3 pounds of powdered sugar with mixer running at speed one. When incorporated somewhat, stop and scrape down sides of bowl well. Stream in last 2 pounds of powdered sugar at speed one. When incorporated, turn the mixer up to speed 6 and let it beat for 5 – 7 minutes, until very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl very frequently while the mixer is going at speed 6.

The goal is t get all of the icing down into the belly of the bowl and fill the bowl from side to side with no air gaps around the walls, as well as covering the paddle up to the springs. If the icing is making a “kissing” noise after all the sugar is in, add just a few drops more of liquid, while scraping down the sides, with the mixer running, until that stops. You should create a bowl full of icing side to side, where the paddle is completely submerged and beating in a vacuum under the icing. Five to seven minutes at speed 6 and you should have a smooth as silk and nearly airless icing. Cover and cool before using.

I make this recipe to fill my 5 quart mixer. Adjust the recipe volume to fill your mixer properly.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Ingredients

6 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup shortening at room temperature
2 cups of butter at room temperature
1 TBSP. vanilla extract

Directions

In a large metal bowl over a double boiler, whisk the granulated sugar into the egg whites. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches 115 degrees F on a candy thermometer and is no longer gritty feeling when a small amount is rubbed between 2 fingers.

Transfer this mixture to your stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whip on high speed until it is thick, glossy and white in color and forms stiff peaks. While making the meringue, sift your icing sugar, then add the all at once to the firm meringue. Mix until incorporated on low speed.

Add the butter and shortening in small amounts at a time to the meringue, but try to add it all quickly.

Switch to the paddle attachment and turn the speed up to high. Let it mix until smooth and fluffy. At this point you may flavor it with the vanilla and color it will gel paste as desired.

No shortening and powdered sugar version:

10 large, fresh egg whites
2-1/2 cups (500 g) sugar
3 cups (680 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Italian Meringue Buttercream:

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
4 egg whites
2 cups butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar, and bring to a boil, while stirring. Once it comes to a boil, stop stirring. Bring mixture to 238 degrees or soft ball stage.

In the bowl of the stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites till soft peaks form. Add the sugar/water mixture to the egg whites in a slow steady stream down the side of the bowl, with the mixer on medium speed. Be careful not to hit the whisk with the syrup.

Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is cool or to room temperature. It is very important that the mixture is cool, or the when you add the butter, it will turn curdled and soupy.

Next, change to the paddle attachment on the mixer and add the butter a few tablespoons at a time, while mixing on medium high speed. Add the vanilla, mix until incorporated then increase the speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy. Makes about 4 cups.

French Meringue Buttercream:

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup clear corn syrup
2 cups unsalted butter softened
1 TBSP. vanilla extract or flavoring of your choice

Directions

Grease a heatproof glass measuring cup.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks until light in color and fluffy.

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. At this point, its entire surface should be covered in tiny bubbles. Immediately transfer the syrup to the glass measuring cup to stop the cooking.

Temper the yolks by pouring a small amount of syrup over them, then immediately beat at high speed to incorporate. Add a larger amount of syrup and beat at high speed to incorporate. Continue until all the syrup is added. Continue beating until completely cool. Making sure the egg/syrup mixture is completely cool, change to the paddle attachment on the mixer and gradually beat in the butter, a small amount at a time. Once all the butter has been added, the mixture should begin to thicken. Add the flavorings and beat well to incorporate.

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Now that you are armed with the specifics of each one, you can feel free to make your own informed choice about which buttercream suits your needs!

Happy Caking!

Sharon

PS. We have detailed videos on how to make the different kinds of buttercream, as well as applying and smoothing in my online school: www.sugaredproductions.com/membership

Guest Post: Getting More Sales

November 18, 2015 by Sharon Z Leave a Comment

Hi guys! Today we have a guest post from Michelle Green, the genius behind the blog www.thebizofbaking.com, a treasure trove of solid advice about running a cake business. Today, she is going to talk to us a little bit about how to get more sales! (Yay for more sales!) — Sharon 🙂

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When you’re first starting out in business it can be a little disheartening to answer a whole bunch of enquiries but not get any orders. In business speak we call this your ‘conversion rate’ – meaning the amount of people you manage to convert from prospects into paying clients. Effective converting and selling is a skill set all on its own. Some people are just born salespeople who have the gift of the gab and are naturally persuasive, while the rest of us really need to work at it. If you already find “putting it out there” uncomfortable, then me telling you that you’ve got to learn sales skills probably feels a little, well, yuck. It feels somehow dishonest or desperate, both of which are things nobody wants to be! Here are a few things which help you convert better (make more sales) but that don’t require you to wear a bad suit or feel like you’re begging for the order.

MAKE IT REALLY, REALLY EASY FOR PEOPLE TO ORDER FROM YOU.

Don’t make ordering a fifteen step process that exhausts people before they have begun. If people can order online from you (either product or classes), make sure the entire process, from selecting the item to checking out of your shopping cart is uncomplicated and easy to use. The “buy now” button, “shop here” and “online ordering” buttons and pages should be really easy to find. I’ve seen a lot of websites where I want to buy something from them, but it takes me so long to figure out HOW to buy something that I just give up! Don’t make it hard for people to buy from you.

The same is true for offline purchases. Make it VERY clear how they can pay their deposits, what the process is (and make it a short process.) Don’t wait for them to ASK how to do it, tell them! This is another place where having clear, simple and defined business procedures will really help you out because there is no question for you or your customer how to proceed with the order.

TAKE CONTROL OF THE COMMUNICATION

When you’ve reached the point in the email conversation where they clearly are interested and wanting to order from you, actually pick up the phone and call them. “Hi Jane, I thought it would be quicker if I just called you to confirm the details we spoke about in email and get the deposit organized.” The longer you keep dragging out that email conversation, the more of your time you are wasting, and the less likely you are to get the sale done and over with. It’s also a lot harder to say no over the phone to someone – so you’re effectively closing the deal just by calling them. If this sounds scary to you, remember that you’ve already established their interest in you via email, so this isn’t a cold sales call. (How to get their phone number: Make it a required field on your website “contact us” form so that they have to give it to you to submit their order question. If they didn’t come through your website, ask for it at the very beginning – “What’s the best number to reach you on in case I need to get in touch about your order?”)

People always ask me if they should chase up quotes after they’ve sent them. My feeling on this is two-fold: if you’ve got the time and you really want to do that order from a creative point of view, a follow up is not a bad idea. If however it’s not really an order you need or are interested in (or it’s a small one that won’t make much difference to you), I’d leave it alone and not bother. I DO think there is a lot to be said for following up, if only because your competitors won’t bother – but nor do I want you wasting hours and hours on chasing up people who aren’t the kind of client you want (eg a client that calls back.)

ACT AS IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THE ORDER

This one works unbelievably well, so often in fact for me that it was far and away my secret weapon to converting enquiries into orders. From the very first time someone contacted me, I would act as if I already had that order confirmed. This means that the language I used in emails or over the phone had an assumption in it that I’d be doing the order. You’re not ASKING them to pay the deposit, you’re telling them they’re going to do it! No, not in a “pay now or I will cut you,” kind of way, but in a gentle, natural way as though the deal has already been sealed and you’re just helping them get there. So at the end of the email instead of saying, “The price is $100,” my email would end by saying, “To create this for you is $100. To secure the date, I ask for a 50% deposit which needs to be paid by Pay Pal (include link to PP) by April 20th. I’m really looking forward to making this for you, you picked a gorgeous design – the party is going to be amazing!” Nobody reading that would say it sounds slimy or desperate in the slightest. It’s 1) friendly, 2) makes the sales process VERY easy for them by outlining the steps and gives them the chance to take the next steps, and 3) it openly assumes that I’m going to get the gig. If you’re acting as if the deal is done, and confident that you’re going to be the only person who can make this thing for them, they are going to feel that confidence and just go with it. Plus you’re saving them a ton of time and effort here – you’re making the process easy, simple and most of all you are meeting their needs right NOW, not ten emails from now.

So how do I know this stuff works? I used to ask ALL my clients for feedback and testimonials and the one sentence which got repeated over and over again was, “Thanks so much Michelle, you made the entire process so easy for me!” We live in an age where people are immensely time poor, reluctant to commit, and bombarded by sales requests all day long. If you can help them save time, help them commit to making a choice – you’re already halfway to getting the order. You’re flat out saying that you’re going to make it happen for them. Don’t we ALL just want that certainty, that confidence, that knowledge that a job is going to get done, get done right, and not require a bunch of flapping around to make it happen?

HERE’S THE BFO (BIG FAT OBVIOUS) KEY TO CLOSING THE DEAL AND MAKING MORE SALES: DON’T MAKE THE PROCESS ALL ABOUT YOU, MAKE IT ALL ABOUT THEM.

About Me

Hello! I’m Michelle and I’m a chef, cake decorator and writer…and like you, I often wish there were more hours in the day.

My blog was created for people who want to make a living doing what they love – and what they love to do is bake, decorate and create sweet art. On my blog you’ll find education and inspiration to help you live a better life and run a better business. In my recipe for success, I also like to include a dash of humour and big pinch of real life. I started my business on my kitchen table, so I know what it’s like to go to bed at 3am and hope that magical fairies will clean the kitchen for you while you sleep…but they never show up! When I started my business, I had no idea what it meant to run a business, let alone a business that made any actual money.

This post originally appeared on The Business of Baking Blog on April 21,2015

Free Baking Charts

November 7, 2015 by Sharon Zambito 15 Comments

Hi Sugar Friend!

Hope you are having a great week and all your cakes this past weekend were a huge success!

Lately here on the blog we have been discussing cake baking, recipes, icing and baking issues. I thought it might be helpful to consolidate that valuable information (and more) for you. So I’ve created 3 awesome free charts that you can keep and reference forever. I’ve bundled them into one PDF file. Print them out or keep them on your mobile device to have at your fingertips anytime.

Here’s what’s included in the free PDF bundle:

1) The famous WASC recipe and a chart on how much batter to put into each cake pan size.

2) A handy chart of wedding and party servings for each size cake and shape.

3) An easy to reference guide with tips to troubleshoot common baking problems.

You’ll get all 3 full size info-graphics in PDF form. The images are way too big to post here on the blog and still be able to read them clearly, so below is just a small snapshot of what they look like. You will of course get the full size (free) PDF that you can zoom into as close as you like. (Me, I have to zoom in reeeeeeal close 🙂

Just click the button below and fill out the form, telling me which email address to send the PDF to. (I promise that I do not sell, share or in any other way abuse your email address. I guard it with my life, as I do my own.)

Please note: Sometimes the email that contains the PDF gets bounced back or goes to spam/junk and you may not receive it. Please know we do send out every request immediately, but if you do not get it within 15 minutes, please email support@sugaredproductions.com and I will personally zip one back to you. I really want you to have it; these are such helpful and convenient graphics to have on hand.

Send My Free PDF

Grab yours now. I hope you find it helpful, and let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below. I’m happy to help.

(Be sure to check your emails daily this coming week (after you get the PDF). I have more free info and some fun stuff coming your way.)

Sweet regards,
Sharon Zambito

PS. I’m running a very rare FREE TRIAL to my online school this week.

You can have access to the whole website and over 300 tutorials for a full week. I have tons more information about baking cakes as well as cake decorating in the school.

You can stay and pay at the end of the week, or cancel anytime and never be charged. It’s a rare opportunity to have a look at all the great things inside the school. See why we were named a finalist in the Cake Masters Awards for Best Learning Experience.

Join our thousands of happy members…. and me! (I give full personal support to all members.) Hope to see you on the inside!

CLICK HERE FOR FREE TRIAL

Halloween Tutorial Round Up

October 21, 2015 by Sharon Z Leave a Comment

Hi guys! Today we have a few tutorials from our online school to share with you.

I hope these give you some inspiration for your Halloween projects !!

(You can join us for only $1 HERE to access all of these and over 300 more.)

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Broomelda the Jack O’ Lantern Witch is a perfect center piece cake for Halloween! This 4 hour video covers a ton of techniques that will be useful across many cakes styles:

The 4 hour video course includes:

creating pumpkin shape from cake
covering pumpkin in fondant
fondant underlay method
airbrushing pumpkin
creating hat (from cake) and brim
structural support
using edible lace product to create striped bow and tulle sash on hat
creating and painting brooch
creating facial features
flashing eyes
creating broom
embossed fondant presentation board

Video sneak peek here:

LEARN MORE ABOUT BROOMELDA HERE

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This skull cake is so spooky, and the electric lights in the eyes add an amazing touch.

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Next is this adorable fondant cat wizard and his book of spells.
The perfect balance of spooky and cute.

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How cute is this wizard and his apprentice?
All modeled from fondant.

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These witch cupcakes are easy to make, add candy spiders for an extra spooky touch.

I hope that these tutorials get you inspired and ready for Halloween!!

Thanks to our school contributors Naomi Hubert, Rhu Strand, and Brittany Rumohr
for their wonderfully deatiled tutorials!

Remember you can join our online school for only$1 for a full month.

DETAILS HERE

Until next time; happy caking!

Sharon
Sugared Productions Online School

You don’t have to be like “them” to be great!

October 12, 2015 by Sharon Z 12 Comments

You log in to Pinterest to gather ideas for a client, or to find some inspiration for your next event. As you scroll, you start to admire all the amazing cakes you see. You oohh and ahh at the amazing cake paintings, the perfect cookies, and those incredibly innovative cake pops! Then it begins….cake envy.

Cake envy goes a little something like this: you start to compare photos, you start to compare colors, you start to compare styles. Before long you begin to give into the idea that you need to be “better”. What you contribute to the world is NOT cutting the mustard! We have all been here; today I am asking you to stop!

Please do not misunderstand me, as cake decorators we are all artists. We should never stop trying to get better, to grow, to improve. But YOUR style is necessary. The community needs your contribution! We have all heard the sayings about snowflakes: no two are alike. The same goes for artistic styles. To try and imitate or duplicate what someone else is doing, is robbing yourself and the world of all the beautiful work you have to offer! Do what moves you. Embrace your style, it’s yours and it’s beautiful.

The next time you feel cake envy kicking in, pull up this article. Remind yourself you have just as much to offer the community as anybody else. We are ALL needed! We are ALL valuable. We are ALL good!

Until next time; happy caking!

Sharon
Sugared Productions Online School

Baking Troubleshooting Guide

October 1, 2015 by Sharon Z 15 Comments

Hi ya’ll! From time to time every baker experiences some issues when baking a cake. Below are some tips to help you solve some of the problems you may encounter. I hope that these tips help you make beautiful cakes!

Cake Bottom Crust Too Dark:

oven too hot (lower by 25 degrees)
use a heat shield on bottom rack (flat cookie trays work great and are cheap)
using a lower quality cake pan (splurge for the good ones)
over-baking (take it out when just a tad of crumb remains on toothpick)

Cake Doming:

oven too hot (lower by 25 degrees)
over mixed cake batter (only use speed 1-2 on mixer for no longer than 90 seconds)
use wet strips (bake even strips) and a heating core to even out heat and baking rates

Cake Sticks to Pan:

not enough pan grease preparation
cake not cool enough (wait 10-15 minutes after cakes come out before removing from pan)
cake too cool (gently warm bottom of pan over low burner flame to melt the fat and flip cake out)

This is one type of product to use in your pan preparation for an easy release!

Sinking in Middle/Falling:

over-mixed batter (only use speed 1-2 on mixer for no longer than 90 seconds)
under-baked (doctored cake mix recipes take longer)
opening the oven door prematurely or too frequently (stop peaking!)
oven temperature too low (check your actual oven temp with an oven thermometer)
too much fat, liquid, or sugar in the recipe (don’t add more than recipe calls for)

Dry Edges:

oven too hot (lower by 25 degrees)
use wet (or bake even) strips
use heating core or flower nail
using low quality pan (did you get the good ones yet?)
over-baking (chocolate more susceptible; take it out 3-4 minutes before you “think” it’s really ready)

Here is a picture of a heating core in action! You can find these at your at your local craft store, cake decorating supply shop, and online.

Good News! I’ve created a printable PDF version of this blog post; keep it handy when you bake; it may help you troubleshoot when things don’t go quite as expected. (It’s actually a PDF bundle of 3 that contains this troubleshooting guide, a cake servings chart, and a batter amount chart. Grab yours:

Send My Free PDF

(I have full tutorials on all these topics and more in our online school 🙂

Until next time, Happy Caking!

Sharon
Sugared Productions Online School

Doctored Cake Mix Recipes

September 16, 2015 by Sharon Z 232 Comments

Hi sugar friends!

Today let’s talk about a sometimes controversial topic: doctored cake mixes. There is quite a debate about this in the cake decorating world.

Some folks feel that using box mixes is not real baking nor are they real cakes. Well, as a big boxed mix gal myself, I wholeheartedly disagree. A good box mix cake is just as worthy as a great scratch recipe. Using a mix does not make you any less of a baker or a decorator, and don’t let anyone make you feel differently. I embrace all types of cakes (homemade and mix), icings (shortening based American and butter based meringues), and fondant (commercial, homemade and marshmallow based.) Everything has its place in cake decorating, and you should use what works for you and your customers, and don’t feel bad about it!

Scratch baking will never go out of style, and there’s nothing quite like a great homemade cake. But doctored mixes offer the best of both worlds. You get the consistency and reliability of a box mix, and the texture of homemade cake. Scratch baking is indeed a science, and requires the proper mixing technique and temperature of ingredients to get the right result. Sometimes you just want things to be a little easier 🙂

Feel free to bake whatever way you are comfortable with (or both). There are no wrong answers.

Here are my favorite doctored recipes. We’ll start with the most basic and work up to the more involved.

Basic Doctored Cake Mix

Result: the addition of the extra egg and pudding will give you a just slightly more dense cake than the normal fluffiness of a plain box mix. Great for cupcakes, buttercream cakes; but not recommended for carving, structured cakes, or under buttercream/fondant cakes.

Ingredients

1 box desired flavor cake mix
ingredients listed on box
1 large egg
1 small box instant pudding in a coordinating flavor

Directions

Use one box mix and prepare according to instructions, adding the extra ingredients listed above.
Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 until it tests done.

Cake Mix Extender

Result: This is great for when one box is not enough and 2 boxes are too much for your needs. It will give you a texture very close to regular box mix. Great for cupcakes, buttercream cakes; but not recommended for carving, structured cakes, or under buttercream/fondant cakes.

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup water

Directions

1. Sift dry ingredients together with cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the ingredients called for on the box (eggs, oil and water), adding the extra egg and water from this recipe.

2. Mix on medium/low speed until smooth and no lumps remain, being careful not to over mix. (No more than 2 minutes.)

3. Pour into prepared pans and bake per instructions on box. (I bake at 325 for more even baking.)

Pound Cake From a Mix

Result: A fairly dense cake, close to a scratch pound cake, but not quite that dense. Good for carving, buttercream or fondant cakes. A little too heavy for cupcakes and dessert style cakes.

Ingredients

1 pkg (18 oz) favorite cake mix
1 pkg (4 serving size) instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil; beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
2. Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans; 35-40 minutes sheet pan. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling grid and cool completely.

White Almond Sour Cream Cake by Rebecca Sutterby (WASC)

Result: This recipe is world famous. Probably the most common doctored recipe out there. This makes a super moist cake with good density. Not quite as dense as pound cake but a tight crumb. This cake can be a bit soft and “wet” and might form a crystallized sugar “shell” on the top when baking; that is normal. This will also extend the volume vs a regular box recipe.Good for dessert cakes, cupcakes, carving, buttercream or fondant cakes. Makes great cake balls with no binder needed. Seriously a wonderful recipe. (The carrot cake version is to die for.)

Ingredients

1 box cake mix 15.25 ounces
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/8 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. clear vanilla flavoring
1 tsp. clear almond flavoring
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 large egg whites or 3 whole eggs

Directions

1. Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl and mix well with whip attachment. Add remaining ingredients and mix with beater attachment on speed 1 – 2 until smooth and incorporated. Do not overmix.
2. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 325 until done. Baking times will vary, but a 10 inch round cake will take approx. 60 to 65 minutes.
3. You can make this into any flavor by starting with a flavored cake mix, and adjust the flavorings as desired. May be doubled.

— NOTE: The water is reduced to 1 1/8 cup per mix for the now smaller 15 oz cake mixes. — I do not recommend Pillsbury for this recipe.

— NOTE: You can create almost any flavor cake with this recipe by starting with that flavored cake mix and changing the additional flavorings.

Sharon’s Sturdy Cake Recipe:

Result: This is my go to and most used recipe. Makes a very sturdy cake, dense but not quite a pound cake, tight crumb, and super moist. Not as soft and wet as the WASC. Good for dessert cakes, cupcakes, carving, buttercream or fondant cakes. Makes great cake balls with no binder needed. A great multi purpose recipe.

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (Sharon uses Betty Crocker)
1 small box instant pudding in a coordinating flavor
1 cup sour cream
1 whole large egg
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring (optional)
1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)
1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional)
other flavorings as desired

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients in mixer at speed one or two, scraping down the sides, until just incorporated. Batter will be very thick. Fill pans just a little over half full.
2. Bake at 325 until center bounces back and toothpick is clean. Be careful not to underbake. The will take longer to bake than an undoctored mix due to the added ingredients.

— NOTE: you can create almost any flavor cake with this recipe by starting with that flavored cake mix, a coordinating pudding flavor, and changing the additional flavorings.
— NOTE: white chocolate flavored pudding will keep the batter more white in color, and vanilla will make it more yellow. Recipe may be doubled.

So that’s my top doctored mix recipes and I use them proudly! I hope you find them helpful. Let me know if you try any and how you like ’em. Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite doctored mix recipe.

AND…… as a thank you for stopping by my blog, I’ve got a free video for you on how to make the WASC, probably the most popular doctored recipe out there:

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

Happy Caking!
Sharon

Free Woodland Cake Tutorial

September 10, 2015 by Sharon Zambito Leave a Comment

Grab Your Free PDF!

Yep, it’s totally free!

Download It Here

Please enjoy it!

Sharon

www.sugaredproductions.com

NOLA Photography http://bentzphotography.com/

Does it matter what type of buttercream I use?

September 6, 2015 by Sharon Zambito 2 Comments

Hi ya’ll! Today, I wanted to talk to you all about buttercreams, and if it REALLY matters which one you use.

The answer: No, It doesn’t!

There are all different kinds of buttercreams out there, and as with most things in life: it’s all about choices. Let’s discuss a few of the popular ones here!

American Buttercream– This buttercream is perhaps the most popular in our country. This type of icing is made by combining shortening or butter (or a combo of the 2) with powdered sugar, and mixing until it forms into a creamy spreadable consistency. It is delicious, and sweet! Most ABC recipes form what we call a “crust”. That is, it gets a bit of a “shell” on the surface. This makes smoothing a DREAM with things like paper towels, or any other smooth surface (within reason!). My famous buttercream recipe falls in this category, and I’ve got a great in-depth video here on the site showing how to make it. A con to this recipe, is that some people find this recipe to be very sweet.

Here’s the video on making American Buttercream:

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Next Buttercream Type:

Swiss/Italian Meringue Buttercream– I decided to combine these two because the final product is more or less the same. The difference comes in the preparation of the meringue. Swiss Meringue BC is made by whisking egg whites and sugar until the mixture has reached 160 degrees, and whipping the egg white to stiff peaks. Italian Meringue BC is made by cooking a sugar syrup to 245 degrees and pouring it into egg whites and whipping to stiff peaks. This buttercream is a great alternative for those clients or family members who prefer something that is a little less sweet. This buttercream does not form a crust, so a popular smoothing method here is using what we cal the “hot knife” or “hot scraper” method. However, this buttercream can be less stable in heat. Butter melts at a lower temperature than shortening, making American BC a great recipe to use in hot and humid climates! Another con to this particular recipe, is that it does not color a well as American Buttercream due to the low sugar content.

My suggestion would be to try both of the recipes, and see what you like best! There is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing a buttercream! In fact, many people don’t choose. There are places for BOTH of these buttercreams in your icing arsenal! No matter what recipe you decide you like best, be sure to check out our videos on applying buttercream in our website.

Happy Caking!

Sharon

3D Standing Letter… in Cake!

September 5, 2015 by Sharon Zambito 1 Comment

Hello everyone!

I’m bringing back an older post from the archives due to it’s high popularity. A fun project I made for my son’s graduation last year. See how I made it:

I was very pressed for time in getting it done, as well as preparing for the big party we threw for him, so this is not a high quality professional photo tutorial by any means.

It is more of an explanation of how I created the cake with a few craptastic photos that I took added in. This in no way represents the quality of tutorials I deliver in my online cake decorating school, LOL.

The method that I used would not apply to every letter of the alphabet, but hopefully you will be able to take away some techniques from this tutorial that you can apply to other cakes. So here we go!

(click to enlarge:)

The diagram above basically shows how the cake was constructed. The very bottom portion was Styrofoam cut from a 2 inch thick sheet cake dummy. Because the bottom of the letter has those cut angles on each side, I wanted to be sure that the base was strong enough to support the weight of the tall side of the J. I put a piece of regular cake cardboard on top of the Styrofoam for food safety reasons. Then I built the cake above that. This cake was about 17 inches tall, and after it was ganached and covered in modeling chocolate it was about 3 inches deep, (front to back). So it was basically a very tall and skinny cake. (caps and I would say it served 15 – 20).

I baked 2 inch high dense chocolate cakes in two pans: a 9 x 13 and a 12 x 18. I overfilled the pans so the cakes would bake over the top, so that when I leveled the cakes they would be as close to 2 inches tall as possible. I then cut pieces from those sheet cakes as I built the cake.

I used ¼ inch foam core to support the “tiers” of the cake. I did not want to go any higher than 6 inches of cake without internal support. I used bubble tea straws for support as indicated in the diagram above.

NOTE: I built the cake while it was actually lying flat on its back on a big board. Then I ganached it, partially covered it in modeling chocolate. And not until then did I stand it up, secure to the base board and finish it. You will see more of this process in the photos that follow.

I made a paper template in the actual size I wanted the finished cake to be. (photo above). I then used this as a guide to to make the foamcore ganache templates, and also used this as a guide to build the cake.

The photo above shows the section of Styrofoam cut out for the bottom of the cake. IMPORTANT: the size of this Styrofoam base is about a1/4 -1/2 inch smaller all the way around than the paper template itself.

The reason for that is that there has to be enough room around the cake, once built, to apply a thick layer of ganache. If you cut this Styrofoam piece exactly the same size as the template, and build the rest of the cake to the exact measurements of your paper template, you will have no room for ganache later when you use the cardboard templates.

Above you see two templates made from one quarter inch foam core. These were my ganache boards. These were covered in press and seal plastic wrap, and used as the guide for the bench scraper to ganache the cake after it was built.

This next portion I am going to explain, I do not have process photos of:

I built the cake lying flat on the bottom foamcore template. I had the entire thing lying on the larger foamcore board (that you see in the photo below). Once the cake was all “stacked” and built, I then put a layer of ganache on the entire top surface of the cake. While the ganache was still very soft, I put the top foamcore template (covered in press and seal) on it and pressed firmly down. I used a level while pressing down on the top template to get it as level as possible. I then left it alone for a while so the ganache would firm up. Then I took a larger foamcore board and put it on top of the entire cake and flipped the entire project over. I removed the previously bottom, but now on top, foamcore template. Repeated the process of applying a layer of ganache, putting the (press and seal covered) template board back on, pressing firmly and getting it level. I left that to set up until firm.

Then I ganached the sides of the cake and used the edges of the two templates on the top and bottom of the cake to guide my bench scraper, to give me the sharp outline of the letter. (We have instructional videos in our online school on making spreadable ganache, as well as using two template boards like this to create a perfect shell.)

I put a very thick layer of ganache on all sides of the cake, because I wanted it to be super stable once I stood it up. I wasn’t sure how the cake was going to react to standing up straight, so I went really heavy with the coating of ganache. (You can see here why it is important that the Styrofoam base and the entire cake once built, was smaller than the actual template boards. It left space for ganache to be applied around the outer perimeter of the cake.)

Remember that the top and bottom templates are covered in press and seal plastic wrap. The smooth sides of the plastic wrapped templates are against the ganache. Once the whole cake was covered in ganache, (as you see in the photo above), I left it overnight to totally set up. The next day, the templates popped right off and I repaired any divots in the surface of the ganache with some fresh ganache and let that set up totally before starting to cover the cake.

Next came the covering of the cake. I decided to use modeling chocolate so that I would have more workability time and be able to blend seams and such better than if I had used fondant. In retrospect, I’m not sure I would do that again. The modeling chocolate showed a lot of blemishes and was rather “delicate”. I wonder if I could have gotten a cleaner looking surface using fondant with tylose. (I realize that these photos do not show the imperfections in the surface of the cake, but there were many.)

Back to the covering of the cake: I first covered the sides of the letter. I rolled out strips of modeling chocolate and wrapped them around the sides of the cake. I did not cover the whole perimeter of the cake in one strip of modeling chocolate. I did it in sections and placed the seams in the inside corners of the letter as indicated in the photo above. Next, I covered the top surface with modeling chocolate, trimmed it, and blended the seems joining the side strips to the top piece with my finger.

Note: notice in the photo above that I did not cover the Styrofoam at the base of the cake. I did not want to stand the cake up onto modeling chocolate, because the weight of the cake would have caused it to squoosh out the bottom and not given a clean look.

Then it was time to stand the cake up. I slid the cake a bit so that the bottom edge of the Styrofoam was even with the bottom of the rectangular cardboard you see in the picture above. Then I put my hand under that cardboard and used that to stand the cake straight up onto the wood grain fondant covered baseboard. I put some melted white chocolate on the cake board where the bottom of the J would be standing on it.

Here is the back of the letter, right after the cake was stood up onto the board. Two wooden dowels were then driven through the cake and down into the baseboard as indicated above. I decided not to put a long wooden dowel down the tall side of the J because I was not traveling with this cake. If I were going to have to bring it to another venue, I would recommend doweling that side too. That being said, the cake was pretty stable once it was all assembled. I think the ginormous amount of ganache surrounding the cake made it very stable.

To cover the back of the cake: I rolled out modeling chocolate onto a piece of foam core, popped that into the freezer for about 10 min., then cut out the letter shape using my paper template. I popped that back into the freezer for another 7 min. or so to get it super firm. I used shortening, applied liberally, (as you can see in the photo above), as the glue to hold the back panel on. The back panel was very firm from being in the freezer, so I just stood it up and attached it to the back of the cake, being careful not to put too much pressure onto the precariously standing cake. I then used my fingers to smooth the seam where the back panel and the side strips of modeling chocolate met.

Here is a photo of the cake after it is standing up and doweled into the baseboard. The holes on the top of the cake created from the wooden dowels were plugged with little pieces of modeling chocolate and blended in as well as possible. (However, they were visible.)

NOTE: I wanted the front of the cake to have some dimension and have that “collegiate font” look. So I actually created another panel with red modeling chocolate in the shape of the J, but made it a bit smaller then the front of the cake. I applied that to the front of the cake, then I outlined that with black fondant using the semicircle disc of my clay gun.

NOTE: the woodgrain fondant board was made by putting fondant onto a cake drum. I scored it to create planks, used a wood grain impression mat, and painted it with airbrush color diluted with vodka. Once that was dry, I dusted it with brown petal dusts to give it more dimension. Glued a 5/8 inch black ribbon around the side of the board. (We have video tutorials on woodgrain boards as well in our online school. Shameless plug #2, LOL)

This photo shows the (broken) tassel laying on the board after we cut the cake. The tassel was made using a clay gun. I built it on an 18 gauge wire in the shape of an upside down L. That allowed me to insert the wire into the front of the cake, to give the illusion that the tassel was actually dangling in front of the cake. ( The wire was coated in white chocolate before being inserted into the cake.)

The bulldog was simply an edible image applied to a piece of fondant, and allowed to dry to create a plaque.

Now to cutting and serving:

The first piece was cut where indicated.

Then cut horizontally right along the top of the ¼ foamcore board that was holding up the top portion of the cake.

Continued to serve the top portion.

Then after the top foam core support board was removed, I just cut across to create pieces from the tall side of the cake. You can see the wooden dowel sticking out on the shorter side. All the cake has been served on that shorter side and right under that little bit of brown is the Styrofoam.

(I call this an action shot. I was moving so fast, the camera couldn’t keep up with me!) Terribly blurry picture, but you can see me removing a bubble tea straw as I came across it while serving.

Cake to ganache ratio is ridiculous. I did have emergency syringes of insulin on standby.

And in case that wasn’t enough sugar, I served it with whipped cream and caramel sauce 🙂 I had 911 on speed dial.

If you look close enough, you can see the patch on the top of the modeling chocolate where the other wooden dowel was inserted. They were visible and it did bug me LOL. The way to avoid that would have been to stand up the cake and dowel it to the baseboard before any modeling chocolate was applied. But I did not want to cover the entire cake with modeling chocolate in the standing position, so I chose the lesser of two evils. (But the patches still bugged me, LOL)

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And so that is it! I hope that this gave you enough information to help you to try to create your own tall, skinny standing cake.

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