Totally not cake related...or is it?

I recently had a lifelong friend marry a man she has been with for 22 years.  They had both came from bad relationships, so they just took each day as it came.  Thankfully, they finally decided to tie the knot.  The problem is, what do you get a couple that has been together that long...that already has a household established.  My friend isn't into the trinket thing, so I decided to make her something homemade...from the heart.

What is more romantic then chocolate?  In my personal opinion...absolutely nothing.  So I decided to make her some homemade chocolates.  This is what I came up. 

This started the old creative juices flowing, and then I thought...why couldn't you apply some of these techniques to cake designing?  Prezel rods covered in chocolate would make great tree trunks.  Chocolate covered strawberries could be used for rocks or boulders.  Mini-marshmallows covered in red candy melts could be mini-apples or covered in orange candy melts could be oranges.  Marshmallow treats covered in chocolate could be formed to make mountains.  Unlimited ideas could be formed from chocolate.  Let your imagination run free.  Oh and you might want to try this recipe for modeling chocolate to make 3-D figures:

Modeling Chocolate

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup corn syrup

You can also substitute the chocolate chips with almond bark or colored candy melts

Microwave the chips in short 30 second intervals (or use a double-boiler being careful not to get water in the chocolate)  Don't allow chips temperature to exceed 100 degrees.  Stir often to insure they melt consistently.  Once all chips have melted add the corn syrup.

Add the corn syrup and stir with rubber spatula until the mixture becomes thick and forms a ball.

Spread out on a piece of wax paper until thin (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).  Let it cool completely.  It can be used at once or can be stored in an air tight container for up to a month.  Be careful not to handle the chocolate to much, because the clay becomes sticky.

Dipping Chocolate

1 bag semi-sweet  chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Microwave in short 30 second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted.  If chocolate is still to thick, you can add a little more vegetable oil.

The dipping chocolate can be used for covering pretzels, fruit, caramels, peanuts, rice krispie treats or cake balls.  The sky is the limit.  Use your imagination.

My First Attempt at a Lambeth cake

Well, I told you that when I finished my Lambeth cake I would post a picture of it.  So, here you go.  I realize it looks a little rough.  The piping was much more difficult then I thought it would be, but actually creating the design for it presented more of a problem then the piping.  It was interesting to try and make it all look cohesive.  Hope you like it.

Where do I go from Here?

This is the first question the new cake designer is asking themselves when they make the decision to try out cake designing.  If you are fortunate enough to have the resources to take classes or attend some type of pastries/culinary institute, you are pretty much in there.  But, if you just want to do this as a hobby for family and friends, you really don't want to invest that type of money into it.  So you check the internet.

There are many valuable resources on the internet.  Hobbyists have never had it so good.  You can get information on virtually any type of hobby at your fingertips.  You have access to social forums like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace.  You also have access to specialized forums for cake decorating (my personal favorite: cakecentral.com).  You can get online video tutorials via youtube.  There are people willing to share their knowledge around every corner.

When I decided that I wanted to learn cake designing, I first went to google search.  Through this search, I found various cake related websites, including cakecentral.  I quickly realized that if I was going to get into this seriously, my most valuable piece of equipment was going to be a notebook with dividers.  This will be more valuable to you then anything and probably the least expensive thing you will need to get started.  This will help you mass your knowledge in one central location, so when you ask yourself "what was it that that said again", instead of having to re-search the web all you have to do is open your trusty notebook.

This website is an accumulation of some of the knowledge that I have learned in a very short time.  Invite others that share your interests to a Facebook or Twitter account.  Share the tidbits that you pick up here and there.  Honestly you can learn loads from books from the library, magazines, the internet, cake designing clubs, classes and cake decorating conventions like ICES.

Whichever medium you choose to invest your time into, I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have.  I've made a lot of online friends through this hobby...maybe you will be one of them.  Feel free to friend me on Facebook at cabescakes, maybe we can teach each other something.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream

This recipe has been passed down as far back as I can remember from my grandmother, my mother, myself and hopefully my kids.  It is a very rich dessert, and it will satisfy any sweet tooth.  It is called Peanut Chocolate Dessert.  It is made the following with the following ingredients:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 cup peanuts
8 ounces cream cheese
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
12 ounces whipped topping
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 chocolate bar

In a bowl, cut butter into flour.  Stir in 2/3 cups of the peanuts.  Press the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  In another bowl, combine cream cheese peanut butter, and powdered sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping.  Spread this mixture over the cooled crust.  Chill.  Prepare the instant pudding according to package directions beating for 2 minutes.  Spread the instant pudding over the cream cheese.  Spread on the remaining whipped topping.  Shave any type of chocolate bar or pulse in a food processor (you can use any type of chocolate bar you like, but chocolate covered toffee bars are my favorite)  Sprinkle candy bar bits onto whipped topping and sprinkle on the remaining chopped nuts.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

This is my little piece of heaven on a plate.  Hope you enjoy it too

Dulce Leche (Caramel Topping)

I tried this recipe.  It was submitted to the Food Network by Alton Brown.  It is the bomb.  It can be used on ice cream, cake, or eaten right off a spoon (not recommended though it's not good for the hips). 

Dulce Leche (Caramel Topping)

1 quart whole milk
12 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.
Another trick to making caramel topping is to boil a can of Carnation sweetened condensed milk completely submerged in water for 2 hours.  Make sure the can stays completely covered with water for the whole 2 hours.  After 2 hours remove the pan from heat and set aside to cool completely. 
DO NOT REMOVE THE CAN FROM THE WATER.  LEAVE IT IN THE WATER UNTIL THE WATER AND THE CAN ARE COMPLETELY COOL.

Will keep in the unopened can for quite some time, once open though it usually disappears pretty fast.  If you use a lot of caramel topping, you can always do multiple cans and keep them stored in your pantry.

CHOCOLATE 101

Chocolate Guide

• Filed under: Candy, Chocolate, Dessert

The percentages listed on a chocolate bar represent the amount of cocoa butter and cacao solids by weight. The rest is largely sugar. Depending on the quality of the bar, there might be other additives present, like vanillin or lecithin, but they generally total less than one percent. Milk chocolate must have a certain percentage (12% minimum) of either powdered or condensed milk added as well.
Chocolate comes in the following levels of sweetness, from least to most added sugar:

• Unsweetened chocolate (which is exactly what it sounds like; it's also sometimes called baking chocolate).
• Dark
• Bittersweet
• Semisweet
• Milk Chocolate

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, without any cocoa solids, so it's technically not chocolate at all.
Cocoa, which is key to the distinctive chocolate taste in baked goods and candies, comes in two styles: Natural (non-alkalized), and Dutch-processed (alkalized). These should not be confused with the instant sweetened versions intended for hot chocolate.
Cocoa powders are primarily used for baking, but make top-notch hot drinks when mixed with sugar to balance their bitter taste. Natural cocoas, like Hershey's or Ghirardelli, tend to be lighter in color than Dutch-processed varieties like Droste. Which is "better" on the taste front? Some bakers prefer the direct chocolate flavor of natural cocoa, while others vote for the mellowness of Dutch.
However, when using chemical leaveners (baking powder or soda), make sure to use the type of cocoa called for in the recipe. Natural cocoas are acidic enough to activate the baking soda in cakes and cookies; alkaline Dutch cocoas should be used in recipes that rely solely on baking powder for their lift.
Storing:
Keep chocolate wrapped well, in a cool, dry place (not the fridge). Milk chocolate keeps for up to a year; dark for even longer. If the chocolate develops white dots or streaks on the outside, that's called "bloom." It means the cocoa butter has become un-emulsified (separated), but it's still perfectly safe to eat.

How to make Homemade Piping Gel

This is not my recipe, and I never found who wrote it.  So I would like to thank whoever submitted it.  Since they posted it to the internet, I don't think they would mind if I share it.

PIPING GEL RECIPE:
INGREDIENTS:
2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups light Karo syrup, or light corn syrup
INSTRUCTIONS:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small saucepan and let set for about 5 minutes. Heat on low until the gelatin has become clear/dissolved - DO NOT BOIL. Add the syrup and heat thoroughly. Cool and store, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.
TO COLOR: Add coloring paste/gel or food coloring drops to get desired color.
TO USE: Put in icing bag or plastic squeeze bottle and decorate.

Posters review:
1. Worked well for the whipped cream
2. Took color nicely!
3. Tried to pipe with it but all my letters just bled into itself.
4. Look like it would work for a pool or lake on a cake.