Really cute cake, napanaomi!

There is no pleasing some people.  I almost hate to ask even friends how things were.  I know they taste good to me, but some folks are funny that way. 

If someone asks your opinion and then goes in a completely different direction, despite your recommendations, they can only blame themselves.  After all, the customer IS always right.  I have made chocolate cake with strawberry filling before.  I think it’s a good combination.

I baked a wedding shower cake.  Did the layers, I think, Wednesday?, for a Sunday event.  I used a vanilla syrup to moisten them after cooling, wrapped them and refrigerated in a “cake keeper” type box until Friday.  I made buttercream on Thursday.  I think I assembled the two sets of layers and the did the skim coat Friday evening, and finished it up Saturday.  Keeping everything refrigerated in airtight containers and then in a box.  They loved it.

Hector, when I posted a question about when to add syrup (http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/index_ee.php/forums/viewthread/386/) recommended adding the syrup and then wrapping tightly and refrigerating for a day or two.  This lets the syrup really do its work and evenly moisten the cake.  I had the time, so that is what I did.  My biggest guessing game was how much syrup to use. 

I had made a test cake and monitored its freshness over the week (quality control is VERY important).  It tasted fine several days after assembly, just kept in the fridge under saran wrap.

I fell into the trap of too close to bother freezing (and space is an issue), but not enough free time to do it all in one big push.  Most of my baking is done after 8:30 pm.  So spreading it out over a few days, with a big decorating day worked well.

I’m glad the Very Hungry Caterpillar didn’t eat your cake.  He would’ve loved it.

JennyBee

JennyBee - 01 July 2008 05:24 PM

I almost hate to ask even friends how things were.  I know they taste good to me, but some folks are funny that way. 

I hate to ask too, but I just have to know what the guest’s reactions are (it’s just murder when you’re not at the function to witness it yourself).  Anyway, here’s what happened to me just a couple of days ago - I made a shower cake for a friend 2 weeks ago (she’s asked me to make several cakes in the past and always raves about them).  I didn’t attend the shower, but expected a glowing email.  After several days I hadn’t heard from her and I kind of started to get a little nervous - maybe her extended family didn’t like it?.  So I sent her an unrelated email with a PS: “Oh btw, how was the cake?“.  I waited and waited but didn’t get a response.  So I was a little hesitant to ask her about it when I ran into her on Sunday - thankfully she went on and on about how much she and her guests loved the cake.  She then told me 2 of her sisters have single daughters who will hopefully be engaged soon - they asked if she would hook them up with me if/when their daughters get married.  All that worrying for nothing - thou shall not doubt Rose’s recipes!

Patrincia - 01 July 2008 07:45 PM

thou shall not doubt Rose’s recipes!

The eleventh commandment!!!!

Well…I tried a recipe from another cookbook (I know, I know )  because it was the only actual marble cake I could find in my huge library of cookbooks.  I cut off a small corner to look and taste.  Results…it was absolutely beautiful but it tasted really bland…nothing like Rose’s cakes….ho hum…  Wonder if I can marble the sourcream buttercake, it’s my absolute FAVORITE…THAT would be yummy!!

Wierd…the picture didn’t show up.  Let me try again.

Napanaomi:
I have been away from the site lately, and I only just saw this posting.  I see from your profile that you are in California, and I’m all the way on the east coast…so I don’t know if this is a regional thing or not…but Marble cake is very much a staple here in New York…especially in Jewish bakeries.  What I have always known marble cake here to be is a dense butter cake…more like a pound cake…and it is usually baked in a loaf (although I’ve seen sheets too).  The swirl of “marble” is denser and more chocolatey than just swirling with chocolate cake batter…almost as if it is swirled with some sort of ganache or fudge.  I have never baked one, nor do I have a recipe…but perhaps this is what your clients are looking for.  It is a very very moist butter cake.  You might try searching recipe websites with “new york marble cake”...or perhaps when Rose returns from vacation she may have some insight.  I know this wasn’t very helpful…but it may put you on the track to the right answer.

NapaNaomi,

I guess it pays to find out what the customer’s idea of marble cake really is- I thought it was just yellow and chocolate butter cake swirled, but the iconic New York marble Bill describes sounds quite different (and to me, better!).  You could create your signature/ favorite style, and describe it fully to your customers.

In the Bread Bible, Rose rolls chocolate ganache blended with egg into her brioche-type doughs, the egg helps it expand along with the dough during baking so there are no gaps.  Perhaps test a pound cake with an egg-ganache swirl and then with a chocolate bread swirl and see which you prefer? 

After all that testing you will be well-qualified to pick a signature style!

As for storage, Rose recommends wrapping tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil.  The plastic wrap does still allow some moisture to escape, hence the foil. 

As for fillings/frostings, I think coffee buttercream would be delicious, caramel or vanilla could also work.  I’m also thinking, for those who like nuts, that Shirley Corriher’s nut butter cake fillings might be great (from Cookwise). 

I like fruit with chocolate (strawberry, orange, raspberry) only when the chocolate isn’t too intense.  Many people don’t like fruit with chocolate at all.  And hordes of Americans don’t care for marzipan!

Let us know how your testing goes!
Gook Luck,
Julie

Thank you all for your posts…this is really helping me work through this in my head before I make another trial cake.  I think tonight I’m gonna try being a little inventive and see what happens.  Julie…I was think last night if I made the white velvet cake and then took some batter and mixed a yolk in to support the addition of some chocolate if that would work, so your comment about the brioche really helps.  And Bill thank you for your describtion of a New York Marble Cake, very helpful.  It’s funny that I just never come across many marble cakes im my 30+ years…LOL.  But never to late to learn something new.

Patrincia - 30 June 2008 10:59 AM

Oh yes, like Annie says - don’t over swirl!  I place varying sized dollops of each batter in my pan, then swirl and bake.

Yes, I agree.

Don’t over swirl.

One to two large “S” curves should do it.