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

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!

Cake Man Raven Confectionery is located in the heart of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY. The confectionery is not just a bakery but a specialized facility that caters for major events all over the world. Some of the items may include cupcakes, brownies, cookies, pies, pineapple cakes and 9 inch to 12 inch standard red velvet cakes to celebrity cakes. Wedding cakes are in season all year long. Cake man has been a challenger on Food TV Network Cake Challenge and recently on an espisode of Bobby Flay's Throw Down.

Cake Man Raven's signature red velvet cake is legendary in New York City. In fact, it's not unusual to see lines wrapped around the block for the Cake Man's tasty creations, and tales of folks waiting for hours for a sniff of warm, sweet cake by the Cake Man, are stuff to dream on. Cake Man's Confectionary is a "must see" on your next visit to Brooklyn. And for those foodies who can't wait to taste his red velvet cake, Cake Man Raven's red velvet cake recipe can be downloaded from his website.