Holly, i think you are on the right track, and i will think a dam is non necessary.

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Hi Tina,

I can respond to your second question most easily - yes, I've found that a heat-treated 'kate flour' works best for recipes that call for bleached all-purpose flour here in the UK (see my post, Cookies Galore).

With regard to your first question, for flour with a high-enough protein content (eg. most regular plain flours here in the UK - McDougall's, Be-Ro etc), it works best to heat-treat these and then substitute 10 to 15% of the resultant flour with potato flour or ground arrowroot. This gives better results than when cutting the protein content with cornflour (see my post, A Tale of two Amies). I have never found it necessary to alter the amount of baking powder as well, but this may be something with which you would like to experiment.

HTH :-)

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I am using the mousseline buttercream with strawberry puree from the cake bible as my filling. There will be 3 tiers on my cake all using the white wedding cake recipe.

I rather not use the dam but at the same time don't want my cake to bulge either. It will be covered in a buttercream as well.

Do you think I still need a dam? I used mousseline before for a single tier 9" round and no dam and had no problems. My concern is because it is a tiered cake and has strawberry puree in it.

What do you think?

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holly, what filling are you using? the dam is necessary if either the cake or the filling is too fragile to support itself. also, how much more weight will be added on the finished cake, such as another tier, a cake topper, or decorations.

i am not a big fan of using a buttercream dam to contain a filing, because when you serve the slice, people dislike the idea of eating part of the cake without filling and with just buttercream. i am a bigger fan of mixing the filling with the buttercream and using an uniform spread. Cake Bible has lots of recipes for this, and yes, these recipes are carefully formulated so it won't squeeze out, thus a dam isn't necessary.

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Hi Barb,
May we ask some questions on your ingredients as here maybe the problem.
What type of flour are you using?
Are you weighing or using volume measuring?
Have you tested your baking powder lately?
Have you had success with Rose's other non-chocolate butter cakes like the Buttermilk Cake or White velvet?

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when using the mousseline buttercream to fill a 3 tier cake is it necessary to use a dam before filling?

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HI Rose and Woody,
I have tried to make for the second time the All Occasion Downy Butter Cake and I have had the same problem both times. After taking it out of the oven the entire center fell and then the cake fell apart when I tried to take it out of the pan and flip it over. Here are the details of this trial. I followed the directions to a "T" I did not use my thermometer to make sure the ingredients were room temp but the butter was firm yet holds a finger divot, I used 2 9"X 2" aluminum dull finish rounds cake pans. I greased with pam, parchment and pam followed by a flour dusting, I used wet insulating cake strips around the pans. The ovens were well preheated. I have wolf convection ovens and this time I cooked them at 350 degrees, convection bake for 20 minuted, they were beautiful, a dry cake tester came out and the cakes were just beginning to loose height in the oven. At the 16 minute mark I did rotate the pans. I set them out on cooling racks for 12 minutes, the middles were sunk, when I flipped them the cake was so tender it fell apart. It tastes sooo good and was completely cooked. PLease help I want it for Mothers day. I already made the neoclassical buttercream frosting with raspberry sauce and it needs a home on this cake. Any suggestions to try next time?? Thank you so much for your help

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Hiya,

I live in the UK and I’m just a little bit (okay, a LOT) confused about the cake substitution.

I read (and re-read) the "Power of Flour" posts, and read the Kate flour method however I’m a little bit confused in regards to:

1) in the "Power of Flower" tests, it concluded that when replacing Unbleached all purpose flour for Cake flour in a recipe, to replace 15% of the flour with potato flour...

My question is, do we alter the amount of Baking powder aswell (as in test #1?) ... if so what are the values/or guidelines for adding/removing baking powder to make "cake flour" from unbleached all purpose flour?

2) Lastly, what about when a recipe calls for Bleached - all purpose flour (for instance, in cookies, pastries etc) - what are the substitution guidelines/suggestions? OR is the "Kate Flour" the best option in this case?

Please do let me know, and so sorry for all this hassle (I clearly, really am confused LOL).

Sending you lots of love from London, and thanking you in advance,

Tina

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Dear Rose and woody...
Please explain to me... what different wisk the butter + sugar and then add eggs one by one with wisk the dry ingredient + butter????
thx

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Olivia, it is only on YouTube. also as part of the kindle version. happy baking...

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Hi Rose

Is there any place where I can download "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" DVD or is it only available on youtube?

Thank you

Olivia

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Hello Rose, Woody.....
I've already baked or tried to making banana cake with sour cream, whipping cream cake, orange chiffon cake, chocolate cake, spone cake....also with ganache and glaze...
it's amazing cakes.. wonderfull...
I learn your recipe from your videos...
I've conclution: for cake the most important things are temperature ingredients (room temp), measuring, bake temperature, always using cake flour...
thx rose... I will learn bake deep with yours...
Best regards
rhine from Indonesia

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Anand,
We are already in production for a new book which will be out in a few years. In the mean time, Rose's Heavenly Cakes has many kid friendly recipes referenced in on page 483 Quick-and-Easy-Recipes. Then any cupcake recipe with your own imagination for adorning them. also, Rose's Christmas Cookies has several kid friendly recipes.

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Fatima,
We have to assume you are living outside of the USA. You can make your own bleached flour by making Kate Coldrick's "Kate's Flour" which is detailed in Rose's Heavenly Cakes and on her linked website "A Merrier World". You can also use unbleached , but you should read our posting on "The Power of Flour" on adjustments.

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hi rose do you have ideas for a new book? if you do, try one for kids

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Rose, I am going to upgrade my scale(currently salter). I want one with the ac adaptor, but now I seem to be obsessing about weighing in 0.1 gram increments AND having the hold feature. Do you think these are important for a home baker or is it my OCD rearing it's head(yet again)? Sometimes I do aggravate even meself!

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Jack,
Mu suggestion would be try again @ 325 degree and lower the rack in the oven by 2 rungs, if the consistency is to your liking. Lowering the temperature further I think will result in a longer baking time and thusly, a possibly toughened cake. The lower in the oven, the less brown the top should get. I would NOT mess with the ratio of sugar/ flour/ butter.

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Hello,
I inherited a Nordic 10"x4" Bundt tube pan from a relative. It is neither aluminum or glass; but was designed to be used for both microwave and conventional ovens. It is a dark beige colored and it is neither made of aluminum or glass. It seem to be made of synthetic or melamine-like material. Having said this, I attempted to bake rum cakes twice. The first time was at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The first cake baked between 50-55 minutes and the cake turned out to be too dark for my liking; though not burnt. The second time,I baked it at 325 degrees Fahrenheit with the same baking time and it was slightly lighter than the first; but still a bit too dark to to my liking. Both instances, the cakes were baked on the third level from the bottom of the oven because the pan is 4"deep and in both instances, I had to protect the top with aluminum foil to keep it from burning with success. The recipe I used is as follows:
1 Cup- Butter
2 Cups- Sugar
3 Cups- Cake Flour
3 tsp.- Baking powder
1/2 tsp.- Salt
4- Eggs
1 Cup- Milk
1/2 Cup- Rum
1 1/2 tsp.- Vanilla extract
1 pkg- Vanilla Pudding

Should I lessen the sugar in the recipe and lower the baking temperature keeping the baking time the same? If so, by how much? I appreciate your advise. Thank you.

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hello
I have been looking for BLEACHED flour but couldnt find anywhere
can you plz advise what else can I use instead?
I plan to make the RHC apple crumb cake
fatima

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Hi Erin,
You may want to read our blog posting on The Search for the Perfect Sides. We both use Wilton or Nordicware pans. I usually use a standard 16 cup pan.
Any name brand pan should not leak as your angel food and chiffon batters are billowy enough to set before any chance of leaking. We recommend not using the feet for cooling. You want the inverted pan elevated several inches.

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Hello,

I would like to be able to bake angel food cakes and chiffon cakes, but I need a 10 inch tube pan. However, I am unsure of what type to purchase. I know that I want it to have a removable bottom and feet, but am unclear as to whether it should be non-stick or not. I was also wondering if you could recommend a particular model that bakes evenly and does not leak.

Thanks!

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Fatima, to weigh flour, you don't need to sift it.

but you may need to sift it after prior adding it to the cake, for recipes such as sponge cakes where the flour needs to be fluffy.

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I know you weren't asking me but we spend the summers in Breckenridge and although Denver isn't suppose to be at high altitude I know that some areas are.

Could it be possible that you need to make that adjustment? There's a gal that wrote a book called High Altitude Baking. You may want to post a question on google and her site will come up. She will reply. I know because I posted a question to her over the summer. Her tips are helpful if altitude is your problem.

Hope this helps.

Vicki

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HELP! I live in Denver and have baked cakes for a long time, including many from your book. Lately, every cake I make falls during the last 6-10 minutes of baking...the entire center just sinks...and I watch it disappointed, through the oven window. I've read your tips and tried everything...do I need to reduce the baking powder further??? Recipe for your favorite yellow cake calls for 1 tbls and 1 tsp. I've tried raising oven temp to 375 degrees, making sure ingredients are room temp, reducing baking powder a bit...I am running out of options...have also checked my oven temp to make sure it's working properly.

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Hello
I've recently bought RHC book. If I am using weight to measure flour whether cake or bleached should I sift it for the weight required ?
Thanks
Also does anyone have a recipe for mousse cake?

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thx woody...
I buy 4 books... I'll start from cake bible cake.. and then bible bread or pie?????

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I think that would kill the leavening to some degree.

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Within the next few weks, I have a large number of cakes to bake in a short time. Does it work to freeze the batter and then bake it, or would that destroy the structure/taste of the cake? I thought of freezing it in the pan I would bake in, remove the frozen batter and tightly wrap, keeping frozen until I was ready to bake; then unwrap and put back into the baking pan.

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Hi Rhine,
With Rose's books, you have your foundation for learning how to bake. Taking the Cake Bible for example, I started by reading the guidelines chapters on how to make the cakes, then started with the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter cake and a chocolate buttercream. Then slowly proceeded to explore other cakes and adornments in her book. Reading her Understanding conclusions on how a particular cake related to other cakes. I have done the same with her other books.
Her books will take you about as deep as you want to go as they all have recipes from easy to pastry chef elaborate.
The blog and it's forums have a wealth of information. For cake baking you can read what up to 20 home and professional bakers have discovered in their baking cakes from Rose's Heavenly Cakes.
Beyond the books and your own exploration, you can always try some baking classes

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Hello Rose,
I've tried to email you third times... I just want to know how learn your book... I have bougth your books (bible cake, bread, pie and heavenly cake)..
I ant to learn deep about baking... I must start from where and how I must start that....
Sorry, I'm from Indonesia...
Thx alot

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that is what I was afraid of with the strawberries and mousseline buttercream. Thanks for clarifying this and hopefully my straight strawberry buttercream works!

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Holly, now that i think of, i mostly add fresh strawberries when making strawberry shortcake and for that i use whipped cream and not mousseline. also, my cake for shortcake is a biscuit de savoie or a genoise, both can take syrup.

unless you serve it soon, adding fresh strawberries on mousseline, may cause water to sip out from the strawberries, and water and butter don't mix, so you may end up with potential puddles of liquid and separation on the mousseline. also, if your cake is a butter, cake, you really don't want to soggy it out neither.

just think where the liquid coming from the fresh strawberries will go. maybe you can try putting the strawberries directly on the cake, prior adding the mousseline, so the fruit liquid will go in the cake as it comes out. but worries, said, use with caution as most butter cakes can't tolerate too much liquid.

hope i haven't confused you, as i am myself.

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add tart strawberry preserves or purée such as the cordon rose ones. navan, grand marnier, or fragolino would be complementary to strawberries; optional.

adding fresh strawberries, in addition, will be fine fine fine. just be aware that whenever fresh fruit, shelf live is 24 hrs

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Perfect, so is it overkill to use the strawberry puree and then strawberry slices as well?

Not sure how the cordon rose strawberry conserve compares with the strawberry puree with fresh strawberry slices? which is best to use with the mousseline?

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holly, I really can't taste alcohol nor any of my students, children included. fresh fruit work, but be sure to serve mousseline at room
temperature. cold is hard like a stick of butter.

if u want near or all the alcohol to evaporate, make one or two days ahead. I find the alcohol makes the mousseline pipe and frost like a dream, so smooth. really does, and actually by the time u r done frosting or piping, the alcohol is gone way below any amounts of concern by the FDA needing to label this as containing alcohol.

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with regards to the mousseline buttercream, can you taste the alcohol at all or is it a flavour you can't really taste in the end?

also, I wanted to prepare a buttercream with slices of strawberries in it as well, will this work with the mousseline? I wanted to make the strawberry puree but still have slices of strawberries in it.

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yes Fatima, it is ok to omit, although the qty suggested is minimum and way
below been considered an alcohol item. you will be surprised how many
pastries use liqueur, yet never listed because of the minute proportion.

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Hello
I plan to mAke mousseline buttercream. The recipe calls for liquer ,if I omit the liquer should I replace with equal amount of water or any other liq or is it okay to just not use it al all? Thanks

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Thanks for the reply! Yes I measured correctly. Very interesting with the substitution of oil for some butter. Would you remove 28 g of butter and add 28 g of oil? Or doesn't it work like that?

John

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Hi John,
Over the years we have had people commenting on yellow and white cakes being dry, but many of those people are coming from cake mixes backgrounds. As Rose describes it in her Understanding, the cake has "fineness of crumb" and "a more tender,light texture". I would consider this cake as being neutral in the realm of moistness. Some may consider the "light texture" as dry.
If you measured the sifted cake flour correctly and want a moister crumb, you can substitute some of the butter with canola or safflower oil. I would start with 2 tablespoon oil(28 grams)and adjust if you think it needs more or less.

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John, it is my fave cake! how did u measure flour? in grams I hope. main reason of dry cakes is packing flour with measuring cups which is near 30% more flour thus a dry cake.

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Rose,
I've recently made your Golden Butter Cream Cake (page 34 - Cake Bible). I loved it. I topped it with a Swiss Meringue Buttercream and shaped it into an Easter Bunny. It was a big hit. However, a few people have commented that it is dry.

Should this cake be considered "moist?" I'm curious as to whether any yellow cake is actually moist or if they tend to lean to the dry side.

Again, I loved it, but I'm not happy until majority of the people who ate it say they loved it!

John

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Rose,
I just finished baking your Tyrolean Ten-Grain Torpedo bread recipe out of The Bread Bible, and it looks wonderful ! Thank you.

My question is, I would like to maybe try the same thing with wheat bread. Their is a Prarie Loaf that I bought from Whole Foods, and it is very similar to the Ten Grain Torpedo, but made from Whole Wheat and grains.

How would this affect the recipe? I would appreciate your feedback on this, thank you.

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My family loves the texture and moistness of light, fluffy cake mix cakes but I hate the weird after taste and it smells funny to me too. I've yet to find a recipe that they like as well. They're either too dry or dense. What recipe would your recommend and which book is it in?

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Woody, thanks very much. Next time I'll use the weight measures when dividing the sugar.

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Hi Eduardo,
I looked at the recipe and the Divide the Sugar (page 270)shows:
1/4 cup 50 grams for the nuts
2 tbl sp 25 grams for the meringue
1/4 cup+2 tbl sp 75 grams for the yolk mixture
total 150 grams

We are pleased that the cake came out.

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Hello Rose,
For Passover I made Sybil's Pecan Torte and have a question about the recipe.
I measured 150 grams of sugar, but when I divided the sugar as instructed, I ended up with more than the 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons stated. It's possible that I divided incorrectly (though I double checked), or that I'm doing the math wrong. Is there a typo somewhere? In any case, judging that the 150 grams was the correct amount, I added all of the remaining sugar to the batter ... and the cake, like all your others, turned out great.
Thank you!
Eduardo

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AW, yeast activity is most active at the warmer temperature.  if u don't refrigerate as recommended, the activity will be too much and too fast and will exhaust the yeast.  

the recommended treatment is to allow the sponge to become active (at the warmer range) and then to keep it active for a longer time at a lower pace (at the cold range).  we don't want to exhaust it because we need activity when added to the dough.

so either blast it fast and warm or slow and cold or a combination of both.

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In the Bread Bible you explain why you use a "sponge" and why the temperature range of 55 to 90 F is important for a better taste. You recommend to leave the sponge 4 hours, why not longer?
I don't understand why it is better to do this for one hour and then leave it in the fridge for 24 hours. The fridge temperature is only 45 F!

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Dear Rose,
First off, thanks for replying to my last question regarding raspberries turning scone dough blue in the freezer. I did end up having a lab test the dough and our suspicions were right: it's NOT mold.
I also have a from-scratch gelato shop in Boulder, Colorado. I don't like to use any corn syrup so I make the gelato base with organic cane sugar and agavé nectar. Similarly, with the caramel swirl flavor, I make the caramel and am running into the following problem: The caramel works beautifully in the gelato and holds up great in the storage freezer. Once it's put in the gelato case which is held around 5 degrees the caramel begins to "fall" out of the gelato creating some sweet unsightly soup on the bottoms of the display pans. Do you have any ideas or where I might be able to find a "clean" formula for caramel that works in this temperature range? Not to be confused with caramel 'base' which is used to make a solid caramel ice cream... Any assistance or directions would be super appreciated. Sincerely, David Cohen (Two Spoons and Spruce Confections).

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Have you tried the Tangzhong bread-making method? If so, do you have any comments or refinements. A minor buzz has been about since Yvonne Chen published a book (in Chinese) called "65˚C bread Doctor" about the Tangzhong method. which produces a soft, moist, almost pastry-like dough, which stays soft and moist for days. It hasn't created quite the clamor as did Bittman's No-Knead Bread article, but several bloggers are quite enthusiastic about it. If you Google "Tangzhong", you'll find several variations. I'm curious to know if you think there's anything truly new about it. Thanks for any response.

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I was wondering what is the difference (texture, taste etc) between the White Velvet cake and the white butter wedding cake in the Cake Bible?

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Kat, all the components on the recipe are given for 12 cupcakes. happy baking.

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I want to make the Bostini and I cannot find the answers to my questions on the site. I want to make it in the size indicated and use all 12 cupcakes. Will I need to increase the amount of custard and chocolate sauce to do that? If so, by how much? Also, I have found the cups in the 3.5 ounce size and would like to make mini cupcakes to go with them. The smaller version will be used at a dessert tasting party. I just need help with custard and chocolate sauce adjustments.

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i keep them airtight and take them out straight to room temperature. once fully thawed, then take the wrappers off.

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I have a freezer full of breads and blueberry muffins that I am planning to serve at a friend's house the day after tomorrow. I'm getting nervous about how best to thaw them and whether they will need reheating.
Nothing seems to really thaw in my refrigerator, and besides the kitchen has been freshly painted so I'd rather not open anything here at home (paint smells).
I'm thinking, put them out on the counter a couple of hours before the meeting, leaving them in their wrappers. Then open at my friend's house. Maybe put the muffins in her microwave? Will this work?

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Aimee,
I have tried just substituting clarified ghee and/or plugra for regular butter in pound cake recipes and they have NOT turned out well. I think the water content of the regular butter is missing and they were heavy and 'fallen' looking in the middle no matter how long they baked.

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Uhhh, I hate to be a bit of a bug, but I just wanted to clarify the clarified butter. I wasn't talking about replacing clarified butter, I was talking about solid butter in something that might call for "creaming the butter and sugar together", get my meaning? A lot of butter cake recipes don't call for melting the butter first, I'm talking about those. Am I getting my wires crossed here somehow, which is ENTIRELY possible an more than a little likely? Sorry for being a complete idiot.

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Hi Rose,

I was wondering if you have any advice in substituting brown butter for regular butter in cakes? I'd like to experiment with tricking out some cake recipes with brown butter, but I'm not sure how to go about it.

For example, if a recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter, do I measure out 2 sticks of unbrowned butter first, then brown it? Or do I brown a bunch of butter and measure 2 sticks out of that?

Thanks for any advice you can supply in my endeavors! :)

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Hello Rose,

I am trying to make some cake out of your "heavenly Cake" book. I cannot find wondra flour in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Can you tell me if the "instant blending" flour from Robinhood is the same ? or can I use the Robinhood "flour for gravy" as substitute /- since wondra flour is used for gravy mix too.
or better, if you can tell me who sells gold medal flours in my area.

Thank you, Rose in advance.

Regards, Vivienne

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Hello Rose and others,

When making the full flavored versions of the breads in Bread Bible, do I put just the starter (biga) into the fridge for the slow ferment or is it the starter with the dough sprinkled on it that stays out for the hour and then into the fridge?

Thanks a bunch!

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Is the baking time then less since it's on the stone or still the same?

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Have you ever used a baking stone when making biscotti? I've read some articles that mention putting parchment down first. If you've made these on a stone how do you do it?

Shaping the biscotti on a hot stone sounds tricky, unless you shape on parchment first. However, baking the biscotti on the parchment that sets on the stone sounds to me like it's defeating the purpose of baking on the stone.

Looking forward to your reply.

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Thanks Rose, I am going to head over to our large cake decorating store to look around. Per your advice, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, I think they will just stick to 3 layers and have a couple of extra sheets of Tiramisu on hand for the extra servings needed.

The store has a ton of separators and such. I think we will stay with a square shape as well.

With the help of your book I have already made several wedding cakes.

Thanks again. I love your book!

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I can't find heavy cream in the local baking supplier in Penang, Malaysia. The most I can get is whipping cream, with 35.1% of fat, the most. Can it be use to substitute heavy cream? Thanks.

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I had a bit of a revelation tonight while trying to work vanilla beans into applesauce from the pod that had steeped in the apples while they cooked. I know Rose suggests fingertips for this, but the apples were H-O-T and so that was not practical. In a somewhat desperate act. I reached back for the bean masher(used for Mexican refried beans, I think) I had used on the apples as they stewed and softened. It worked beautifully and they dispersed very evenly. I can't wait to try it in a creme anglaise and see if it does as well in a smoother textured food.

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Hi Polly,
Have you tried Rose's suggestions and the USDA recommendations in the Cake Bible (pages 21-22)?
You may want to contact a local bakery, especially if there is one that makes wedding cakes, to hear how they adjust for the high altitude.
If we ask how are the cakes coming out differently?

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I need help! I have just moved from Illinois to Montana ( elevation 5,000 feet) . I love to bake, brought my Cake Bible and Heavenly Cakes with me but can't bake a cake here to save my life. Can anyone give me sound advice on how to adapt baking recipes for high altitudes? I went online for advice and there were many conflicting solutions.
thank you in advance.

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I may be using the wrong items to search for the answer, but when I want to do the full flavor version of a bread... Do I do that with just the starter? or with the starter with the flour sprinkled on top? For instance, (going from memory here), in the Feather Banana Bread, I believe it says to do this after step #2 which is to sprinkle the flour over the starter.

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Thanks, Rose! ralston, my partner did it as a preliminary drawing for a painting. He's quite perturbed I had to cut the hands off the bottom(he says it's all about the hands with a chef- which I am not, just a home cook here), but I am going to try to re-size so you can see the entire drawing. I hope to have my blog up within a week- with your permission, I will link to yours.

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You can use ground flaxseed as an egg substitute. There are instructions online for how to do this. It is usually a mixture of the ground Flaxseed and water.
I know this is a common substitute for whole eggs.

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Rick, How does she like cheesecake? I recently did the cheesecake crown from Heavenly Cakes and it uses ladyfingers as a crust(same as used in tiramisu). I served it to most of my clients one day @ my salon and the consensus from EVERY single one was it was the best they ever tasted and not too sweet. It is creamy, not dense and was as good plain as with the cranberry topping. You could also frost it with the white chocolate cream cheese icing as Rose shows in the Cake Bible.

Does anyone NOT like cheesecake?

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My son is getting married in November. His wife is having trouble selecting a wedding cake since she does not like many cakes. What she would like is a Tiramisu wedding cake. Do you have any suggestions? How would you ice such a thing?

They have an option to purchase large sheet cakes of Tiramisu from a restaurant, but aren't sure what to do with them next? I would appreciate any suggestions.

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Hi dhanush,
There are many cookbooks, television cooking shows, and websites that specialize or have expertise in gluten free, lactose free, low fats, and other dietary specific baking. Please investigate and try some of their recipes as these are not our genre of baking. In both the Cake Bible and Rose’s Heavenly Cakes there are several flourless cakes. Rose has several listed linked sites including: Fran Costigan (vegan cooking), Bitter Sweet Vegan Blog, Chocolate & Zucchini, and Go Dairy Free.

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hi i have question of baking a cake without involving any fats even egg yolks as well. but i'm happy to include the egg white. i have serched number of sites and they've suggested replacing apple sauce or fruit puree will work for replacement of egg yolk/oil/butter/ margarine. is this actually work. i haven't tried it yet. please help me ,also can i use plain youghrt as well for the replacement

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Michele, Have you thought of some tile in the oven and baking on foil on the tile? Any home improvement/ hardware store carries the tile and they are not expensive.

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I am currently trying to scale the white cake base recipe for my tiered bridal shower cake. It will be a 14", 10" and 6" cake.

Someone mentioned that the scaling calculations are only based for round cakes. Is there some scale I can use for my square cakes and how does this affect my levening agents etc.

Thanks so much!

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how can i save recipes, is there a personal recipe box i am missing? i thought i did but now i cant see how to do it> thank you

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What weight do you use for a cup of AP flour?

I've searched the internet and have found people using anywhere from 4 oz. to 5.5 oz. That's a huge difference. Also how would that weight change if useing cake, bread, Italian 00, whole wheat, rye, or other specialty flours?

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Elizabeth,

It sounds like you own the bread bible. To bake this as a round I would compare the loaf version of the ricotta bread (page 285)to the round version posted on the blog (http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2007/07/food_processor_ricotta_bliss_b.html). You will see most of the instructions are the same for either version, but you can apply the needed changes to the cracked wheat bread. I don't think the cast iron pot would be needed to make a nice loaf, but if you want to try it, you would probably need to expirment with baking times/temps on your own. I would consult other recipes using cast iron or la cloche to get a general idea.

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In response to Rose and Hector's replies to Jayne; it really is confusing to use a convection oven because, as far as I can tell, it behaves differently even when the convection feature is not turned on.
It seems like Hector is saying Jayne's cake was underbaked (does that mean too low a temperature? or just not baked long enough?) while Rose is saying it might have baked at too high a temperature, setting fast on the outside while staying raw in the middle.

Jayne certainly has all my sympathy; maybe she even has the same oven I have, because in spite of all the "testing" I'm still not sure what the special settings are doing. The "cake" setting seems to be too cool; but the other day I tried muffins on the "bread and muffin" setting and the thermometer showed the heat went way, way past what it was set for. The muffins tested done and looked great coming out of the oven, but then shrank some on cooling. (Rose's recipe for blueberry muffins).

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Alexis, i've been pondering all day on trying to answer this question, really, i love all chocolate cakes on Cake Bible and on RHC, and many are simple.

how about look at the Quick and Easy list on the index, and start from there.

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Rose,

Thank you for getting back to me! I will definitely try the foil. Would parchment paper work? I use it when I bake the no knead bread...

Thanks again,

Michele

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Dear Rose,

I've been making no knead bread for a couple of years and finally decided to attack other breads. I bought your book, The Bread Bible and have made the pizza recipe on page 189 twice. Both times I doubled the recipe and followed the instructions closely. The pizza tastes great, but both times I had a heck of a time removing them from the pan. They were not burnt or undercooked, but the amount of effort to remove them from the pan was crazy. What am I doing wrong?

PS I made your pizza sauce and it was delicious!

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Hi Rose,

I have both of your books Cake Bible and Rose's Heavenly Cake.

I am looking for a simple classic chocolate cake recipe. Which one from your cake books can you recommend for me to use?

Thank you,

Alexis

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Jayne, I would suggest getting a dial oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven. I own a Thermoworks and a CDN brand and they are inexpensive and accurate.

when a cake is done cooking, the cake batter changes from liquid to solid, thus a stick or cake tester comes out clean instead of smeared by an otherwise wet batter. shrinkage is another indicator that the liquid has transformed to solid and that the batter has logically lost volume due to evaporation. bounce is the physical nature of cake, when in solid state the air structure has set, thus bouncing like a sponge.

whew, i would bake the same cake again at different oven settings and see what happens. if u need more exacting reasons or testing, pls buy borrow or steal a copy
of Cake Bible, it is all explained there.

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Hi Hector,

Thanks for your prompt response to my message and appropriate diagnosis. See my question still to Rose.

Jayne

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Rose,

Thank you so much for your response; unfortunately, I am still confused. Although, it make sense, that if I lowered the temperature in the convection oven, it is as if I equated the oven temperature with the conventional oven's temperature; therefore, I should not need to cut baking time. However, if I understand your response correctly, the temperature in my convection oven is still higher as compared to the conventional oven, even with the lowered temperature?
Also, why all these other testing methods indicated doneness? (i.e. a cake tester, the cake moved away from the sides of baking pan, following touch it the cake "jumped" back, etc.)

Thanks,

Jayne

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Ruth, here is the genoise video. on YouTube, under video description, there is the link for the recipe. I love this cake.

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2009/06/pbs_107_allamerican_chocolate.html

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Where in this site can I find what you refer to, i.e. the narrative and pdf tutorial on genoise? I am relatively new to the site and therefore unfamiliar with its resources. Thank you.

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Jayne, I think it sounds like the cake is underbaked. how did you check for doneness?

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I just baked a pound cake, based on the traditional pound cake recipe (I used James Peterson's book:
"Baking". When I took the cake out of the cake pan, it looked great. However, after I cut it, it is bad. First, I felt it immediately while slicing it that it is muddy. Then I looked at it and it has shades of colors; like some areas are more muddy than others. Could you please tell me what did I do wrong? (If you could)

Thanks,

Jayne

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Wishing to thank you, so much Rose, for providing the narrative to your PDF-Acrobat tutorial regarding Genoise(!) .... Within it, as a final pointer, you recommended to us (your reading audience) that we utilize the balloon whisk in place of the large spatula, in the interest of preserving as much air as possible for the leavening process in your European cake formulas.
Again, Rose, so very much thank you(!!)

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Hi Fatima,
In most cases the licquer is to heighten the flavor of the component. If it is a fruit flavor like orange for the Grand Marnier, you can substitute orange extract or a smaller amount of orange oil. But you will have to experiment to find the right intensity. If the component is chocolate based, vanilla extract or coffee can be substituted. Rose also states that in some recipes that the licquer is optional and you can add nothing.
Enjoy experimenting

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Hi
I have recently bought The Cake Bible and am very excited to use it. Many of my fav recipes in this book call for liquer and since since we have restrictions can \I just omit it or there is a substitution? (like in swiss balck forest and many more
thanks

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Hi Lynn,
Please type "dry buttermilk" in the Search Box. You will find discussion of dry buttermilk in the Forums section.

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Having eaten your cracked wheat bread (baked yesterday, my family announced today that I was going to have to start baking every day. It was delicious. I am unclear, however, about adapting recipes to your bread method. If what I want to bake calls for substantially more honey than the small amounts you use, do I include them all in the sponge? Or do I put some into the sponge and add some later when I mix in the flour and fat?

Thanks for your help. You're right about the multiple slow rises and the starter. Bread couldn't get any better.

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What do you think of using the dried form of buttermilk sold by SACO? It's awfully handy when you just need a small amount, since you can stockpile it for quite a while.

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Hi. I really like your Cracked Wheat Loaf. Can I bake it as a round in a covered cast iron dutch oven? What temp and time do you suggest? Thank you.

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Hi Alexis,
To answer your questions: In the equipment section. Rose discusses using the bread machine for mixing and kneading the ingredients. For risings, folding, and baking the bread,Rose does these machine outside of the machine.
After you get familiar with a machine from baking some of its recipes, you may beable to adapt some of Rose's recipes to rise and bake in a bread machine with a manual programming feature.
If you start making a lot of breads,dough-rising containers are very handy.

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Nicola, congrats!!!!! how about the Chocolate Spike on page 198. adults love
chocolate, as well as kids.

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Hi Rose I just recently purchased your cook book and now I'm faced with which cake to make for my son's first birthday. I know the cake will be enjoyed by mostly adults but I would like my son to eat some as well:) Which cakes in the cake bible would you suggest I make for a 1 year olds birthday?

Thanks in advance!
Nicole Stolpa

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Hi Debbie,
We are happy to hear your results. If the white chocolate does not balance with the lemon curd,you can add a bit of lemon oil or extract. Have a fun party.

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Ok - so I dumped it out and started over and turned out great! Either my chocolate was too warm or I over whipped.

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Help!! My white ganache is a soupy curdled looking mess!! Did I whip it too long?

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Thank you! I am going with the white ganache as it sounds like it will hold longer.

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Hi Debbie,
Depending on how long the cheesecakes will be out you can go with either the Cake Bible's Super-Stabilized Whipped Cream page 256 or Whipped Cream for Piping Borders on page 257. The stabilized will hold up longer at room temperature but will have a fuller texture and slightly spongy, while the whipped will be denser like a soft ganache. Another choice might be the White Ganache on page 278 which can hold up for a day at room temperature.

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debbie, sounds delicious!!! but i am afraid, even if super stabilized, whipped cream sitting on lemon curd will break even faster. whipped cream on cake will hold longer.

i conclude, you must refrigerate this! apply the curd the day ahead, or days ahead, but apply the whipped cream the same day! i would say, the whipped cream sitting on curd will break overnight.

1- bake the cheesecakes, ahead. keep refrigerated
2- apply lemon curd, ahead. keep refrigerated
3- apply whipped cream same day. keep refrigerated (refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours so the whipped cream gets cold)
4- display maximum 2 hours (from well refrigerated)

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Hi Rose,

Thanks so much! I'll pick up a copy of the pastry bible; I can't imagine that's a purchase I'll ever regret.

I will definitely send pictures. The wedding isn't until next spring, but hey, it's never too soon to start practicing and playing around...I'm sure my friends and family will be sick of cake by the time the wedding comes around : )

Thanks again,

Sarah

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I decided to put the lemon curd directly on the mini cheesecakes and want to put whipped cream to dress them up. I will be piping the whipped cream on so should I use the recipe for Super-Stabilized Whipped Cream in the Cake Bible?

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Hi Rose,

My little sister has given me the enviable task of baking her wedding cake (okay, I begged to be allowed to do it), and her only request was that it somehow include blackberries.

I love your raspberry buttercream recipe, and I was wondering if you thought it would work to make it with blackberries, instead (and use it to fill the vanilla layers of the cake). I'm not sure if I should try making a blackberry sauce (as you do for raspberry buttercream), and then incorporate it into a vanilla buttercream, or if I should just incorporate a puree. Also, I'm not sure if blackberries would need to be sweetened (I know in your berry buttercreams, the raspberries generally do, and strawberries don't).

If you have any advice, I would really appreciate the help!

Thanks so much,

Sarah

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Debbie, keep them cool!!!!!! refrigerated.

it really depends what type of cheesecake
you are making: creamy airy or dense. dense ones can stay out for 2 hours i would say. creamy ones should be kept in the fridge till serving time.

regarding the lemon curd cream, which recipe r u using? if your decoration is elaborate, such as piping the curd cream, I would always use a recipe containing gelatin, day ahead is fine, keep refrigerated and display not longer than 2 hours. if your decoration is just a spreaded topping, it can be without gelatin!

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I would like to decorate mini lemon cheesecake bites with Lemon fruit curd cream. Can I decorate these a day ahead and how long will it hold up for serving? It is for a birthday party being held at a restaurant so will be sitting out for hours.

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Alexis, bread bible has an extensive explanation about the bread machine. you can convert most recipes to bread machine.

i hope your bread machine is programable, THAT is where the usefulness starts. if you can set the times of rest and mixing, you could use the bread machine to make the dough and rising.

baking is preferred to be done with a standard oven, as the bread machine only gives you one shape.

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Erin,
We are sorry to hear about your husband's cholesterol and hope that in time he can lower it to enjoy your muffins once again. I have to monitor mine too.
We do not have a solution as this is an area that we have not researched. Low cholesterol and other special dietary requirements and recipes have been researched and written about by many authors and websites. Good luck in your search and maybe someone else will comment back with some helpful suggestions.

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It isn't the taste that is off.. It is the texture and density. I flavored it with fake butter flavor, vanilla, and spices and the flavor was just fine. But the tops rounded/peaked and they were like paper weights! Not one bit of fluffy in these muffins! Is this due to the alternatives? Or should the alternatives have come out fine if the technique was ok?

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Hi Rose,

Thank you for respond to my email yesterday.

As you know I already owned 2 of your books. And I'm actually thinking of buying The Bread Bible and I was wondering if you can help me with a few question that I have.

Like I mentioned before I just bought my new bread machine and you mentioned that you use some of your recipe for the bread machine.

1. Does your book show how to put the ingredients together using the bread machine?
2. If it does not is there a basic way for me to put the ingredients together by following your recipe but using the bread machine instead of the oven?

As always thank you Rose,

Alexis

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Erin, NO substitutions will equal the original ingredient. i would recommend eating half portions, you will be effectively cutting your cholesterol intake by a whopping 50%.

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You can make a nice muffin with vegetable oil and egg whites. Try boosting the flavor by adding spices, or you could try the zucchini bread recipe (bread bible) with oil and egg whites and add blueberries to that.

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Please help me, Rose!

I have a baking conundrum! My husband likes blueberry muffins, and so do I. I like to bake them on the weekend, so that they can be breakfast during the week. However, my husband was told by a doctor that his cholesterol is dangerously high and he should avoid all sat fat and cholesterol! How in the world do you make decent muffins without shorting or butter? I've tried many recipes on the web that call for using fat free milk, egg beaters, and apple sauce. However, they always come out tough, dense, and disappointing. One I tried had more of a cookie dough texture when I mixed it, and I'm guessing that I over mixed it because there wasn't enough liquid to mix it efficiently. The tops of the muffins had smooth rounded peaks. Another I made had the weight of scones! I've made muffins before, and I know how to bake... but using alternative ingredients is proving to be problematic. Any suggestions?

Thank you,
Erin

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my luck i guess :( though i' ve all da recipes from the havenly cakes but still its not like having the book itself!! pray n wish to ve them oneday..
i found Rose's Celebrations from the old book shop!!
regards

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exactly!

because i live in hawaii and our room temps are 80s, i am storing dark chocolate in the refrigerator and milk and white chocolate in the freezer. it gives me a near indefinite shelf life. it is absolutely necessary for this to be airtight with a vacuum bag (i don't think thick wrapping or a plastic container will be near as perfect).

to prevent blooming in dark chocolate, put the packaged chocolate in a cooler, and put the cooler in the refrigerator. this will provide a more gradual cooling. after 24 hours, remove the cooler. the same for taking out the chocolate to room temp, use a cooler. gradual changes in temperature prevents blooming to much extend.

you can use the cooler method for white and milk chocolate (first in the fridge, then in the freezer), however, i don't notice blooming near as much happening compared to dark chocolate.

i don't perceive any loss of flavor refrigerating/freezing chocolate. however, some very rare dark chocolates i have, i do keep them in my wine cellar at 65 oF

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i love argo! compared to rumford, it is slightly stronger, just slightly.

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i just baked your whoopie pies from Heavenly Cakes. The first batch came out great!!! They were puffed and domed and just like the photo in the book. The next batch (I doubled this recipe for a party) came out lower - not as puffed and domed. i made sure to use different (cold) baking sheets and not the ones that just came out of the oven. Since there was more batter, I refrigerated it thinking that might help. It didn't. Why are the subsequent batches not as high and puffed? Could it be because some of the leavening gasses escaped while waiting to be baked? Thank you!

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Hi Alexis,
This answer came from a website and is similar to Rose's section on storing chocolate in The Cake Bible.
Ideally, chocolate should be stored in a slightly cool, dry, dark place. The perfect environment would be 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, have low humidity (less than 50 percent), be out of direct sunlight, and away from any other foods or substances with strong odors that could be absorbed by the chocolate. Frequent exposure to high temperatures can cause the cocoa butter in chocolate to rise to the surface, creating “bloom,” an unpleasant cloudy gray color. This is a superficial flaw that can be corrected by melting and properly tempering the chocolate. However, in addition to bloom, white chocolate can go rancid when exposed to strong light, which will greatly affect the flavor and quality of the chocolate.
In addition, Rose states that darker chocolates can keep at this temperature for up to 2 years, while milk and white chocolates may only store for 1 year. Alternatively, you can also wrap chocolates air tight and then in freezer bags and freeze for longer storage times. Let them warm up to room temperature before using them.
If you know you are going to store a chocolate for a long period of time we advise to date its container.

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Hi Rose,

I received my book Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I am so excited to start trying the recipes. This is going to be my 2nd book that you wrote :)

I do have a question regarding storing chocolates, can I keep them in a airtight lid canister and put in the refrigeration or should chocolates be inside a pantry?

Thank you,

Alexis

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Hi Mariel,
We cannot give an exact time frame as reducing a liquid is dependent on how high is your heat source, type of pan or pot, and surface area.
If you want to shorten the time frame, you can start the reduction in a large pan on high heat. When the stock is around a cup, transfer it to a small pot. Lower the heat to reduce it to the half cup.
Because of the variables and people's own methods for reducing stocks, Rose did not specify a time.
I have not made her recipe yet, but I almost always make a deep dish turkey pot pie with the flaky cream cheese pie crust with left over turkey from Thanksgiving each November.

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Hi Mars,
We are sorry to hear about the difficulty in getting books in Pakistan, but it you seem to say you were able to get one of Rose's books used. Which one did you acquire?
We do not have a procedure for selling and shipping books and hope that maybe you can have a bookstore order one in for you.

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Hi Marcela,
The addition of small amounts of vanilla extract should not effect the dough, but will add the flavoring of the vanilla.
At this time,no other languages.

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Hi Rose,

Two simple questions:
What would it happen to a dough if I add Vanilla Extract since it contains alcohol?
Do you have your books published in other languages ex, spanish?
Thank you

Marcela P

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dear rose,
even the distance couldn't hide your fragrance!! i'm a desperate housewife from pakistan who loves to bake. unfortunately we don't get international cook books from here. but yes we do get lucky on old book shops at times and thats how i met u in person (face to book). i came to know about you through net and when i saw your book i litterally jumped with joy. my husband thinks he has never seen that spark in my eyes before the one i had with your book in my hands!!
unfortunately amazon and other online services don't deliver here too. and if someone is the charges would be so high that one could buy three to four books in that amount :( which my pocket do not allow. please please please if you could arrange to send i could send you the delivery charges and the book charges online.
i want to buy heavenly cakes and the cake bible... please please please do help me out if you could!!
regards!!

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Hi Lynn,
Your experiment indicates that your oven is on the cool side. It took me a couple of tests to find that I had to set my oven to 360 to obtain 350.
The bubbles may have been from over mixing, Rose writes on page 39 of the recipe to using the medium-high setting on the hand mixer, but the times stay the same. Please check our blog posting on "the Power of Flour" as we found 2-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder gave us a slight dome with the center being just over 2 inches tall.
Keep trying.

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I have done the experiment you recommended a while back for testing the oven temperature - baking the all-occasion yellow downy cake from The Cake Bible.
Used two-thirds recipe in a single 9x2 inch pan, with baking strips. Set the oven on "cake" setting for 350, waited or my separate oven thermometer to register 350, too; used the new infrared thermometer pointed at the oven thermometer itself, which showed only 239.

The cake rose nicely but was visibly not done in 25 or 30 minutes. Didn't spring back at 35. Touched it lightly in the middle, which left a dent; cake tester full of wet crumbs. By 40 minutes, though , it had started to pull away from the sides of the pan (which you say shouldn't happen). It never did get to a point where the top sprang back! Internal thermometer showed 195 by the time I took it out.

The top was nicely browned but full of unpopped bubbles, and somewhat domed which surprised me because of the baking strips. Finished height was 1 and 5/8 at the edges, 2 inches in the center.

I'm going to conclude that the oven is running too cool and adjust for that in the future. Is this right?

Also, since I used my hand-held mixer and beat on high for 2 minutes, and then 45 seconds after each of three additions of eggs, do you think this caused the bubbles on top? Is that a little too much time for mixing?

The cake is delicious, by the way, and looks cooked through inside. Except for the bubbles and the two dents in the top, looks OK.

Your comments, please.

.

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Rose, I am making Deep Dish Chicken Potpie from PPB. Am I reading it correctly - reduce the 5-1/2 cups of chicken broth [after simmering chicken] to 1/2 cup? Also approximately how long should this take? I am learning so much from your forum - expecially about things I thought I already knew!

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Laura, it is mostly due to over rising at the last rise.

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Hi Rose,
Do you know why bread flattens out sometimes on the top. It rises well, but during baking it doesn't get that nice rounded look? I thought it was because it maybe fell when I was putting it into the oven, but I have been very careful so that doesn't happen. I appreciate your help with this. I have baked bread for years and... have never understood why this happens sometimes.

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Anand: 2"

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In the wedding cake recipes in your CAKE BIBLE, should I use the 9 x 2 inch cake pans and 12 x 2 inch pans or the 1 1/2 deep pans?

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Help! I have an old drafty house that stays pretty cold. I have a hard time getting my dough to rise due to the temperature. I normally turn the oven on and place the bowl on top, but I think it may get too warm. What should I do?

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Rose, btw, and continuing on with a strudel question, many, many years ago when I was a child in Croatia, an aunt of mine made a delicious savory strudel from some sort of squash. It definitely was not mushy, more like strands, and if memory from forty-odd years serves me right, it was white or greenish squash. I have asked all my relatives (she's passed away) but no one has the recipe. Does this sound familiar to you in any way. Best, Maria

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the cake doneness is done by reading the internal temperature of the cake, a laser thermometer won't work because it reads the surface temperature. cake doneness is measured by taking the reading in the middle of the cake (insert a probe on the middle of the cake, and bury half way deep).

a laser thermometer is useful to read the oven temperature, but you will actually read surface temperatures, such as of the oven rack, oven walls, or a cookie sheet placed under your cake pan.

hope this helps.

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Rose, can you explain exactly what you do when you use the laser thermometer to test the oven temp? Where do you point it before putting the cake in? Can you also use it to see if the cake is done (it reads the surface temperature, I take it).

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Thank you Rose.

And by the way your Rose's Heavenly Cakes that I purchased last week should be here within the next few days. I'm so excited!!!!

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Can you please recommend a place in Rome, Italy to buy a wedding cake? It's just a small wedding with 25 guests.

Thank you!

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Good morning,

I am in search of a recipe for caramel buttercream. Can any one help me?

Thank you

Alexis

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Hi Marija,
I have the same task with making dishes for my family, when I make both a sausage red sauce lasagna and a spinach lasagna. The advantage with the pot pies is you can make both vegetarian for yourself and chicken and potatoes for him. Share some of yours and maybe he will enjoy just having yours in the future.

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Rose, thank you for the so-quick reply BUT oh dear, this guy is a meat-and-potatoes guy from the Midwest, ha, ha. It's because I am an animal lover and vegetarian that I'm seeking to substitute something in; that's why I thought about s.t. like potatoes. Btw, I'm Croatian and Hungarian and grew up pulling strudel dough with my grandma but didnt do it for years (she's gone) and picked up your bible and felt such joy doing it again. Her hands were right there with me showing me how to pull the dough tenderly and lovingly. She was blind, and believe it or not, pulled the dough with no problem - all by feel - and would just ask me to repair rips. Maria (Marija, actually :)

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Rose, I love your recipe for Chicken Pot Pie in the Pie and Pastry Bible BUT I need to make it vegetarian. What do you suppose might work well as a substitute for the chicken, given that it adds some moisture, texture, etc. Thank you! Maria

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or.... a mascarpone yolk cream as done for tiramisu?

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maybe isn't zabaglione, but a creme pastichera or pastry cream?

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Hi, again, Woody. Basically, I don't want to criticize the Food Network but I was worried about the reliability of their recipe for the zabaglione because of the issues I mentioned.

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I'm actually planning on using Rose's recipes for two components (genoise and butter cream) based on my (Italian) friends description of the cake and what I've found on the Internet. I was toying with the idea of using a Bavarian cream instead of the zabaglione if I couldn't find a reliable method of stabilizing the zabaglione. Do you think the gelatin will work?

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Hi Juniper,
Our understanding of your previous post was that you had a working recipe for all of the components and were just concerned with the zabaglione filling,which you could just use their recipe for the filling.

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Hi, Woody. Thanks for the information. I saw this recipe too but two things concerned me. One was that for the cake there seemed to be an omission--it has you mix 1/8 of the cake batter with butter but then doesn't tell you to put it back into the batter before filling the pan. Also, the whipped cream to cover the cake is nontraditional. The recipe seems to have worked out okay for the people who reviewed it, but it gave me pause. I was hoping someone might have some more details about this type of cake. Thanks!

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Hi Juniper,
I googled "sacripantina cake recipe" and had several listings. Food Network's site has a recipe using gelatin to help stabilize the zabaglione filling.

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I would like to make a Sacripantina cake for an Italian friend of mine. As far as I can tell, it's made with a split genoise, filled with zabaglione flavored with marsala secca, and covered with a buttercream. I'm worried the zabaglione won't hold up between layers. Any thoughts about whether gelatin might help. Should I fill it with a Bavarian cream instead? Grazie mille!

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thank you Rose, I added 1T.--I have high hopes!

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Hi Kathy,
We do not have any Lavash recipes, but Rose does have a 100% whole wheat and walnut bread recipe on this blog through her recipe categories. There are several Lavash bread recipes on the web that might work for you.

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Hi Rose,

I have really been enjoying your Bread Bible and all my breads are turning out fantastic (thank you!) but I have a question.

I have a bagel recipe (that we love) that calls for bread flour AND vital wheat gluten (2T. per 5 1/2c bread flour).

I am in the process of making your Levy's Bagels, but I am finding it hard to resist adding a bit of VWG. I use King Arthur's bread flour, and according to your book, that should be enough. Why does my other recipe call for both? Will my bagels be tough if I add in 1-2T of VWG to the Levy's recipe?

Thanks for your expertise!!
Rachel

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Dear Rose,
Joseph's Bakery makes a Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Square Lavash Bread. It is delicious. My husband and I have high cholesterol and 50 lbs between us to release. Do you have a recipe to make this, as it is expensive in the stores. I have searched on the internet and cannot find one. I figured you are the expert, so I am asking you if you have a recipe or if you can develop one. Those of us who need the health benefits of this bread thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide. Here are the nutrition facts I gained from the website.
Lavash
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/2 Lavash (1.13 oz./32g)
Servings Per Container 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 50Calories from Fat 15
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 260mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 7g2%
Dietary Fiber 3g14%
Sugars 0g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%Iron 4%

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also, wikipedia has a better info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_dactylifera

Based on what I have read so far, It is a very good fruit and can be used in fruit cakes.

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Hello Rose,
I found the name. Its a DATE PALM. Here is the link to, I think cake bakers will appreciate it.http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/date%20palm?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=date%20palm

cheers

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Also, I sent an email to rosescakebible@aol.com, its concerning a fruit nut I found here in Nigeria. I want to know the "english". I attach picture of the fruit.
Thanks
Wale

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Hello Rose,

Lisa Yockelson has helped in getting the SAFFLOWER, SUNFLOWER, CANOLA OIL, OLIVE OIL AND VEGETABLE OIL substitution question I asked in the blog. I just want to share the link with you and other bloggers.

http://bakingstylediary.com/2011/02/a-reader-writes-in-in-cakes-that-calls-for-safflower-oilcanoli-oil-can-i-use-extra-virgin-olive-oil-or-unflavored-vegetable-oil-in-place-of-the-safflower-or-canoli-oil-stated-in-the-recipe-im/

Cheers.

Wale

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Hi Rose,

I just ordered your book Rose's Heavenly cakes and I wont' get it until next
week :(

In the meantime I would like to make strawberry cake using your strawberry puree recipe. Can you share some recipe with me on how to make strawberry cake.

I already own The Cake Bible, but I don't see a recipe for a strawberry cake.

Thank you.

Alexis

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Good morning everyone :)

Does anybody have a recipe for a Salted Caramel Frosting that they would like to share with me?

Thank you in advance :)

Alexis

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Hi Rosie,
I am taking my daughter to New York for the first time. I will be there for a business trip but I am staying for three days with her. She will be 15 in June and loves to cook and sample good foods, appreciates shopping and theater as well as art. What are some suggestions for "must see or eat places?" I've utilized "Three Perfect Days" in the past and downloaded yours from 2007 for ideas. Any new thoughts? I have been reading 97 Orchard about New York Tenemant living and immigrants and we'd both like to visit this place as well. I welcome your thoughts or direction as well as suggestions about where to get the best tickets for plays or shows.

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Hi Rita,
Which recipes are you thinking of converting?
We have not tested glucose or invert sugar as substitutions for corn syrup, but we have used Lyle's Golden (refiner's) Syrup and reduced the heating point by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. You may want to read Rose's Sugar Bible which is on this site. Simply do a Google search for "sugar bible" to find the blog posting.
You should be able to substitute the glucose on a 1:1 ratio for recipes where a specific amount of water is desirable such as for the "Neoclassic Buttercream." A lower water invert syrup is actually an advantage when caramelizing as it takes less long to reach temperature which is dependent on the amount of moisture in the sugar. Reduce the heating point by 10 degrees Fahrenheit and these syrups have a lower caramelizing point.
Enjoy experimenting.

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Hi Rose,

We don't have corn syrup where I live. Is it possible to substitute glucose or invert sugar in your caramel or syrup recipes? Please help.
Thank you.

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Merci beaucoup!

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Hi Rose,
I want to use sour oranges and sweet limes(2 separate batches, not mixed!) for your curd from CB. Any ideas on how the substitution ratios might be best?
Thanks,
k

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Glady,
We do not have a proven "fix it" solution. You may want to take a small portion of the cookie batter and try cooling it in the refrigerator and then whisking, and try heating it briefly and then whisking if the cooling did not work.
We hope you are not having to throw out a huge batter if nothing works to fix it.

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Thanks for answering my question promptly.
The recipe is for vanilla cookie. It says to whisk the dry ingredients together first, set aside; cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add the eggs one by one, then add the flour mixture.

I understand the theory of egg emulsion and the correct method to add eggs to the creamed butter/sugar mixture. However the main problem I wondered is how we could resolve the batter once the emulsion has already broken and the batter has become curdled because of adding the eggs too fast. As after such happens, no matter how I continue to beat vigorously, the desired creamy texture won't appear again. And if the batter is not creamy, the final result will be poor.

I really appreciate your help.

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Hi Glady,
What type of recipe?
Cake batter, cookie? As Rose's method for most of her butter cakes is dry ingredients mixed first, then adding butter and liquid, and last the eggs.
You answered part of your question in not adding the eggs so quickly.

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What should we do if after creaming butter and sugar, we add eggs too fast that the mixture loses its 'creamy' consistency and turns out to be watery with clumps, like curdle. I know one of the way we can do is to add flour immediately so that the batter may hold the structure right away. But is there any other way else we could do?

I would very much appreciate your answer. Thank you in advance.

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I'm getting ready to make the lemon cake that uses ground almonds. Do you think I can use Trader Joe's ground almonds and just toast them slightly instead of grinding my own? Any adjustments needed?

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Hi Wale,
We do not have any instruction/steps for crystallized ginger as this is in the candy making realm. You may want to try a couple of the recipes on the various websites.

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Hello Rose,

I will like to know if you have the instruction/steps in making crystallized ginger. I tried Google, but saw different methods and confusing steps. Please, help out.

Thanks

Wale

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Hi Alexis,
Congrats and we hope you have many customers. Where is it located? Good luck with your experimenting with the powdered sugar or just adding some more sugar. You may want to try the revised Mousseline Buttercream from Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I never got it quite right until my first visit to see Rose and she gave me the revised recipe, which reverses the assembly. It never fails as long as you keep the meringue within a degree or two when adding it to the creamed butter. The much lighter texture and any additional flavorings dissipates the butter taste of the buttercream.
Then you always can top some of your cupcakes with ganache, with the added charm of saying frosted with "Dark Chocolate Ganache".

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Hi Woody,

I'm starting a cupcake bakery and I just don't like the texture and taste of American buttercream, but it seems like some people like it. So I figured maybe I can give them something better by adding the powdered sugar with the Italian meringue.

Thank you.

A.

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Hi Alexis,
May we ask why do you want to add powdered sugar?
If you need it sweeter the introduction paragraph on page 298 states states that the Classic Italian Meringue has double the weight of sugar to egg whites.
Rose's recipe is used as a component with other recipes which have their additional sugar components.
If you want to add powdered sugar which may give the meringue some grittiness, you may want to experiment by making a small batch.

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Hi Rose,
Your recipe for the Italian meringue from the Cake Bible, is it okay for me to add powdered sugar without ruining it and if it's okay how many cups do you recommend?

Thank you,

Alexis

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Hi Rose, if heavy cream is standardized to 40% butterfat, like Organic Valley just said, is it still 40% butterfat when it is pasteurized and homogenized?

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Rose - my Amaretto Strawberry Charlotte turned out amazing! I used the jellyroll slices with strawberry jam. It was beautiful - looked just like your photo in the Cake Bible. Thank you for your help!

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I found the description on the Organic Valley website.

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so you're saying that you were using Organic Valley Cream for your recipes all along, and you're saying that it does have 40% butterfat?

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Hi Rose, here's a description I saw:

Heavy Whipping Cream, Pasteurized, 16 oz
Dress up your desserts with the freshest, most heavenly organic whipping cream on earth. You'll be dazzled by its stellar performance in all of your favorite recipes! Our luscious organic cream is standardized to 40% butterfat, then vat pasteurized by slowly heating it to 145 degrees F. for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooling. Vat pasteurized for rich creaminess and optimal performance.

Is the heavy cream 40% butterfat then?

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When I looked at the nutrition facts, it had 50 calories per serving like Trader Joe's cream. how do I know if heavy cream is 40 percent?

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Hi Rose, does the Organic Valley Heavy cream that is pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized) contain 40% butterfat.

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Hi Anand,
the trader joe's heavy cream here is just pastuerized. You may want to call the one in your area.
Enjoy, woody

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Hi Rose, you said Trader Joe's has 40% heavy cream, but is it pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized?

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oh dear, most bakeries favor the use of swiss meringue because it is faster to make. however, mousseline (italian meringue) is more stable at higher temps.

all my buttercream cakes are kept refrigerated, they are only brought to room temp at the display location, and timed in a way that is on display for a good 2 hours so it will soften. my weather is typically 80 oF. if it is low 70s, i prefer 4 hours of display!

for longer term display and serving, a display case at 65-70 would be ideal. most bakeries go ok with room temperatures in an air conditined room of about 72 0F

the real answer to your questions is testing. see what works for you.

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Hello! We are researching opening a bakery. I mostly use Swiss Meringue buttercream and I am concerned about hot southern summers and humidity. How does it differ from the mousseline for refrigeration. I am concerned about getting a refrigerated display cooler. How should I best display my cakes and cupcakes. Currently I keep frosted cakes refrigerated and bring them to temp before serving. I don't want things to melt but I don't want to serve cupcakes with "butter" on top:) Please guide me!

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Hi Laura,
Please read the section on freezing and defrosting cakes on page 424 in Rose's Heavenly Cakes. We recommend placing the twigs on after you have defrosted the cake, as it would make it impossible to wrap the cake layers with them on the cake layers. The twigs may discolor with freezing, so leave them at room temperature.
Sorry to hear that you are afraid of the glaze. The glaze is actually the easy part as you are just pouring it on like a sauce. The time consuming part is making sure the ganache undercoat is smooth and level.
You have made a good alternate choice for frosting the cake which you can do some piping as well as decorating with the twigs.
Enjoy, Woody

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My mom and I are getting ready to bake your chocolate twig cake for my daughters wedding. We are afraid of the choc glaze and have decided to substitute a dark choc. buttercream. Can we freeze this cake with/or without the twigs, and how long will it take to defrost? We are not going to layer the cake, but use a floating cake stand and have each tier on that.
We appreciate your response!
Thanks,
Laura and Mable

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Hi Nancy,
Please read "the Bread Bible's" pages 90-91 on freezing bread, which you wrap a cooled loaf in air tight plastic wrap and then in a freezer bag.
We have not had your problem, but would imagine that air is getting in some way or that there is moisture being trapped if you wrap the loaf while it is hot.
Woody

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I bake a lot of artisan bread and freeze the loaves we do not use right away. I have tried many ways to freeze the bread but the crust always falls off in big chunks. WHat causes this and how can I prevent it? I would love some advice.

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Hi Rose,
Do you mind giving me an advice on how to make a American chocolate buttercream without the eggs.
I have your book Cake Bible and but it does not have
a recipe for regular American chocolate buttercream.
Can you please help? Thank you

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Hi Rose, if I stabilize whipped cream with gelatin, will it hold up to 8 hours at room temperature for being able to frost butter layer cakes? How long will chocolate whipped cream hold up to? How can I add chocolate when making a whipped cream with gelatin?

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In the recipe for Ciabatta, on page 357 it says to use a scant cup of all-purpose
flour. It seems like too little. Could you please check out this recipe.

Thank you.

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Thank you Rose. I own the Cake Bible but not the Pie and Pastry Bible. The Cake Bible has been my favorite cookbook for many years. I will try to find the Strawberry Chiffon recipe.

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Hi Rose do you know how to get 40 percent butterfat heavy cream? If you do how long will the whipped cream stay at room temperature?

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Debbie, u will need to develop ur own recipe as I don't have one for strawberry Bavarian cream!

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Great! Just tell me how to adapt the Bavarian Cream recipe to make Strawberry and I'll be set.

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how about using Bavarian cream also for strawberry?

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Do you have any suggestions for me for the strawberry layer? This is for a restaurant so they are concerned about the "life" of the dessert which is why I asked about freezing. I am making 2 for them to try.

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HELP!! I have an order for a Charlotte with a layer of Amaretto and a layer of Strawberry in the same Charlotte. I want to use the Strawberry Cloud Cream for one layer and intended to use the Bavarian Cream recipe for the Amaretto layer. If I put the Strawberry Cloud in first, is it safe to pour the Bavarian Cream over the Strawberry Cloud without breaking down the Strawberry Cloud? Also, can the whole Charlotte be frozen with the Strawberry Cloud? (I didn't see anything that said the Strawberry Cloud could be frozen) I made the jelly roll biscuit to line the bowl and already made the Strawberry Cloud and need to know how to proceed from here.

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Hi Rose, when you said I could substitute 1 cup heavy cream, you said I could use only 1 cup cream to substitute for 3 cups sour cream?

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I have finally done an experiment to find out how to bake a cake with the "Cake" setting on my oven. The manual says to put the cake in a COLD oven and then turn on the Cake setting. What this does is supply a gentle pre-heat and a gentle bake.

At about 10 minutes, the oven beeps that it is ready, but the oven themometer I supplied was still at 225 degrees. It took another few minutes to reach 350, where it stayed. The cake rose gently and consistently throughout, just like the one I put in my regular wall oven with a normal preheat of about 25 minutes.

Both cakes rose to a similar height, set and retained their volume; the one from the regular oven browned a little better on top and reached 190 degrees internal temperature quite a bit sooner.

Both cakes were a world better than the ones I did previously in the more modern oven when I turned on the oven to "bake" and let it preheat "normally."

My conclusion is that, in my oven that has convection capability, even when the fans are off, the regular bake setting uses a very hard and fast preheat that causes the cake to rise and set way too fast around the edges, leaving the middle like a puddle; you can read my previous posts for a longer description.

Next time I'll try the cake setting, but have it on long enough to reach 350 before putting the cake in. Hope that will be ideal.

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Hi Rose, I have one question about your cordon rose cream cheesecake recipe.
You called for 3 cups sour cream, but can I use 3 cups heavy cream instead?

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Hi Rose,

I made the pear almond cream filled pie this afternoon. the pie crust from the page 23 was very soggy, but interesting the almond cream fillings spilt and turned crispy. It was a nice accident with the crispy almond cookie. I took a look at your video, you used the pie crust with cream cheese. I shalll try that recipe next time. I wonder if too much water caused the pie crust to become soggy. the dough clinged together as I added ice water through a food processor tube.

Which of the pie crust recipe you, Rose, used for the photo cover the " the Pie and Pastry Bible "??

In your recipe, the butter calls for creaming before adding almond and flour mixture into the butter. But your video shows that you did something different.

Fan

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Hi Rose,

I have got your books, bread bible, pie and pastry bible, cake bible, cookies book and heavenly cake on its way from amazon.com.

I have a few questions here, if you can help me out here:
I live in Australia. where I don't think I can find gold medal brand or kingauthur flour bands.

1. I can't find so far bleached AP flour. there are different brand of unbleached flour. Can cake flour be used? even cake flour is widely avialable unbleached? if yes, what amount or standard ratio? though, I will visit a health food store to find if there is any bleached AP flour as it calls for in your cookie recipes.

2. can I replace sliced almond with natural almond as it calls for in your pear with almond cream filled pie?? natural almond is unblanced.

Thank you in advance!!!!

Fan

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Bonnie, thx for reporting this, it sounds to me it can work but won't be very stable to pipe. try study the Italian meringue buttercream, which is Italian meringue plus butter and pipes like a dream.

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Hi Rose,
I keep hearing about a pie or cake garnish that is a hybrid of a swiss meringue and whipped cream. I guess the two are folded together and then piped? Is there a name for this? Do you know the proportions to use? I have tried experimenting but come away with something that has a nice texture but is still too sweet to serve. Anything I make that is a little less sweet is not stable enough to pipe. Any ideas?
Thanks.

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Hello, I have found the answers to my question no. 1 and 3. in the Great Cakes and Roses Heavenly cakes
I await your answer to No. 2

Thanks

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Hello Mummy Rose,
I just want you to explain the following to me:
1. Walnuts in cakes: walnuts are hard shell. when you break it you get the nut inside which is white in color. if a cake calls for walnuts, most times it is not specified if its going to chopped and grated to what size - diameter.naturally walnuts are hard, you kinda like chew them.i have never baked with a walnut before but I want to try it. also, the african walnut is it different from US walnut? personally, i dont like eating walnut, i get cough and it blocks my voice. but if am baking with it, i would rather prefer it grated finely or coarsely. what do you recommend and why?

2. In the Rose red velvet cake: can I use extra virgin olive oil or unsweetened vegetable oil in place of the safflower or canoli oil stated in the recipe. I'm not able to get saffolwer or canoli oil in my area (will keep searching all mega stores)but I was able to get SUNFLOWER OIL. what is the difference between SUNFLOWER OIL AND SAFFLOWER OIL. The sunflower oil comes in 5ltr bottle which is way too much for what I'm baking.lol What do you suggest.

3. Also freshly grated ginger, clovers, garlic versus dry powdered ginger, cloves, garlic. Which one has the most intense flavor. I like these spices but I still dont know why most recipes wont specify freshly peeled ginger,cloves,garlic and grated or dry powdered. They just put 30g of ginger, and I'm like how do I determine that, ginger are like fingers, one has to remove the skin etc. Please, help me out on these.

Cakes that calls for carrots, vegetables in general what is the best way to incorporate them. I like things soft on the palate, and not chewing. well cooked carrot is soft, but baked one, I will have to try it, but to be on a safe side, I mite grate it with a more open grater.

Thanks.

Wale

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Thank you!

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Also from previous message what heat setting would be best.

Thanks,
Maria

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Dear Rose,

Its me Maria, I wanted to know for a conventional oven to get the best results when baking a cake will I have to preheat it ? I don't have an oven for now all I have is a conventional one, so I am working on making one of your recipes. Also when the recipe calls for large eggs is there a difference between the white eggs and brown which is best to use and which will give the best yellow color for a yellow butter cake recipe? Please help......

Thanks,
Maria

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Hi Rose, I have one question about cake flour? Which one do you use in your cakes when you use cake flour? Do you use Swans Down, Soft As Silk Cake Flour, or King Arthur Flour's Queen Guinevere Cake Flour? Which one is the best cake flour to choose?

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Hi Rose, about high-fat (82% or higher) butter, what would happen if I used it in butter cakes? Will it come out normal, or will they be too soft?

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Lynn,
We always preheat so as Rose's recipes are engineered to bake properly to the stated baking times. Double-acting baking powders will start activating with moisture. Sponge cake batters using eggs for leavening may not rise properly during the lengthened heating time.
Do experiment. We suggest using a recipe (hopefully) provided by Kenmore to try the gentle setting.
I looked on the web at the Kenmore Elite ranges, but did not see any explanation of this feature.
Enjoy, Woody

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I have never heard of a cake recipe baked on a no prehear cake setting such as the one you mention. technology is definitely changing, I would try and see what results you get. do report back.

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Do any of you have experience using the "cake" setting on a Kenmore Elite gas range? The manual says to put the cake in a cold oven before turning this setting on, for a "gentle" preheat.

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Hi Diane,
Please use the specified pan size in the book, which is available both on line thru Amazon and at many retail stores.
The specified pan is a 4 cup pan.
Enjoy, Woody

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I would like to try the pound cake recipe in The Cake Bible but I have never made a pound cake before. I am going to use a loaf pan that is 7.5 x 3.5 x 2.2 inches. How far from the top of the pan should the batter be? Is there a ratio to determine this measurement for different sized loaf pans?

Diane

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Hello Lynn,

I just want to let you know that Fat Daddios and Wilton cake pan are the best in the world for bakers.
Also, why not try Wilton Cake Release instead of the Bakers Joy. It works perfectly all the time.
Roses mixing method is a 2-stage method and you will get great results all the time, if the batter is well aerated. If you are using creaming method, try add in the flour and liquid mixture in the following:flour, liquid, flour, liquid, flour. ALWAYS end with the flour.

I dont think you need a baking stone, you said it yourself, there is a cake setting on the oven. Have you tried it?

On the cake strip, I will recommend roses baking strips or better still, Wilton magic cake strips. They have longer length and diameter.

Cheers

Wale

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Thanks Woody for the reply. Less I forget, are you on face book. I will like to add you as a friend!

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Lynn, seems that u r doing a GOOD job following the recipe closely. the only thing I can think of is that your oven may be too hot. try check
the temp with an oven dial thermometer.

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Rita, there is a chapter on The Cake Bible that covers the bullet points on large scale baking.

in my experience, foam cakes without baking powder (genoise, biscuit) can be multiplied.

butter cakes using baking powder, need different baking powder amounts depending on the cake diameter.

cookies and yeast breads can be multiplied.

the reasoning is all explained on The Cake Bible.

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I have lots of questions, mostly about equipment, and all related to my problems with having cakes collapse or shrink badly. Just had a bad experience with the red velvet cake for Valentine's Day. I have learned so much from you about weighing the ingredients, etc., and I hope I am finally closing in on solving this problem (frustratingly,, I don't always have the problem).
1- Would you have to use a pan with perfectly straight sides to get the benefit of using a cake strip? I used a Regency strip on a slightly flared 9" pan for this recipe; the strip may have dried out too fast since it couldn't really be snug on the pan.
2-If Rose favors Chicago metallic pans, which are dark, are the oven temperatures 25 degrees too cool for anodized aluminum pans (I use Fat Daddyo's or Wilton).
3-I have a pretty new oven with all kinds of features for pre-heat, convection, and a "cakes" setting (who knows what that actually does). I'm using the straight ahead "bake" setting, allowing almost 30 minutes to warm up. What I observed through the window was this: the cake rose almost to the top of the pan and pretty quickly divided itself into three concentric parts. The outer 2 inches looked set very early, and looked more coarse as time went by. The next ring was a row of bubbles. Then the center looked liquid/wobbly all the way to the 25 minutes minimum baking time in the recipe. I put a cake tester in the center and gently touched the surface at this point, and the cake started to collapse. Is any of this normal? Should I have just waited longer to test it? Does it seem like the oven may be running too cool?
4-What do you think of using a baking stone to help maintain a constant temperature?
5-How about a baking core or a flower nail in the center of the pan? (I've been saving these for 10" pans).
6-Rereading Rose's instructions for handheld mixers, I'm wondering if my "symptoms" could more likely be from undermixing. I've used several different ovens over the years, but always a handheld mixer.
7-What happens if you have too much grease when you initially prepare the pan? My Baker's Joy was clogged, and when it got going again came out in globs which I had to try to reduce. I'd actually prefer the old Crisco and flour method, I think.
8-Finally, is it OK to use the dried SACO buttermilk? I hate to buy so much fresh buttermilk for just a bit in a recipe (it obligates me to do pancakes the next weekend). How about the old trick of souring a bit of milk?

Too many questions, but in the real world, there always seem to be adjustments to be made at the last minute; and I will probably not be doing this particular cake again for at least a year. I hope the questions are general enough to help a lot of bakers.

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Wale,
For the Campbell's Tomato Soup, please go to Campbell's website and check their condensed soups. Ketchup or tomato paste will be too intense. You will have to experiment as we offer no substitute.

The fun of baking is exploring. Reading the ingredients and mixing techniques will give you an idea on differences in recipes. Enjoy baking similar cakes from each book to see what you like and who's recipe writing works for you.
Enjoy your baking adventures, Woody

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Hello Mummy Rose,

How are you doing. I finally got my book order today. I now have the following cake books:
1. The Cake Bible
2. Perfect Cakes - Nick Malgieri
3. The Cake Book - Tish Boyle
4. Great Cakes - Carole Walters
5. Roses Heavenly Cakes
6. Maida Heatter Cakes (awaiting delivery)

I was trying to compare recipes, techniques etc. I came across your cake recipe on Chocolate Tomato Cake with Mystery Ganache. I also find a Tomato soup cake in the recipe list of Maida Heatter Cakes. I want to substitute the Tomato Soup with Ketchup or Pureed Tomato, which is what we have here in Nigeria. Is it OK and by what quantity. What do you mean by a Tomato soup, is it the same thing as Ketchup and Pureed Tomato paste?
I was looking for the following recipes too:
Chocolate Stout Cake (I found Guiness Chocolate Cake in the Cake Book);can I subsitute Milk Stout to Guiness Stout, and The New German Chocolate Cake; what is the difference between your German Chocolate Cake and the New German Chocolate Cake
I am so loving my cake books and confused on what to bake.lol I also have the Flavor Bible.

Thanks

Wale

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Hi Rose,

I love all your books and have been using them for years now. My question is how to multiply by ten or twenty your cake recipes (including genoise), cookie recipes, and brioche or yeast doughs. Can the leavening be multiplied as well? I do have a 30 qt capacity mixer to accomodate those quantities.
Please help. Thank you.

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Rose, You mentioned that you had designed a new pie pan that helps in browning the crust. Where can I purchase it. Thank you

Gwen Kirkpatrick

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Hi Rose, how can I make your Dark Chocolate Ganache enough to fill & frost a 3-tiered wedding cake?

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On the subject of substitutes for dairy products, I have read that coconut milk/creme work, but don't know about as a sub. for heavy cream, and of course nothing tastes like good butter. I look forward to learning about a soy ganache. Thank you.

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thx woody, that sounds like it will please a lot of people.

HOWEVER, i must urge the world to take precaution about soy. soy has never been intended to be ingested more than what originally was designed for: soy sauce, fermented soy, and the occasional tofu.

unfortunately, now soy is EVERYWHERE, milk is one. it is used heavily in baked goods, and many other packaged foods. it is also used as animal feed and as fertilizer. this is perhaps the reason why many people nowadays are intolerant to many types of things, because once you eat too much of one thing (in this example: soy), then your balance goes off.

i said my 2 cents. unless you have a genetic allergy, i strongly suggest for people with allergies to gradually introduce all foods they were told they were allergic to. they key is eat everything, but in moderation, in quantities the human body are able to use. the human body wasn't designed to eat soy as milk.

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Hi Ruth,
I have been working on a soy milk ganache and we will post it as an article sometime this month.

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How I envy most of the bloggers here, unconcerned about ingredients. I am wholly/severely dairy-allergic and I accept I get less than the very best (but not bad!) results so long as I can 'cover' for the loss of the taste of butter. (I wasn't always so allergic). Does anyone have a suggestion of a substitute for heavy cream so that I can contrive a chocolate ganache? caramel? etc.

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i've read on the FDA website, that italian meringue heats the egg whites hot enough to kill salmonella.

also, i have not heard of anyone getting sick from any of the egg based buttercreams from the cake bible due to salmonella.

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Dear Rose

Any suggestions on vanilla brand? So are u saying not to use egg in the buttercream on page 517 of CB? If I am making a cake for 150 would I use buttercream on pg.. 397?

Thanks,
Maria

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Dear Maria,
1.The American Poultry and Egg Board considers it unsafe to use unpasteurized eggs in buttercreams for infants, older people, and those who have impaired immune systems.
2. We do not have any recipes using cool whip, but do suggest either whip cream or ganache recipes.
3. It is important to use a good brand of pure vanilla extract. Some Hispanic brands have an added agent, coumarin, that can give them a bad after taste. Imitation vanilla extract also has an after taste. If you do not like vanilla, don't add any flavoring or flavor the whip cream with a complimentary extract or liquor. Butter will breakdown the whipped cream.
4. Original Cool Whip contains vegetable oil and corn syrup. We do not have any recipes for making Cool Whip as we do not use them for any of our adornments. You may want to check the web for recipes.
You may also want to check with some Hispanic bakeries on what they use for whipped cream.

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Dear Rose,

First of all let me start by saying ,thank you, for your advice in your cake bible edition I just baught and it's awesome but of course I have questions.....
I took cake decorating classes and there the insructor advised not to use eggs in butter creams for that would cause samonella?

1. If using eggs like it recalls in recipes for buttercreams would that cause getting samonella?
2. In our hispanic community they really like having more like a cool whip frosting one that's not as sweet as classic buttercream. Have you ever had a client ask for that topping instead of buttercream?
3. I have tried making the whippedcream but even if I use the vanilla flavor it still has this after taste ,why, can u add butter flavor to it to get a better taste?
4.Last, what is the difference between cool whip and heavy whipping cream? Any recipe to making cool whip cream?

Please Rose Help!

I will keep working on other recipes in this great book that as soon as I opened and began reading I knew that it would help answer many questions. I can't wait to purchase the other edition Heavenly Cakes......

Thanks Rose,

Maria

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In your 3-tier wedding cake recipes, do your recipes call for 9 x 2 inch cake pans when making the 9-inch tier?

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Hello Mummy Rose,

I know this is a bit late, but I just saw it online. Congratulations on the award of Cook Book of the Year from the IACP for the Rose's Heavenly Cakes. More grace to your elbows.

I just ordered Rose's Heavenly Cake and I hope, it will be a blessing to me as much as the cake bible.

I have also made it a point of reference or standard that any cook book I'm going to buy should be an award winning book or author. I think that way, I can be rest assured of the recipes and high level of informations in the book. If a cook book author can get the following awards: IACP, James Beard, Julia Child. Then that authors book is worth investing on.

Thanks for the "bottom-less well of knowledge".

Yours truly

Olawale

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Hi Anand,
Your questions sounds like you are using the recipe from "The Cake Bible". We improved the method with "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" by reversing how the butter and Italian meringue is combined. With the new method, you cream the butter in the mixer bowl. You then add all of the Italian meringue and beat it with the whisk beater till it becomes a buttercream. You still need to have both the butter and the Italian meringue at 70 F (or a least within a degree or two of each other, using the cooling or warming methods explained in both books. The new method is easier and assures that the butter is creamy.

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Hi Rose. In your Mouselline Buttercream recipe, when the butter is added to the Italian meringue, should it be added when it's beaten until creamy or can I add it one lump one at a time in the tablespoon?

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Hi Rose,
I've tried your brioche bread recipe twice and results and taste are getting better, but I'm still unable to get my dough to wrap around the dough hook of the Kitchenaid Standmixer. I'm afraid to add too much flour, but should I just continue to add more flour until the dough starts to wrap around the dough hook?

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Hi Joanna,

Is your husband making these by weight or by volume? The pita won't puff if the dough is too dry, so if measuring by volume, he might be getting too much flour. I would also use the baking stone to make sure the oven stays hot enough, especially when baking subsequent pita. I've had success with the oven method as written in the bread bible for both the regular and whole wheat versions. It is exciting when they balloon in the oven!

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Hello Rose and Hector,

Thanks for your reply. I still feel the DVD will do a lot even if the world is going a faster technological growth. Here in africa, what is applicabel to us is the DVD.lol
I really need the compilation of the baking series. Hector, how can you help me out personally.

I await your reply.

Mummy Rose, the gluten free website is a bit vast, I might have to read through very well, because this is a new field am stepping into, I will need your help all the way.

Thanks

Wale

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Rose,
My fiance and I have been making pita. He loves your book. But we CANNOT get them to puff.
We did the skillet thing, not much puffing. Now we did the oven thing, and I even re rolled and remoisturized a few...nothing.
Next we can try our pizza stone...any thoughts? Suggestions? He loves to bake and loves to make your breads, but this has him going crazy.

Thanks!
Joanna

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one more thing, the GM videos are available embedded on the RHC kindle version.

the world is really changing. books are not just books anymore, nor DVDs are just that neither.

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oh, and there is no hector's take dvd. but maybe a
book indeed in 2015?

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olawale, DVD demand seems to be a endangered species world. people are nowadays favoring electronic downloads.

General Mills has the RHC segments on DVD, but I was not able to copy and send them to everyone for just the cost of duplication and shipping because
it seems only 100 people wanted the DVDs, but 200 is the minimum order I can do with the duplicator machine. and the cost was $10 per disc, indeed $20 since it is a set of two.

we look forward for the future and what will come to replace DVDs! in the meantime rest assure that we are trying to share Rose as widely as possible :)

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Hello Mrs. Rose,

I want to ask about your baking series with PBS and GM. Have you ever considered compressing these tutorials series into a 1 dvd component i.e. Baking Magic with Rose by PBS and GM Baking with Rose.

I think it will be a very resourceful Dvd because there are no baking DVDs out there worth viewing. Yours is like a watching a demo class at FCI.lol

I know there is Hectors take on Roses Heavenly cakes dvd (which i hope to buy soon) but I really want to watch you day and night. I am guessing maybe because the videos where sponsored, so maybe its free for all to view. I might have to get a video downloader to compress it them, but it will take a long time.

Is there a way you can convince your sponsors i.e. GM and PBS to consider compressing this video into one entity and sell it may be at a very reduced price? There are cake decorating dvds, gumpaste dvds but a cake baking video not to talk of the science of baking in which you teach, none in the market. Most of us here in Nigeria are not connected to the internet, so this will be a lot more easier, affordable and a blessing!

Also can you kindly recommend cake recipe books and their authors on the followings; Gluten free cakes/vegan cakes/organic cakes/cholesterol cakes.

I want to include these in to my cake business here in Nigeria because people are begining to watch their weight, fat level, starch intake etc. its affecting baked goods and I want to create a market in that so as to make me finacially succeful and a fully versatile baker. I found some recipes in the Cake Bible as well, but I need a comprehensive material, with the whys of using the ingredients etc.

Thanks for your reply.

Olawale
Your Fan from Nigeria

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Thanks so much for your reply, Hector! I'll take a look at the page as soon as I get home.

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Bi Xian. page 170 gives 3 choices of flavorings for the syrup, one isn't alcoholic!

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Hi Rose,

I'm looking to bake a Genoise Rose from Rose's Heavenly Cakes. Just wondering if there's a non-alcoholic replacement I could use? :)

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I am getting ready to make the golden neoclassic buttercream from the Heavenly Cakes book. First, I need 8 cups of frosting so is it ok to just do 4 times the ingredients all at once?
Second, is this a crusting buttercream at all? I am used to smoothing with the viva papertowel method and that just came into my mind. Does this have the light texture that the chocolate-egg white buttercream has?

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Thanks for the reply Hector. I will work on it. It going to be challenging.lol!

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Owale, how about you try to make a wedding cake out of each Cake Bible recipe. THAT will be fantastic to share.

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Hello Rose and Hector,

Thanks for your reply. I will work on it. I have email the other book authors, except Carole Walters.

What about the recipes in the cake bible - 'what number can i multiply other cake recipes in the cake bible to give me a wedding cake quantity from 3 tiers and above, e.g. converting the chocolate mayonnaise cake to a wedding cake recipe, i want to be careful of the mayonnaise because I have here in Nigeria Mayonnaise by BAMA and HEINZ.

Thanks.

Wale

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Olawale, happy baking! the answer is yes, but we can't give you the numbers because we don't have it and takes a lot of testing! cake recipes are specific for what pan size and composition they are written for. you will need to apply the concept and develop your own.

the rose factor is VERY specific, but i've heard several people using the same concept to develop their own "factors" for other recipes. you will need to do this on your own by testing, as there isn't really a magic conversion math from "rose" to others or vice versa.

this mostly applies to butter cakes using baking powder. for foam cakes, such as genoise and biscuit, that do not use baking powder, these bake in practically on any size pan as i've done! you do need to consider oven temperature and time (more for larger pans, less for smaller pans)

good luck, i would go for it, write your own "factor" from your own experience. it will work!

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Hello Rose,
Happy new year to you. I want to ask you a question concerning the versatility of the Rose factor in making wedding cakes of various tiers using other cake book author recipes.
I have finally with me, the cake bible and it has been a blessing unto me.
I plan on buying the following cake books next month.
1. Rose's heavenly cake
2. The cake book - tish boyle
3. Great cakes - carole walter
4. Maida heaater cakes - maida heatter

I have with me already Perfect cakes by Nick Malgieri. I want to try out an experiment but I need your advice and help. for example, I want to bake a cake recipe from e.g. Great cakes by Carole Walters, but I want to use the Rose factor method to make the cake. What 'almighty formula/equation' can I use to achieve this. Is the rose factor adaptable to other cake author recipes or its only for your cake (since it was your personal research). If I like a recipe from another cake book author, but it does not have a wedding cake conversion scale, how can I use your formula or method to assist me from the cake bible.

Also, by what number can i multiply other cake recipes in the cake bible to give me a wedding cake quantity from 3 tiers and above, e.g. converting the chocolate mayonnaise cake to a wedding cake recipe, i want to be careful of the mayonnaise because I have here in Niger Mayonnaise by BAMA and HEINZ.
Thanks for your reply.

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Thanks for the input. I knew something was wrong. What would you suggest for cooking temperature? Should I let it rise in warmer conditions than room temperature? Does it need more yeast? It only called for 11/8 tsp. Also our room temp is set at night to 69 to 70F. Is that warm enough?
I'm almost scared to try the recipe again it was so awful.

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Dear Mis Beranbaum.

I learned how to bake bread by following your advises and recepises on your book "The breab bible". My reults have been very consistent and successful over the past year. Using your percentages, 100% bread flour from King arthur, 66 % water, 18 gr of salt, and 7 gr of active dry yeast, the results have been excellent, close to bakery quality. However my success took a turn for the worst when I used bread flour I bought in France this past summer. It appears that the gluten network did not develop, the dought lacked smoothness and broke up during the rising process. Although the poolish looked very good! I wish I could send you pictures to illustrate the results.

As a note I use the same methods that were successful previously and the same quick rise dry yeast.

Can you help me figure where the problem lies?

I appreciate your help

Have a great new year 2011!

Best Regards

Patrice

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Hi,
I'm almost 13 and I just got your book The Cake Bible
for Christmas! My mother gave it to me because I love to be with her in the kitchen. A very good friend of my mom recommended this book to her because it is her
favorite of all of your books that she has. I look forward to using the book for my birthday! I hope this book gives me, my family and my friends many years of delicious food and fun!
thanks,
jessie

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I'm vry new to bread baking. Just tried a recipe for Opulent bread from Mother Earth News latest edition. Tastes good but way over done and pretty heavy. Called for 2 C Rye flour, 2 C whole wheat, 2C Barley flour - 11/8 tsp dry yeast, little over two cups water , salt and let it rise room temperature total of 3 times, first overnight at room temp. Then bake 21/2 hours at 400. Smell good,, taste good but I can't hardly saw through it to cut it. What went wrong and what can I do to fix it.?

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arielle, here is the link

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2008/03/great_wedding_cake_class.html

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Yes that is exactly what I am referring to!

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are you referring to the picture in the "Great Wedding Cake Class, Mar 16, 2008 entry on Rose's site?
(dark brown pirouettes with green ribbon and ruffles and pink roses on top)

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I was looking at different wedding cakes online, and I decided to look up the pirouette kind (because I think they can look really beautiful) and I was looking through the google pictures and came across that picture, and so I started looking around your blog for just wedding cake type recipes in general. I was really struggling because I am attempting to make my own cake. And so my mom said that it wouldn't hurt to just ask how to make the pirouette cake, so I just posted a comment.

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Rose, I have had your Christmas Cookies Cookbook for 20 years. One of my daughter's loves your chocolate dipped melting moments. The problem we have is that they seem to crumble too easily. The recipe in the book I own calls for 1 cup of corn starch with 3/4 cup of flour. Is the corn starch quantity correct? Could that contribute to how fragile the cookie seems?

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Hey rose, I was looking at your pirouette cake that has the green ribbons around it and I was looking on how to make it, and I couldn't find anything about it. I was thinking about making something along those lines for my wedding but I don't have a description.. Can you let me know how you make it?

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Hello again,

I'm the one who questioned about the pumpkin ricotta cheesecake last month. I kinda figured that cream cheese would be your favorite. In all honesty, and humor, your reply did arouse what I imagine to be the same feeling that Ralphie in the movie A Christmas Story experienced when Santa Claus says, "You'll shoot your eye out kid," in response to his wish for a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

That said, you inspired me to figure it out on my own, and I must say I came up with something pretty fan-freaking-tastic if I may say so myself. I wrote about it on my blog, so if anyone is looking for an alternative to either pumpkin pie or your regular pumpkin cream cheese cheesecake check it out.

Thanks for being here Rose and the quick replies!

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I have a question about the Chocolate Caramel Chews,p. 100 in Rose's Christmas Cookies. It says to cook the caramel to 370 degrees F. I have not tried it yet, it seems awfully high. Is that the correct temperature?

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Hi Rose-
I just found your column, " Food Q & A" in my local paper, and someone was asking about using Crisco for pie crusts. I'm still getting good results, and my recipe is similar: I use 1/2 C. Crisco for the rest of the ingredients being the same. Lard also works very well, as long as the quality is good. For meat pies, a Christmas treat, we use suet or rendered beef tallow.
Thanks for posting this in the right place-
Joanne

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Hi All - Just joined hoping to get some baking tips and trouble-shooting. I have an amazing Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe from Savannah, GA's Mrs. Wilke's Boarding House. Problem is, I always get a firm crust on top that separates from the body of the cake. When I flip it onto the cooling wrack, it crumbles and effects the presentation. Any idea why this happens? I don't know what I can change in the recipe to stop it.
Thanks!

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Hi Rose,

It's that time of year and I'm baking the shortbread cookies from "Rose's Christmas Cookies" once again. I like making them as individual cookies rather than in a pan for wedges. My issue is that the many cookie presses I have tried over the years do not produce such clean lines as your cathedral cookies. The presses I have used are ceramic and have carved designs that do not remain clearly in the cookie after it is baked. Could you please share the brand name of your cathedral cookie press, so I can try to find where it is sold or look for it on eBay? If anyone else can help with this request, it would be greatly appreciated.
Happy Holidays!
Thanks,
Debbie

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Hi Rose,

Is there any way I could use "Rose Water" as a main ingredient in cakes and pastries? I really like rose flavoured things, but I can't seem to get it right.

Thanks,
Herman

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Thank you, so much, Hecor. I"m new to the Nook Reader, so any tips are very helpful. Not everything is explained in the manual. Have a blessed day.

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Ellie, i am using Rose's Heavenly Cakes on kindle for mac. to highlight, select the text and right click and click on highlight. to undo this (un-highlight), right click on the highlighted text and click on remove highlight.

due to copyrights, printing is a function "not" allowed on kindle and most all e-book readers. however you can google for information on how people are attempting to print, with software such as screen capture.

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Kirsten, that is so cute!

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Hi: I wasn't sure where to post this -- but I thought fellow bakers might be interested in a video I put together with my husband & my kids involving Christmas cookies from Rose's Christmas cookbook. We've been baking these every year since the early 90s'. We thought it might be fun if these cookie's 'danced' to the nutcracker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm54ZyG9wyU

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Have recently purchased Rose's Heavenly Cakes for my Nook Book. I downloaded it on my PC and am having trouble removing highlighting that I used in a recipe. Is there a way to do that? Also how does one print the recipe form your pc?

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My husband and I love Rose's "The Bread Bible." We particularly like the French Country Sourdough Boule made with the LA-2 pain de compagne but King Arthur Flour no longer carries this starter. Can anyone help me find a new source? Many thanks!

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Im hoping to make a wedding cake for 50 people. The bride does not want any butter or margarine to be used and the event is kosher.

I thought a carrot cake would be great,but because they are serving meat I can not use the traditional cream cheese icing to go with the carrot cake. Do you have any other suggestions for the icing. Could I use a simple syrup to coat the cake before applying the fondant. Hoping to hear back from you.

Sincerely,
Rozanne Sehayik

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I have making a lot of whole wheat pita with Atta flour with very successful results. I have recently read about 00 flour from Italy. What are the differences and are they interchangeable?

Thanks,
Pat

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I'm looking forward to the reply. I too prefer the European style cheesecakes using ricotta or quark much better than the ones using cream cheese. I find they are generally not as heavy (rich) and often not as sweet.

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Hi there,

I'm sure you're waaaay busy with the holidays and everything, but I was wondering if you might have a short moment to aid me in my endeavors. First off I want to say that I'm a huge fan. I love your books not only for the fantastic recipes but for their ability to impart knowledge, not just a set of instructions.

Speaking of knowledge, I was wondering if you have any advice in converting cheesecake recipes from cream cheese cheesecakes to ricotta cheese cheesecakes. I know, I know, to some using anything but cream cheese is a sin against god (especially since I'm from New York, horrors!), but ricotta is easier on my stomach, and I actually prefer the taste *gasp*.

For example there's this plain ricotta cheesecake recipe that I really enjoy:

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 pounds fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

How would I turn that into a pumpkin version? Could I just replace the cream cheese in the following recipe with ricotta?

4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, very soft
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons pumpkin-pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature

I've seen lots of different flavors of cheesecake out there using cream cheese, but not many variations using ricotta. How do I make the change? Or how can I introduce pumpkin (or chocolate for that matter) flavor into a ricotta cheesecake recipe?

Thanks so much for your help!
Aimee

PS: If anyone else has any advice in this realm, would love to hear it! Thanks in advance!

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I appreciate you getting right back to me!

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Dear Rose,
I have been making scones where I press frozen fruit between the layers of scone dough (baking powder used only) and then freezing them and baking them off as needed straight from freezer. The scones with either raspberries or blueberries in them appear to be growing mold on the edges of the dough -- very quickly -- although scones with peaches or apples don't seem to have this problem. I am wondering if the blue/green stuff has more to do with the sodium bicarbonate in the baking powder reacting with the juices from the berries? In any case, I am hoping I can halt this reaction as it looks pretty bad. Any thoughts?
Sincerely,
David

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Thank you both. Looks like I am getting some Cake Release asap!

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Peter, the Cake Release is not cheap, I agree, but it is very handy to have in the cupboard and I find it quite economical, using a very small amount and using a pastry brush to apply just a fine film over the tin. I have been using it for a few years now and I am only on my second one.

I can't help you with the chiffon cake as I don't think I've ever made one!

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Almost forgot to mention, chiffon is a cake that should work well with your 8% flour, as it doesn't require bleached flour.

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Hi Peter, in RHC there are directions for baking a chiffon in a layer, which you could try if you don't find the pan. Look at the orange chiffon layer cake.

In addition to Jeanette's excellent advice to read up on Kate flour, you can also read up on "The Power of Flour", search for it here on the blog.

Enjoy RHC!

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Thanks Jeanette. I have seen Cake Release, but thought it seemed over-priced. How much do you use and how do you apply it?

Have you ever attempted a chiffon, and in a proper angel food pan? I can't find one anywhere!

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Peter, I can't answer all your questions but as I am in the UK and I use Rose's books all the time I can vouch for her recipes! In answer to the question about Baker's Joy, I use a product available from Lakeland, called Cake Release by Wilton, I find it very good and don't need to use flour with it. I use it for all my tins and it works well, even in the intricate bundt tins so long as you make sure you go into all the crevices!
As to the subject of 'cake flour' .... Have you seen mention of 'Kate' flour on here? If not, click on to 'A Merrier World' , it is listed on the left of this page, when you get there click on to 'Kate flour' and that will give you all the info. you need. It works too!!! It is also at the back of RHC. Good luck with your baking!

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Hi Rose!

I feel very naughty asking you these questions, as it must be like giving you homework. It's great that you have this blog though - I cannot think of a single cookery writer who makes themselves so approachable.

Your books are new to me, as is your batter mixing method. I live in the UK, and we just don't do things your way here (though we do weigh, which is the only way to bake!). I have been making several of your recipes and have been really happy with the results, but need answers to a few things. I hope you can help.

First, we don't have cake flour, which I know you know. I travel to Japan often for work though, and can get flour which, though I am pretty sure is unbleached, has only 8% protein, which is much lower than anything at home. I made the downy yellow butter cake (loved the video!), and loved it. Can I assume that this 8% flour is cake flour-esque and proceed with it, or am I still missing out on perfection?

We also do not have Baker's Joy, or any spray oil for greasing cake pans. Can I use Trex (same stuff as Crisco) for bundt tins, and is it essential that I flour them too? How do I do that - sift a little flour in there and tap out the excess? And should I melt the Trex first?

Chiffon pans are also impossible to find. I can get them in Japan, but they are all non-stick, or paper disposable ones. Have you used these, and would you recommend doing so?

I cannot wait to cook my way through Heavenly Cakes. So far, I have done the Red Velvet and genoise. Both were sensational, and I can't wait to try them with my Japanese flour.

Thanks Rose. Keep up the good work!

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Hello Rose,

I love your new cookbook! Someone has asked me to make them a wheat-free cake covered in fondant. I've made your chocolate feather bed before and it was delicious. Do you think it would support rolled fondadnt?

Thank-you!
Amy R.

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Thanks, Rose! I reduced the conserves over the stove today, and it finally set up. I did lose a quarter of the jar, but what a flavor explosion it was! I will experiment with other fruits--loquats and blackberries (both grow wild in my area) and apricots.

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Hi Rose, I will try reducing it then and using the cold plate test. I noticed that it took a long time for the poached raspberries to drain. Half an hour later, there was still juice dripping out. Maybe I didn't fully drain the raspberries, so the puree had too much water? How long does it usually take you to drain the raspberries? Maybe I should just let the raspberries sit for an hour or so to fully drain.

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I tried making the Cordon Rose raspberry conserves this weekend with fresh raspberries. I followed the recipe from the Pie and Pastry Bible (making half the recipe). After draining the juices from the raspberries as well as I can and reducing the syrup, I was left with a bit less than a cup. When the syrup cooled, it formed a very stiff gel (a good sign, I thought). I liquefied the syrup when I was done sieving the berries and added the puree back in. I didn't get too much out of sieving the raspberries, so I already had 2 cups (after adding back some seeds) before the final simmering. So instead of simmering for 10 minutes, I just brought the mixture to a simmer and jarred it. After two days in the fridge, it's still a bit too thin. Can I fix it by simmering it until thick? And for the next time I make it, how can I tell if the conserves will thicken to the right consistency before I jar them? Just judging by volume doesn't seem to work well. Thank you for your help!

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okay, thank you so much, you've been extremely helpful --and all my friends love me more now that I bake your cakes so much :)--i'll be sure to tune in here often!

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Both of these were high on my list, so thank god I already know a bit about them!
(Thank you for replying so quickly, that is just wonderful!!!)
I love that the Artisan has so many colors available, and Kitchen Aid is definitely a brand I've always known.
I've heard that the Artisan has plastic gears, and I saw that two of the attachments it comes with look like they're plastic as well.
I was a bit concerned about the longevity of a machine with plastic gears, do you know if this would be a big problem?
Would I need to get a new flat beater and dough hook, or would the plastic ones do?

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Hi Rose!
I got your "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" for Christmas from my brother. (He said, since my name is Rose and I like to bake, it was the PERFECT gift!)

I have LOVED baking the cakes in it (and they are always gone in just a couple days).
I have been using the hand mixer my mother inherited and then passed down to me, but it is about 20 years old now and I'd like to get a new stand mixer. I have been researching, but can't seem to narrow my selection down at all! All the reviews are so confusing... Do you have any suggestions? This shopping has been a nightmare!

Thank you!
-Rose

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I will definitely try the strawberry conserve now that there is such an abundance of strawberries. Are your conserves naturally preserved by the sugar content of the recipe?

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Hi Rose, I'm really intrigued by the Le Cordon Rose conserves. Having made jam the traditional way, I'm curious as to how your method works. While most recipes require copious amounts of sugar and perhaps even added pectin, yours relies on a high fruit content. Is it the reduction of all that extra fruit that achieves the proper concentration of sugar and natural pectin for the mixture to gel? (So clever, I think, to use a high fruit content and get more flavor out of it.) Also, why is it that, when you direct us to reduce the syrup, the final temperature is below the boiling point of water (212 degrees F)? Sugar should raise the boiling point.

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Sorry - I would delete the below if I could figure out a way. I had done searches for posts on this my issue before adding the comment, but I just did another search, reducing it to simply 'British' - and I came up with this (http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2006/07/crossing_the_atlantic_by_cookb.html).

Apologies - I suspect it is just the issue of flour then!

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I bought the Bread Bible a couple of years back and absolutely love baking from it. However, I find that my doughs are consistently far too sticky/loose even though I measure by weight. I frequently have to cut the liquid content by up to 1/3 in subsequent trials (not so much a problem with artisan breads, but was a big problem with bagels, for instance).

I live in England and I imagine that atmospheric humidity might be the issue, though it seems odd that it could create SUCH a difference. I also use a Kitchen Aid for kneading. Could this be affecting things? Or the gluten in British bread flour (I don't seem to have such a problem with cakes, but I usually use Italian flour for those...)?

Obviously, I get around it eventually by trial and error and probably just need to start with 3/4 of the water and then add from there, though doing so can be kind of messy. I am mainly just curious to know if you had insight into what, exactly, is going on here....
Thanks so much!

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Heidi, thanks for posting this, it is so helpful to know that frozen fruit works! This can be a year-round cake instead of just a summertime treat.

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Sorry, I forgot to add my name to the previous "anonymous" comment. I also wanted to mention that I made the caramel sauce fairly dark and found that the next day it had a stronger flavour than I liked so I would also make the caramel sauce a bit lighter next time.

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I posted my question about using frozen fruit back in January so because I didn't get an answer for quite a while I decided to try it. I made the Plum and Blueberry Upside-Down Torte from RHC. I had a lot of frozen Damson plums and frozen blueberries to use up, so I thawed the fruit till it was just barely thawed and not making any juice yet. Spreading the cake batter on top was trickier. Due to the heat of the caramel sauce, the barely thawed fruit immediately started releasing juice. The next time I’m using frozen fruit I’m going to let the caramel cool completely before putting the fruit on top. However, it baked up beautifully. The cake was beautiful and moist but not at all soggy. I’m definitely going to make this again. We are German and don't like overly sweet cakes either but the whole family liked it, especially with a nice dollop of whipped cream on the side. It was delicious !

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do not put frozen anything unless it is indicated in recipe. This cake is very moist and access moisture from thawed berries will make it into pudding.

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I made this cake yesterday. I had to bake it longer approx 55 min, because I was afraid it was too moist, although it was ready to be taken out at 50 min.
The cake came out fine, although some of the caramel was hardened at the bottom of the pan. it did not affect the overall presentation.
It seemed to me that the caramel moistened cake, and also made it soggier outside. I left it cool down, and did not cover for 6 hours.
All i can say, bake it longer. Next time I am going to make less caramel sauce and put a bit less sugar. My husband said it was too sweet for him. But we are from Russia. All of the Americans who tasted it were ecstatic, they thought it was from the bakery.

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Someone from the forum directed me to "Book Errata" in the Categories section. I hadn't noticed that before. I was glad there weren't really any corrections as you said...just more or less clarifications. :-)

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Hi Rose,
What is the most recent reprint of the Cake Bible? Is there a list available of corrections made to recipes in the 1988 printing of the Cake Bible? I've had my Cake Bible since 1991 and it's still in good condition so I would just like to write the corrections in my current book rather than having to buy a new one and lose all the personal notes I've added to mine.
Heidi

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Thanks, Annie. I may go with making and freezing the curd (takes up less freezer space than a few dozen whole oranges).

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Sandra, You can freeze the Seville oranges for at least a year - and by then they will be available again! I made the same cake a couple of months ago with frozen oranges. You need to use the zest from regular oranges, though.

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Hi Rose, I just made the Seville orange genoise, and it is a real keeper. One question, though: Seville oranges are only available here (in British Columbia) for a few weeks a year. What can I substitute?

Okay, make that two questions: I'm thinking that I might make a large batch of curd with the Seville oranges, and try preserving it so that I can make this cake throughout the year. Would you recommend freezing the curd, or canning it? And if canning, how long should I process it in a water bath?

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I have a lot of frozen Damson plums (some people call them Italian plums) and also frozen blueberries in my freezer. Would frozen plums and blueberries work in the Plum & Blueberry Upside-down Torte? (pg 12 Heavenly Cakes)

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Hi Rose, I was just wondering your opinion on ovalette and if perhaps you might use it for anything? Also a big thank you for all the wondeful recipes we have enjoyed.
Shannon

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Hi Elaine, not only do you need to sift before measuring, but you need to sift directly into the cup. I'm sure that you're getting too much flour if you aren't using this method. You can read more about the method in the cake bible, or better yet, view Rose's video here about how to measure flour.

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This is my second try to post. My first one appeared on the blog, then disappearred.

I made the All Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake and it turned out super dry and crumbly. Should I have maybe sifted the cake flour prior to measuring? I also used a store brand cake flour my husband bought.

Also, I used to be an ace at Italian Meringue (boiled icing) and I've lost my knack after 20 years of birthday cake baking. This is my family's favorite frosting and I thought using your recipe would rectify any problems, but it, as usual, turned out only smooth and creamy on the surface. Underneath it looked grainy even though it wasn't. I used a new thermometer and boiled the syrup to 248 degrees and poured into sugared whipped egg whites.
What the heck am I doing wrong? I used Tyler Florence's recipe also and it turned out the same, if it makes you feel any better.

Help, help,

Elaine

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The cake *is* wonderful - everyone loved it, and it was beautiful to look at. Do you think the relative lack of caramely liquids might just be put down to type of apple used? Either way, I think it'll be a new Rosh Hashana tradition.

Next up, for my sister's birthday, the white chocolate/passion fruit curd genoise (though my husband is lobbying hard for the Bostinis :0)

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Shana Tova to all celebrating the new year. I had a bit of a disaster with the Plum Blueberry Upsidedown Torte and am trying to understand why. I'm a seasoned baker and rarely has anything not worked out so I'm wondering what I did wrong. It baked for 50 minutes - the tester came out dry - the cake was golden brown and springy - came away from the sides of the pan - and after a few minutes released perfectly. It was so beautiful I sent pics from my I Phone to the family to show them what to look forward to! When I went to cut it later yesterday evening it looked like pudding! A big mush. The fruit was perfect from my farmers market - and I used King Arthur flour - a flour I've been using for 20 years - any suggestions as to what may have gone wrong? I'll tackle it again next weekend for break fast! Thanks for your new book - I'll bake through it like I have all your others!

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Just made my first recipe out the new book - the Apple Upside-Down Cake for Rosh Hashana. It came out pretty much perfect, though perhaps is exuding less in the way or caramely liquids than the photo in the book. I'll let you know Monday what the guests think!

My only comment on the recipe is that I seemed get the appropriately thin 1/4" slices of apple by slicing the apple quarters into *six* parts, rather than three....

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BH

Hi Rose. Shana Tova!

I am attempting to make a honey sponge cake with brown sugar for the new year. My initial guess is to add 1/2 cup of honey and to replace 1/2 of white (superfine) sugar with brown sugar (I got some Moscavado...) I am thinking of adding the honey and brown sugar to the egg yolk mixture.

The goal is to get an intense traditional honey cake flavor with the lightness of a sponge cake (or angel food if you want to go there...)

Do you think that these proportions and ingredients will work?

Will the honey and brown sugar be to heavy for the sponge?

I would love some advice from a wonderful baker like you.

:)

Thanks,
Mendy Greenstein

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Hi Rose,
Just had to tell you I've been relying on the Cake Bible for many years. I included it in my list of five cake design essentials. You can read about it at: http://ericaobrien.blogspot.com/2009/08/five-cake-design-tools-i-cant-live.html

Just wanted to say thank you for all your painstaking fastidiousness!

Also, if you'd like to contribute a Cake Bible for a blog give away or review, let me know.

Thanks,

Erica OBrien

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