New Here And Have Some Questions Can You Help?

Decorating By iris219 Updated 4 Dec 2009 , 7:05pm by iris219

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iris219 Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 1:22pm
post #1 of 5

Hello everyone, I'm new here and it's taking me a long time to figure out this forum. So hope I'm positing in the right thread. I have some questions regarding the cakes that are made.

1. How far in advance do you make your cakes?

2. Do you refrigerate after completing your cake before you transport it?

3. Do you use alot of fruit fillings like, fresh strawberries or fresh bananas in your cakes?

4. Which do you find easier to work with regular Fondant or Marshmellow fondant?

5. When making an image using royal icing, can you make it directly on the cake or do you need to create the image on the side and then put it on the cake?

6. Which icing is better to use...home made or store brought?

Thank you.

4 replies
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leah_s Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 1:50pm
post #2 of 5

1. How far in advance do you make your cakes?

Anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks. I always try to get the cake in the freezer since it makes a better cake. BUT I have a cakes-only freezer and it is non-self defrosting.

2. Do you refrigerate after completing your cake before you transport it?
Never. A refrigerator will dry out your cake. It's a relative humidity thing.

3. Do you use alot of fruit fillings like, fresh strawberries or fresh bananas in your cakes?
Nope. I use only shelf-stable fillings. Nothing that requires refrigeration (see #2) and no fruit that will weep and result in my layers sliding apart.


4. Which do you find easier to work with regular Fondant or Marshmellow fondant?

commercial, pre-made fondant. I made MMF once. Once.

5. When making an image using royal icing, can you make it directly on the cake or do you need to create the image on the side and then put it on the cake?

Do the frozen transfer thing.

6. Which icing is better to use...home made or store brought?

In my world, home-made. Well except for fondant.

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KHalstead Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 1:54pm
post #3 of 5
Quote:
Originally Posted by iris219

Hello everyone, I'm new here and it's taking me a long time to figure out this forum. So hope I'm positing in the right thread. I have some questions regarding the cakes that are made.

1. How far in advance do you make your cakes?

2. Do you refrigerate after completing your cake before you transport it?

3. Do you use alot of fruit fillings like, fresh strawberries or fresh bananas in your cakes?

4. Which do you find easier to work with regular Fondant or Marshmellow fondant?

5. When making an image using royal icing, can you make it directly on the cake or do you need to create the image on the side and then put it on the cake?

6. Which icing is better to use...home made or store brought?

Thank you.




First of all welcome to CC...........now onto your ?'s

1. I usually bake on Tuesday and Wednesday (dep. on how many cakes I have for the weekend)......and then fill and ice them on Thursday, Decorate on Friday, deliver on Sat.

2. The only time I refrigerate is if I use a bavarian creme filling (that needs refrigeration), all of my other fillings are stable at room temp. for up to 5 days. I prefer NOT to refrig. any cakes because I feel like refrigerating them always seems to dry them out.

3. I don't do fruit fillings A LOT! but I do use them, and I always refrigerate when using them, and also "butter" (just spread a very thin coat of icing on ) both sides of the cakes touching the fruit so that the fruit doesn't get the cake TOO soggy.

4. Marshamallow fondant is the way to go if you want CHEAP and you have time...or if you want to color a whole batch red or black (something that would take FOREVER to knead into a batch of already prepared white fondant)..........otherwise I do like the taste of Satin Ice brand fondant and use it primarily now because I find I have less time available to make MMF and find it's more convenient to have it already made and on hand.

5. When doing any type of transfer, royal, buttercream, or chocolate I always make it on wax paper or parchment paper and then place it on the cake carefully. When making royal transfers specifically I always make 2, 8 out of 10 of them break when transferring.

6. Again, just like with the fondant....probably personal taste but most times it comes down to cost and time available. For me I buy 28 lb. buckets of frosting at Sam's Club and go through about 2-3 per week. I don't have the time to make THAT much icing!! Also, the Sam's icing comes out to around $1.80 per 6 cups and to make at home it costs me a little over $5.00 to make a 6 cup batch from scratch!!! So it's more cost effective for me to buy it as well!

HTH

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LaBellaFlor Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 1:54pm
post #4 of 5

Welcome to C.C Here is some answers to your questions.
1. 3-4 days before day of delivery

2. No, though I do refigerate for decorating reasons, such as smoothing buttercream and coverig with fondant.

3. I can't say if I use a lot of fruit fillings versus any other, such as a curd or cram. It all depends on what is requested.

4. I use MMF. But what you will find with fondant, it is a preference thing. You have to find out what fondant type and/or brand works best for you.

5. It depends on what type of image you mean. A big piece, most likely. Small details, probably on the cake.

6. I use SMBC, but this is also a prefernece thing. You have to find out what you like to use.

What you will find with baking and decorating, what works for one person, may not work for another person. On some things you have to find out what works for you. So get ready to try out lots of different recipes and lots of techniques. HTH icon_smile.gif

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iris219 Posted 4 Dec 2009 , 7:05pm
post #5 of 5

Thank you, for your replies this helps alot. And since I'm starting to make cakes now this will definately come in handy.

I've never tried the MMF myself but have heard so much talk about it that I wanted to get some imput on it before I go ahead and give it a try.

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