I'm Not A Decorator...

Decorating By veghed Updated 25 Jul 2016 , 4:23pm by -K8memphis

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veghed Posted 24 Jul 2016 , 11:39pm
post #1 of 9

...and I'm okay with that.

However, I make very good cakes.  My husband's 50th birthday is coming up and I would like to make his cake.

I need suggestions on something relatively easy for a novice decorator.  I'm thinking of an orange flavored cake (filling suggestions?) with chocolate ermine BC, but that may change.

I have never assembled a tiered cake but am thinking of doing two tiers.

I was hoping something like  this (sans the leaves) would be forgiving.  Or something else?  Suggestions?

8 replies
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Pastrybaglady Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 12:07am
post #2 of 9

That's an excellent choice, easy to accomplish but a very elegant presentation! 

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taytay056 Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 8:02am
post #3 of 9

I agree, great choice- that look will be forgiving, and looks really nice!

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taytay056 Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 8:05am
post #4 of 9

I agree, great choice- that look will be forgiving, and looks really nice!

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-K8memphis Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 11:20am
post #5 of 9

instead of an orange filling i want to recommend a grand marnier splash -- if you're not opposed to using a little alcohol in the same manner that you use vanilla which itself is 35% alcohol --

so a splash is made of simple syrup and a flavoring and is brushed or squirted onto the baked caked as you assemble and fill the individual cake layers into tiers --

simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water boiled till the sugar is dissolved -- let it cool a bit -- add about a quarter to a third part gm --

so for a 9x13 one layer cake I'd have some leftover but I'd probably start out with 1/3 cup each of sugar & water -- boil into simple syrup -- then you'd have approx 2/3 cup simple syrup and i''d add about 3-4 tablespoons grand marnier --

you don't want to soak the cake just enhance it -- this becomes a very sophisticated accent flavor --

so I would suggest your best vanilla cake with that splash -- after that I use a whipped cream and strawberry filling in the middle of four layers per tier and the other two fillings are lemon berry -- if you are interested in those directions let me know -- then after that I would use a vanilla ermine or Swiss meringue 

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-K8memphis Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 12:27pm
post #6 of 9

*onto the baked cake

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veghed Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 3:26pm
post #7 of 9

Wow, K8, that is a thorough suggestion.  

So with the GM simple syrup, you would put it between torted layers (with or w/o a thin bc layer) and the whipped cream & strawberries between the two cake rounds?


By they way, what is the technique from my OP example called?  It looks like someone just ran their fingers around the cake, but that can't it, right?  

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Pastrybaglady Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 4:22pm
post #8 of 9

Haha, no! Use a small spatula, a spoon or even a butter knife. No fingers unless it's your own private cake!

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-K8memphis Posted 25 Jul 2016 , 4:23pm
post #9 of 9

i would call it a rustic icing -- it's just the tip of a spoon, butter knife or small spatula held onto the cake surface while the turntable turns 'round & 'round -- not that you didn't know how to do it -- but i'd just call it rustic -- that's how i used to ice my cakes when i was little -- they were never that tall but that's how i'd do it relaxed.png up and down icing 'stripes' too 

no i put the splash on each layer so it soaks into the cake -- it's not a filling really it's a flavor/moisture enhancer --

and there's a balance there -- you don't want to put so much that it makes an alcohol hot spot but you want enough to flavor and moisten the cake -- so using a brush is a good idea to get the right amount the first time -- but i usually use a squirt bottle and just squirt it all around in a spiral -- out of a narrow tip --

the whipped cream & strawberries can be the center filling of just two layers or if you torte you could just do the regular icing in the two extra places requiring filling -- but brush the splash on all the layers -- in fact if using just the two layers per tier you could brush the top and bottom with the splash --

don't use weepy whipped cream -- whip it till just before it turns to butter -- it will hold for days -- you need a dam of icing around the outside perimeter and a thin layer of whipped cream on the cake -- use a sharp knife to cut the berries so they don't weep much and cut small  pieces so the cakes cut & serve well -- lay them like a tight mosaic -- a layer of whipped cream on top so they are completely encased in whipped cream -- place the next layer on top ...

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