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My First Wedding Cake Podcast
I was interviewed recently for a podcast just in time for the June wedding season. The interviewer was delightful, asking questions that ranged from technical, to practical, to fanciful in which I had the chance to tell about the cake I made and transported to Westport Ct., to appear both for my niece Joan Beranbaum's wedding and in Martha Stewart's wedding cake book!
For fascinating lore on weddings and traditions through the ages, be sure to listen to the second interview with Nicolas Fletcher, author of "Charlemagne's Table" on the same podcast, immediately following mine.
To listen, click here. For full details on how to get the show to play if it doesn't start automatically, go to the Eat Feed site.
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Karen - did you decide what you were going to do about the wedding cake? You can hide a multitude of cake flaws by coating the sides of your cake with buttercream first and then adding something else like chopped nuts, coconut, shaved chocolate, etc. Top the whole thing off with wonderful flowers, and voila!
My husband was helping me transport a huge cake covered with buttercream and chopped almonds when he accidentally dented the side of the cake pretty badly. I was able to press everything back into place with my bare hands and it looked as though nothing had ever happened to it.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | March 30, 2007 8:12 AM #
Karen,
Just thought I'd provide some input for you on your question, too, relative to my experience. It's all about practice, just practice a lot! You can take short cuts to frost cakes by using some that are prebaked from the store (such as an angel food cake, pound cake, etc.) to practice spreading buttercreams and whipped cream toppings and getting them smooth and even. You can also slice these pre-bought cakes in half or various layers and practice applying fillings in between to get them level and then frosting them all around and forming various designs with cake combs, etc. You can also cover them in fondant that you might use on the wedding cake - these are cheap and fast alternatives to practice particular techniques.
Reviewing Rose's instructions in the back of the cake bible and practicing those techniques over and over will help a great deal, too, of course.
Rose also has a practice buttercream in the Cake Bible that's easy and inexpensive for piping roses, etc. Sometimes I've made whipped cream or buttercream and just practiced piping on to a dinner plate.
The point is you don't have to feel you have to make a complete cake from beginning to end just to practice. There are easy and inexpensive shortcuts that will allow you to get in as many practice sessions as possible if you're creative.
Hope that helped some.
Zach
Reply to this Posted by: Zach Townsend | January 7, 2007 6:00 PM #
Dear Rose,
I have owned your Cake Bible for several years and have enjoyed making many of your wonderful cakes. I have good success with them, flavor-wise, but I have not developed the skill to make them look nice. Usually, my cakes, while delicious, look like they were assembled and frosted by an unsupervised five year old.
This has to change. I have been asked to make my first wedding cake. The wedding is in June. Fortunately, I have some time to practice.
Please advise me to help me become a neater cake finisher.
Many thanks. I am a great admirer of your work.
Karen
Reply to this Posted by: calypso@tidewater.net | January 7, 2007 11:16 AM #
do try the gold medal all purpose unbleached, or king arthur all purpose and i'm thrilled you'll buy a scale bc i promise it will change your baking life! but do get the "my weigh" scale--it is so affordable and so the best!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 16, 2006 8:01 AM #
I understand from your answer that the yeast amount is correct? I'll buy different flour and a scale and try again. Thanks and God Bless.
Sandy
Reply to this Posted by: Sandra S. Bell | July 15, 2006 7:12 PM #
sandy, when i responded to your first posting i thought you were talking about the rustic bread as i didn't understand the abbreviation of sw bread and i couldn't imagine the soft white bread being anything other than the softest lightest bread imaginable. if it isn't, it could be the flour is too strong or you are measuring instead of weighing and getting a higher proportion of flour or lower proportion of water.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 15, 2006 10:26 AM #
I have been using your receipe for Soft White Bread. It calls for 3/4 teaspoon yeast in the Sponge, and then 3/4 teaspoon in the flour mixture and dough. Is that correct? My bread doesn't seem to rise as well as other receipes that use a little more yeast. I have made it several times and get the same result. My results for the Basic SW bread is heavier and a courser texture that my other receipe. I love the crunch crust and flavor of your receipe. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Sandy Bell
Reply to this Posted by: Sandra S. Bell | July 13, 2006 9:08 AM #
i had a thought about this: there is one important point about truffles to keep in mind. Be sure to emphasize to whomever makes them for you that your fiance has an allergy to eggs as some styles of truffles, though not as common, can contain egg yolk; but there are plenty of ways to make delicious truffles without the addition of yolk.
Zach
Reply to this Posted by: Zach Townsend | July 8, 2006 10:20 PM #
zach's idea is brilliant! in fact if the truffles are presented on a stand they will stand in for a wedding cake and many people will secretly be pleased to be enjoying chocolate truffles rather than cake!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 8, 2006 9:50 PM #
Brittany,
Hope you don't mind my two cents but the first thing I thought of was chocolates rather than a cake. I'm actually catering the desserts for a wedding in December and the couple asked me to do personalized chocolates for them (the chocolates will have their initial on them). You might consider a multi-tiered dessert stand that features chocolates, truffles and other such confections that do not contain eggs. Guests can line up and take their favorites from the stand or they can be served individually at the table on their plates.
The other option, which is not as exciting or fun for the groom, is that he simply sustain from consuming any wedding cake. The two of you can eat a truffle together as part of the "cutting of the cake" ceremony - something along that line.
Zach
Reply to this Posted by: Zach Townsend | July 8, 2006 1:30 PM #
Hello,
I've run into a problem. I'm getting married to the love of my life on August 18th 2007.
Only problem is the groom is allergic to eggs..
Reply to this Posted by: Brittany | July 8, 2006 1:21 PM #
Hi Rose,
I listened to both interviews and found them very enjoyable. Thanks for posting this. Your comment about "there are no cakes without eggs" got me to contemplating this very important point that although all other elements can be eliminated to make various types of cakes, eggs are the one consistent factor (whether yolks, whites or both). Interesting.
Also, the second interview reminded me of a very interesting book I read called Early French Cookery. It talks about medieval banquests in detail (you would not believe the quantities of ingredients the cook would have on hand for some banquets, such as 12,000 eggs and 3,200lbs of flour!). It also discusses the role of the cook, physical features of medieval kitchens, and has many modern adaptations of original recipes for sauces, pies, pastry items, etc. It's a fascinating book on history and historical recipes. I'd recommend it for anyone. The authors are D. Eleanor Scully and Terence Scully, published by the University of Michigan Press.
Zach
Reply to this Posted by: Zach Townsend | June 18, 2006 8:51 PM #