An Overview On Choosing Toppers For Wedding Cakes

Toppers for wedding cakes have come a long way through time. Their invention made use of different symbols which suit the wonderful things the newly wedded couple together with their family and guests wish for. Of all these symbols, nothing beats the traditional bride and groom figurines that complete the design of the entire cake. They definitely reflect the romance that is in the air on that very special day.

Fresh Ideas and Novelty-Themed Cakes

"Ace of Cakes" and other Food Networks has become part of every homes. Through these shows, viewers are given free recipes and step by step guidelines in cooking and decorating. Cake decorating stuffs and other cooking techniques of world - renowned chefs are made available because of these shows.

Modern Wedding Cakes

A modern bride and groom certainly deserve a modern wedding cake. In my opinion, if the reception, dress, tuxes and decor will be sleek and stylish, the cake should match. The modern design, however, may seem elusive to those not in the know about desert styles, so let's take a look at what exactly a modern wedding cake is.

Fondant Tools

Baking is a wonderful pastime for most people who are good at cooking. Whether one is an expert chef or not, he or she can learn how to bake a cake. The procedure can differ, depending on the recipe one wants to use. Even so, some baking tips remain the same, such as the use of fondant tools.

Decorating Tips For Wedding Cakes

People who are into the cake decorating business can select various kinds of frosting or covering for the cakes that they are offering. Most often, people like to have the best decorated wedding cakes on this special occasion. One of the most popular covering or frosting is the use of fondant.

Satin Ice Fondant

Some cakes are more attractive than others are. Do you know the secret that most bakers apply? They use an item called a fondant. It is usually a stiff sugary paste, which is elastic too. Commonly, people call it cake icing or covering. Fondants have many styles and you can pick any of them. In case you are a beginner, you can use a satin ice fondant first. This is actually a product of Satin Fine Food Inc, a company based in New York.

Divine Dessert Recipes: The Fondant Fancy

Known to some as a French Fancy, but to us British as Fondant Fancy, the iced sponge cake is a divine dessert that many of us have "fond" memories of. What are they, where do they come from, and can I make them at home - are perhaps the questions at the forefront of your mind right now?

What are they and where do they come from?

Fondant Fancies were originally produced in the UK by the beloved Mr Kipling. They are incredibly sweet, consisting of a single cube of sponge cake, topped with butter cream, and coated in fondant icing, with chocolate or another colour of icing drizzled on top.

Can I make one now?

Sure, the process is quite long but the results are absolutely worth it. Gather together the following ingredients:

For the cakes:

- 175g unsalted butter

- 150g plain caster sugar

- 3 eggs

- 175g plain flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the fondant icing:

- 25g unsalted butter

- 100g dark chocolate

- 90g icing sugar

- 100ml boiling water

- 75g mascarpone cheese

- 75g melted white chocolate to decorate the fancies

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 140C or gas mark 1. Grease up a 9 inch square cake tin.

Using an electric whisk, mix together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, whisking continuously, and only add each one as soon as the last one has been fully mixed in. Fold in the flour and baking powder lastly.

Throw the mixture into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. When done, set aside to cool and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Whiel you're waiting for that, boil a pan half full of water and leave to simmer. Suspend a heatproof mixing bowl on the pan (not allowing the base to touch the water), and add the dark chocolate, butter and icing sugar. Stir until nicely smooth. Gradually add the boiling water (you may not need the whole 100ml) until the mixture is runny enough to fall down the sides of the cakes.

Back to the inch square cakes, begin by placing a small lump of mascarpone on the top. Spoon over the icing and set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the icing to cool and harden.

Finally, drizzle the melted white chocolate on top for effect and allow to cool again.

Simply divine! Find more of my divine dessert recipes here or at the great dessert recipes [http://dessertrecipes.org/] archive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_A_Bruce

Fondant vs Buttercream Icing

Fondant cake decorating or buttercream - which is the best? In truth, both these options for decorating your cake have their upsides and downsides. The one best suited to your needs will depend on the cake, the occasion, and the effect you are trying to create.

Pros and Cons of Fondant

Fondant has a few properties that make it extremely useful for decorating certain kinds of cakes. First of all, because of the nature of the substance, fondant can help you create an incredibly smooth finished look to your cake that you simply can't get with icing or buttercream.

If you're not familiar with fondant, think about the last time you went to a wedding. Chances are, the wedding cake had fondant on at least some part of it, if not the entire icing. Professional cake bakers like fondant because of the smooth and "polished" look it gives a cake.

The consistency of fondant also means it can be shaped and moulded in ways that other types of icing can't. Of course, you can have liquid fondant or fondant that has a consistency like play dough. This more solid form of fondant can simply be rolled out and used to cover the cake like a sheet. This is how you can avoid having gaps, bubbles or divots in the icing.

One of the big drawbacks of fondant is how hard it is to make - again, one of the reasons it is most often seen on professionally made cakes. Of course, you can simply buy a pre-made fondant mix.

Another drawback of fondant is that some people don't like the marshmallow-like taste of it. Also, the consistency of fondant makes it a little "chewy" - not a pleasant texture for many cake lovers.

Pros and Cons of Buttercream

Some of the drawbacks of buttercream can already be seen by what we've said about fondant: buttercream can't give you that same smooth, finished look, so if appearances are important for your cake then you will probably prefer fondant. However, buttercream has a few advantages of its own.

Many people prefer the taste of buttercream over fondant. Also, the texture of buttercream is a lot more in line with how most people think icing "ought to" feel. However, this texture also means decorating with buttercream can be a more delicate process.

If you really can't decide on which substance to use for your cake, there's an easy solution: use both. You can have the best of both worlds by adding a layer of buttercream to the cake and covering this up with fondant. This way, your cake will look smooth and spectacular, and due to the consistency of fondant anyone who doesn't like it can just peel it off and enjoy the buttercream underneath.

As a general rule of thumb: if the look of your cake is more important than the taste, use fondant. If you want a better chance of pleasing the majority of tastebuds, use buttercream.

For help in learning cake decorating, visit www.learn-cake-decorating.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Madson