Everything Nice Cake Making

The happy couple want all their family and friends to witness their commitment to each other and then celebrate with them at the following reception. Receptions vary massively from small receptions held at a local pub to vast receptions held at country houses. Either the local publican has sufficient room to offer seating to all guests with food from a buffet or hot food served by staff or the country house venue organises the event within the house or outside marquee. A growing trend is that the couple decide to hire a wedding coordinator to arrange the event.

Whatever type of wedding reception the couple have they always want the reception to be decorated with ‘wedding decorations’. The wedding ceremony is generally limited to the traditional flowers and bows. The evening dance is generally covered by the disco or live band. The reception is where there is a vast industry producing everything for the reception tables where guests will be seated for their meal. Unlike going out for a meal at a restaurant you know you are at a wedding reception simply by the decoration of the tables.

Before you enter the room there is normally a plan layout of the table seating which shows where each guest will be seated. Then on each table will be a card at each place setting with each guests name on it. I have never been to a wedding reception without the tables being covered in a white table cloth. Chairs covered in bright materials with bows on are a nice touch.

The wedding cake is the first wedding decoration that guests notice where the photographer always takes a photo of the couple cutting the cake. Favours for guests used to be a few sweet almonds rapped in a material mesh and tied with a bow. Now there are thousands of different favours you can buy which can come in lovely little boxes which also come in various colours, shapes and sizes. Sometimes the tables are scattered with brightly coloured ‘words’ normally saying ‘Wedding’ ‘Congratulations’ Best Wishes’ etc.

The table centrepiece can be a simple rose in a vase to larger flower arrangements. I have been to a reception where a fish bowl has been the centrepiece of each wedding table. Fruit is often used as a centrepiece and now there are companies providing fresh fruit bouquets as centrepieces for wedding table decorations.

Tags: Bouquets, Centrepieces, Decorations, Fresh, Fruit, Hand, Made, Table, Wedding

Start cake business ventures and succeed, with just a few steps. Is that even a reality? The truth is it depends on you. It will work on people who already love to cook and bake and those who are interested in the cake making business. If you have been baking for your family for years, then you can take the skill you have from the kitchen to a bigger market and earn a pretty good income along the way. By trying to explore the business of cake making, you might even be able to find your niche.

But to begin a business of this nature, what do you need to have?

1. Skill. Either it is management or cooking skills, you need to have one or both of these skills. If you are a good manager, but not a very good baker, then you can still set up a business like this because you can hire a baker and a decorator to work for you. Your business skills are also important so that you can connect with suppliers and look at the books and manage your income well. But if you are not so good with the management and accounting aspect, but you can bake a pretty darn good cake, then your business can also work because you can hire someone to take care of the books for you. Either way, as long as you have the capital, an accounting and a production arm to man the business, you will be fine because you can learn the stuff you are not initially expert at later on as you go along. However, if you are simply not interested in cakes and you do not have passion for this kind of work, better skip it and invest on something else.

2. Uniqueness. You think that trends are only for clothes? Think again. Trends are also very important to food, especially cake. The reason behind this is the evolving palate of people. Before, the cake flavors are the basic chocolate and vanilla. Spices are limited to cinnamon and nutmeg. But today, cakes come in different colors and flavors. There are the fruit flavored cakes that are infused with apple, orange and other citrus fruit extracts. There are different cakes made for different people—organic, vegetarian or sugar free. There are also those that are light and fluffy or heavy. Before the cakes that have wine in the ingredient list are Christmas fruit cakes. Today, wines are mixed together with the batter or the icing to compliment a nice meal. There are also cakes that have vegetables in it like carrots, zucchini and squash. Cakes today use a variety of spices like cardamom and even cayenne pepper. Because people’s tastes are changing, the key to staying in the business of cake production is to keep your products fresh and new so as to entire more people to actually buy from your and try your new items. Always start with a test batch. A batch will definitely not hurt your business, so if the recipe fails, it will not be a great loss. If the recipe succeeds, however, you can begin to produce more.

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Tags: Business, cake, Simple, Start, Steps

It is necessary that parents spend time with their children. Several bonding activities can be thought of to make the experience as memorable as possible. Among others, cooking and baking are good activities to engage in because they tap on all senses of your kid especially if it involves recipes which they can enjoy afterwards. Now, who said kids don’t love chocolate recipes, especially if they are chocolate-related recipes?

Chocolates, aside from the health benefits it can bring such as regulating blood pressure and cholesterol, are nothing but an delectable concoction enjoyed most especially by children. Aside from these physiological benefits, it can also do wonders in your emotional relationship and bond with your kids.

Chocolate Lollipops is a child-friendly chocolate recipe that can give your kids a happy and enjoyable learning experience with you. You will need very simple ingredients and equipment to make these adorable lollipops. The creative ideas of your kids will be needed in designing and decorating the lollipops. While preparing this, it will be nice to tell tales about chocolate to your children—where it originated, how is chocolate done, what it can do to you and other facts that can make your kids love chocolate more.

Ingredients:
1.    Blocks of semi-sweet or white chocolate
2.    Butter
3.    Food color for fun painting
4.    Chocolate candies, crispies or sprinkles for decorations

Equipment and Materials:
1.    Lollipop mold
2.    Straws to be used as lollipop handles
3.    Paint brushes for the food coloring
4.    Ribbons to be tied in the lollipop handle
5.    Cabbage where the kids can stick their lollipops

All the cooking that you need to do is melt the chocolate block and the butter in a heated pan. Once smooth and free of lumps, you may now pour the melted chocolate in the lollipop molds. It would be nice to use children-friendly mold designs such as animal faces, letters or numbers. Have your kids stick the straw at the lower part of the chocolate. Set aside and let it solidify. If already in a semi-solid state, you may ask the children to put candies, sprinkles or crispies for added design. You may put it in the refrigerator afterwards for faster solidification. For sure, those little angels will be too excited to wait for the chocolate to harden.

Once the chocolate has hardened, carefully pull each one off the molds. Now the children will have their part. Allow them to paint the chocolate lollipops with food color. Make them design the straws with ribbons. Ask them to give names to their lollipops  and before they eat up all those lollipops, invite your children to wash the dishes and wipe the tables used as well. Yes, they need to take part of this process so that they see the entire process of cooking. Ask them nicely and make them see the beauty of the task. This will teach them to be responsible.

Cooking or baking chocolate-related recipes is not only fun for your kids. It is a hands-on training and exposure for them that can teach them a wide array of values while providing the most fun experience for them. It is a great bonding idea with their friends as well so next time you make another batch lollipops or other chocolate recipes such as cupcakes, muffins, chocolate drink or chocolate chip cookies, make room for more kiddies who would want to join your baking session.

7 inch chocolate cake with ganache filling and coating, decorated with fondant flowers.
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Tags: ChocolateRelated, Kids, Recipes

Here we are going to cover the top 5 most common mistakes that can destroy your masterpiece. But before we get started I just want to say that the vast majority of baking failures are caused by the incorrect temperature. This can have such a dramatic impact on the final product that it is worth making sure you’ve got it set right. Always check the recipe carefully to make sure it is set correctly. If you continue to have issues, get your oven checked for accuracy to ensure your future baking gets going without a hassle.

1.Underbaking

This can cause an array of different problems and you could end up with a cake which did not rise, is too moist and runny and your cake could even cave in because the batter in the centre is under baked. To avoid this always check and set the correct temperature according to the recipes instructions and be sure to place the baking pan at the correct level/height in the oven.

2.Not Mixing Properly

When you don’t mix the batter properly you’ll find that you get lumps in the cake, if you’re creating layers they may not be even and worse still, you may not get enough air into the mixture. Mixing well is essential to ensure consistency in the batter so that when it bakes it is even and smooth. When you mix with a beater, be sure to get it in the pan and baking as soon as you can. The longer it sits out the more air it loses prior to baking.

3.Overbaking

Yes, you can over bake if you’re not careful. This occurs when the oven temperature is set to high for too long which can cause your cake to shrink, get holes and tunnels forming and burning, especially at the base of the cake. The last thing you want, especially with a mud cake is a dry and burnt one.

4.Incorrect Removal From Pan

When removing the cake from the pan you need to use a spatula to ensure it comes out gently and smoothly. Mud cakes are (should be if it’s done right) moist and firm, however right after baking they will be softer then when they cool down. Also making sure the pan is properly greased prior to pouring in the batter is essential to making this removal process far easier.

5.Too Much Liquid

Sometime people think that in order to make a mud cake even moister that they need to add more liquid to achieve this. Often this results in a cake which either won’t rise or caves in the middle. Stick to the recipe and control the moistness through the duration you are baking the cake for.

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Tags: Cakes, Chocolate, Common, Destroy, Mistakes

Try something different and create a themed cake to suit the occasion. These are great for kids birthdays, wedding anniversaries and corporate functions. They make the whole cake making experience far more fun and exciting because you’re cake will complement nicely the particular occasion.

Birthday Cakes

You could create cakes themed after favourite children’s characters such as Superman, Shrek or the Simpsons for example. They could be shaped like one of the characters, have an edible photo on the top or you could even create the character out of frosting to decorate the cake.

Wedding Anniversaries

This is where the edible photos work well because you could have a picture of the two of you on the cake. You can make decorative pieces out of frosting and really make it your own. Each couple has certain things which are particularly special to them and that’s why creating a cake in this way can be so special.

Corporate Cakes

For many of the same reasons listed about, corporate cakes with the company logo or other decorative items can be great for social gatherings in a business to get everyone talking. It could be in the shape of a project the company is working on or designed to recognise a valued staff member. The possibilities are endless.

Cake making is a versatile art and most of all it’s fun. It is important  to have a great base for your ‘artsy’ work to make sure it doesn’t dry out, crumble or cave in. It’s not always easy to bake a cake perfectly every time, but here is a way to make sure that every cake you make turns out perfect.

Tags: cake, Designs, Ignite, Imagination

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a nice, rich & moist piece of chocolate mud cake. The smell of the rich chocolate, the feel of your spoon pushing through the firm moist cake. Ok, so I like chocolate mud cake but this recipe is absolutely amazing!

So you want to try it? Ok here’s how to make the world’s number one best chocolate mud cake ever…

>> Cake Base Ingredients:

1 & 3/4 cups plain flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup ground dark chocolate
1 cup sour milk (1 cup whole milk with 1 tsp white vinegar) or buttermilk

>> Cake Base Instructions

Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt (as you always should) in a large mixing bowl then stir to combine. Add the eggs, milk, ground dark chocolate, oil and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined (the mixture should be runny at this stage).

Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 24 cm x 24 cm square or 24cm round cake tin and bake in a 180°C oven for approximately 35-40 minutes (when testing the cake, a cake skewer should come out clean, but the cake should still be moist).

Alternatively pour the mixture into 24 lined muffin cases (you can buy some really pretty silver foil cases) and bake in a 180°C oven for approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

If you want a flat cake top for icing, simply cut off the top of the cake where any section has risen unevenly to level it, and then turn over. Ice the bottom of the cake with the chocolate ganache.

>> Chocolate Ganache Icing Ingredients

150g dark chocolate (I use 100g Lindt 70% dark chocolate combined with 50g Lindt milk chocolate – yum!)
100ml cream

>> Chocolate Ganache Icing Instructions

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to scalding point (just under boiling) in a small saucepan (you could also do this in the microwave).

Pour the cream over the chocolate and then stir thoroughly for a few minutes until the chocolate has melted and looks glossy. Allow to cool for approximately 10-20 minutes until thickened, but still pourable (you could place in the fridge to hurry this step along) then pour over the cake and smooth over the top and sides.

Then all that’s left is to decorate the cake; fresh strawberries and blueberries work very well. Have fun baking and enjoy!

How clean the cake platter when making “Death By Chocolate” cake; get expert tips on baking homemade dessert recipes in this free cooking video. Expert: Karen Weisman Contact: www.kitchenandcrafts.com Bio: Karen Weisman graduated from Boston University with a degree in Hotel and Food Management. She teaches cooking, baking, cake decorating, and various crafts. Filmmaker: Karen Weisman

Tags: cake, Choc, Recipe, Worlds

Virtually every household and also social occasion includs intake of the meals and imbibing and also beverages in celebration.Consider of the Christmas, anniversaries,, birthdays and weddings.In this article, I will like to speak about that centre piece of the any marry rite reception: marry rite cake.

Visitors come to take in, drink and also be merry and bride’s mother and also father usually put a great deal of the effort in preparation for marry rite celebration.Marry rite cake is central point of top desk and entire reception in general.Marry rite cake has conventional significance and also it’s usually considered bad luck not to have a piece of marry rite cake.

There’re particular guidelines for timing of slicing of marry rite cake that have turn in part of the tradition.For instance, when marry rite reception takes position at lunch and dinner, it’s conventional to trimmed marry rite cake merely previous than dessert is served.

Nevertheless, when reception is held in late afternoon and also early night time time time time, cake is served as quickly as visitors arrive.In some traditions bride and groom trimmed and also take in 1st slice collectively as a symbol of their vows to love, honour and obey every other.Rest of cake is usually trimmed by one of assistants, like maid of the honour and also a household member.

It might be quite troublesome to select marry rite cake.Traditionally, persons go for a white cake with white icing for weddings, persons are turning in more bold, nevertheless these days and are selecting more distinctive flavours and also colours.

Some persons select to have a marry rite cake that has various flavours upon every tier.When white icing is still overwhelming favourite, persons do order other colours like pink and yellow.Chocolate and also mocha are additionally trendy.These days you might have what you like.It’s your day, later than all.

Everybody likes marry rite reception.It’s most well-liked part of marry rite rite and everybody appears forward to seeing cake trimmed and also sharing it with bride and groom.

When you’re considering about turning in a cake decorator, you have a duo of the selections to go about it.You might purchase a book and also a course and get a video in order to educate your self how to beautify desserts from plain to ornate.You might additionally go to a night time time time time time time college category to study artwork and also cake ornament.

In absence of a query, quite ideal trail to study cake adorning is to take a category.DVD’s, movies, and books are all well and also pleasant, yet you might’t converse with them and ask queries.When you take a category for 3 months and also more you will study more and get a deeper knowing of artwork of the cake ornament.You will study how to put actual emotion in ornament of cake and also you will be capable to translate marry rite duo’s wishes in a cake that you and they might be proud of.

Tags: Adorning, cake, marry, rite

The size and style of your wedding cake is a big decision with so many gorgeous ones out there. Some are only one size of cake and others have many layers with a large cake on bottom and then smaller ones on the top. Some of them are very basic in design featuring the colors for the wedding while others are very elaborately designed.

Finding a wedding cake you love is going to take some time so don’t put it off until the last minute. You can go online and look at pictures to see what your choices are. You can also look at pictures in any give bakery to see what they have to offer. Customized wedding cakes are available from most locations too so tell them what you have in mind and they can create it.

The number of people you will have at your wedding reception will influence the size of the wedding cake you purchase. You want to make sure you have enough of it to go around. On the other hand, you don’t want to have lots of cake left over because that is a waste of money.

The cost of a wedding cake will depend on what you go with. When there are several cakes to be made and displayed the cost will increase. The time it takes to decorate them will also be factored in. The more complex the overall decorating style is the more you will pay for your wedding cake.

There are some great choices out there today that you may want to consider off the beaten path. For example offering a lovely tier of wedding cupcakes instead of a traditional cake is a great idea. Not only will it cost less but your guests will find it more convenient to just select a cupcake than to have to wait for a slice of cake to be offered to them.

If you want something that is reflective of you as a couple you can steer away from the more traditional wedding cakes. Go with something that is more creative and that you will love showing off to your friends and family. Finding the right individual to make it is important.

You don’t want to trust your wedding day cake to just anyone. If you aren’t going through a bakery make sure you find out what the credentials are for the person that will be making the cake. You need to know that they will get it done on time and that it will look amazing when they are done with it.

The overall flavoring of your wedding cake needs to be determined as well. Do you want an icing that is very sweet or one that is more like whipped cream? Do you want white cake, chocolate cake, or a combination for your guests to have the one they like the most? Some wedding cakes also have filling between the layers so that is something you can consider as well.

Have a great time finding the wedding cake that is right for your style of reception and for your budget. There are so many choices out there that you shouldn’t have to take anything less than what you would really like to have for your special occasion.

The wedding cake you decide upon needs to be one that looks wonderful and will taste great. It is one of the visual elements of the wedding reception that your guests won’t be able to take their eyes off of. It is also one that they will eagerly anticipate getting a slice of at the end of the evening.

Tags: cake, Choosing, Wedding

So the big day is coming and there is a big decision to make, THE CAKE! When it comes to the wedding cake it seems that anything goes. For many weddings the traditional fruit cake that your granny would make is a thing of the past. Now it’s chocolate, carrot, cheesecake or anything you fancy.

In days gone by guests would bring a cake as a wedding gift. Thank John Lewis we now make wedding lists. What would we do with 16 wedding cakes! They would be stacked so high you couldn’t see your partner to get that kiss you have been longing for all night.

Chocolate cake seems to be a popular choice. And it doesn’t even need to be milk or dark chocolate coloured. It can be white or even pink! And the gooier the better.

But for the really flamboyant couple why not go for the big pink fairy cake stack. A tower of fairy cakes arranged on a specially made stand, the higher the better. You can choose the flavours of the cakes and icing as well as the decoration. The sky is the limit, literally. It looks divine with small candles arranged around the bottom and flower petals sprinkled all over the table. It’s simply gorgeous, so romantic and always leaves a lasting impression..

And for an even less traditional cake, novelty cakes are a fun option and you can make them as wacky as you like. Just think what you can do with that cake topper. I have made everything from caricatures of the couple, a football motif, two fat penguins and even a couple of Star Wars characters! With a novelty cake, the only thing that restricts you is your own imagination. Tasteful or tacky it’s up to you.

Of course, the traditional wedding cake is also something not to be dismissed. Elegant and often simple with crisp white icing and a few sprays of your favourite flowers, either fresh or sugar crafted, it will make a stunning impression.

Traditional, contemporary, flowery or fun, the one thing you must do is make it something that you, your partner and your guests will always remember.

Tags: Advice, cake, Wedding

Wedding Cakes: Do’s and Don’ts

Wedding Cakes: Do’s and Don’ts

The best part about seeing your wedding cake for the first time, that it will be exactly as you had hoped.

Selecting a really good baker is an important start, as you not only want your wedding cake to look beautiful but taste perfect also. You may have looked at many wedding cakes in photos and know there are many decisions to be made. The texture, taste, colour, design and style, final look, how it will be delivered and where it will be placed at the reception are details that will need to be considered.

Before you start with getting overwhelmed with the challenges, a little homework will put you in good stead. Knowing basic cake terms for icing is a great start, and can include fondant and butter cream. Both have different looks, tastes and textures. Fondant is designed for style and neat and streamlined designs, however it is not as popular as in my Grandparents day. Butter cream takes great, however can’t be used for all wedding cakes. Ask your baker about your options. Well skilled cake designer can combine both options to give you the finished look, and a great taste.

Incorporating the style of your wedding to your cake will give an elegant and classy look. It can be easy to get carried away and select a cake that will not suit. An example of this is a purple, black and white themed wedding and a cake that is covered in green, orange and red coloured leaves and flowers. Remember to have an approximate number of guests when speaking to your baker, as this will give them a good idea the size and proportions to feed your guests. This may only be required if you plan on serving your wedding cake as dessert.

Increasingly today the wedding cake is not served as dessert, so guests can continue to enjoy looking at it during the reception. Near the end of the evening this can be cut and served with tea/coffee. In some cultures, layers of the wedding cake are given to members of the family to take home and enjoy. Do consider keeping a layer or part of each layer, this way you can enjoy some later that night or the next day.

It is important to discuss your wedding cake with your caterer if you would like them to cut and serve the cake. Many wedding package dinners include their own dessert option, and have the wedding cake served later after they have departed. If you would specifically like your caterer to cut and serve the cake, do ensure this is organised in advance. Nothing is worse for a caterer than being nearly packed up ready to go, and suddenly you are advised that they would like to serve the cake or have no cake knife or napkins. Plan ahead and do consider the weather. A cake may need to be kept chilled and if you have a lunch garden wedding, the cake may not hold up the heat on the day.

Schedule a time to cut your wedding cake. You may like to cut the cake straight after arrival to the reception, as you will have your guest’s full attention. Alternatively you may like to cut the cake after dinner, speeches and dancing. Do plan to cut the cake to suit your wedding, as well as your caterer if required.

The nicest wedding cake I have seen this year was a three tiered wedding cake of three types of chocolate mud cake. Butter cream was used to ice the cake, with chocolate pieces surrounding each layer for presentation. The cake was cooked to perfection (sometimes wedding cakes can be dry inside or part uncooked if the layer is quite large). White chocolate, milk chocolate and Baileys flavoured Mud cake; I am sure many of the guests will remember this cake over the years and describe it as the best cake they have ever tasted.

A selection of Cake Decorators is available on Australian Caterers. Feel free to email businesses using the contact form, or visit their website for more information and photos on their wedding cakes.

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Tags: Cakes, Do's, Don'ts, Wedding