All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [71]
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, in a cake saver, at room temperature for up to three days or for up to one week in the refrigerator. Freeze the cake, wrapped in aluminum foil or in a cake saver, for up to six months. Let the cake thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
Note: Kahlúa is a very good coffee liqueur.
Five Foolproof Steps to Frosting a Pretty Layer Cake
1. Make sure the layers are cool to the touch before frosting them. Brush off any crumbs, and if one layer is larger or not as perfect looking when it comes out of the pan, make it the bottom layer.
2. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate or stand, with the top side up. Spoon a generous three-quarter cup of frosting on top and spread it evenly across the layer. If the layer is lopsided, you can build it up with some of the frosting.
3. Stack the second layer on top, with the top side up. Spoon a generous three quarter cup of frosting on top and spread it gently and evenly across the layer.
4. Using about the same amount of frosting, apply a thin layer around the side, repairing any imperfections, trapping any crumbs, and essentially sealing the cake.
5. With the remaining frosting, apply a thicker, more decorative layer of frosting on the top and side. Make swirls on top with the end of a small spatula or spoon. For a smooth side, hold a metal spatula right against the cake with one hand and turn the cake plate with the other.
Make Your Own Wedding Cake
For years readers have asked me how they can bake their own wedding cakes, but this was not my arena, so I often felt uncomfortable doling out advice. For this new book I presented myself with a challenge: I would bake a wedding cake—a modest but elegant three-layer wedding cake that could feed forty-five people. I set aside a weekend for my friend Martha Bowden and me to prepare this wedding cake in my kitchen. We baked the layers on a Saturday and finished the cake on Sunday. In the end we were amazed at what a beautiful cake we created. And we learned a few things in the process.
A wedding cake needs to be moist and sturdy. I chose a white cake because that is the standard. Ours has an unexpected almond flavor, and as always, you’ll appreciate the ease and success that comes with starting with a cake mix. The frosting should be both delicious and thick enough to pipe out into decorations. And you need to prepare plenty of it. We opted for a yummy cream cheese frosting, even though we knew it was going to be more difficult to work with than those traditional white bakery frostings made with vegetable shortening. Frosting makes the cake, and we felt flavor had to win over texture.
Groceries and supplies should cost you no more than $40. I’ve listed some things that you may not have in your battery of equipment. If possible, borrow the cake pans from someone so you don’t have to spend money on bakeware you’ll never use again. Your real investment, we found, was time. Baking with a friend helps when it comes to things like turning the cake while you frost it and washing the dishes and providing moral support. This cake is proof that you do not need a degree in cake decorating to make a wedding cake. If you are a cake decorating beginner it’s easy to stick to simple flourishes like fresh flowers and a band of icing around the bottom of the layers.
Wedding Cake How-To
Before you bake a wedding cake, it’s best to read up on what it takes to bake one. Study the charts offered in Wilton books and online that tell you how many servings you will get from the different size pans. These charts also tell you how much frosting you will need to frost the cake. The photographs will inspire you to go above and beyond what I suggest here in this basic wedding cake recipe.
For advanced reading on wedding and other grand cakes look in The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Rose is known for her precision, creativity, and