Questions About Cake Carving/shaping

Decorating By ruthieb1975 Updated 21 Sep 2008 , 9:14am by ruthieb1975

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ruthieb1975 Posted 18 Sep 2008 , 7:19pm
post #1 of 17

Can anybody suggest a good recipe for a cake to be carved, and also what do you use to carve it? Just a regular knife or something special?

Thanks

16 replies
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sarah0418 Posted 18 Sep 2008 , 7:55pm
post #2 of 17

I used the recipe for the Butter Vanilla Pound cake found on the recipe section here. I used it to make my son's Thomas the Train cake. I froze the cake and cut and carved it while it was still pretty frozen. The cake help it's shape great and it also tasted excellent.

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TooMuchCake Posted 18 Sep 2008 , 10:56pm
post #3 of 17

Like a lot of cake techniques, there are lots of recipes and ways to carve cakes. You'll probably get lots of answers, and you'll need to experiment a little and find out what works best for you. What works great for others is not my favorite way, and vice versa.

You can use any good, sturdy cake to sculpt. I like pretty much all the Cake Mix Doctor pound cake recipes. They're easy to make with what I have on hand and taste good. Towards the end of the book, there is a basic yellow pound cake recipe that I make, except I use a chocolate cake mix. It's very good.

I rarely use a knife for carving and never carve frozen cake. I use my tapered angled spatula. That's what I'm used to. Try it if you like and if it doesn't feel right to you, use a bread knife.

Post a pic of your cake when you finish it! We love looking at cake pix here on CC!

Deanna

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ruthieb1975 Posted 19 Sep 2008 , 6:29pm
post #4 of 17

Thanks for the tips, I am a total beginner so trying hard to work out all the terminology, which is even more difficult because I'm also in the UK so we are metric. lol

Can't find a decent uk forum at all.

Will most definitely post a picture of my 'masterpiece' when it's done, it is my first attempt at anything other than a plain old sponge cake icon_surprised.gif

How long will a fondant covered cake stay fresh enough to eat? I don't want to leave it too late in case something goes wrong.

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TooMuchCake Posted 19 Sep 2008 , 7:25pm
post #5 of 17

The longest I've had a fondant-covered cake is four days. I imagine they last longer than that, but I don't know how long. Surely someone will see this who knows the answer and help you out.

Deanna

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ruthieb1975 Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 11:33am
post #6 of 17

The party is Saturday, so if I bake it on Weds night, then cover it on Thurs morning and do the finishing touches in the evening that should be ok?

I have three kids under four so I can only do it when they are in bed/at nursery!
!
That leaves me Friday in case of emergency

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springlakecake Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 12:03pm
post #7 of 17

I carve cakes quite a bit and I use this recipe for all of my cakes.

1 cake mix any flavor (I like DH) plus all of the ingredients called for on the box. If it is a white cake, I just use whole eggs.

Also add: 1 cup AP flour
3/4 of sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup softened butter (or oil)
1 tsp baking powder
extracts if desired

I find it takes a bit longer to bake than most suggested guidlines.

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bakerchick Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 12:18pm
post #8 of 17

for my 2 cents worth - i just finished a carved car cake. I made it out of chocolate cake, to make sure it was still nice and moist for the day required. I ganashed inbetween the layers. Had it in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. Carved it with a serrated knife( i find this easiest as it doesn't drag over moist cake and rip the cake) then spread icing all over, firmed that up and spread ganash over that to give it a bit of a shell - and then MMF over the top.

I'm trying to get the pictures off my camera, without sucess yet!.

So i baked the cake wednesday, ganashed and iced thursday, MMF on thursday night and added details on friday. Cake was required for saturday morning pickup and then found out party is not till sunday!

Thats how long it took me to make it!

I am quite confident i went right overboard in trying to keep it fresh and moist.

i think which ever cake you choose to bake, as long as you can keep it moist inside - is the key so it doesn't dry out over the few days it takes to make.

- hope that helps.
thumbs_up.gif

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ruthieb1975 Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 12:36pm
post #9 of 17

Thanks, sorry to sound stupid but what is ganashe and how do I make it?

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ruthieb1975 Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 12:40pm
post #10 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by merissa

I carve cakes quite a bit and I use this recipe for all of my cakes.

1 cake mix any flavor (I like DH) plus all of the ingredients called for on the box. If it is a white cake, I just use whole eggs.

Also add: 1 cup AP flour
3/4 of sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup softened butter (or oil)
1 tsp baking powder
extracts if desired

I find it takes a bit longer to bake than most suggested guidlines.



How much would this make?

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springlakecake Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 6:28pm
post #11 of 17

it makes around 7 1/2 cups batter

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bakerchick Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 9:14pm
post #12 of 17

there is never a stupid question thumbs_up.gif

ganash is Chocolate and cream, place 400g chocolate and 125ml cream in heatproof bowl. i put it in the microwave for 1 min, then take it out and give it a good stir, into microwave for another 30 sec. take it out and stir till smooth. let it cool to room temp and spread over cake.

you'll find it firms up as it cools down but does not harden like regular chocolate, so it won't crack. you cna put it into the fridge to firm up faster. whatever is left oer can be reheated and reused later.

I use this a lot over icings as it gives it a good shell to then put MMF over the top. You can also use this in between layers . helps firm cake up for carving. tastes fantastic!!!

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doitallmom Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 10:01pm
post #13 of 17

I use all my regular cake recipes for carving. I've never had any major issues, but then again, all my cakes are from scratch, so that makes them a bit more dense than a boxed cake. I rarely use pound cake, either and i've carved choc., yellow, red velvet.......

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JanetBme Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 10:29pm
post #14 of 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruthieb1975

Thanks for the tips, I am a total beginner so trying hard to work out all the terminology, which is even more difficult because I'm also in the UK so we are metric. lol

Can't find a decent uk forum at all.

Will most definitely post a picture of my 'masterpiece' when it's done, it is my first attempt at anything other than a plain old sponge cake icon_surprised.gif

How long will a fondant covered cake stay fresh enough to eat? I don't want to leave it too late in case something goes wrong.




Since you said you were in UK- You are talking about a different texture of cake than most American cake mixes. British ones are usually heavier- and very carvable. They also have longer "fresh" time. You will probably don't have to worry about a fondant covered cake going bad for a week. (in british baking books-I read- one week to deco, one to eat- but I won't eat a cake if it is older than a few days-a week max!) Check out one of LINDY SMITH's cake decorating books. She does fantastic sculptures- but uses UK standard measures too-

She uses what is called a Madeira cake. I'll give you a basic recipe- but if you can find her book, it is a great reference for icing and sugarpaste too.

160 deg C/Gas 3
cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy - mix flours in seperate bowl, add eggs one at a time into creamed mixture following each spoon of flour. sift remaining flour into creamed and fold in carefully.

enough for 36 cupcakes:

4 eggs
225g(8oz) sweetbutter
225g superfine/caster sugar
225g self raising flour
125 g plain flour

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JanetBme Posted 20 Sep 2008 , 10:33pm
post #15 of 17

I forgot to say- I carve my cakes slightly frozen. (just overnight) that way they don't crumb or fall apart. I use a paring knife.

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avgsuperheroine Posted 21 Sep 2008 , 12:08am
post #16 of 17

I use the Durable cake for 3D on this site for all my carving, I really like the taste too (too much, maybe).

I use a long thin knife that I found for carving, and I don't need to freeze before carving, the cake has a good consistency. I've done larger carving and small pieces (like little mini cars, arms for a dinosaur, little train wheels).

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ruthieb1975 Posted 21 Sep 2008 , 9:14am
post #17 of 17

Thanks everyone for all your help, everything added together is very helpful indeed.

I had wondered about madeira as a recipe, so will do that. I don't really use boxes myself so I'd have no clue which to use.

Will invest in a decent paring knife I think, that makes sense that it will work.

Thanks again, most appreciated

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