Have 1St Cake Questions... Newbie Here...
Decorating By sassycgirl Updated 10 Oct 2006 , 5:29pm by midgit1205
I have Wilton I 2d night of class is Thur.. So I played around and made a cake and class icing last night and I have a couple questions... I do have to say I think my cake was OK for a FIRST cake.. I looked nice... Even thought the icing colors did not turn out right...
1) What is a quick and easy filling for my class cake.. (Butter cake with BC Class icing)
2) How can I get my icing to get deep rich color? Last night I could not get a deep color just a pastle... (I did use butter shorting not pure white.. Whould this effect the color?) This week we are doing the rainbow cake so I need baby blue, red, purple, yellow, white, and royal blue.
3) I have something planned for tomorrow night so I am not going to be able to bake the cake and icing for class Thur tomorrow.. Can I bake and icing tonight and keep it in the cake carrier?? Will it get stale and yucky??
4) Seems like every time I try and make icing or a cake I make a huge mess... Anyone have any tips on how to keep a clean area?? Also and suggestions on how to transport all this stuff to class Thur?
I'm no expert here, but I'll try to answer some questions. I'm sure others will be able to give more precise answers.
1. Quick fillings: Instant Pudding, or add some preserves to your buttercream, or chocolate whipped cream
2. Make sure you're using colorings meant to get a deep color (like some are meant to be pastels). I've read that colors intensify overnight. Also many people here will say that the Americolor Gel colorings are better at producing deep rich colors than the Wilton colorings are. Or, just keep adding more coloring. Sometimes it just takes A LOT.
3. Your cake should be fine if you bake tonight. Make sure it's completely cool before icing. I keep mine in the fridge but have read that some people keep them out. If you keep it out just make sure your filling does not require refrigeration. Really, if you're baking tonight, it's only 2 full days before your class. I have one of those $5 Sterilite cake carriers from Target. My friends had one of my cakes for (and I can't believe they kept it for this long - I was shocked!!!) nearly a week and a half out on their counter in it. They sliced away every day and were AMAZED at how well that thing kept the cake soft and fresh-tasting. I would not have done that myself though!
4. Do you have that Wilton caddy toolbox thing? It works pretty well. For my first two classes though, I just threw all the tools and supplies in a shopping bag with good handles and took the cake in that plastic carrier.
My only real "trick" for keeping the kitchen clean(ish) LOL while baking is to drape a kitchen towel over the top of my KitchenAid Mixer. It keeps the flying powdered sugar and cake ingredients to a minimum. I just read about putting the mixer on top of a cookie sheet with edges to contain the mess there.
Oh! And a cookbook stand. I got a cheap simple one for around $5. It keeps the cookbook and recipes off the counter and away from messes.
Good luck!
I don't mean to hijack this thread, cncgirl00 I have a boxer that looks just like the one in your avatar, I live in KY, and my b-day is Dec. 8th...that is too funny!! Now if your name is Denise, that will be wild!!!
I didn't even torte and fill the cakes for my wilton classes (and I took all three), IMHO its not so much about the cake but about the decorations.
Regarding the colors, it takes a lot to get those deep colors and then they taste yucky (Wilton colors), I didn't use a whole lot, again I think its more about the correct technique, than the specific colors that you use.
I bought a big plastic container and put everything in there, and I also bought the $5 cake carrier, which is wonderful. I put a piece of that waffle material (shelf liner) under the cake and it did not slide.
I did purchase the Wilton carrier but only after I was sure that I wanted to continue with cake decorating. Until you make the commitment, don't go buying a lot of stuff.
enjoy your classes. I really enjoyed mine!
That's wild! But my name is Valerie. It's good to hear from a fellow Kentuckian!
Nice to meet you Valerie!! Your cakes are great!! 
In regards to using the butter crisco - it will alter the final color of your icing. I used the butter crisco for my rainbow cake as well, and my blue never really turned blue, it was more of a sea grean 
. Pretty, but not quite the color I had wanted for my sky. After that I switched to all white crisco, and have not had a problem since.
HTH
Janeil
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%