I just got the book Sweet Celebrations by Sylvia Weinstock. I was wondering if anyone here has tried any of her recipes?

I love this book. These are the recipes I have used:

Classic Yellow Cake: Tastes fine, but you can really taste the sour cream. I prefer a cake with buttermilk instead.

Lady Baltimore White cake: My fave white cake recipe.

Chocolate fudge Cake: Don't recommend it.--Prefer Toba Garrett's

Basic Buttercream: Good. But the recipe is too large to fit in a 5 1/2 qt mixing bowl. Use a different Italian meringue buttercream recipe--Martha Stewart, or Kay's buttercream from WBH book. Sylvia puts a lot of Vanilla in her buttercream. It's great. I put 2 Tbsp in Kay's recipe, But when I tried this Baron's clear vanilla it totally ruined it! you need to use much less of the stuff and it has a sweet candy flavor to it that makes it taste like it came from a bakery--what I'm trying to avoid. Just use Wilton.

Choc. Mousse filling: Very good tasting and very thick, but it is easy to mess up. Uses about 7 different pans/bowls.

Haven't tried any washes except plain syrup.

I love her flower method--forming petals in your hand. It prevents the gumpaste from cracking after it has been rolled and cut out and thinned and finally formed onto the base.

For a picture tutorial check out this article: (click on sugar rose how-to)

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/02/09/sylvia.weinstock/icing.html

Enjoy the book. I refer to it often. You can see my first wedding cake in my pics. It's styled after the cakes in her book.

Leta~That is exactly what I wanted to hear. I LOVE white cake and I was planning on trying the Lady Baltimore today. I looked at your first wedding cake picture....it's gorgeous!!!!! Your gumpaste flowers are incredible and the way you arranged them is perfect. I am just starting with gumpaste myself and I am really enjoying Sylvia's book! Thank you for the link, the article is very helpful!

I'm late, but I have a question....I also love this book, but I tried the white Lady Baltimore cake and it fell horrendously...afterwards I realized my copy's recipe calls for something like 3 TABLESPOONS of baking powder! What??

Does anyone have time to check their copy of that book and see what the actual baking powder quantity should be for the LB White cake? I'll never attempt it again with that amount!--it was a disaster, you can imagine.

I use her yellow cake exclusively, though--it's AWsome and stays fresh for what seems like ever. Making one tomorrow in fact.

I just checked my copy...I have not tried this cake yet...it DOES say 3 tablespoons of baking powder.

Well, whatever you do, do NOT use 3 TB of baking powder...unless you have a self-cleaning oven lol. My whole 2 rounds went in the trash; they were like a bad cooking joke.

I lent my book out yesterday to a friend WAAHHHH

I've made it several times with that amt of baking pwdr. No probs. But I do use 3" pans. You could collar your pans using the instructions on this site.

Hmmmm. What an adventure. I wonder if Sylvia has ever had anything like that happen to her! Probably not that she would admit!

i will get my book soon. i have always wanted her book. soon and very soon i will get my book too .

YIPEEEE!!!! I just won an auction on EBAY for my book. I got it for, GET THIS....$8.51...yea baaaabbbyyy!!!! Saved a lot. Amazon has it for $22.00. Yeah I know its not brand new but hey. As long as its in good condition I will be fine.