Making your own wedding cake? Plan and 'don't go wild' - Alpena News
Making your own wedding cake? Plan and 'don't go wild' - Alpena News |
- Making your own wedding cake? Plan and 'don't go wild' - Alpena News
- Edd Kimber's recipes for one-tin desserts and cakes - The Guardian
- Bake an upside-down cake with fresh cherries for America’s birthday - Richmond.com
- 30 Cozy Fall Cake Recipes That Scream Sweater Weather - Yahoo! Voices
| Making your own wedding cake? Plan and 'don't go wild' - Alpena News Posted: 29 Jun 2020 10:32 PM PDT  Even in a pandemic, folks are getting married. And where there's a wedding — even a small one in the backyard — there's usually a cake. Home bakers looking to make their own wedding cakes don't need a fancy, multi-tiered tower. But how can they create something that rises above the ordinary? First, don't be overly ambitious, says Jocelyn Delk Adams, cookbook author and founder of the Grandbaby Cakes blog. People tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves when making wedding cakes. "Don't go too wild," she cautions. Make a practice cake or two so you feel prepared for the big day. Preparation is the key, agrees special-occasion cake baker Ron Ben-Israel, owner of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes in New York City. "Prepare and simplify the process by writing down all of the different stages," he says. "Separate out the pieces of the process, and write down what each will require." List the ingredients you will need and make sure you can find them all, since items like flour and baking powder might be in short supply. Ben-Israel emphasizes the need to find your cake recipes, including fillings and icings, from a reliable source. The good news is that cake layers can be baked and frozen, well wrapped, weeks in advance. Defrost the wrapped cakes in the fridge. Ben-Israel says it's easier to assemble and decorate cakes straight from the fridge (not the freezer, because of possible condensation as they defrost). Fillings and icings can be made days ahead. Remove them from the fridge and let them reach room temperature, then blend them again and spread at room temperature. And shortcuts are OK. Says Adams: "If you don't feel like you are good technically at baking, don't be afraid to doctor up a cake mix! There are so many ways you can make a cake mix feel more special." One thing I learned the hard way is the importance of a crumb layer of frosting. This is the technique of applying a very thin layer of frosting to the cake and allowing it to firm up before you apply the final, thicker layer. The first layer might pick up some crumbs, but then seals them in, so the subsequent icing layer won't pull up more crumbs and mess up the clean look of the cake. This is important when you are frosting a chocolate cake with white frosting, for instance. Single-tier cakes are simpler, and if you are looking to do more than one tier, Ben-Israel urges you to read up on how to structure a multi-layered cake. Check out videos on YouTube to learn the physics of it. When I made some rudimentary wedding cakes for friends in days past, I placed the top layer on a cardboard round (camouflaged by icing), and before placing it on top of the bottom layer, I inserted some straws cut to the height of the lower cake layer in a circle in the middle of the cake to support the top layer. As for decoration, Ben-Israel and Adams both advise keeping it simple. Ben-Israel says you might skip the piping altogether, or if you do want to use a bag with pastry tips, "think of Keith Haring and cover the whole cake with doodles. Don't go for straight lines." He also advocates for candies, sprinkles,and edible flowers (not sprayed with anything). He suggests using multicolored candies to create a stained-glass-window effect. If you are feeling extra-creative, Ben-Israel says, mix some food colors with a clear alcohol like vodka, and paint them like water colors over the frosting. "If the colors start dripping? Great! Drip the colors all over the cake." One perk of baking a cake for a small wedding party: You can really think about the flavors that the couple loves. "Your cake can reflect the personality of you and your fiance in a way that might not have felt possible when you are hosting a big wedding and worrying about being a people-pleaser," says Adams. Erin Butler, director of volunteer services for City Harvest, a hunger-relief organization in New York, knows exactly what she wants for her cake when she gets married this summer to fiance Ben Cohen. "The first time Ben came to visit my family in Florida, I took him to get a Publix supermarket cake, which is totally reminiscent of my childhood," she says. It was the cake her family bought for every celebratory occasion, and Butler and Cohen dug into Google forums, searching for the recipe. "There are certain traditions that we are throwing away, but this Publix-inspired wedding cake feels like a real important piece of the puzzle in making our wedding feel special," she says. Adams also suggests thinking beyond cake. "You actually don't have to adhere to the traditions so much right now," she says. "The tradition is really cutting the dessert together, so you could cut a pie together, if that's what you like." Try to have fun with the process, she says, maybe making the cake together and creating that memory. "It will make it taste sweeter — the fact that you created that cake or dessert together for your special day." Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook."  |
| Edd Kimber's recipes for one-tin desserts and cakes - The Guardian Posted: 27 Jun 2020 03:00 AM PDT Slab scone (pictured above)British folk can't agree on how to pronounce the word "scone", or even whether the jam or cream should go on first, so this slab scone will be sacrilege for some. I love it, though, because it turns a dainty afternoon tea staple into a perfect summertime dessert. Of course, I have kept the clotted cream – it is, after all, one of the best-tasting things in the world. For the topping, however, I've lightened things up a tad by using fresh macerated strawberries with a hint of vanilla instead of the more traditional jam. If you can't get clotted cream, use mascarpone or whipped cream, but do me just one favour: if there is clotted cream available that is made in Devon and you're not in the UK, don't buy it– it will have been sterilised and pasteurised, and the flavour will be a shadow of the real deal and not worth the disappointment. Prep 10 min For the slab scone For the topping Heat the oven to 180C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. Line the base of a 23cm x 33cm baking tin with a strip of greaseproof paper, so some excess hangs over the longer sides of the tin. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with a few larger pieces remaining. Make a well in the middle, pour in the milk and three of the beaten eggs, and stir to form a soft, but not sticky, dough. Tip out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface, press or roll into a 23cm x 33cm rectangle and transfer to the prepared tin. Beat the remaining egg with a splash of milk to make an egg wash, brush this all over the top of the scone, then sprinkle liberally with the demerara sugar. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove and leave to cool completely in the tin. Meanwhile, make the topping. Put the strawberries into a large bowl, sprinkle over the sugar and vanilla, and stir briefly. Leave to macerate for 30 minutes to an hour, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the slab scone is cool, remove it from the tin, spread the clotted cream all over the top and dot with the macerated strawberries, drizzling over any syrup in the bottom of the bowl, too. Cut into portions and serve. This slab scone is best served on the day it's made, and eaten soon after assembling. Creme fraiche brioche fruit tart This dish is inspired by a Nancy Silverton recipe that was so beloved by Julia Child that it made her cry when it was made on her 90s Baking with Julia TV show. Upon tasting it, Child shed a tear and declared it the best dessert she had ever tried. High praise indeed. My version, a brioche tart topped with a creme fraiche custard and a scattering of fruit, is in the same spirit as the original, but it's been simplified slightly, because the fruit is baked right on the custard layer. If you can't find pearl sugar (or sugar nibs), you can use sanding sugar, demerara sugar or even flaked almonds). The brioche dough needs to chill overnight, so start the day before you want to bake it. Prep 10 min For the brioche dough For the topping For the dough, put the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the dough hook attachment in place and mix briefly to combine. Pour in the milk and eggs, mix to form a shaggy dough, then knead on low-medium speed for 10–15 minutes, until smooth and elastic. With the motor still running, add the butter a piece or two at a time, working it into the dough before adding the next batch, then knead for 10–15 minutes more, until smooth, elastic and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. To make life simpler, we're going to refrigerate the dough overnight to make it easier to handle and roll out. Tip the dough into a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least eight hours or for up to two days. Lightly grease a 23cm x 33cm baking tin and line the base with a piece of greaseproof paper. Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 25cm x 35cm rectangle. Gently drape the dough into the lined tin, allowing the excess to go up the sides, almost as if you're lining the tin with pastry. Cover with clingfilm and set aside in a warm place for about an hour, or until almost doubled in size. Heat the oven to 180C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5. For the topping, whisk the creme fraiche, egg, sugar and vanilla in a measuring jug until smooth. Uncover the brioche and use your fingertips to dimple the centre of the dough, much as if you're making focaccia. Pour in the creme fraiche custard mixture, then scatter the berries on top. Brush border of the brioche with beaten egg yolk, then sprinkle liberally with pearl sugar, if using. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the custard layer is set around the edges and just a little wobbly in the middle and the brioche border is golden. Leave to cool completely in the tin, then cut into portions and serve. Store in an airtight container for one or two days. Olive oil cherry snack cake Snack cakes fall into a random sub-category of cakes that you wouldn't necessarily serve for a birthday or as dessert; think elevenses instead. They should be incredibly easy, and require nothing more than the simplest of icing sugar glazes, if anything at all. This is not a place for frosting or ganache – these are humble cakes that are perfect for a mid-morning sweet snack. This cherry version is made with an olive oil almond cake and topped with a mixture of cherries; I tend to use a couple of different varieties in recipes such as this, something like a classic Bing and, if I can get them, Rainier or Napoleon, which are very similar. Prep 15 min For the cake For the glaze Heat the oven to 170C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Lightly grease a 23cm x 33cm baking tin and line with a piece of greaseproof paper that overhangs the two long sides of the tin to make removing the cake easier later, and secure it in place with metal clips. Put the eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl, then use an electric mixer to whisk for a minute or two, until the sugar has fully dissolved. Still whisking, pour in the oil and whisk for another minute, until slightly thickened, then briefly whisk in the yoghurt and vanilla to combine. Add the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt, and whisk briefly until you have a smooth batter. Pour this into the prepared tin, spread it out evenly, then scatter over the cherries and flaked almonds. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and feels firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 15–20 minutes, then, carefully, use the paper to lift it out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cooled, serve the cake either with a light dusting of icing sugar or make this simple cherry glaze. Puree the cherries, then pass them through a fine sieve. Mix two tablespoons of the puree (or juice, if using) and the icing sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Add the almond extract, salt and enough food colouring to make a pale pink glaze, drizzle liberally over the cake and serve. Store in a sealed container for up to two days. Turtle brownies When it comes to brownies, I am a purist. No nuts, no fruit – I want pure, unadulterated chocolate. There is, however, the rarest of occasions when I am willing to break these self-imposed rules, and that would be when caramel is involved. For the uninitiated, a "turtle" is a classic confection made of chocolate, pecans and caramel, and, let's be honest, if there is one thing that makes brownies better, it's the addition of caramel. You can substitute the rye for plain flour, but if you haven't tried rye, I would implore you to: it makes a very special brownie. Prep 15 min For the rye chocolate brownies For the salted caramel Heat the oven to 170C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Lightly grease a 23cm x 33cm baking tin and line with a piece of greaseproof paper that overhangs the two long sides. For the brownies, sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Put the butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water), stir occasionally until fully melted, then take the bowl off the heat. Put both sugars, the eggs and vanilla in a separate large bowl and, using an electric mixer, whisk on medium-high for four to five minutes, or until increased in volume, thick and pale. This is what will give the brownies a fudgy texture and a thin crackly crust. Turn the mixer to low, pour in the chocolate mixture and combine. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture until just the odd fleck of flour remains. Scrape into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Sprinkle over half the pecans and half the milk chocolate pieces or chips. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. Leave to cool in the tin. For a fudgier brownie, once cool, chill for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. For the salted caramel, put the sugar in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until melted and the colour of an old copper coin. Add the cream, butter and salt, and, once the bubbling has subsided, if there are any lumps, reduce the heat and stir until melted. Pour the caramel into a small, heatproof bowl and set aside for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened. To finish, drizzle the caramel over the brownies, sprinkle over the remaining pecans and milk chocolate, and scatter over a little extra flaked sea salt, if you're a fan of sweet and salty. Remove from the tin and cut into squares. Store in a sealed container for four days. • This is an edited extract from One Tin Bakes, by Edd Kimber, published by Kyle Books at £17.99. To order a copy for £15.65, go to guardianbookshop.com  |
| Bake an upside-down cake with fresh cherries for America’s birthday - Richmond.com Posted: 30 Jun 2020 08:15 AM PDT  A Fourth of July backyard or front porch cookout is not complete without dessert, especially one that evokes a piece of Americana. Cherry pie is a classic Fourth potluck treat and so is an upside-down cake. One way to salute both of them is to make a cherry upside-down cake. We are talking about a butter cake that is tender and topped with fresh plump cherries — not those preserved and sweetened maraschino ones from the jar. Upside-down cakes are practically synonymous with pineapple, but they don't have to be made with the canned fruit at this time of the year. Put tradition aside and instead consider cherries. Seasonal cherries can be bracingly sweet or tart with a few duds in between. The sweet ones are an elegant snack to be eaten out of hand. The sour ones, with softer skins, are high in organic acids known as phenols and better for baking as they can stand up to heat and can hang on to their flavor. However, it's important to note that even if the cherries hold their shape to heat in baked goods, they do release a lot of moisture, so the cake could become soggy if it sits for a few hours. To avoid that, make sure that the cake batter is thicker when using fresh fruits than, say, dried ones, says Arbil Lopez, pastry chef at Cafe Eighteen in Pittsburgh. Also, she advises to use less sugar in the batter as sugar, too, releases moisture. To begin with, grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan well and layer it with a butter-brown sugar mixture that will hold the cherries in place when the sugar caramelizes and the cake cools. Arrange pitted cherries neatly in rows, with the pitted side facing down, over the mixture. Finally, scoop the thick cake batter in big dollops and drop them over the fruits. Then gently spread the batter with a spatula so as not to dislocate the cherries from their spot. For a perfect flip, cool the cake after it's taken out of the oven and run a spatula or thin butter knife between the cake and the pan. Patience is key, so don't bang on the pan after it is inverted; the cake will break. Carefully remove the pan and you will have a beautiful-looking cherry-studded upside-down cake staring back at you.  |
| 30 Cozy Fall Cake Recipes That Scream Sweater Weather - Yahoo! Voices Posted: 26 Jun 2020 01:31 PM PDT  If you're the type of person who starts setting out your best fall wreaths and dreaming up festive fall DIYs before the last summer tomatoes have even been sliced, these ridiculously good — and occasionally over-the-top — fall cakes are for you. We'll show you how to make creative autumn cake designs and whip-up our best autumn cake recipes featuring the flavors of the season: Apple, pumpkin, pecan, and all the spices make multiple, delicious appearances. Whether you're looking for a chocolate fall cake (topped with pumpkin spice frosting, perhaps?) or a classic cake decorated for fall, we rounded up the sweetest ways to celebrate — in our humble opinion — the absolute best season of all. Still have summer produce ripening in the refrigerator? Try an autumn fruit cake recipe that brings last season's bounty into the fall. Been craving apples and cinnamon since July? We've got you covered with whipped cream-topped creations, caramel-filled layer cakes, and one decadent cheesecake that you'll be thinking about 'til winter. We simplified our delicious carrot cake recipe by baking it on a sheet pan, so that the best-ever fall cake can be the easiest-ever dessert, too. These fun fall cake ideas look impressive enough for Thanksgiving dessert and are simple enough for a Saturday afternoon baking project, so queue up a cozy fall movie on Netflix and plan out an easy fall dinner— because dessert's gonna be good.  |
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