Cooking Articles Article:
Cake Baking Tip Guide
Successful cake decorating is all
about preparation. Baking and preparing your cake for decorating is a critical part of the total process. In this article, I'll share some expert tips for basic cake preparation to get your cake creation off to a fabulous start! These
easy tips will ensure your cake decorating success.
Preparing a Cake Board -
Many specially themed cakes are too large to fit on a plate, so a cake board may be used. Cut a piece of stiff cardboard to the desired size. Cover with foil, or heavy coated wrapping paper.
I often use colored tissue paper, covered with colored cellophane of the type used to wrap gift baskets. This gives the desired background color, with a surface which is easy to wipe clean. It also makes a great background to enhance the
presentation and photographing of your final cake masterpiece.
Preparing Cake Pans -
Use metal pans with a nonstick finish. Grease and flour pans before adding cake batter. Spread a thin layer of vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides of the pan. This works better than butter or margarine as the cake releases more easily from the pan. Sprinkle a little flour in each pan, and tilt to coat evenly. Shake out excess.
Testing for Doneness -
Follow baking instructions for time and temperature specified in the recipe. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should have pulled away from the sides of the pan and the top will spring back when touched lightly in the center.
Removing Cake from Pan -
Let cake cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Invert wire cooling rack over cake and flip over. Shake gently until cake releases from pan. Place a second wire rack over the bottom of the cake and flip over again so cake can cool right side up.
Preparing Cake for Frosting -
Slip each cake layer into a gallon-size freezer bag and place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. An even easier method is to place each layer on its own plate and cover with plastic wrap before freezing. I poke a toothpick or two into the top of each layer to keep the plastic wrap from sticking to the cake's surface.
Light freezing firms up the cake just right and allows you to easily brush any crumbs from the surface prior to frosting.
Best Base Frosting Recipe -
The thin texture of the base frosting allows easier coverage without pulling bits of cake and crumbs away from the cake. This is essential particularly if you are frosting white over chocolate cake. When base coat is done, frost over with your desired finish frosting.
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add milk 1 tsp. at a time to desired consistency. Frosting should be fairly thin. This is a great base frosting. Use if as a first coating layer to seal in any crumbs and give a nice
smooth surface to the cake.
Cutting and Trimming -
You can create many different cake designs by cutting your cake
layers into various shapes. Measure and mark your cutting line with toothpicks or wooden or metal skewers. Use a sharp knife and brush cake lightly with a soft pastry brush to remove crumbs prior to frosting.
Trim the rounded tops off cake layers to form a flat surface. Use a long serrated knife to trim with a gentle sawing motion. You may also wish to trim the edges of rectangular cakes to give a more professional look.
Frosting Tools -
Use various sizes of flexible metal spatulas for frosting. Large ones are used to smooth wide flat areas while a narrow tipped spatula is great for getting into small areas.
Toothpicks or wooden or metal skewers can be used to mark cutting lines on your cake.
A pastry bag with several tips is necessary to pipe on decorations. I have a reusable pastry bag that is easy to rinse clean. In a pinch, you can even use a plastic sandwich bag with a tiny hole snipped from one corner.
Now that you have all these important basics
in place, you and your cake are primed and ready for frosting
Next step: Check out our Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear!
Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved
Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.
For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.
Related Perfect Cooking News and Articles From ezinearticles.com
Easy tips for making the Best Marinated Grilled Shrimp! If you want to know How To Marinade Shrimp, check out this article.
With proper high end cookware sets, your cooking improves and the whole experience of experimenting in the kitchen becomes even more efficient. The Universal Rule says that 'in order to gain market entry and expand market base, you should offer quality goods at competitive prices'.
People eat Italian foods with so much gusto - pizza, pasta, Panini, ravioli. Name it, and everyone loves it. Yet at the same time, several people freak out at the thought of the so-called Italian calories attached to these sumptuous foods. They beg off from some delightful dishes, because of the much-talked about calories that offer extra baggage, specifically to weight-watchers. But are we really supposed to be worried at all?
Some may not be aware that the cultural variety of the regions in Italy is greatly manifested in Italian cuisine, apart from its Italian history as influenced by the Roman, Greek, Arab, and Norman civilizations. For this reason, Italian recipes are said to be in variety, too, like the mixed regions that comprise the country.
It's sometimes confusing when to use direct heat versus indirect heat when grilling, and how to achieve that with a gas grill. Well, thankfully, it's easier on a gas grill than on a charcoal grill.
You might think that you get a better sear on a charcoal grill. However, if you follow these three steps, you'll have a restaurant quality steak in no time with perfect grill marks.
The microwave oven has certainly made life easier, especially for households like mine where both parents work outside the home. We want our meal times to be fast and easy, while remaining healthy and affordable. Our microwave oven is one of the appliances that help us spend less time in the kitchen.
The traditional way of cooking fresh lobster is by boiling. More and more people today are choosing to purchase their lobsters pre-cooked, but the reason why people still prefer to cook their own is because after cooking, the texture of the flesh turns very spongy rather quickly. So if you can, buy live lobster and and do the cooking yourself at home to achieve the best results. Here's how to cook fresh lobster.
Studies have shown American families throw an average of 14% of their food budget in the trash each week. Spoilage from improper storage of food items accounts for most of it. Fourteen percent per week comes to $21.00 of an average $150.00 food budget for a family of four. When added up over a year, 52 weeks times the $21.00 equals $1092.00 of your money going to a landfill.
Do you want to cut time in the kitchen by half, and still enjoy tasty, healthy meals? Do you want to reduce overwhelm and frustration while preparing dinner? Here's the top 10 list for easy time-saving tips for immediate results. The list encompasses many areas from tools, packaging, and how to cut, so start with whatever you find easiest.
