Trouble torting:  Hopefully, I will receive a photo of slice soon.  Meanwhile, this was tall cake and painful cake.  I knew the Birthday Girl liked the choc cake (Mom’s) that I usually make but I wanted four layers.  I made one 11” layer and torted it with little issue (notice I did not say without issue).  I made a second layer (chillled it for a while) and once torted, I broke one of the layers.  This was after googling and deciding not to just make thinner layers.  Aaargh.  So I had to make another 11” layer. This time I just decided to bake two thin layers.  I had rejected this idea as I was concerned with having the layers on two different shelves.  My oven can only take two 10” layers.  This seemed to work fine.  Lesson 1:  Need better knife of method for torting larger layer.  Lesson 2:  Baking thinner layers on two shelves not too bad. 

The cake looked fine when cut (but I was lazy and had not taken camera).  It received rave reviews.  And, the daughter of a woman who teaches cake decorating thought it was pretty…. ha ... Lesson 3:  I was at the party, I should have tasted it for myself.  (I have had enough chocolate cake lately). 

Meanwhile, I had made several (17) heart shaped one layers of Mom’s Chocolate Cake during Valentine’s week.  At some point, I added a teaspoon or two of cocoa to the hot water, chocolate, butter mix.  Seems I now agreed with Charles who thought maybe Mom’s tasted a little water.  Lesson 3:  Really have to make a plan for returning to chocolate cake testing. 

I made the Raspberry Sauce from TCB, added it to Mousseline Buttercream.  I only added one cup.  I used all of the recipe to fill this four layer cake.  Between two layers, I put Mom’s ganache also, but whipped it really light.  Repeat Lesson 3:  I should have tasted a cake slice myself.  I am now wondering if I should have ventured and made Raspberry Cloud Cream instead. 

The roses are modeling chocolate.  The latters are modeling chocolate.  I used a Wilton Fondant Mold.  I had purchased Tappits but the letters are really small.  The light whipped ganache was too light and soft for piping.  Oh well. 

I have had cake or cakes to bake for paying clients nearly every week for last few weeks Lesson 4:  Be careful what you ask for, you might get it. LOL - I understand, of course, scratch baking with the right formula makes delicious cakes.  Now I have a small two tier to do for Saturday.  I am so glad I have this forum to come to for questions and Rose’s books for formulas.

I’m sorry you had to go through all that. Your cake looks fabulous and delicious, as always. What did you do with the first cake, the one with the broken layer?

I absolutely love the look of that cake!  Like you, I wish I could taste a slice   Sounds like you’ve had a lot of work lately- I admire your ability to glean lessons from experience, and am so glad you posted about them.

Thank you for bringing these modelling chocolate letters to my attention, they are a fantastic idea!  I never, ever write on cakes, the most I have done is write on the serving platter around the base of the cake, so that I can just wipe off any letters that need re-doing.

Hi, Renee!

Your cake is beautiful, and your roses are fabulous! 

I can’t believe you were able to hold back from eating some!

—ak

Thank you Flour Girl.  I am freezing the broken cake.  My intent is to make some sort of trifle

Thank you Julie.  Yes, my goal has been two no more than three cakes per week.  Since I work full time as a project manager and that pays the bills.  But I need my love for baking to pay for itself.  And, people really should have great tasting cake if they are going to have any at all.  I written on a couple of cakes lately.  It really looked horrible.  I also have a stencil I can write on gum paste, fondant or modeling chocolate but the stencil only says Happy Birthday.  I put the modeling chocolate in the mold and put the mold in the fridge.  That did not work well as the letter broke.  All I had to do was put the choc in the mold and let it sit for a while at room temp.  They came out just fine. 

Thank you Anne.  I had eaten some chocolate cake with ganache during Valentine’s week.  That was plenty.

That cake looks so good, CRenee! I especially love the roses you made with the modeling chocolate. I would also love to have a piece of that.

For torting, you might consider getting a cake leveler, or at least a large baker’s knife with shallow serrations. Once you’ve done it a few times it just becomes second nature.

Thanks for posting and sharing this. Nicely done!

- MP

Monsieur Pâtisserie - 24 February 2013 10:23 PM

That cake looks so good, CRenee! I especially love the roses you made with the modeling chocolate. I would also love to have a piece of that.

For torting, you might consider getting a cake leveler, or at least a large baker’s knife with shallow serrations. Once you’ve done it a few times it just becomes second nature.

Thanks for posting and sharing this. Nicely done!

- MP

Thank you MP.  I have two cake levelers.  I could not find the small one and the larger one was just not working out.  It’s like the car won’t start when it’s important to be ontime.

it looks sooo good!!!

SweetNess14445 - 26 February 2013 06:37 PM

it looks sooo good!!!

Thank you SweetNess…Doesn’t chocolate just do that to you.