Easter Cake Ideas

Easter Egg Cake created by member Dianna Lopez

The sweet little egg-shaped cake and tiered cake would be appreciated at any Easter or spring celebration. Hand painted fondant and airbrushed accents make both cakes quite special.

Toba Garrett to Conduct Workshop June 2009!

We are honored to announce that Chef Toba Garrett has agreed to conduct a Brush Embroidery Workshop with NYC Cake Decorators in June 2009. Anyone who is passionate about cake decorating knows that Chef Toba is a master cake designer and sugar artist and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City. During her remarkable career, Chef Toba's works have appeared in In Style, Gourmet, Essence, and Sugarcraft Magazines, and her works have appeared in several books. She has also appeared on "Emeril Live!", "B. Smith with Style" and was one of eighteen master chefs chosen to create a showpiece for the 150th birthday celebration of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Chef Toba has also won many international awards, eight gold medals, three bronze medals, and is the author of several books, including but not limited to one of my personal favorites, The Well-Decorated Cake. The book is chock full of hints and tips which elevate cake decorating, and precise piping in particular, to an art. Toba also has quite a few recipes in the book. To get a sneak peak, the following is one of the fabulous recipes for Dominican Cake. To find out how to make the delish meringue icing that tops the cake--you'll just have to purchase your own copy!

Dominican Cake

Courtesy of Toba Garrett, The Well-Decorated Cake

Ingredients
1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sufar, less 3 Tbsp to use later
4 cups cake flour
12 extra large egg yolks and 4 extra large egg whites (Put aside the 8 extra large whites for the icing)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp light rum
1 Tbsp Dominican vanilla, Bourbon, or Madagascar vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk or pineapple juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 10-inch pans, brushed with butter and lined with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter on LOW speed (2 minutes). Add the sugar and cream for 3 minutes. Stop, scrape the bow, and cream for an additional 2 minutes. The mixture should be light and creamy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Sift the mixture twice. Meanwhile in another separate bowl, mix milk (or juice), rum, and vanilla together and hold it aside.
4. On LOW speed, add yolks one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix until the yolks disappear. Alternatively, add the flour and the liquid mixture in three turns, starting with the flour. Add lemon zest and mix an additional 30 seconds.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the 4-extra large egg whites until stiff (but not too dry) about 3 minutes on HIGH speed. At the end of 2 minutes of beating, add the 3 tablesppons of sugar. Beat for an additional 60 seconds.
6. Carefully fold whites into the cake batter. Pour the batter into prepared pans (two-thirds full). Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 50 minuts, or until the cake slightly shrinks from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Dominican cake will last up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Dina

April 2009 Cake of The Month

Cake created by member Mary Lazarides

Mary Lazarides became obsessed with cake decorating last April and it's amazing what she has accomplished in such a short time! Mary owes her success to mastering all the Wilton Cake Decorating courses, classes with Colette Peters, Chef Lauri Ditunno at the French Culinary Institute, and Scott Clark Woolley. She plans to open her own custom cake business in the near future.

Sid Chidiac, Edible Chocolate Artist to Exhibit in Soho May 2009

Sid Chidiac, internationally known fine artist and painter of edible chocolate will have an exhibit of his chocolate works in Soho at 155 Sullivan Street corner Houston, New York NY on May 6, 2009 from 5:30pm until 8:30pm. Admisson is $10.00 and will include one of Sid's signed limited edition prints.

Gumpaste Hydrangeas - A Perfect Flower for Any Season

Gumpaste Hydrangeas created by Dina, Sugar Designs NYC

Hydrangeas are my favorite flower and in my opinion gumpaste hydrangeas, like roses, are the perfect flower for any season and color palette. I was trained by Scott Clark Woolley who is a genious at fashioning works of art from sugar. Scott's book, Cakes By Design, has a wealth of information about creating gumpaste flowers but also has helpful hints and recipes. If you haven't purchased Scott's book, I recommend it highly. To get a sneak peak, the following is one of Scott's signature cake recipes.

Enjoy!

Dina
Organizer

Carrot Raisin Walnut Cake
Courtesy Scott Clark Woolley

Preheat oven to 300F

Grate: 3/4 pound raw carrots

Place dry ingredients in mixer bowl and stir evenly:
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Turn off mixer. Add:

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 of the grated carrots
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins

Mix at low speed, then beat for 2 minutes. Fold in remaining carrots. Pour into pans and bake for about 1 hours or until cake recedes from pan and is firm to the touch.

Mommy To Be Cake Ideas

Cake created by member Shameeka Silver-Berry, Berry Good Cakes

Spring is a time of new beginnings and a time for thinking about those cute little baby shower cakes. This mommy-to-be cake is a bright and sunny take on the baby shower cake and is created by Shameeka Berry.

Shameeka Silver-Berry, a loving wife and mother of 2, decided to become a cake decorator after her wedding five years ago when she was designing her own wedding cake . Her wedding was the spark that began her own love affair with cake decorating. Needless to say, Shameeka quickly began baking and decorating cakes for people in her neighborhood. To enhance her skills, Shameeka enrolled in the Wilton Method Cake Decorating classes and eventually started her part-time business, Berry Good Cakes. Her clientele ranges from large weddings, church events, and social gatherings. Specializing in fondant and gumpaste, her greatest enjoyment is when she creates custom shaped characters, baby and bridal showers, and birthday cakes. Shameeka is a member of the NYC Cake Decorators Meetup. If you wish to contact Shameeka, please contact Dina, Organizer.

Confetti Cakes Gift Box Cake Class

This sweet little cake box was created by member Yumi Lee

Members had a blast at Confetti Cakes Gift Box Class! Elisa is so patient and such a good teacher that members were able to duplicate her design with ease. The gift box cake is a very versatile design suitable for all types of celebrations.

Cake designed by member Natalie Johnson, owner, A World of Cakes, LLC

Colette's Chocolate Cake
courtesy Colette's Wedding Cakes

Colette's Wedding Cakes is a fabulous idea book and this is Colette's most popular cake.

Yields 6 cups of batter, enough to serve 20.

2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup unsweetened cocoa 1 cup milk, room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening 1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup hot, strong coffee

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the sides and bottom of two 9-inch pans with shortening, then dust with flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the coffee. Mix at slow speed until blended, scraping the sides occasionally with a rubber spatula. Slowly add the coffee while mixing on low. Mix for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Do not overbeat. Place in the prepared pans. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on wire racks for about 20 minutes, then invert onto racks and remove pans. Cool completely.

Colette Peters travels thoughout the country giving classes in various techniques. To view her upcoming schedule of classes, visit Colette's Cakes.

Confetti Cakes - Carved Handbag Workshop

Elisa Strauss showing how to carve the handbag cake. Photo courtesy of Yumi Lee.

Members raved about Elisa's Create a Handbag Workshop and request NYC Cake Decorators to continue to book her classes. Even members with little experience in cake carving and fondant left Elisa's class with great results. This cute little purse is the perfect gift for Mother's Day, birthdays, or bridal shower favors.

Coconut White Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcakes by Zakia

NYC Cake Decorators love to decorate cupcakes. These are especially delicious with milk or coffee.

Chocolate-Coconut-Cherry Cupcake
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup red candied cherries, chopped coarsely
2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
1 cup self-rising flour, sifted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

White Chocolate Ganache
1/4 cup cream
3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped coarsely

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with paper baking cups.
2. Beat butter, coconut extract, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until combined.
3. Stir in milk, coconut, cherries and chocolate, then sifted flours. Divide mixture among baking cups; smooth surface.
4. Bake about 25 minutes. Turn cupcakes onto a wire rack to cool.
5. Make chocolate ganache by bringing cream to a boil and pouring over chocolate and stir until smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature until you are able to pipe a swirl.
6. Top with a cherry.
   

Pettit Fours Class with Chef Jean-Rony Fougere

I think these yummy pictures speak for themselves. Chef Jean Fougere demonstrated pistachio and raspberry pettit fours, and lemon curd tartlets. Everyone enjoyed tasting his sample pettit fours and took goodie bags home. I must say that the lemon curd tartlet was my favorite:

Chef Fougere's Lemon Curd Recipe

3 whole eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
Sugar 104 grams
Freshly squeezed lemon juice 118 grams
Butter 225 grams

Place sugar, eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest in an aluminum bowl over a double boiler. Whisk until thickened and remove from heat. Cut butter into pieces and then whisk with lemon mixture until all the butter is completed melted. Strain lemon curd on a sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour before use.

Lemon curd can be used in pettit fours tartlets and also as a cake filling.

Enjoy!

Dina
Organizer

Gumpaste Moth Orchid Class

Lynn proudly holds her stunning moth orchid spray.

Members made beautiful orchids in a 2-Day Gumpaste Moth Orchid class held on March 6, 2009 and March 7, 2009. For more information on upcoming classes and demos, contact Dina, Organizer, NYC Cake Decorators Meetup.

Going Green? Take a look at those Cake Mixes

This blue bird cake was created by Dina, Sugar Designs NYC

In the never ending debate about cake mixes vs. baking from scratch, the inevitable question arises as to whether cake mixes save time. Cake mixes can save time depending on the complexity of the scratch recipe, however, there are many scratch recipes that are just as easy to make.

The more important question might be the consumption of artificial ingredients vs. fresh ingredients. Take a look at the ingredients listed on any box mix: propylene glycol monoesters and distilled monoglycerides (to name just a few ingredients) help give box cakes that soft crumb by articificially constructing the cake's texture, but these chemicals also maintain the shelf life of the product. Makes you want to go hmmmmmmm! Think about this the next time you want to save time by preparing a cake mix for your family, friends, and clients.

Passover Sponge Cake
courtesy Susan G. Purdy, A Piece of Cake

Ingredients
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar, sifted (200 grams)
3/4 cup matzoh meal, sifted (90 grams)
1/2 cup potato flour, sifted ( 85 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cups light vegetable oil, such as corn or safflower oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine grated zest and juice of orange and lemon in one bowl. Add egg yolks. Whisk well to combine ingredients. Set bowl aside.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cups granulated sugar, whipping the whites until stiff but not dry. Set whites aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine matzoh meal and potato flour, and set them aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt. Stir to blend, then make a hole in the middle of thes dry ingredients and pour in the yolk-juice mixture. Add the oil. Whisk well to blend.
5. Whisk about 1 cup of whipped whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Then, little by little, fold the matzoh meal-flour mixture into the whipped batter in 1/4-cup increments. Use a light touch to maintain batter volume.
6. Turn batter into ungreased tube pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. As soon as the cake is done, invert it onto the feet of its pan or hang it upside down over a tall bottle or funnel. Leave the cake in this position for several hours or overnight, until completely cold.
8. To remove the cake from its pan, slide a knife blade between the cake sides and the pan. Then top the cake with a plate, invert, and tap the pan bottom. Lift off pan. If pan sticks, again work the knife blade between the cake and pan to loosen crumbs. The colder the cake, the more easily it will come out of the pan. Serve the cake plain, or sift on a light coating of confectioner's sugar.
   

Before You Bake That Cake...

This stunning cake was created by Patricia R., NYC Cake Decorators Meetup

You must be absolutely clear of your client's expectations before you bake that cake. Here are some suggestions of topics that should be covered during this important meeting:

• How many people will the cake need to serve?
• Where will the event take place? (If you have never been to the venue you also need to have information on the decor, ceiling height, cake table, venue contact name & telephone number).
• Will the reception take place indoors or outdoors?
• Is there air conditioning at the venue (for summer weddings)?
  
• Are there any special dietary needs to consider, i.e. religious, food allergies, gluten intolerance, diabetes.
• Theme of the event?
• Cake and filling flavors?
• Does the cake need to travel far?
• What style of cake does the client want?
• Will the client pick up the cake or will you deliver?
• Is the client willing to rent certain equipment i.e., elaborate cake stands and/or pillars?
• Is the client willing to accept your payment policy and cancellation policy?
  

Sylvia Weinstock's Classic Yellow Cake
from Sweet Celebrations

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 pound sweet butter at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tsps vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 large egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line the baking pans with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the sugar and continue to mix until fluffy and light.
4. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, being sure each is well incorporated before adding the next one. Add the vanilla.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Be sure the mixture is completely blended after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute.
6. In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven, 60 minutes for a 12-inch square pan, or 45 to 50 minutes for an 8-inch pan. The top of the cake should be nicely browned. Test for doneness with a skewer or a toothpick-the tester should come out dry and clean.

Enjoy!

Tips on Your Sugar Flower Sprays

This lovely cake was created by member Natalie, owner A World of Cakes.

There are many different ways to arrange your gumpaste flowers: teardrop shape, hogarth curve, and crescent shape are three kinds of arrangements.

When placing gumpaste flower sprays or sugar ornaments on cakes, never insert wires into the cake. Insert a posy holder into the top, side or corner of the cake for the spray to sit in. The holder should protrude slightly above the level of the icing, so that it can be removed easily before cutting. As an alternative, you can attach a long toothpick to the shortened wired spray with floral tape and insert the toothpick into the cake.