Cakecentral Magazine

7/23/2019 Cakecentral Magazine

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cake central magazine 1

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2 cake central magazine

Letter rom Jackie

Te season for heart-themed crafts and secretadmirer notes is among us! Valentines Day is in fullswing in this issue, and you can get excited for theholiday with our section of Sweetheart Cakes, orread about the history of the greatest treat of allchocolate. If youre feeling less-than thrilled aboutthe hearts and flowers, check out our tribute to anti-Valentines Day in the Valentines Blackout section!No matter your preference, I for one am grateful tohave a community that shares thoughtful words andkind acknowledgements on a day-to-day basis...nocandy hearts necessary.

Sincerely,

from jackie


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31 FEATURE

Its Not Just Cake:

The Renowned Marina

Sousa

38 COVER SPOTLIGHT

Exquisite Simplicity: The

Talent o Jene Rylan Nato

40 BONUS TUTORIAL

Truf es

43 LEFTOVERS

Champagne

49 CAKES ACROSS

AMERICA

Florida

66 BOOK REVIEW

Alan Dunns CelebrationCakes

71 INTERNATIONAL

DESSERTS

Italy

78 INSPIRATION TO

CAKE

Janet Ben-Ami

in this issue

contents

71

73

31

43

49

4078


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contents

in every issue

cakecentral.com member

21

53

81 64

10 17

the cakes21 VALENTINES BLACKOUT

53 SWEETHEART

81 PARTY

6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

8 YOUR SLICE

Worst thing to hear...

10 TUTORIAL

Long Stem Red Rose

16 WEB BROWSING

Hal-Baked

17 SCIENCE OF BAKING

Whats Your Type?

48 EVER WONDER?

History o Chocolate

64 BUSINESS OF CAKE

Eliciting Positive Reviews Online

68 SPOTLIGHT

Michael Guasta, Make it Work

73 CAKE CENTRAL RECIPE

Dessert Table or Two

93 CAKE MAKER LIST

95 SUPPLY SHOP LIST

96 BUYING GUIDE


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CEO

Jackie Shaer

COOHeath Shaer

MANAGING EDITOR

Robyn Broker

DESIGN

Kit Oliynyk

forine.tumblr.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Katie Shuy

Connie Riggio

Misty Winesberry

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Leanne Winslow

ASSOCIATE EDITOR/

ASSISTANT CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Katie Shuy

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Rose Thompson

Letters to the Editor

[email protected]

Subscription Orders

www.cakecentral.com/magazine

Advertising Inquiries

[email protected]

TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS:

[email protected]

contributorsmagazine

Cake Central Magazine is not responsible or errors in advertisements,

articles, photographs or illustrations. While an e ort is made to en-

sure the quality o the content and credibility o sources listed in the

magazine, Cake Central Magazine provides no warranty - expressed or

implied - and assumes no legal liability or the accuracy, complete-

ness, or useulness o any inormation, product or process published

in the magazine. Cake Central Magazine is not responsible or readers

misinterpretation o images in the magazine in such way that might

cause injury or damage. Examples o such misinterpretation might in-

clude the use o items that appear edible but are not, such as natural

owers that might be poisonous, modeled sugar owers that con-

tain wires, etc. The views and opinions o the authors or originators

expressed in the magazine do not necessarily state or re ect those

o Cake Central Magazine, its principals, executives, Board members,

adviso rs or a liates.

Summer Stone

Summer Stone has a Masters

in Biochemistry and Biophysics

rom Oregon State University

and is a sel-taught cake maker.

As a stay-at-home mom, she

continues to grow as a cake

decorator, combining her

love o science and cake art.


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Ive found that no matter how excited, relieved, or evenunderwhelmed we feel when the New Year begins,there never fails to be an opportunity for change. Youmight be waiting for such an opportunity, or you mayrun from it in the opposite direction, but either waythere is a sense of novelty that comes with the NewYear. As most of you know, Cake Central is still a veryyoung publication, and we are constantly faced withthe scary and exhilarating opportunities that comewith change.

One of my favorite parts of this job is the continualshaping and development of the magazine that occurseach and every day. New contacts are constantly beingmade, story ideas are spilling out our drawers, andthe drive to make each issue better and better keepsthe offi ce lively and fresh. As the Editor, I am facedwith countless decisions on how to best present CakeCentral Magazine to you, because at the end of the day,it is you we hope each issue will inspire. With that said,I encourage your feedback, as it is not only appreciatedbut invaluable as we put together each magazine.

As mentioned earlier, the New Year provides anopportunity for all of us to take on somethingdifferent. Tis issue includes Valentines inspiredcakes and tutorials. As you can see on the cover, wevetaken a new approach to Valentines Day and givena voice to all those who loathe, resent, and all outhate everything having to do with the holiday. Muchthanks to Jene Rylan Nato, whose cover cake kicksoff a new wave of Black Valentine celebrations. Anddont worry all you lovers out thereweve includedplenty of hearts and flowers as well.

And speaking of flowers, a while back I had theincredible opportunity to perfect the art of gumpasteroses with the one and only Betty VanNorstrand (orat least, I tried). Betty has taught industry mastersincluding Ron Ben Israel, and it was indeed a privilegeto go through the motions firsthand with a cake legendsuch as Betty. I was so inspired by this experience thatweve decided to include a tutorial for a V-day classic, along stem rose, with this Valentines special.

For this issue, we also had the honor of speaking withthe exquisitely talented and delightful Marina Sousa,who discusses the ups and downs of cake fame as wellas her unique artistic mindset.

So please consider this letter as a welcome to theNew Year and an invitation to continue sharing yourconstructive thoughts. Enjoy these pages, and lookfor all the best the world of cake has to offer throughthe 2012 issues coming your way.

Cheers!

Letter from

the Editor

Letter rom the Editor


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As you are delivering desserts, the client says, Oh,did we remember to tell you no sugar?

Helen Gottesman, Boynton Beach, FL

I have a regular customer who always loves mycakes, and she asked me to make a Star Warscake or her sons birthday. When I opened the boxand said, "Here's your special cake Brett," he said,"That's not what I wanted or my birthday cake!"I was surprised with this reaction, and I replied,"Well, honey this is what your mom ordered." Brettcame back at me with, My mom is stupid anddoesn't know what I want so take it back! I don'twant it!. The mom came to the rescue, assuringme he would love it by the time his party camearound. As I was leaving, I said bye to Brett andhe came over and kicked me in the shins whileyelling, Take that cake back I don't want it! Wereally cant please everyone...especially kids! I let

dumbounded and bruised (in more ways thanone). Thank God this hasn't happened again.

Paula Surette, Bridgewater, MA

The worst is when a client says, "Can you give mea break on the price?" AFTER we have agreed ona price and they are about to pick up the cake.I had this happen once. The client wanted aQuinceera cake or 250 people; white cake, whitechocolate mousse flling, and Italian rosting inwhich I matched the lace design and the coloro the girls dress. I told her calmly that I was al-ready giving her a break. She told me that a com-mercial bakery would charge less and I said, O

course they would! They use artifcial fllings andshortening or the rosting. Mine was made romscratch specifcally or her. She begrudgingly paidme in ull, but at the party she got her revenge; shethrew away the business cards I had given her andreused to give any party guests my inormation.

Laura Medina, Chicago, IL

Whats the worstthing to hear from a client?

I have this terrible ear o orgetting the correctdate/time or a wedding cake. I will ask the bride adozen times or more ater already confrming de-tails, recording it in my cake records/sketch sheets/etc. Crazy, I know, but I can't imagine messing upsomeone's big day like that!

Sam Short, Wakefeld, RI

I have a short use when an unprepared customersuers rom sticker shock and reers to cake as"just our, water, sugar, and eggs." I have to reachinto my reserve o sel-control to keep rom tell-

ing them to, "Make it yoursel then!" But thereis one thing I never, ever, want to hear rom acustomer..."You'll be hearing rom my lawyer!"

Laura Amodeo, Sterling Heights, MI

I had a customer call at midnight on a Thursdayrequesting a cake or Saturday morning, as an-other decorator had canceled at the last minute.I never do cakes on such short notice, but she gotmy name rom a good customer so I said yes. Shewanted a WWE cake, and she didn't care whatavor. I did a plain vanilla cake and flled it withSwiss meringue buttercreamthe same as theoutside. Although she purchased the fgurines,the ropes around the ring took way longer thanexpected. I had given her a deal initially (eventhough it was last minute), and I ended up charg-ing her $5 more than the estimate. She loved theway it looked when she picked it up, and so oshe went. Several hours later, she called to say it

was the worst thing she had ever eaten, and noone at her party would even eat it because it wasdisgusting! And to top it o, she had a headachebecause everyone kept telling her to call me andlet me know. Awul!

Lynne Mazzga, Hawley, PA

Your Slice Worst thing to hear...

Clients want beautiul ondant cakes. They tellyou what they want, and youre thinking, Thisis going to be costly. When they fnish describ-ing what they want, the next thing youll hear is,PLEASE DONT CHARGE ME A LOT! Some peopledont have any idea how much hard work and

time goes into this!Camen Torres, Guayama, Puerto Rico


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Up Next...

When you were a child,

what was your dreamcake?

We Want to Hear from You!

Submit Your Slice answers to

[email protected], and

your answer could be eatured

in an upcoming issue o Cake

Central Magazine!

Your SliceWorst thing to hear...

Going into this business, I thought dealing withthe brides would be the worst part. I laugh at thatnow little did I know, it would be the MOTH-ERS. Once at a tasting/consultation, a bride andmother sat down and explained a little aboutwhat she wanted. And by she, I dont mean thebride. The mother wanted this many layers, theseavors, that shape, etc. The bride seemed to beokay with the mothers choices. Then came thetasting, in which I had the 3 avors they askedor, topped with Italian meringue buttercream.The mother took a bite and said, "This isn't butter-cream." I replied, "Yes it is, its real buttercream, notthe buttercream that you might have had romthe grocery store." Then the mother said, "I don'tlike it, I like the kind at the grocery store! Also, thiscake tastes rozenI don't want the weddingcake to be rozen." She has no idea that all the gro-cery store cakes she has ever had has been rozen.

Katie Geesey, Bettendor, IA

I received a phone call around 6 am one morning.This is the conversation that took place:Me: Hello?Lady: I need a wedding cake... how much will itbe?Me: Um, it all depends on how many tiers, rost-ing or ondant, avors, flling, decorations, etc.Lady: Oh, well I want a 5-tier Snow White cakewith raspberry flling. Can you do those rosethings?Me: Yes, out o buttercream, royal icing, ondant,

or gumpaste?Lady: The ones that look real. I want them all overthe cake with two handmade peacocks sitting atthe top, all white. Can you do that?Me: I sure can.Lady: Well how much will it be?Me: I would guess somewhere around$800-$1000.Lady: WHAT?!! But its JUST CAKE!Me: Well, you are asking or a lot, but I'm sure wecan work something out.Lady: There are only going to be 25 to 30 peopleat the wedding. I was thinking it was going to be

$50 at the most! Besides, I don't think I can comeup with that much by this aternoon.Me: Well I only ask or hal down and the otherhal two weeks beore the wedding.Lady: The wedding is at 4 pm today.Me: Oh, well no matter how simple I cant get onedone by 4 pm, unless you just want a sheet cake.Lady: But IT'S JUST CAKE!!!Me: (click)

Kiele Briscoe, Colorado

Client calling my shop: Hi...The cake was great! Iloved the little pink roses that tasted so sweet. Sosweet, in act, that my husband will need to goto the dentist...oh, and by the way, he ound yourring! We will send you the bill.This has never happened to me, but I sure wouldhate or that to occur. YIKES!

Lisa Daugherty, Florida

I just bake as a hobby, but i remember one omy frst cakes or a cousin. I made a homemaderecipe, and when I told him it was homemade hesaid, "Really? Good job! It tastes just like the boxmixes!" He thought this was a compliment, I justsmiled.

Haley Wagner, Massachusetts

I had a client that was having her sons birthday ata YMCA in New York City. I've done cakes or clientsat YMCAs beore so I thought nothing o it. I ar-rived in the YMCA recreation room, and imaginemy unease when I was escourted to the basketballcourts! They had a cake table about 20 eet awayrom where some kids were playing. I secured thecake, but I was still worried about the vibrations.The lady assured me they would stop playing, soI went on my way. An hour later, the mom calledme and timidly said that the cakewhich wasstacked basketballs, soccer balls, and ootballshad collapsed! I was mortifed, and I think a bit

more upset then she was. She didn't seem to mind,but I wanted to crawl into a hole and die!

Angela Cuevo, Sunnyside, NY


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Tutorial Long Stem Red Rose

The People's Cake

Kaysie Lackey

Seattle, WA

Photos By: connieriggiophotography.com



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The secret has long been out (or hundreds o years, in act). Red roses are the ultimate

symbol o love. Were excited to share detailed instructions or making these oral

avorites in sugar orm, courtesy o Kaysie Lackey! Delicate and realistic long stem

roses evoke classic romance, and theyll instantly add an elegance actor to your cake.

And these roses turn out so beautiully, youll likely want to create a whole bouquet.

TOOLS:

ROSE CUTTER SET

ROSE LEAF CUTTERS

BRUSHES

PASTA ROLLER/PASTA

MACHINE

BALL TOOL

FOAM MAT

GREEN FLORAL TAPE

PLASTIC SOUP SPOONS

(AT LEAST 5)

EXACTO KNIFE

CELBOARD

CELPAD

WIRE CUTTERS

CALYX CUTTER

SILICONE LEAF VEINER

MATERIALS:

RED GUMPASTE

GREEN GUMPASTE

EGG WHITES

VEGETABLE SHORTENING

24-GAUGE WIRE FOR LEAVES

POINSETTIA, BRICK, ROSE,

AND HOLLY PETAL DUSTS

18-GAUGE WIRE

LARGE ROSE CONE

Long StemRed Rose




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1. Stick a rose cone on a4 inch, 18-gauge wire

2. Roll the red gumpaste to a 7 ona pasta machine or transparent.

3. Choose 3 rose petal cutters,small, medium, and large.The smallest cutter shouldbe larger than your cone.

4. Using the middle size rosecutter, cut one petal.

5. Using the large end o a ball tool,tool the top edge o the petal ina clockwise direction. Flip it over.

6. Brush the rose cone with eggwhites rom the top halway down.

7. Attach the tip o the petal tothe cone pointing down.

8. Slowly wrap the petal clock-wise to orm a center.

9. Cut two petals with the small-est rose cutter, and toolthe top 2/3, then ip.

10. Paint the let side andbottom tip o the 2 smallpetals with egg whites.

11. Working in a clockwise motion,attach petals, nesting thesecond petal inside the frst.

12. Wrap around clockwiseto close the petals. Feelree to tug and pull.

13. To make the rose look lie-like, curl the top tips o thepetals back slightly.

14. Using the medium sizecutter, cut 3 petals.

15. Repeat steps 5 through 7.

16. Apply 1 petal at a time tothe rose. Nest each petal.

17. Apply a small amount o eggwhite to tack the petals down.

7

1

8

3

9

4

10

5

12 13

11a 11b


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18. Curl the top tips o thepetals back slightly.

19. Cut 4 large rose cutter petals.

20. Tool the top 2/3 o thepetals, then ip.

21. Using a plastic spoon, placea petal in the spoon with theedges barely hanging over.

22. Using another spoon, com-press the petal within the otherspoon. Apply pressure withyour thumb, and bend back theoverlapping edge o the petal.

23. Repeat or each large petal. Allowthe petals to dry in the bottomspoon until leather. Once dry,

they will remove easily. Thepetals should be dry enoughto hold the spoons shape.

24. Paint halway down thelet side and bottom o thepetals with egg white.

25. Starting with one petal, wrap clock-wise completely around the rose.

26. For all the additional petals, nestthem as done beore. Do not apply

the petals equidistant apart, so as tocreate a more realistic appearance.

27. Tack the petals with egg whitesand adjust using your fngers.Leave one petal open and un-tacked to maintain the realism.

28. Using poinsettia colored petaldust, dust the inside o the petalsstarting in the center and workingcircularly outward. Apply dust tothe tops o the petals to liven them.

29. Using the brick colored petal dust,darken the center o the rose.

30. Mixing the rose and holly col-ored petal dusts, lightly dustthe outermost petals to createthe dead edge eect. Tip theinner petals with the rose andholly mixture. This step is whatreally brings the rose to lie.


16 17

21 22

23 24

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27 28

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31. Lightly color the under-side o the petals.

32. Roll the green gumpastelevel 6 on a pasta machine.

33. Cut out a calyx lea.

34. Elongate the calyxusing a ball tool.

35. Using an exacto knie, scorethe edges o the lea.

36. Using the small side o the balltool to accentuate the scores.

37. Paint egg white in thecenter o the calyx.

38. Stab the rose in the center

o the calyx, and threadthe calyx up the stem.

39. Flip the rose upside down, andtack in the middle o each leao the calyx so they arent com-pletely at on the rose. Makesure the calyx covers the entirewhite part o the rose bud.

40. Using a yard length o greenoral tape, attach the rose to an18 gauge wire. Spin the tape up

to the neck o the rose. Repeatadding a second and third wire.

41. Wrap tape down to theend o the wires. Continueadding taping until desiredthickness occurs. Cut o theexcess wire using wire cutters(approximately 3 inches).

42. Using green gumpaste, orma bump at the bottom othe calyx. Smooth down the

stem using shortening.

43. Using the holly and rosepetal dusts, paint the stemto match the calyx.

44. Paint over the edges o thecalyx with the rose petal dust.

35 36

38 39

40 41

42 43

44 45

46 48


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LEAVES45. Roll a 5 inch snake roll o green

gumpaste over the grooveson a CelBoard that has beenprepped with shortening.

46. With a rolling pin, roll to atransparent thinness.

47. Peel o gumpaste rom CelBoard,and ip over so grooves are visible.

48. Cut one lea with a large leacutter. Cut so the groove is goingthrough the center o the lea.

49. Repeat with two small leaves.

50. Peel o the excess gumpaste,leaving the 3 leaves remaining.

51. Cut three, 3 1/2 inch 24-gauge wires.

52. Dip a wire in egg white, andthread about a quarter o theway up the vein (the groove)o the back o the lea. Repeatwith the two smaller leaves.

53. Using a silicone lea veiner,vein your leaves.

54. Tool the entire undersides o theleaves using a large ball tool.

55. Hang the leaves on a rack to dry.

56. Once dry, paint with a mix-ture o holly and rose petaldusts using a at brush. Runthrough steam to set.

57. Using the green oral tape, tapethe three leaves together.

58. Tape the stem o the leavesto the stem o the rose.

59. Bend and arrange the leavesin a lielike manner.

60. Color the additional tape bybrushing it with the hollyand rose petal dusts.


5350

54

52

57 58


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Ater perusing the various posts and categories

throughout this blog, one thing becomes clear:

it should be renamed Fully-Baked! This site is

chock-ull o gorgeous photos o cakes, party

displays, cookies, and other conections, and

creator Carrie Sellmans cake design gallery is

sure to inspire you. Its very easy to spend lots

o time (perhaps too much time!) exploring the

dierent themes and hot new trends displayed

throughout the pages. Along with requent

posts, the site includes unique categories

such as Sweet Tidbits, Dessert Tables, and

Real Parties, which are all suited to help out

the viewer, no matter their present skill level.

Adding to the mix, Hal-Baked eatures a selec-

tion o smaller bakeries and a top tier directory,

plus includes a shopping section! Theres a

little bit o everything on this helpul, too-

cute-or-words smorgasbord o a cake blog.

Hal-Baked:The Cake Blog

Web BrowsingHal-Baked


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Whats Your

Type?

Science o BakingWhats Your Type?

Iwholeheartedly admit that

I am an American butter

cake girl, but there are

times when dierent styles

o cake ft the dessert bill

or the taste and texture Idesire. Angel ood cakes

and pound cakes pair

beautiully with berries and

reshly whipped cream, and

a sponge cakes open and springy texture

makes it ideal or tiramisu and trie. Not

only do these types o cakes make abu-

lous desserts, they can also fnd a lovely

home in your layer cakes. Cakes can vary

rom dense, tender, and tightly crumbed

to light, eathery, and spongy. Having a

greater understanding o the characteristics

o a variety o cake types and the sciencebehind how they are achieved can increase

your knowledge and diversity as a baker.

Cakes typically all into two basic categories,

butter cakes and sponge-type cakes. Butter

cakes generally contain more at than most

sponge cakes, and they can be leavened

solely by eggs or included chemical leaven-

ers. Among butter cakes there are three

versions that requently appear: pound

by Summer Stone


20/100



cake, American butter cake, and mud cake.

Sponge cakes are leavened predominantly

with egg oams and vary in the amount o

at they contain rom none to moderate

amounts. Some o the common sponge

cake varieties include angel ood cake,

American-style sponge cake, gnoise, and

chion. Here we will explore the compo-

nents, unique mixing methods, and char-

acteristics o each o these kinds o cake.

Butter CakesPound cake, to me, typifes the pure sim-

plicity o a butter cake. In its classic orm, it

consists o equal weights o butter, sugar,

our, and eggs (weighed in the shell) and

no chemical leaveners such as baking

powder or baking soda. Instead, pound

cake relies on mechanical aeration o the

butter to lighten the cake and the eggs to

provide leavening. Pound cakes are gener-

ally mixed with the creaming method in

which the butter and sugar are beaten until

light and uy with subsequent additions

o eggs and our. These cakes are oten

baked low and slow at temperatures below

350F in order to ensure proper elevation

and lightness o the cake and to al low or

the inside o the cake to be done beore

the outer crust becomes too dark. Result-

ing pound cakes are characterized by a

tight, fne crumb and rich buttery avor.

These cakes are also ideal or layering and

carving because o the compact structure

and sturdy denseness. Pound cakes can

also be converted into recipes or delicious

American-style butter cakes by adding

liquids and leavening agents in order to

open and add moisture to the crumb.

American butter cakes are a variation

o pound cake but generally contain a bit

more liquid in the orm o water, dairy, or

juice, and utilize baking powder, baking

soda, or both as leavening. In the United

States, this is the cake o choice or birth-

days, weddings, and most other orms o

celebration. Many American butter cakes

are based on the traditional 1-2-3-4 cake.

This cakes name is essentially a recipe in

which one uses one cup butter, two cups

sugar, three cups our and our eggs. There

are endless variations to this basic ormula,

but it is a good oundational starting place

when developing a butter cake recipe. Part

o the appeal o American butter cakes is

their ease o mixing. These cakes are most

oten mixed by either the creaming method,

described above, or by the our-batter

method in which butter is mixed with the

dry ingredients ollowed by the liquid and

eggs. This cake is usually baked at 350,

which yields a cake that is both light and

has a frm structure. The addition o liquid

and leavening as well as the reduction in

butter and eggs produces a cake that is

lighter and more open crumbed than a tra-

ditional pound cake. A higher ratio o sugar

in the American butter cake also results in

a sweeter, more tender fnal product. The

sot, moist texture o this style o cake and

relative strength and stability strikes a nice

balance between a cake that is appealing

to eat and easy to prepare and decorate.

The mud cake is to Australians what the

butter cake is to those o us in the States.

This style o cake is moist and dense with a

sturdy structure that holds up beautiully


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to carving and decorating with ondant.

Mud cake generally contains the same

ingredients as an American butter cake, but

adds some orm o chocolate into the mix

and varies the proportion o ingredients

used; there is typically more sugar, at,

and liquid ound in these cakes than their

American counterparts and proportionally

less our and eggs. Most mud cake recipes

are made with either all sel-rising our or

a mix o sel-rising and all-purpose our.

This is due to the act that cake our is

not readily available in Australia, and sel-

rising our is a soter wheat, lower gluten

alternative to all-purpose our. Sel-rising

ours provide an advantage o ease in that

they are pre-mixed with salt and leaven-

ing agents, but i they contain more salt

and leavening than is desired, all-purpose

our must be added to dilute their relative

amounts present in the fnal product.

Another unique characteristic o the mud

cake is the method by which it is mixed.

These cakes begin by melting together

at, chocolate (either dark or white), and

liquid. Ater this melted mixture is cooled

slightly, the eggs and dry ingredients are

whisked in, orming a thin batter. Mud cakes

are typically baked at temperatures below

350 or slow, even protein coagulation

and starch gelation. However, this low-

temperature baking can allow or gas cells

that develop during baking to convergeand orm air tunnels throughout the cake.

Be sure to frmly rap flled cake pans on the

counter beore baking to remove large air

bubbles and reduce some o the tunneling

eect. When cooled and wrapped, mud

cakes have a long shel lie and actually

improve in avor and texture over the frst

ew days ollowing baking. Thereore, this

type o cake works well when excessive

time is needed to decorate a cake or i a

cake needs to sit at room temperature or

several days. The moist sweetness o this

cake gives it great appeal, but it may seem

a bit dense or chewy compared to the light

tenderness o an American butter cake.

Sponge CakesThe second category o cakes is the sponge-

type cake that is stabilized and leavened

with egg oam. Egg oam is a network o

tiny bubbles that are ormed when air is

beaten into liquid eggs. The beating pro-

cess creates stable oam by mechanically

causing stress on certain egg proteins,

promoting unolding. In addition, beating

incorporates air which changes the proteins

environment and urther alters their shape.

These unolded proteins then gather at the

air-water junctions and orm bonds with

each other, creating scaolding that holds

the structure o the oam. Think o a oam

cross section as a honeycomb where open

cells are supported by a strong surround-

ing structure. Baking urther stabilizes the

oam or sponge structure by unolding

additional egg proteins that frmly reinorce

the structure and by evaporating water

rom the oam which weakens the structure.

The most stable egg oams are composed o

solely egg whites. The presence o at rom

the egg yolk intereres with the protein-

protein interactions that make up the oam

structure and compete or space at theair-water junction. Egg oams can be made

using egg yolks, and they oten are, but

they are more di cult to establish and

less stable than all-white oams.

A perect example o an all-

white sponge cake is angel

ood. In this type o cake,

several egg whites are

beaten to a oam consis-

tency, sometimes with

cream o tartar. Once

the oam is established,sugar is added and

fnally the cake our is

olded in. The cream o

tartar is added to provide

an acid component to

the oam. This prevents

excessive egg protein

bonding and the ormation

o dry, blocky egg oam. The

sugar is added ater the oam

is created because it can interere with

protein unolding and bonding and thus

ormation o stable oam. Once the oam

is established, the sugar improves stability

by slowing liquid drainage rom the bubble

walls. The addition o cake our helps

reinorce the structure o the baked cake

with wheat starch, but it also keeps the cake

rom becoming weighed down by higher-

protein ours. There is no at in this cake,

but the low volume o our and the high

percentage o sugar keep this cake moist

and tender. I baked as a layer cake, using a

springorm pan without greasing or lining

with parchment allows you to invert the

cake as it cools without it alling out o the

pan, and aids in the release when the sides

are removed. Angel ood cakes baked at

325 are even and have a light golden crust.

Angel ood cakes are characterized by their

light, spongy texture and sweet, subtle

avor. Their airy, tender crumb may not

hold up to heavy ondant decorations, but

they make a wonderully delicate layer

cake when covered with whipped cream or

buttercream. Angel ood cakes are not di-

fcult to assemble because o their relatively

short list o ingredients, but the necessity o

properly whipped egg whites, a gentle hand

in mixing, and proper cooling procedure

increase the relative di culty o these cakes.

A sponge cake is quite similar to an angel

ood cake but includes the addition o egg


22/100

airy and quite open and spongy in texture.

The cake is improved by removing the top

and bottom crusts and soaking in a gener-

ous amount o simple syrup, but it remains

springy and airy. Gnoise is known to be a

fnicky cake which requires careul handling

and attention to procedure. This is in part

a result o its oundation being built upon

whole egg oam, which is relatively unstable

and the addition o at which can urther

weaken the oam. A Gnoise-style cake is

commonly ound among layer cakes and is

best when split thin and flled with a minimal

spread o jam or rich buttercream. Gnoise

also makes a lovely tiramisu cake or trie.

The chifon cake is the last o the sponge

cakes and, in my opinion, the most abulous

o all the oam cakes. When properly carried

out, chion cakes are light, moist, tender,

fne crumbed, and avorul. A chion cake is

a sort o hybrid between a sponge cake and

a butter cake. In this cake, egg yolks, water,

oil, and avorings are whisked together with

our, sugar, salt, and leavening chemicals.

The egg whites are then beat to sti, dry

peaks and olded into the yolk batter. The

inclusion o a good amount o oil results in

a moist cake with an unobtrusive avor that

allows other avors to shine. This style o

cake is usually baked in an ungreased tube

pan at 325. The low temperature allows or


yolks to provide avor and richness to the

cake. The sponge cake oam is ormed by

beating egg whites and then olding them

into a batter made up o yolk or whole

egg oam, sugar, our, salt, avorings and

sometimes milk, butter, and chemical

leavening products. Beating the whites

separately gives the oam a higher volume

and provides or a more stable batter. The

addition o milk adds moisture and can pro-

duce a fner crumb in the cake while small

amounts o butter tenderize and add avor.

This cake is typically baked in a 350 oven.

A baked sponge cake is very light and ex-

ible with a stretchy, springy, open crumb. In

its basic orm, this cake has a neutral, mild

egg avor that serves as a nice backdrop to

more avorul components. Sponge cake

traditionally is the base o Boston cream

pie, blackberry jam cake, and tiramisu, to

name a ew. In its classic orm, exibility and

sponginess may make it di cult to stand

up to ondant, but it would layer nicely

covered in buttercream. The downside o

the sponge cake is the complex mixing pro-

cess. Separately beating whites and yolks

or whole eggs with divided amounts o

sugar and the careul olding in o ats and

our complicate the mixing procedures and

make this a more challenging cake to create.

Gnoise is much like a classic sponge cake

but varies in mixing method, includes butter

or avor, and is usually soaked in avored

simple syrup. This cake is the darling o theFrench, and it oten orms the basis or their

layer cakes. To create a gnoise, whole

eggs, yolks, or whites are

heated with sugar over sim-

mering water until just warm.

This process prevents coagula-

tion or curdling o the eggs.

The egg-sugar mixture is then

beat until a oam is established

that is three times the volume

o the original liquid. A small

portion o the egg oam is

removed and whisked togetherwith melted, clarifed butter

and avorings. Sited our is

then olded into the remaining

oam in two or more incre-

ments orming a oam batter.

The enlightened butter is then

olded into the batter and it is

quickly moved to the pan and

gently placed in a 350 oven.

The resulting cake is tall and

a high, even rise, and the lack o at inside

the pan ensures that the cake will not all

out when it is inverted to cool. Inverted

cooling is necessary to stretch and set the

cakes structural network beore it can col-

lapse. (Believe me, this is necessary. I have

created some very interesting chion cakes

that have resembled dense oam rubber.)

This may not be the ideal cake or a begin-

ning baker to attempt, but overall, this is

not a di cult cake to make and is not as

ragile or particular as other sponge-type

cakes. Cooled chion cakes have a wonder-

ul texture that will hold up to buttercream

or ondant decorations, but are also deli-

cious served plain or with a simple glaze.

Although most cakes all into two simple

categories, there is a wide degree o varia-

tion in what specifc cakes look, taste, and

eel like. Butter cakes, with their high per-

centages o at and dense velvety texture

make wonderul layer cakes, but their oamy

cousins should not be orgotten. The sweet,

light, spongy texture o oam cakes gives

them an entirely dierent, but no less desir-

able, appeal. For this reason, it is good to

have an understanding o an array o cake

variations, not only or simple diversity,

but so that you are able incorporate the

science and knowledge o these individual

cakes into your own perect creation.



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Valentines Blackout

Whats the big deal about Valentines Day? Sure, there are certain romantics out there who seem to revel in roses andstale chocolates, but there are others who rmly resist commercialized love. I you think this holiday is nothing morethan an elaborate scheme concocted by greeting card companies or a simply poor excuse or a holiday, youre notalone. This section highlights some cake makers that have gone anti-Valentines, and were excited to show o theirwork! We welcome you to ditch the tacky cards and let o steam with these deliciously angsty black Valentines cakes.


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Valentines Blackout

Art and Appetite

Jene Rylan Nato

Las Vegas. NV

artandappetite.com

rylan


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Valentines Blackout

Frosted Fantasy Cakes

Amelia Carbine

Logan, UT

rostedantasycakes.com

cakes


26/100


Valentines Blackout

Susan Trianos Custom Cakes

Susan Trianos

Toronto, Canada

susantrianoscakes.com

Photo By: www.buchmanphoto.com


27/100


Valentines Blackout

Susan Trianos Custom Cakes

Susan Trianos

Toronto, Canada

susantrianoscakes.com

Photo By: www.buchmanphoto.com


28/100


Valentines Blackout

Tessa Uitvlugt

Veendam, Netherlands

Tessje


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Valentines Blackout

Tessa Uitvlugt

Veendam, Netherlands

Tessje


30/100


Valentines Blackout

Leanne Winslow

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Photo By: Sean Hoyt

LeanneW


31/100


Valentines Blackout

Art and Appetite

Jene Rylan Nato

Las Vegas. NV

artandappetite.com

rylan


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www.beryls.comBeryls Cake Decorating & Pastry Supplies1-800-488-2749 | 703-750-3779 | [email protected] | PO Box 1548 | N. Springfield, Va. 221510584

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33/100


FeatureMarina Sousa

With all o the media hype surrounding cake decoration these days, some advancedcake decorators are nding themselves thrust into the public eye whether they like itor not. But how is the sweet taste o ame really aecting these artists? Is the spotlighta blessing or a curse or their cake businessesnot to mention their sanity? When itcomes to ame and ortune, theres one decorator who has no trouble keeping botheet planted rmly on the ground. Cake decorator and pastry che extraordinaireMarina Sousa demonstrates on a daily basis how her passion or cakes has nothing todo with the media hype surrounding her lie. In act, Marinas story reveals some majormisconceptions that we may have about these amous decorators.

The Renowned Marina SousaIts Not Just Cake:


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Fondant or SaleOwner o the highly acclaimed pastry shop,

Just Cake, Marina can hardly believe that her

childhood hobby is now a ull-time career.

Sweet desserts have been a part o Marinas

lie or as long as she can remember. Because

o her love or holidays, Marinas mother

used anycelebration as an excuse to make a

dessert. My mother was a great baker. She

always made our birthday cakes. I think she

made us birthday cakes every month until we

turned two! Marina continues, She decorated

the house or EVERY holiday. We literally had

boxes labeled in the holiday closet or every-

thing rom Christmas to Saint Patricks Day!

Im confdent my mother is who I got much

o my inspiration rom over the years. Marina

was exposed to the creative side o conec-

tions at an early age. She was even coming

up with her own creative business ventures

as a child. Her mother used to make a type o

candy at Christmas with ondant in it. Paying

homage to this ondant candy, rather than

selling traditional lemonade Marina actually

set up a ondant stand with a little help rom

her mom. We made ondant rainbows, suns,

stars and owers, and I sold them in our ront

yard at my ondant stand! Unbeknownst

to me at the time, my interest in ondant

began. Talk about a sign o things to come!

Playing SchoolWhen we asked Marina what her child-

hood sel wanted to be when she grew up,

Marina couldnt recall anything specifc.

Wishing her mother, Marge Chiesa, was

around to help her answer this question,

Marina couldnt help but break down a bit.

A passionate, un-loving woman, Marge

was truly Marinas biggest cheerleader,

as a special section on Marinas website

dedicated to her indicates. In 2008, Marge

passed away unexpectedly. Remember-

ing her childhood, as well as the endless

support her mother always gave her, was

extremely di cult or Marina. Without her

mothers unsurpassed ability to recollect

elements o Marinas childhood, Marina

instead turned to her amily to help jog

her memory. Marinas sister recalled how

Marinas childhood disposition was a true

sign o her uture leadership capabilities.

My sister thought I just wanted to be the

bossbecause I sure liked being bossy!

Gotta love sisters! It sounds like her sister,

among other things, is part o the reason

Marina is so levelheaded despite her inter-

national acclaim. Marinas ability to be the

boss was clearly proven at an early age.

From designing, costuming, and choreo-

graphing neighborhood productions in

the ront yard, to oten insisting on being

the teacher when playing school, Marina

was practically hardwired or leadership.

Although shes been eatured in major

magazines, designed cakes or numerous

celebrities, and is known or her string

o wins on Food Network s Challenge,

Marina still cant believe the recognition

she receives. I love it when I get mes-

sages or people just come up and say

Hi to me at events. Its still astonishing

to me that anyone even knows who I

am! Although shes modest, it is clear

that Marina has worked hard or her ac-

complishments. She attributes her liesachievements to both her extensive

schooling as well as her supportive amily,

who she says trusted her despite the act

that her education took her in directions

they oten didnt understand. Marina

adds, I think the one prevailing theme

o my lie is that I was always ortunate

enough to be able to ollow my passion.

I think the oneprevailing theme ofmy life is that I wasalways fortunateenough to be able tofollow my passion.

FeatureMarina Sousa


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FeatureMarina Sousa


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Chasing a DreamMarinas educational interests can certainly

be described as diverse, but they always

seemed to reect what she was truly pas-

sionate about at the time. Ater high school,Marina got a degree in Visual Merchandis-

ing and Space Design rom The Fashion

Institute o Design & Merchandising. Her

degree led her to create window displays or

major companies such as Macys and FAO

Schwartz. Later on, Marina moved to LA and

ell in love with the theater. This newound

passion led her to receive yet another

creative degree, this time in Theatrical

Production Management at the Caliornia

Institute o the Arts. Ater graduating, she

was able to get a job producing special

events at Universal Studios, which would

eventually lead her to the post production

and marketing side o the entertainment

industry. All o this in one way or another

led me to the doorstep o a cake studio in

Beverly Hills and as they say, the rest is his-

tory. Although she jumped around quite a

bit, the universe works in mysterious ways,

and all o her varied experiences eventually

led her to exactly where she needed to be. I

cant image getting here in any other way.

Opening a cake shop eventually became

Marinas dream; a dream that propelled

her to leave LA and attend the Culinary

Institute o America. Just Cake was launched

in 2003, and it is now recognized as one o

the most innovative and technically pro-

fcient pastry shops in the world. Without

a doubt, Marinas diverse background has

not only helped her shop ourish, but also

become known or its exceptional original-

ity and design. I think the combination

o education and experience rom past

careers allows me to view cake through

an uncommon lens. For me, cake is the

perect balance o artistry and passion.

Pushing theBoundariesInevitably, Marinas unique view o theworld is reected in her extraordinary

cake designs. But Marina admits that her

own unique style is di cult to put into

words. Ive oten been asked to describe

my style and I never really know what to

say. I think Im pretty versatile. Theres not

really one specifc cake Im known or other

than the sugar beads, perhaps. But I think

my work is stylized, i that s a style. The

word stylized only seems to scratch the

surace o her multidimensional design

talents, but perhaps words will always all

short when we attempt to describe trueartistic expression. Rather than dwelling

on defning her own unique style, Marina

simply reminds us how important push-

ing the boundaries are when it comes to

cakes, or any orm o art. Its important to

me to create things that Ive never seen

beore, especially when doing something

or a publication and especially when

I design or Challenge. I really look at

those as opportunities to push mysel.

"I think thecombination ofeducation andexperience from past

careers allows me toview cake through anuncommon lens. Forme, cake is the perfectbalance of artistry andpassion."

FeatureMarina Sousa


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The Price o FameWith all o the success that she has experi-

enced both personally and with Just Cake,

it is natural to imagine that her business

phone lines are constantly ringing o the

hook. But when we naively asked Marina

how she dealt with the mass inux o orders

to her shop, she gave us insight into a

huge misconception about celebrity cake

designers. I guess people just automatically

assume that because youve been on TV thatyou are constantly busy, and thats simply

not always the case! I fnd that sometimes

the national attention has the reverse aect.

I ound this to be true especially ater I was

on Oprah. People tend to assume because

youve been on TV that you are extremely

expensive, and because o that perception,

locally especially, they wont even bother

calling to fnd out. This misconception not

only leads to losses in total revenue, but also

aects how Marina must price her cakes.

While I am not the least expensive place

in town, I dont eel Im the highest either.I am priced or my market. Sometimes

thats rustrating as a business owner.

And dont assume that Just Cake has man-

aged to steer clear o the recession. With

wedding cake orders making up about 95

percent o her business, Marina has def-

nitely seen less o the brides with boundless

budgets. Despite the setback, Marina has

at least ound one beneft in the recession.

My clients now are people who really care

about their cake in both design and avor,

which is my ideal client actually. At times

I just wish there were more o them.

I Get By with a

Little HelpThere is a reason Just Cake is still producingastounding cakes in spite o the economic

downturn. It seems that fnding the right

balance o personalities in her shop has

made a huge dierence to both her business

and her sanity. When describing her riend

and ellow cake designer Dawn Nemec,

Marina remarks, I always say she does all the

stu that makes me want to poke my eyes

out, while I enjoy conceptualizing the big

picture. We make a good team because she

gives me these extraordinary elements to

work into an overall design concept, which

results in the best o both worlds. The mix

o an incredibly talented, though relatively

small, team o cake makers and an endless

enthusiasm or pastries has made Just Cake

justunstoppable, and Marina constantly

expresses her gratitude. I have been blessed

with an amazing team! We are small, but it

all works out in one way or another. Marinas

tight knit team is rounded out by Danielle

Clark, the excellent baker and member

o the decorating team, as well as Marie

Marheineke, who tirelessly handles phone

calls and email inquiries at Just Cake. Marinaabsolutely shudders to think o what she

would do without the support o her sta.

The Cake TVGeneration

The past ew years have proved that

Marina really knows how to hold her own

in the competitive cake world. When we

asked her why she thought cake making

has become the phenomenon that it is

today, Marina responded, I think cake

is one o those things that everyone can

relate to. Nearly everyone has baked

a cake or had one made or them, we

celebrate birthdays and happy occa-

sions with them. Elevating the concept

to an art orm is ascinating or people.

Although the cake industry has certainly

beneited rom the popularization o

cakes in the media, it is still diicult to

know the direction the cake world will go

in the uture. Marina remains optimistic.

One o the things Im looking orward

to is seeing what the next generation o

designers will bring to the table; those

who have grown up watching Challenge,

knowing and seeing what is possible.

Marina is no stranger to Challenge.

Shes participated in so many Challenge

episodes, its almost hard to keep track.

When we asked her to name her avorite,

she reluctantly responded, My very frst

one, which was the second Challenge

ever flmed. The theme was Kid Birthday

Cakes. Looking back, the cake was sosmall and simple! At that point the ocus

was really about the cakes which I really

FeatureMarina Sousa


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FeatureMarina Sousa

The SweetestThing

For Marina, quality and skill are

clearly critical to her artistic cre-

ations. But as in any culinary

art, taste is always crucial.

Texture is really important

to me. The combination o

creamy/crunchy and sweet/

salty is something I strive or. As

ar as balance goes, clearly you

need to have your chocolate options

and lighter ruit options. Unlike a

non-pastry che, who might depend

on an exotic ingredient to make a dish

an expensive delicacy, Marina is able

to make a visually stunning gourmet

cake using ingredients and avorings

weve all heard o. She tends to keep

her menu airly basic, but is always willing

to experiment. As with most things, the

more choices you give people the more

conusing it is! I try and stick to tried and

true crowd pleasers, and i someone wants

a specifc avor beyond that Im always

willing to explore it! That part is un to me.

I theres one thing Marinas story indicates,

its that Marina just loves cake. She has un

doing it. Ater all, shouldnt the career you

choose give you this same joie de vivre?

kind o miss. Despite the changes she

has witnessed by both competing and

judging, she appreciates her time on the

show and has enjoyed getting to see

its evolution throughout the years.

Still, Marina sees a clear distinction

between cake makers that have grown

up with cake TV shows and cake makers

that began beore the cake media hype.

Thanks to popular TV shows like Chal-

lenge, cake making is becoming more

and more recognized as an achievable

ull-time career, not just a pleasurable

hobby. I never ever thought about this

as a career, most designers I know didnt

either, says Marina, adding, I think most

people can imagine themselves making

a cake and as a result are inspired by

what they see on TV. This generational

gap between cake makers who grew

up watching Cake TV and those who

didnt seems bound to aect the industry.

Marina just hopes that the undamen-

tals o cake making wont be lost in the

process. Honestly, I really hope there is

a return to the basics. I think there are

so many tools available now that allow

anyone to make a pretty good looking

cake with very little skill or practice.

Thats not a bad thing; I just think the

undamentals o cake decorating, such as

piping technique, are almost a lost art.

Marina has

constantly

chased her pas-

sions, and this

has clearly paid

o. I eel incred-

ibly blessed

or what I do

and the places

it has taken me.

There are so many

talented people in this industry that I am

continually inspired by, and Im thrilled

to be a part o the cake world in such

an exciting time. What an exciting time

it is! Its the ceaseless passion o pastry

ches like Marina that have paved the

way or the next generation o cake

enthusiasts. The only thing we have

to say to Marina is, just, thank you.

What is the most important advice

you would give to someone hopingto try their hand at cake art?

Practice, practice, practice.

Dont become a cake decorator to get

on TV. The downside o cake TV is that

they make it look pretty easy and glamor-

ous. It is neither o those things. I t is hard,

physical work. The only reason to do it,

to do any job in my opinion, is because

you LOVE it. Anything short o that wont

cut it when the going gets tough.

Expect to pay your dues. It used to drive

me crazy when my grandather would say

that to me, but it s so true! I you expect

anything more when you start out you

will be disappointed. When I got my frst

job, he told me to get there early and

stay late. And I always have. Those words

have served me well over the years.


39/100



40/100


The exquisite cake on the cover was created by Jene Rylan Nato o Art and Appetite in Las Vegas, NV. Using black-on-black

as his anti-Valentines tribute was indeed a challenge, and it required a certain level o creativity with materials and tools.

Jene was up or the task, and his artistic mind and decorative skills produced a masterpiece that is dark, sophisticated, and

hauntingly glamorous.

By: Jene Rylan Nato

Sneakers to CakesAter graduating rom high school in 2007, I

landed work as a caregiver in a group home.

Working 12-hour graveyard shits, I never really

had the time to do anything but work. However,

I did fnd time or one hobby, which was collect-

ing limited edition sneakers. In act, I was living

paycheck to paycheck just trying to support my

sneaker addiction. You are probably thinking

I'm insane and wondering what sneakers have

to do with cakes, but as odd as one might think

cake conventions are, there is a parallel world

where Sneakerheads (sneaker collectors) unite.

A little less than three years ago, I was on YouTube

searching or the latest sneaker trend. For somereason I stumbled upon a short video o a lady

named Mayen making a ondant cake or her

son. Soon ater checking out the rest o her cake

videos, I was totally hooked. I wanted to decorate

cakes too! That was the day my journey began.

I had never heard o ondant until that very day.

Don't get me wrong, I did know what our was, as

I had learned the basic knowledge o baking rom

my mom (thanks, Mama!). We actually owned a

coee shop back then, and my mom would bake

the best treats, so good that customers would

come back or them. But I was never really inter-ested in baking. I would help her bake here and

there, and I kind o liked baking but never loved it.

Mayen, along with the community o people

on YouTube who shared their cake videos, were

very helpul in answering all o my questions.

Ater learning the basics o cake decorating, I

fnally decided to get my suppliesdefnitely

one o the biggest investments o my lie.

The Talent o Jene Rylan Nato

Exquisite Simplicity:

SpotlightJene Rylan Nato


41/100


SpotlightJene Rylan Nato

own recipes and try out new ones. I have to say, I actuallyenjoy baking now, and I'm a lot more passionate about it than

I was beore. The kitchen is defnitely hotter than ever.

Moving UpI continue to grow as a cake decorator and I see learning as an end-

less process. Because I have never taken any classes, I am looking

orward to taking some in the uture. As or now, I don't think I have

plans o selling cakes anytime soon, as I can barely handle the stress

o creating a cake. Most o the time, I stress over the smallest imper-

ections. Even the ribbon on the edge o the board can irritate me.

In terms o my amily, my mom and dad have been very

supportive and I am so thankul to have them. My dad is

an awesome woodworker and he helps me by cutting my

boards and building stands or my cakes. Hey, this could pos-

sibly become a business in the uture, you never know.

I still cannot believe I am actually doing this. I began

with a simple dream o decorating a homemade

cake, and never thought that watching a two minute

video on YouTube would change my entire lie.

My goodness, shopping or cake supplies was interesting! I saw things

I'd never seen beore. A cutter or a cymbidium orchid? Heck, the only

cutters I'd seen beore were hearts and circles. C'mon, stencils or cake? I

thought stencils were or walls! I was so amazed with the variety o tools

I ound, and at last my shoe obsession turned into a cake addiction.

New TalentI'm the type who loves a challenge; I never want to take the easy

way out. For my frst cake I decided to make a our-tier wedding

cake with brush embroidery details and gumpaste roses. It was a

nightmare! Not only did my ondant keep tearing, but the whole

cake was more crooked than the Leaning Tower o Pisa. I also un-

derestimated the time it would take to make the roses and had to

sacrifce the brush embroidery details. In the end the cake didn't

turn out exactly as I envisioned, but it was defnitely worth the try.

Thanks to my competitive spirit, I didn't give up. My second

cake was or my brothers frst birthday and was our eet tall.

Again, the cake didn't turn out exactly as I pictured, but it was

a lot better than my frst attempt. That alone was a success.

Ater caking or a little under a year, I fnally had the guts to join

my frst competition in March 2010. I traveled rom Las Vegas to

San Diego with my dog and a long-time riend. When I fnally got

there, I elt like going back home and crying under my pillow. There

were so many beautiul, elaborate cakes and mine seemed too

simple. But to my surprise, ater the competition was over I ound

out that I had actually won Best o Show! It was so unexpected,

and that was the day I elt al l my hard work had fnally paid o.

Artistic EyeI believe simplicity is my strength. I always want something

clean, resh, and unexpected. I make sure that the bands are

always straight, the board is perectly round, and the ondant

is silky smooth. I will admit that my cakes are never perect,

though. Sometimes I let my imperections go (and it eels like

ants are eating my brain), but many times I see the aws a ew

weeks later ater looking at the photos. O course it bothers me

that my cakes arent perect every time, but I know there is noth-

ing I can do about it. It is just a part o being a cake maker.

My journey as a cake decorator has taught me so many things.

Learning how to decorate cakes has made me appreciate my

mom's recipes a lot more, especially the recipes I use or my owncakes. I also have ound that cake decoration has made me more

creative in the kitchen with other desserts. I guess it all started with

the cake scraps and excess flling I had to throw away. Eventually

I learned to make use o the scraps and flling by mixing them to-

gether and making cake balls. I'm telling you people love them.

Ater turning scraps into cake balls, I began making cupcakes

with letover batter. Then the extra ganache eventually turned

into chocolate tru es and bonbons, and the list went on and

on. Using letovers and scraps has taught me to develop my


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Bonus TutorialTruf es

Is there a better Valentines Day git than chocolate? I love chocolate trules,

with their creamy, melt-in-your-mouth ganache center and organic round

shape. The secret to making delicious trules is in the chocolate itselI

preer high-quality chocolate, also known as Couverture in Europe, which

contains at least 31 percent cocoa butter. Tempering is also essential to

orming the shiny shell o the trule. Tempering is the process o prepar-

ing chocolate by systematically heating and cooling it. This produces a

chocolate exterior that sets up quickly, does not streak, and has a distinct

delicate bite to it. Other key components o working with chocolate include

the ollowing: never let water touch the chocolate, always use clean and dry

equipment, and dont let the chocolate burn when melting. Trules can also

be decorated in a variety o ways, such as rolling in cocoa, shredded coco-nut, or chopped toasted nuts. In this tutorial, you will see one o my avorite

ways to inish a trulewith an abstract texture.

TOOLS:

FOOD PROCESSOR

SAUCE PAN

9 X 13 INCH BAKING PAN

PLASTIC CLING WRAP

RUBBER SPATULA

PIPING BAG

LARGE ROUND PIPING TIP

PARCHMENT PAPER

DIGITAL THERMOMETER

LATEX OR VINYL DISPOSABLE GLOVES

DIPPING FORK

INGREDIENTS:

32 OUNCES LINDT MILK CHOCOLATE

2/3 CUP WHIPPING CREAM

1/4 CUP LIQUID GLUCOSE

Quantity: 50 tru es

Estimated time: 2 to 3 hours

by Rose Sen


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1 2

3

1. Prepare chocolate: Chopor break the chocolate intopieces. Put the chocolate intoood processor with bladeattachment, and processuntil inely powdered.

2. Remove 2 cups o thepowdered chocolate orcoating the centers later.

3. Make the ganache: In asaucepan, heat the creamand glucose until it reaches

the boiling point. Removethe pan rom stove, and pourthe cream onto the chocolatein the ood processor. Allowto sit or 1 minute, thenprocess until smooth. Thiswill only take a ew seconds.Do not over-process or theresult will be grainy ganache.

4. Pour warm ganache into ashallow baking pan, coversurace directly with plastic

cling wrap, and allow toset, undisturbed, or ap-proximately 30 minutes-1hour, until it reaches theconsistency o peanut butter.

5. Make the centers: To help thecenters set up quickly, oldthe ganache gently with aspatula, wait 2 minutes, thenold again. Prepare a pipingbag with a large round tip.Fill piping bag with ganache,

and immediately pipe outmounds 1 inch in diameter.It will take 15-20 minutesor the mounds to set up.

6. Using your fngers, shape intorough balls. At this point, youmay leave them to hardeneven longer overnight, ormove onto the next step.

7. Temper chocolate: Gentlymelt 3/4 o the reservedpowdered milk chocolateto between 104 -113F(113-122F or darkchocolate) in a bowl ittedover a saucepan o sim-mering water, stirringoccasionally. Removerom heat. Gradually addremaining powdered

chocolate a spoonul at atime while gently stirringcontinuously, allowingeach addition o chocolateto dissolve completelybeore adding the next.Stop adding powderedchocolate just beore themixture reaches 89F. Thechocolate is ready to usebetween the temperatureso 82-89F. I your choco-late begins to set around

the edges, place the bowlover the simmering wateror 5 seconds to maintainyour working temperatureo 89. I you happen togo above 89, the temper-ing process will need tobe restarted by bringingthe chocolate up to 113then back down again.

5

6

4

7


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9 10

8. Pre-coat centers: Pre-coatingthe centers with a thin layero chocolate makes themeasier to handle and reducesthe migration o ganacheparticles into your temperedchocolate. To pre-coat, roll thecenter with a small amounto tempered chocolate in agloved hand, place on parch-

ment, and allow to set.

9. Dip tru es: Toss pre-coated center into temperedchocolate. Coat all side withchocolate and scoop up withdipping ork. Tap and slideork on the edge o bowl toremove excess chocolate.Place on parchment.

10. Decorate: To create an ab-stract texture, lightly tap allthe sides o the trule withyour ork beore the choco-late sets up completely,creating small curved peaks.Other options to inish yourtrule is to roll it in sitedcocoa powder, shreddedcoconut, or chopped nuts

beore the chocolate sets.

8



45/100


You popped one too many

corks during your New Years

estivities, and now you have

hal-ull bottles o bubbly sitting

in your kitchen. Fortunately,

champagne is good or morethan just a glass-clinking

celebration; its an excellent

ingredient to incorporate into

cooking and baking. Check out

the sweet and savory variations

you can make with your extra

champagne.

LetoversChampagne


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Graperuit Sorbet2 CUPS CHAMPAGNE

1 1/4 CUP WHITE SUGAR

2 CUPS PINK GRAPEFRUIT JUICE

1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS FRESHLY GRATEDGRAPEFRUIT PEEL

1/4 CUP LEMON JUICE

In a heavy saucepan, combine half thechampagne with the sugar and grape-fruit peel, and heat over medium heat,stirring f requently.

Once the mixture comes to a boil andthe sugar has dissolved, reduce heat tosimmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the champagne mixture fromheat, let sit for about 10 minutes oruntil cool. Strain mixture into a bowl.

Stir in the grapefruit juice, lemon juice,and the remainder of the champagne,and do not strain the pulp f rom thefruit juices. Mix well.

Pour into a freezer-safe bowl, cover,and freeze mixture. When the sorbet ishalfway frozen, break it up with a spoonor fork and continue to freeze untilcompletely frozen.

Sorbet can be prepared 3 days ahead ofserving. When ready to serve, removethe sorbet from freezer, process in a

blender or food processor until smooth,and continue to freeze until serving.

LetoversChampagne


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In a large skillet, heat olive oil overmedium heat, and add scallops or mus-sels. Make sure there is no water on theseafood, towel drying before cookingmay be necessary.

Cook seafood for approximately 3minutes on each side, remove from heat,and keep warm.

Add shallots and sliced shiitake mush-rooms to the pan, and saut until mush-rooms brown.

Add champagne, mustard, salt, and tar-ragon. Heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat once heated through,stir in sour cream, and serve over

seafood.

2 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

1 CUP SLICED SHIITAKE MUSHROOM CAPS

1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED SHALLOTS

3/4 CUP CHAMPAGNE

1 TEASPOON DIJON MUSTARD

1/4 TEASPOON SALT

1/4 CUP SOUR CREAM

1/4 TEASPOON TARRAGON

1 1/2 POUNDS OF SCALLOPS OR MUSSELS

Seaood Marinade

LetoversChampagne


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First Love Cocktail2/3 OUNCE CHAMPAGNE

1/3 OUNCE GIN

1 TEASPOON SUGAR

2 DASHES HERRING CHERRY

LIQUEUR

Combine all ingredients in a shakerfilled partially with ice. Shake well, andstrain into a cocktail glass.

Champagne Vinaigrette1/4 CUP CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR*

1 TABLESPOON DIJON MUSTARD1/4 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

2 TEASPOONS HONEY

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

1/4 TEASPOON PEPPER

Whisk together champagne vinegar andmustard.

Slowly pour in olive oil, while stirring atthe same time.

Stir in honey, salt, and pepper.

Cover and chill for at least a half anhour before serving. Refr igerate for upto one week.

*CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR

Pour leftover champagne into an opencontainer, and keep at room tempera-ture. After a few weeks, the champagnewill turn into vinegar.

LetoversChampagne


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Decorations you can eat!

800-426-9778 / 253-383-4815 www.lucks.com www.facebook.com/lucks

Edible Food Decorations and Decorating Idea

The completely edible cake shown here was created

using Lucks Edible Image Embellishment decorations

applied to fondant plaques. Edible Shimmer Ribbons

decorations wrap around the cake. Lucks Liqua-Gel

Colors were mixed to achieve the vibrant teal icing sha

Edible Image, Dec-Ons, and Print-Ons are registered trademarks of The Lucks Company. The Lucks Company 2010.

All of Lucks manufactured products are made in the USA in FDA inspected and registered facilities and are Orthodox Union Kosher certified.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH

A LITTLE LUCKS?

Lucks sells directly to businesses. We also sell

home decorators through distributors. For mo

ideas or information, visit www.lucks.com.

LUCKS FOOD DECORATING COMPANY


50/100


y recollecting

the pleasures

I have had

ormerly, Irenew them, I

enjoy them a

second time,

while I laugh

at the remem-

brance o

troubles now past, and which I no longer

eel, Giacomo Casanova remarked on

lie's pleasures. We wonder how much o

this jovial attitude had to do with choco-

late! The inamous womanizer Casanova

believed chocolate was an aphrodisiac.

True to orm, this Italian libertine is saidto have consumed a generous dose o

chocolate beore each romantic encounter.

Chocolate has long been associated with

romanticism in the Americas, as well. Like

Casanova, Montezuma also believed in the

power o chocolate or seduction. When

Hernn Corts arrived to conquer the Aztec

empire, Montezuma shared the secret

o imbibing liquid chocolate to promote

lustul eelings. Chocolate, o course, was

frst enjoyed in liquid orm by the Aztecs,

extracted rom their valuable cacao beans,

which they believed were magical.

By the 17th century, Europeans too

enjoyed the indulgence o chocolate.

And it was a cacao crusade rom then

on. In 1828, a Dutch chemist igured out

how to make cocoa powder by remov-

ing some cacao butter rom chocolate

liquor and pulverizing the remains.

Joseph Fry is accredited with creating

the irst modern chocolate bar in 1847.

Cadbury and Nestle were a couple o

the very irst commercial chocolate

producers. And melt-in-your-mouthchocolates took the world by storm.

Presenting boxed chocolate to loved

ones quickly became a git o choice.

Chocolate, in its now countless orms,

seems to truly be love's edible coun-

terpart. Take or example the gourmet

Chocolove Belgian chocolate bars. Each

bar resembles a love letter and comes

with a romantic poem inside the wrapper.

Could there be a clearer connection

between good old ashioned love and

chocolate? What's more, the booming

chocolate industry appears to be resilientto economic woes. In 2008, chocolate

products displayed their recession-proo

marketability with retail sales increas-

ing 3 percent and reaching a record

$17 billion in 2009, according to market

research publisher Packaged Facts.

For other matters o the heart, the high

polyphenol levels ound in chocolate may

help protect against heart disease. Plus,

in short-term clinical trials, chocolate

has reduced blood pressure and reduced

blood low. While these theories are onlyspeculative, the word's longest-living

person, Jeanne Calment, ate about two

pounds o chocolate each week until

the age o 119 (she went on to live until

the ripe old age o 122). I anything,

chocoholics understand chocolates

eel-good actortheres nothing like

an excellent trule, bar, or handul o

chocolate chips to put chocolate lovers

in a good (even romantic!) mood.

The Romantic History of Chocolate

Ever Wonder? History o Chocolate


51/100


Florida

Cakes Across America

Cakes Across AmericaFlorida

There are countless perks to living in the Sunshine State.

But apart rom its many amous theme parks, warm beach-

es, and world class orange juice, Florida has yet another

thing to brag about: its vibrant cake scene. Maybe its all

that extra vitamin D, but we ound three talented Floridian

bakeries that rank among the top shops in the nation.


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Cakes Across America Florida

Divine DelicaciesEvery year, masses o tourists travel to Miami

to get a taste o the magnifcent beaches and

active nightlie. Recently, cake has become an

attraction o its own, thanks to the renowned

cake shop, Divine Delicacies Custom Cakes.

While Divine Delicacies has experienced admi-

rable success in the Miami area and beyond,

the story behind this shop really began with

a husband and wie decorating team living

in Havana, Cuba in the mid 80s. Once Jorge

Rodriguez, a ondant expert, and Iliana Lom-

bardero, a buttercream artist, decided to start

making cakes or their riends and amily in

Cuba, the popularity o their creations grew.

With barely any resources to start a business,

they made the lie-changing decision to move

to Florida in 1996 and test their skills with the

North American public. Although they couldnt

orsee it at the time, Florida would come to

give Jorge and Iliana a very warm welcome.

Shortly ater making the move rom Havana

to Miami, Jorge and Iliana came up with

their signature cake avor, vanilla rum. The

avor represents the couples dedication to

their Cuban roots as well as their close-knit

amily. Derived rom an old amily recipe that

has been handed down or generations, the

avor has been tweaked and experimented

with over the years. But, as Iliana explains,

It remains a time-honored tradition in ouramily, and it is made with only the fnest

ingredients and specialty Caribbean rums.

This attention to detail and passion or cake

has truly kept Divine Delicacies alive and thriv-

ing. Now, ater 15 years o success in business,

Divine Delicacies has witnessed and been a

part o many changes in the Miami cake scene.

It's amazing how ar this industry has come

in only 14 years, says Iliana. Not long ago the

most custom cake you could get was at a local

bakery where they would stick a Barbie on a

typical meringue cake and change the colorsor you. Now you can make almost anything

come to lie in cake or even make the cakes

themselves come to lie. You can make them

talk, move, shoot freworks, you name it.

Without a doubt, the gorgeous creations o

Divine Delicacies characterize some o the

top designs in the area. The pastry shop is

particularly recognized or its use o Swarovski

crystals and artist-inspired cakes, which has

not only made the shop popular with cake

lovers across the country but has also become

a go-to bakery or A-list celebrities. Amazingly,

Divine Delicacies frst celebrity cake request

came rom the chart-topping rapper, Lil Wayne,

who personally requested a birthday cake rom

Divine Delicacies with diamond bands (which

he provided). Now, Divine Delicacies is ooded

with high profle jobs, which include making

specialty cakes or Rihanna and Lebron James

to, more recently, a large project or the popular

Trinidadian-American rapper, Nicki Minaj.

Throughout the course o their time in Miami,

Divine Delicacies has experienced countless

highs, but one major setback occurred in 2004,

when Jorge Rodriguez passed away. Jorge was

a dearly beloved ather and husband, as well as

an irreplaceable member o the Divine Delica-

cies team. His inuence can be witnessed in

the artistry and technicality o the cakes. Jorge

was a true artist. He had such a passion and

drive in everything that he did, and not just at

work but with his amily. His positive attitude

was contagious. We still continue to carry on

that same vision in all that we do today, says

Iliana. Jorges positivity and passion or cake

certainly lives on in Divine Delicacies, and this

prevailing passion may be part o the reason

that it has become as huge as it is today.

The Divine Delicacies team is entirely amily-

run. Iliana and Jorge have two daughters, Laura

and Leysi, who handle sales and fnances,

respectively. Laura is also a talented decorator,

taking ater her ather. Both Laura and Leysi

have really been a backbone or this business

and have taken Divine Delicacies to a whole

new level, says Iliana. Keeping things resh

and up-to-date is so important in this ever-

changing industry, and we have all the right

people that let us keep growing and evolving.

Keeping the business in the amily works well

or Divine Delicacies, and despite the act that

they sometimes have trouble setting aside

time away rom work, they have cultivated

their own way o doing things over the years.

When we are at work we are co-workers, we

don't let amily business interere with cake

business. We are all so in-sync, and we each

know each others strengths. This really helps

us to ow and unction smoothly. Its clear

that this amily is united by the passion they

have or their cakes. Now, Iliana says, this is

not just a business but a amily heirloom.

Over the years, the Divine Delicacies team hascreated hundreds o awe-inspiring cakes. Some

o Ilianas avorites include her own nine-oot-

tall wedding cake decorated with 1,000 sugar

owers, or Miami heat player Dwayne Wades

birthday cake, which involved an unbelievable

10,000 Swarovski crystals. The Divine Delicacies

amily has also discovered a way to give back,

choosing to become a community partner with

the Jason Taylor Foundation in 2009. Our aim

is to add that extra little bit o sweetness that

everyone deserves in their lie, and we get to do

that with our cakes through the oundation.

Adding that bit o sweetness to the lives o

others seems to be a large part o the dream

that brought Iliana and Jorge to the United

States so many years ago. Now the Divine

Delicacies amily can look back on their suc-

cess with the gratitude that only comes with

the realization o a dream. Divine Delica-

cies started as a dream, but it was one that

came true and now we help to make the

dreams o all our clients come true as well.

"...Now you can makealmost anything cometo life in cake oreven make the cakesthemselves come to life.You can make them talk,move, shoot fireworks,you name it.


53/100


The Cake ZoneYou are traveling through ondant and ours

to another dimension o sugar art. You are

about to enter The Cake Zone. With a tal-

ented sta headed by Alla Levin, this Tampa

Bay Area pastry shop certainly has what it

takes to succeed in the universe o cake. Allas

competitive spirit and passion or her busi-

ness are evident in the work she does and the

ambitious goals she has set or her company.

Our goal is to be the most well known, and

o course busiest, cake design studio in south-

west Florida. With a successul business and

numerous awards under her belt, Alla under-

stands the price o hard work and passion or

sugar art. Thanks to the guidance o her ather,

an amateur pastry che and talented baker,

Alla was exposed to the world o ondant

and sugar owers as a young girl. Hed oten

let me lick the spoon or help him sculpt a

decorative topper or a holiday cake. As a kid,

I knew more about sugar owers, ondant,

marzipan, chocolates, and cake batter than

most bakery owners. Looking back now, I real-

ize how precious those times were, says Alla.

While becoming a pastry che wasnt always

a part o Allas lie plan, she always possessed

a love or design. Still, while working as an

accessory designer in New York, Alla elt that

something was missing in her lie. It was at this

time that her ather gave her some wise advicethat changed the course o her career orever.

He said to her, Bake

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