International "translations" Of Common Used Terms
Decorating By PatrysV Updated 1 Aug 2008 , 4:20pm by PinkZiab
We just had a discussion in a diffrent thread of what the "other" word is for certain items / terms which are used on CC. As we are all from diffirent countries and call the same thing diffirent names - it becomes quite confusion for those of us (like me ! 
) that is not so knowledgeable on all this! 
So here goes (the ones I figured out already 
)- please add as we go along:
Saran wrap: Cling wrap ; cling film
Parchment: Wax paper
Shortening: HOLSUM fat, crisco
Icing sugar: "something?" sugar (can't remember what you guys call it)
Baking Strips: Bake-even-strips
Fondant: Plastic Icing, Petti Nice
PatrysV,
I just wanted to point out that Parchment paper and Wax paper is not the same. Parchment paper can safely be used in the oven but Wax paper will burn. Out of the oven they have similar use though.
In the UK, if you refer to fondant, it's usually the stuff that you heat until it becomes a pouring fondant... you usually pour it onto things like cupcakes or things that you'd get in a high street bakery - like an iced finger (a bready type of long thing bun/cake with soft white icing on the top).
Suzanne x
great minds think alike I started a similar thread before realising you had this - sorry 
Could someone please post conversion table for American cup measurements to lbs or metric - kg/g. In the UK, we do not have cups and weigh all our cake ingredients on the scales. I have a few American cake books and they all have cup measurements. Or does anyone know where I can buy American cups in the UK. Thanks, Lily.
Could someone please post conversion table for American cup measurements to lbs or metric - kg/g. In the UK, we do not have cups and weigh all our cake ingredients on the scales. I have a few American cake books and they all have cup measurements. Or does anyone know where I can buy American cups in the UK. Thanks, Lily.
Hi Lily
You can cups to measure in loads of places now.
Lakeland Ltd - http://www.lakeland.co.uk/flipper-spoons-AND-cups/F/keyword/cup+measure/product/12114_12115
John Lewis - (these are ridiculously expensive... they do 'ordinary plastic ones, too, if you actually go into a store) http://www.johnlewis.com/Search/Search.aspx?SearchTerm=cup%20measure&Offset=1&refined=1&Navigator=trueproducttypenavigator&Modifier=Baking+Accessories
Found these on-line: http://thecookskitchen.com/browse_5740
Just do a Google search for Measuring Cups!
Hope this helps.
great minds think alike I started a similar thread before realising you had this - sorry Sorry - you actually gave me the idea!!!...So this is now our thread together! 
Can someone also explain what is meant with "granulated" sugar? Is that "castor sugar" (a very fine, white sugar)?
Can someone also explain what is meant with "granulated" sugar? Is that "castor sugar" (a very fine, white sugar)?
In the UK, granulated sugar is a slightly larger crystal the castor sugar.
It's what we use for every day - on breakfast cereal, in tea and coffee, etc.
Just 'normal' sugar.
I would not try using conversion tables as a lot of sites give different values and cup measurements don't convert that accurately anyway.
Buy a set of cups and it will make it so much easier to use cup recipes. Also read up on how to use the cups as there's a knack to measuring certain ingredients.
Refer to your oven manual for temperature conversions and temperature suggestions as again these conversion values can differ from site to site.
I bake most cakes at 170 C in my fan oven and it works for me and that's what my oven manual states.
Cornstarch = Cornflour
All purpose flour = plain flour
Baking soda = bicarbonate of soda
cookies = biscuits
super fine sugar = caster sugar
jello = jelly
candied fruit = crystalized or glace fruit
Shredded coconut = dessicated coconut
Jelly roll pan = swiss roll tin
the list is endless!
Could someone please post conversion table for American cup measurements to lbs or metric - kg/g. In the UK, we do not have cups and weigh all our cake ingredients on the scales. I have a few American cake books and they all have cup measurements. Or does anyone know where I can buy American cups in the UK. Thanks, Lily.
I'm not sure that a simple conversion chart from volume to weight would be a good idea. You'd hav eto have a chart for every ingredient.
How much does a cup weigh? Are you talking about a cup of nails or a cup of feathers?
Oooh! I've got a question.
What's a stick of butter??? We don't have sticks of butter in the UK. We just have a 250g block of butter.
So what does a stick weigh, please?
Suzanne x
In American, our butter/margarine is sold in a one-pound box, cut into 4 sticks (4 quarters). So a stick of butter is 1/4 lb and it works out to be 1/2 cup. (Sorry I can't translate to g, but I can get you this close! )
This is a very interesting and helpful thread! Thanks for posting it!
I use the website www.convert-me.com for all cooking conversions between imperial sizes and metric. http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking
I use American recipes, and have all American measuring tools...but my purchases are in metric measures, so I need to make sure of amounts, etc. As well as be able to find out my root costs for CakeBoss.
One thing to note, dessicated coconut will not be the same as any American recipe calling for shredded coconut. US shredded coconut is moist, and covered in powdered sugar. I have tried to reconstitute the dessicated version for my own use, but it ended up being a gunky mess, unfortunately.
One stick of butter is a 1/4 of US pound = 4 ounces = 113.4g
Anything else, just give me a pm...I've pretty much got all the various conversions covered!
This puzzled me initially too - can't remember who told me but a stick is the equivalent to our 1/4 lb (give or take a few grams)
On another post over the past few weeks there was a link posted by someone( I wish I had JanH's memory ) which gave info on substitutes eg. making soured cream with lemon juice if you don't have an etc. If anyone has that link that would be a great help on here too - I'll trawl through and see if i can find it mean time!
I think that was a direction by bonjovibabe, for substituting for buttermilk in Phillipines. Don't know OP, but can maybe find it by search for buttermilk in forums.
**Edit: found it!!! http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-595152-buttermilk.html
Heavy cream is the same as whipping cream, or maybe 'slagroom' in S Africa.
heavy cream - i just assumed ( wrongly probably! ) that it was what we would call double cream. We have single, double, whipping (not whipped but for whipping 
) and sour cream in the UK.
How about we have a CC acronym translation? I don't know what half of these things mean on this site 
Isn't it funny how even something like "cream" can be understood diffirently?! How about we have a CC acronym translation? I don't know what half of these things mean on this site
Yes Please!!!
It took me very long to figure out what BC(buttercream) and DH (dearest Husband) stands for!!!!!
Now I know what RI (royal Icing) DD(Dearest Daughter) are as well!!!
There is a sticky note for the acronyms:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926.html
Leahs pointed out to me that 'sleeved fillings' were prepared fillings, they can be fruit or Bavarian cream, or the like. Each 'sleeve' usually has about 3 cups yield, from what I see online.
HTH
PatrysV -
Thank, you for posting this; I think it is a great idea. But can we take it one step further?
Allow me to explain -
Cake Central is based in the USA, but we have members from all over the world.
There was the question a few days ago about getting recipes which are written in Spanish translated to English. I am a second-generation American who can understand and speak her family's original language. I can remember the language barriers my grandmother had to deal with every day. I feel more sympathy for those who do not read or write in English, for they cannot read the millions of posts and thousands of recipes which are available in English only. It's a sword which cut both ways.
Then there is the problem of not knowing where everyone lives. Most people have their location added to their profile, but do we actually read a poster's location before replying? More often than not, we don't. Our hearts are in the right place, because we want to help that poster, but if they are not in the USA or Canada, they probably won't have a boxed mix readily available, nor Crisco.
It's impossible to make things work perfectly, but little things like your list, or adding your country to your profile, or actually reading someone's location before responding, adds to the ability to globally communicate better.
Thank you for your idea, and for reading this -
Theresa
1 stick of butter = 1/4 pound
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup
1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons
1 stick of butter = 4 ounces
1 stick of butter = 113 grams
is the info that i received from www.onlineconversion.com
also while i was trying to make a red velvet cake this morning, i had to subsitute buttermilk since i don't have it here.. (1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup (240 ml) of milk. Let this mixture stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.)this info is from www.joyofbaking.com
red velvet turned out great
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