I'm New At This! Please Help, Teenager In Need!
Decorating By missind33 Updated 6 May 2006 , 2:18am by candy177
Ok, I have several questions about baking that I really need answers on, I am so lost!
1) Is cake mix really better then scratch?
2) How do you add pudding to cake? Do you make the pudding then add it, or just the powder?
3) When I tried to make a layer cake, the cake was sliding all over! Why?
4) What in the world is lemon zest? Can I subsitute that?
5) What websites have good cake recipes and any used on cake mix to make it better? Any advice for a teenage cooker?
6) Thanks!
Also...How can I frost a cake to make it look better? Which is better frosting made from scratch, or store bought? Which companies sell the best cake mixes, icings, etc.? I recently bought chocolate squares to make browines, but, they were accidently pre-melted. Does it make a difference?
HI
Think I can help you with a few of your questions, the ones I can't answer you'll have to wait for the more "experienced" decorators to answer...
1. Matter of prefrence and cost
2. You can just add the pudding powder to the cake mix
3. I still have to try to do a layered cake.....can't help here sorry (did you use a seperating plate?)
4. Lemon zest is the lemon peel, usually grate a little of that
5. Have you checked the recipe section here on CakeCentral? also try Baking 911 (I'm sure that's what I've heard)
6. You're Welcome! Sorry I couldn't answer them all!
Hope this helps a little....... 
I bake from scratch so I think scratch is better but it depends on what you like. lemon zest is the yellow skin on the lemon and this website has great recipes in the recipe section...scratch frosting is better than store bought.....I hope that I was able to answer your questions...and welcome to CC...everyone here is very helpful....
If you're just starting out, definitely use a cake mix...they're pretty much fool-proof. Try using the cake mix extender in the recipes. I prefer Duncan Hines mixes, they've always tasted the best IMHO.
Lemon zest is extremely fine grated lemon peel. I substitute the juice for some of the liquid in the recipe and then add a little lemon extract if I need more flavor.
Make sure your layer cakes are level without the hump in the middle. That could be part of your sliding problem.
Frosting....always make your own!!!! I hate trying to use the canned frostings. There are some great buttercream recipes on this site. This site is great for recipes, hints and ideas. You can type in a search for pretty much anything and get lots of info on it.
Happy baking! 
You really need to check this site out in depth because it is a wealth of information. I have learned so much from this site and the best thing about it: it's absolutely FREE!! I love the recipes and the articles that tell you how to do practically everything that deals with cakes. I guess you can tell how grateful I am to everybody at CC. Good Luck with your baking and decorating
I can help you some also.
1. That is personal opinion and there are many posts on the forum about it that should help you.
2. You can also add pre-made pudding to a recipe. One snack size pudding cup per recipe works for me.
3. Is your definition of a layer cake two cakes of the same size with a filling in between? Is so, make sure you have an icing dam around the edge before you put the filling it (if it is not an icing filling, meaning preserves, etc). If you use a lot of filling and it is humid or hot, it will slide around. I have had that happen with a ganache filling for a cake I was transporting 2 hours. You can insert a wooden dowel or skewer through the cake to stabilize it.
4. Lemon zest is grated lemon rind. If you don't have fresh lemons, McCormick makes a dried lemon seasoning that I have used also.
5. There are many good recipes on this site Mrs. Field's recipes are very yummy also. I have several of her books.
Icing from scratch is better of course!
It seems that the consensus on this site is Duncan Hines is preferred over Betty Crocker for box mixes.
Have fun experimenting!
I can see that most of your questions have been answered. I agree that you should start from mixes and work your way up to scratch cakes. As far as which is 'better' you may want to run a search, there have been a number of thread that discuss that very issue - and opinions are mixed! (excuse the pun ) Good luck
Okay, I will help you as best I can!
As far as box vs. stratch I wouldn't really say one is better than the other. It is all about preference. I use strictly Betty Crocker box mix because: 1) it is easy and convinient (sp?) and 2) I'm not a "baker", I'm a cake decorator, so I don't have any die hard, fool proof stratch recipes. I have never had any complaints on my cakes and everyone says they are so moist and yummy. I do bake them at a lower temp than on the box and I wrap them in cling wrap as soon as I take them out of the pan. Some folks use doctored box mixes too and that might be something you could try also!
As far as icing goes, in my opinion, store bought icing is not good for decorating. You could use it for icing the cake but it does not hold up well enough to pipe with or make any decorations. I do use a fudge icing that is store bought for outlines but that is thicker than regular frosting. I use a 1/2 butter 1/2 crisco icing with meringue powder for stability. It is delicious and decorates well. Others use all crisco (you get a white white icing that way) or a swiss meringue or italian meringue buttercream which have egg whites in them. They are a beautiful looking icing and I have heard they taste great but I myself have yet to produce one successfully!
As for the layers on your cake sliding, your icing might have been too soft or you used too much. You don't want to put a lot of icing in between your layers. And if you use pudding or jam for a filling you have to make a buttercream "dam" (take a bag with icing fitted with a coupler and no tip and pipe a "dam" around the layer about 1/4" in from the edge to allow for settling).
To make your icing look better, some use viva paper towel to smooth the icing once it has crusted over. You can also use a hot spatula to smooth the icing once you have put it on the cake.
I hope this helps you and if you have any other questions, I would be glad to help.
HeatherMari
My goodness! I get so many replies to fast! I am glad I signed up here! My grandma gave me this bananna nut muffin mix, and I was wondering if I could add bananna pudding to it. Can I? (I know this is mainly cakes and cookie site but I have been wondering that forever! Thanks! I learned so much! Do you eat lemon zest too? And when you add the pudding mix to a cake mix, you add an extra egg too? Anything else?
When you are doing a layer cake, if you add a filling make a dam of frosting around the outside then add your filling. Then put the top layer on and put that in the fridge for a while. It will firm up the frosting and filling and not move on you. I also put a dab of frosting on the board or plate before putting the cake down and that keeps it from moving on the plate. g/l
I use mostly Duncan mixes...but Betty has a great pound cake mix. I just recently came to realize that I have a cake book sitting on my cookbook shelf (duh me!) that I have never utilized. It's not a decorator book, it's a baker book. I really should try baking more cakes from scratch. My problem is that I'm not really all that fond of the baking part. I love the decorating!
Don't use canned frosting for decorating. You can use the Wilton Decorator White & Chocolate for roses and borders and such, but no Betty or Duncan there. Always make your own. I'll share with you my favorite BC recipe...
3/4 cup egg whites (from approx 5 eggs)
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (NOT powdered)
1 lb butter (not margarine or crisco, only real unsalted butter), softened
pinch salt
flavoring
Whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt in a metal mixing bowl (I doubt you have a Kitchen Aid yet but...you never know!) above a pan of simmering water. There should be about 1/2-1" water in the pan. Bring to a rolling boil and then turn down. Now, back to those egg whites. Whisk together constantly until mixture is hot (approx 130 degrees). Then put the bowl on the mixer with a whip attachment and whip on medium until cooled. This takes about 5-10 minutes. The outside of the bowl will no longer feel hot.
Add the butter in 8-10 additions. It should be softened. Make sure you beat this on low speed with the paddle attachment. Make sure the butter is completely incorporated before you add more. After you add all the butter, turn the mixer back to medium speed and whip until smooth and fluffy. It may look like it is going to break or curdle, but that is normal. Just keep beating to creamy smoothness. This takes another 5 min or so.
When your BC is nice and smooth, then you can add the flavoring. Slowly. Beat some more until smooth again. This sets up soooo well in the fridge, but it does get a bit soft when left out (ahhh, the physics of butter!).
Flavoring suggestions -
Chocolate - 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted with 1/4 cup water and cooled
Coffee - 1/4 cup triple-strength coffee
Lemon - 1/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice
Liquor - 3 tbsp
Sweet Liqueur - 1/4 cup
Praline - 1/3 cup praline paste
Raspberry - 1/2 cup thick seedless raspberry puree
Vanilla - 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract or the scraped-out pulp of a vanilla bean
Now, I've made chocolate, vanilla, almond (substitute almond flavoring for vanilla), raspberry and a hazelnut mocha...OHHHH that one was divine! I just melted the chocolate but instead of using water I substituted triple strength hazlenut coffee and taste tested until I got the right combo then added to the BC. You could make any flavor imaginable if you substitute correctly. It's not a sweet icing though, it's more rich than anything else. This is a Swiss Meringue.
It says in my book to flavor right before you use it. When you store it, put in tupperware and refrigerate or freeze. I don't know the shelf life though. However, when you bring it out of the fridge or freezer, always let it come to room temp then beat it again. Otherwise, you will have this dry, crumbly mess. Trust me, it will whip smoothly again.
To keep crumbs out of your cake, never let your spatula touch bare cake. Always put on more icing then you think you'll need - it's easier to scrape some off lightly than to deal with crumbs because you don't have enough! Plus, it helps if you do what's called a "crumb coat" (especially if you use a butter-based BC) - lightly ice your cake and then pop it into the fridge for a good half hour or so. Doesn't matter if there's crumbs in this coat, that's what it's for. It helps to keep the crumbs out of your exterior coat! If you see crumbs on your spatula, do not put it back into the bowl! Always wipe clean.
I used to have a book called The Cake Doctor. I liked it....but didn't use it enough and now I don't have it anymore. Also, check out the sides of the boxes - sometimes they have tips on how to pump up your cake. (I saw a Lemonade cake recipe on a Pillsbury box last week.)
I don't see why you couldn't add banana pudding to the muffin mix. Try it and see! Worst case is you could have a complete disaster on your hands...but it would be a learning experience! Keep us posted!
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