Tag: Chocolate

Cake Decorating – The Wedding Cake

Nearly every social event offers food in the celebration, birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings, are but a few of the events where food is an important part of the celebration. This article is about the wedding cake. A wedding is a way to celebrate the union of two people who are starting a life together. People come to eat and drink and a great deal of work is put into the preparation for this day. The wedding cake is often the focal point of the event. There are times that it is considered bad luck not to have a piece of the wedding cake.

There are specified rules for cutting the wedding cake that are a part of tradition. For instance, at a wedding reception, it is traditional to cut the wedding cake just before dessert is served, if the wedding reception takes place during lunch or the dinner hour. However, if the reception is held during tea or cocktails, the cake is cut just after all of the guests arrive. It is tradition for the bride and groom to cut and eat the first slice together, as a symbol of their choice to be together. The rest of the cake is sliced by the maid of honor or a family member.

Choosing a wedding cake is quite a task. Tradition calls for a white cake with white frosting for weddings. In this day and age, couples are choosing their favorite flavor. This has bakeries and cake decorators striving to offer a larger selection of cakes. Chocolate, fruit, yellow, pound, and marble are some of the cakes made for modern weddings.

Some wedding cakes offer a different flavor for each layer. White icing, while still ordered, has made way for a wider selection of frostings. Chocolate, mocha, lemon, and any other flavor you can imagine are used for wedding cake decorating. It is possible to customize your cake using all of your favorite flavors. How the wedding cake is decorated is a personal choice as well. You can have just about anything you can dream up put on a wedding cake including, fruit and even real edible flowers.

The wedding reception is the most anticipated part of the wedding. And everyone looks forward to seeing the cake cut and sharing it with the bride and groom as a symbol of good will and a hope, that as a couple, the bride and groom will be prosperous and fertile.

If you would like to become a cake decorator, there are several ways you can go about it. There are hundreds of books out there that will teach you how to decorate cakes, from the simple to the ornate. Another way to learn cake decorating, is to purchase one of the many videos or DVD’s that will take you, step-by-step , through the cake decorating process.

The best way to learn cake decorating is to take a class. While DVD’s, videos, and books are highly popular and informative, taking a class will help you move along faster. You will be able to get immediate feedback from the teacher, and they can see where you might be going wrong and correct you before the project is ruined.

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.

What Frosting To Use In Your Cake Decorating

Those of us who are into cake decorating, think of the beautiful icing designs when we think of cake. Icing is the finishing touch on cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. There are several different types of icing used in cake decorating. The choice of icing while cake decorating, will have a great deal to do with how the decorated cake will look.

1. Buttercream Icing: Buttercream is the icing that is used the most in cake decorating. This is the same type of frosting that we can buy readymade in the grocery store. This icing is easy to use and easy to make. The ingredients are confectioners sugar, and butter or shortening. What you use to thin the frosting will differ with the icing texture you need to work with, to determine whether to use eggs or milk. Take care when thinning the frosting, remember, a little milk goes a long way. If you find the frosting is too thin, you can add a bit of confectioners sugar to thicken it.

To assure an even finish on your frosting, dip the icing spatula in cold water to make the surface smooth. This will give a smoother finish for writing. Buttercream is used to create flowers and other decorations made with a pastry bag. The icing needs to be the right consistency to make flower petals or writing. When you make roses out of icing, you can freeze them and add them to the cake later. This will make them easier to handle.

Buttercream can be stored in the refrigerator without getting hard. Make sure it is back to room temperature before you attempt to use it.

2. Foam Icing: This is a meringue and is used on lemon pie or Baked Alaska. This frosting is made of egg whites beaten into stiff peaks. It is possible to add flavoring and color to the meringue. You will not be able to use this icing for intricate cake decorating, and you won’t be able to use an icing bag with this icing. This icing is used when you want the cake to look fluffy, with little ornate decoration.

3. Fondant: This icing is very popular with those who decorate wedding cakes, and cakes for very special occasions. The ingredients are simply powdered sugar, water, cream of tartar, or glucose. Fondant is thick and doughy, with a silky, smooth, texture. Fondant will give the cake a flawless surface, and soft, rounded edges. Working with fondant is an art and will take practice to get it right. Fondant has a translucent quality, and will work best when placed on the cake over a thin layer of buttercream frosting.

4. Fudge Icing: Fudge icing is made from chocolate, peanut butter, almond, or mint. This icing is quite thick and contains both shortening and butter.

5. Glazes: This frosting is thin and watery, and will harden into a shell after it is placed on the cake. This frosting is mostly used on pastries. Glazes help to keep the pastry moist.

6. Flat Icing: This icing is similar to a glaze, but it is a bit thicker. Flat icing is a combination of confectioner’s sugar and water and is used to drizzle onto pastries.

7. Royal Icing: This is also a flat icing, and hardens after it is set. Royal icing is a wonderful choice to make flowers, sculptures, and garnishes for cake decorating.

You can use any combination of the basic seven icings listed, to create a personal masterpiece. You will need to practice before you become good at cake decorating. You will get the hang of it sooner than you think, and even the mistakes will taste great.

Ingredients in Chocolate Brownies Make Your Brownies Unique

What are the ingredients in chocolate brownies, First you have the ingredients you’ll find in all chocolate brownies. Then you have the ingredients which vary from recipe to recipe , and are what make each person’s brownies unique.

Almost every chocolate brownie recipe features flour, eggs, sugar, a pinch of baking soda, a pinch of salt, butter, chocolate, and vanilla.

The ingredients in chocolate brownies that are chewy feature less flour and fewer eggs while cake brownies have more flour and eggs and need to be frosted.

Where recipes begin to be unique is in what the baker adds to them. For instance, what kind of chocolate does he or she use, Some recipes call for unsweetened chocolate bars. Others use less sugar and call for cocoa.

The add-in ingredients in chocolate brownies are also important. For instance, most brownie recipes call for some kind of nuts. Walnuts are the most common nut used. Pecans give brownies a southern twist. Macadamia nuts are less common but give the All American Brownie an exotic Polynesian taste. Chopped up shelled pistachio nuts are interesting in brownies.

Instead of putting nuts in the brownie, consider putting them on top. A praline topping for chocolate fudge brownies can be made from butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 2 cups of pecans.

Then there’s the chocolate peanut butter brownie recipe. This involves making separate chocolate and peanut butter batters and then pouring the peanut butter concoction over the chocolate concoction in a layer. Top with chocolate frosting. Peanut butter flavor can also be added to chocolate brownies by adding peanut butter chips.

Adding 2 tablespoons of instant coffee powder to a regular chocolate brownie recipe turns them into mocha brownies. Yum! Pecans are a great addition to this recipe.

Layer 1/3 cup of shredded sweetened coconut in the brownie mix along with , teaspoon of almond extract and you have an Almond Joy Brownie recipe.

Another area where cooks can be creative is in making the frosting for brownies. Most of the time, cooks just use a basic chocolate frosting recipe. But you can get more creative.

For instance, adding peppermint extract to the butter frosting makes a great mint icing for the chocolate brownies.

Cream Cheese frosting is good year round. 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature mixed with , cup of sugar, one egg, and a tablespoon of flour is a popular brownie recipe.

Or, consider melting 20 or so caramel candy chews in the microwave and then drizzling the result over the chewy brownies.

Blondies are a cousin of the brownie. They follow a similar recipe but do not have any chocolate in them. Instead, they rely on brown sugar to give them their wonderful flavor.

Additions to Blondies include butterscotch chips, nuts, chocolate chips mint extract (in place of the vanilla), whiskey, bananas, and dried cherries or other dried fruit.

Brownies are typically baked in a 9×13 pan which makes about 16 servings. Brownies are a popular treat for pot lucks or family deserts. Brownies also make a great gift for housewarmings and showers.

The ingredients in chocolate brownies vary from cook to cook, but when you find your signature recipe, you will be beloved by all.

Tiramisu – The Italian Food Dessert

Immediately Tiramisu is the most popular of Italian food desserts. It graces the vittles of nearly every Italian food restaurant. However, its rise to fame has been meteoric; it wasn’t even invented until the 1970’s in the Veneto region of Italy. It didn’t even gain widespread popularity until the early 1990’s. It is a unique grapple of ingredients that separately seem to not go together at all. However, when correctly blended well-balanced they form exclusive of the treasures of Italian food.

The first ingredient is Mascarpone cheese. This cheese has very deep roots in Italian food. It was made as far tote as the 13th century in the region of Lombardy. This cheese is concentrated milk cream and has a very high fat content, getting up to seventy – five percent. It is a smooth and creamy cheese. Traditionally it has been considered to be more of a winter dish and therefore shows advance in more of the seasonal Italian food dishes. This is mainly because of its high calories and the fact that when valid was first produced practiced was no refrigeration and this delicate cheese does not keep well in hot temperatures. Like many other Italian foods, the best Mascarpone cheese comes directly from Italy. However, it you’re an Italian food lover making Tiramisu at home, skillful are exceptionally of makers of Mascarpone cheese in America.

The next ingredient is Zabaglione cream. This is a valid classic Italian food dessert. It hails from the world renowned kitchens of Venice. When it originally became a popular Italian food dessert indubitable was made with yolks, honey, and a sweet Cyprus ruby. However, today the cream has biased on a unskilled flavor. To begin with sugar is substituted for the original honey. The most stated difference in taste though, comes from the use of Marsala wine instead of the saccharine Cyprus ruddy. This cream can express specious from household and is easier to make than most Italian food chefs let on.

The poll ingredient is the most distinctive factor of Tiramisu, espresso. This whack of caffeine is where the dessert gets its name, which means ” pick me up “. This is a coffee that is true to Italian food and is much stronger than American coffee. Espresso is the most important coffee in Italian food and can be seen following innumerable Italian meals.

The fourth and final ingredient is Ladyfingers. These popular cookies originated in Italy and have made numerous appearances in not only Italian food, but in several other governmental cuisines. These cookies are remarkably light due to the fact that the dough with which they are made is rich with whipped egg white. They are immensely popular and one of the most expensive Italian food desserts in Italy.

These four ingredients blended together just right and topped off with chocolate make an Italian food dessert that is as popular as the individual ingredients. Make sure when you prepare this at home that you take great care in choosing the ingredients, it cede really make a deviation in the excellence of Tiramisu. Now that you know the apt quality and the presentation of the ingredients you will surely impress your friends with you Italian food knowledge.