Real Baking with Rose Levy Beranbaum

Rose,

I just wanted to let you know that I made your All-American Chocolate Butter Cake and iced it with the Classic Egg White Chocolate Buttercream.

Oh, my. It is nothing short of incredible. Even my picky 12-year-old son, who eats a bite or two of cake and leaves the rest, ate a huge slice, and my husband says he now knows why your books are called "bibles."

Absolutely wonderful.

Janis

Reply to this      Posted by: Janis | November 10, 2007 7:11 PM #

Hello everyone...Its Diwali the festival of lights here, in India today,so wishing all of you a very happy diwali...
Can you help me with fondant/flower paste changes required for a high humidity area...presently I make my flower paste with 2 and a half tsps of tylose to 225 gms of icing sugar.
And a very special thanks to Rose for leaving a comment on my blog for the peony..Rose, you really made my day!!

Reply to this      Posted by: Swati Jain | November 9, 2007 10:56 AM #

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome! I'll be glad to help out in any way I can. I did a lot of sculpted cakes when I was decorating (the pumpkin cake on this site is very nice!), a lot of figure piping and a lot of airbrushing. My daughter is about to begin training to be a pastry chef, and I'm so excited for her! And me, too, to be honest - she'll be learning techniques that I never mastered, since I learned to decorate from my mother and she was self-taught.

Rose, your books are marvelous - I've made several of your bread recipes from the Bread Bible (the monkey bread was to die for). Last night I began reading the Pie and Pastry Bible, and I can already tell that my Thanksgiving pies are going to go through some transformations. :)

Thank you so much for sharing your work with us - it is invaluable.

Reply to this      Posted by: Janis | November 8, 2007 7:09 AM #

Bill- no worries, mate. very few of us would love to read or keep in mind the "All rights reserved..." part of a book- even if it's in page 4 of TCB!

Janis- welcome! hope you get more time to spare here and thus enrich our decorating ideas and techniques.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | November 7, 2007 10:27 PM #

Janis - Welcome!!! How nice to have a professional cake decorator among us. I hope we will be hearing from you frequently!

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | November 7, 2007 6:23 PM #

Hello, everyone, I'm new here. I recently bought Rose's "Bread Bible" and am so impressed with it that I went out today and bought the "Cake Bible" and the "Pie and Pastry Bible." I can't wait to sit down with them this evening when I have a minute to spare.

As for the video of the woman decorating - she's decorated professionally, you can tell. I decorated professionally for 10 years, my sister did for 15 years, and my mother did it for nearly 30, and the woman in the video is a little on the slow side for a professional, really. When you do this for 8 - 12 hours a day, 5 - 6 days a week, you get to be fast. You can't help it.

Oh, and her icing looks like a standard, shortening-based "buttercream."

Reply to this      Posted by: Janis | November 7, 2007 3:15 PM #

I didn't realize that there were legal issues involved in posting recipies from the cake bible...so I won't be posting the mousseline buttercream recipe...but find a copy of the book...you will love it!

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | November 7, 2007 10:51 AM #

I thank Rose, Nushera, Patrincia and Jeannette for the nice words...It sure does put in more enthusiasm to move forward and put in your best...Your comments mean a lot to me.
Thanks once again.

Reply to this      Posted by: Swati : Sugarcraftindia | November 7, 2007 9:10 AM #

I would like to use this space if you don't mind ,Rose, to compliment Swati on her beautiful decorating skills. Those orchids are exquisite! It is so good to be able to see this sort of work, one of the wonders of modern technology!!

Reply to this      Posted by: Jeannette | November 7, 2007 8:59 AM #

Swati - your peony is gorgeous!

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | November 7, 2007 7:36 AM #

thanks Cindy, i must try the wooden chopsticks next time.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | November 7, 2007 1:48 AM #

Hi , Nushera, I used a wooden chopstick in place of the pencil, so seems more hygienic and does not need to concern whether it is new or the graphite problem. Wooden chopsticks are best cause the other material like plastic are too slippery . Finished rose is picked up by slightly open tips of a pair of scissors.

Reply to this      Posted by: cindy Chiu | November 7, 2007 1:35 AM #

hi Swati- i could not find The Cake Bible in nearest bookshops and was so disappointed... my husband bought me a copy from some on-line seller(amazon). i must say that is the biggest ever surprise gift from his end.
i think "Borders" has got branch in Delhi. you may consider some googling.

anyway, roses can also be piped from swiss meringue buttercream. here is a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBBoRMWcfNc

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | November 7, 2007 1:08 AM #

Nushera I do understand your constraints.
We dont get these books in India and will have to try to source it from abroad....lets see when I can have it at the earliest...I would very much like to have my personal copy.
Do have a look at the Peony I made on my blog.

Reply to this      Posted by: Swati : Sugarcraftindia | November 7, 2007 12:38 AM #

Hi Hector- how are trips n vacation going? can't you extend 'em to Australia?
yes, rose has so many varieties that whatever you pipe in the name of rose must resemble any of those beauties.

Patrincia, Bill, Cindy- i have just finished nearly 50 roses using a ballpoint pen. my roses look gradually improved: the first 10 look like stale gardenias, the next 20 fresh gardenias, 10 stale roses, and finally some good-looking "fresh" roses! may i share my findings -
1. if you prefer roses with closed-type center (not open-type like gardenias) using two piping bags is a good idea. pipe only one rose at a time and let the other bag chill. i.e., while you are piping the a rose with one bag let the other chill in the refrigerator(even freezer when you get the speed) for the next one, and vice versa.
2. the center core can almost be replaced by piping the first "wrap-it-around-itself" petal twice.
3. for a firmer grip with your fingers take a octagone-type pen or one with "rough" surface.
4. dip the pen's "head" in ice-water and wipe off just before piping. chil the scissors too. in fact i lifted my "freshest" roses inside the refrigerator;)

Cindy- how abt your expeience with the chopstick?

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | November 7, 2007 12:37 AM #

Hi Swati- you must get your copy of The Cake Bible as soon as possible. you may not be able to try all the recipes for not having the access to some ingredients, but if you are really into baking/ decorating you must have it. Rose posted some of the recipes here, somewhere in the archives (most probably Feb 2007). i am sorry Swati, i can't and shoudn't post any of the recipes as there are some legal issues regarding the publisher's rights reserved ... Mousseline Buttercream's recipe is discussed somewhere in Baking911- you may look for that. an easier alternative may be a swiss meringue buttercream, i'll try to post a link for that.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | November 6, 2007 11:48 PM #

I have tried using a wooden chopstick instead of pencil.

Reply to this      Posted by: cindy Chiu | November 6, 2007 7:59 PM #

caro tutti! writing from Venice, let me jump in with a short comment because I am having blogging withdraws.

My favorite rose is the one I can pipe. I used only the rose petal tip, so no center core. Just pipe a 'fat' center tall/tube petal, and work around it. You noticed my roses are rather flat like gardenias.

Not sure if I will try the pencil method, I think it will work only for buttercreams with very heavy consistency. In my hot weather, they will drip down in no time by the time I get to finish one.

EVERYONE can pipe roses, find your own style and consistent method, ALL Roses are beautiful!

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | November 6, 2007 3:07 PM #

I agree with you Bill, I like this technique better than using a flower nail too - you have more room to move your hand and the pastry bag around. I can't wait for Hector to try when he gets back from his trip to Italy.

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | November 6, 2007 3:00 PM #

After watching the video I tried piping some roses with out a center cone. I used a ball point pen with the cap on...which I washed first. It works! It was a little more diffiuclt to pick up the rose with scissors but after a try or two I did just fine! I think I like it better than the flour nail!

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | November 6, 2007 2:32 PM #

The Mousseline recipe is in the cake bible. I don't have my copy with me...but will try to post it tomorrow for you.

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | November 6, 2007 2:30 PM #

I'd like to know the MOUSSELINE recipe...have'nt tried that...Pl do share with us Nushera.

Reply to this      Posted by: Swati : Sugarcraftindia | November 5, 2007 1:17 AM #

Hi Bill- ROSES piped from the MOUSSELINE is probably the best form of edible art. we must be proud of our capability of doing that. speed shouldnt matter as long as the roses look lovely and taste heavenly. if you are a pastry chef by profession then speedy piping is a great tool though.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | November 5, 2007 1:08 AM #

I just watched the video of the piping of roses. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Ok...so I now hang my head in shame...although my roses look nice...I do not even begin to aspire to do them that fast.

Reply to this      Posted by: Bill | November 4, 2007 1:32 PM #

Thanks a ton Rose for the compliments...
I really look up to people like you who have dedicated so many years to this work...You are an inspiration!!
Do visit my blog whenever you can.
Swati

Reply to this      Posted by: Swati | November 4, 2007 9:20 AM #

Dear Rose
Wow, i never knew that you had writen 'The Cake Bible'. I have to posses it and make it part of my kitchen! Recently did a cake for a friend. Do write a comment at my blogsite for me to learn and improve further.

Reply to this      Posted by: Anamika Singh | November 1, 2007 8:55 AM #

Rose- i marked that too, what a combination;)! re the speed factor- Rose's roses look like real ones, not the factory-made plastic version.

Patrincia- i thought the same way (great people think alike LOL). please do post relevant clips you find interesting, that will be time-saving for others.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | October 31, 2007 8:12 PM #

Nushera - I love the video too. for the second and third layer of rose petals, it looks like she doesn't stop squeezing the pastry bag at all - looks like she's making a continuous swirl kind of movement. I love how fast she piped her border as well. Too bad this decorator has only posted one video - I'm really looking forward to seeing her do more.

Reply to this      Posted by: Patrincia | October 31, 2007 4:47 PM #

Hi Swati- i'm almost ignorant of Australian method of cake decorating- do try googling, you are sure to get something of your need. how about this one
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/AUSTRALIAN-NEW-ZEALAND-CAKE-DECORATING-SYKES-SIMMONS_W0QQitemZ260145326172QQihZ016QQcategoryZ96780QQcmdZViewItem

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | October 29, 2007 11:42 PM #

Hector- you are a MASTER OF ALL!
i do pipe roses from the heavenly Mousseline which is also unique in keeping the petals upright. the petals look much more realistic than those piped in the clip. even then i couldnt help being amazed to see vacakelady's speed(which must be enhanced by the smoothness of the icing) and control of pressure on the pipingbag.

Reply to this      Posted by: nushera | October 29, 2007 11:19 PM #

Hi Nushera,
The video is amazing..wish am able to be that quick...what a saving of time!!!
I think its french buttercream which is very soft and smooth to use.
Need some advice..any book you can advice on Australian Cake decorating with intricate royal icing work.
Thanks
Swati

Reply to this      Posted by: Swati : Sugarcraftindia | October 29, 2007 10:43 PM #

I can pipe roses that fast =)

I did loved watching using a pencil instead of a flower pick. Much faster than having to use 2 tips (big round tip for the center and rose tip for the petals of the roses).

I think she was using one of those shortening buttercreams. Looks much thicker than my Mousseline.

Reply to this      Posted by: Hector | October 29, 2007 9:15 PM #

Don't you think the lady on that video-clip is one of the fastest "pipers"? i thought somehow i was watching the clip's fast-forwarded version:) and the use of pencil i/o flower nail is so innovative! by the way, what type of buttercream do you think she's using for piping roses? it seems softer than what i use...