Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

I have been approached to do a wedding cake for later this year, and the bride is wanting:

a) it to be decorated like this in her colours,

b) to be blue velvet cake

 

My experience with red velvet cake thus far has been that the cake is really very soft and not so practical if covered in ganache and then fondant as it runs the risk of the cake "setting out".  So I am needing help on two scores;  how would I go about doing this cake covering, using what material (I thought possibly white modelling chocolate but how to colour is on one side only) and also does anybody have a solution to making a firm blue velvet and of course red velvet cake?

Views: 259

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

What flour do you use in your red velvet cake? Maybe use All-purpose flour because Cake Flour is softer. Maybe add some cashews or walnuts to make the cake firmer but my red velvet is fine when covered with fondant. I did one of the layers for a 3 tier wedding cake. After covering with ganache place the cake in the fridge to help set the ganache. The fondant was set maybe because the decorator use some support and then let it dry. For the colors, use pink gel paste for the two pieces on the top layer and another pink for the two on the second layer then the rest is off white. For blue velvet cake use also a blue gel paste. I think a pearl spray was used on the cake only for a satin finish but not on the cover.

Thank you Maria - I do only use cake flour so will give your suggestion a try.  Do you make your red velvet with buttermilk and butter or do you use oil?

Maria Gemini said:

What flour do you use in your red velvet cake? Maybe use All-purpose flour because Cake Flour is softer. Maybe add some cashews or walnuts to make the cake firmer but my red velvet is fine when covered with fondant. I did one of the layers for a 3 tier wedding cake. After covering with ganache place the cake in the fridge to help set the ganache. The fondant was set maybe because the decorator use some support and then let it dry. For the colors, use pink gel paste for the two pieces on the top layer and another pink for the two on the second layer then the rest is off white. For blue velvet cake use also a blue gel paste. I think a pearl spray was used on the cake for a satin finish.

You're welcome Mandy! I only use unsalted butter and buttermilk but I use cake flour. It's just a suggestion to use All-Purpose Flour since you said your red velvet is very soft. Maybe try first for a mini cake and taste if it's ok to use All-Purpose Flour.

thanku

Maria Gemini said:

You're welcome Mandy! I only use unsalted butter and buttermilk but I use cake flour. It's just a suggestion to use All-Purpose Flour since you said your red velvet is very soft. Maybe try first for a mini cake and taste if it's ok to use All-Purpose Flour.

I would make a denser blue velvet cake. When I add sour cream, it makes for a denser more firm cake, almost like a pound cake. As far as these straight ruffles are concerned Mandy, I would think two pieces of different coloured thin fondant roll out, and then "glued" together would work. Perhaps adding a touch of tylose/cmc to give it a bit of stiffness. Then it would keep the shape of the bend. I would try this on a over turned bowl and see how it works. They all look like 1/2 circles just attached to the cake then bent slightly to curl. Very pretty and effective.

I agree with June about how to achieve the two tone colour - a bit like doing the sole of a shoe.  Roll the two pieces of fondant out on top of each other, so they stick together, then cut your shape.  I'd definitely add CMC to your fondant, otherwise I can't see it keeping that shape reliably.  It's a stunning cake, good luck with it.

Pretty cake and useful tips here as always. Just one comment, the shape to be cut is not half a circle as I think the peak of the curve is towards the right side; I would say it's more of half a tear-drop shape (if you know what I mean)... Check the angles of the ends of the ruffle, one is steeper than the other.

oh yes - well spotted Mai!

Oooh thank you gals - and thank you too June, I will try the trick replacing the buttermilk with sour cream.  I have even considered doing a standard pound cake and just substituting some of the flour with say 2T cocoa and adding the food colouring - that way it would surely be a firmer cake that would withstand the weight of the ganache and the fondant.  I have tried making a white chocolate cake and doing that but honestly, I do not believe I will ever try making a white chocolate cake again - I just do not have any success with it.  Thanks so much - I always know that my cake buddies can come up with the right suggestions xxx

No prob Mandy.....glad we all could help...... :o)

Reply to Discussion

RSS

© 2024   Created by Theresa Happe.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service