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A Few Cake Decorating Ideas

Did you know that the first cakes baked in America where small loaves of sweet bread? Look how far we have come. Home bakers should not be intimidated by the elaborate cakes being made today. You do not need to be a pastry chef to make beautiful cakes, you just need the know-how and practice. Of course the right tools will go a long way in your cake decorating endeavors. Here are a few ideas you might like to try.

Every cake worth merit starts with a smooth icing. The cake needs to cool completely before they are iced and decorated. To keep crumbs from ending up in your icing and ruining the look of your cake, start with a thin base coat of frosting that is not quite as stiff as the regular layer will be. Once this coat is on, set the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This will set the icing and any crumbs will be caught in this first layer. Now you can spread a regular layer of icing without worrying about crumbs.

Use an icing spatula to apply and smooth the second coat of icing. Once the icing is on the cake, start smoothing on the sides by running the spatula around the perimeter of the cake. One trick for smoothing the frosting is to dip the metal icing spatula in cold water, this will aid in smoothing the frosting. To smooth the top, dip the spatula in cold water and holding it horizontally over the top of the cake. Start at the point farthest from you, holding the spatula in both hands, skim the top of the icing by bringing the spatula straight toward you.

Simple Designs

Some cake decorators say learning to smooth the icing is the hardest part of cake decorating. Practice will make you a pro in not time. Once you have it down, show it off, even a cake without many decorations that is clean and smooth will make an perfectly elegant offering.

Instead of icing, cake tops can be dusted with powdered sugar. You can choose to use a stencil for a more decorated appearance, or just the powdered sugar for a clean look.

Edible decorations are a beautiful yet simple cake decorating technique. The use of sprinkles, candy, nuts, and coconut pressed into the icing before it sets, will make your cake stand out.

To apply a textured look for your cake decorating, use a small cardboard comb, available in baking supply stores.

Piping is achieved by using a pastry bag fitted with a metal tip that is held on by a coupler. This is your most important tool for cake decorating. You can make lines, words, shells, flowers, and many other designs on the top or sides of the cake. Fill the bag with no more than 1 cup of icing at a time, twist the top of the bag and keep steady pressure when piping the design. Use your other hand to guide the tip. It is wise to find out everything you can about piping before you begin.

Fondant a smooth white paste, is used in complicated cake decorating. Fondant is kneaded and rolled to cover cakes with a sleek smooth layer of icing. It is also used to make designs that are 3-D. It is less tasty than buttercream, but the cake will look sleek and elegant.

Automatic Drip Coffee Makers

The most common type of coffee maker available is the automatic drip coffee maker. Everyone has had one of these at one time or another and they are the most frequently purchased coffee makers ever made. They are simple to use, the coffee tastes good, and they come with all sorts of options. The automatic drip coffee maker ranges in price from as low as $15.00 to as much as $300.00 depending on brand, options, and what their specific purpose will be. A standard 10 cup automatic drip coffee maker will cost a lot less than a larger or smaller automatic drip coffee maker as those are specialized units that serve a more specific purpose.

The automatic drip coffee maker works by putting water into the designated spot (usually on the back or side of the machine), adding a coffee filter, then dumping coffee grounds into the filter. All that’s left is to push the ON button and wait. This ease of use is what makes the automatic drip coffee maker so popular. Everyone can use it and it is also very easy to maintain.

Many automatic coffee makers come with a wide assortment of extra features. The most common feature is a timer. You can fill your automatic drip coffee maker with water and coffee grounds then specify what time you want your coffee maker to start brewing your coffee. This is useful for people who work every day at 7 am and want to have coffee waiting for them right when they wake up. It can be hard to get the motivation to prep your coffee every morning and it is easy to do it the night before. Some models will reheat old pots, connect to a water line so you don’t have to fill them, and have many other options you may like.

Automatic drip coffee makers can be found in every type of store you can imagine. From supermarkets, to retail stores, to thrift shops, you are bound to see a vast selection to choose from. There are many on line stores and websites that specialize in only automatic drip coffee makers so if you are comfortable shopping on line, that might be an option. The great thing about on line shopping is that you are usually presented with many different deals. You may receive a supply of coffee, get a free coffee of the month membership, or maybe have the ability to upgrade your coffee maker at a reduced price later on.

The coffee that you use in your automatic drip coffee maker is what will make all the difference in taste. If you don’t care about that and just want a cup of coffee, you can use any brand you like. For those that have a particular love of coffee, they might try grinding their own beans or using a grinding device at a supermarket. There are many kinds of coffee you can try with your automatic drip coffee maker.

Beat the Summer Heat with Crock Pot Cooking

When the weather outside warms up, the kitchen can be a terrible place to be. There are many things you can do however, when it comes to cooking a nice home made meal that doesn’t require traditional stove top or oven cooking. Learn to utilize some of the lesser heat producing equipment in your kitchen, such as the crock pot, in order to truly beat the summer heat and keep your cool while preparing a nice hot meal for friends and family.

So, how does crock pot cooking really help beat the heat? Simply put, the crock pot in and of itself puts off far less heat when cooking than an oven or stove top. This is the first and possibly the best reason to utilize the crock pot in your summer meal planning. You should also consider the fact that by not heating the house by using your stove top or oven you are also preventing your air conditioning (or other cooling methods) from working overtime in order to compensate for the additional heat that other cooking methods introduce.

This makes crock pot cooking a win-win situation as the costs involved in operating a crock pot are far less than the costs involved in operating a stove or oven in general. Whether electric or gas, your stove and oven are often serious energy hogs. Add to that the fact that you are not raising the temperature in your home by traditional means of cooking and you are using even less electricity.

Unfortunately for most, the general consensus has been that crock pots were meant for comfort foods and hearty winter meals. The truth is that the crock pot should be one of your best loved and most often utilized cooking methods if you can manage it. When it comes to cooking with a crock pot, the options are almost limitless. Almost anything that can be baked can be made in the crock pot and many, many more wonderful and enticing meals and treats as well.

Benefits of Crock Pot Cooking

In addition to the cost benefits mentioned above when it comes to crock pot cooking there are many other benefits that are well worth mentioning. First of all, the bulk of the work involved in crock pot cooking takes place early in the day when you are refreshed rather than at the end of a hectic work or play day. This means that you are less likely to forget an ingredient or make other mistakes that often occur as we hurriedly prepare a dinner when we are exhausted from the activities of our day.

Second, many great crock pot recipes include the vegetables that insure we are getting the nutrients we need. So often, when preparing a meal at the last minute, vegetables and other side dishes are left out in favor of expedience. Crock pot cooking in many instances is a meal in one dish.

Another great reason to use a crock pot for your summertime cooking is the ease of clean up. Unlike pots and pans, most crock pot meals are made in one dish. This means that there will not be mountains of dishes to be either hand washed or loaded into the dishwasher (or if you are like me-both) afterwards. You can spend less time cleaning just as you spent less time slaving over a hot stove. Oh wait! Make that no time slaving over a hot stove. Once clean up is complete you can get back to enjoying the sun set, chasing the lightening bugs with your little ones, or waiting for the first star.

While there will never be a one size fits all best cooking method, crock pot cooking comes very close. If you have a crock pot collecting dust somewhere in the back of your pantry it is time to get it out, dust if off, and dig up some great summertime crock pot cooking recipes.

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What Type Of Fillings Can I Use In My Cake

What Type Of Fillings Can I Use In My Cake Decorating

Many people feel that cake filling can be difficult to maintain. If done right, you can make a beautiful filled cake, without too much drama.

Cake filling flavors need to compliment one another, chocolate with orange, hazelnuts, or almonds

Some cakes will not hold up well without refrigeration. Mousse and whipped cream can separate, get soggy and drip. Berries can get soggy and drip everywhere. Buttercream needs to be kept in a cool place so the frosting wont separate. Cakes covered with fondant should be kept at room temperature and never be refrigerated.

If you are using fresh berries or whipped cream as a filling, make sure the cake will be eaten within a few hours. If these things are on the cake too long. If you are going to prepare a cake a couple of days in advance, you may want to use simple syrup or a flavor wash on the cake layers to keep the level of moisture up, before you add your filling.

Keep in mind the dietary restrictions of your guests. Make sure there is no conflict when you are decorating a cake for special occasions, or for a client. If diabetics are present, you might want to make or purchase a small dessert that is sugar free for these guests.

When you are making a cake for an occasion that is serving other food, make your flavors stronger and your colors brighter. This will make the cake stand out and your cake decorating will be something they will remember.

Cake Filling Ideas

– Buttercream icing flavors- Mocha, Orange, Raspberry, Chocolate, Lemon, and extra Almond extract.

– Any variety of jam.

– Mocha buttercream with a sprinkle of finely chopped heath bars, or with caramel sauce dribbled over the cake and sprinkled with chopped peanuts.

– Whipped cream, Chocolate Mousse, and Vanilla Custard.

– Almond, Lemon, Coffee, Raspberry, Hazelnut, or orange liqueur can be brushed on the cake before icing, for a flavor boost.

– Davinci Flavored Syrups are great for a flavor enhancer that is non-alcoholic. These syrups come in over 100 flavors.

– To combat the problem of cake filling oozing out of the sides of the cake, try this. Use a jam that is all fruit (Polaner), Heat the entire jar in the microwave without the lid. After 30 seconds the jam should be warm and liquid. Stir a small package of Jello that is the same flavor of the jam.

This will intensify the flavor of the jam, and best of all, once it is spread on the first layer and left alone for a few minutes, the jam will set. The second layer can be put on the cake without fear of spill-over. You may want to set the first layer into the freezer for about 15 minutes to make the jam set better. This jam can be kept in the fridge and heated the next time you want to fill a cake. Don’t keep it too long though.

You can also make a dam of buttercream around the edge of the cake to keep the filling where it is supposed to be. This way your icing will not become stained by the filling and your decorated cake will remain beautiful.

All About Drip Coffee Makers

Drip coffee makers are some of the most commonly used coffee makers in the United States. They are easy to use and inexpensive to own and operate. Available in a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes, there’s a drip coffee maker to fit any kitchen. One study reports that automatic drip coffee makers are the most purchased small kitchen appliance. Approximately 14 million automatic drip coffee makers are sold each year.

Mr. Coffee is one of the best known automatic drip coffee makers. Other well-known coffee maker companies include Black and Decker, Braun, Cuisinart, and Proctor-Silex.

Automatic drip coffee makers are used in many homes and businesses. They work by dripping water through a filter containing ground coffee. Two types of filters are available for these machines: paper and permanent.

Paper filters can affect coffee taste as can some plastic permanent filters. Plastic filters do not last as long as metal filters. Metal filters may require that coffee beans be ground a bit coarser than is needed for paper filters.
Automatic drip coffee makers offer a variety of special features. From basic machines to high end models that do everything from grinding the beans to brewing it at a pre-set time. Basic automatic drip coffee makers feature a water reservoir, a filter basket, and warming plate to keep carafe warm. Most feature filter baskets that swing out or lift out and simple on/off control.

Extra features include indicator lights, a brew-pause selection, digital display and /or digital control panel, clocks, timers, permanent filters an automatic shut off. High end features include water filtration, flavor settings, and a built in grinder. Single cup machines are available, as are machines making anywhere from 4 cups to 12 cups.

Drip Coffee Maker Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best temperature for brewing coffee?

Most experts agree that 200 degrees is the best temperature for brewing coffee. Many restaurants do not allow the temperature to get that high because of liability issues should a consumer spill coffee and get burned.

What affects the quality of a cup of coffee?

Several things can affect the quality of brewed coffee. The cleanliness of the brewing equipment, the quality of the coffee beans, how long it has been since the beans were roasted, how long it has been since the beans were ground and the quality of the water used in brewing.

How do I clean my coffee maker?

Coffee makers should be cleaned at least once a week. Some experts suggest using dish detergent and water. Other experts suggest running one fourth part vinegar and three fourths part water through the brewing cycle a time or two followed by running plain water through the cycle. This removes hard water deposits and other buildup.

Can Espresso beans be used in drip coffee makers? Yes.

Where did the term ‘cup of joe’ come from?

Some say that Admiral Josephus (Joe) Daniels once outlawed alcohol on ships, making coffee the most used beverage, hence the ‘cup of joe.’ Others say that the term comes from ‘Joe’ as 19th cent, slang for coffee. Automatic drip coffee makers allow coffee lovers to indulge their senses whenever they please.