Cake Central Magazine

Volume 2 Issue 2

Crystal Poinsettia Cake

by Alan Tetreault featuring Crystal Poinsettia’s and GSA Stencils #25967.

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Cake Central Magazine

A world of Cake Decorating, Candy and Cookie Making Supplies!

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Editor I cannot tell a lie. Despite my preference for long days and warm sunshine, I have to admit I positively adore this time of year. I can’t help it; despite the kitschy, consumer-driven hoopla that overwhelms all aspects of life for nearly two months, I still get that holiday glow when I hear the first seasonal song play on the radio. And don’t even get me started when a certain coffee chain comes out with their token “red cups.” The funny thing is, I know that so much of the holiday whirlwind is really decorative propaganda, aimed at people (like me) to buy more presents, more goodies, more party decorations.

Okay, what does all this have to do with cake?

I’ve come to realize there are two types of people: Those who give into the holiday season (yours truly) and those who scoff at how commercial it has become. This is just a guess, and by no means take this personally, but my hunch is that most CC readers are the former. The holidays offer a chance for parties to host, delicious meals to cook, and goodies to bake and decorate. I know that my oven won’t get too much of a break until after the New Year, and my sweets intake (excessive to begin with) will simply go off those FDA recommended charts.

While this time of year is full of opportunity for our decorating cravings to be satiated, the holidays can also be overwhelmingly, well, overhyped. Unfortunately, despite the merriment, it’s often too easy to get downtrodden by the circuslike nature of it all, and sometimes it might feel like this supposed joyous season is just too tainted by commercialism.

I’ve got some good news: In this issue of Cake Central Magazine you can have the best of both worlds. Sure, we’ve celebrated the modern dazzles of the holidays—as you could probably tell by our musically-inspired cover—but we’ve also brought the season back to its fundamental, traditional heart. For instance, you can calm the shopping mall storms by taking a peaceful moment to look through our winter wonderland inspired cakes, which bring the beauty of snowflakes

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and snow-covered forests to life—in sugar! Our gorgeous cover cake, made by Darren DiPietro, can create instant serenity all on its own. Or, if you’re missing the time-honored traditions of the season, take a look at our tribute to holiday desserts—international style! These five delicious dishes honor the customs of different cultures, as well as different holidays, and each recipe is paired with information on the significance of each dessert.

So, whether you’re dreading the tinsel or carefully selecting your 20+ seasonal cookie cutters, please let this issue of Cake Central Magazine brighten your spirits. Let us help remind you that there’s a reason to celebrate, no matter how big or small; it can be as glamorous as a Jingle Bell Gala held for 100 of your closest friends or as simple as sipping a hot cocoa while snuggling in a blanket. No matter your traditions or holiday, know that Cake Central’s warm wishes are with you, and we look forward to an exciting new year!

Cheers, Robyn

Your Slice Best Edible Gift

“

What is the best edible gift you've ever received or given?

My father was born on a Caribbean island where coconut was a staple in many foods and desserts. Every year at Christmas, we would make coconut eggnog. We’d take a day to go shopping for all the ingredients and then spend the evening making this wonderful concoction. We would collect bottles throughout the year, sterilize them, and get them ready for the eggnog.

We call the eggnog Coquito, which is Spanish for "little coconut.” The best part of making it was knowing that on Christmas Eve day, we were going to visit all of our friends and bring them each a bottle of Coquito. It became a tradition.

We did this for over 20 years, never missing one until he passed away a week before Christmas in 1990. His last words to me were "Don't forget to make the Coquito." To this day (21 years later), I make it every year in his honor. It brings back the fondest memories of being with my father and sharing the gift of Christmas with our friends and family. Even though my dad passed away at Christmas, it is not a sad time for me because he gave me a gift that I will always treasure; my fond memories of him and I together. He so loved Christmas and so do I. — Nereida P.

I always like to make food gifts for all of the women I work with in my department. There are nine of us, so that means I have to come up with eight gifts. I try to vary it each year. Last year for Christmas, I made beer bread mix in a decorative bag for each of the ladies. All they had to do was add the beer (or other carbonated beverage) and melted butter. I attached the instructions on the package with a ribbon. They LOVED it. One of the ladies told me when she got home she showed her husband and he wanted to make it that night, which they did!

”

The best edible gift I ever received was right after my grandfather passed away and my grandmother was struggling financially. She made all of the grandkids their own plate of her famous fudge. She hadn’t made it for Christmas dinner for several years, so eating a piece of it was like heaven. I am not sure what she does in her recipe, but none of us have EVER been able to duplicate it. Not my mom or any of my aunts. I have tried her recipe as well and haven’t had any luck either. That was about six or seven years ago, and now her health is so bad that I think that may have been the last bit of her fudge we will ever have. But, it is a taste that you never forget, and one that you hope for each time you pick up a piece of fudge.

— Liz S.

I knew a dear little lady in her 80s who lived next door to my mother and me when I was growing up. One year during the holidays, she brought over a handmade edible ornament. It remains the prettiest and most unique gift I've ever been given. I still attempt to re-create it, but it never looks as nice as hers was. It was a styrofoam ball with a ribbon hot glued on top, and it was completely covered in candy. There was candy tape, sugared gumdrops, gummy flowers, and more, all pinned to the styrofoam. It was spectacular!

I’m sure it didn't take her long to make it, but I will never forget it. I still think of this woman and her unique idea every time during Christmas and I continue to attempt to make my "ornament" look as beautiful. She was partly the reason I got into edible arts and crafts.

— Victoria H.

— Andrea R.

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Your Slice Best Edible Gift

One Christmas, we wanted to remember a neighbor who had helped us take care of our lawn because we weren't able to that year. We used the theme of the 12 days of Christmas, bringing them a different gift each day. Some of the items we took to them were decorated cookies, soda pop, candy bars, cinnamon rolls, and popcorn.

Each gift corresponded with the 12 days—on the eighth day we brought them eight decorated cookies, etc. Christmas eve was the last gift, and we brought a turkey wrapped in a gift bag. Each gift was accompanied with a cute poem to correspond to the gift. We waited till after dark to deliver the gifts and were able to keep it a secret until a couple days before Christmas. The decorated cookies gave it away since they could tell I made them. It was an awesome way to thank them and we had fun in the process!

— Linda W.

Being a second generation American from Swedish decent, years ago I vowed to teach my children some customs from Sweden and incorporate them into our own family traditions.

When my oldest daughter, Brooke, turned eight years old, I told her about the Swedish custom of St. Lucia Day on Dec. 13, when the oldest daughter in the family wears a crown adorned with candles, a white dress with a red sash, and serves coffee and Lussekatter (saffron buns) to her parents. It’s a tradition that brings light to what legend says is the longest night of the year in Sweden. So being the talented budding baker that she is, we made our first batch of Lussekatter together with real saffron and shaped them in figure eights. They were beautiful and golden brown. Brooke was so very excited! On Dec. 13, she donned a white dress and tied her red sash.

We turned on the battery operated candles on the crown and she placed it on her head. Brooke must have been floating a foot off the ground when she served the family the Lussekatter, coffee, and hot cocoa that morning, because the look on her face was one of pride and maturity.

Family traditions are a wonderful thing to pass down to your children, and I hope she'll teach her children to make Lussekatter one day!

— Kristen M.

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Many years ago, when I lived on my own and my two girls were very small, we had a visitor that would come fix our garden play equipment at night every now and then. For a long time I didn't know who this was, but I was secretly happy someone was making sure it was always safe for my children. Then one day, an elderly gentleman (an ex navy engineer) who lived on my road asked me where our seesaw was. I told him I had to take it away because I was worried about it breaking, as a tube part looked worn. He said he could fix that for the girls, and he came back a few days later with a new brass bit protecting the tube. My girls were so excited that they had it to play on again. I realized he must be our secret visitor. I wanted to repay him without embarrassing him, so I made my really luxury mince pies and secretly deposited them outside his front door for many Christmas Eve nights. He never knew it was me, and he used to tell me about the lovely mince pies that an angel left him on Christmas Eve. I have since moved away and sadly have not seen him again. I believe he must be with the angels now, but he will always stay in my heart as my secret knight in shining armour.

— Laura H.

Up Next...

"What is something you never want to hear from a client?"

We Want to Hear from You! Submit “Your Slice” answers to yourslice@cakecentral.com, and your answer could be featured in an upcoming issue of Cake Central Magazine!

Winter Wonderland Cakes

Photo by: Karl Turley Photography www.karlturley-photography.co.uk

Winter Wonderland

Cakes Packed ice skating rinks, cranked heaters, and steaming cocoa are all indicative of winter, which has nestled in tightly—ready to turn your nose pink for the next few months. The chilly weather doesn’t only mean shoveling snow and shorter days, though; think of scarves, warm fireplaces, mocha lattes, peaceful snowy nights, and (hopefully following) snow days! To help lift your winter spirits, here is a gallery of winter wonderland cakes, complete with a sense of seasonal magnificence.

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Winter Wonderland Cakes

Hilda Fernandez thesweetestthingcs The Sweetest Thing Cake Studio Miramar, FL thesweetestthingcs.com

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Winter Wonderland Cakes

Stevi Auble stevinix Hey there, Cupcake!

San Diego, CA heytherecupcake.com Photo by: Bryan Miller Photography

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Science of Baking Savoring Flavoring

lost in distillation. Cold pressing techniques utilized for citrus oil isolation alleviates some of these problems. The abundance of oil found in the peels of citrus fruits and the low cost and availability of raw materials make mechanical expression (also known as cold pressing) the method of choice to separate citrus oils. This lowtemperature process yields oils with superior aromas to those that are steam distilled since heat damage is

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minimized and nonvolatile components of the flavoring are included in the coldpressed product. In addition, the oil is more stable because natural antioxidants present in the mechanically expressed oils protect it from damage via oxidation.

In some cases, it is desirable to utilize a synthetic or artificial flavor source to give character to a baked product. Most synthetic flavorings are chemically derived products made to replicate known molecular structures of flavor molecules found in nature. A small number of artificial flavoring ingredients have not been found in nature, but are considered safe. Synthetic flavorings provide several advantages over naturally extracted materials. Degradation that occurs in certain flavors in baked goods can be compensated for with the addition of a specific flavor component available in a synthesized form.

For example, imitation vanilla extract generally contains only vanillin, which is less volatile than many other natural vanilla flavor sources. Vanillin, therefore, stands up to greater oven temperatures than some natural vanilla components and can be added when baking at high temperatures or for prolonged amounts of time. Artificially derived flavorings can also provide consistent flavor in batch after batch of baked goods.

The fact that synthetic flavorings are readily available in high quantity despite changes in growing seasons and crop productivity makes them more cost effective than naturally derived products. Some imitation flavors can provide a strong flavor impact that is difficult to achieve with natural sources alone. Artificial flavors can also provide a realm of creativity that is less accessible with natural flavors.

Variations and combinations of specific synthetic flavor components can be capitalized on in order to create entirely new flavor profiles. Although these advantages exist, it is still difficult for imitation flavorings to replicate the depth and complexity found in natural substances.

The Flavoring Trials In order to try out the usefulness of different types of flavoring products, I decided to bake cupcakes using varying forms of a single flavor constituent. I chose to examine the flavors of coconut, orange, and vanilla and compare their elemental natural forms to their naturally and/or synthetically extracted counterparts. For the coconut flavorings, I made cupcakes with coconut milk, a natural coconut extract, and imitation coconut extract. The orange cupcakes were made with orange zest, pure orange oil, and orange extract.

The vanilla cupcakes contained vanilla bean seeds, vanilla bean paste, pure vanilla extract, imitation vanilla extract, clear imitation vanilla extract, and vanilla powder.

The cupcakes made with coconut milk and natural coconut extract had very subtle hints of a coconut origin that I could pick up on when I was looking for it, but when I did a blind tasting I could not place their flavor source. The imitation coconut extract, on the other hand, provided the necessary flavor impact of strong middle tones that easily made it identifiable as “coconutty.” The imitation coconut cupcakes could have been further improved with the addition of coconut milk. The synthetic coconut extract would provide a strong flavor profile, while the coconut milk could add warm subtle base notes that the natural products provide.

For the orange cupcakes, those made with orange zest had a bright, fruity, floral flavor.

The cupcakes made with pure orange oil were overly bitter and pungent. At first I used an excessive amount of the pure orange oil flavoring (1/2 teaspoon in four cupcakes) in order to clearly compare the differences between each, but this amount was obviously too much. I believe that the

Science of Baking Savoring Flavoring

“Vanilla beans have no aroma when they are harvested, but require scalding, fermentation, complex sun drying, and sweating processes to yield their characteristic flavor profile.”

pure orange oil could be useful in flavoring baked goods but it is missing some of the top note flavors that characterize fresh orange zest and juice. The addition of zest and/or juice with orange oil could brighten the flavors. The orange extract that I used was a pure extract that contained alcohol and orange oil. The flavor of these cupcakes was quite muddied and the alcohol gave off flavors that were distracting from the pure orange flavor.

In the vanilla cupcakes, the flavor provided by the vanilla bean seeds had some complex, warm undertones but it almost seemed too earthy or as if too many flavors were competing. This too could have been partially due to an excess of flavoring (1/2 vanilla pod seeds to four cupcakes).

I found the tiny black seed flecks very appealing and natural looking, but the excess of bean seeds in the cupcakes created a slightly crunchy texture that seemed out of place. The vanilla bean paste, a mixture

of vanilla bean seeds, sugar, and anilla extract, also had the nice visual appeal of the pod seeds but lacked the flavor of the vanilla bean seeds and pure vanilla extract.

The pure vanilla extract was the favorite of the vanilla cupcake flavoring agents.

The cakes made with the pure vanilla had a rich, rounded vanilla flavor with nice top and middle notes. The cupcakes made with imitation vanilla extract were singular and somewhat flat in flavor. I could detect some vanillin derived middle notes but all of the natural top notes were missing.

I was surprised by the appealing flavor provided by the clear imitation vanilla extract. These cupcakes had a nice degree of middle vanillin notes, but they lacked the depth of the pure vanilla extract. The cupcakes that contained vanilla powder, a blend of vanilla bean extractives in a dextrose base, had almost entirely no detectable vanilla flavor and were the least appealing of all the vanilla cupcakes.

Flavorings and extracts are responsible for a great deal of what we perceive as flavor in baked goods. Many small, volatile molecules found in natural and synthetic products are capable of stimulating our olfactory sense centers which our brain interprets as various flavors. While there are many sources of flavorings, it seems there is no clear cut answer as to whether natural or imitation compounds provide the best source of flavor in all situations. Rather, it seems that each baked product and flavor must be analyzed individually and flavors adjusted as necessary. It also seems apparent that products can benefit from a combination of flavor resources. Imitation products can be added sparingly to provide strength to overly subtle flavor profiles and to provide flavor longevity to long-baked or high-temperature baked goods. With natural flavors, on the other hand, it is necessary to provide bright top-note flavors for depth and complexity.

Therefore, as a cake maker, you should possess an arsenal of flavoring products to choose from, and test and compare them to find the perfect combination of flavors for each specific baked product you create.

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Leftover Egg Yolks

CRÈME BRÛLÉE 6 EGG YOLKS 6 TABLESPOONS WHITE SUGAR, DIVIDED 1/2 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT 2 1/2 CUPS HEAVY CREAM 2 TABLESPOONS BROWN SUGAR

Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine egg yolks, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat until thick and creamy.

In a saucepan, heat and stir cream over low heat until nearly coming to a boil, then remove immediately from heat.

Stir the cream into the egg mixture, and beat until well-combined.

Pour the mixture into the top of a double-boiler. Stir over simmering water for approximately 3 minutes, or until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon.

Remove quickly from heat, and pour the mixture into a shallow, heat-proof dish.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove dish from oven, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to broil.

Combine 2 remaining tablespoons of white sugar and the brown sugar in a small bowl.

Sift mixture evenly over the custard, and place under broiler for approximately 2 minutes, or until the sugar melts.

Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

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Product Review Marzipan Molds

Save or Splurge:

Marzipan fruits are a festive treat for the holiday season, but they can be costly. We set out to see just how simple making marzipan fruits can be with the assistance of helpful tools. We tested two different types of marzipan fruit tools sent by Global Sugar Art, and each has its advantages.

Marzipan

Molds

$13.99

$39.99

globalsugarart.com

globalsugarart.com





Save on…

Splurge on…

CK Products Marzipan 3-D Fruit Shapes Mold

PME Marzipan Rollerboards

Clamshell the rolled marzipan ball in the mold so you achieve a double-side impression.

Place a pre-portioned amount of marzipan in the board’s channel, and move the sliding top back and forth to form your fruit.

PROS:

CONS:

PROS:

CONS:

Inexpensive

Difficult to align the two sides of the mold, which yields irregularly shaped fruit.

Kit comes with a guide and circle cutter to correctly portion the marzipan for consistent fruit size.

It’s an investment.

You must guesstimate exactly about how much marzipan to use per mold—too much will squish the marzipan outside the cavity, which must be trimmed.

Not enough, and you will not get a full fruit.

No need to trim or adjust the fruit after rolling is complete.

Quick Simple to use

You can make two pieces of fruit at a time by rolling two pieces of marzipan at once.

While the boards do texture the fruit, additional texturing may be desired.

Comes with instructions to color, flavor, and texture each fruit.

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International Holiday Desserts

Panettone

Originating in Milan, the history of this holiday sweet bread involves several lively tales.

One story claims that panettone was created by a Milanese cavalier disguised as a baker’s apprentice, who made the treat in order to woo the baker’s daughter. Another legend asserts that a nun, Sister Ughetta, made the first panettone as a dessert for the convent, which was then distributed to the entire town. Whichever story is true, panettone has become a widely baked Christmas dessert. The bread is still made for the holidays in different parts of Italy, and even more often in Central and South America nowadays.

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International Holiday Desserts

Springerle These anise-flavored Christmas cookies have been a German tradition for hundreds of years. Their name dates back to an old version of the German language and translates into “little knight.� The unique style of these cookies comes from the molds used to create the pictures and impressions on them. Originally, these pictures depicted biblical or nativity scenes, and were made using wooden pans.

Today, alternative pictures and impression methods have been created to make these cookies, including a springerle rolling pin.

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Strangely Good Sweet Potato Bundt Cake

Sweet Potato

Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

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Strangely Good Sweet Potato Bundt Cake

Among the many great traditional holiday dishes, there are few quite as favored as sweet potatoes. Whether paired with brown sugar, marshmallows, or just served plain, sweet potatoes add a certain feel of nostalgia and comfort to seasonal feasts. Our ambitious Cake Central test kitchen decided to shift sweet potatoes to the dessert side of the menu.

“This really reminded me of the holidays. It would be great to have with breakfast or a mid-morning brunch.”

“I’m actually not a huge sweet potato fan, but I thought this cake tasted great! I can definitely taste the undertones of the potatoes, and combined with the cinnamon whipped cream I kept wanting more bites!”

“The sweet potatoes made the cake really moist, and they added an earthy flavor which brought ordinary pound cake to a whole other level.”

SWEET POTATO BUNDT CAKE

1 CUP BUTTER 2 CUPS SUGAR 2 1/2 CUPS MASHED, COOKED SWEET POTATOES OR CANNED YAMS 4 EGGS 3 CUPS FLOUR 1/4 TEASPOON BAKING SODA 1/2 TEASPOON NUTMEG 1/2 TEASPOON CINNAMON 1 TEASPOON VANILLA 1/2 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whip together butter and sugar.

Add the sweet potatoes, beat until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, and beat well after adding each egg.

Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl, stir well.

CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM

2 CUPS HEAVY CREAM, CHILLED 1/4 CUP SUGAR 1 1/2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON 1/2 TEASPOON VANILLA

In a glass bowl, beat cream on high speed.

Add combined dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture, then add vanilla and nuts.

Slowly add the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to the cream. Beat until stiff peaks form.

After making sure the mixture is well combined, pour into a prepared 9 to 10 inch bundt pan.

Serve over sweet potato pound cake.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tests done.

Serve with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.

Put bowl in freezer for 10 minutes to chill.

Cake Central Magazine is not responsible for the outcome of any attempt to create or replicate any of the Cake Central techniques, cakes, projects or recipes. Desired results may not be achieved due to variations in ingredients, cooking temperatures, tools, techniques, typographical errors or omissions, or personal skill level.

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Cakes With Bows

Cakes

Bows

with

Oh the joy of a tightly tied, perfectly symmetrical bow!

Whether you are the one opening or wrapping a gift, there is something so special about the sealing of a bow. They add a unique sense of flare and intimacy to a package, completing the wrapping with an affectionate touch. Edna De la Cruz has perfected fondant bows, and on page 22 she teaches you how to create your own edible bows to adorn your cakes. Needless to say, it was a no-brainer to include cakes in which decorators have incorporated different bows into their designs.

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Cakes With Bows

Anne Heap Pink Cake Box Denville, NJ pinkcakebox.com

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