Does the rose factor chart from the cake bible work for any recipe in the cake bible or RHC when trying to scale it up or down for various pan sizes??

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Dear Rose & Woody,

I'm new to pie baking and am a little stumped by the directions for making Basic Flaky Pie Crust (Pie and Pastry Bible, p. 23-24). Here are 2 questions:

1. Regarding the hand method (p. 24) the 3rd. paragraph reads: "Spoon the mixture, together with the cold butter ...". By "cold butter" do you mean the portion of the butter placed in the freezer when the butter was first divided? (All the butter is cold.)

2. The last paragraph of the hand method reads: "Wrap the dough with plastic wrap ...". But the dough was already in a reclosable plastic bag. Should I take the dough out after kneading it and wrap it in something like Saran wrap?

I know this is all terribly basic but I can't wait to make your blueberry pie!

Many thanks,

Eduardo

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Hi Fatima,
You can always substitute in whole eggs on the ratio of 1 whole egg = 2 yolks or 1-1/2 whites. You may have to adjust the leavening which you can refer to the blog articles on "the Power of Flour" from last year.
I do make whole egg version of the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter cake, to avoid adding to my stock pile of frozen egg whites.
The texture will be less velvety and less rich.

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Hi I have made the downy yellow cake several times and now everyone requests for that cake.
Is there a way I can use whole eggs. will it affect the cake texture.
Much thanks.

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Hi Michele,
You can use non-stick angel food pans. Please read our article on "The Search for Perfect Sides" which we tested with non-stick and standard aluminum pans.Smearing the sides with some of the batter will virtually eliminate any slipping down of the rising cake batter in non-stick pans. Wilton and Nordicware pans are available on line. But you might find your best pan at a Goodwill or other thrift store. I found two heavy-duty aluminum pans with flush riveted "legs" for a few dollars a piece.

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Dear Rose,

I would like to make an angel food cake, however, the only angel food cake pans that I have seen at the store are non-stick. Will this work? Will the angel food cake batter be able to rise while baking if the pan is non-stick? Where can I find one that is made out of aluminum?

Thanks in advance,
Michelle

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Hi Martina,
When testing, we usually only change one variable when testing a recipe to solve a problem. Since using a more effective thickener might take away some of the creaminess, I would try the longer baking time first?

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No, I haven't tried it yet but I will. I was also thinking about substituting cornstarch (used in the Cake Bible) with a more effective thickener. What do you think about it?
Thanks Woody!

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Hi Martina,
Have you tried the alternative baking method on page 242 in Highlights for Successful Cheesecakes for baking the cake 1 hour and 10 minutes with no cooling in the oven time?

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Hi Gary,
After you have adding the crumb filling and topped it with the remaining one-third batter, scatter the blueberries on top and bake. Then bake for 35 minutes,sprinkle on the crumb topping, and bake the additional 20-30 minutes.
My testing pictures show that most of the berries stay in the upper third of the baked cake.

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Hi Rose, I recently baked the apple cinnamon coffee crumb cake and it was delicious. Now I would like to try the blueberry version. When do I add the blueberries? Do I put all of the batter in the pan and add the blueberries right away or do I bake the cake for 35 minutes and then add the berries and the crumb topping.

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I have a question regarding making pie crust I am new to making it from scatch, I have your book The Pie and Pastry Bible.

In following the recipe for Flaky pie crust I am finding that the ingredient amount for the liquid portion is not enough and as a result the dough is dry and crumbly.

I live in the high desert of Central oregon would this be the reason that the dough is dry?

Thanks Richard

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Hi, I love baking but I have a problems when I bake a pie. I follow directions, bake like they say, but my bottom crust does not get done. I'ts doughy. Please help me. Thanks Carrol

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Thanks Woody,
yes I do use Philadelphia cheese, so I would expect that's not the problem.
Anyway, it weeps and keeps weeping also in following days. Do you have an idea of why?

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Thanks Woody,

A this point I can report that the 4 cups of Neoclassic buttercream will fill and cover the 2-layers of 11 x 15, if you don't want to pipe or skim coat. If you just want a delicious homemade looking cake for a crown, 4 cups will do it!

Glad I found the site! Love The Cake Bible--have had it since the very beginning!

Ann

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Hi Martina,
Are you able to use Philadelphia style cream cheese as we have specified in the recipe? If you are using mascarpone or ricotta, that could be why your cakes are weeping.
You may need to check with fellow bakers or bakeries in your area for what they are using.

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Hi Ann,
As Rose's headnote on page 516 states, the volume of frosting is for filling and using as an undercoating for another frosting, if not flavored with a variation on pages 518-20. Depending on what variation you are doing, you will need to increase the recipe if it is the only frosting and to also frost your 11 x 15 extra sheet cake. Your 4 cup should work. you may have some left over which you can use for piping or freeze for another cake.

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Hi Debra,
The pan Rose used for the Giant Brioche was a 9-3/8" pan. You may want to check with the manufacturer for the 8" pan's volume or buy it and measure its volume.

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Vince, I experience balloon sized blisters like u describe when I
don't do a final punchdown or folding od the rising dough. here is when air bubbles forming during yeast activity are distributed equally.

ur note on using the top liquid from the starter sounds like a great tip! good job'

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But I just noticed that the butter cream recipe for a 3-tier wedding cake only 2 pounds of butter. That is half of what I was figuring. Is that because the wedding cake is going to get covered with something else?

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Ann, I don't c why I woulnt work, provided u have pots and bowls big enough. pay close attention to temperatures. at this volume, sugar can overbook faster! yet cool slower as well as the butter.

I make 4 lb butter mousseline buttercream all the time.

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I have a question to go with the really big cake question. I made a really big cake (found the recipe on the forum for the white velvet butter cake using the 15 x 11 pan) and now I need a whole lot of butter cream.

I think I need to quadruple the recipe, but before I sacrifice 4 pounds of butter, can I just scale the neoclassic recipe up?

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Dear Rose/Woody,

I want to buy a pan to make Giant Brioche (Bread Bible) and the recipe calls for a 2-quart pan. The brioche pans I have found are labeled according to their diameters rather than their volumes with the largest diameter being 8 inches. Is the 8-inch pan the one to get? (The description says the resulting bread is 9 inches.)

Thank you!!
Debra

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Thank you so much for a great book(BB). My sourdough is delicious with a great rise however
my boule ends up with the top crust separated from the bread often with a huge hole while the rest of the bread has small holes. When I form the boule, it feels an appears firm and tight. I use Gold Medal Bread Flour and a 1/4 cup of Whole Wheat. I was also delighted to find that leaving some of the liquid on top of the stored starter in with the initial started ads considerable flavor. Thanks for any help you can provide.

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Thank you so much, Hector! This is fantastic. I appreciate the detailed chart.

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Thanks, Julie!! This totally helps.

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Dear Rose,
before asking I've been trying many many times, but still can't find a solution. When I make your cheesecake it always weeps so much liquid. I've tried using only yolks, yolks AND cornstarch, double or triple cornstarch. Then I turn to sour cream quality. Since I'm in Italy I can't find the 20% butterfat content sour cream you use. I tried a 24% b.c.one (sauerrahm), which is thick, and tried also to drain it for a while to remove some liquid; I tried also a mixture between this sauerrahm and another one with 10% b.c., which was thinner, in order to reproduce 20%, but nothing to do, it always weeps.
I tried also to use a biscuit base, but it was not at all sufficient to absorb the quantity of liquid leeking out. I follow your baking instructions for water bath, time and temperature and use solid pan to be sure not to have water leeking in. Do you have a suggestion?
Thank you so much, and congratulations for your wonderful HC

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Hi Waile,
Please read Rose's ingredients section on cocoa butter. You will need to study the components of each ingredient if you are looking to interchange ingredients. Then experiment.

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Hi Woody,
I'm thinking of baking a moist choclate cake. Instead of using alkalized cocoa powder, I'm going to use white chocolate bar, which is then melting in milk. Do you think this works? The flavor for white chocolate isn't strong enough. So, do you think is possible to add extra cocoa butter? What do you think about the volume to add in? Thanks.

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Hi Holly,
I would suggest the white velvet and you will have to experiment on the gel for adding it or try adding a very small amount of red food coloring.

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Hi Lynn,
Pie and Pastry Bible page 182 for Key Lime pie.
Heavenly Cakes English Gingerbread page 75 and Fruitcake Wreath page 79

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Hi Jayzzhell,
We are assuming that you are storing the cake airtight and most likely it is frosted and have noted the storage times.The cake will get drier the next day. If slices are taken out of the cake, you should put plastic wrap on the open crumb of the cake.
If the cake is being served the next day,try refrigerating it overnight to keep it fresher.
Many store bought cakes have preservatives or emulsifiers to extend their shelf life.

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sorry and the cake that will be pink is to be filled with cream cheese filling...

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I am looking to add some pink gel color to one of your white cakes. I am debating between the yellow downy cake, white velvet cake and white wedding cake recipes. Are any of these recipes better to use for this purpose?

Do you think I need to take out some milk or liquid since I am adding a tbs or two of gel color?

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I have bought quite a bit of the oils-instead-of extract that you recommend in one of your recipes, and now need to find a use for all three flavors. Was thinking of a Key lime pie, maybe. Can you point me to a good recipe?

Also, I seem to have lost track of what recipes might use the Muscovado dark brown sugar you seem to love; I now have quite a bit of that, too. Which recipes call for that, if you can recall?

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hi rose and woody. .

ok since i got the book ive been baking with it as a guide all the time. but the thing is the result is always the same no matter how many times i try it. . the crumbs are soft no doubt about that but it seems dry still and it falls off easilly. . its that soft that its very delicate to hold its good the same day like u said in the book but when it stays at room temperature for another day it becomes drier. . will u please tell me what the problem is? i weigh all the ingredients, follow all directions and baked the all occasion downy yellow butter cake to make sure the tempearture is right and it was bake at the given time. . my question is why is it that the cake doesnt get as moist as the one u buy in store? does it have to do with emulsifiers they use or im just not doing it right? i read ur book over n over n still come out the same. .

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Thanks so much
How cool sd it be?
I'll use the maple butter sauce for dipping scraps
Thanks for your prompt reply

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I just made 6 cheesecakes doubling the recipe so I could make 2 at a time. After baking I realized I didn't double the eggs - 3 eggs used for 2 cakes. They look fine but what effect will this have on the taste and texture of the cheesecakes?

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URGENT!!!HELP!!
I have a cake to Complete for tomm.
It is a yellow downy with maple buttercream( neoclassic)

I beat the yolks in a standing mixer with beater and then the syrup and then butter. But the buttercream is very runny what do I do? Any help is much appreciTed

Thanks

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Holly, there is an extensive discussion of making this cake here: http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/index_ee.php/forums/viewthread/3483/P0/

Perhaps it may be helpful.

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Beverly, in addition to Hector's excellent suggestions, you may also want to consider if your cake was underbaked, either by time or temp.

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Hi Holly,
Yes 5 is the factor. You may want to write in the surface area for all the cakes on Rose's chart on page 490. As far as leavening, you have to experiment. For all of the sheet cakes in Rose's Heavenly Cakes i had to try 2 to 4 times to find what worked for each cake as ingredients effected the outcome.

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Does this mean I should use the rose factor 5? Will this be enough even though the area is a difference by 7? Not sure I understand it all

How do I know when to increase or decrease the baking powder in a recipe?

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HI Holly,
The Rose Factor is based on area. The rectangular pans factor as single layers to the double layers for round pans. The math has:
(2) 10" pans=157
11 x15" pan =165
Rose Factor for 10" is 5 for the base.
Baking powder may have to increase slightly to prevent doming by 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon.

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If I wanted to make the white wedding cake from the cake bible for an 11 x 15 sheet pan how would I go about doing so? Which factor would I be following to make enough batter?

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also the flour is measured by sifting directly on the measuring cup and leveling without tapping http://www.youtube.com/bakingwithrose#p/search/17/4E3Rw--oHg4

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I was wondering what the conversion factor should be when baking square cakes?

If I am making a 10” cake, I usually use the 12” cake conversion factor (and end up with some extra batter) to make my 10” cake.

I am stuck though as to how to calculate/adapt my baking powder for these recipes?

I was looking for older posts but can't find any responses.

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beverly, hmm. what flour did you use? did you use a bundt pan? and was it cooled only for 10 minutes, then unmolded?

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Margie, i am not familiar with a 7 up cake, but i believe most cake recipes use UNsalted butter. so you should be ok with what you have.

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I am recently retired and now have some time to watch TV, I saw you on the Martha Stewart show recently and and have tried your Whipped Cream Cake quite a few times with berries on top. Never has the cake ever raised real high, but today I made the cake, batter looked really good, took it out of the oven and it looked fine. set it on the cabinet to cool, looked over at it and it truly had fallen almost in half.Checked dates on items used to make cake and all had good dates on them. Please tell me what could have happened. I have had some things fall in the past,but never like this. Thanks in advance for your help.

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Hi: I bought some unsalted butter,which was wrong,which I did not look at it until I had place it in the bowl to get soft then I saw that I had the wrong butter, I should have bought the salt butter, I am making a 7 up cake, by using the unsalted butter will my cake taste the same?

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Good point, Rose, on both accounts.
I just came back from Europe and baked cakes that required cake flour. I decided to try your method: unbleached flour + potato starch (15%) first. Luckily that produced wonderful cakes, so I didn't need to make Kate flour :o)

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Rose,

What is your opinion on this statement by America's Test Kitchen on Twitter?

TestKitchen: #CooksTip Benzoyl peroxide is added to flour to bleach it. While fine in small amounts for sauces, avoid using bleached flour in baking.

Thanks,
Hanaa

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Thanks, Jose!!! I'm going to have to do this sometime to try and keep my leftover whites (often)/yolks (seldom) to a minimum, unless I have direct plans for them!!

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Dear Rose,

Having chanced upon your excellent blog I thought I'd try and get a copy of your `Cake Bible' so I followed the link to amazon.co.uk. I read that you'd tested a UK version but I can't see the Kyle Cathie edition listed on uk amazon. If there's a UK version still in print please could you point me to it, as that's the one I'd find most useful?

Thanks in anticipation,
Catherine

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Melineh, torting a 12" genoise may be difficult to handle! the genoise is fragile. u may consider baking large sheet cakes, about 1.5"
deep, and use cake rings to cut 12" layers.

the crumbs, dried, make wonderful cookies and tart crusts.

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it is a valid concern Julie. at such heights, the cake may
be drier because of the amount of time baking, but nothing the required syrup can't fix.

be sure the eggs are properly whipped, master the 1.5" first then upgrade ;)

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Hector, your analysis makes perfect sense.

I was afraid to recommend a deeper layer on a genoise as large as 12", would it still work to bake it in a 3" deep pan?

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Just to be clear, I meant that the cake is a 1.5" layer, the pans are actually 12 x 2".

So to recap, one 12" genoise would be 7 eggs, two would be 14 and three would be 21.

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Melineh, your 12" genoise has a Rose Factor of 14 according to the chart on p.502. This means that in order to make two genoise cakes in 12" pans (each 1.5" high), you multiply the base recipe in the chart on p. 504 by your RF of 14. That base recipe has one egg, so you would use 14 eggs for the two layers.

If you need more height, best to make additional layers rather than fill the pan fuller. One additonal layer would be half the above amount, or 7 times the base recipe (7 eggs).

Be sure to weigh the yolks and whites separately in order to have enough yolks in the cake and the best height.

Hope that helps!

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Melinah, maybe what i am about to explain will make more sense to you as it does to me, and with that you will be able to understand better what does rose factor mean. i know for me to understand rose factor, i need to read the whole chapter on cake bible first.

i multiply genoise without any adjustments of baking powder. there is none. the only thing that changes is the baking time. also, i have been happy baking genoise on any pans from 1 to 3" deep. pans need to be filled half to 3/4 full, fyi, don't use a 3" pan whenever wanting a 1" cake for example, the scorching extra bare metal will affect the foam structure.

if the recipe says the cake height is 1.5" and you want 2", then multiply by 1.33x. now to move up from 9" to 12" cake pans see what is the ratio. for 2" deep cake pans, my chart below says it is 8.8 cups vs 15.7 cups, the ratio is 1.8x. so in this example, after multiplying by 1.33x, multiply by 1.8x and presto!

diameter height volume volume
2r h PI()*(r^2)*h US
in in cu in cups

3 2 14.1 0.9
4 2 25.1 1.7
5 2 39.3 2.7
6 2 56.5 3.9
7 2 77.0 5.3
8 2 100.5 6.9
9 2 127.2 8.8
10 2 157.1 10.8
11 2 190.1 13.1
12 2 226.2 15.7
13 2 265.5 18.3
14 2 307.9 21.3

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Okay, I figured out the Rose Factor and the Genoise Classique (for a 9"x2" pan) should be multiplied by 8. However, I noticed that the actual recipe for the cake on page 120 has different measurements but also says to use a 9"x2" pan. Not i'm REALLY confused. Help...please.

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Hi Anne,

Some of the cakes you can turn into "whole egg"-cakes without much change. In the video on this blog in which Rose demonstrates how to make the All Occasion Downy Yellow Butter cake, she says that it is fine to substitute a whole egg for every two yolks. It doesn't have to be all yolks. Go check out the video. It is fine to do that.

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Hi Rose! I’m a HUGE fan of your work. I just have a few questions if you wouldn’t mind helping me with something…

I LOVE the moistness of the Genoise but need to make one in a 12” pan and need it to rise more so I can get more layers out of it.

I’m trying to make a 3 layer cake with Bavarian crème in the middle of each layer.

I just purchased The Cake Bible and noticed in your Genoise Classique the average height is only 1 ½” . Should I just make 3 separate cakes and stack them?

Also, the “rose factor” on page 502 says to multiply the “base” by 14. What does that mean? There’s already 4 large eggs in the Classique, does this mean to multiply that and all other ingredients by 14? In other words…56 eggs?? Sorry for the confusion.

I REALLY appreciate your time and most importnant, your experience.

Hope you have a sweet day!

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olawale. let me attempt to answer your questions, but please don't quote me on this. i am writing this very fast and i don't have the time nor expertise to validate everything i am saying. just to give you an idea and direct you to finding your own answers ok? here we go:

in the usa, dutch and alkalized are synonyms. if it doesn't say either or both words, then we assume isn't. the word natural is used mostly to non-alcalized, but i've seen the word used on alcalized too! i often contact the manufacturer or read their spec sheets, to know for sure what is alcalized or not. this is were shopping for cocoa becomes easier: buy the one that says it clearly!

it became easier to remember what alkalized means when I learned how cacao beans are processed. the cacao fruit goes thru a fermentation process. basically, the fresh cacao fruit is chopped and kept in covered wood barrels to rot! the flesh becomes mushy, and the seeds become easy to remove. something like that! this fermentation process develops acidity on the cacao seeds, so the alkali neutralizes it.

I believe the alkali also makes the cocoa less burnt tasting. cacao seeds are roasted, which is another step of cacao processing, similar to roasting coffee.

thus, a non alkalized cocoa will taste more acidic and burnt. HOWEVER, the amounts of fermenting, roasting, and alkali are not standard or mandated by law. so often, some alkalized cocoas can be even more acidic or bitter than non-alcalized ones.

chocolate in general (including cocoa powder), is a matter of personal taste. most recommend: use the one that tastes good to you, the one you prefer, your favorite.

using alcalized or non-alcalized cocoa on cakes doesn't have any chemistry or physics effects on cake. it mostly just affects taste. HOWEVER, do notice, that many recipes out there, call for the use of baking soda and non-alcalized cocoa. in this case, the baking soda helps neutralize the acidity and bitterness of the cocoa. remark: baking soda has leavening effects on cakes, so besides flavor, baking soda has a big role in cake physics (leavening structure). what i am saying here is that you can interchangeably use either cocoa on cakes, provided you are happy with the taste, BUT NOT omit or add baking soda when it is or isn't listed on your recipe; if you do, you need to adjust the amount of baking powder. i can't remember what is the equivalent. i think baking soda is 10x more leavening than baking powder, some huge number like that.

regarding emulsifiers and preservatives. i don't use them. yes, most have an after taste. also, the quantities needed work better when baking in large scale. the quantities needed are so minute and must be measured carefully, so it is impractical for a home baker or small baker or even for a cake designer like me!

i am not oppose of artificial emulsifiers and preservatives. i know there are some out there that are great tasting. but really, it is not practical for my needs, and noone has complained that my cakes lack of emulsification or aren't fresh :=)

if you follow precise instructions during mixing and baking, you can get a perfectly emulsified cake. large scale bakeries tend to have less precision, so an emulsifier helps.

regarding preserving your cake. i don't understand how the brandy/rum will work as a preservative. sure, alcohol does, but after baking, alcohol is all gone. it probably keeps your cake moister, since you are adding more liquid. it does sound like a yummy method you are developing.

i preserve my cakes in my -20 oF temperature constant freezer. it is a traditional chest freezer available for home users in the USA, that DOES NOT have a self defrosting feature... self defrosting works by heating the freezer to up to 10 or 20 oF, sometimes even up to 32 oF!! so the frost melts, for about 2 hours, and then it goes back to minus temperatures. this shortens the shelf life of frozen foods. and i always vacuum seal everything that is in my chest freezer, even butter, nuts, baking powder, and dust if i could.

happy baking, and keep up the reading. i really don't have much more to say, and i am exhausted :=)

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Hi Wale,
1. Please read about cocoa on pg 452 for our reasons for using dutch-processed. Since natural cocoa is slightly more acidic, you may have to increase the leavening if using more than a few tablespoons. You will have to experiment.
2. We do not work with emulsifiers as they are for commercial and institutional use. Please check with culinary schools or baking businesses in your area.
3. We note storage times for all cakes in the forwards of Rose's Heavenly Cakes or individually in The Cake Bible. Storage by other means as you have developed are best discussed with culinary schools or baking businesses in your area.

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Rose,

I have a gourmet pastry shop in Bogotá,Colombia and for many years I have followed your recipes and knowledge.
I am making your chocolate cake(large wedding cakes) in THE CAKE BIBLE but it is too tender and crumbles, it is difficult to manipulate and to cut. I did make all the adjustments for high altitude baking(Bogota is 7600 ft high) I am using our pastry floor. What de you suggest? I need a consistent cake for weddings.

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Hi Rose,

I have recently purchased The Cake Bible and so much appreciate your detailed explanations and descriptions. I have so far made the Sour Cream Coffee Cake and the Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter cake. Both were delicious and the texture and taste were as you described. However, both cakes, while moist, were fragile and fell apart easily when pierced with a fork or picked up by hand. I baked the chocolate cake in 9x2 pans for 21 minutes without recipe adjustments. The sour cream cake was baked in the recommended 9" springform pan. Is there something I can do to improve the structure of these cakes? Thank you, Lisa

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Hello Rose,

I have a question concerning the use of cocoa powder for cakes- chocolate cakes.As you know that cocoa is better in chocolate cake as it releases the full flavor of chocolate when dissolved in boiling water, this is according to the Cake Bible and I utilize this technique for all my chocolate cakes except for 1 or 2 cakes that I usually add melted chocolate.There are different terms used to classify cocoa when it is called for in baking:1. Pure natural cocoa powder - available here in Nigeria, but I'm not sure if its dutch processed or alkalized2. Natural - not dutch processed cocoa powder3. Dutch processed cocoa powder4. Unsweetened - alkalized cocoa powder5. Unsweetened - Unalkalized cocoa powder
These terms are confusing to me because the only cocoa I have at my disposal is labeled as "pure natural cocoa" and the manufacturer didn't specify whether it is dutch-processed, alkalize or Unalkalized. If I'm using this cocoa powder as substitute in cakes that calls for alkalized, Unalkalized, dutch processed cocoa, what do I decrease or increase to measure up to the original result expected in using the stated cocoa powder. I was guessing whether the baking soda which is an alkali, but by what quantity should I increase or decrease, and does baking powder have a role to play in such substitution.I also understand that dutch processed cocoa powder is less bitter than natural cocoa powder, so how does this bitterness comes into consideration and solving the question I have.

2. Emulsifiers: Bakers here in Nigeria employ the use of an emulsifier called "excel sponge" in cake batters. Personally, I don't approve of this because the cake recipe have eggs that are good natural emulsifier and I don't feel a chemical additive should be added to a cake. Do you think this is a good practice and even if one is to use an emulsifier, what kind of cake or category will it work perfectly. I was thinking maybe sponge cakes - angel food in particular. Is an emulsifier used to extend the shelf-life of cakes and should I use this?

3. Taking you back on my sugar question in my previous post. The technique I developed was to dissolve the butter/sugar mixture during creaming with brandy/rum, i.e. during creaming process, I usually add 1/2 cup of brandy/rum to the mixture so as to further soften the butter and dissolve some sugar granules for faster creaming and to incorporate more air in the mixture as much as possible. I want to stop this technique but one thing came to my mind, the cake is preserved further with the brandy/rum,Now about preserving cakes for 3-6 months in the refrigeration and for few days without electric power, which is rampant here in Nigeria, especially for pound/butter cakes, oil cakes, because fruit cakes can be preserved with rum/brandy daily; but other cakes that can't benefit from such process, how to I expand their shelf life, so that they wont go stale for at least 3-6 months if decorated like birthday, wedding cakes and for at least 2-3weeks for undecorated cake? Two possible solution I came up with is to add brandy/rum to the cake batter even if its not stated and also to use a food grade chemical additive/preservative called CALCIUM PROPIONATE - E-282, CH3CH2COO2CA.It has a slight characteristic odour perserved when brought close to the nose. This preservative is a white substance and its is used all over Nigeria has a food grade preservative. The application is:
450g of calcium propionate to 100kg of flour,
so for a cake recipe that calls for 371g of flour, the preservative to use is:
450g - 100kg
xg - 0.371kg
450 x 0.371kg = xg x 100kg
xg = (450g x 0.371kg)/100kg
xg = (166.95/100)
xg = 1.6995
xg = 2g approximately, which is like 1/4 teaspoon or so.
I use this preservative but I think I felt an off-taste or after-taste that I didn't like, I though it was the extracts but all thesame, I'm not comfortable with chemical additives in cakes or food in general. what can you advice me on this?I don't want to add rum/brandy all the time to preserve cakes, bu this chemical preservative is my last resort but I'm concerned about the off-taste. One what I solved this off-taste is to decrease the use of extracts and use natural spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, clove,ginger, garlic, all spice, cardamom. Does preservatives have an odor or characteristic smell? and if I decided to use a food preservative in my cakes, which one should I go for and the qualities. I Google out some cake preservatives and here are my findings: http://www.federatedmills.com/mold-inhibitors-preservatives-c-6.html
Thanks once again.

Olawale Taiwo
Cakes By Whales
Lagos, Nigeria

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Kathy, Do you ship to Atlanta? ;-)

http://adventuresingoodfood.wordpress.com/

Kyle

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We have 2 cherry trees loaded with cherries this year. I have frozen cherry pies before, but always had a lattice top. I'd like to make a crumb top for a couple smaller pies. What is your recommendation about freezing a cherry pie with a crumb top for a couple of pies?

Kathy

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Thank you very, very much, Woody!

I've read the Power of Flour and will have to read it again. I always read the understandings and am fascinated by them -- I've learned so much! I just thought it was curious that there's the 'egg white' cakes and the 'egg yolk' cakes and then the 'chocolate cakes' but there was not 'whole egg'-oriented base cakes. I will have to try to create my own (maybe) using the subs. I've found the extra whites/yolks lead me to try things I might not have tried otherwise!!

Happy, happy baking to you, and many thanks again!

--ak

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Reba, what a treat to mill your own wheat. it will be the equivalent to
whole wheat flour. most bread recipes use white bread flour. so, no, not interexchangeable.

some breads will work decently with whole wheat, some won't. I would experiment.

note, that the moisture and oil content of ground wheat seeds is higher than store bought whole wheat flour, u will notice a need for less water. just slightly.

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Hi Anne,
The adjustment which some photos and details are in the Power of Flour article was using 3-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder for whole eggs vs 2-1/2 teaspoons for yolks for a two-thirds recipe of the recipe in the book. We did this to make a single layer in a 9 x 2 pan.
Rose will adjust leavenings for any given cake depending on if it is a single layer in which the cake is to be domed cake or a layer cake in which the cake is to be as flat as possible for stacking.
Thank you for your compliment on my baking class. It was quite fun and everyone enjoyed the class.

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Thank you Woody! When you sub whole eggs in your Downy Yellow, do you happen to recall how you adjust the leavnening in that particular cake? I ask because today I noticed that the Buttermilk Country Cake (TCB - all yolks), which is used in the RHC Spice Cake (except that whole eggs are used), does not adjust the leavening -- in each case, it's 1 TBSP baking powder. Made the BCC today, BTW -- just amazing!!!!

Congratulations on your recent demo. The cakes are lovely, and it looked like great fun!

--ak

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Hi Abbey,
Rose writes about high altitude baking in her books. In Rose's Heavenly Cakes (pages 434-35), she refers reader's to two other books. The Chocolate Snowball: and Other fabulous Pastries and Desserts from Deer Valley resort and Pie in the Sky: Successful Baking at High Altitudes by Susan G. Purdy. Also, the USDA's website gives recommendations.

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Hi Anne,
You are correct in Rose's reasoning for either using all yolks or all whites as she summarizes in each cake's Understanding section. Whole eggs do give a bit of both. However, you can always substitute in whole eggs on the ratio of 1 whole egg = 2 yolks or 1-1/2 whites. You may have to adjust the leavening which you can refer to the blog articles on "the Power of Flour" from last year.
I do make whole egg version of the All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter cake, to avoid adding to my stock pile of frozen egg whites.

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Hi Rose. I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer to in any of your posts. I live at high altitude, Denver, Colorado and I'm having a horrible time getting my cakes not to "fall". I know there are some adjustments I need to make but I don't seem to be having too much luck with that either. Do you have any suggestions? I am getting really frustrated and really want to make cakes and cupcakes from scratch but this happens to me each time! Thank you. Abby

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Hi Woodie and Rose,
I've just received your book "The Bread Bible." (bought through Amazon) My question is ... I buy my wheat (grains) ... red hard, white hard, kumut and soft white and grind it in our grain mill. Can I use your bread recipes and substitute your suggested flour with my flour?

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Hi, Woody and Rose!

I have a question for you, please. I note that most layer cakes (butter / non-chocolate) are made with either egg yolks OR egg whites, but not with just 'eggs' -- unless they are specialty flavored or used with fruit (upside down cakes, spice cakes and my favorite, the Chestnut Sand cake).

I am curious as to the reason for this -- of course, egg whites give 'this' characteristic result, and egg yolks give 'this' characteristic result -- is it that whole eggs give a sort of 'neither here nor there' result that makes it less of a choice in terms of basic frosted layer cakes with buttercream or ganache?

I hope that I am not missing that a 'whole egg' layer cake recipe exists and is quite standard! Thanks for your thoughts!

--ak

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Hi Karen,
May we ask what type of cake: butter, oil, chiffon?
What style of pan: bundt, round, special shape.
If you have Rose's Heavenly Cakes, there is a section on page 466 about silicone pans.

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Hi
I wd like to know,can we color creamy dreamy icing and make flowers like buttercream?
Also can I use it ti ice a cake the n fondant it? Will it hold the fondant? Thanks

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How do I get air bubbles out of the cake batter in a silicone cake pan? There are aways airholes when it is baked.

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what do you suggest using for moisture control for crystalized flowers? is the Blue Magic device still around? do you know who sells this?

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I just baked the apple cinnamon crumb coffee cake from "Heavenly Cakes". It turned out great, but I want to freeze some of it. What is the best way to do this?

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Hi Wales,
1)For how long to food process granulated sugar to make baker's fine sugar?
We cannot give a time because it depends on the brand of food processor. You will have to experiment.
2) For substituting bleached all-purpose flour for cake flour, please read The Cake Bible's substitution chart page 443. This has been worked out and stood the test of time.
Ingredients are going to vary to availability throughout the world. So you may want to check with suppliers or manufacturers for their recommendations. Another source would be fellow bakers or bakery shops in your area.

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Hello Rose,

I made a calculation mistake in the all purpose flour and corn flour calculation:

using weigh method i.e 1/8 of the weight of flour in the cake recipe which is (0.125)

I also know that to get accurate measurement by weight, I will have to multiply the total grams of flour by 1/8 i.e. (0.125) and substitute that with corn flour. Here is an example:
if 2 cups + 1 tbsp ( all purpose bleached flour) = 235g, to stimulate cake flour using metric method:
235g x 0.125 = 29g approximately of corn flour
So total all purpose bleached flour is: 235 – 29 = 206g
Amount of flour + corn flour used in the cake recipe = 206g + 29g = 235g
I am talking in general with no particular cake recipe title in mind. The problem I have is that, using volume measurement, since one will have to subtract 2tbs of flour and replace it with 2 tablespoon of corn flour to stimulate cake flour, the result I got for the volume measurement the same. Using the same example as above:
2 tbsp of corn flour = 15gs
2 cups + 1 tbsp ( all purpose bleached flour) = 235g
Corn flour used will be = 15g x 2 = 30gs
So total all purpose bleached flour is: 235 – 30 = 205g
Amount of flour used in cake recipe = 205g + 30 = 235g

But using other cake recipes flour content, can I use the weigh method directly, since volume measuring could be cumbersome with cups like 3/4, 1/4, 2/3 etc, I don't even know how much corn flour will be needed in such cups, but to avoid this error, I want to stick to the weigh method.

How do you then convert a cake recipe that says 4 cups of cake flour?

I got; 4 cups cake flour = 400g
400g x 0.125 = 50g
i.e. 50g of corn flour
total amount of all purpose flour will be: 400g - 50g = 350g
OR
Since 1 cup of cake flour = 100g, using 1 cup of all purpose flour = 3/4 cup = 114g x 0.75 = 86g approximately. This calculation is excluding the corn flour; so to add corn flour which is 2tbsp =15g; the value will be 86 + 15 = 101g, approximately 100g of stimulated cake flour.

I hope this calculation of mine is correct?

Thanks for your reply.

Olawale Taiwo
Cakes By Whales
Lagos, Nigeria

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Hello Rose,

I want to seek your advice on scaling/doubling of recipes in your rose’s heavenly cakes and the cake bible. My question will be based on two ingredients 1. Sugar and 2. Flour
1. Sugar: Here in Nigeria, the sugar available is called Granulated Refined sugar. I have problem using this sugar in cakes because, as you know sugar act as liquid in elevated temperatures. If a cake calls for 2 cups of sugar and I mistakenly follow suit, the end result will be bad, it will foam and spill over, gummy etc. so I devised another method, a 2-cup sugar, I will use 1 ½ cup of sugar and it will give me a great result. My observation is that the sugar granules is not superfine or extrafine enough to dissolve completely in the cake batter, most times when I taste the batter, I still feel the undissolved sugar in pronounced quantity which is not meant to be so. Recently, I brought in a food processor and I process some quantity of sugar, I found out the sugar granules is more finer than the “refined” granulated sugar, so I have decided to always process my sugar in the food processor and measure the actual quantity specified in the cake recipe. Now my question is how many seconds should I process a cup of “refined” sugar? The last one I did was “blind” processing, I pulsed and turned the processor one for few seconds, didn’t take note of the time factor.

2. Flour: The flour here in Nigeria is All purpose Bread flour which is made from hard wheat. To my understanding, a flour meant for baking should be a mixture of hard and soft wheat flour. These flour in Nigeria comes in different brands and one of the manufacturers specified “superfine” on the bag, but it’s a bread flour and it can be used for cake baking purposes, but I am not sure if it is bleached or unbleached, I did read in Carole Walter’s Great Cakes that all flours are bleached naturally, I hope that is correct. Now based on the flour research you did on the power of flour, all purpose bleached flour is the best but at the same time to stimulate cake flour, one should add potato starch or corn flour/starch to the all purpose flour.

I am currently scaling/doubling several of your cake recipes for my business use and I came up with a chart for cake pans from 6” x 4” up to 20” x 4”, for the basic cake pans of round, heart, square, rectangle, oval, petal, tear drop, comma, hexagon. Using a cake recipe in your book as the base or reference formula, let’s say the cake recipe yield 10 cups of batter, the cake pan I will use is a round cake pan of 7” x 4” approximately( actually its 10 ½ cups, but I made allowance, just in case). Now to scale it down for a 6” x 4”, I multiplied each weight (I use the metric system) by 0.705, because 7 ½ cups of batter will make a 6“ x 4” round cake. E.g
7” x 4” round cake – butter used = 227g
6” x 4” round cake – butter used = 227g x 0.705 = 160g of butter
Likewise if I want to scale up for a size 8”, 9” etc I multiplied 1.4, 1.703 respectively for the corresponding cake pans i.e.
8” x 4” = 227 (from the base/reference cake recipe which is for a 7” x 4” cake) x 1.4 (because 14 cups of batter makes an 8” x 4” round cake, also, since the reference formula/cake recipe yields 10 cups of batter, I simply divide all other cake pans by 10, in other to give me a fraction of a number I can use to multiply the ingredients in the base/reference cake recipe i.e. 8” round cake pan yields 14 cups divided by 10 cups of batter from the base/reference cake recipe = 1.4) so the total butter I will use for the 8” x 4” round cake pan is = 318g approximately.
The butter conversion is easy but my problem is the flour conversion. Bearing in mind the following grams of flour. I make sure I sift the flour before measuring, so I will only quote the value for sifted flour:
Cake flour: 1 cup = 100g
All purpose bleached flour: 1 cup = 114g
Bread flour- (bleached/unbleached):1 cup = 130g

Since I am using all purpose bread flour, I decided to use the value of all purpose flour which is 114g, I hope this is a good thing because, am afraid of packing too much flour in the cake, but since am using metric system, I can use that 114g.
My question is, in your cake recipe, the flour quantity specified in grams, have you included the amount of corn flour/potato starch needed or you are using directly all purpose bleached flour? We don’t have potato flour here in Nigeria, so I will be using corn flour.
How do I calculate the amount of corn flour needed in metric/weight form for the cake recipes. I understand I’m using all purpose bread flour, but at the same time, I want to increase the quality to that of cake flour, if possible.
I also know that to get accurate measurement by weight, I will have to multiply the total grams of flour by 1/8 i.e. (0.25) and substitute that with corn flour. Here is an example:
if 2 cups + 1 tbsp ( all purpose bleached flour) = 235g, to stimulate cake flour using metric method:
235g x 0.25 = 59g approximately of corn flour
So total all purpose bleached flour is: 235 – 59 = 176g
Amount of flour + corn flour used in the cake recipe = 176g + 59g = 235g
I am talking in general with no particular cake recipe title in mind. The problem I have is that, using volume measurement, since one will have to subtract 2tbs of flour and replace it with 2 tablespoon of corn flour to stimulate cake flour, the result I got for the volume measurement is different for the corn flour but adding it up will give me the total amount of flour specified in the base/reference cake recipe. Using the same example as above:
2 tbsp of corn flour = 15gs
2 cups + 1 tbsp ( all purpose bleached flour) = 235g
Corn flour used will be = 15g x 2 = 30gs
So total all purpose bleached flour is: 235 – 30 = 205g
Amount of flour used in cake recipe = 205g + 30 = 235g

Why is the result different from each other? I am afraid of using less flour in the cake to avoid bad result but at the same time I don’t want to add too much flour or corn starch in the cake recipe. This calculation is the simplest one I have been able to solve, but for other cake recipes or flour quantities, I want to use the weigh method, i.e multiplying the amount of flour by 1/8 (0.25) and then using that amount for the corn starch quantity.

How do u convert a cake flour of 4 cups = 400g to all purpose flour which contains corn flour?

I hope my finds are explanatory enough, but I will be willing to email you the chart I developed.

Thanks for your expert advice and help.

Olawale Taiwo
Cake By Whales
Lagos, Nigeria

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Hello
I plan to make creamy dreamy icing .can we colour it and make flowers like with butter cream and will it hold under the fondant on cake ?
Thanks in advance
Fatima

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Thanks for the equation, Woody. Unfortunately(or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint), she opted to go with a local bakery bc I quoted her $75 for a 9" cake which turned out to be for her 9 year old and his classmates. She also had given me the impression she wanted the carrot/ white chocolate crm chz(which is what I had shared with her last night), then changed her mind to chocolate/vanilla frosting. No wonder I don't do this for $$- the GP could make you pull your hair out! Honestly, I think I'm happiest baking to please myself and sharing with whoever is nearby when it's ready for consumption. Your guidelines were helpful and I have a feeling I'm not the only person here to run into that predicament! Thanks for your reply.

http://adventuresingoodfood.wordpress.com/

Best,
kyle

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Hi, Woody and Rose!

I have a question for you. I note that most layer cakes (butter / non-chocolate) are made with either egg yolks OR egg whites, but not with just 'eggs' -- unless they are specialty flavored or used with fruit (upside down cakes and my favorite, the Chestnut Sand cake).

I am curious as to the reason for this -- of course, egg whites give 'this' characteristic result, and egg yolks give 'this' characteristic result -- is it that whole eggs give a sort of 'neither here nor there' result that makes it less of a choice in terms of basic frosted layer cakes with buttercream or ganache?

I hope that I am not missing that a 'whole egg' layer cake recipe exists and is quite standard! Thanks for your thoughts!

--ak

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ok i read that one, but i wanted to make a cake like today and i only have the hersheys one, i eventually will get the alkalized one for more flavorful results. just wondering. . and really thank u so much for the response woody. . u guys are so great that u really talk to people. . thanx again

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Hi Jayzzhell,
Please read about cocoa on pg 452 for our reasons for using dutch-processed. Since natural cocoa is slightly more acidic, you may have to increase the leavening if using more than a few tablespoons. You will have to experiment.

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Hi Kyle,
A couple of pricing ideas from my experiences with friends and acquaintances.

1. 5 times the price of your ingredients + $.50/mile for your travel (supply purchasing and delivering)+ extra for labor if you have an unusually long assembly time (intricate piping)

2. 20% higher than the price of an equivalent cake at a high-end or specialty bakery as you are giving a custom crafted product

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wow, i really didnt think that u would response to my question on youtube. . most people i ask that are kinda famous doing blog dont reply but u, i will just say im in awe ur the best. . anyway my question was how much baking soda will i need if i used non-alkalized cocoa like hersheys . . its hard to get alkalized cocoa in local stores around here unless u go online so any advice will be much appreciated. . thanx so much for the quick response. .

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Rose, OK, a totalyl fiscal question. I made RHC carrot cake w/ white choc cream chz frosting this weekend. I shared with a neighbor and now she wants to buy one form me this week. She's a good neighbor(our kitchen walls butt against each other- inches apart) who I share food with frequently bc she's a single mother who owns her own business. I have NO idea what to charge her if I agree to do the cake. Any suggestions or how should I calculate it since I don't have any way to add in the fuel to and from the store for the organic chocolate bars, etc. etc. Please guide me here. I don't want to gouge her, but I don't want to give my skill and time away either. Seems to be a fine line there to me.
Thanks for your advice and expertise.
http://adventuresingoodfood.wordpress.com/
kyle

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Hi Rose,

It was lovely to meet you this morning at the ECC. You can imagine how someone like me from so far away view a serendipitous meeting like this – and to a person whose work has been reference and bible (no pun intended) in my career.

Outside of that wow-moment in meeting famous author, I indeed had a wonderful time just chatting.

You didn’t miss much this afternoon, though the highlight was a sampling of the Modernist Cuisine’s Chicken Foie Gras , an intensely rich reduction of pure chicken flavor, that uncannily reminded me of the taste and flavor of Campbell Cream of Chicken. It was though, quite good.

My best to you and I hope to bump into you again one day. In the meantime, will keep myself abreast of your work. (Must confess it has been a while, the last time it was still the old website format- I thought even then you were so generous in your advice. That’s why you have fans around the world)

Best of luck with the experiments and on-going construction… should problems arise, you can always bribe them with sweets.

Best,
Melanie

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Tammy,
The recipes for the Rose Factor has been worked out specifically for the stated recipes. We had to experiment and make adjustments with the recipes in Rose's Heavenly Cakes. You will have to experiment, with using the Rose Factor as a starting point.

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Hi Carole,
1)They are the same scale with the KD8000 having an extra "%" (percentage) feature button which is useful for bread recipes.
2) Rose likes hers. If they seem to be baking quicker, you should first confirm that your oven is accurate for temperature. If it is, try baking at a 10 degrees lower temperature and adjust further until your baking time is within the baking range.
3)Rose uses her convection oven setting all the time at the recommended 25 degrees less temperature. I do not have one. But first establish your temperature in 2).

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Rose:

I just purchased your Cake Bible book..and what an awesome book..I am new to cake decorating, and just completed a couple of decorating classes. I have been asked to do a couple wedding cakes, but in the classes they never went over increasing or decreasing recipes. You book came in very handy for me to start. I have other ingredients for recipes that you do not list on the MASTER Butter cake recipes, etc. I have coconut cake, banana cake, almond cake recipes that have worked very well for me in the past with just 8, and 9 inch cake pans, however I am not sure how to use your Rose factor, and the baking powder table to increase these passed down recipes since they require additional ingredents that aren't on your list. Off the top of my head, some of them require shortening, and not butter at all, do I just follow the amount for butter. Help!!!!!!! I am so confused, but I have to say I made the white/yellow Master cake recipe this weekend for my grams b-day, and it was awesome..THANK YOU!

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Hi Debra,
Technically that is the equivalent attachment according to Bosch.

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How long does it take to activate my registration...... thank you

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How long does it take to activate my registration...... thank you

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For clarification: In my previous comment, I meant to write in my question #3 that I rarely use the "convection" bake mode (not the "convention" bake mode).

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Thank you for your reply Woody. I would like to follow up, if you don't mind, by asking how to adapt Bread Bible recipes that call for the paddle attachment to the Bosch Universal, which doesn't appear to have an equivalent attachment. Any thoughts?

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Hi Rose,
I recently bought "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" and I can't put it down. I love just reading the recipes and tips and, of course, gazing at the gorgeous photos. The first cake I made was Woody's Lemon Luxury Layer Cake. I brought it to a pot luck last night and there were "oohs" and "aahs" both for appearance and taste. I was very happy. Thank you.
My questions are these:
1) I need to buy a scale. I think I was just lucky that last night's cake came out so well without one and I don't want to take that chance again. You suggest the My Weigh KD 7000. I see that they have now come out with a KD 8000. I'm planning on ordering the 8000 unless you know of a reason that the 7000 is better.
2) I used All-Clad 9" pans because that's what I have. The cake seemed to cook very quickly. What do you think of the All-Clad pans?
3) I have an oven that can be set for convention bake. I rarely use that mode because it kind of scares me. Do you find convection or conventional better for cake baking?
Thanks so much, Carole

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Hi,
I just bought a bundt pan. The cups of batter to put in never mention. As a result, I tried to fill up with water. If it is 2/3 fill, it required 6 cups of water. When I filled it totally full, it required 10 cups of water. So, which measurement to be used? Thanks.

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Hi Rose,
I started decorating cakes for fun 2 years ago and have turned it into a very small-time residential business. I am now looking to expand my knowledge base in both baking and decorating cake. I am looking for a good option in the Boston area for either individual courses or a certificate program. I saw on an old twitter post that you were previously at the Cambridge Culinary School doing a guest cake class. I would love to take the certificate or professional pastry program there, but right now I have an almost 3 year old and 5 month old so I need to wait a year or two before I have the time and money for something that involved. I am thinking of signing up for their recreational baking class, but that is very basic. I thought you may know of some other options, maybe something in-between? Here's a thought, do you teach one to one?? ;)
Many many thanks,
Michelle

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Wale,
the correction was made for the latest printing.

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Typo error in RHC PAGE 325- Mini vanilla bean pound cakes

Hello Rose,
I found a typographical error in the conversion of the following ingredients from ounces to grams. Sugar,5.3 ounces = 150 grams, you wrote 150 ounces, Cake flour, 5.3 ounces = 150 grams, you wrote 150 ounces. Please go through it.

Thanks.

Wale Taiwo

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Hi Debra,
We have not tried the cookie paddle attachment as we usually use a Kitchenaid with its paddle attachment.
If you are using the right flour and the correct weight for the ingredients,gradually add more flour to reduce the hydration.

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Hello Rose and Woody,

I am trying to make the Rosemary foccacia from the Bread Bible using a Bosch Universal with its cookie paddle attachment, and the dough is not forming a ball after 30 minutes of mixing. Does the Bosch cookie paddle attachment work for this purpose? Should I try reducing the hydration a bit next time to get the ball to form?

Thank you very much!
Debra

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Awesome, thanks for letting me know!! I'll give them a go on Monday!

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Dear Rose,

I recently made Monkey Bread from your cookbook The Bread Bible. I would like to post the recipe on my blog and am wondering if I could get your permission to do so.

Thank you,
Annie

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any ideas as to how to substitute cake flour or all purpose flour for a self rising flour?

My recipe calls for self rising flour but don't have any on hand.

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I did already, I guess I just have to read again more carefully.
Thanks!

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Henry,
Please check the introductions to chapters, ingredients, equipment, and understanding cakes in Rose's Heavenly Cakes and The Cake Bible, as virtually all of your questions will be answered on those pages. Also the recipe headnotes in RHC and the understanding summary after a given recipe in The Cake Bible give a lot of information.
Happy reading and baking experimenting.

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*weight not wait

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Thanks for the reply Woody! Three questions:
1. So I CAN bake the cakes designed for a twin 9 X 2 batter in a tube pan with a centre tube instead?
2. I have two 9-inch pans but the sides aren't totally straight. Would they work? I'm worried that the sides will look funny and not straight for frosting.
3. Isn't leaving the baked cake in the pan and wait for it to cool inside the pan the best way to prevent shrinking? This way the crust and the sides help maintain the structure no? I guess there's the danger of steam collecting at the bottom... If anything, wouldn't the wait of the crust 'crush down' on the more tender bits of the cake underneath, and therefore result in more shrinkage?
Thanks so much as always!

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Hi, Torrance!

I've frozen composed cakes frosted with each of Rose's neoclassic buttercream, mousseline buttercream, silk meringue buttercream and several ganaches, and I've never had a problem with either cracking or weeping, so I think you will find yourself quite safe with them!

I've also frozen them in containers, thawed, applied to cakes and then frozen the resulting composed cakes with nothing but perfect results!

--ak

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Hi,
I'm looking for a frosting that is freeze-thaw stable that I can use for decorating/piping on ice cream cakes. I can't use artificial flavors or colors for this client, and I'm unable to locate a commercially prepared frosting that meets these requirements so i think I'm going to have to make the frosting in-house. I know that buttercream will crack in the freezer (and weep), so I'm wondering if you have any other ideas/suggestions? Should I try a buttercream recipe but with shortening instead? Thanks for any help you're able to offer!

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Hi Henry,
We do not recommend doing that as we have formulated the recipes for layer cakes to be near level for tops and single layer cakes to be slightly domes. The tops of each also helps to keep the cake's structure during cooling. Combining the batter into one tall pan will likely collapse from the center not having enough structure and underbaking. As You have seen in Rose's Heavenly Cakes a twin 9 x 2 batter for one cake is baked in a bundt pan or tube pan that has a center tube.

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May I ask what adjustments in leavening I need to make if I were to bake layer cakes in one pan and cut them afterwards rather than baking in two pans? I guess I'll have to cut down on the leavening? Thanks!

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Thanks for the reply Woody. I guess I'm in the minority who prefers natural cocoa since I've always found dutch-processed cocoa to taste of 'cocoa' rather than chocolate. I also have a problem with recipes that use a considerable amount of baking soda to leaven the chocolate. The soda reduces the acidity of the chocolate so much that all the subtleties and overtones of the chocolate are lost in the baking process.

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Hi Henry,
Thank you for seeing the typo, that was corrected for the latest printing.
Please read about cocoa on pg 452 for our reasons for using dutch-processed. Since natural cocoa is slightly more acidic, you may have to increase the leavening if using more than a few tablespoons. You will have to experiment?

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Hi Rose,

Thank you for your wonderful book Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I haven't been able to keep my eyes off it since I got it two days ago!
I think there's a printing mistake on p. 446. There's an unnecessary 'x' after '244 grams' for the weight of the gelatin-stabilised whipped cream.
I noticed that you always called for dutch-processed cooca in this book. May I ask if you do prefer it in general? I wonder how I should adjust the leavening if I use natural cocoa instead?
Thanks so much!

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Could you please send me your recipe
for Babka?

Thank You

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Hi Jan,
If you are not measuring by Weight, as you stated, you need to measure Volume by what the author states. In this case, you need to sift the flour.

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Thanks Woody for your prompt reply! Yes am doing the exact base recipe on p. 492. have not done a 9 inch. I tried this again last night and had a bit more success tho' not quite perfect yet. raised oven temp 5 degrees and cut baking powder by 1/4 tsp which I think was a bit too much. Did not fall but texture was a bit tight with some "tunnels" - so I will try the 1/8 reduction. I also just measured this time - no weighing - but I did not sift flour so maybe I will try sifting again this next time. I do have a separate thermometer in oven but this could be off as well. It is telling me that my oven - when I set it to 350 - is 10 degrees too hot. But if reduce to 340 I seem to get fallen center and undercooked center as well. I know I should probably try another oven thermometer!

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Hi Jan,
Hopefully, you are using the exact base recipe on the Cake Bible's (pg. 492) with the baking powder level that you quoted. Have you made the same cake in a 9-inch layer with a level or slightly domed top?
Have you confirmed with an independent oven thermometer or baked the yellow cake in a 9-inch pan to see if it bakes in between the times she specifies that the oven is correct (my last 3 ovens all needed to be raised 10 degrees)?
If the cake dips slightly and you want it slightly domed, you could try dropping the baking powder by 1/8th tsp.

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I keep trying to bake one single layer for the 6 inch yellow wedding cake given in Rose's Cake Bible. I have tried this again and again, altering the recipe here and there and I keep getting: slightly fallen center, over baked top, sticking slightly where bottom meets sides. I am using 1-1/2 tsp baking powder [fresh - is this too much?], have tried weighing/or measuring ingredients [doesn't seem to matter]. Have GE Profile oven w/separate oven thermometer. Rose's troubleshooting seems to suggest oven not hot enough. Increased temp - seemed to sink only slightly in center but center was undercooked and there were "tunnels" in cake seeming to suggest too hot oven. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?? HELP!!!

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Please forgive me for being dense here (no pun intended - HA! :-), but I am confused! In looking through the Cake Bible, I see 8 ounces of butter equal to 12 T of butter (all American Chocolate Cake) in one recipe and in another recipe I see 4.5 ounces of butter equal to 9 T of butter (White Chocolate Whisper Cake). Something doesn't add up here - shouldn't 8 ounces ALWAYS equal 8 T of butter (like it shows on the wrapper), 4 ounces equal 4 T, etc? Why aren't the weight vs. volume measurements consistent from one recipe to another?

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Hi Loren,
I added up all of the stated ingredient weights for the 9 and 10-inch crusts for this recipe and two others, which is roughly a 25% increase for the 10-inch recipe. The nuts and crumbs calculated to ~25%
the butter to ~22%. The butter has been worked out for a convenient without compromising the recipe Volume measurement. All of the recipes have been tested to verify performance. But if you like you can adjust the butter upwards for a 25% ratio to 77 grams from the stated 71 grams.

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Hi Waileongchong,
We have only baked this cake as a 10 cup bundt specified in Rose's Heavenly Cakes. Rose states to only fill pan no more than two-thirds full.Some of Rose's Heavenly Cake recipes, we have excess batter and suggest to make cupcakes.If they were coming out under baked, add more time. Silicone is an insulator which will increase baking times. We generally just use silicone bakeware for cupcakes, financiers, and cheesecakes.

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Thank you so much, Rose!!!

That makes perfect sense!!! They are both such loved recipes (I've Googled) I was having trouble deciding between them, and your "it's as simple as that" answer makes things much easier.

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Hi, Woody and Rose!

The TCB Pineapple Upside Down cake doesn't caramelize the sugar before putting in the pineapple. The RHC baby pineapple upside down cakes does. Is there a reason it's done in RHC but not TCB -- in other words, is it (1) an 'update' that would apply to both books -- or (2) is it simply two ways of reaching the same goal with no perceptible difference in the end product or (3) are there two different results. If it's (3), what is the difference? Planning on making PUD cake for my MIL and am very curious as to the differences.

With many thanks for your thoughts and all the wonderful recipes and information!!

--ak

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Hi,
Sometimes I need to prepare cakes for my Celiac Disease friends or old folk. Then, I tried once by substituting the all purpose flour totally with rice flour and sorghum flour. In order to make it more likely to wheat flour, I added a teaspoon of Guar Gum in it. The result is: the cake turned more moist than all purpose flour. Then I tried to cut down the liquid contents. It's almost the same but a bit sticky. The cake didn't rise even with extra baking powder and baking soda. Is there any suggestion to the recipe using rice flour? Thanks.

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Hi Rose,
I'm using a 6 rose silicone cake-mold to fill my whipped cream cake and I followed the time of 25-35 minutes. The cake were cooked and a stick was clean when came out. However they are still sticky when I overturned them on the baking pan and the outline aren't clear. In that case, how long I need to bake in order to get better result? And how much I need to fill up the mold next time? They're too full after baked.

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Hi Marie,
In The Cake Bible and Rose's Heavenly Cakes,how to support the cake tiers is described. The weight of the cake and frosting is not the factor as the cake themselves are only holding the upright supports in place. The carrot cake recipe and accompanying recipe in Rose's Heavenly Cakes is a wonderful recipe, however we have not done any testing for 6 or 12-inch layers or sheetcakes.

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Hi Beverly,
We ask what brand of cake flour?
We use Soft as Silk or Swan's Cake Flour, which are both bleached and do not give a cornbread flavor after taste. If you are using another brand, it may not be bleached which could give a cornbread flavor, in which you should confirm with the manufacturer.

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I am in your Pie & Pastry Bible, pg 68ff. You list grams for 9" and 10" nut crumb crusts. I was trying to verify your conversions, but found them internally inconsistent. The crumbs and nuts were 1/3 more, but the butter only 25%+ more....

Next I tried some math. The area of a 10" circle is 123% of a 9" circle. If I allowed for a 1" tart pan rim, it was a 119% increase in area; or for a 2" pie pan 116% increase. Regardless, a 33% increase of some ingredients and 25% for other would yield quite different results. Plus the sugar was considerably reduced for the larger crust?

So please help me understand your methodology for increasing the ingredients from a 9" pan to a 10" pan.

Sure appreciate your help before I proceed to bake this crust.

Loren

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Hi Rose, Woody and fellow bakers,
I'm excited to be baking the wedding cake of a close friend this August. The couple has asked for carrot cake for about 120 guests. I am wondering if you have any suggestions about cake and frosting recipes that will be light enough that I can stack a few tiers without sagging. I have never tried stacking carrot cake tiers but it seems so heavy and I am worried they will collapse under their own weight. Cream cheese frosting is so much heavier than buttercream, which I have used for other wedding cakes. Has anyone used carrot cake for a tiered wedding cake? Thanks for any thoughts or guidance. I did recently make the carrot cake from RHC.
Marie

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woody i follow the recipes and i use cake flour like it calls for the cake is moist but it just taste like corn bread . Beverly

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Hi there, I'm baking a cake this Wednesday for my cousin's husband. It's the big "four o" (40) so i'd like to make something special. The problem I have is the type of cake to bake when I'm using fondant to cover it. What would be the best? I've made a carrot cake before, but not everyone likes carrot cake. I've also tried butter cake, but it tastes a bit dry. This time I'd like to make a chocolate cake. Any suggestions...?

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Hi,

I'd like to make some cakes that call for using Green & Black white chocolate from Heavenly Cakes. However, I've searched everywhere and could not find any place that sells white baking chocolate from G&B. Could you help?
Iris

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Hi Marjorie,
It is totally dependent on what the author recommends for the recipe. For most butter cakes in Rose's books for cakes baked in round cakes pans, she specifies for most cakes that the batter will fill the pan between a half to no more than two-thirds full. If there is an exception, she will state the reason for it.

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How high up should cake batter be in the pan? My recipe ingredients were 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 egg yolk, and 1 cup cake flour sifted with baking powder and salt. This was for 2 8" pans, and it seemed like a "shmear". Thank you in advance.
Marjorie

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Hi Eran,

I hope you don't mind me answering your question. The problem with living in Asia or in the Southern Hemisphere is that buying books can be expensive and ordering from many of the online book companies such as Amazon costs so much more in terms of shipping because we don't live in the US or Canada.

Try this website
http://www.bookdepository.com/

They are a British company and ship worldwide for "Free" and this makes it really easy for those of us not living Stateside to buy our favourite books. They have regular promotions too so keep an eye out for the coupon codes. They also have a British site for some reason at http://www.bookdepository.co.uk so check the prices at both sites as they can vary.

Their customer service is also one of the best I have ever experienced for an online store. Though they only deal in books and the occasional CD, I wish I could buy everything else from them.

I have ordered all of my favourite cookbooks this way.

You'll love The Cake Bible and Rose's Heavenly Cakes and if you're anything like me, you'll probably hunt down her pie, bread and cookie books too.

As I always say, Rose & Maida (Heatter) rule the baking world.

Hope this helps,
Judy

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Dear Rose and Woody,

Could you please work on a recipe for strawberry cake and/or neopolitan cake for the upcoming book?

What I have in mind is something like this (neopolitan):
http://sweetapolita.com/2011/01/neapolitan-5-layer-birthday-cake-with-strawberry-frosting/

and like this (strawberry):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/simply-delicious-strawberry-cake-recipe/index.html

The latter one uses a cake mix but it is very popular with great reviews. Thank you very much for your consideration.

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Holly,

You can also powder freeze-dried strawberries, add just a little water to them to make a paste that will blend, and add that to your mousseline. I did this to make banana mousseline and it was absolutely wonderful with a super fresh, super-bananay flavor. The freeze-drying removes all the liquid, so you end up being able to add much more fruit to the frosting. You can add it to your completed mousseline that you made puree for or use it in "plain" mousseline (which is what I did). It works very, very, very well.

--ak

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Hi Holly,
Please check Rose's Heavenly Cakes for the Strawberry Mousseline (page93) which we recommend American Spoon Food's Strawberry Butter. You can then enhance it with a small amount of the oil,to avoid the oils "turpentine' aftertaste if you use too much.

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Hi rhine,
With butter and oil cakes there are two basic methods.
Please read either introduction to butter cakes in the Cake Bible or Rose's Heavenly Cakes.The first is the traditional creaming the butter and sugar, the second is Rose's Two-Stage Mixing Technique for mixing your dry ingredients first, then the butter, and ending with the eggs and liquids.

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I made the strawberry puree (sweetned) and the mousseline buttercream. I found that the buttercream didn't have much strawberry flavour.

I used frozen strawberries as well and added the amounts recommended. I also added strawberry oil, but found when I add too much there is a bitter aftertaste so there was only so much I could add.

Is there something else I can do to enhance the strawberry flavour?

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Dear Rose and woody...
Could you 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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Hi Beverly,
Your question does not gives us details to what maybe the problem. Are your cakes from one of Rose's books and are you using either bleached cake flour or bleached all-purpose flour?
Rose always stresses to use the exact ingredients specified by the author's recipe to have a result that the author is creating.
You may want to read our "Power of Flour" postings as we address what happens with different types of flour.

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can you tell me why my yellow and white cakes tell like corn bread?

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Please let me know where I can buy Cake Bible in Hong Kong.

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