We will be running into the begining of Hanukkah if we have the tasting on the third Sunday of the month as usual.

 So, we are changing our tasting date to the 14th of December at 6 pm.  e-mail

 tobey@sugarcakestudio.com   or

call 206-282-4832 and let me know when your wedding is going to be, where it is going to be, how many people you are inviting and what kind of cake you would like to taste.

I would also appreciate knowing how many people will be coming with you to the tasting.

The open tastings are free of charge and alot of fun.

     See you soon

Last updated on 05:50 PM |

For Brides and Grooms who are looking for a great wedding photographer, please check out Roger Steen's photos...at

www.storyofyourwedding.com

His work is stunning.  Absolutely wonderful..

Last updated on 11:43 AM |

Wow...white shortening has changed and apparently created huge problems for people who use it for various products..for us it means that the gumpaste is no longer workable with the recipe we have used in the past.

 We have found that the new shortening (without Transfats) makes the gumpaste crumble into a dry heap of bits..when you try to pull it together with the white shortening it becomes hard and dry.

Here is a new way to make the gumpaste for those of us who use CMC powder .. it works like a charm so far..if there is a dramatic change as we use it over time..we will try to reformulate the gumpaste so that it will work with the new white shortening without the TransFATS

Read more about "A New Way To Make Gumpaste" »

Last updated on 05:25 AM |

Pastry cream is an essential element in any good bakery.  It is easy to make and uses up the yolks that may remain from all your buttercream making.

Milk can be used, but a creamier pastry cream is achieved with half and half or half milk and half heavy cream.

1 cup half and half

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the corn starch and whisk together until smooth.

Heat the half and half until steam is rising from it.  Pour a little of the hot half and half over the egg yolk mixture and whisk until smooth.  You are now tempering the yolks.  Pour the remaining half and half over the yolk mixture, whisk until completely blended, pour back into the saucepan and whisk over a moderate heat until the whole mixture thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.  Pour into a shallow container and place plastic wrap directly onto the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming on top.  Chill thoroughly.

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Last updated on 02:01 PM |

Brown Sugar Buttercream

1 cup dark brown sugar packed

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup egg whites at room temperature...at least 72 degrees f

1 pound unsalted butter softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, moisten the brown sugar with the cold water. 

In a heavy duty mixer, start to whip the egg whites.

Heat the sugar/water mixture to 240 degrees and then add to the fully whipped egg whites.  The speed on the mixer has to be on medium speed and pour the hot sugar in between the wire whip and the bowl...make an effort not to get the hot sugar on the wire whip nor the bowl itself...

Whip this egg white and hot sugar mixture on high until cool..this will take about 15 minutes.

Add the unsalted butter in bits a little at a time, incorporating the butter completely..if you make the mistake of adding your butter to your egg whites too soon, it will become rather liquidy but keep adding the butter and it will come together..you might not have the volume in the buttercream you might otherwise have if you allow the egg whites and hot sugar mixture cool completely..

Add the vanilla...scrape the bowl and put buttercream into a plastic container with a good lid..this is buttercream at its spreadable best...buttercream has a refrigeration shelf life of about a week..

 This buttercream must be refrigerated..cakes covered in Italian Meringue Buttercream also require refrigeration..

Last updated on 05:22 AM |

Here is a simple recipe for a butter cake that is sturdy enough to hold the weight of fondant yet is not as dense as pound cake ...

 8 ounces of unsalted butter  .. softened to room temperature

2 cups of sugar

4 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups of cake flour

1 Tablespoons  baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

Cream the butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes in a heavy duty mixer...add the whole eggs one at a time..then add the vanilla extract..

(scraping the bowl is one of the most important steps in the process of making cakes..it is wise to scrape the bowl during the creaming process, as the flour and milk are added and after the batter is completely mixed..)

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together...(cake flour is bleached which  allows the moisture in the batter to be absorbed in a way that creates a tender cake with a tight crumb)

Alternate the flour and milk in three turns starting with the flour and ending with flour..

Prepare your cake pans with parchment and vegetable oil..I do not fill any cake pan more than half way up the side of the pan..so you can simply calculate the number of pans you will need according to the number and size of each layer..

 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes..test with a toothpick and bake longer if needed..

 Cool in the pans for at least 15 to 20 minutes...turn out onto a cake board..allow to cool..wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled before splitting and filling...remember to make a dam aroung the rim of the cake when using a filling that may leak out such as preserves or mousse or curds..

 Crumb coat your cake and chill well..then finish with Italian meringue buttercream .. chill well again and if you are going to keep your cake in refrigeration overnight...remember to cover the completely chilled cake with plastic wrap right to the cake surface...allow butter cakes to come up to room temperature at least one hour before serving...wedding cakes take a whole lot longer to come up to room temeprature..

Last updated on 04:50 AM |

Some people think that Puff Pastry is quite a daunting task to make from scratch..however, I have found a good formula that allows for easy rolling for the home cook. 

You would use puff pastry for Mille-Feuille, Palmiers, bouchees and Vol-au-Vents, Pithivier, to cover Beef Wellington and Coulibiac of Salmon or any other hors d'oeurves your imagination can conjure up.

For good Puff Pastry you need most of all time..the pastry works best when it has time to rest between turns.

Butter Block

9 ounces unsalted butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 ounces flour

pinch of salt

In a mixer with a paddle, work the butter and add the salt and lemon juice.  Slowly add the flour and work to a smooth paste.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate in a butter square that measures 3 inches square.

Dough

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup water

1 ounce unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

7 ounces flour

In a bowl, blend the flour, salt, water, lemon juice and melted butter into a smooth dough.  The dough must rest after mixing for at least 30 minutes and make sure it is covered with plastic wrap.

Chill the dough and the butter block to the same temperature.  The dough and the butter should be pliable.

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Last updated on 10:47 AM |

1/2 cup egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the egg whites in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer...start to whip them on medium. 

Put 3/4 cups of sugar in a saucepan and moisten it with the water..wash down the sides with brush and water.  Start to cook the sugar and when the sugar begins to boil, begin to whip your egg whites.

When the egg whites begin to froth slowly add the remaining 1.4 cup of sugar..Turn the machine up and whip until the egg whites hold a peak...the sugar should be up to temperture by the time the whites are done...slowly add the sugar syrup  to the whipped egg whites on medium speed being careful not to get the sugar syrup on the sides of the bowl or the whip itself. 

After all the sgar syrup is in the whites, whip until the whites have cooled to room temperature..this might take 10 minutes or more...when the whites are cooled, add the softened unsalted butter to the meringue and add the vanilla last...store in refrigeration for a few days...the most optimum time to ice a cake is when the buttercream is freshly made.  Allow cold buttercream to come to room temperture and whip on the machine until quite soft again..

Read more about "Italian Meringue Buttercream" »

Last updated on 06:45 PM |

Gumpaste flowers were developed during the late 19th Century in England.  Sugar artists took the petals off of flowers and developed templates with which they could use to cut out thinly rolled sugar paste and fashion them into flowers.  Bakers were able to make wedding cakes with beautiful flowers on them without any worry of using real flowers that might be toxic.

Read more about "Why We Make Gumpaste Flowers" »

Last updated on 07:51 AM |