Baking for Dummies

by Emily Nolan

  1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature

  2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until softened. Add the sugar gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until blended. Stop the mixer several times during this process to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  2Mix in the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate if you aren’t using it immediately.

  Vary It! Boost the flavor of this frosting with the addition of 1 teaspoon of grated lemon or orange rind.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 54 (From Fat 31); Fat 3g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 21mg; Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1g.

  Mocha Frosting

  Chocolate and coffee combine with cream cheese to make a creamy, delicious frosting. This frosting goes well with a yellow cake (see it pictured on the cover of this book).

  Specialty tools: an electric mixer

  Preparation time: 8 minutes

  Yield: 3 cups

  1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

  4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

  1/4 cup cold brewed coffee

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  3 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

  1Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate, coffee, and vanilla.

  2Add the sugar gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until blended. Stop the mixer several times during this process to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover and refrigerate if you aren’t using it immediately.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 56 (From Fat 27); Fat 3g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 14mg; Carbohydrate 8g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1g.

  Basic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  This all-purpose buttercream frosting is smooth and sweet. It goes well with just about any cake you make. You can add many different flavors, including almond or lemon extract, or use sour cream instead of heavy cream.

  Preparation time: 10 minutes

  Yield: 3 cups

  3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

  5 to 6 cups confectioners’ sugar

  6 to 7 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, as needed

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  Pinch of salt

  1Cream the butter in a mixing bowl. Slowly beat in 2 cups of the sugar until smooth and creamy. Alternate adding the remaining sugar and the cream in batches, and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

  2Add the vanilla and salt and beat until smooth. Refrigerate the frosting if you’re not using it immediately.

  Vary It! Beat in 4 to 6 ounces melted semisweet chocolate with the vanilla and salt if you want a chocolate buttercream frosting.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 50 (From Fat 26); Fat 3g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 1mg; Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.

  Trying Your Hand at Cooked Frostings

  Yes, you have to turn on the stove briefly to make these frostings, but they are just as easy to make as the quick frostings and give you a little more variation. Many of these frostings are very sweet and creamy and well worth the extra effort you put into stirring, melting, and, finally, frosting. Start these frostings when your cake is baking. Then, both the frosting and the cake will be ready to use at about the same time.

  Sweetened Whipped Cream Frosting

  If you simply want to make sweetened whipped cream, see the tip at the end of this recipe.

  Preparation time: 5 minutes

  Yield: 3 cups

  1 envelope unflavored gelatin

  2 tablespoons cool water

  2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

  1 cup confectioners’ sugar, or more to taste

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1Dissolve 1 envelope unflavored gelatin in 2 tablespoons cool water in a small saucepan.

  2Place the saucepan over very low heat and melt until warm. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.

  3Beat the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until it begins to thicken. Stir in the gelatin mixture and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes with an electric beater. Chill until ready to use, up to 24 hours. Refrigerate the cake once it’s frosted.

  Tip: If you want Sweetened Whipped Cream, but you don’t need to frost a cake, reduce the amount of cream to 1 1/2 cups. Add the sugar and vanilla, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat, or you will end up with butter.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 39 (From Fat 33); Fat 4g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 14mg; Sodium 4mg; Carbohydrate 1g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.

  Chocolate Frosting

  This frosting is really rich. For the best tasting frosting, invest in the highest-quality chocolate available.

  Preparation time: 10 minutes

  Yield: 3 cups (enough for an 8- or 9-inch layer cake)

  1 pound semisweet chocolate or one 12-ounce bag semisweet mini chocolate chips

  3/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

  1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

  1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  1Cut the chocolate into small bits and place in a mixing bowl (if you’re using chips, you can either chop them up or leave them whole).

  2Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and pour it over the chocolate, mixing constantly. Add the vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.

  3Allow the frosting to thicken for about 1 hour in the refrigerator before frosting the cake. If you find the frosting has gotten too hard, just leave it out at room temperature until it softens.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 67 (From Fat 47); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 3mg; Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 1g.

  Martha’s Sweet and Creamy Frosting

  Martha (one of my best friends) says that this frosting is very sweet, and I do too. It requires a bit of time to make, but if you do it while the cake cools, by the time you’re finished, the cake will be ready to be frosted.

  Preparation time: 40 minutes

  Yield: About 3 cups

  1 cup milk

  5 tablespoons flour

  1/2 cup butter, softened

  1/2 cup shortening

  1 cup sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1Combine the milk and flour in a 1-quart saucepan and cook, whisking often, until thick and smooth, about 4 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until cool, about 20 minutes.

  2In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the chilled mixture and beat until creamy, about 10 minutes.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 58 (From Fat 38); Fat 4g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 3mg; Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.

  Ready, Set, Frost!

  Before you frost your cake, you must make sure that the cake has cooled completely. I learned this at a young age. I was so excited to frost my dad’s birthday cake that I didn’t let the cake cool much, despite my mom’s warnings. I just slapped the frosting on the cake and watched as it melted into the cake and disappeared down the sides. I kept piling it on, thinking that eventually the cake would look like it should, but all I ended up with was an inedible birthday cake. So learn from my mistake and let your cake cool completely before you frost. Even if it is seems “almost” cool, it won’t frost as nicely as if it were totally cool or even popped in the fridge overnight.

  If you’re frosting a layer cake, first inspect the cake layers carefully. You want the surfaces of both cakes to be as flat as possible, because you will have to balance one layer on top of the other.

  A quick and easy solution for a flat surface is to place the bottom layer upside-down, so the rounded side is on the serving plate, leaving you with a perfectly flat f
rosting surface. The top layer will be placed rounded side up, so the two flat layers are together with the frosting in between.

  You can also even out the layers by cutting the domed tops off the cakes. Hold a serrated knife parallel with the top of the cake and gently saw off the domed top, as shown in Figure 9-1. Do this at eye level to be sure you’re cutting straight, to ensure a flat top.

  Figure 9-1: Evening out a cake layer.

  Frosting a cake

  Regardless of whether you’re frosting a single cake or a multi-layer cake, the best utensil for frosting cakes is a thin, metal spatula with a rounded tip (see Chapter 3 for more on baking tools) or a firm but flexible plastic spatula.

  To frost a layer cake, follow these simple steps:

  1.Spread between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup of frosting (depending on how heavily you like to frost your cake) on top of the bottom layer.

  Be careful not to spread the frosting with hard strokes, the way you would if you were buttering bread. Using hard strokes will pick up crumbs on the cake’s surface and mix it into the frosting, giving you an unevenly textured cake. Instead, gently use the spatula or knife to gently push the frosting where you want it to go. The frosting should be soft and creamy enough to do this easily. Make sure that when you frost a cake, your frosting is at room temperature or just above room temperature and is not too cold. If the frosting is still too stiff, thin it out with just a few drops of water or milk.

  2.Place the second layer on the first, cut or domed side up, and brush off any crumbs.

  3.Frost the sides of the cake with another 1/2 cup of frosting, or to taste.

  Begin with a thin layer of frosting to seal in any crumbs. Then, with smooth back-and-forth strokes, frost the sides.

  4.Spread frosting on the top last, using smooth gliding strokes across the cake (see Figure 9-2).

  Figure 9-2: Spreading frosting on a cake, saving the top for last.

  Apply a thin layer of frosting to the cake and then refrigerate until it’s set before applying the final, heavier layer of frosting. This will seal in the crumbs, ensuring a clean final appearance.

  Is your cake uneven or domed? You can use the frosting to cover up any imperfections in the top of your cake — just spread it a little thicker than on the sides and make it as level as you can.

  If you want to frost your cake on the same plate you will be serving it on, but you don’t want to dirty up the serving plate as you frost, place narrow strips of waxed paper just around the edge of the plate (not covering the plate entirely). Place the cooled cake layer in the center of the serving plate, so that the edges of the cake overlap the waxed paper strips just a bit. After your cake is frosted, gently pull out the waxed paper strips from underneath the edges of the cake (you might have to give them a gentle tug). Any frosting on the strips will gently slide onto the frosted cake, leaving you with a perfectly clean serving plate.

  If you need to refrigerate or store your cake before serving, cover it with either a cake dome or an inverted mixing bowl. Make sure that the bowl is big enough that, when you place it over the cake, it doesn’t touch the cake. You don’t want to remove the bowl, only to find that your lovely cake has been smashed.

  Glazing a cake

  Glazing a cake requires a slightly different technique because the glaze is runny, not smooth and spreadable the way frosting is. One cup of glaze is sufficient for one Bundt, tube, or angel cake.

  Quick Apricot Glaze

  This glaze is delicious over pound cake, angel food cake, or sponge cake. It’s also good to use for cake layers if you baked them too long and want to add some moisture back to them.

  Preparation time: 7 minutes

  Yield: 1 scant cup glaze

  1 cup all-fruit apricot preserves

  Place the preserves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes longer, until the fruit is boiling and slightly thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon. Cool slightly and brush over your cake or use as directed. Chill the cake to set the glaze.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 48 (From Fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 8mg; Carbohydrate 13g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.

  Classic Sugar Glaze

  You can drizzle this mixture over the sides of sponge cakes or over baked sweet breads, quick breads, and coffee cakes.

  Preparation time: 5 minutes

  Yield: About 1/3 cup

  1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

  2 to 3 teaspoons milk, warmed

  1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  Combine the ingredients and stir until smooth. Add more milk to thin, if desired.

  Vary It! For a chocolate glaze, melt 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate, cut up or chips, and 3 tablespoons butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of hot water. Drizzle over cake.

  Per serving (1 tablespoon): Calories 20 (From Fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 1mg; Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 0g.

  Calling all cake rounds!

  Cake rounds are a busy baker’s dream. These thick cardboard circles are available in most kitchen-supply stores in a variety of sizes. They hold your cake layers while you’re frosting and transporting them from your work area to refrigerator to serving plate. If you can’t find cake rounds, just trace a circle, using your cake pan as a size guide, on any heavy, corrugated cardboard and cut it out. Cover your cake rounds with aluminum foil, and they become reusable.

  Begin the glazing process by positioning the completely cooled cake on a wire rack over aluminum foil or a baking sheet (to catch the drips). Then follow these steps:

  1.Spoon or pour the glaze, a little at a time, over the top of the cake.

  2.With a metal spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the glaze into thin areas and to the edge of the cake, allowing some to drizzle over the side.

  3.Continue spreading the glaze until the cake is well coated and the desired look is achieved.

  Stop spreading the glaze once it begins to set. Otherwise, the smooth finish will be lost. (Don’t panic, though. You’ll have several minutes before the glaze sets.)

  After the glaze is set, carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate. If possible, allow the glazed cake to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze to set. If it is more than four hours before serving time, cover and refrigerate the cake.

  Getting Fancy with a Decorating Bag

  Some occasions require slightly fancier cakes. If you want to go beyond frosting and add a decorative frosting pattern, use a decorating bag with different tips to achieve the effect. Decorating bags, also called pastry bags, are plastic-coated reusable nylon bags. You stuff the frosting into the bag and then squeeze it out again. The tip you select will give you the design you want — a scalloped edge, or a thin line, or maybe a leaf petal.

  Pastry bags come in two varieties:

  Ones in which the tip is dropped through the bag and comes out the narrow end

  Ones in which a tube (called a coupler) is inserted, and the tips screw on the outside of the narrow end

  If you want to purchase a decorating bag, I recommend the second variety (the coupler assembly). With the coupler, you can change the tips (which are usually included in the purchase of the bag) without having to empty the bag of the frosting. With the drop-in tips, you’re committed to the tip you have inserted in the bag. If you need to change tips, you have to empty out the frosting, wash the bag, and then reinsert the new tip (unless you purchase several bags) — all of which can become very messy.

  Pastry bags come in many sizes; for all-purpose use, get a 16-inch bag. If you’re not sure what size you want, remember that a bigger bag is a better choice than a smaller one.

  Another type of decorating tool is a metal syringe-type tube. Although this tool is fine for writing (like when you want to write “Happy Birthday” on your cake), I think pastry
bags give you more control over the amount of frosting you use and how you decorate.

  When you’re planning on decorating your cake, pop the frosted cake in the freezer or refrigerator for several hours to allow the frosting to harden. Then, if you make a mistake while you’re decorating, the decoration will be easy to lift off the hardened frosting and you can start all over again without having ruined the frosted cake.

  Frostings for decorating

  You can use any of the frostings in this book for decorating. If you want to do fancy designs, look for a thicker frosting that will hold its shape for a while. Most people use the same frosting they used to frost the cake when decorating. If you know that you want to decorate, double the recipe or just make 1 1/2 times the recipe to ensure that you’ll have enough for decorations on the cake. If you want to add a color to the frosting, choose a vanilla-base frosting so that the color will show.

  Tinting frosting

  Tinting frosting is not difficult. The best idea is to choose a vanilla buttercream or basic frosting to color. You can tint frosting in one of two ways: with food coloring or with coloring paste, available at baking-supply shops. For all practical purposes, food coloring is the less expensive way to color frosting, but the paste will last a lifetime (that’s no exaggeration).