Tuesday, January 10, 2012

How To Make A Wedding Cake?

With the price of weddings rising all the time, savvy brides are always looking for ways to save money.
One of the ways to cut anywhere from one hundred to one thousand dollars off of your wedding budget is bymaking your own wedding cake.
Although it is a big task, if you like baking and have the time you should have no trouble following directions to make a wedding cake. Half of making a wedding cake is just knowing how to do it.
Read on for detailed directions on how to make a wedding cake and with the right timing and a little practice, you can make a cake of your own.

Directions To Make A Wedding Cake
Before you begin, you’ll need to think about a few things like your wedding cake budget and how many people will be eating the cake. Once you know the answers, you’re ready to start.
Decide what kind of wedding cake you'll make
The first step in making a wedding cake is to determine what kind of cake you’ll make. Now that you have a headcount, you can decide on the size of the cake and how many layers it will be. Also think about flavors that are appealing to you. What flavor of cake would you like? What type of fillings and icing will you use?
Get the right wedding cake equipment
Part of learning how to make a wedding cake is also knowing what type of equipment you’ll need to bake your cake. To make a wedding cake, you’ll need an oven and an oven thermometer, an electric mixer, cooling racks, a spatula for icing, a knife to slice the layers, parchment paper, cardboard rounds for holding cakes, a pastry bag and decorating tips for icing.
You will also need heavy duty cake pans. The best are made from aluminum and have a 2 inch depth. Try not to use older cake pans that may be dented, they will give you a misshapen cake. For assembling your wedding cake, you will need food-safe wooden dowels, and (if using them) pillars and separator plates.

Prep the cake pans
In any directions to make a wedding cake, one of the steps is to prepare your cake baking pans. Spray cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Then cut parchment paper into a circle that fits on the bottom of the cake pan. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. Now your pans are ready to go.
Make the wedding cake batter
Follow the directions for your wedding cake recipe. Be sure to use butter at room temperature and make sure that you’ve fully creamed the butter and sugar together before moving on to the next step in the recipe.
Fill the pans and bake
When you fill the pans, make sure that you fill them evenly. If you put more batter in one pan than another, your cake layers will look uneven. Test the oven temperature with an oven thermometer and if it’s the proper temperature, place your wedding cake in the oven for baking.

Cool cake and store
Cool the wedding cake in the pan for about 20 minutes, then unmold the cake onto the cooling rack. When the cake is cooled completely, place it on a cardboard round and wrap it in plastic wrap. Leave the cake on a countertop at room temperature.
Make fillings and frostings
Follow the recipe directions to make the icing and any fillings that you’ll use to make your wedding cake. If you’ve made them in advance, be sure to soften them before adding them to the cake.
Level the cake and cut the layers
This step in the directions to make a wedding cake basically involves making sure all of your cake layers are the same height. Slice away any uneven parts of the cake with a sharp, thin bladed knife. Then measure the cake height with a ruler. At the halfway point, make a small indention with a toothpick around the entire circumference of the cake. Cut the cake in half along the toothpick marks to make 2 layers per cake.
Add syrup and fillings
Moisten the cake layers with syrup (if using) and then add filling on top of a layer. Once the filling is evenly distributed, place a layer on top of the filling. Continue until all layers are placed.
Frost each layer and refrigerate
Lightly frost each layer with a “crumb coat” and then place the cake in the refrigerator for at least two hours. The crumb coat will help your cake to look smooth when you do the final icing.

Begin frosting
First frost the top of the cake layer and then frost the sides. It may take a two or three different layers of frosting to achieve a smooth look. Refrigerate the cakes in between frostings and then frost again until the cake looks smooth. A warm icing spatula will help to smooth the icing.
Assemble the wedding cake
This may be the most difficult part of how to make a wedding cake. Now that the tiers of your wedding cake are frosted, it’s time to put them together. There are two main ways of assembling your cake: with pillars or by stacking the layers directly on top of one another.
If you’re using pillars, first mark the exact placement of the pillars on the cake. Place the cake layers onto their respective separator plates. Then use the pillar marks as guides and sink the pillars one by one into the cake. The pillars should go all the way through the cake until they hit the cardboard cake platter at the bottom. Attach the separator plates with the cakes on them to the pillars. Continue for each layer.
If you’re stacking the layers on top of each other without pillars, you’ll need to insert wooden dowels into the wedding cake’s center to support the layers. You’ll place about 5 dowels into the bottom cake layer and then (if cake is made far in advance or needs to be transported) place a longer dowel through the entire cake from top to bottom. Remove the longer dowel before decorating.
Decorate the wedding cake
The next part is to decorate the cake. Use the pastry bag and decorator tips to add icing decorations to the cake. Then use the icing to attach any other décor items like crystallized flowers or marzipan.
And that’s it. Now you know how to make a wedding cake from start to finish. It’s a big job, but can be very rewarding when you’re collecting compliments on the wedding cake that you baked yourself. Just take your time and practice as needed before the big day.

Friday, January 6, 2012

A Designer Wedding Cake For You

Every wedding magazine, wedding planner or wedding Website advises you to go for a designer wedding gown or for a designer tuxedo, because your image in this big day is important, and therefore you should choose only the best. If that is the case for your wedding apparel, we definitely believe that your wedding cake should make no exception, as it is a crucial culinary item.
The first reason why people decide to buy their cake from a local store is due to their wedding budget. Everyone believes that these stores offer cheaper cakes, but in fact, cake designers have many great deals, and therefore they will not only allow you to purchase an affordable item, but they will also permit you to bring your contribution to your cake and to uniquely personalize it.
For instance, if you adore flowers and floral motifs, then “Flours” should definitely design your one-of-a-kind cake. They will be perfect for this job, because when it comes to flowers they are very creative and imaginative, and therefore will totally provide you the wedding cake of your dreams. Just, make your preferences clear and everything will go fine and smooth!
If you love colours, but you need an elegant wedding cake for your luxurious nuptials, then Edith Meyer may be the cake designer you need. This designer understands that due to this special occasion, one can not add whatever colour crosses their minds on this dessert.
Therefore she suggests that the best solution would be to go for pastel, and thus your wedding cake will acquire that elegant drop of colour.
And also, if you plan on emphasizing a special theme at your wedding ceremony, then your cake must portray it too. As the designer for thematic cakes, we recommend you Diane Burke, whose portfolio has definitely made a good impression. So, decide on the right theme and then choose the wonderful cake that will exhibit it the best!
All in all, your special cake should be a creation of a talented designer, in order to impress, amaze and surprise your wedding attendants. In addition to the wonderful design, you cake will also surprise through its delicious taste! So, go ahead and pick a designer wedding cake!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Ginger Bundt Cake Recipe

Delicious chocolate Bundt cake is one of the varieties that is delicious and suitable for many gatherine of people in occassions and events.
Do you know the meaning of the word, Bundt? Actually, it comes from the German word bund, which means, "a gathering of people."
When you add cake to the word Bundt, you get the meaning of people gathering around my cake.
You can bake Bundt or Butter cakes for fundraisings, your bake sales or any church events. Make your family happy and try this cake recipe for them this weekend. Enjoy!

Ginger Bundt Cake Recipe
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks of softened butter
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
Ginger Cream Filling
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with waxed paper. Butter the paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt into a large bowl. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.
2. With mixer at medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, until just blended after each addition. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Spoon half the batter into each of the prepared pans.
3. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack. Carefully remove the paper and let cool completely.
4. Ginger Cream Filling: With mixer at high speed, beat the cream, icing sugar and ginger in a large bowl unti stiff. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with the cream. Top with the remaining cake. Makes 8-10 slices.
For your information, these recipes have since been quite popular and bundt cake pan sales have increased due to its originality and uniqueness.
For your fundraising event; they are pretty cakes, makes for a great presentation and could bring in more money than a yellow sheet cake.
If you are interested, there is another benefit to these cakes; they are fairly easy to transport to any of your events.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Beautiful Wedding Cakes Pictures


Do you know of any rule that states costly marriage ceremony cakes are always better than inexpensive wedding cakes? Of program you do not as these kinds of a rule does NOT exist. As a make a difference of reality a inexpensive cake can be just as stunning and tasty as a wildly expensive one. Never believe it? Nicely then just appear over these simple strategies to understand how you as well can get awesomely scrumptious & surprisingly cheap marriage ceremony cakes.

1. Amateur Bakers. You don’t have to employ your brother nephew or that strange child across the road but you Ought to hire a person that is NOT a “professional baker” working in a private bakery.

Such people charge ridiculous sums of cash for “special” cake even if it’s not that extravagant also. An at-house cake baking expert — somebody who is aspiring to become a non-public baker — will make extremely low-cost wedding ceremony cakes that style just as good as (if not better than) super costly ones.

2. Grocery Stores. If its a more compact wedding ceremony with less visitors you could pop into your neighborhood grocery shop and see what they have obtainable. These kinds of locations have a wide variety of outstanding cakes and they will be Far Significantly much more inexpensive than if you went with a non-public bakery. Request a handful of concerns and see if you can get a low-cost custom cake order for your marriage ceremony.

3. Make It Oneself. Use an online e-manual about wedding cake making and do everything your self. After one or two small apply cakes you ought to be all set for the real offer. Making your own customized cake for the wedding will expense mere pennies per slice.

4. Hire Fake Cake. This option is turning out to be increasingly much more well-liked for budget weddings these of which Call for low-cost wedding ceremony cakes. The cake looks real feels actual and even has a hidden compartment for a real piece of weding cake. Every person will be fooled into consuming straightforward sheet cake whilst the bride & groom preserve a fortune in the procedure.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

How To Make Lemon Cake?

Lemon Cake
When deciding on what cake recipe you will like to create, why not try a tasty lemon cake.

There is an almost endless variety of lemon cake recipes including lemon cake with apple and almond topping,
coconut muffins, lemon glaze, lemon date, short cake, muffin butter almond, lemon and cinnamon tea cake, ladyfingers, meringue sponge cake, vanilla cheesecake, yogurt cake and lemon sour cream.
A suggestion to serve your home-made lemon cake with a yogurt or whipped soy cream with your dessert.
Try this quick lemon sour cream cake recipe which makes 8-10 slices with your family tonight. Your oven is waiting for you!
Lemon Sour Cream Cake Recipe
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1stick) softened butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon or lime zest
  • 6 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup icing sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. Butter a 9-inch baking pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just blended after each addition. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centercomes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack. Dust with the icing sugar. Enjoy!!!
Now, just remember that when you host your next dinner party and want something easy yet impressive and a bit out of the ordinary-try lemon cake mix recipes.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

There’s Only One Fruitcake In The Entire World

There’s only one fruitcake in the entire world, right? The original re-gift, this proverbial fruitcake keeps getting passed along year after year because nobody wants it.
Like the equally inedible Twinkie, which I have heard has a shelf life of 30 years (or so I learned from my father-in-law, who bought each of his five children a Twinkie upon their arrival and then presented it on his or her 30th birthday), and the current “it” treat the marshmallow Peep, the fruitcake is nearly a non-food. To my knowledge I have never eaten fruitcake, nor have I ever seen any eaten. But I have seen the dry, faded, unnaturally colored cakes themselves, every year at holiday time and in nearly every house. The ubiquitous unwrapped fruitcake. You can smell it through the plastic.
Is this simple nostalgia? A throwback to hard(er) times, lest we forget that some people actually had to eat such things, and not just buy them to look at them and talk about how icky they are?
Fruitcake should, by definition, be delicious. Who doesn’t like fruit and cake? There are many much-maligned items that grace the obligatory yuletide table, which seldom meet the taste buds of anyone. For instance there’s wassail, figgy pudding, trifle, buche de noel (“yule log”), and the oft-disputed egg nog (people either love it or they hate it, they either cook it or they don’t). Such things can be good—and are good—if made well, using the fine, modern ingredients we have at our disposal in this first decade of this new century.
Here’s a recipe for an entirely edible fruitcake, made more delicious with a side serving of creole whiskey sauce, and some egg nogg to wash it down.
Fruit Cake
First make a simple syrup:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest, cut in strips
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the lemon zest and juice and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
For the cake:
1/2 pound mixed dried fruits, such as blueberries, cranberries, cherries, raisins, and chopped apricots
1/2 pound, (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup Grand Marnier, or other orange-flavored liqueur
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/4 cup bourbon
Put the dried fruits in a large mixing bowl. Pour the simple-syrup over them, toss to coat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and reserve the syrup.
Cream the butter and together. Beat until the mixture is fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add 1/4 cup of the Grand Marnier.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium-size mixing bowl and blend well. Add this mixture 1/2 cup at a time to the butter mixture Add the warm fruit and all of the nuts a little at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a bundt pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until golden brown and the top springs back when touched, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool the cake for 20 minutes in the pan, then remove and continue to cool upside-down on wire racks. Make tiny holes with a toothpick randomly on the rounded end of the cake. Combine the remaining simple syrup with the remaining 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier and the bourbon. Wrap the cake in a layer of cheesecloth and pour 1/4 cup of the syrup over the top of each cake. Store in a plastic zip bag for 3 or 4 days until the cake is slightly stale. Sprinkle syrup over cakes once every 2 to 3 days until all of the syrup is used. Let the cakes age for up to 3 weeks before eating.