for the baker

Ten Things You Should Know About Fondant

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Erica OBrien in Featured, fondant, fondant review, for the baker, for the bride, tips + tools, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

Whether you’re a bride, a cake-curious baker, or a cake design professional, there is a lot to know about fondant. There are many things I wish someone had told me when I first started so that I didn’t have to learn the hard way, and apparently I’m not the only one. I asked my facebook friends for their input, and they had lots to say. Here are my top ten (with lots of help from my facebook family).

1. Fondant can be refrigerated. I had one of those I’m-never-making-another-cake-again cakes several years ago on a blazing hot day in Malibu, CA. After that, I started refrigerating my cakes. You can read more about it here (it’s tip #4). I’ve heard that some cake artists use humidity controlled fridges, but I’ve yet to find any. I do try to keep my cake fridge at the warmest setting to minimize the difference between the fridge temp and the air temp, thereby limiting the amount of condensation (or “sweating”) that forms when the cake comes out of the fridge. Sweet Cakes by Rebecca notes that condensation can help be prevented by boxing the cake and wrapping the box in saran wrap. 

2. Keep colored fondant out of direct light. Any kind of light. Even electric light can fade your fondant. Jasmine Clouser Couture Cakery had this to say: “Coloring fondant lavender is tricky. If you put it in the sun at all it will turn blue. Keep your cake and decorations in a dark place or covered it if there is any lavender or purple. When the cake is out at the reception keep it out of the sun. Using precolored fondant is better than using gel when it come to purple.” Excellent advice. I would add pinks to list too.

3. Fondant won’t make an imperfect cake look perfect. They say that to truly understand digital photography, you have to first understand film. The same is true of cake: to truly understand fondant, you must have a basic understanding of buttercream cakes. Skillfully covered fondant cakes are deceptive: the fondant looks so impeccably smooth, many people assume that (1) it’s easy and (2) fondant is all that’s needed to get that perfect finish. But fondant won’t make a bumpy, lumpy, lopsided cake look any better (and might even make it look worse).  It is absolutely critical to have a smoothly iced cake with a level top and plumb (straight up and down) sides underneath fondant. Take the time to learn this skill if you haven’t already, and your fondant cakes will look a lot better.

4. Fondant is not ideal for all designs. Fondant’s gummy property makes it great as an icing, but terrible for certain design work. Because it won’t hold it’s shape, vertical or horizontal lines, sugar flowers, and the like are very difficult to execute with fondant. At the shop we use three methods. We either add tylose to fondant to stiffen it, make a 50/50 mixture of fondant and gumpaste, or ditch the fondant altogether and use gumpaste.

5. Fondant tastes better than you might think. Many of my brides who say they’ve heard fondant tastes horrible are usually pleasantly surprised by the taste. I always share with them that my objection to fondant is not necessarily the taste, but rather the gummy texture of the fondant with the crumb of the cake. However, since fondant firms up a bit, it is easy for guests who really don’t like it to peel it off, and for me, you can’t beat that perfectly smooth look of fondant, so it’s a trade off that’s well worth it.

6. It’s (sometimes) easier to cover a large cake than a smaller one. Many people are intimidated by larger cakes, but when the sides of the cake are smaller in proportion to the diameter of the cake, it’s actually easier. Think about spreading a flat sheet on a mattress. The sheet lies flat and a little hangs smoothly over the sides. Now imagine taking that same bed sheet and trying to smoothly cover a broom stick. It would be virtually impossible due to all the draping. In this analogy, the bed sheet, with it’s large surface area and relatively short sides, is the larger cake while the broom stick, with its very tall sides and relatively small surface area, is the smaller cake. Basically, a cake that is taller than it is wide is more challenging to cover than a cake that is wider than it is tall.

7. Fondant will be affected by temperature and humidity. When fondant is cold it tends to stiffen. When it’s warm it gets soft and droopy. When it’s humid, sticky. The best way to combat the changes? A temperature controlled room definitely helps, and shortening or cornstarch can decrease the stickiness, but a lot of it comes with practice. Unfortunately with this one there’s no easy way of avoiding it. Just remember that if your normally cooperative fondant turns to into a big droopy mess, it’s probably the weather and not you. Try not to get too frustrated, take brakes if needed, and remember that it’s all part of the process.

8. Water and fondant don’t mix. You must be absolutely vigilant when working with fondant not to get any water on it. Water droplets will dissolve the sugar in the fondant, leaving small pock marks on an otherwise perfectly smooth surface. I always box my cakes for transport, just in case, and I always instruct brides getting fresh flowers on their cake to communicate to their florist that the flowers must be absolutely dry before being place on the cake.

9. It’s expensive, and you get what you pay for. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the cheaper, more commercially available fondant. It’s harder to work with, is more elastic (in the worst way), and has a shorter working time because it dries so quickly. Satin Ice is the industry standard, but there are also other brands that are excellent. Kristin Sabol Kirkpatrick shared on facebook that “not all fondants are created equal! Just because someone swears by a certain brand, doesn’t mean it is the best choice for you!” Some fondants (like Carma Massa Ticino Tropic) are actually formulated for humid climates. The specialty fondants are definitely pricier, but if you calculate all the sleep you’ll lose over fondant that sweats, cracks, or bulges, it’s well worth the investment.

10.  I really like this tip from Oven Couture ~ Smallish Confection Perfection: Buy pre-colored fondant! You can spend a long time (and risk drying out) trying to get white fondant black, or you can just spend a little more and buy it. I vote buy it.

And of course, a cake! A ruffled heart cake inspired by Valentine’s Day.

Red and Pink Ruffle Cake by Erica OBrien Cake Design | Hamden, CT

I hope these tips are helpful to you. Feel free to share any I’ve left out! We always love to hear from you. Best of luck!

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You Might Be a Cake Artist If…

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Erica OBrien in Featured, for the baker, for the bride | 3 Comments

It occurred to me only after I’d colored the fondant navy blue that perhaps, with one of my best friend’s weddings only days away, I should have worn gloves. How many people at the wedding–some of whom I hadn’t seen since high school–would assume I’d been furiously coloring fondant for a disco-themed birthday party? Or, the more likely scenario, how many would wonder if I’d contracted some pigment-changing contagious disease?

If this sound familiar, then this post is for you.

You Might Be a Cake Artist If…

~your two-year old calls Play-Doh “fondant”

~when people ask you whom, living or dead, you’d most like to invite to dinner, instead of Gandhi or Dr. Martin Luther King, you answer “Ron Ben-Israel”

~you thought 50 Shades of Grey was an ombré cake design

~you think nothing says “I love you” like a new flower cutter

~the staff at Jo-Ann fabrics knows you by name

~you get most of your news from The Food Network

~Cake Central is your Maxim Magazine

~your husband knows the difference between gumpaste, pastillage, Mexican paste, and modeling chocolate and can offer a thorough explanation of their uses, benefits, and pros and cons

And a few favorites from my facebook friends. To read the rest of their absolutely hilarious comments, go to my facebook post.

~manicure? What’s a manicure? {Nancy}

~you have suffered more cake related ailments than standard ones: ruffler’s fingers, ganacher’s shoulder, decorator’s ankle, stacker’s wrist and buttercreamer’s lung {Royal Bakery}

~you pipe shells on your toothbrush with toothpaste {Brigitta}

~you break a drawer pull and the first solution you think of is to make a new one out of gum paste {Tamatha}

And since no post would be complete without a few cake photos, here are just a few recent cakes that we’ve done.

Callan made over 300 hydrangeas for this buttercream cake. Photo by Darren Wagner.

I love working with chocolate fondant. It’s just dreamy.

And finally, sweet and classic.

Until next time, keep on caking, and wear that food coloring proudly!

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DIY: Pastel Sprinkle Cake

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Erica OBrien in cake decorating, Featured, for the baker, for the bride, projects, tips + tools, wilton | 6 Comments

I created this DIY wedding cake as part of an ongoing project with Project Wedding. Look for more DIYs monthly.

I’m a sprinkle kind of girl, through and through. My ideal ice-cream-to-sprinkle ratio is 1:1. Actually, I’ve been known to forgo the ice cream completely and go straight for the sprinkles. And my movie theater candy? Sno-Caps, of course.

Although I love and appreciate the sprinkle for its confectionary prowess, it does lack a certain esthetic appeal, particularly the brightly colored rainbow variety that is so near and dear to my heart. Since pastel sprinkles are so hard to find, I make my own. And when Project Wedding asked me to create a wedding cake DIY, I knew exactly what I’d do.

1. Here’s what you’ll need (clockwise from left):

food-use only ruler

small sprinkles or nonpareils (available at most crafts stores)

piping gel (available at most crafts stores)

tapemeasure

small flexible cup

petal dust in desired shade (we like Crystal Colors brand)

food-use only paintbrush

ziplock bag

 2. Remove shaker cap from sprinkles to speed pouring. 

3. Empty into ziplock bag.

 4. Pour a small amount of petal dust into bag. (Remember you can always add more, so start with a little.)

5. Shake the bag until dust is evenly distributed. If color is not dark enough, add more dust and repeat until desired depth of color is achieved.

 6. Using tapemeasure, determine the spacing and width of stripes. 

7. Dip paintbrush in piping gel. 

8. Using ruler as a guide to acheive a straight line, brush a generous amount of piping gel onto cake with short, even strokes.

9. Repeat on the right side of line. You want the gel to be thick enough for the nonpareils to stick but not too gloppy.

10. Empty colored sprinkles into small cup. Try not to touch them so as not to rub off the petal dust.

11. Gently pour sprinkles onto cake. You will have many extra sprinkles. Pour onto a sheet of parchment creased in the middle and pour back into small cup. Repeat process until all lines are finished.

12. Enjoy!

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Cake Baking Troubleshooting Guide

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Erica OBrien in Featured, for the baker | Leave a comment

They say you can teach an artist to bake, but you can’t teach a baker to be an artist. I’m not sure which category I fall into, all I know is that we can all use some help with baking sometimes. I got this chart in an email from The Baker’s Kitchen and I thought I’d share it. Happy baking! 

Cake Baking Troubleshooting Guide
 

Symptom

Causes
Crust too dark - Oven too hot.
- Excessive top heat.
Cake too small - Scaling weight too low.
- Oven temperature too high.
- Batter temperature too high.
- Batter temperature too low.
- Incorrect amount of water.
Cake burned on top - Oven temperature too hot.
- Incorrect amount of water.
Crust is shiny and sticky - Oven temperature too cool.
- Not baked long enough
- Too much sugar in recipe.
Crust too thick - Excessive baking time.
Cake falls during baking - Excessive jarring or moving of the cake during baking.
- Oven temperature too low. Excessive mixing of the batter.
Top of cake peaks and cracks - Oven temperature was too hot. (the outside of the cake baked to form a crust too quickly. As mixture in center of the cake continued to cook and rise, it burst up through the top of the cake.)
- Cake wasn’t baked on the center rack of the oven.
Cake shrinks - Excessive liquid.
- Batter too cold.
- Oven too hot.
- Improper mixing procedure.
- Baked too long.
Cake rose unevenly - Flour was not blended sufficiently into the main mixture.
- Temperature inside the oven was uneven.
- Oven temperature too high.
Cake stuck to the pan - Improper greasing/flouring of pan.
- Layers were cooled too long before trying to remove them.
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The Best Cake Tips I’ve Learned Along the Way

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Erica OBrien in cake design, Featured, for the baker, tips + tools, wedding cake | 16 Comments

I started decorating cakes in 1995 and have picked up some really great tricks along the way. Some I learned from other cake artists, either by reading their books, taking their classes, speaking with them directly, or even watching them on t.v., and some I figured out on my own. I’m happy to share them here with you.

1. Smooth first. Rolling fondant smoothly is a skill unto itself, and it can be difficult to avoid minor irregularities when you roll by hand. If you use fondant, you most likely already use smoothers on your fondant-covered cakes, but you can also smooth fondant before you apply it. Once you’ve rolled the fondant, while it is still lying flat on a hard surface, use your smoothers to work out any bumps and eliminate any air bubbles. Source: Melody Brandon (www.mysweetandsaucy.com)

2. Set color by steaming. When used correctly, petal dust can really bring sugar flowers to life, but it can also give them a chalky, matte appearance. To reduce the dusty look and work the color permanently into your petals, boil some water and gently wave your sugar flowers over the steam for a few seconds. (I’m very accident prone, so I always set a strainer on the pot so that if I drop my sugar flowers they don’t end up in the water.) At first the flowers will appear quite shiny, but the sheen will almost completely disappear. Note that this method will also slightly deepen the color, so be sure to experiment first. Source: Jacqueline Butler (www.petalsweetcakes.com)

3. Keep a paint fan deck handy. Most brides have pretty definite preferences when it comes to color, but “peacock blue” can mean different things to different people. I’ve found computers to be unreliable for color matching, since colors on computer screens can vary greatly. Instead, I keep a paint fan deck in my office so that clients can tell me on the spot what color they want. This also saves them a trip to Home Depot for a paint chip. You can purchase Benjamin Moore fan decks online for about $15. Source: Erica OBrien

4. Refrigerate fondant. Whoever said fondant can’t be refrigerated obviously never traveled to Malibu, CA via the 405 Freeway on a blazing hot summer afternoon. (You can read more about that cake fiasco here.) Although some condensation might appear on your fondant cakes when they’re taken out of the fridge and exposed to warmer air (making them quite tacky to the touch), the condensation eventually evaporates and the fondant returns to its original matte finish. Just be sure not to touch it during the sticky stage or you’ll leave fingerprints.  Source: Melody Brandon (www.mysweetandsaucy.com)

5. Use convoluted foam mattress pads to absorb shock.  That’s right: I said convoluted foam mattress pads. You know exactly what it is–that egg crate-shaped foam used to add extra cushioning to your bed–you just never thought to use it with your cake. Since bumps, pot holes, or bouncing during cake delivery can all cause damage to cakes, it is important to minimize the shock. Placing foam padding beneath your cake board will help cushion the blow and protect your cakes from damage. Source: Nancy Kay (http://www.nkconfections.com/)

6. Try scalpels. X-acto blades are great for cutting fondant, but the sharpest blades available are the scalpels that surgeons use. You can purchase disposable scalpels online. They come in all different shapes and sizes and are quite inexpensive, so you can experiment until you find one that works for you. Source: Elisa Strauss (www.confetticakes.com)

7. Use blue painters tape on fondant. When I need to apply a horizontal band to my fondant, I first apply blue painter’s tape just below where I want the band. If the tape is not straight, simply take it off and start over. The tape acts to guide the application of the fondant band and ensure that it is level. It adheres just enough to remain in place, but peels off easily without pulling the fondant beneath it. Source: Mary Maher (www.thecakegirls.com)

8. Use vodka. Because of its high alcohol content, vodka evaporates very quickly and won’t dissolve the sugar in your fondant (unlike water), making it ideal for liquefying powdered food color and diluting paste coloring for painting on cakes. Vodka can also be used to wipe away stray marks and mistakes on your cakes. Moisten a paper towel with vodka and gently take away dirt and marks. For smaller areas, wrap paper towel tightly around a toothpick. I buy the largest, cheapest bottle of vodka I can find. Source: Charm City Cakes

9. Use foamcore instead of cardboard. Although convenient, pre-cut cardboard rounds absorb a lot of fat from cakes, weakening the cardboard’s structure. I use foamcore instead. It’s pricey, rough on blades, but nothing beats its sturdiness. Source: Colette Peters. (colettescakes.com)

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We’ve Been a Little Busy

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Erica OBrien in Featured, for the baker, wedding cake | 4 Comments

After much anticipation (and years in the making), we’ve opened our retail shop. Okay, it’s not exactly “ours”. I call it our sister shop, and it’s quite literally my sister’s shop. My sister Jessica, The Soup Girl, and I share the commercial kitchen in the back of the house. The front is divided between her retail area and my consultation studio, but I’m selling my cupcakes on her side.

Since part of my personal mission is to educate the world about what a good cake/cupcake should actually taste like, retail is proving the perfect forum for me. Although most bakeries–even some high end cake design studios–bake from mixes and purchase large vats of “buttercream” that often contain no actual butter, we bake everything from scratch and use real butter. All of our fruit flavors are made in-house by reducing the whole fruit with sugar until all that is left is intense, concentrated fruit flavor. We use really good quality chocolate (Callebaut), fruit purees (Boiron), and vanilla paste (Nielsen-Massey). We sold out of every single cupcake the first two days we were open. (I’ve since increased production to keep up with demand.) Apparently Hamden, CT was just waiting for a quality cupcake.

We officially opened last Thursday, and I would describe the experience as exciting, exhuasting, exhilarating, and emotional. (Megan, if you’re reading this, forgive the alliteration. It was completely unintentional.) The neighborhood we’re in is extremely welcoming, and so many people came out to show their support. We couldn’t be happier with the location.

Below, some photos of The Soup Girl’s retail shop, our staff, and me and my absolutely fabulous intern working on some cupcakes. I’m saving the photos of my studio until it’s completely finished.

And if you’re in the neighborhood, please stop by!

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On Edible Gums

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Erica OBrien in Featured, fondant, for the baker, gumpaste recipe | 3 Comments

My motivation for writing this post is strictly self-serving. The differences between edible gums and their uses is precisely the kind of information I can never commit to memory. So, tired of searching repeatedly through the many sources of information on gums, I decided to create an easy to understand reference guide. I did it for me. And, okay, for you too.

CMC Powder

Carboxy Methyl Cellulose or SodiumCarboxyMethylCellulose. The chemical name for Tylose. (See Tylose below.)

Gum Arabic

  • Uses: stabilizer, edible gum, binder, emulsifying agent
  • For cake design: Add to royal icing to strengthen. Create edible glue (or “gum glue”) by mixing 2 tsp. gum arabic with 2 ounces water (source: SugarCraft.com)
  • Natural or synthetic: Natural
  • Alternative names: acacia gum, chaar gund, char goond, or meska
  • Most similar to: n/a

Gum Tex

Wilton brand name for karaya gum. (See karaya gum below.)

Gum Tragacenth

  • Uses: Drying agent. Adds strength and stretch.
  • For cake design: Used in making gumpaste and pastillage. Can be added to fondant to speed drying (sometimes called “emergency gumpaste“, see recipe under Tylose)
  • Natural or synthetic: Natural
  • Alternative names: gum trag, gum elect, gum dragon
  • Most similar to: Tylose

Karaya Gum

  • Uses: thickener and emulsifier, used to adulterate gum tragacenth due to their similar physical characteristics
  • For cake design: Ingredient in some gumpaste recipes. Can be added to fondant to speed drying (sometimes called “emergency gumpaste“, see recipe under Tylose)
  • Natural or synthetic: Natural
  • Alternative names: Gum-Tex (Wilton brand)
  • Most similar to:  gum tragacanth

Tylose

  • Uses:  thickener, binder, stabilizer, and suspending agent in glazes. Helps products retain moisture and gives a gum-like texture. Also acts as drying agent in fondant and gumpaste. Tylose is said to hold up better in humidity and is whiter in color. The more tylose you use, the stiffer and stronger the resulting fondant.
  • For cake design:  Ingredient in some gumpaste recipes (including the one I use, Nicholas Lodge’s gumpaste recipe). Can be added to fondant to speed drying, sometimes called “emergency gumpaste“. To create emergency gumpaste, add 2 -3 tsp of Tylose powder to 1lb of fondant. The more tylose you use, the stiffer and stronger the resulting fondant. Tylose is said to hold up better in humidity and is whiter in color than gum tragacenth.
  • Natural or synthetic: Synthetic
  • Alternative names: Super gum, cellulose gum
  • Most similar to: Gum tragacenth
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Demystifying Cloth Covered Wire

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Erica OBrien in Featured, for the baker, gumpaste recipe | Leave a comment

Cloth covered floral wire is used in cake design for wiring large petals on gumpaste flowers and for arranging edible flowers and leaves on cakes. If you’ve ever been utterly baffled by the way wire is sized, here’s a good way to remember it. Picture a very small ring, about a quarter the size of a wedding band. Now imagine sticking cloth-covered floral wire through it. You would obviously be able to fit more smaller wires through it than larger wires. That’s what the wire gauge indicates: the number of wires that would fit in a small ring. So, a wire gauge of 26, for example,  indicates that you would be able to fit 26 wires in the ring. A smaller gauge wire, like 18, is a bigger wire, because you would only be able to fit 18 of them through that same ring. The bigger the gauge, the more you can fit in the ring, so the smaller the wire. And the smaller the gauge, the fewer you can fit in the ring, so the bigger the wire. I hope that helps.

Floral wire can generally be found in gauge 16 – 32. I find that use 18 – 24 most frequently. I I always sort of grabbed at wires randomly, until I purchased one of Scott Clark Woolley’s flowermaking DVDs. In it, he outlines the various size wires and their uses. I find it very helpful, so I’m sharing it here.

16, 18: heavy flowers with many petals such as roses, ranunculus, peonies

20, 22: stem work

24: medium flowers, single-cut larger flowers

26: small flowers (individual hydrangea petals, jasmine), petals (such as rose petals)

28: small petals, leaves

30, 32: fine work, such as baby’s breath and small leaves

Happy caking!

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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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Our New Website!

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Erica OBrien in for the baker, for the bride, wedding cake | 1 Comment

I’ve waited a long time for this. Our new website went live on Friday, July 29th. It took a day or so to work out some kinks, and I might have gotten a little overzealous on the image sizes in the galleries, but it’s here and I love it. I’d like to thank Joe Renteria of Webpage Dynamics, who held my hand through my first website five years ago and exhibited tremendous patience and understanding this time around too. Thank you Joe! Also, I am extremely grateful to my friend Alison Neuru, who translated her skills as a post-production photo retoucher into website designer. Lastly, thank you to Monica Majors of Paper Cut Industries who skillfully designed our new logo. I am fortunate to have such wonderful (and talented and savvy) friends.

Here’s a screen shot of the brand spanking new Erica OBrien Cake Design site. (To see the rest, please visit our site.) I hope you love it as much as we do!

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