I Have To Ask About Prevelant Tastes. Am I The Weird One?
Decorating By mushbug9 Updated 31 May 2006 , 11:32am by mushbug9
OK. All of you who have done a bunch of cakes. I need your help. I think my tastes are off. Not bad, just not what the "main trend" for taste is. Example-I am a chocoholic. Whenever I try a "dark Chocolate" cake or a deep chocolate frosting, it is usually more sweet than I would consider chocolatey. My tastes are more like the deep dark rich chocolate taste. I know not everyone likes these types of flavors for everyday cakes, so what do I do? Really that means that I will be using cakes ands frostings that I don't like at all to give it to other people. That doesn't seem right.What do you do if your taste just isn't there? What recipes do you trust as being "good" chocolate recipes that most people like ect? Ya know?I just don't want to make things others don't like. So how do you do it?
I know what you mean! I appreciate deep chocolate taste and not sugary stuff, for myself. The best recipes I find for this is chocolate ganache, whipped or unwhipped. I doesn't contain added sugar, but has deep chocolate taste that compliments many cake flavors.
I know I have found a few. One of them on here is absolutely SINFUL. The problem I have is that I don't think most people share our enthusium over the deep, rich chocolate taste like ganache. So what do I do for someone like that? Do I offer to make a cake she may not appreciate ot do I make a cake that I wouldn't eat at all? Which taste is more popular? In what instance can you take the chance with a rich frosting or filling on someone eho likes the sweeter side of life? Its hard to seporate yet still support the two sides when you don't like both sides.
True. A lot of it is trial and error. My best cake is a rich chocolate layer with chocolate mousse filling covered in chocolate ganache. My husband who claims to "take or leave" chocolate cannot get enough of it! My pastor called it sinful as he sliced his second piece! You just have to put your best out there and that's what they will come back to you for. One thing that I have noticed though is when I offer my less sweet non chocolate icings, the adults love it!
My best cake is a rich chocolate layer with chocolate mousse filling covered in chocolate ganache. !
You hit the nail on the head! a cake like the one you mentioned need dark chocolate. I think adults appreciate a rich chocolate cake and kiddies want a sweeter kind.
I reserve milk choc. (sweeter) for people who ask for it or for yellow cakes. I love sweet chocolate... well any kind of chocolate... but when I want a GOOD, RICH, to DIE FOR CAKE I go with a ganache with a mousse or ganache filling
!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just acquired some chocolate the other day.
My first Valrhorna. Made it into a Ganache... was about 78% cocoa, Green&Blacks, Scharffen Berger, and a Columbian chocolate from Santander is absolutely my favorite!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00067EBSE/?tag=cakecentral-20
Replace some of the chocolate you are using with this stuff and you'll go through the roof.
I usually use Ghiradelli chocolate, especially their white chocolate because it is an affordable luxury brand... but these others are at quite another level. It takes a bit of getting used to, even for me and I'm a chocoholic.
Here's a recipe I use. It is a very heavy, dark, rich cake. It is the
CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY-ORANGE WEDDING CAKE from epicurious.com
For the Cake Layers
4 cups orange juice, room temperature
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (This is where your favorite chocolate would come in handy. Be careful heading up to 88% Cocoa. It can be quite strong!)
Cake
6 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups sugar
8 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons (packed) grated orange peel
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 ounces) (These really need to be miniature. It makes the mouth happy.)
2 6-inch-diameter cardboard cake rounds
2 8-inch-diameter cardboard cake rounds
2 12-inch-diameter cardboard cake rounds
Also obtain/have on hand some Chocolate-Strawberry-Ganache
Also obtain/have on hand some White Chocolate Frosting
for the Filling and to help Frost Cake Layers
1 1/4 cups (about) strawberry jam
Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 11-inch-diameter revolving cake stand (optional)
Assembly
9 12-inch-long, 1/4-inch-diameter wooden dowels
3 oranges
Decorative ivy or fresh mint sprigs, rinsed, patted dry
5 1-pint baskets strawberries
For Cake Layers:
Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter one 5-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides, one 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides and one 12-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Dust pans with flour; line bottoms with parchment. Combine 1/3 cup orange juice and 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate in heavy small saucepan. Stir mixture over medium-low heat until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Gradually mix in 1 2/3 cups orange juice.
Sift 3 cups flour, 2/3 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder into medium bowl. using electric mixer, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and 3 cups sugar in large bowl until blended (mixture will look grainy). Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating to blend after each. Beat in 1 tablespoon orange peel and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients alternately with orange juice mixture in 3 additions each, beating well after each addition. Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips.
Transfer 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons batter to prepared 5-inch pan, 3 cups batter to prepared 8-inch pan and remaining batter (about 6 cups) to 12-inch pan. Place 5-inch and 8-inch pans on center rack of oven. Place 12-inch pan on lower rack of oven. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes in pans to racks and cool completely.
Mark 4-inch diameter circle on one 6-inch-diameter cardboard cake round. Cut out marked circle. Mark 7-inch-diameter circle on one 8-inch-diameter cardboard cake round. Cut out marked circle. Mark 11-inch-diameter circle on one 12-inch-diameter cardboard cake round. Cut out marked circle. Cut around sides of 5-inch-cake to loosen. Place 4-inch cardboard over pan. Hold cardboard and pan together; turn cake out onto cardboard. Peel off parchment.Wrap cakes on its cardboard in foil. Repeat turning out, peeling off parchment and wrapping cakes in foil, using 7-inch cardboard for 8-inch cake and 11-inch cardboard for 12-inch cake.
Using remaining ingredients, make 1 more batch of cake batter and bake 3 more cake layers as described above. Cool cakes in pans. Cover cakes in pans tightly with foil. (Can be prepared ahead. Let stand at room temperature up to 1 day or double-wrap all cake layers and freeze up to 1 week. Bring cake layers to room temperature before using.)
For Filling and Frosting Cake Layers:
Place first 12-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. Spread 2 3/4 cups ganache over top of cake and all the way to edge. Spread 2/3 cup jam over ganache, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. Drop 1 3/4 cups white chocolate frosting by spoonfuls over jam. Gently spread frosting over jam, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. Rub some cocoa powder over second 12-inch cardboard. Cut around sides of second 12-inch cake to loosen. Place cardboard, cocoa side down, over pan. Turn cake out onto cardboard. Peel off parchment. Carefully slide cake off cardboard and onto filling on first 12-inch cake. Refrigerate.
Place first 8-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. Spread 1 cup ganache over top all the way to edge. Spread 1/4 cup jam over, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. Drop 1 cup white chocolate frosting by spoonfuls over jam. Gently spread frosting over jam, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. Rub some cocoa over second 8-inch cardboard. Cut around sides of second 8-inch cake to loosen. Place cardboard, cocoa side down, over pan. Turn cake out onto cardboard. Peel off parchment. Slide cake off cardboard and onto filling on first 8-inch cake. Refrigerate.
Place first 5-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. Spread 1/2 cup ganache over top of cake and all the way to edge. Spread 2 tablespoons jam over, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. Drop 1/3 cup white chocolate frosting by spoonfuls over jam. Gently spread frosting over jam, leaving 1/2-inch chocolate border at edge. Rub cocoa over second 6-inch cardboard. Cut around sides of second 5-inch cake to loosen. Place cardboard, cocoa side down, over pan. Turn cake out onto cardboard. Peel off parchment. Slide cake off cardboard and onto filling on first 5-inch cake. Chill all cakes 1 hour to set filling.
Place 12-inch tiered cake on its cardboard on revolving cake stand. Spread 2 2/3 cups frosting over top and sides of cake as a first coat.
Refrigerate cake.
Place 8-inch tiered cake on its cardboard on cake stand. Spread 1 1/4 cups frosting over top and sides of cake as a first coat. Refrigerate cake.
Place 5-inch tiered cake on its cardboard on cake stand. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top and sides of cake as a first coat. Refrigerate all cakes until first coats of frosting set, about 1 hour. (Cakes can be made to this point up to 1 day ahead; cover and keep refrigerate.)
Prepare second batch of frosting, using remaining frosting ingredients and following directions for first batch. Spoon 2 cups frosting into pastry bag fitted with small star tip.
Place 12-inch cake on its cardboard on large flat platter. Place platter on cake stand. Using icing spatula, spread 2 1/2 cups frosting over top and sides of cake; smooth top. Using filled pastry bag, pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. Refrigerate cake on platter.
Place 8-inch cake on its cardboard on cake stand. Using icing spatula, spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top and sides of cake; smooth top. Using pastry bag, pipe decorative border around top edge of cake. Refrigerate cake on its cardboard.
Place 5-inch cake on its cardboard on cake stand. Using icing spatula, spread 3/4 cup frosting over top and sides of cake; smooth top. Using pastry bag, pipe decorative border around top edge of cake, spooning more frosting into bag if necessary. Refrigerate cake on its cardboard.
Keep all cakes refrigerated until frosting sets, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover loosely; keep refrigerated.)
Assembly
Place 12-inch cake on platter on work surface. Press 1 wooden dowel straight down into and completely through center of cake. Mark dowel 1/4 inch above top of frosting. Remove dowel and cut with serrated knife at marked point. Cut 4 more dowels to same length. Press 1 cut dowel back into center of cake. Press remaining 4 cut dowels into cake, positioning 3 1/2 inches inward from cake edges and spacing evenly.
Place 8-inch cake on its cardboard on work surface. Press 1 dowel straight down into and completely through center of cake. Mark dowel 1/4 inch above top of frosting. Remove dowel and cut with serrated knife at marked point. Cut 3 more dowels to same length. Press 1 cut dowel back into center of cake. Press remaining 3 cut dowels into cake, positioning 2 1/2 inches inward from edges and spacing evenly. Using large metal spatula as aid, place 8-inch cake on its cardboard atop dowels in 12-inch cake, centering carefully. Gently place 5-inch cake on its cardboard atop dowels in 8-inch cake, centering carefully.
Using citrus stripper, cut long strips of orange peel from oranges. Cut strips into long segments. To make orange peel coils, wrap peel segment around handle of wooden spoon; gently slide peel off handle so that peel keeps coiled shape. Garnish cake with orange peel coils, ivy or mint sprigs, and some berries. (Assembled cake can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Let stand at cool room temperature.)
Serving
Remove top and middle cake tiers. Remove dowels from cakes. Cut top and middle cakes into slices. To cut 12-inch cake: Starting 3 inches inward from edge and inserting knife straight down, cut through from top to bottom to make 6-inch-diameter circle in center of cake. Cut outer portion of cake into slices; cut inner portion into slices and serve with strawberries.
Serves 50.
Bon Appétit
June 1996
Thanks for the recipe skylightsky. I love orange and chcolate and can not wait for an occasion to try it.
As for taste, I usually try to please those I am making things for.
No matter how many recipes I try, most of my family seems to like the regular wilton (shortening) butter cream - nothing worse than spending the time making real italian butter cream and being told that they like the 'regular' one better. - oh well ! 
Don't I know it!
Spending time on making a wonderful recipe and they "like" the old one.
Now get this, around our house we were raised on instant potato. Mom never cleaned a potato to save her life. So the other day when my dad mentioned he wanted mashed potato I made some from scratch. Brought to their house for our Sunday meal together. My sister just laughed. Her mother in law had prepared potato previously. It was made from scratch and my sister didn't like it. She had to admit she liked instant better.
Long story short. We like what we like.
Best Wishes to you and your family/loved ones.
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