Naturally I made this cake in honor of her.

We’ve learned a lot in the last couple of weeks haven’t we?  Who would have known cakes had such a long, drawn out history, whether it is just in general, or in relation to St. Patrick’s Day.  Also, how much have I grown as a cake decorator!  Strawberry shortcakes, angel food cakes, and regular cakes; I am pretty much in the running with Buddy for his “cake boss” title.  I mean, sure, I don’t have the cool accent or impressive Italian staff, but what I do have is this hot body and you know there is nothing but P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L with this fire I am packing under my shirt.

With that said, this blog is dedicated to all the people who have made “naughty” cakes in honor of a friend, customer, family member, or even animal.  The other day, a customer called and asked if I could make a replica of her favorite male appendage.  At first I was apprehensive, but I didn’t have the heart to say, “Well, let me ask my manager (Beluah) if this special order is allowed.” So I did what I thought was best to maximize profit and what my heart truly desired: took the order.  To my surprise I was instructed to use black licorice for hair and spray paint the appendage a dark color.  The cake ended up costing the customer 19.99$ and she was quite happy with the finished product.  Sorry, no pictures can be shown, but feel free to use your imagination to figure out what the cake looked like.

I found that this particular video was able to document, almost to the tee, what I was going through:

Notable differences: My customer asked for marble cake, not chocolate.

Speaking of my good friend Buddy, here’s a clip that documents some of the scandalous material his show has to offer.   He pretty much makes Jenna Jamison look like a virgin.

In the words of Entanglement, a rap duo consisting of my friend arielle and I, “You know I always keep it for you real sweet, but sweet things don’t come for free.”  Could we have said it any better?….nope.

This next person really took classy to the next level.  Look at the cake she made for her friend:

I bet that “little gathering” will c-cup everyone’s approval.

In case you were wondering, Debbie Brown, mentioned in the video, is a cake decorator, demonstrator, tutor, and the author of Cake Decoration and Sugarcraft, as well as many other books published on novelty/sculptured cakes. Over the years Debbie has made some spectacular cakes, for big celebrations and weddings, for well-known people and places, but mostly just for a birthday treat.  Here is her amazing website which features some great pictures, books, and contact information if you want to fly out to England and visit her.

http://www.debbiebrownscakes.co.uk/workshops.html

Citations:

Rich Products Corporation.  Cake Decorator’s Guide. (2007). Buffalo, NY: World Headquarters

Debbie Brown Cakes.  Retrieved Mar. 19, 2010 from http://www.debbiebrownscakes.co.uk/workshops.html

With that said I bet you never guessed that this spectacular gem of a holiday has a long history of nothing else but…..CAKES!

Well, if you did, then you’re quite an aspiring cake connoisseur like me.  If not, let’s learn together…that is, how to design cakes for this important holiday.

Shamrock Cake

Have a cake already made (I am not teaching you how to make Betty Crocker, you should be able to handle that) in a square pan and then take a piece of paper and lay onto the baked cake a sketch of a three leaf clover. Then, remove the paper and lay it onto sturdy cardboard or card stock and trace the shamrock.  Then, cut it out of the sturdy paper. Lay the sturdy paper onto the cake and take a knife and cut around the shamrock template. When it has been cut out go ahead and dust off the crumbs before icing the sides of the cake.

To ice the cake with green icing simply add a few drops of green food coloring to the tub of icing and mix it in until the desired color of green is achieved.  If that’s to hard, you could also just find green icing somewhere. Ice the cake and be careful of the sides that may cause crumbs to get into the icing where it has been cut, if this happens try to remove the crumbs and put more icing on.

The cake can be made with your favorite cake mix and then decorated to represent St. Paddy’s Day.

Bam!

Shamrock Cupcakes

Make the green frosting as mentioned above and frost the cupcakes.  Then, take 3 green candies and put them in the shape of a shamrock on top of the little cupcakes.

Another idea is to frost the cakes in white icing and then add green sugar to the tops of them. A small shamrock template can be made on paper and cut out and laid on top and sprinkle the sugar on top of the cupcake and then remove the template leaving a shamrock design.

The green cupcakes can also be placed in the design of a shamrock by using three of them, one in the middle top and one on each side.

You better believe these St. Patrick’s Day sweets will be a treat for the whole family.

Also, just because I made these at work today, a little recipe for you…  (Sorry professor Herberg, I promise I am only adding recipes in the addition to our 500 word minimum, or if I am at 487 words and can’t think of anything else to say, or if I am learning something and want to document it.)

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins (Compliments of the grocery store I work for)

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Doesn’t get any better then this.

Citations:

Rich Products Corporation.  Cake Decorator’s Guide. (2007). Buffalo, NY: World Headquarters

Simple Cake Decorating.  Shamrock cake.  Retrieved Mar. 17, 2010 from http://simplecakedecorating.com/shamrock-cake/

Irish Soda Bread.  Retrieved Mar. 17, 2010 from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_soda_bread/

Unless, it’s drunk History:

…Anyway, cake decorating is one of those overlooked culinary arts.  It’s kind of like the Britney Spears of live singing.  Although the sight of a beautifully decorated cake delights almost everyone, especially my district manager, most people are not aware of the long and complex history of the art.

11:57-time for history

Compared to other forms of food preparation, cake decorating is actually one of the newer culinary arts. Decorating cakes can be traced back to the mid-17th century. This is around the same time, probably not coincidentally, that cake pans made their first appearance in domestic kitchens, most likely with women, across Northeastern Europe. Beginning in the mid-17th century, it gained widespread popularity as a way to create elaborate desserts that were used as displays during the feasts and banquets of the wealthiest aristocracy. However, the cakes were mainly used as display pieces and were not for eating.

During the early 19^th century the French began to serve dessert, as a completely separate delectable (depending on the chef I’d imagine) course that was served at the very end of the meal. This is the time in which decorated desserts, namely cakes, began to appear on banquet tables regularly.

In the 1840s, there was an important development in kitchen and cooking technology: the temperature controlled oven! This, of course, made baking much more pleasant and convenient. Also, the introduction of baking powder and baking soda made baking easier as well. During this period, most cake decorating consisted of the elaborate and difficult old English method, which generally consisted of decorating with over piping. The cakes would generally be covered in rolled fondant, and the borders would be intricately over piped (laced intricately).

Around 1929, close to the year my father was born, a business known as Wilton Enterprises began to advertise its own cake decorating classes. Their classes were advertised to enterprising chefs, caterers and other gourmands with an interest in baking and decorating cakes. The decorating classes took off and became a great success among bakers and chefs. In 1947, the Wilton’s began to develop and promote their own line of baking and decorating products. Wilton enterprises made a great splash, and by the 1960s, the so-called Wilton Method became a stand-by method of cake decoration.

A few years after the Wilton school came into existence, Joseph Lambeth published a book that would become a classic of cake decorating. The book was known as The Lambeth Method of Cake Decoration and Practical Pastries. The book became widely popular with budding cake decorators, ones like me, bakers, and other people cake connoisseurs. The book contained real step-by-step instructions and clear, oversized drawings and photographs that showed readers how the Lambeth Method was constructed.

Finally, to conclude this brief history of cakes, the International Cake Exploration Society Come onto the Scene in 1976. The organization is still active, and meets each year in Michigan during their annual conventions.

Exciting, isn’t it!  It’s like this blog is a continuation of my culture, my essence, and everything I stand for.

Citations:

Rich Products Corporation.  Cake Decorator’s Guide. (2007). Buffalo, NY: World Headquarters

History of Birthday Cakes.  Retrieved Mar. 10, 2010 from http://www.tokenz.com/history-of-birthday-cake.html

Here is just a few I want to point out:

According to Kelly P:

“Hey Steve…
I just wanted to point out that I love your website and I am oh so jealous that you are blogging about your personal life and not by doing any actual research. However, my point in making my comment is in the fact that you have it listed “directions on making …” but yet there is no link to take me to another page with these oh so wonderful directions. I would love to see them and if you would be so kind as to post them / link them for me / us I would greatly appreciate it.
Love you bunches…”

Thanks Kel, I love you just as much, and all the recipes are up and posted for you (or us(when we “make a cake together ))!

According to Grizelle:

“I’d really love to see some examples of amateur baking here on my favorite blog.”

“Also, I’d like to commend you on your wonderful recipes thus far.”

Well Grizelle, sometimes examples of amateur baking are posted on your favorite blog! 

We know real men make cakes.  Even if they don’t do their homework.

Make sure to leave this puppy in the oven on 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes or you’ll have a bout with salmonella that you’ll never forgot.

Whos cake?  Oh…..Arielle’s.  Thanks for reminding me in case I forgot!

Anyway, speaking about keeping it real sweet I have been working on different types of borders at work: shells and reverse shells.

How to make a shell border:

1.  Use any open star tip to create a shell border

2.  Hold the bag at 45 degrees (angle to the surface of your cake)

3.  Use heavy, consistent pressure to create a full base.  The greater the pressure, the more flared or full your shell design will be.

4.  Raise the tip as your shell builds up.  Reduce the pressure an pull the bag down to the surface.

5.  Stop the pressure, breaking off the icing.

6.  Begin the shell directlyover the bottom tip of the shell you just completed.

How to make a reverse shell border:

1.  Hold the bag at 45 degrees (angle to the top surface of your cake).  Use consistent heavy pressure and circle to the right, building your icing base.

2.  Decrease the pressure pulling to the left.  Form a question mark shape.

3.  Make the next shell beginning directly over the bottom tip of the shell you jsut completed, using a left circular motion.

4.  Decrease the pressure pulling to the right.

Citations:

Rich Products Corporation.  Cake Decorator’s Guide. (2007). Buffalo, NY: World Headquarters

 In case your were wondering I am a supergiant star.

Not a red dwarf!!!!

Thankyou!

My quest to create to an iced angel food cake went much better then antisipated.  I basted the cake with a quick ice tip and bettercream icing.  Then I filled up the center with buttercream icing and iced the top.  I have found that while basting, if you take your time and baste the cake carefully without exposing any of the edges or cake itself, the basting process becomes much easier.  I then melted fudge all over the cake.  After, I added a thick border to the top and bottom of the cake.  I find that using a thick border covers up any imperfections from your sides that are tough to baste. Then of course, in honor of st Patrick himself, I added st Patty’s Jimmies all over. (I did skip the sides because I thought that would be to gaughty and a waste or jimmies, or as Beluah calls them “Quins”.)

Believe it or not, my strawberry shortcakes turned out pretty good as well.  Im not going to lie and say that I ruined 2 cakes because I don’t have the ability to cut through an 8′ round cake, but the other 2 were gems.  Even if I ended up using freezer burnt chocolate and pumpkin cakes, the finished product look quite delicious.  The trick to strawberry shortcakes is being able to add the vanilla crunchies to the side.  I have not conquered this yet.  I think next time im going to take a supersoaker and shoot the bottom for an evenly distributed coat.  Ill tell you how it goes on a later date.

Directions on how to decorate a strawberry shortcake for my devoted fans:

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 recipe shortcakes (see Related eHow)
• 10 c. sliced strawberries
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 pint chilled heavy whipping cream
• 2 to 3 drops vanilla extract
• Optional garnish: Mint leaves
• Wire Whisks
• Copper Bowls

Step 1

Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl. Toss with the sugar, adding a little bit at a time, so each slice is coated fairly evenly. You may not need all the sugar.

Step 2

 Chill the strawberries for about half an hour or longer. The sugar will draw out some of the berries’ moisture, forming a syrup

Step 3

 Place the chilled cream in a bowl and add the vanilla.

Step 4

Whip the cream with a whisk, and pay attention as it starts to build in volume. Stop whisking when the whipped cream is light and airy but still loose. It should not be too stiff, and can even be slightly pourable.

Step 5

Reheat the biscuits, if desired.

Step 6

Use a serrated knife to slice each biscuit in half horizontally.

Step 7

To serve, place a biscuit half on a plate, top with a generous spoonful of strawberries and syrup, then place a dollop of whipped cream on top. Put a berry piece on top of the cream to look pretty.

Step 8

Serve immediately. The biscuit will soak up the strawberry syrup, which helps make this dessert luscious, but if left too long the biscuit will become soggy.

Step 9

Garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Angel food cakes are on sale for 2.99 at a certain local food market so your not getting the directions for that, haha.

Citations:

Rich Products Corporation.  Cake Decorator’s Guide. (2007). Buffalo, NY: World Headquarters

Strawberry Shortcake.  Retrieved Mar. 1^st, 2010 from http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1613,139188-247199,00.html

 Bff’s AAF.

Unfortunately, for me, the only real form of training I have received thus far has come from Beulah at work.  The best way to describe her is mentally unstable, and with a cake return percentage of 40% she ranks worse in the district by a margin of 39%.  Off her “prescription” medication her cakes are pretty good.  On her “prescription” medication they look like someone with Perkins had a good crack at it, but inevitably failed miserably due to their medical condition.

Throughout the last couple of years I have been working on improving certain aspects of my decorating.  For instance, I have been working quite diligently on conquering the rose.  I used to be able to do one, but after a year without decorating my profound artistic talent diminished. Similar to the way that Whitney Houston lost her ability to sing post-crack.  Now, according to a group consensus by associates at work, my roses look like “tiger lilies.” I’m not sure what a tiger lily is, but it is certainly is not a rose.

They are cool looking, but not what I am going for.

For all the aspiring rose-makers out there, this is how you are actually supposed to make for a rose for a cake:

1.  Form a base of icing on a rose nail.  Place the wide end of the rose tip down and angle the tip toward the center of the base.

2.  Squeeze the bag with your right hand (you can reverse the hand, but the most crucial part of #2 is to squeeze.  Otherwise, no icing will come out) and turn the nail with your left hand, forming a bud.

3.  Place the top at the left side of the seam on the rose bud and form a horseshoe shaped petal. Form three petals around the rosebud.

4.  For the 3rd row, tilt the bag outward slightly and form 5 horseshoe petals.

5.  The 4th row is completed using the same method with increased pressure and forming 7 petals around the rose.

Good work Beluah.  It is just as easy as it sounds

The one good thing I have going for me is my handwriting.  Most customers are under the impression that I went to Catholic school because of my mastery of script.  Little do they know that not only am I sinner, but I also went to public school as well.

Citations:

Rich Products Corporation.  Cake Decorator’s Guide. (2007). Buffalo, NY: World Headquarters