Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

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Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | February 6, 2008 12:33 PM #

Along those same lines, I always thought this problem might be caused by the moisture (steam) of the hot cupcakes not being able to dissipate quickly enough. I've never experienced the problem - what I do is remove the cupcakes from the pan immediately, and place them on an elevated cooling rack with plenty of room for air circulation around each one. My brood is usually eager to eat them quickly, in which case I will sometimes cool them even faster with a fan.

Reply to this      Posted by: Anonymous | February 6, 2008 12:32 PM #

Let me throw a guess. My regular cakes shrink when I don't remove them immediately from the pan. The extra heat.

Perhaps if you use thinner cupcake cups or of a material that would cool very fast or remove them from your pan or place on a tall cooling rack, the shrinkage is avoided?

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | February 6, 2008 12:24 PM #

Rosmah Osman:
This is something that has been discussed a lot in the past on this website. If you do a search you will find a ton of information. I've noticed two things in my experience baking cupcakes...
Be careful not to handle the cupcakes too much while they are hot...That seems to make the paper separate. I take the pans out of the oven, let them cool 10 mintues. I put a wire rack over the tops and invert, then gently stand them upright to cool. I once dropped one onto the table while hot...and the paper separated immediately!...that's when I realized that trying to lift them out of the pan with a thin spatuala was causing the separation. The other thing I noticed was that if the pan was a regular (not a non-stick) pan and if some batter was bridging the paper to the pan, when the cupcakes cooled, the cake shrunk, the paper stuck to the pan, and the paper separated. So those are my suggestions: 1) don't handle them too much while hot,
2) fill the pans cleanly, and don't over fill.
You will probably find more info if you search the blog...good luck!

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | February 6, 2008 10:20 AM #

Dear Rose,

Can you tell me how to prevent cupcakes from detaching its liners. My cupcakes always detached from their liners which makes it difficult to frost and decorate.

Reply to this      Posted by: Rosmah Osman | February 5, 2008 9:13 PM #

Oh dear - I think we are all in the same dilemma - to go commercial or not to go! If only we lived in the same place - then we can all go in partnership and not worry abt each other having different ideals!

Reply to this      Posted by: Elicia | January 11, 2008 11:03 PM #

Bill, that is a compliment.

And let me share my life experience with you all (no blunting intended):

Since I was 16 yo, I've been offered to run a business of this or that for the many things I can do, baking one of the many. Before that, my mother always let me help her baking, she was a stay at home mother of 5, and my dad was kind to bring in professional chefs into the house to teach mom how to feed us. At 15, I made my first wedding cake, was for my brother. It was a big cake that took a lot of carpenters, welders, and aunts. One day I need to recreate this cake, since I have no good picture of it!

I did not see a 16 yo as a baker at that time, so 'more traditional' college started instead. I've had a wide college path, from first wanting to become a computer programmer, but then actually enrolling in Agronomy undergrad wanting to open a houseplant nursery. But actually, getting my B.A. in Biology and having a 5 year stint at a blood lab, loved-it. Houseplants became a hobby, and computers a tool I use on everything imaginable. Then college itched again, this time getting my M.S. in Computers, somehow I reconnected to my original starts.

I always loved ALL the things I've done outside my day job, and always told myself like you... if doing it for a living, the fun can stop. The only connection I see on all above trades is science. Baking is science. A few years has passed, and I am itching to become a full time baker. I feel ready.

Story, to be continued...

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 11, 2008 6:15 PM #

I have been approached by a friend (also an amature baker) about starting some sort of business baking business with her (details, at her request, are still a secret). I have been very reluctant. I love to bake and I love to feed my friends and family. I'm afraid that if it becomes a business...with worries and stresses...it will take all the joy out of it.

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | January 11, 2008 5:07 PM #

Elicia, you sound exactly like myself! You go!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 10, 2008 1:03 PM #

Rose, re: gloves, it is really getting much out of hand now-days due to lawsuits extravaganzas and resilient germs panic!

I was told that in a commercial environment, you can't touch any food with bare hands that won't be cooked with heat after you touch it. For example, no bare hands on salads, on finished meals, or when assembling cake.

I prefer to use gloves only when handling raw meat, or when I want to avoid washing my hands often! Most the rest, I need to 'feel' it with my own hands!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 10, 2008 12:54 PM #

Rebecca, I always feel bad and somehow arrogant when I turn down all requests to make a cake copied from someone else, from TV, or from a magazine! It is such common request.

I have no cake catalog for a customer to choose from, and if a cake needs to be 'special' then they will get 'special.' Drawings help!

Baking cakes is CHEMISTRY and PHYSICS science, really is. Call it quality of the ingredients or equipment, but truly, it is down to the molecular structure and physical properties of each ingredient and what turns out when interacting with each other in the oven! One brand/type of flour, butter, sugar, etc, is different than other brands/types. A cake IS NOT a pile of sugar, eggs, and flour!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 10, 2008 12:29 PM #

On September 2007, my good friend Wendy told me:

"My girlfriend, Katie saw your awesome cake for the WYC. She is having a birthday party March 22, 2008 (Her 50th) and would love to hire you to make her a birthday cake. Please let me know if that appeals to you or not. It will be a really fun party…although probably not at the Paul Mitchell estate which is where she was trying to get. She is the one who throws the best Mardi Gras parties….so her birthday should be something to remember. I have no idea what kind of cake she might want…or the theme of the party yet…but would love to put you in touch with her. It is likely to be a costume party of some type. "

I just find amusing when a customer wants to "hire you" instead of "do a cake." Makes me feel that it is myself to be sold, instead of a cake!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 10, 2008 12:20 PM #

Ha - I love it!

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | January 10, 2008 9:57 AM #

Hi Serene!

I can understand what you've gone through with your mum. I have a dear friend of mine who keeps lamenting why is it her bakes turn out differently even though we use the same recipes. It was much later that I discovered the reasons: 1. oven not properly preheated, 2. There's disparity between the actual temperature of the oven to the one indicated on the dial and lastly but very crucial: inferior ingredients. When I'd shown her the reasons for her inferior baking, she's still very unwilling to change. Her reasoning: why should I invest so much into a mere cake!

Elicia: I have foreseen the behaviours of those customers from hell. But was still a bit taken aback but the variety of ways they 'pull their stunts'. I'm still sticking to my belief that my bakes speak for themselves. Sure we can do what the other baker has done, but does the customer want the added crisco & such in their buttercream or fondant? I guess that's the reason why I can't go commercial besides the sky-high rental. I don't compromise :(

Reply to this      Posted by: Rebecca | January 10, 2008 9:49 AM #

Hi,

am a Singaporean living in germany & can really relate to what you are going thru. Baking being my love, wanted to sell brownies & cookies online & operate a baking business here. Easier said than done as every foodie item that's to be sold has to go thru certified locally at your own cost. Demand for baked stuff is not so much so as in OZ or in any of the British (or in any of the ex- British Commonwealth countries) in the States.

Singaporeans are not only "kiasi" (not all. but some) but greed or profit-taking seems to rule the entire mentality. Whenever I give my mom a recipe she requested, I have to literally beg with her to use 100% fresh ingredients. The last time, she'd used expired baking powder & the muffins did not rise. Like what Rose somewhere in her post b4, fresh ingredients is the first step to a great tasting baked product.

Reply to this      Posted by: Serene | January 10, 2008 8:00 AM #

Oh Rebecca, as I've written earlier, gg commercial will definitely kill my passion! I hope to find a compromise though - maybe a small corner in a nice cafe...

I know abt those customers! I recently had an enquiry for a 1st b'day. The mom didn't want cupcakes and specifically requested for a No 1 cake. She even emailed me photos of the cake design she liked (obviously from another baker!) - it was fully covered and decorated with fondant. I know this baker charges a very high fee and her thickly fondant covered cakes don't taste great (I had a friend who paid a lot for it, and complained abt the taste).

I agreed to do it with the exception that I will use a white choc glaze over buttercream, and the fondant will only be used sparingly for the decor. She was fussy and asked a lot of questions - size, weight etc etc, and insists that buttercream is sweeter! I was tempted to tell her that she shld trust whoever recommended me to her that my cakes will be delicious! But I patiently tended to her queries... and she also had a tight budget which is strange since she is so particular abt her daughter's 1st bday cake!

Eventually, her sister (who recommended me) emailed me that the mom has decided to settle for a store-bought cake. I wasn't unhappy - it didn't matter that ppl who don't appreciate my cakes don't get to eat them! On the other hand, I wld prefer to give cakes to ppl who appreciate them even if they don't pay for them - and I do bake a lot for my hubby's clients. Haha!

Reply to this      Posted by: Elicia | January 10, 2008 7:50 AM #

Hector: In singapore, the home / renter insurance don't cover 'accidents' by food poisoning. I'm very sure of it as over here, we're not suppose to run any food-involved business out of apartments.

Elicia: Thanks for your encouragements and advice :)

I'm taking all these in my stride as it was never my intention to go big scale. Just upset ppl will use such incident to do undercutting. I really enjoy baking and my 'customers' are mostly my own friends who appreciate my skills and effort in considering their needs (coming out with themes for parties or considerations on food allergies and taste preference). If my friends are to go to those commercial chains, it will burn a deep hole in their pockets. Sadly, people who give me problems are those attendees to these parties :P

I doubt I will go commercial as it will be a tug of war balancing passion & profit making. Commercial rentals are sky high for the moment and it's not easy to employ people who share the same passion as you. Ha ha...Elicia, if you ever go commercial, I can work for you! Don't mind having to station in M'sia.

Reply to this      Posted by: Rebecca | January 10, 2008 6:29 AM #

Rebecca, I think I know what you are talking abt in terms of how S'poreans behave! It is a good scapegoat for them to demand a price cut from you homebakers. You shld remind them that it was a commercial eatery that was involved, not a homebaker!

Hector's pretty thorough on the 'kitchen rules'! I believe a separate dedicated work station (and utensils) is necessary (I even have separate food processors for meat!). Also lots of hand washing in between and refrain from licking your fingers! I've also started using disposable gloves since the business grew ... and if you are leaving your fondant decor out to dry - do cover them to keep pests/insects away!

In Malaysia, we are more concerned abt the 'halal' status, so although I don't use the same equipment/utensils to cook pork and use 'halal' cake ingredients, I generally don't do Muslim sales! There are a lot of Muslim homebakers though and they do very good business.

I don't think any non-Muslim homekitchen wld pass the 'halal' certification here, so if I ever go commercial, I will definitely have to set up a commercial kitchen elsewhere!

I hope it is just a phase for you. I think everything will be back to normal after a while!

Reply to this      Posted by: Elicia | January 10, 2008 1:18 AM #

Rebecca, home baking is an ODE TO BEUTY, and a old near lost trade!

I believe Rose insterest is bringing home cooking to a professional -not commecial- level. Once I've read "The Cake Bible is the first time professional cuisine information is made available to the home cook!"

I believe your home owners or renters insurance will cover if anyone gets sick or injured at your home =)

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 9, 2008 7:50 PM #

Elicia, Hector & Bill: Once again, thank you very much for your advice :)

Even though I'm a s'porean, I have to say this, s'poreans are very kiasi (colloquial term use to describe fear of death or sickness). My sales hasn't been much affected but I have a few interested parties who unscrupulously wanted to use this episode to bargain on the quoted price. I simply refer them to the commercial establishments. A few of my friends who are homebased bakers have reported a slight dip in sales.

I'm not surprise the recent episode occurs in a commercial chain. After living in Australia for a couple of years, I must say s'pore still has a lot of catching up to do in terms of food cleanliness and hygiene. The only time we'll be fearful and vigilant is when such an episode occurs. Give it some time, and standards start to drop. It's not consistent. This is what I'd observed after doing short stints (whenever my previous job allows) in food industry. I had witnessed a few horror episodes that droved me to rely more on home cooking and baking.

Currently I'm practising what Hector has advised, including having myself as a guinea pig (funny that I've lost a pound or two after embarking on this 'career' :P). It's my belief not to compromise on the hygiene standard even though I'm doing the baking from home.

Reply to this      Posted by: Rebecca | January 9, 2008 7:22 PM #

I believe that in New York we are not allowed to sell products cooked in a home kitchen. I don't really have the time for a baking business (although I would love it) so it isn't really a concern of mine. I will be doing a wedding cake in the future...but it is a gift for one of my dental assistants...so technically not sold. One day she said "Doc, when Mike and I get married, I want you to make the wedding cake". I said to her"I'm waiting for the ring on your finger". She said "you and me both, doc, you and me both." But it looks like the engagement is happening soon...so I guess I'll be spending a lot of time with a pastry bag!

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | January 9, 2008 3:24 PM #

Actually, I only sell to friends w/o soliciting. Friends come to me, I tell them free, but they tip me generously. The bigger cakes, were donations, unsolicited also.

I worked at a national US chain pizzeria for years, and follow basic Dept of Health and NSF guidelines. I have thermometers in all my freezers and refrigerators, which I read 2 or 3 times a day. I also store and cook foods at/to the correct temperatures.

I have a pest control program.

I don't cross contaminate, wash hands and surfaces each time a different food group is handled. I have dedicated cutting boards and cutlery per food group.

Every ingredient, in the freezer/refrigerator/pantry/cool room, are sealed tight, mostly by vacuum bags. Also dated and rotated (use oldest first).

Besides that my kitchen is a normal household kitchen.

I also have a real person guinea pig, myself, which will eat everything first before going out the door!

There are MANY more guidelines and building construction requirements (room temperatures, flooring, steel/sanitize able surfaces, etc) that I will need to comply before getting a commercial kitchen permit.

Check with your local law, there can be some flexibility for home cooks. In Hawaii, if you sell baked goods at the swap meet, you don't need any special commercial kitchen permit.

Please read specific guidelines for Salmonella, since this is the concern you list. In the US, salmonella strikes mostly fast food chains that handle processed food and that constantly handles the same type of food. My food is barely processed (baking and cooking from scratch for example), and I hardly cook/bake the same thing day after day. I haven't heard anyone to be reluctant to buy something from a home baker!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 9, 2008 12:49 PM #

Rebecca, I think we just go about as we would if we were baking for ourselves - hygiene is important regardless! Even in the days when I was not selling my cakes, I wld still observe hygiene and tidyness in the kitchen. I wld imagine that the opinion wld be that homebakers are more hygienic than commercialised bakery chains.. after all, homebakers most often operate from a well-equipped kitchen in their own homes which shld be clean? Moreover, we ourselves are the cooks, not some hired employees.

It is sad that S'pore has an experience with salmonella poisoning. Here in M'sia, we don't have any particular regulations on homebakers although I the authorities have a set of rules for commercial eateries. Homebakers here are a pretty small community and we have not had any incidents to date fortunately.

I hope you are not affected as a homebaker. Singaporeans shldn't react that way towards homebakers since it is a commercial chain that was involved in the poisoning!

Reply to this      Posted by: Elicia | January 9, 2008 11:04 AM #

Hector & Elicia: May I know how both of you maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen since you're selling your homebaking? Cos about a month ago, a major bakery chain in singapore was involved in salmonella poisoning. A lot of singaporeans freaked out and have casted doubts on homebased bakers. Even the NEA (National Environment Authority) has warned floggers to stop putting their bakes for online sale. Would appreciate your advice :)

Reply to this      Posted by: Rebecca | January 9, 2008 9:26 AM #

Nushera, THANK YOU!, yes THE YELLOW KITCHEN. And it will have pictures of blog people that hopefully will stop by!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 6, 2008 9:42 PM #

I totally agree Hector - homebaked goodness it is! I didn't quit my corporate life to plunge myself into another one where $$$ matters above the passion of doing things!

Reply to this      Posted by: Elicia | January 6, 2008 9:16 PM #

Don't need to get rich, but a nice house in Hawaii will sufice! So many big brands out there, I think people are starting to appreciate the small Mom/Pop bakery next door or baked products from home bakers!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 6, 2008 2:22 PM #

Wish I have access to home-use vacuum seal equipment here! Hector - if only I live in Hawaii - then we can open a restaurant/bakeshop together, haha!

Imagine my horror when an ex-colleague suggested that she wants to invest in a business venture with me - she wants to write out a business plan that includes expanding the business to a huge franchise! I have to remind her that one very successful bakery/cafe franchise here, which has abt 100 outlets now, seem to have lost the magic touch with their cakes - the cakes from their central kitchen tastes dry and stale to me!

She actually says it doesn't matter if we can create a brand so popular that it will make us rich! Aargh!

Still looking for a 'partner' who understands the level of quality I want to maintain, not to mention the personal touch, and the ability to be flexible with the menu! And who is willing to make less $$ for the passion of doing it!

Reply to this      Posted by: Elicia | January 6, 2008 7:57 AM #

Oh Hector- i wish i could be a lucky assistant or at least a customer at your dream (Yellow?) Restaurant.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | January 5, 2008 8:40 PM #

Oh Hector - I can definitely understand why you needed to devise a micro-thaw procedure for all the mousseline you made for your 11-tier cake :).

Thanks for the freezer-to-counter tip when using vacuum sealed bags!

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | January 5, 2008 2:39 PM #

Elicia, re going commercial, I know what you mean! Once I told my bussiness people that if I run my own commerce, it will need to look exactly like my kitchen and dining room, and it will need to be a one man operation (me) who will do all the cooking and serving! but of course, I could hire help to do the prep work and cleanup!

My bussiness plan is to have a very small restaurant where I will cook everything behind a counter or low glass wall where people could see me and interact just like at home, only a few things on my menu and always changing. It can work if your lease and expenses and waste is minimum. You may not get as rich as Roy Yamaguchi, but at least you will be happy to no longer cook/entertain for free!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | January 5, 2008 12:45 PM #

we must be twins. I use my under-cabinet halogens