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Things to Spend On (or: Don’t Be a Cheap-Ass Like Me)

Posted on December 10, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Featured, tips + tools | Leave a comment

I am infamous amongst family and friends for my thriftiness, but when it comes to cake design there are several things I won’t skimp on. I am sharing a few of them here. For the most part, this list evolved out of my cheapness in that I went for the cheap brand, found it didn’t work, and ended up spending more than I would have because I had to purchase the item twice. Benefit from my experience, save yourself time and money, and don’t cheap out on the following.

1. Fondant. Buy quality fondant. I like Satin Ice. Although Wilton is readily available and relatively inexpensive (for 40% off at Michael’s), it dries out quickly and is difficult to work with. By the time all is said and done, you’ll spend more re-buying than you would if you purchased a 20-pound bucket of Satin Ice. A good resource is bakerskitchen.net

2. Cream Cheese. When it comes to cream cheese, there’s only one option: Philadelphia. It’s the tangiest, cream cheesiest cream cheese there is. Don’t waste your money on anything else: I haven’t found another cream cheese that comes close. Costco sells Philly in large quantities. For baking and icing, always bring it to room temperature first.

3. New X-Acto blades. I find it ironic that something practically invented for cutting paper is so immediately dulled by it. X-Acto blades are cheap. Replace them after cutting paper and as soon as they seem dull. If your blades are not making smooth cuts but are instead shreadding or tearing your fondant, it’s time for a new blade.

4. Butter. European butters typically have higher fat than American butters. Higher fat means lower moisture, so your cakes rise higher, cookies crisp more evenly, and pastries bake flakier. (You can learn more than you’ve ever wanted to know about butter here.) Although most European butters have upwards of 13% butterfat, butters in the U.S. typically have 11%. The “European-style” Plugrá butter is a favorite of mine. Although it contains the standard 11% butterfat, it is made using ”a slow-churned process that creates less moisture content and a creamier texture”, but can be hard to find. If I’m limited to my local supermarket, I like Land-O-Lakes.

5. Acrylic (or polyethelene) rolling pins. The more expensive rolling pins tend to be heavier and denser yet narrower, making rolling fondant and gumpaste easier. Splurge here. Brands to try: PME. Brands to avoid: Ateco, Wilton.

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A Shower for Ashley

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Featured, vintage | 2 Comments

 

My sister-in-law, Ashley, got engaged last year and planned a November 2011 wedding. I first met Ashley when my now-husbandtreated her to a two-week adventure travel tour of Costa Rica for her 18th birthday. My friend Jackie had convinced me (coerced is more accurate) to go on the same trip, which is where I met and fell in love with Cory. That was seven years ago,and had it not been for Ashley, I would have never met my husband, so I wanted to do something special for her shower.

I decided to host the shower at my home in California (before we relocated to Connecticut) because I wanted it to feel cozy and informal. Let there be no doubt that I worked my ass off on this. I planned the menu, created the invitations, catered the whole thing, and even schlepped to the the L.A. flower market to buy the flowers. I designed every aspect, and executed it all by myself (with special help from cousin Molly and Megan from Honey and Poppies). It was a lot of work but well worth all the effort. One of the bridesmaids told me that the it was the best bridal shower food she’d ever had, and although she qualified “best food” with “bridal shower”, I choose to consider it the highest of praise. Most importantly, Ashley loved it.

As guests arrived, they were greeted by a small flower arrangement that Megan made of hydrangea, roses, dusty miller and licorice displayed in a vintage wine glass (below, left). I repurposed a small wooden ladder (perhaps you remember when it was yellow?) by spray painting it a satin-finish pink. I secured a damask pattern scrapbook paper print to foamcore board, and used decorative brads to attach cardstock with Welcome printed on it. I then fastened a ribbon to the back of the foamcore, and hung the small sign from the glass. I’m no graphic designer (although I fancy myself one), so for the invites, I bought some scrapbook paper that I scored into a tri-fold using my indispensable Martha Stewart scoring board (I like to think of myself as a younger, hipper, more socially conscious, urban Martha), and printed the invites in the fanciest font I could find.

For the centerpieces, Megan and I used hydrangeas in shades of pink and peach as well as stock, peonies, lisianthus, snap dragons and roses. She also incorporated dusty miller and licorice from my garden. (I like to think I helped a lot, and not in the way my kids “help” when I’m cooking.) The centerpieces were displayed in footed glass urns from Megan’s personal collection.

For the backdrop (above and below left), I hung a large white sheet from a photography backdrop stand and overlaid inexpensive gray broadcloth secured with ribbon to create a draped look. The tablecloth was just inexpensive broadcloth (about $2.99/yard). For the bunting on the front of the table, I made a template out of foamcore board. I used the template on 12″ x 12″ scrapbook paper and overlaid the cutouts on contrasting paper (actually, this is the part Molly did), securing them with double stick tape. To secure the squares to the pink ribbon, I spray painted binder clips in a glossy pink.

For the brunch, I made baked French toast casserole (excellent and easy, and extremely high-calorie), egg and sun-dried tomato souffle (delish and simple, but not for those on a diet), rosemary potatoes, berry salad, a yogurt bar, homemade biscotti, homemade banana crunch muffins, and a bellini bar (friggin’ fancy).

Look closely…See how I put the French toast label in front of the egg casserole and the egg casserole label in front of the French toast? Yeah, well, I didn’t notice until it was published in The Knot Magazine.

Ashley’s husband-to-be is a yoga instructor, so we thought it would be fun if we handed out flash cards with various yoga positions and had all the guests what position Ashley was in. It was equal parts goofy and fun.

For the ribbon backdrop (below), I stapled ribbons of varying widths to a horizontal piece of ribbon and printed out L-O-V-E on 5″ x 7″ cardstock.  Ashely knew exactly what she wanted for her cake, and although I’m a little out of practice with my piping, I think it was up to her standards.

Special thanks to Chatti for taking the photos. Event and cake design: Erica OBrien of Erica OBrien Cake Design ( www.ericaobrien.com ) / Flowers: Megan Gray of Honey and Poppies ( www.honeyandpoppies.com ) / Photos: Chatti Phal of Savady Photography ( www.savadyphotography.com)

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Damn You, Reality TV. Thank You, Reality TV.

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Featured, for the baker | 5 Comments

This post is an editorial, so no fancy pictures, just my thoughts. However, unlike most editorials that take a definite position, this one is filled with ambivalence.

When I tell people what I do for a living, their first question is always, “Oh, so do you watch the cake shows?” I know just what they’re referencing, of course: The Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, the Food Network Challenge, Amazing Wedding Cakes, etc. The list seems to constantly grow with no end in sight.

Many cake artists, particularly those who began before the birth of the “cake shows”, hold them in a certain disdain, feeling that they trivialize the art, have caused a saturation in the market, and distort the amount of work involved in creating a cake.

And they’re right: Reality shows like The Cake Boss, Ace of Cakes, and even the Food Network Challenges edit many hours of work into 60 teeny tiny minutes (48 if you don’t count the commercials). In reality (or perhaps I should say real life), the cakes you see on television take many, many hours of work. Even for the Food Network Challenges, in which competitors are limited to eight hours of work time, the designers spend countless hours beforehand preparing for the competition. And anyone who’s ever even attempted to decorate a cake knows that 60 minutes flies by at light speed.

Since the birth of the cake shows, custom cakes have become commonplace if not mandatory. I have seen a definite increase in the number of custom cakes, not to mention sculpted cakes, ordered for events that used to require a sheetcake. What fans of the shows don’t often realize, however, is how much work a cake entails, so when they request a Prada shoe on top of a basketball held by an iguana, they are usually shocked by the cost.

As for the saturation of the market, many new cake design businesses have popped up since the preponderance of the shows, but this need not be seen as a negative. While some cake designers argue that competition is bad for business, I maintain that it actually forces us to raise the bar. Like any business, without competitors, we risk becoming complacent. Rather than being stagnant, competition forces us to better our skills and become better artists. Competition offers an incentive to innovate, too, so that new products are constantly introduced and are made more widely available, making us more efficient.

Although some cake artists resent that reality television has elevated a handful of cake designers to  celebrity status, I’m glad our work is finally being recognized for the fine art that it is. The difference is that unlike a painting or a sculpture intended to endure for time immemorial, our work is designed to be temporary. For a lucky few, reality television has captured their art on film and will preserve their work, if only in the public’s consciousness, indefinitely.

Oh, and by the way, I’m way too busy to watch the cake shows.

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New Classes Just Listed!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

We’re excited to announce our first classes at our new location! As of Wednesday, we’ll be the official lessees of 1242 Whitney Avenue in Hamden, CT 06517. We expect it to take at least two months for our official opening, so we’ve listed our classes beginning in late January, 2012.

Our first course will be our Tier I, Introduction to Cake Design Class.

We’re also excited to offer a Fondant Intensive for the first time. In this class, I’ll share all the tips and tools that give fondant-covered cakes a flawless finish. Students will learn various fondant techniques (ruffling, simple flowers, bows, etc.), practice covering real and faux cakes, and engage in a troubleshooting session. students are encouraged to come with lots of questions. This six-hour intensive is perfect for students who live in New York (1.5 hours away) and Boston (2 hours away).

Our classes make fabulous gifts (plus, chances are you’ll get lots of cake out of the deal), so please contact us if you’d like to give a class as a gift.

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Cake Trios (and a Couple of Quintets)

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Erica OBrien in cake trio, Featured, photo cake | 4 Comments

I’ve noticed lately that one wedding cake is no longer sufficient. Here are some cake trios we’ve worked on recently (although not thatrecently, because my roses have gotten considerably better).

And who could forget this classic?

Does five count as a trio?

I think I spot a trend.

Photo credit (from top): Lane Dittoe, Braedon Flynn, Henry Chen, T & H Photography, and Ja Tecson.

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On Chocolate Ganache

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Erica OBrien in dark chocolate ganache recipe, milk chocolate ganache recipe, white chocolate ganache recipe | 2 Comments

Chocolate ganache is, in its most pure form, absolutely heavenly. I use  it as both a filling and an icing on my cakes. Traditionally, chocolate ganache is a mixture of cream and chocolate in equal proportions. This one-to-one ratio is the proportion of cream to dark chocolate–chocolate with 50% or more dry cocoa solids. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate both fall into this category. Other chocolates, such as milk chocolate and white chocolate, have higher fat contents, making them more viscous. Since adding equal proportions of cream to them would yield a ganache too soft to hold its form, the proportions of cream-to-chocolate for milk and white chocolate are different.

Ganache is very easy to make, but a kitchen scale is absolutely imperative. Back in the day I made a ganache recipe that called for 8 ounces of chocolate. I knew that 8 ounces was a cup, so I carefully measured my chocolate in my one cup measure, and added my 8 ounces of cream. What resulted was a soupy (albeit delicious when eaten with a spoon) mixture that never firmed up. The problem? A cup of chocolate weighs only about six ounces. (Think about your 12 ounce bag of Nestles chocolate chips. The Toll House recipe calls for two cups–or 12 ounces–of chips, making each cup about 6 ounces in weight). When measuring chocolate–even in ounces–do not use a measuring cup.

Chocolate must be measured by weight not by volume, hence the necessity of the kitchen scale. Below, the chocolate in the 8-ounce measuring cup above weighs in on a kitchen scale at only 6 ounces.

For any ganache recipe, you’ll need:

  • heavy cream (not half-and-half or milk), measured in a glass measuring cup (like a pyrex)
  • chocolate of your choice (important to note the kind and follow the recipe)
  • kitchen scale
  • The Rose Levey Beranbaum Method (below)

The Rose Levy Beranbaum Method for Making Chocolate Ganache (from The Cake Bible)
Break chocolate into pieces and process in food processor until very fine. Heat cream to the boiling point and, with the motor running, pour through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process a few seconds until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Allow to cool for several hours or until frosting consistency.

This method makes an incredibly smooth ganache. Also, this method cools down more quickly than the double boiler method. The only disadvantage I have found to the Rose method is that it involves cleaning the food processor when finished, and I hate cleaning the food processor.

Below, Ghiardeli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips, Callebaut Milk Chocolate (32% cacao), and Callebaut White Chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (measured by weight, not a measuring cup!)
8 ounces heavy cream (use a glass measure)

Follow the Rose Levy Berenbaum Method (above)

Milk Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces milk chocolate
4 ounces heavy cream

Follow the Rose Levy Beranbaum Method (above)

White Chocolate Ganache
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
3 ounces heavy cream

Follow the Rose Levy Beranbaum Method (above)

Chocolate Chai Ganache
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (measured by weight, not a measuring cup!)
8 ounces heavy cream (use a glass measure)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon  ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine cream and spices and bring to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Turn off heat and allow to steep. Pour cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any residual spices.

Follow the Rose Levy Berenbaum Method (above)

Note: All of the recipes above use Callebaut (my absolute favorite). Be sure to test the recipe first with whatever chocolate you’re using, as different chocolates will have different fat contents.

Bring to room temperature to use ganache as a cake filling or frosting. And good luck!

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Psychedelic Glam

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Yet another photo shoot I got roped into by Megan Gray (Honey and Poppies). She’s got a knack for suckering me into these things by inventing some oxymoronic yet catchy title that has just the right balance of pretension and kitsch to really intrigue me. (Seriously, just the other day she emailed me about a Depression-era chic-themed shoot. Really? Depression-era chic?) In short, she’s quite crafty.

I think this one was called “Psychedelic Glam”, or something like that. Anyway, the pictures are quite lovely. (You can see some additional shots on Green Wedding Shoes.) I know everyone likes to see the inspiration and how I interpret it into cake, so I included it here too. (I never know where the photos for the inspiration boards come from though so I never give credit. That’s pretty bad, huh?) Enjoy.

The shoot was at the very dusty yet interesting Star Ranchin Southern California.

And a few shots of the cake before the wind blew it over (it was a faux cake) and knocked all the decorations off. (Luckily I had gone home by this time and didn’t have to witness the casualty.)

Photos: Erin Hearts Court
Concept Design + Styling: Melissa Elise Event Design & Styling
Florals: Honey & Poppies
Hair + Makeup: Emily Dawn Artistry
Vintage rentals: Pow Wow Vintage Rentals

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Make a Left at the Lions

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I had heard about Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado, CA for years. I knew that it was way out of my budget when I got married four years ago. I heard that it was absolutely beautiful. And I learned that they, unlike many other venues happy to get free exposure, do not offer their facilities for photo shoots. So I guess you could say that it held a certain mystique for me.

When our friends Vinny and Candice announced that their July, 2011 wedding would be at Rancho Las Lomas, I was excited to finally get a glimpse inside. I was even more excited when they asked me to make their cake.

We arrived at Rancho Las Lomas early to deliver the cake, and asked the first person we could find where the cake drop off was. She told us to turn around and “make a left at the lions.” We followed her instructions, both of us expecting to see two lions statues at either side of the road. Instead, we were greeted by real life lions at the head of the road, and I was beginning to see just what makes this place so amazing. You can read more about their zoo and gardens on their website.

My husband and Vinny have been poker buddies for years, and Vinny and Candice are great because:
1. They’re two of the most generous people I’ve ever met.
2. They have great parties with all this great food, all prepared by Vinny.
3. Their wedding vows consisted of lyrics from the Family Ties and Golden Girls theme songs, delivered with complete sincerity and without a hint of irony: And if I had a party, and invited everyone I knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say “Thank you for being a friend”.

For the cake, Candice wanted peacock colors with hints of gold. The LOVE cake topper was Candice’s. I used teardrop cutters in various sizes and overlaid some of the cutouts on top of each other. (For a professional look, be sure to roll your fondant as thin as possible.)

Special thanks to Jeff Shipleywho beautifully captured all the vibrant colors and thoughtful details that made Vinny and Candice’s wedding so unique.

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On Multiple Cake Flavors

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Sam and Elizabeth were both super gorgeous and very easy to work with (and I’m not just saying that because Sam is from New York like me.) Their wedding was at the Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island in California. 

They chose to do a quartet of rustic-style cakes in different flavors. Believe it or not, this was the most challenging design I’ve had to execute all year. It’s not that the technique is difficult–in fact, it’s quite easy and something a home baker could easily achieve. (That’s the point of these cakes, right? To conjure up warm fuzzy memories of the homemade cakes your mom made when you were a kid? I say your mom, not my mom, because my mom definitely would not create a home baked cake, not when I was a kid and definitely not now. You can read more about her here.) With my other cakes, I strive for perfection: perfectly iced sides and top, perfectly smooth fondant. With these cakes, the difficulty was in intentionally creating something so imperfect. I damn near cried.


Anyway, that’s not the point. I really wanted to share this because I love the creative way Sam and Elizabeth instructed their guests to “swap, split, or sample” the various flavors of cake. Clients often ask me how it works at a wedding when serving more than one kind of cake. (Yes, my cakes are that good that couples often cannot limit it to just one flavor and end up choosing several.) Truth is, I don’t really know. I do like the idea of guests just digging in to each other’s cake with their forks, blatantly disregarding any conventional notions of table etiquette. Sam and Elizabeth came up with a really great way to address the issue, and it’s pretty much exactly what I imagined:

From now on, when clients ask me how it works with multiple flavor cakes, I know just what I’ll say.

Photo credit: Shana Cassidy Photography and Caroline Kidder.

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The Search Continues

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Erica OBrien in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

The search for commercial space can best be compared to dating: you have your highs, your lows, excitement and letdowns,  a few heartbreaks, and then maybe, with a little luck, you find the perfect one.

I’ve seen a lot of spaces in the past few weeks, learned a lot about Connecticut commercial code (it differs significantly–and expensively–from California), argued with my sister, made up with my sister, and thought and rethought my plan.

Space # 1 can best be described as something that might appear on Hoarders: Restaurant Edition. I won’t share any pictures of it lest anyone should associate such nastiness with my business.

Space # 2 was in a great neighborhood and had a really nice layout. I just loved the cute exterior and the exposed brick walls. I could even get past the fact that there was no parking, but it had no AC, an absolute must for me, so I had to pass.

Space # 3 worked on the inside, but the outside just wasn’t, well, cute enough for me. (The fact that the landlord decided he didn’t want to rent it to us is beside the point.)

Space # 4 was really expensive and had seemingly little to offer, so we eliminated it right off the bat. We ended up revisiting this space, and as it turned out the realtor misquoted the rent by almost $1,000, but the low ceilings and other cosmetic issues were real turn-offs for me. These pictures actually make it look better than it did in real life.

Space # 5 was super cute but way out of our price range.

Space # 6 might be the love of my life. High ceilings, bright sunlight, ample storage, reasonable rent. The neighborhood is adorable and very supportive of small local businesses. We configured a design for the front (on this fabulous website I found) that I think would work for both me and my sister, and now we just have to tackle some minor logistical issues (Health Department, Planning and Zoning, Water Department, Buildings, get a structural engineer to sign off on everything, buy all our equipment, get a commercial contractor to do our buildout, etc.) and we’re in businesses. Easy peasy.

I think it might look even cuter in person. Here’s a shot of the exterior. Picture it with an awning, a window display, some ambient lighting, and my logo.

A shot of the interior looking out.

I think this is my favorite part. The already high ceiling is currently covered in acoustic tiles. We pushed one up to see what’s underneath, and it has the ORIGINAL TIN TILE CEILING! This is a photo taken of the ceiling, so this is what you’d see if you looked directly up.

Hopefully my next post will include good news and a signed lease. Wish me luck!

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