is called to order.

Who's up?

Whatcha workin' on?

I'm making samples for a wedding show. This is my fifth wedding show this year I think. Four more to go, 2 on the same day. Haven't got that figured out yet. Anyhoo, this is one where I'm not o the Show Production team - just a participant. I don't have to track down vendors, lay out the show floor, set up tables, make table tents or clean up afterward.

Just haul it in, set it up and break it down and go home.

Hi Leah_s , Working on a shoe box with a flip flop lol! Pink box , white lid with zebra strips and zebra straps on black flip flops lol! Zebra is definitely the thing now a days ....

sounds cool! For a Fashionista?

Glad I'm not the only one doing a cake on a Friday night.
But I just finished a cake of firsts, first pillow cake, with first attempts at both sugar jewels and chocolate tiara. Glad it's done (early).

I shipped and delivered cookies today so my weekend is free. If free means traveling 2 1/2 hours to help my son with apartment, that is. I got some great feedback from the ones I delivered. She's asked me to set up a table in May at an open house for her business because, "People don't know what you do. These are the best cookies I've ever seen!" My goal this year is to get over myself and network, so this is a good step forward for me, I think.

If someone isn't busy tonight, I have a question. It's not an emergency, just a curiosity. I picked up the Planet Cake book a few weeks ago because it seems to be popular. I read the section on ganache and it says to make sure the heavy whipping cream you use isn't the kind that "thickens when beaten."

Doesn't all whipping cream whip/thicken when beaten? I thought that was the reason it's called "whipping cream?" It also says to make sure it's low fat. When I go to the grocery store my choices are half and half or heavy whipping cream. Is one of these choices the correct one for ganache?

Happy Friday everyone.

No cakes here. I don't have any events until the first weekend in March when I have friend's kid's birthday AND my first cake show/competition.

Finally sucked up my anxiety and mailed the entry form yesterday. Spent this week accumulating the remaining supplies so I can buckle down and get to work. It's a fairly simple concept--I'm enlarging the vintage bridal shower cake I did last fall to a 4-tier wedding style cake.

Leah--How was the 5-star dinner date?

We ended up scrubbing the casino trip in favor of a short flight to a local airport cafe that does dinner. Definitely NOT 5-star but OK--more about the dinner w/o kiddos than the food at that point.

DH earned major points today--stayed home to be Mr. Mom so I could do some shopping and then get a facial and massage.(It has been a ROUGH week in the potty-training bunker) Dinner out at our fave Mexican place tonight (with the kiddos). Now it is family movie night.

Kristy

Oh, Kristy,
It wasn't a five-star dinner, it was a 5-course dinner.

No, no definitely not 5 star.

The appetizer was very good.

Unfortunately the meal went down hill from there and the house wine (they only offer a house wine!) was cheap.

DH made better menu choices, because he really liked his food. I want to try the brunch.

Cheatize--I think there may be some differences in the available products between the US and Australia. Isn't Planet Cake based down under?

I've done heavy whipping cream for ganache pretty successfully. I chop the big 17oz bars of Belgian Dark I get at Fresh & Easy and combine it w/8oz of hot cream--works great.

I did see a video about homemade butter where he recc'd a type of higher fat whipping cream available at Smart & Final or other restaurant supplies. I don't know why you would want low fat whipping cream for ganache.

Kristy

Leah--Bummer on the wine. A good wine can lessen the pain of a so-so meal.

Kristy

Working on a FBCT of a flamingo for a "moving away to Florida" cake. Also making some samples of Spring flower cupcakes for a possible church luncheon. Tomorrow I'll start two more FBCT for a full sheet cake for a softball team beef & beer.

Ditto on the whipping cream. US products are a bit different from Aussie products. Heavy whipping cream works very well.

Working on some dummy cakes for a bridal show next Sunday. Leah...how many cake samples do you recommend taking? Oh...and do you usually do just cake and frosting or cake, filling and frosting?

Thanks =)

If you can get a bride count multiply that by 3, because brides tend to bring a couple of people with them. Some of the preregistered brides won't show, but others will just register at the door. I figure one sample per head. Some people won't take any, some will take 2 or 3, but it works out reasonably well. I generally take 3 different flavors. I have started doing cake, filling and frosting, just because the cake stays moister. I always use the lidded souffle cups.

I am working on a jungle baby shower cake that has had me in tears off and on all day. The frosting kept sliding down the cake when I smoothed using the viva method. Don't know why, I haven't had that happen before. And since i had to scrape and re-frost twice there are red velvet crumb in by tan frosting. UUUGGG!!! I hate cream cheese frosting and red velvet cakes. They are my nemesis! If I ever finish this one I have to move on to a black and white topsy turvy cake. Both due tomorrow. I guess it will be an all nighter for me.

Oh yeah, and now I can't get my waterfall to look right!!! I HATE THIS CAKE!!! Does anyone have any tips on how to do a waterfall on a creamcheese frosted cake? I am trying fondant brushed with piping gel, but I just can't get it right. Ideas?????

Thanks, Kristy and Leah! Yes, Planet Cake is Australian. Just when I think I understand things, something like this throws me off. I can't believe I ever made anything from scratch as a kid. lol

Aww, mom2. If it happens again, get a crumb coat on the cake and pop it into the freezer. The final icing coat will go on smooth with no crumbs.

PS I refuse to make red velvet or cream cheese frosting.

Tonight is playtime for me. I'm trying out Margarita flavored cupcakes. I had to skip the tequila because I didn't have time to stop at the liquor store. I'm using left over batter to try out my mini tiered cake pan. I also made a batch of MMF yesterday that I'm dying to play with but it's too late to make a cake and let it cool tonight. Maybe Sunday I can give the MMF a test run.

Thanks Leah. That was my exact thought today!!!! NEVER AGAIN!!!

having an early night. I've got 4 cakes for Sunday. Simple designs though

I love reading FNCC because its Saturday already in Australia and I have already delivered my cakes and am sitting back rewarding myself with a read on CC and maybe updating photos if I get the chance.

With regard to the Planet Cake thing...the OP mentioned it said "Make sure its low fat"...I believe this is INCORRECT. It should say "Make sure it is not low-fat (or "lite") cream".

Cultural differences are the pits. For example, I have to put up with golden butter which makes my MBCs very yellowy because our lovely moo-cows free-range on grass (not just dried feed).

OK, so to let you all know about creams in Oz. First, you have pouring, thin cream. This is 35% fat, and can be whipped. It does not contain any stabilisers. Then you have 35% "thickened cream", which has added stabilisers and is basically thick and dollopy. This can also be whipped, but it takes a little longer. Then, we also have double cream (king Island Double Cream...drool...droool) - this is spooned out as a beautiful ivory quinelle as an accompinament to decadent desserts like chocolate tortes, or sticky date pudding for examples. From memory its about 48% - 52% fat content. Lastly, you have the low-fat or "lite" creams, which are fine to use in cooking, but are NOT whippable (if that's a word). A cream with around 35% fat is ideal for whipping, and using in ganaches. I have used thin pouring cream when I make thinner ganaches for pouring over a cake as its final coat, and I have used both thin pouring and thickened creams (both 35%) for making the cold, peanut-butter consistency ganache to place under fondant.

HTH!

Wow! Thanks for all the info! The book says, "Always use whipping cream (no more than 36% fat) for making ganache (never 'thick' or 'double' cream). You should always use a cream that has a low fat content, which does not thicken when beaten."

My carton says, "36% Heavy Whipping Cream" and then under the ingredients list it says, "minimum 36% milkfat."

Ahhh, that makes sense. So, I would think that your 36% would still be fine! It sounds like they want readers to avoid using the high fat level creams like double cream. Although it IS odd that they say "will not thicken when beaten". I mean...35% pure cream thickens when you beat it - beat it too long and you get butter and buttermilk, pretty much!

All I can say, is that for my pouring ganaches (where I want a smooth glossy surface) I use regular pouring pure cream (no thickeners added), and my best chocolate. When I am making the stuff to put under fondant and for 3D cake shaping etc, I use EITHER the thin pouring cream, OR the thickened cream, which has that same fat level.

And I have never tried low-fat (18% fat level) cream in any sort of ganache...my instinct though would be it might seize the chocolate?? I might test out my theory and report back onto CC witht he results.

In a nutshell, I am thinking the main point PC are making is to NOT use the extra thick, high fat double creams out there (which, as I said, can be scooped like icecream into quinelles for decorating the side of a serving of cake etc). Look, if you stick to 35-36% you can't go wrong!

Sorry if this has only added to your confusion

I've never chimed in before on the Friday night posts, but just too excited not to. I've spent my day working on the very cake I got into cake decorating for, my son's first birthday. It's a milk and cookies cake. There's a few on CC, but I stepped it up by making it 2 tiers, each three layers. To go with the theme, I made a bunch of cookies for a cookie bar, 6 different kinds. Tomorrow I just have to stack the cake and put the border on the top tier. I'm a little nervous about transporting because it's so tall, but I'm sure it will be fine.

It's funny red velvet should come up tonight, I made one for the first time. My neighbor requested it for her birthday. I was not impressed to say the least. Why do people go nuts over red velvet? I didn't like working with it at all. I made one from scratch and one from a box mix as a back up, just in case! The second one has been reduced to cake balls.
I just finished up with my orders a few minutes ago. Two smash cakes, a cake ball tree and two birthday cakes. I am just trying to wind down now so I can go to bed, it's been a very long day!

hi all

no cakes for me. It's my short weekend plus i am stuffed from last weekends cake and bikkies i don't know how you people make so many cakes and stay sane

I am sitting here watching sharon's dvd on buttercream. Wow she is so good and i have learnt so much

good explanation Evoir you explained it so much better than i could

I have used low fat cream for ganache and haven't had a problem, but it was for dark chocolate ganache not white chocolate . I think it may be a problem with white choccy

Mom2 I have a waterfall on a my lil pony cake I did last month...it's I'm my pics. I basically laid a strip of fondant down my cake, mixed silver and blue glitter gel and brushed it on....

I have this super mario brother cake due in the morning and still have a good hrs worth of work to do and then need to start on a raspberry cheese cake...

Wish my 9 month old would let me finish lol! It's 11 pm here...guess I'll be pulling an all nighter as well