This lady's videos are interesting, particularly this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKwiHDlSh6E&feature=channel_page
She also does a rose on a stick and makes her own piping bags! Cool stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKwiHDlSh6E&feature=related


Did she pour 5 cups of simple syrup on this cake? How does it not become total mush? Can someone explain what exactly I'm looking at please.

** edited to say ** When I first saw this post the youtube link didn't work. I didn't know that the original link was about the soaked cake.

Also, what does she use to make her bags? They are the noisiest bags I have ever heard. I think her chocolate bow was good though.

And the good news is, you won't even have to chew it! That was really weird...

oh. my. god. that was the craziest thing I ever saw. and please tell me oil comes like that over there and she didn't refill a soap bottle. can we take up a collection to send the poor dear a turntable and an icing spatula?

It soaked it all up like a sponge! I do not understand that at all. What kind of cake is that dry and needs that kind of a bath? I think I would pass on that unless it was rum.

Interesting. Definitely not a more developed nation. I don't really get the one with all the syrup though, that's sort of strange.

Wow! that was interesting! She brought me out of lurkdom, lol! I like the rest of her videos, it's cool how she takes a piping bag and cuts it into a leaf tip. She's very fast!

Wow, maybe I should return all my cake decorating supplies?

Truly I was looking for the eggs and bacon!

It's really kinda cool to see how things are done in other countries, I've heard of rum cakes that Edna's talking about. Maybe I should move to that country and be a cake tester!!! Anyone wanna join me? hehe

Chippi

OK, one of my little quirks is that I am completely repulsed by wet baked goods. I've never liked gravy on bread, french dips, mayo on sandwiches, syrup on pancakes (although a little on the side to dunk is ok)...I don't even butter my bread.

I had to turn off that video halfway through. It was triggering my gag reflex. Seriously, that is going to stick in my head for waaayyyy too long!! lol

Bec

Looks like she needs to serve that in a glass with a bubble tea straw instead of a plate!

I don't understand why she added more oil (or whatever that was...) as the icing (?) looked like syrup already.

Very interesting. Where did all that simple syrup go? Sure gives a bit on insight into another way of doing cakes. She's quite skilled with that spoon and spatula.

Her homepage says Bulgaria, but I couldn't find anything else out. I thought her videos were pretty cool, I liked her ingenuity, I mean, c'mon using a bowl as a turntable?
I also thought it was sugar syrup that she was putting on the cake but the more I thought about it the more I'm agreeing with Edna, Rum cakes are literally SOAKED in the stuff. I was given one once with and extra side of rum, in case I wanted to soak mine more! If you noticed, the cake was soaking it up, without falling apart. I don't think it would have been 'wet', just moist.
If you watch her video on how she made roses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG2WiRtgOMI&feature=channel_page
You can see what she uses to make her bags. I'm not sure what that is, reminds me of cellophane. I remember reading in 'Cheaper by the Dozen' (the real one) that a chef used rolled up newspaper as a piping bag.
There are always other ways to do thing, sometimes you just have to work with what you have! Or be inventive When I first started this I used the top of a meat thermometer to pipe roses

"the top of a meat thermometer to pipe roses"......I love it, that is just too funny, but would never have thought of it. I bet this could be a whole new thread talking about different ways people do things or have done them in a pinch.

Maybe she is drenching her cakes in RUM!!!! teehee......

Serious_cakes: I love your youtube videos. I have learned a LOT from you! Your cakes are amazing.....

She's obviously very talented - can you imagine what she could do with PROPER tools?

Jokingly - It's a Sham-Wow Cake. Soaks up 20 times it's weight in liquid.

Seriously - This lady is from Bulgaria. There are people there who are happy when they can afford meat. What do they care about cake deco tools? As long as the job gets done, hey, multi-task away, my Eastern European friend.

Can't help it. Her kitchen reminds me of my grandmother's. And she used to use whatever she had handy, too.

Theresa

the 101 uses for a rose tip! Imagine what she could do if she had real tools! I like the ruffle edge she made. That is something I may play with later.

i love this woman...she is the McGiver (sp) of cakes...amazing

I loved her Snow White cake, I wonder what she used to fill it in? It was so shiny!
lol-I like that, the MacGyver (hehe, had to look up the spelling) of caking!
My grandmother's kitchen was also like this, her's was the tiniest travel trailer that was attached to the rest of the house. But oh man, the tasty goodies she produced in there, oooooo she was good!!

Yeah... I was wondering what she used too..O think it might be melted buttercream
Edna

Yeah the thinned out choc she used to pipe on a seriously deco design! It started out looking like weird christmas trees and the end result was great! I love how it melted in and self leveled with the ganache. I still would pass on that soggy cake though. Something not quite right about soggy cake and buttercream. But the finish looked Amazing and level and really round and that cake was not level or very round to start with. She is talented!

I have to add my 2 cents. Most of it wasn't surprising - even the kitchen wasn't. I cannot post a picture of my kitchen. One 80 year old cabinet (still good with "new" look of almost 7 years), one 40 year old cabinet needed as MW stand, which is recent addition (the kitchen WILL be renovated soon). I do have newer appliances. OK, the stove is older than me, oven not working, but I have convection/grill MW only 4 year old
But some of it surprised even me.
The piping bags are from gift wrap paper, even the printed side inside! I would take the white one, but the printed is coated better
The turntable is a lower version of my one - I have lazy susan and the bowl comes on top of it, I need the height only.
My problem is not money, not the ordering process from overseas but my tiny, tiny kitchen. Even after the renovation it still will be 5 1/2 linear feet for my sink and stove and another 6 1/2 linear feet for the fridge and all the rest. Even cabinet space is premium!

Back to the videos:
From the comments on some videos, she decorates with whipped cream mostly. The piping in all videos was either whipped cream or chocolate. The bow was white chocolate.
The ganache isn't ganache but thinned out chocolate - you add oil to make it smoother and shinier. You would pour it over well chilled crumbcoated cake.

Who wants a recipe for Czech "rum cake"? It is different from what she did, because she gave a layer of cream in it.
The Czech rum cake is 3 layer sponge cake (eggs, flour, sugar only, 1 layer colored with cocoa). The syrup is then simple syrup cooked with apricot jam, cooled and mixed with fresh lemon and orange juice and rum, of course. The middle layer is dripping wet - you actually drop it in the syrup and take it out again. You have to let the cake rest and set overnight at least. It is very moist but not soggy cake - the wet layer works as filling. If you come to Czech republic, you can buy it here even in supermarket bakery. Or you can come and I bake it for you

I wish I could send her some stuff to work with....