American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Section Ten Unit 18 Cake Assembly and Decorating

2 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Objectives Slice and cut cake layers evenly in preparation for enrobing and decorating Use a pastry bag for filling and decorating Make a pastry bag for filling Apply syrup and fillings to cakes Assemble tiered cakes Enrobe filled cakes with frostings or icings Select the correct decorating tips

3 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Terms to Know Specific terms to know from this unit: Decorating tips Enrobing Pastry bag Piping gel Simple syrup Turntable

4 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cake Decorating Basics Cake decorating is an art Cake layers are filled with: Creams Fruits Frostings Cakes are enrobed with icings or frostings, and decorated

5 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Preparing the Cake No cake starts off with perfect proportions Remember to keep the right proportion for the final cake product: Cake Layer Diameter (inches) Finished Cake Layer Height (inches) 6 in-10 in3-½ in 12 in-16 in4 in

6 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Preparing the Cake (continued) Since the top of the cake needs to be flat, invert the top layer (use the cake pan to your best advantage) When using tiers: Keep all tiers the same height Consider the strength of each layer

7 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Level the Cake Use the turntable to level the cake Invert the cake to assist with getting level surfaces

8 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cutting Cake Layers With the cake on a turntable, score it around the circumference After cake is scored, divide the cake into layers

9 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cake Filling/Icing Basics The correct amount and type of filling/ icing create the proper texture, mouth feel, and flavor of the cake Choose complementary fillings/icings to cake flavor Strong cake flavor = mild filling/icing flavor Mild cake flavor = strong filling/icing flavor

10 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cake Filling/Icing Basics (continued) Sponge cakes Since sponge cakes are light and dry, heavier fillings/icings are not used Does not match taste Cannot be supported by cake structure Recommended fillings = fruits, flavored simple syrup, or whipped cream Recommended icings = whipped cream or meringue Seal cake layers with simple syrup or decorate at the last minute (as the cake tends to absorb any filling/icing)

11 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cake Filling/Icing Basics (continued) Hi-ratio Cakes Since hi-ratio cakes are moist, heavier fillings/icings are generally used Recommended fillings = buttercream, fruit/jam, or fudge Recommended icings = buttercream or fudge Can be decorated in advance

12 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cake Filling/Icing Basics (continued) Pound cakes Since pound cakes are dense and may contain nuts or dried fruits, they are generally not filled Recommended fillings = None Recommended icings = glaze, fondant, or fudge icing If the pound cake has lots of flavors within the cake, often no icing is used or the cake is just dusted with 10X confectioner sugar

13 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Cake Filling/Icing Basics (continued) Angel Food/Chiffon cakes Since angel food/chiffon cakes are very light and dry and difficult to cut, they are not usually filled Recommended fillings = None Recommended icings = fruits and/or whipped cream Decorate at the last minute, as the cake tends to absorb any icing (strawberry sauce bleeds into cake)

14 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Filling Cake Layers – Sponge Cake Seal layers with simple syrup Add a border to seal/contain filling Add filling and then another layer

15 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Filling Cake Layers – Hi-Ratio Cakes Hi-ratio cake fillings can be a combination of frostings and fruits for a checkerboard design

16 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Enrobing Cakes with Frostings Various methods can be used Use a pastry bag and then smooth with a cake spatula Use a cake spatula on a turntable Use a cake spatula while holding cake with the other hand Remember the finish of your final product (smooth, lattice, etc.) Use what is most comfortable To minimize unsightly crumbs, use a crumb coat first – then finish the cake off later

17 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Enrobing Cakes with Frosting (continued) Use a pastry bag, then finish with a cake spatula Use a cake spatula holding the cake in the other hand Use a cake spatula while working on a turntable

18 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Enrobing Cakes with Icings Before enrobing with fondant: Seal cake layer with royal icing as crumb coat Temper fondant for easier application Place cake on sheet pan to collect drippings if using liquid icing or glaze Keep poured icings at 90°-105°F (32°-40°C)

19 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Colors of Fillings/Icings Color affects the perception of taste Bold colors are difficult to achieve due to whitening effects of shortenings and butter Icings and gels can be used for bolder colors (since they are fat-free) Keep towards pastel and natural colors Color charts are provided in the book and with food colors

20 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Elements of Cake Decorating Know the wants/desires of the customer Temper the customer’s ideas with your own experience (since there are no blue flowers in nature, blue flowers may not be desirable) Too many decorations may overpower the cake The correct equipment makes cake decorating much easier

21 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Elements of Cake Decorating (continued) Cake decorating takes nothing but practice Lettering – learn both block and cursive Flowers and sprays – various designs are described in the book Figures – various designs are described in the book Decals – can be purchased as-is or use pastry gels on parchment paper then transfer to the cake

22 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Elements of Cake Decorating (continued) Borders Provide the frame to the cake Can be used to disguise or hide minor cake imperfections and soften edges Use pastry bag with French, plain, or star tips of various sizes

23 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Using Parchment Paper as a Disposable Pastry Bag After cutting in half, fold paper into pennant shape Curl the top point into funnel shape Fold top edges into final cone shape

24 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Summary Before decorating a cake, the cake must be prepared (leveled and balanced) Fillings are used between cake layers to compliment the cake taste, texture, and appearance For cake decorating, the customer is always right – know what they want Some cakes only require simple decorations, such as glazes or dusting with confectioner sugar

25 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Summary (continued) After enrobing the cake with icing or frosting, the cake may have: Lettering Borders Theme decorations (wedding, anniversary, birthday, Valentines, etc.) Floral or other decorations Gel pictures

26 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Exercises Review of cake assembly methods Demonstration of cake preparation Demonstration of cake filling techniques Demonstration of cake frosting techniques Demonstration of cake icing techniques Review of color mixing using food coloring and gels Practice lettering techniques and styles Execute a cake decorating order

27 American Culinary Federation: Baking Fundamentals © 2007 Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River, NJ All Rights Reserved Equipment Needed Mixers Pans and bowls (as needed) Cake decorating equipment Racks Refrigerators Ingredients (as needed)