Real Baking with Rose Discussion Forums

Is my oven too hot?

2012-02-04T12:04:51-05:00

I am thinking my oven is too hot…

I have a thermometer that I use in the oven to check my temperature and always have to turn up the heat higher than what the reading on the digital is. But, my cakes seem to take a bit longer to cook in the middle than the higher end of the stated time and sometimes the cake starts to just pull away from the sides even before I can pull it out (as the middle is barely cooked). Also, the cakes (esp. chocolate) seem a little dry. I use Rose’s cake strips. Is the thermometer just off and I should buy a new one? I am baking tonight, would it be OK to just go by the digital temp. even if it is 25 degrees cooler?

Thanks for your help,
Allie

Finally completed Rose’s Notre dame gingerbread cathedral

2012-01-24T17:02:33-05:00

Here it is:

Golden Honey Oat Loaf

2008-03-28T09:10:01-05:00

Here’s a photo of my second attempt at the Golden Honey Oat Loaf from the blog. I didn’t do the ice cubes in the bottom of the oven or mist the loaf with water this time, which resulted in a crust I liked much better (it was more crunchy and less “dull” if you know what I mean). Next time I’ll try an egg white glaze and see what happens. Btw, the recipe doesn’t specifically mention when the salt should be added and I nearly forgot to include it. I was able to knead it in when I realized, but anyone wishing to try this recipe should make note of it.

Yoda

2012-01-23T20:55:57-05:00

Hello everyone!

I haven’t been around the boards for the last while and I haven’t really been baking a whole lot lately. I have had some big changes at work and it has kept me busy.

I did manage to make a birthday cake for a co-workers grandson this weekend. He wanted a cake with Yoda ( from star wars on it ) This is the first time I have ever sculpted anything and the birthday boy was very excited when he saw the cake. I actually got a huge hug from him.

The cake itself is the white velvet butter cake with choibust cream filling and white chocolate mousseline buttercream. I tempered dark chocolate to make chocolate shards to put around the cake. Yoda is sculpted from rice krispies and fondant.

Although I am no artist, I think he kind of looks like Yoda. At least the birthday boy knew who he was.

Jack Daniels cake

2012-01-25T07:59:39-05:00

I only started baking and decorating cakes October 2011. I made this cake for a 37th birthday and am kind of proud, so i wanted to share it with someone

Winter wonderland birthday cakes

2012-01-22T22:26:37-05:00

My “January” cake projects have finally finished:

The Snowman Cake:
Deep Chocolate Passion Cake, syruped with milk chocolate syrup as per RHC, filled with Strawberry Mouselline, and Frosted with White Chocolate Mouselline—Fondant Snowmen and Evergreen (with royal icing snow) and a hand made candy/sugar “frozen pond”.

I cheated and used marshmallow fondant.

The Snowflake Cake:
Rose’s Lemon Chiffon as per TCB but baked as per Orange Chiffon in RHC. Filled with shortening based Lemon curd and fresh blueberries and frosted lightly with the “flour/gravy/roux” buttercream—strange stuff, but made with shortening and lemon juice. Coated with marshmallow fondant and royal icing snowflakes.

I am a devoted chocolate lover, but I (and many others!!) surprisingly loved the lemon cake—EVEN with all of the shortening. I imagine it would be even better with butter—next time… as I was not sure my daughter could do dairy/egg whites, so had to go this route (she didn’t get to eat the snowflakes!). Both cakes were moist and delicious, but I found the lemon flavours to really work together well! The chiffon was excellent in spite of the centre falling from the pan when inverted! The chiffon also held up the fondant well. Unfortunately, it was very cold and dry here so I barely got the fondant smoothed let alone fiddling with the base—it was so dry I had to accept a few puckers.

I initially had planned (and made) 2 dozen meringue snowmen to encircle the snowman cake, but decided more was less and left them off (I had to steal the chocolate arms I piped on the meringue snowmen to replace some broken ones on the fondant men). However, I had an unsightly line or two on the cake that I planned to cover, but never did…lesson to do it perfectly the first time, just in case!

Woody’s Lemon Luxury for Italian Masquerade Birthday.

2012-01-07T10:53:12-05:00

I had an unusual request from a customer last week… Lemon cake with Chocolate. I used Woody’s Luxury Lemon Cake and buttercream recipe, Rose’s Midnight Ganache recipe, fondant, gumpaste and isomalt. I followed Woody’s recipe to the T, except I had NO time for making lemon curd. I had to use store bought, which was rendered useless because the buttercream had almost no lemon flavor to it. I added almost 1/2 cup of lemon juice and more butter to the bowl and thankfully it produced a very similar result. I layered the cake according to the recipe, thin layer of the lemon buttercream on the outside, partially froze the cake, then topped it with a very thin layer of Midnight Ganache, partially froze the cake again, then added fondant and decorations.

I practically had to make all of the molds by hand for this cake, but they came out very nice, so I’m glad I had a chance to do it! The customers said the cake was divine, one said it was the best cake she’s ever tasted.

Another win! Thanks Rose!

French Macaron cake..

2012-01-21T11:13:16-05:00

Made this for a Heart Transplant survivor.. The Sign “Donate Life” is in a white chocolate photo frame.. the French Macaron around the cake is unfilled. everything is edible..

Star Wars Cake

2012-01-14T00:51:33-05:00

Hi everyone!
I have undertaken the task of baking a Star Wars themed cake for my husband’s 35th birthday- one week from today! I have attached picture of the cake I want to bake. The picture is of a poster showing an actual cake made to celebrate the one year anniversary of the movie back in 1978.

I was thinking to make a 12 inch layer cake, and a 9 inch. Cover them both in buttercream frosting (white and blue). The hard part - and the part I am stuck on- is the Star Wars logo. Should I do a frozen buttercream transfer of the logo? I have never done this before… Any ideas/tips/suggestions from bakers who are more experienced than I am? Thank you!

http://www.moviepostercollectors.com/MPC_Authentication_Star_Wars_Birthday_Cake_files/Star Wars Birthday Cake folded.jpg

Perfected my French Macarons

2012-01-12T14:50:03-05:00

Since I have perfected the French macarons, I have been making them like crazy… I like to decorate them lightly (not overwhelming).. Here are the ones I have made lately: