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Surrogate Baker
we should be across the street having dinner. a colleague of my husband's actually invited us. (it is a rare event that anyone is willing to cook for me.)
i brought a cake i'm working on though he said he was making a galette. we arrived on time to find his galette sitting in a warm oven. apparently after living in ny for 3 years he had never used the oven and it only seemed to have a light, i.e. the heat was coming from a light bulb. so i insisted on bringing the galette back across the street to bake in my oven. with an american type flaky crust it would have been pointless as the warmth would have caused the butter to leak out of the dough and loose all its flakiness. but the cookie crust of a galette is not flaky to begin with so I thought it was worth the effort.
to find out how i rescued this soft pie crust set on a pan that didn't fit into my quick preheat carousel microwave/convection oven (the soft crust loaded with fresh fruit that he was threatening to stew on the stovetop), read on!
by the way, the rest of the dinner wasn't ready anyway so now i can spend the rest of the time packing for my trip to d.c. tomorrow while the galette bakes in its new home. i left the cake as hostage. (but not my special serrated knife--one can never be too careful!)
o.k. here’s what I did: giggling all the way across the street at this unorthodox baking adventure, the moment we entered our apartment, i preheated the convection oven to 400 °F. while it was preheating, with my husband elliott’s help—we needed four hands for this hair-brained endeavor-- we shoved the galette onto a round black steel pan. the side that my less experienced husband was pushing caved in slightly (radiology is one thing—pies and tarts are another) but I smooched it back into place, noticing that the fruit was piercing through it slightly. I made a foil barricade with a long piece of heavy duty foil folded over several times and secured in a circle around the outer edges of the galette with a metal paper clip. just as it was in place the preheat buzzer sounded. I placed the galette in the oven and finished packing. 40 minutes later I smelled fruit burning and rushed over to cover the top loosely with foil. 5 minutes later the fruit was perfectly baked and the crust golden. hot out of the oven, holding the galette with pot holders, we returned to our new friend’s apt. across the street. we got a few longing glances from passerbys—little did they know the true circumstances. our friend’s dinner was ready and he was more relaxed and ready to receive us as guests.
the evening, the dinner, and the galette turned out to be a total delight.
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Am I to increase the leavener of decrease it?
Thanks Rose for the quick response
Reply to this Posted by: cakeroyale | March 12, 2008 9:06 AM #
there is only one cake bible and it is by me. of course amazon has it as well. yes you can substitute sour cream but you need to make other changes, especially with the leavening.
Reply to this Posted by: rose levy beranbaum | March 12, 2008 8:29 AM #
Hi Rose,
Im new member,and just love your site. Ive been looking for the Cake Bible in my Area and Ive not seen, the one I saw was not by you.
In you Yellow cake, can I substitute to sour cream with milk?
Reply to this Posted by: Cakeroyale | March 12, 2008 8:09 AM #
Hi Ann - if you're nervous about the bottom tier supporting the weight of the others, you can always use dowels just in that particular tier - just be sure they are all cut to the same exact length, and be sure you push them into your cake without slanting them at all; they need to be perfectly straight or the weight of the upper tiers can make them slide and your cake will slowly start to tilt. I think Rose posted a response to a similar comment recently - do a search in the search box at the upper left hand side of this page.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | July 20, 2007 8:43 AM #
Hi Rose,
I just read your posting that said "the largest size/weight the straws can support is a 15, 12, 9 and 6 inch tiers. after that one needs dowels or separator plates."
I'm going to do a stacked wedding cake made out of 12, 10, 8, and 6 inch tiers - which i guess is quite close to what you said. Do you think the large plastic straws would work? I've tried it on a two tier cake but i'm worried abour four tiers.
Reply to this Posted by: Anna Chan | July 20, 2007 5:29 AM #
Hi Patrincia, try using disposable wood chopsticks!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | May 14, 2007 1:15 PM #
Very informative! Regarding buttercreams, I live in warm weather and don't have AC, temperature is on the upper 70s, and often on the mid 80s. I believe it makes big difference when you break the 80 degree mark. I have a gas stove and that generates a lot of heat, but I do have a 600 CFM vented hood that takes most hot air out; however running the hood also pumps warmer air from outdoors in, outdoor is in the high 80s or low 90s. So juggling between this warm kitchen and appliances, whenever I make buttercreams is always variable. Sometimes it curds warmly, sometimes it lumps coldly. Three things help me: having a heavy duty stand mixer, having a heavy duty inmersion hand blender, and having a few frozen ice packs. If the butter or my room are too cold, I put the mixer at high speed and that often breaks through the cold lumpy butter. The best way I find to find the "correct" butter temperature (creamy soft butter but still cold), is to work with butter straight from the refrigerator, force softened with a hand blender or with a second mixer with the flat beater attachment (work your way slowly, otherwise you will burn your hand blender), and put it back in the refrigerator until ready to use (beat it again right before mixing it into your buttercream). I always put a few layers of ice packs around the mixer bowl about 1 inch away to keep things fresh cold (don't touch your mixer bowl with the ice packs otherwise the butter will harden on the bottom of the bowl).
In any case, I think a hand mixer or non-heavy duty stand mixer or a whisk will do the job unless I have an extra pair of hands.
Having an infrared non-contact thermometer will surely help, too. But mine's hasn't arrived yet.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | May 14, 2007 1:14 PM #
Well, I still think it would be good info - regardless of whether a person chose to use straws, dowels, or anything else.
I'll take your suggestion and keep track myself. Anyway - hope you have a great day!
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 14, 2007 9:40 AM #
i'm afraid that won't work. i think i mentioned in the book that the largest size/weight the straws can support is a 15, 12, 9 and 6 inch tiers. after that one needs dowels or separator plates.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 14, 2007 9:20 AM #
Yes, that's a good idea - I will start keeping track of the finished weight of the individual tiers as I make them.
But, let's say a person wanted to make a 6-tier wedding cake using your "Rose factor" method instead of using one of your pre-determined 2 or 3-tier recipes, having the approx finished weight for each size tier would be very helpful in that situation (without having to "test bake/stack" all the tiers beforehand). Just a thought!
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 14, 2007 9:06 AM #
i only do 3 tier wedding cakes (the ones in my upcoming book are two and three tier) and there is no problem with weight.
if for some reason you require it, next time you bake a wedding cake simply weigh the cake layers after baking for the 6, 9, and 12 inch and compare it to the batter weight. this way you'll have the % of loss which is close enough.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 14, 2007 8:49 AM #
Rose - I was just reading one of your past postings about "testing" a new wedding cake recipe by baking the bottom tier and then piling weights on it to see if it will support the estimated weights of the additional tiers you want to add. In the wedding cake section of your future books, it might be nice to include the approximate finished weight of each of the tiers. (I thought I could just add together the weight of the individual ingredients, but my engineer husband tells me I won't get an accurate answer doing it that way - something about evaporation and this and that, etc).
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 14, 2007 8:37 AM #
I recently made a batch of buttercream that just wouldn't come together, no matter how long I whipped it in the mixer. It was a really warm/humid day and I my kitchen was hot. I decided the buttercream mixture was too warm (probably from mixing it for so long). Anyway, I put the whole batch in the fridge for about and hour, and voila - the buttercream whipped up perfectly in just a matter of moments!
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 14, 2007 7:38 AM #
it can also happen if the syrup or egg mixture is too hot when adding the butter. be sure it is no longer warm to the touch.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 14, 2007 5:09 AM #
Laura,
Re: curdling buttercream, I've only had that happen when the butter is too cold or when I added too much too fast. When that happens, I usually just let it set out for a while to warm up, and then start beating again and it comes back together. I have also popped it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so, but you have to be very careful doing that.
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | May 13, 2007 11:47 PM #
I am getting ready for my son's 3rd birthday party in the park (should be 70 degrees) and I am planning on having a cake with some piped decorations and cupcakes for the kids to decorate with sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc. I would like to make one frosting and ice the cakes/cupcakes ahead of time and my current buttercream recipe always develops a slight crust if not served immediately. I am afraid that when the kids go to decorate the cupcakes everything will just roll off. I am at a loss when looking through "The Cake Bible" as to which buttercream would work best. I have had trouble in the past keeping buttercream from spliting or curdling. Any guidence would be greatly appreciated.
Reply to this Posted by: Laura | May 13, 2007 11:38 PM #
Just to say thanks so much for all the above suggestions. I have a feeling the cocoa may be the thing, but I'm also keen to try magi-strips. Thanks once again for your helpful responses.
Reply to this Posted by: Isabella | May 8, 2007 5:39 AM #
brian, thank you for this insight. i was tempted to add this back into the ms. at least for the sponge cake chapter when i realized that this is a 4 color book!!!! this means i have the op. to SHOW what the cake's supposed to look like. whew! it's going to be a lot of work--doing the photos etc. but will be well worth-it.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 6, 2007 9:52 AM #
Rose,
Regarding the heights, I know you've mentioned a few times that you thought it might be better not to include those, but I've found them very helpful. As a novice baker, I was losing volume when I was first making the genoise. Your finished height guides helped me to be more careful handling the beaten eggs and I invested in a large balloon whisk and was able to achieve the heights you had in the recipe (my first attempts were more like the picture you had posted here when you failed to beat the eggs long enough).
So I, for one, have found them very helpful (and another confirmation of when I had achieved the proper results).
Brian
Reply to this Posted by: Brian | May 5, 2007 8:09 PM #
Rose - Thank you, I'm honored... by all means, feel free!
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | May 5, 2007 9:16 AM #
isabella, it could be you cocoa has more cooca butter and is therefore heavier so it rises a bit less. i sometimes regret having given finished heights. the purpose was to give an indication as to what to expect but more often than not it's perceived as a challenge! i'm wondering what kind of flour you're using because that also can make a difference.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 4, 2007 6:42 PM #
patrincia, i love your list of important considerations for cake baking. i'd like to use it in the future!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 4, 2007 6:28 PM #
are we twins or what? i do the same thing.
my model has a higher rack as well so can do two layers though the top one bakes a little faster so i have to take it out about 5 minutes sooner.
try to slow down--i can't catch up with all the back log and i'm really sick. feel free to post but if you ask me questions they may get buried in backlog at this point.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 3, 2007 3:58 PM #
I have one of those Sharp micro/conv, too!!! Big one. I think mine's is second generation and it is running for about 15 years. My sister got a newer one and it lasted her only 5 years!!!
Question, how can you bake two nine-inch round layers? The carousel rack fits only one, do you double stack them if so, how? Or do you put the regular rack on top and bake on it the second layer?
By the way, I avoid doing any other baking or heavy microwaving in it, like chicken, pasta, etc, because the splatters or food odors bake nasty when baking a cake!!!
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | May 3, 2007 3:52 PM #
tammy, i've had by sharp micro/convection ovens (i have two) for over 25 years so i can't say if they are still producing them or anything re the quality. look for what is available currently that does both microwave and convection without microwave with a carousel but be away that the round turntable and small size of the oven conspire to limit the size of the pan, i.e. it needs to clear the sides of the oven in order to turn around.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 2, 2007 7:23 AM #
Isabella - An additional thought... I forgot to ask if you were cooking from the British version of the cake bible, or the American version. I've read that there were some differences between the flour used here in the US and the flour available in the UK (search this site). Obviously if you are using the British version, you have all the correct info for the ingredients available to you, but if you're using the American version, that might be the source of your troubles.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | April 25, 2007 6:01 PM #
Hi Isabella - looks like you might be new to the blog. Rose is away for a couple weeks so she won't be posting any responses for a while, but I hope I can offer some help.
I'm sure she would ask you some of the following questions:
1. are you using the exact pan size specified in the recipe?
2. are you using the correct flour called for in the recipe?
3. are you using the correct cocoa?
4. is your baking powder fresh or expired?
5. are your eggs/butter at room temp when you make the batter?
6. are you carefully measuring your ingredients (weighing is definitely best)?
Also, I would highly suggest trying the cake strips - my cakes always rise up evenly. Without the strips, the layers tend to be too short on the sides, and too tall in the center. You can try making your own if you don't have access to the ones available for purchase.
And don't miss using the "search" button on the left side of this page to look for similar posts (and Rose's answers) that have been discussed in the past.
Happy Baking!
One last thing, The Cake Bible has a great section on "understanding cakes" that you should read. You might find the answer you're looking for there.
(cake or uns. Assuming that you are, I personally would recommend the cake strips - they really do help produce an evenly baked layer (not too short on the sides and tall in the center).
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | April 25, 2007 5:48 PM #
Hi Rose. In this post you mention your "quick preheat carousel microwave/convection oven". Does this device truly bake? I'd like to buy one to use mostly for baking muffins, lasagnas, baked zitis etc. and to reheat foods using the microwave. Can you recommend yours? if yes, what's the brand and model #? Thanks!
Reply to this Posted by: Tammy | April 25, 2007 11:15 AM #
Rose, hi. I'm writing from London. I make your devils food cake quite frequently, but I can never get my layers as high as you state they should be. (It still tastes fantastic, however, with your chocolate ganache buttercream.) What is the trick to getting this cake to rise higher? I don't run into this kind of trouble with any of your other recipes. Would it be something to do with the water/cocoa process? I don't use magic strips either. Can you help?
Regards.
Reply to this Posted by: Isabella | April 25, 2007 7:57 AM #
the largest i've ever made was 15, 12, 9, 6. i would call wilton enterprises in chicago. i've always done a dry run before risking a wedding cake i hadn't tried before--even if just making the bottom tier and pilling weights equal to the estimated weight of the other layers. do let us know...and good luck.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | January 3, 2007 6:25 AM #
Nope - great recipe - it's from the "Cake Bible" - my copy is so well worn and seen so many holiday's, birthdays, and Sunday dinners I KNOW these are good cakes! As a wedding shower gift, I gave a young co-worker a beautiful new copy - she picked the cake, wanted the orange blossom filling - had a baker prepare a sample and OOPS! I'm assured this is an experienced baker...I've not seen a cake turn quite like this one did..dry large crumbs - yet the crumbs are very buttery in your fingers - very tough edges...
Reply to this Posted by: patti | October 29, 2006 10:37 PM #
sounds like the recipe's at fault.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | October 29, 2006 2:15 PM #
DRY, CRUMBLY, TOUGH EDGES BUTTER CAKE !! HELP this is for a friend's wedding - any ideas would be appreciated.
Reply to this Posted by: patti | October 29, 2006 7:12 AM #
exactly what kind of flour did you use?
did you weigh the ingredients or measure them by volume?
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | September 28, 2006 7:33 AM #
white butter wedding cake came out really dry and cracked all over the top. what did i do wrong? i have to bake this cake for a friend next april and need to fix the problem.
Reply to this Posted by: linda a taney | September 28, 2006 5:33 AM #
antoine, i'm sorry i'm not familiar with the cake you describe. if only you had a name for it you could surely find many recipes by googling. check some italian dssert books such as nicholas malghieri's and i bet you'll find something of similar description.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | September 15, 2006 10:55 AM #
Rose,
I have used your Cake Bible for years, and the first thing I did after buying it was get a good digital food scale - what a difference! Thanks for all your instruction.
Now my question: I remember a delicious cake my Italian grandmother made that was a deep yellow cake, moist and dense and had a sort of coarse crumb. I also tasted a similar cake once in a French restaurant. Can you tell me what kind of cake that might have been and where I can get a recipe?
Thank you!
Reply to this Posted by: Antonine Megger | September 14, 2006 5:50 PM #