Baking - The Beginners Guide

[somegroovychick]

@SaadiaB

Yesterday after the kids were sleep I was going through this thread .. still have some posts left to read .. man there is too much information going on here and thanks to all those links ect..

I will have to make 2 cakes for my daughter’s birthday … its a few months away but I am already getting nervous thinking of it, wish I can take some decorating classes. But for the time being this will be enough.

SGC and others ..some questions …

1. here in Europe when we make the base, we separate the eggs from the yolk and the egg white .. the white we beat till its like snow and sticks to the bowl and slowly mix it in the mixture at the end .. do you in North America do the same ?? I guess not … I need your recipe of a good base. I do have one but I want to try yours out.

2. Secondly .. I am reading shortening .. I looked into our stores .. we have butter and magarine ..(there colour is not snow white but yellow ) but no shortening .. we do have vegetable fat, that looks white, so I was wondering if that’s what you use for your icing.

3. I am thinking of trying an example soon, I have done marzipan .. but never used fondant as its not common here but its getting famous .. I can order fondant from some online store or I can try to make it by my own. .. but we dont get white marshmellows here.

4. Which cake is a hit a cake with buttercream or fondant top ?? or both.

1. i only separate eggs and do the process you described when i make mousse. there is no hard and fast rule- it all depends on the recipe you use.
2. the white vegetable fat should do. maybe you should try it out to make sure it works? have you tried any specialty groceries or baking stores?
3. make your fondant with colour marshmallows and just work that into the design of your cake.
4. buttercream is layered under the fondant so you kind of get the best of both worlds there. and if you layer your cake with buttercream then it won’t be dry or lacking buttercream.