Archives for July 2011

Brides: What Does Your Wedding Cake Tasting Say About You?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Erica OBrien in for the baker, for the bride, wedding cake tasting | 4 Comments

Watching couples interact at their wedding cake tasting fascinates me, and I’ve always thought their behavior reveals a lot about the dynamics of their relationship. Here, in absolutely no scientific terms, I’ve identified five types of couples based on my casual observations. Which couple are you?
{1} Romantic. This mushy-gushy couple feeds each other cake and icing. Their wedding cake tasting is like a romantic date just for two, and it doesn’t matter who else is present. They might even kiss midway through their tasting. They are very much in love, and don’t hesitate to show the world.
If this describes you, here’s the best part: It’s wonderful! You should be romantic at every opportunity, and you take full advantage of it. You’re deeply and truly in love.

But keep in mind: Your intimacy can make others feel uncomfortable or left out. Try to be aware of how your behavior might make outsiders feel.

{2} Egalitarian. Everything is discussed, every aspect of the wedding agreed upon. For the tasting, this couple confers on which flavor to try first, second, and so on. (Because tastings at Erica OBrien Cake Design are deconstructed–un-iced cakes with icing on the side, as in the photo to the right–there is a lot to agree on.) For the egalitarian couple, nothing is done without consulting the other party and coming to a consensus.

If this describes you, here’s the best part: You probably eliminate a lot of potential areas for resentment. Your relationship is mature and based on mutual respect.

But keep in mind: It’s okay to step into traditional gender roles once in a while. It can be nice when someone opens the door for you, and it’s okay to cook dinner for your husband sometimes just because you love him.

{3} The man’s man. This couple has to schedule their cake tasting on a Saturday because his Sundays are all booked up with football. He considers cake the fifth food group, and you can tell by the way he powers through all the samples. Luckily, she finds it irresistibly charming and endearing.

If this describes you, here’s the best part: He’ll be happy to fix stuff around the house and assume responsibility for all the traditional male chores. Plus, he’s happy to let you do all the decorating. He’s likely to be a wonderful and protective father.

But keep in mind: When it comes to other aspects of the wedding planning process, he might be less than interested, and he might see nothing wrong with displaying his signed baseball collection in the living room.

{4} The mama’s girl. She shows up to her wedding cake tasting with her future husband and her mom. She relies heavily on her mom’s input, and allows her to make some of the major wedding decisions. She might value her mother’s opinion more highly than her fiancé’s 

If this describes you, here’s the best part: You’re probably very close with your family and have an excellent relationship with your parents. You’ll make a loving, nurturing mother.

But keep in mind: A marriage is between two people first and their families second. Don’t let your close relationship with your family come between you and your husband.

{5} All business. Don’t get me wrong, wedding cake is serious business, but your tasting should also be fun. This couple approaches their wedding cake like they would any business transaction, weighing the pros and cons, considering all their options, and carefully adhering to their budget. They don’t allow their emotions (or taste buds) to get the better of them.

If this describes you, here’s the best part: You’re probably excellent with money and will enjoy a comfortable life and retirement together.

But keep in mind:  Planning your wedding–or for that matter, your life–should be a fun adventure. Remember to enjoy the process.

Did we miss anyone? If you think you fit a category not described above, please let us know.

Gratitude and thanks to my friend and colleague Charla Brummel of Charla Blue Photography for the photo above.

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Introducing Our New Look

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Erica OBrien in wedding cake | 4 Comments

You may have noticed that our blog has a new look. Our website will soon be revamped as well. Please visit Erica OBrien Cake Design soon for updates.

Skilled artisans make their craft look easy–effortless even. A good musician offers no indication of the hours and hours of time spent practicing. The same is true for cakes. I often get calls from potential clients–fans, no doubt, of popular television shows like Ace of Cakes–who request a cake for 30 guests in the shape of a Prada shoe sitting atop a Ferrari. When I tell them the price, they’re floored. I don’t blame them: On television, a 40 hour job is edited down to 20 minutes. Combine that with the artists’ expertise, and a challenging cake design looks ridiculously easy.

Logo design is no exception. Effective logos are eye catching, artistic, and memorable, all while accurately representing the organization or business. If you’ve ever thought, “I could do that myself”, you’d be wrong. There is a whole process to logo design. There are fonts to consider, issues of balance, design principles and theories, not to mention the psychology of branding. Color, I found out, is the last step. A good graphic designer, like any artist, makes the whole process look deceptively simple.

I turned to graphic designer Monica Majors of Paper Cut Industries to design my new logo. Hers is an in-depth process that begins with a questionnaire (I just love a questionnaire) about your business. The answers help her identify your style, taste, brand, and look. Then, after careful consideration, she presents “Round 1″ of your logos.

Round 1 includes three options, all in color and black and white. A good logo, Monica explained, should stand on its own and not be dependent on color. She further fine tunes and tweaks the logo in subsequent rounds until she arrives at the perfect design.

These are my “Round 1″ logos. I really liked Option No. 1, but I wanted the logo to somehow be more symbolic of cake. I asked Monica to create variations of Option No. 3 using different fonts and colors.

I narrowed down the colors to pink and a greenish aqua. I liked the round shape because I felt it best represented cake. I thought perhaps we could create a border around the circle to symbolize the piped border found on a cake. Here’s “Round 2″.

Finally, “Round 3″. My idea for a piped border around the logo didn’t have that “clean” look I really like, so we scratched that. While I like a lot of the script fonts Monica chose, they too lacked the streamlined style I’m known for, so I opted for two different sans serif fonts. I had a really hard time choosing between Option No. 3 and Option No. 6 in the Round 2 logos, but I finally settled on Option No. 3. In Round 3, Monica recreated the final design in a variety of color combinations.

And finally, introducing my new (larger-than-life) logo.

Thank you so much Monica. I love it.

Please note: All images are copyright material of Paper Cut Industries and are not intended for reproduction without their express written consent.

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Tricks of the Trade: Reviving Old Fondant

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Erica OBrien in dried fondant, fondant, tips + tools | 9 Comments

Once your fondant is past its prime, there’s really nothing you can do to restore it to its formerly silky smooth state. However, while it will never be perfect, there are a few things you can try to make old, dry fondant workable again.

1. Glycerine. Glycerine is an ingredient in fondant that keeps it pliable and prevents it from drying out too quickly. (For a fascinating, scientific explanation of glycerine’s role in keeping fondant flexible, read this post on Joe Pastry’s blog.) Glycerine is a humectant (a moisture-retaining substance), so the molecules in glycerine bond with and trap water molecules, keeping your fondant moist (Source: Joe Pastry, 2008).

It’s one of those ingredients you can buy in a drug store (as a humectant, glycerine also keeps hair and skin moist) for a fraction of the price of a cake decorating store. If you’re willing to forgo the fancy branding you can get a quart-sized bottle of Essential Depot glycerine (below, left) on Amazon for $13.95; the 2-ounce bottle of Wilton glycerine (below, right) is around $5. At just .43 cents per ounce, the Essential Depot is a much better value than the $2.50 per ounce Wilton glycerine. Just be sure that if you buy glycerine that’s not specifically marketed for cakes it says “Food Grade”.

To use, simply knead a little glycerine in to your fondant. Begin with about a teaspoon per pound of fondant, and work quickly to knead it in. This will buy you some time before your fondant dries out, but not much. Re-roll and apply your fondant.

Glycerine can also be used on fondant that’s been rolled out and applied to a cake but has a dry cracked appearance, sometimes known as “elephant skin”.  Gently rub glycerine onto the cracked fondant using the tips of your fingers, taking care not to rub through to the cake.

2. Shortening.Usually known by the brand name Crisco, hydrogenated vegetable oil (shortening) is 100% fat (as opposed to butter, which is about 80% fat). Kneading a small amount in to your fondant can make it smoother and easier to work with. Be very careful: adding too much can make your fondant heavy and stretchy. (If this happens, add additional corn starch or sifted confectioners sugar and knead in until the proper consistency is restored.) Shortening, like glycerine, can also be rubbed onto cracked fondant after the fondant has been applied to the cake to remove the appearance of elephant skin.

3. Food Processor. The food processor method works especially well for smaller pieces of fondant. Simply place a small amount of fondant into the bowl of your food processor and pulse. The blades of the food processor with heat and soften your fondant, making it easier to work with. (This is also a good method for coloring fondant: Just add your food coloring along with your fondant to the bowl of your food processor and pulse.) The food processor will most likely break your fondant up into small balls which can then be easily gathered and kneaded together. Be sure not to put rock hard pieces in the food processor. (I learned the hard way that this can cause irreparable damage to your food processor.)

4. Microwave. The microwave is the absolute last resort. If your fondant has become so dry that kneading becomes virtually impossible, 30 seconds or so in the microwave will heat it enough to make it kneadable again. (Do test your microwave first using 10 second intervals.) However, this is a one shot deal. You have to work quickly to roll out your fondant and cover the cake, for once microwaved fondant cools down, your fondant will become even drier–almost crumbly–and cannot be used again.

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