Butch Bakery: Cupcakes for Real Men!

The cupcakes baked at Butch Bakery are not the cupcakes your mama made. Their flavor profile carries a real punch and includes bacon, Jack Daniels, pepper, chocolate, peanuts, beer, and pretzels. A favorite is their Driller Cupcake. Want to walk on the wild side? The Butch Bakery now has their own cookbook. Yummy!

March 2012 Cake of The Month

 
Master cake decorator and instructor Chef Janet Ben-Ami, created this cute St. Patrick's Day cake. Janet is the owner of Hey! Cookie in Long Island.

Scott Clark Woolley's Yummy Lemon Pound Cake Recipe!

I had the pleasure and good fortune to attend several gumpaste flower classes with master sugar artist Scott Clark Woolley prior to his retirement.  I still correspond with Scott and buy his cutters and tools online at his website, Cakes by Design.  I am thrilled that Scott has graciously given me permission to share his yummy lemon pound cake recipe with my readers. Scott says that this cake is suitable for weddings and sculpted cakes.  The lemon pound cake can also stand alone unfrosted. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 300 F. degrees

Cream together until light and fluffy:

1 pound butter

2 cups granulated sugar

Beat in thoroughly, one at a time:

8 eggs (large)

Add:

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In separate bowl while creaming sugar,

sift together:

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon mace

Add dry ingredients slowly and beat one minute until smooth.

And lastly, dd:

zest of the rind from 2 small lemons, grated finely

along with 1/3 cup lemon juice

Pour into 2 prepared 9" or 10" pans greased and dusted with flour

and bake over an hour until very firm to the touch.

For traditional vanilla version,

omit lemon zest and substitute milk for lemon juice.

Hint: For a lighter version,

separate eggs and add yolks to the creamed mixture.

As the last step, fold into the batter, the stiffly beaten egg whites

that were separated from their yolks.

Scott's Ovo Vegetarian Gum Paste Recipe!

Want a scratch ovo-vegetarian gum paste recipe? Scott Clark Woolley, master sugar flower artist, has created a great gum paste recipe that he is willing to share with us.  [I made the sugar hydrangeas above after a class with Scott. Sadly he has retired from teaching at this time]. Scott's gum paste is arguably the best scratch gum paste bar none.

Gum Paste Sugar Dough Recipe (ovo-vegetarian)

(Yields approximately 3 pounds)

Fill broad saucepan 1" deep with simmering water on stovetop.

Place in KitchenAid mixer bowl and stir together briefly:

       * 6 cups confectioners' sugar [sift after measuring]

       * 2 tab. plus 2 tsp. Gum Tragacanth

Set mixer bowl in simmering water to warm sugar slightly, 3-5 minutes. Stir once. Then remove and attach to mixer.

Meanwhile, measure into a small bowl:

        * 6 tablespoons hot water [add a speck of blue food color to whiten dough - optional]

        * 1 level tab. of white vegetable shortening

Set in simmering saucepan until shortening melts.

Then remove from saucepan until shortening and sprinkle until the hot liquid:

        * 4 tsp. Agar Agar Powder [if using Agar flakes, use 4 tsp.]

Immediately, as liquid instantly thickens, scrape into mixer bowl along with:

        * 2 extra large egg whites [room temperature]

Turn on mixer immediately to maximum beat speed for 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift onto counter top in a 12" circle:

1 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar  

Scrape out goey mixture onto counter. Consistency should be very loose at this stage. Get under edges with fingertips and lift inward, gradually working in all the remaining sugar. Keep mound on top of sugar to avoid sticking  Grease small are of counter and briefly knead dough on it to remove any loose sugar.

Cover mound with plastic wrap. Grease hands and pull 1/5 sugar dough and form a ball. Place in fresh plastic wrap, twisting ends tight.

Store in an airtight container or sandwich bag in refrigerator or freezer until firm. Let it come to room temperature before working with greased fingertips, stretching and pulling until soft. At first the dough will seem very stiff, but like chewing gum, the more it is worked, the smoother and stretchier it will become. Re-ball and place into a fresh plastic wrap as before. It will last for several weeks this way. One day or older gum paste works best, but the dough can be used within 3 hours.

If you would like a printable copy of Scott's original and new gumpaste recipes, click here.

Ho Ho Ho! SugarVeil's Gingerbread Recipe and Templates!

I received a really cool gingerbread recipe and templates from SugarVeil and thought I would pass it along to my readers.

Julie Bashore visited NYC Cake Decorators and gave a spectacular workshop on SugarVeil (R).  If you haven't tried sugarveil, you don't know what you're missing! Let me know if you tried the gingerbread recipe or either of the projects.  Happy Holidays!

Spicy SugarVeil(R) Gingerbread People
(Makes a Family of About 20 - 8" People)

Download the pattern for the Gingerbread People and the 3-D Trees here.
Mix spices & sugars: 

• 1 Tbl. ginger
• 1 Tbl. mace
• 1 Tbl. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. anise
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dk. brown sugar, packed

Cream: 

• 1 cup softened butter with the above on medium speed until fluffy

Add: 

• 2 tsp. baking soda, dissolved into 2 Tbl. water
• 1 cup light molasses

Beat until smooth. Mix in gradually: 

• 4 1/2 cups flour

Divide dough into thirds. Placing a sheet of wax paper over dough, roll dough 1/8" thick directly onto parchment sheets. Place pattern onto dough and cut along outside of pattern with sharp, narrow knife tip, taking care not to cut thru parchment sheet. Move pattern and repeat until entire dough sheet is cut. "Weed" scraps of dough around shapes.

Continue rolling dough/scraps as above until all the dough is used. Allow cut shapes to rest (room temperature is fine) overnight.

The next day, place parchment sheet with cut shapes onto baking tray. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool on tray.

T'is the Season

Cupcake Vineyard Winery

Now this is the season to be merry with a decadent cupcake and a nice class of wine.

Cupcake Vineyard, located in Monterey, California, creates award winning wines which can be paired with cupcake flavors like chipotle chocolate, curried chocolate, fig walnut, lemon rosemary and more. Scrumptious cupcake recipes and more can be freely downloaded on the Cupcake Vineyard blog.

Cupcakes and wine, what more can a girl ask for?

Yummy Cookie Recipe!

I baked these sweet little hat cookies for the Uncorked! Festival in Staten Island. They are buttery and not very sweet. Great with a cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. The recipe is easy enough for kids to help out in the kitchen. A great family activity!

Buttery Cookie Recipe

Cream together: 1 cup unsalted butter and 2/3 cup sugar
Beat in: 1 egg
Add: 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Chill dough 3-4 hours before rolling.

Preheat oven to 350. Place a disc of cookie dough between two pieces of wax or parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Roll out 1/4" thick and cut. [I used a large flower cutter and a round cutter for the hat]. Chill on the cookie sheet in the fridge until firm.

Bake about 10 minutes or until barely colored. Cool on rack for 2-5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Got Milk?

Dina :)

Yummy Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas doesn't seem like Christmas unless there is the smell of gingerbread in the house. This easy gingerbread recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. While your cookies are baking in the oven, enjoy the Dancing Gingerbread Cookie compliments of SugarVeil. Thanks Emily G. for giving me a heads up!

Peanut Butter Gingerbread Cookies

5 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup KARO dark corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup softened margarine

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger and salt. In another large bowl, beat margarine and peanut butter until well blended. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and eggs; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups of the dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon, beat in the remaining dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time, until well blended. Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Roll out the dough, one third at a time, to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out with an oversize gingerbread man and woman cutters. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Pipe frosting on cookies with No. 3 tip to make eyes and buttons.

Royal Icing Recipe Using Meringue Powder

4 cups confectioner's 10X powdered sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder (purchase at a cake decorating supply store)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Add liquid ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Mix on medium speed for approximately 4 minutes or until peaks form. Add up to 2 teaspoons of warm water per cup of icing to thin icing for piping and flooding cookies.

Enjoy!

Dina

Glace Icing for Wedding Cookie Pops

These cute wedding favor cookie pops were designed by member Stephanie.

Need a foolproof icing for your cookies?  Try the following recipes graciously provided by the New York State Chapter of the I.C.E.S:

Glace Icing

1 lb. (454 g) confectioner's sugar

3 oz (128 g) light corn syrup *

3 oz (85 g) milk

Flavor Options: 1 tsp. concentrated extract, or 1 Tbsp alcohol or liqueur

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the sugar and the milk first.  The icing should be very soft and have a heavy-cream texture before you add the corn syrup.  Add the corn Syrup all at once and mix just until combined.  Divide the icing into several bowls. Flavor each bowl with extracts or alcohol. Color each bowl as desired.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

* Note: When measuring corn syrup, measure by volume in a liquid measuring cup.  If measuring by weight, then multiply the number of ounces by 1.5 to get the actual weight of the heavy liquids, such as corn syrup, molasses, and glucose.

Glace Outline Icing

4 oz (114 g) Glace Icing

6 to 8 Tbsp (37 g to 56 g) confectioner's sugar

Mix until combined.  The icing should be very stiff.  If it's not stiff enough, add additional confectioner's sugar until you have a medium-stiff consistency.  Wrap the icing with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Great Cake Flavors!

Pineapple Coconut Cake, oh my! Pineapple and coconut are great flavors for your cakes. This recipe is courtesy of Silma.

Golden Pineapple Coconut Cake

1 stick butter
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. milk
4 eggs
16 oz. can crushed pineapple (in its own juice)
1 c. sugar
juice of 1/4 lemon
3 tab. cornstarch
2 c. flaked coconut

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Sift flour with salt and baking powder. Add 1/3 of this dry mixture to butter and beat to incorporate. Add half the milk, beat well. Then add another 1/3 of the dry mixture, then rest of milk, then the last 1/3 of the dry mixture, beating after each addition. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Pour into 2 greased 10" cake pans. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Back to Basics: What Ever Happened to Piping?

This stunning cake was designed and decorated by member Jessie.

Some credit Martha Stewart with taking fondant covered cakes to couture status, and I agree that fondant gives the cake designer an incredible medium to work with. Notwithstanding, with all the rage about fondant cake designs, there is less public attention on cakes that feature really superb piping. Neat and precise piping is a basic cake decorating skill that in the right hands, can be elevated to an art form itself.

Many cake decorators learn and develop their piping skills at a Wilton Method Cake Decorating Class. Newbies can learn basic cake decorating techniques at Michael's or A.C. Moore Craft Stores Wilton Method Cake Decorating Class, their local adult continuing education class, or with NYC Cake Decorators Meetup. The Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E.) in New York City also has an outstanding cake decorating course for serious amateurs taught by Chef Toba Garrett. Alternatively, newbies with an eye on their wallet can teach themselves how to decorate with a basic set of tips, practice board, online instructions from Wilton, and a lot of determination. The Wilton Yearbook is a wonderful idea book, full of hints, tips, and instructions for beginners to make their first breathtaking cakes for family and friends.

Basic Terms

Decorating Bags hold the icing and decorating tip so you can create a variety of decorations: (a) Featherweight bags are reusable bags made of flexible, coated polyester; (b) Disposable Bags are made of strong, flexible plastic, and (c) Parchment triangles are made of grease-resistant vegetable parchment paper.

Pipe/piping is a term that describes the technique of squeezing icing in a decorator bag through a cake decorating tip.

Tip Coupler is a two-part plastic device that enables the decorator to change tips without changing the bag.

Tips are plastic or metal devices that enable the decorator to pipe buttercream or royal icing into various shapes, i.e., leaf, dots, flowers, stars, figures, and to write messages on the cake. Tips are categorized into Star, Round, Petal, Drop Flower, and Leaf shapes, and can be bought singly or in sets.

Cake Leveler is a tool that enables the decorator to level the cake and split the cake in layers for filling.

Practice Board is a tool that enables the decorator to practice techniques with icing to obtain skill and speed. The practice board can be bought singly or in the Wilton Method Course Kits. An alternative to the practice board is to practice directly on a cake pan or cake dummy.

Icing Consistency is a fundamental concept in cake decorating: (a) Stiffer icing is good for making roses and other flowers which have upright petals; (b) Medium consistency icing is great for borders, figure piping, and flower petals that lie flat, and (c) Thin consistency icing is great for leaves, writing, and stems.

There are many recipes for buttercream icing. The basic Wilton Class Buttercream icing is excellent for beginners to practice and learn how to decorate a cake. The icing can stored in a container and reused again and again:

Practice Buttercream
1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
1 tsp Wilton flavor
2 tablespoons water
1 lb pure 10X Confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon Wilton meringue powder
A pinch of salt (optional)

Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Sweet Regards,

Dina
Organizer

Yummy Butter Cookies!

These yummy wedding cake butter cookies were baked and decorated by member Linda

This yummy recipe for butter cookies is compliments of the New York State Chapter of the International Cake Exploration Societe.

Butter Cookies Yield: 3 to 4 dozen cookies

1 cup (8oz) unsalted butter
1 cup (8oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups (12 oz or 340 g) all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with a mixer paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Stop and scrape the bowl.
   
3. Cream the mixture for an additional 60 seconds. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
4. Sift together baking powder and flour. Add the flour mixture 1 cup at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly after each additiona.
   
5. Knead the last cup of flour by hand. The dough will be stiff.
6. Divide the dough into two balls. Wrap one ball into plastic wrap until ready to use. Further divide the un-wrapped dough in two parts.
7. On a floured surface, roll out one of the halves about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Use a large offset metal spatual to run under the dough to prevent it from sticking. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters, dipping the cutters into flour before each use. Carefully place the cut-out cookies onto an ungreased nonstick cookie sheet or a parchment-lined half-sheet pan.
   
8. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the edges of teh cookies begin to brown lightly. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet until ready to use.
   

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

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.

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.

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

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!

Sugar Phalaenopis Orchid (Moth Orchid) Plant

Sugar Orchids were created by Dina, Sugar Designs NYC

Dina, Organizer, NYC Cake Decorator's Meetup, created this beautiful orchid "plant". The sugar art is made from gumpaste and is potted in a real clay pot. It would make a stunning centerpiece for a garden party. The concept is also easily adaptable to a "flower pot cake" where the cake is actually in the shape of a flower pot, or orchids arranged singly or in a spray. The moth orchid is the perfect flower for a wedding cake or any special occasion.

Dina will be conducting several hands-on classes in gumpaste flowers in March and April. For more information, contact Dina at the New York City Cake Decorators Meetup website.

Gumpaste Recipe
courtesy of Kerry Vincent, Romantic Wedding Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 egg white at room temperature
• 185-250g sifted confectioner's sugar
• 3 tsp Tylose powder/CMC (J)
• 2 tsp firm white vegetable shortening

Remove any embryonic tail from the egg white. Put the egg white in a glass bowl and break it up with a wooden spoon. Add the sugar one tsp at a time, incorporating it thoroughly each time. Only when the egg white readily accepts the sugar can the amount of sugar added be increased.

When the sugar reaches the soft peak stage, add the tylose powder and mix until the gumpaste is no longer sticky. Warm the shortening in the palms of your hands and knead into the gumpaste. Double wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.