ibake

Myths to Baking

2012-02-26T23:10:00.001-08:00

Was recently asked to input for an article on braking the myths to baking and to my surprise the strongest myth was that people lacked the confidence to bake. Most of us at some time or the other like to cook or bake both of which are very theureptical in nature so is washing the dishes.
A simple thing one must always remember is working together as n doing something together or in a team is an excellent element for building self confidence. So when you are thinking on the lines of baking on a sultry afternoon, try and bake cookies, bread and cake with a friend, neighbor or child. The whole exercise will be fun, engaging and builds confidence tremendously.

Useful substitutes

2012-02-12T23:09:00.001-08:00

Children love jello cakes -the colours , flavors and texture something different that they can enjoy. In the absence of flavored jello, there are a whole range of options available - all you need is a tablespoon of gelatin and 2 cups of fruit juices and the variety you have now - mixed fruit, pineapple, lychee, guava, passion fruit, you could turn out a range of tasteful flavored desserts.

Mold growth on cake / bread

2012-02-05T21:47:00.001-08:00

At times we notice that the bread or cake we have baked has a mold growth - this appearance could be because of excessive moisture that has creeped or if the ingredients are not fresh or of sub standard quality.
While baking , always remember to keep in mind use of fresh ingredient and moisture in the environment.

A substitute for the vanilla bean

2012-02-02T22:56:00.001-08:00

Vanilla is a strong sweet flavor - often used in desserts and bakes. One of the strongest characteristics of vanilla is that it can cover odour as in smell of eggs. The Vanilla bean is revered all around the world; and is exquisitely price and rare to find. In the absence of the vanilla bean, a substitute for you desserts would i tablespoon of vanilla extract than vanilla essence.

In the absence of unsweetened chocolate

2012-02-01T00:05:00.001-08:00

Chocolate is sinfully decadent. In recipes involving chocolate it is advisable to use unsweetened chocolate or dark chocolate instead of milk or regular chocolate. In the absence of unsweetened or dark chocolate, you could use 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and i tablespoon of reduced flat margerine.

Good sugar substitutes

2012-01-29T22:53:00.001-08:00

Have never liked a dessert be it ice cream, custard cake or cookie t be too sweet. This made me look at options. Brown sugar and honey turned to be ideal substitutes and did wonders to the taste of the cookie or cake that i was baking.

A good substitute

2012-01-26T22:27:00.001-08:00

Corn flour is an excellent binder as corn has immense binding properties which are not the same as egg which is also a good binding agent. In the absence of corn flour, a good substitute is rice flour. Finely ground rice powder can also be used as thickening agent.

Absence of whipped cream

2012-01-25T00:03:00.001-08:00

A lot of recipes for baked dishes and desserts need whipped cream which is an essential ingredient for blending. In the absence of whipped cream , you can use and 1 and 1/4 cup of chilled milk and i tablespoon of lemon juice and whip this mixture till becomes stiff. The one important element to be kept in mind is that milk must be chilled for 12 hours atleast

Good substitutes

2012-01-22T23:26:00.001-08:00

All spice powder is an essential star ingredient for most baking dishes. It adds flavour and gives a distinct edge to the texture of the dish. At times when you run out of all spice powder, you can always spice up your dish with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of ground cloves.

Will flowers made from fondant stay or bleed on a fresh cream cake -

2012-01-13T23:19:00.001-08:00

Fondant flowers well dried will stay. But if the fondant flowers are fresh they could bleed absorbing moisture in the cream. Fondant flowers need to be created well in advance. Also try making decorative flowers using butter cream and freezing them, they work great for a quick cake decoration.

Pale crust Colour

2012-01-12T23:12:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the crust of the cake could be pale in color. There could be several reasons for this occurence , one of which is adding too little sugar while mixing the cake batter ; also while baking one must always remember to bake at the right atmospeheric temerature ,another reason could also be slow baking. We need to keep these factors in mind while baking our cakes.

Top crust of the cake is flaky

2012-01-10T22:08:00.001-08:00

Very often when we bake cakes, we soemtimes notice that the top crust of the cake is flaky; the reasons for this could be due to over mixing of the cake mixture, or due to the reason that yr oven is too cool. Another factor to be taken into consideration is that the cooking atmosphere / environment is too dry and the cake has been handled before it has completely cooled down.

Cracks on the surface of cakes

2012-01-06T00:04:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, we notice cracks on the surface of cakes we have baked and very often a time this is a concern that we have in our thoughts. The reasons could range from the oven being too hot or too much moisture in the oven; too much batter in the tin will trap the air in the air and this could also lead to cracks forming on the surface of the cake.

The Perfect Brownie

2012-01-05T00:01:00.001-08:00

One of the queries we recently heard about is with respect to baking a brownie right. This again depends on two factors on whether you are baking a brownie from scratch mix or pre mix. In the scratch mix scenario, you collect all your ingredients from scratch and instead of the whole proportion of milk you add half a measure of milk and half a measure of curd for the protein value.
Also adding sugar will make your brownie chewy!

White spots on the surface of the cake

2012-01-01T22:30:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you could notice white on the surface of the cake you have baked. The reasons for this kind of scenario could be more than one - one reason could that you have left the cake batter to stand for too long before actually baking the cake or you have added too much liquid or the quality of ingredient added as in sugar is too coarse or the process of baking has been too slow; it would always be prudent to be time conscious, prudent while choosing ingredients for your cake and ensure they are of the right quality and not of sub standard qualty.

Thick crust on the cake

2011-12-25T23:45:00.001-08:00

Have often wondered why sometimes the cake we bake has a thick crust.
This has been the topic of much deliberation amongst us friends and our mothers.
But as my dear friend Nancy's mother Mrs.Olive Andrews pointed out the reasons are quite simple.
Either one can have added too much sugar which could lead to the cake getting dense or the milk or any other liquid that has been added is minimal leading to a bit dryness and the reason that actually stares one in the eye would be that the oven is not heated sufficiently.
One must always remember while baking that your oven needs to be heated to 140 to 180 degree Celsius for uniform baking of your cake.

The Texture of my Cake is too dense, why

2011-12-20T22:19:00.001-08:00

Sometime it could so happen that the texture of the cake you have baked is too dense or too close. There could be several reasons for this effect such maybe one could have added insufficient baking powder or added too much water. Another reason could be not incorporating sufficient amount of sugar required or maybe the batter was too hot. Always remember to cool the batter to allow sufficient amount of moisture and then set the cake for baking at the required temperature.

Complexities of Layered cakes

2011-12-13T23:18:00.001-08:00

Layered cakes are complex – in terms of texture, layers and taste.
As complex as they are, while assembling a layered cake, perfection of the highest order needs to be kept in mind.
Each layer of cake must be of the right texture and compliment the taste of the next layer of cake. You cannot have a layered cake where the taste of the layers do not compliment each other. Another important element to be kept in mind is uniformity , be it the layers of cake, whipped cream, royal icing or fruit that you might be using.
But the most important factors to b kept in mind is that the texture and taste of each layer complement each other and a slice or bite of your layered cake can ring a symphony on your taste buds.

Fruit cake crumbles when cut

2011-12-13T00:02:00.001-08:00

It is the season of fruit cakes, wine and good cheer with the festivities of Christmas round the corner. But fruit cakes are complex in nature, a lot of attention needs to be given on time, choice of fruits, liquids used to soak the fruits, butter or ghee to be used.
Which means that they are chances that after baking a fruit cake, it could look perfect, but crumble when a slice of the cake is cut. This could be because of usage of weak or wrong type of flour or very often it is because of unbalanced mixing between the flour and the fruits or incorrect baking. Another reason could be when the fruits have not been soaked over a sufficient period of time which is highly crucial for a fruit cake.
So ring in the good cheer of Christmas and the New Year with delicious fruit cakes and cookies!

fruit cake crumble soak time Christmas New Year

Cakes with a coarse texture

2011-12-08T04:41:00.001-08:00

In baking, one very important aspect has always been texture as it is texture that is the most influencing factor that affects taste be it a slice or a wedge. Sometimes the cake we bake has a coarse texture.
The reasons could be that we have added too much baking powder or the lack of sufficient liquid, or in our excitement and hurry have not mixed the mixture amply or simply added too much sugar.
Another important aspect to be kept in mind is that the oven should be sufficiently heated as very often a cold oven could lead to affecting the texture of the cake making it coarse.

Lamination is important

2011-12-06T23:20:00.001-08:00

Lamination is an important technical term in the field of baking. Especially with respect to puff pastry.
Puff pastry is a snack devoured by most and is time consuming
While making puff pastry, it is very important to laminate the dough to get the right degree of flakyness. A puff pastry is known for it's layers; each layer needs to be of the right thickness and uniform, lamination plays a major role in getting your layering right and last but certainly not the least enhances the crispy texture of the pastry.
Lamination is also used for croissants and Danish pastry

lamination puff pastry croissant danish layers texture crispyness flakiness

Scones - interesting

2011-12-04T23:34:00.001-08:00

I first tasted scones a friend's reception dinner; tasty delicious savoury scones filled with mince meat, onions and chillies and lightly spiced. Was very fascinated with its shape, texture and reminded so much of an ice cream cone as young as I was.

As time passes by, I saw and learnt to my surprise that scones was not a very popular snack in India for a multiple of reasons but you could creatively variate on their shape and filling. From circular shaped scones filled with chocolate cream fillings to savory fillings such minced lamb or pork, Thai green or red curry, mushrooms; interesting as one associates scones with sweet fillings sucha s cream and a very popular evening snack in the UK.

scones savoury , thai chocolate cream mince meat lamb, UK evening snack popular

How to avoid fruity diasters

2011-12-01T23:27:00.001-08:00

We all have this urge to make cakes and pastries that are really tasty and delicious. And one of the creative aspects we try and incorporate is to add exotic or fruits that are in season such as strawberries, kiwi, or litchis whilst baking our cake. But this sometimes does not always give us desired results with the fruits falling to the bottom of the cake.
There are multiple reasons for this occurrence – your batter could be very thin; the batter could lack the required structure; or you the sugar added could be a little more than required; one needs to be very careful and exercise while using sugar as an ingredient as with sugar there is release of water which could make the batter thin with the addition of air bubbles. Another valid reason could be the use of incorrect baking powder or too much baking powder.
So in order to bake a cake which would be a fruity delight instead of a fruity disaster, it would help to keep the above factors in mind.

fruit seasonal exotic strawberry kiwi incorporate baking powder sugar structure batter thin cake

Caked with Peaked Tops!

2011-11-30T23:17:00.001-08:00

Have you ever had to face a scenario where your cake has turned up with a peaked top ! The reason could be the quality of the flour being slightly too strong or of sub standard quality. Another reason could be lack of moisture or insufficient aeration in the cake mixture.
Always while baking one must remember to allow for sufficient aeration to avoid getting your cakes with peaked tops.
Another valid reason could be the simple fact of too much heat whilst baking and that is why checking on your cake at regular intervals is always recommended.

cakes, peaked, mixture, moisture aeration heat flour quality

Fun with Donuts

2011-11-28T23:33:00.001-08:00

Did you know that Donuts can be classified into 2 types depending on their base ingredients – yeast based and dough based.

The popular donuts are generally made from a combination of two leveling agents – yeast and baking powder. The use of these two ingredients makes the donut lighter as compared to the dough based donut which is dense and fried.

You can be completely creative with donut fillings – custard, fruit jelly, chocolate pr a combination of any two would do wonders with respect to flavor and taste!

donuts dough test baking powder taste custard jelly

The Charm of Ginger Bread Houses

2011-11-24T23:22:00.001-08:00

Ginger bread is one of the simplest forms of baking in terms of ingredients – flour, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla essence and some ginger powder. Fold the ingredients together and put them in an oven to bake and voila you can have your ginger bread man, couple or the effervescent ginger bread house.

Have always been fascinated with the Ginger Bread House in terms of its dynamics and creativity. Here we need to keep in mind size, shape and thickness, also a very important aspect to be kept in mind would be the temperature at which one is baking lest it gets burned.
The creative aspect involves around the décor of the ginger bread house where one can let your imagination do all the talking. The roof can be adorned with chocolate gems or chocolate wedges, you can decorate the surroundings of the house with different kinds of jelly, strawberry, pineapple, green apple and cherries, another idea would be to use jujupes or jelly coated with sugar, marshmallows, mini biscuits dipped in chocolate or different coloured royal icing.
Your ginger bread house can be a riot of creativity, imagination , inspiration and colour.

ginger bread house fllour cinnamon jelly sugar

Classy Garnish - Tuile

2011-11-23T23:13:00.001-08:00

A tuile is a thin, crisp sweet or savory cookie or wafer made of dough or cheese. Originally from France, 'tuile' means tile in French, and is named after the shape of French roof tiles it is supposed to resemble. A tuile is a type of very lightweight, dry, crisp cookie. These cookies come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, and flavors, but every style tends to be delectable. Tuiles are also incredibly versatile, and they can be used for everything from ice cream garnishes to crusts for tiny, delicate tarts. Learning to make tuiles happens to be very easy and fun, and because these cookies are so versatile, you can play around with a tuile recipe a great deal. Basic tuiles are very simple, made with flour, eggs, butter, and sugar. Many people like to add flavoring such as orange or lemon zest, chocolate, spices, sesame seeds, or nuts to their tuiles. All tuiles turn out very thin typically, but some develop an almost lacy pattern as they bake, while others remain solid. When served alone, tuiles are typically of the basic curved variety, and they are arranged to look like a neat row of overlapping roof tiles. Tuiles formed into cups can be used to hold various lightweight fillings and used as petit fours, while larger tuiles can be used to serve ice cream, sorbet, and mousse
To make very basic tuiles, whip two egg whites into soft peaks, and slowly beat in half a cup of powdered sugar or superfine sugar. Slowly fold in a quarter cup of melted unsalted butter, along with a quarter cup of flour, adding the ingredients slowly so that the mixture does not become unworkable. Then, spoon mounds of the batter onto a cookie pan lined with parchment, or a silicone baking sheet, and flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon. Bake until golden, and mold immediately.
This basic recipe can be retooled in a variety of ways. You can add ground nuts or lemon zest to the batter, or sprinkle them on top as a garnish. Melt some chocolate with the butter for chocolate tuiles, or add some black sesame seeds for crunch and flavor. Dip the tuiles in chocolate after they have cooled, or mold the tuiles into tiny tart crusts and fill them with pastry cream and fresh fruit. Serve ice cream with a tuile garnish molded into the shape of a leaf with the assistance of a tuile cutter, applied while the cookies are warm and soft. Your imagination is the limit!

Adorable Cup Cakes that bring the Sunshine into Your Life

2011-11-18T03:23:00.001-08:00

" Small is beautiful" holds very true for cup cakes which are absolutely adorable in terms of size and totally delicious in taste.
Cup cakes are so that they are convenient, small ,easy to handle and challenging to decorate.
As challenging as they are, you can recreate magical moments on your cup cake - from flower blossoms to mini cartoon characters to members of animal farm. You can play with colours, icing and size as well with the cup cake itself - chocolate chip , chilli chocolate, pumkin n chilli; carrot n tutti frutty.

cup cake, decoration, royal icing, colours, cartoon animal farm characters

Christmas Santa on a Cookie

2011-11-17T04:10:00.001-08:00

Cake Expert or Amateur Cake maker – Why do cakes collapse or sunk in

2011-11-16T03:18:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the cakes we bake for any occasion be it a birthday or anniversary or just as an evening snack turn out in a collapsed or sunk in state.
When this happens, it can be quite disheartening, the reason could be either usage of extra sugar or too much liquid.
Sugar is an integral ingredient and one needs to exercise caution I terms of the quantity as sugar releases water and carbon dioxide and has the affinity to crystallize and carbonize.
A very important tip to be always kept in mind while baking cakes and cookies is the quantity of sugar and liquids you incorporate into it.

Why do cup cakes shrink?

2011-11-13T23:13:00.001-08:00

Cup Cakes are a rage all over now. Becoz they are small, handy, easy to bake and extremely convenient to sink your teeth into. And you can variate with from chocolate chip to chilli choclate to carrot n pumpkin cup cakes with different toppings.
But when you are most excited about the first batch of cup cakes you baked for a get together with friends and they turn out shrunk, wonder why ?
There could be no multiple reasons for this -
Either you have used less baking powder
Usage of less sugar
Harsh mixing resulting in toughening of the batter or
Too much bottom heat
Always remember to avoid the above reasons and exercise a little bit of extra caution while baking cup cakes – cause who does'nt love them anyway!

TEsting - a healthy step in Baking

2011-11-11T00:16:00.001-08:00

At times after we have finished baking a cake , we notice that the area below the top crust is under baked. Wonder why – this is due to bumping the cake while baking and faulty testing.
When you are baking bread, cakes, cookies or muffins, always remember to test the baking at least once to ensure it is on the right track.
Testing is a healthy technique and must be used in a prudent way and not lead to faulty or excessive testing as this would harm the baking process by inducing moisture.

testing baking bread cakes cookie muffins moisture method

PIE CRUSTS

2011-11-10T00:04:00.001-08:00

Pies are comfort food cooked for the special someone you love – your mother, brother , friend or companion.
The two aspects about pies are the exotic, different and tasty fillings and the different crusts that can form the base. Pies can be sweet or savory. You can incorporate molasses or brown sugar for the sweet crust and for the savory crusts you can add herbs such as thyme, rosemary, ajwain to enhance the flavour of the crust.
Always ensure your crust is light, flaky and a deep golden brown.

pie crust herbs flavor, sweet sVORY SUGAR MOLASSES

Moisture and it's importance in Baking

2011-11-08T23:17:00.001-08:00

Moisture is important

This thought has been in my mind for the last couple of days. The poignant role that moisture plays in pie dough and tart dough; whilst you are planning to make fruit tarts or chocolate tarts or vanilla slice, always remember to poke the dough for sufficient moisture to be present in the dough for it cook right and rise right.
This thought was further intensified while watching a TV Show on Food where while making Vanilla slice, she forgets to poke her dough for sufficient moisture and the pastry when baked and out of the oven looks like a pillow with all the moisture trapped inside.
The same principle of sufficient moisture retention would hold good whilst baking bread.

Playing the Brownie Game

2011-11-07T19:33:00.001-08:00

Brownies are soul food, something you love sinking your teeth into at any time – be it summer, winter or the monsoons; it is a lovely tea time snack and you can play around the flavor and texture. Keeping in mind the basic ingredients and the primary ingredient of cocoa, one could enhance the texture and flavor of your brownie by experimenting with jaggery or honey in the place of sugar. Cinnamon is an exotic spice you can use to flavour your brownie.

Also along with the walnuts, you could experiment with chilli flakes.

Halloween Cup cakes

2011-10-18T18:50:00.001-07:00

A hugely popular event in the west, Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31, which commonly includes activities such as trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. And an interesting idea for making your Halloween party fun, apart from the theme of black, red collars, masks, sea pirates is to try your hand at Halloween cup cakes which are easy to bake and fun to eat. You can artistically creative with toppings ranging from caramel, nuts, fresh cream, whilpped cream, royal icing, and exercise your sketching skills with outlines of spiders, sea pirates, skeletal heads. Another idea would also to be innovative with your cupcakes and try caramel cup cakes, cup cakes with pumpkin, chilly cup cakes, chocolate chip n chilly cup cakes.

2011-10-10T01:12:00.000-07:00

Diwali the festival oflights and prosperity is round the corner and the season of card parties and small get togetherwith family and friends has begun. In addition, you have the shopping for newclothes, decorating the home withnew upholstery – all in all it is a hectic and fun time.

Mulling over aninteresting menu to delight the taste buds of your guests – you could eithertry your hand or order mini baked snacks which offer a wider variety in termsof texture and taste – mini quiche,s, mini pizzas with zuchinni and olives,mini profetroles.

Another improvisationon mini snacks would be whole wheat rusks, rye baguettes, mini masala buns.Blending the seasonwith colour, tradition and creative, and aspiring innovation Institute of Baking and Cake celebratesthis sparkling season with a special collection of cookies, tarts andchocolates.On sale are large and small Diya fondant Cookies, Mango Toran Cookies,Diya Tarts with Caramel Cream, Chocolate Diya Tarts, Marshmallow Candy nutSparklers, Frosted Candle Cookies, Spiral Royal Icing frosted Cookies, FloralRoyal Frosted Cookies, Chocolate Crackers Chocolate Diyas, Chocolate Bombs andAssorted Cookies Cracker sets.

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Baked food is comforting

2011-10-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

I was thinking of visiting an old neighbour who would be turning 70 over the weekend. A simple, well read and strong person, she has always been a source of great moral support. Apart from giving her book which she will love, I thought of baking something for her. That’s the joy and fun of baking; baking is hugely comforting for the person baking as well as the person eating –and one has a wide choice of comfort food one can bake –from warm quiches to cookies to masala or herb bread sticks! Or the sumptuously delicious devil’s chocolate cake.

Cake Decoration-the floral path

2011-10-03T18:14:00.001-07:00

Flowers are always beautiful. Beautiful and lovely to create. It’s pretty amazing that you can create an entire blossom with butter cream and royal icing is what I observed during cake decoration class. From rose blooms to pretty pansies and daisies, daffodils , carnations and Anamika –a zig zag design. The technique lies in the pressure you put and the length of each petal you want which will determine the blossom you want to decorate your cake with. You could use different colours, mix n match and create your own blossom, What is really interesting is how a couple of the flower decorations are extensions of each other and some are distinctly individualistic like the carnations; pansies are small flowers which can be created with small curves and daisies and daffodils can be created by extending those strokes.

Bread making is distinct

2011-10-03T18:05:00.001-07:00

All around the world, if there is one aspect that is distinct and different –it is the process, taste and texture of bread. Every region has a bread that is distinctly different from the other; especially countries such as Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon. The same type of bread is baked differently in different countries –given the primary ingredients of flour and water, their technique in terms of quantity of water added, the folding and the secondary ingredients they use as in fresh herbs or till seeds depending on the produce available in that country depicts a visible vast difference. But one common aspect across all these regions is the breads are totally hand made which enhances their flavour a good deal!

How to keep baked foods fresh

2011-09-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Keeping baked foods fresh is quite a task; pastries snack andcookies can be kept fresh for a day or two in glass jars as it has a builtin vacuum that contains the moisture. The best way is to store baked goods is in air tightcontainers as an air tight air container will help keep the products as freshas possible and will also extend their shelf life especially breads, rolls andbuns. Another really quick way to store baked snacks especiallyfor young children for the next day’s snack is to keep them wrapped in silverfoil and then warm it in themicrowave – whether it is a piece of cake or bread soft n fresh or cookies – crisp as ever.

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2011-09-06T22:40:00.000-07:00


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2011-09-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Getting that perfect sponge right

Plain Sponge cake is the base for many desserts; you canhave it with ice cream or chocolate sauce, make a fruit custard or you can eat itjust plain. One of the most difficult tasks in baking is making the perfectsponge cake. Have often wondered what could make the perfect sponge. Having hadthe opportunity of being part of a baking school, have noticed one importantaspect is in the beating of the eggs. Make sure you choose fresh eggs and beatthem at an angle until there are no bubbles and you get a smooth mixture of theflour - eggs batter. It is also to do with climatic conditions as in thetemperature in the air. Keeping these aspects , you could try your hand atturning out the perfect sponge.

The Art Of Holding a Piping Bag

2011-08-24T09:30:00.001-07:00

At our baking institute, we have a 4 week specialized cake decoration course where we begin simple cream decoration, to royal icing, dough decoration and finally creative decoration. The basic technique underlying the cream, royal icing and creative decoration is in the angle at which you hold the piping bag and the amount of pressure exerted by your hand / hands. For optimum results one must always hold the piping bag between 35 and 45 degree angle and exert not heavy but just the right kind of pressure; So the art of perfecting your cake decoration is the angle at which you hold the piping bag which in turn depends on perfecting the art of holding right.At our baking institute, we have a 4 week specialized cake decoration course where we begin simple cream decoration, to royal icing, dough decoration and finally creative decoration. The basic technique underlying the cream, royal icing and creative decoration is in the angle at which you hold the piping bag and the amount of pressure exerted by your hand / hands. For optimum results one must always hold the piping bag between 35 and 45 degree angle and exert not heavy but just the right kind of pressure; So the art of perfecting your cake decoration is the angle at which you hold the piping bag which in turn depends on perfecting the art of holding right.

Cake Decoration - Sugar flowers

2011-08-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

This piece ebbs from the last night’s episode on Top Chef - Just Desserts on AXN where the five finalists were asked to showcase their creativity in terms of a flower bouquet. Each chef exhibited immense creativity in their thought process to execution from chocolate crafted modern flowers to vases made from sugar syrup to perfectly crafted contemporary flowers in sugar to flowers crafted from orange and lemon peel and dusted with sugar; the only damp squib was the butter cream piped flowers on a large cup cake – very disappointing and messy ! Whether it is a celebration or presentation, when it comes to showcasing your creative talents with respect to flowers, sugar crafted flowers are one way of heightening your creative expressions.

With respect to sugar crafted flowers, you have a wide distinctive choice to work with -butter cream, royal icing and fondant or a combination of all the three. Each kind is a distinct differentiators in terms of texture and appearance and shelf life.

The basics begin with butter cream icing where you learn how to do the curves, shells and upside down shells and stars. Royal Icing is ideal for characters but hardens faster while fondant challenges creativity in terms of colour, shape and size and has a longer shelf life!

Cheesecake

2011-07-15T17:23:00.001-07:00

Desserts are fun time; Baking and relishing them is even for fun. Cheese cake is an all time favourite with a friend of mine and the last time we met for lunch, she had ordered one from a prominent outlet (did not have time to make one, she shared) which was excellent in terms of flavor, texture, the works.

What is it about Cheese cake that each slice tastes different from different outlets. Cheese cake has a distinct identity and this identity is acquired because of the ingredients and the conditions under which the cake is baked. Ingredients play a vital role, for instance the type of Cheese you use. The place from where the cheese is from also crucial to the texture of the cake. Also the kind of biscuits you use for the base and the quantity of butter and sugar used alter the flavor of your dessert !

Shelf life of cake decoration cream & dough

2011-07-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Butter cream

Basic butter cream once made has a storage life of 15-30 days.

Butter cream made with egg will last only for 15 days.

Royal Icing

Royal Icing cream must be made fresh and used immediately.

Leftover Royal Icing cream can be stored in a refrigerator at 15 degree C

Royal Icing creation once dried can be stored for as long as you want

Keeping in mind humidity/ moisture conditions

Fondant Dough

Fondant dough must be stored in a cool place at room temperature. It can be store for 1 week to 10 days. Fondant creation once well dried can be stored for as long as you want depending on humidity / moisture conditions

Whipped cream (Non-dairy)

Whipped cream in a frozen consistency can be stored for 6 months.

Whipped cream in liquid consistency can be stored under refrigeration for 14 days

Whipped cream in a whipped condition must be consumed within a day. Again with whipped cream, it the ingredients you add such as sugar or fruit that can cause the cream to go bad.

Fresh dairy cream (Dairy)

Fresh dairy cream has the lowest shelf life and must be consumed within 24 hours. Also care must be taken while buying fresh cream with respect to the expiry date and you must ensure that the cream is in liquid form ( as in thick milk format ) and not solid or semi solid. Also fresh cream once opened must not be kept open for more than ½ hour as it has high tendencies of becoming rancid.

Decorating a Burger Cake in 3 minutes

2011-07-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

This Video is a Live recording of 5 Bakers, who are all working together to finish a cake within a time span of 3 minutes. The materials used are all edible like Chocolate cake, Buttercream, Chocolate cream, cake crumbs, Fondant sugar dough.

Steps taken to make this cake were buttercream icing on chocolate cake by siddique which travels to sunil who covers white fondant dough over it and santanu works on edible spray for added color effect, on other side Vani and Manish are working on Cutting Fondant vegetables and Fondant french fries. On other side siddique again covers a cake layer with chocolate cream and rolls over cake crumbs for textured cutlet and its arranged over the color sprayed burger base, the sliced vegetables are arranged around and butter cream mayo is spread. The fondant french fries are also food color sprayed to arrange on the plate. Finally the top cake burger layer covered with fondant and color sprayed is also arranged and manish pipes out buttercream shells to depict sesame seeds. A long tooth-pick with fondant cherry and lettuce leaf is inserted on the center for completing this cake.

The cake is sized as 10.5 inches diameter and height of 4.5 inches.

Over Proof or Under-Proof?

2011-07-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

Every-time i used to make a bread i tried to understand the correlation between the dough weight and the size of the bread mold. In general this is well achieved with the experienced bakers as they do know the amount of rise which takes place in the fermented dough.Fermented dough rises because of the environment thats created for the yeast bacteria to develop and multiply, while the multiplication is taking place, there is also production of carbon-di-oxide gas produced which has the nature to release out into air. A well developed dough with a good gluten structure help in retaining this gas in the dough and forming a skin on the crust.  This skin swells up while the chemical change is achieved which is termed as rising or proofing.On a layman's point of view the dough doubles the size, so you can check the dough weight that you require and which fits into a bread mould, take the size equally double of it. This really is not helpful as the science of fermentation should also relate to the mathematics of baking.ProblemBread Flat on top and excessive dough out of the mould, but the base has curved corners?I came across this problem and looked the top to immediately understand that the bread is over proofed, but realized that on actual this bread was under proofed and its just the dough weight that was taken in excess to the size of the mould.

Painting on non-dairy cream

2011-07-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Food color painting on non-dairy cream seems to be difficult or probably not something thought about by people. Generally food colors are used in many different ways on non-dairy cream, they are either added to the cream and colored which is applied on the cake, or they are sprayed with the help of a compressor and air gun and sometimes people use palette knife and food color and make strokes.We decided to do something different and first froze the non-dairy cream frosted cake for 2-3 hours at a temperature below 10oC, then we took this cake and used a paint brush and liquid food color we made strokes, although we worked only on the sides of the cake and so there was a limitation of the slope which made the color droplets fall down. We managed the color strokes and the blended few different colors and some geometrical designs to get a nice modern art painting on cake.Painting on cake can add to a wide range of creativity as the canvas and colors being edible, but the design limitation is not what one needs to worry, you can create a child's sketch or a monalisa and work wonders.Non-dairy cream once frozen forms a smooth and glossy canvas, which can be kept frozen for few days, so a artist bakers can work prior with his/her creative base cake canvas and try different brush strokes and color palate to make a painting on the cake. Remember as the cream goes soft its difficulty to make strokes because the cream is also pulled along with thecolor strokes and you will see a matt effect, but looking more like rough oil painting finish. Try you hands on painting on cake or ask your one of your artist friend to use this medium and work their creativity.

Is there a right age to baking?

2011-07-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

A friend’s post on FB triggered this thought. She had posted that she had started to bake when she was 12 years. I really would not know whether there is a right age to begin to bake, but factors such as safety and awareness need to be kept in mind.

My neighbor whose grandmother was German and excelled in baking started to mix ingredients when she was five but was finally allowed to bake in the oven on her 10^th birthday. Baking has a high comfort quotient and is a brilliant stress reliever, whether it is mixing ingredients or folding sugar or butter into the flour.

At IBCA, we have children’s baking workshops for the summer and dussehra holidays where we help children assemble ingredients and try out simple stuff such as fruit trifle or doughnuts and hamburgers.

So there’s no fixed age to begin to bake and you can start young and move on to the oven as you get older!

Food Styling

2011-06-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

Food styling, brands, baking, lights, came action ! This thought stems from food styling shoot my colleagues were a part of. Food styling I believe has a very crucial role in the establishment of a brand. The colours, the texture and design reflect the company’s image, goal and objectives. The task of a food stylist is therefore of prime importance in the fact that apart from making the food look attractive, the shot should integrate with the company’s beliefs and milestones. Immense amount of time and effort is invested by a stylist to carefully and artfully arrange the food. Also required is the visual know how, and ability to translate the perception of taste, aroma and appeal that one gets from an actual dish, to a two-dimensional photograph. Food stylists have culinary training; some are professional chefs or have a background in home economics. In addition to knowledge of nutrition and cooking techniques, food stylists must also be resourceful shoppers. As creative professionals, they envision the finished photograph and style the food accordingly Food styling therefore is a strategic line of career.Food photographs tended to be shot and composed the way people were used to encountering their food: laid out on a table setting and shot from an overhead perspective, i.e., from the point of view of the consumer. Stylists accordingly arranged the food to appear good from above, with the items arranged flat on the plate and clearly separated from each other. Later, romantic lighting, shallower angles and more props came en vogue.. Most recently, the prevailing trend in Western commercial food photography is to present the food as simple, clean and naturally as possible and with little props, often using effects such as selective focus, tilted plates, and extreme close-ups. This complements trends in professional cooking to make the food more visually interesting. For instance, the height of dishes tends to increase and their elements are often layered, which lends itself well to narrow-angled shots.

Creative Cake Decoration Week

2011-05-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

Cake decoration in itself is a vast and diverse topic. Four students who were part of the Creative Cake Decoration course where given the challenging opportunity of displaying their creative skills of cake decoration for pastry wedges. The challenge lay in incorporating design and creativity within a given time frame. After a short training session on the different designs that can be incorporated, the students drew inspiration from different sources and presented a creative mélange of cake decorations. From the intricately ornate to the elegantly simple, using a range of different flavoured butter cream, jam , chocolate and caramel, their innovative cake decoration designs definitely ignited a collage of creative designs.

Join Cake Decoration Classes at Institute of Baking & Cake Art

Celluloid on Cake

2011-05-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Indian films have always had such a unmatacable universal flavor. Be it our films, stars and musicians, from the longing expressions of Madhubala to the soul stirring voice of Rafi, we were in tandem with each of their emotions and established a connect.

The Institute of Baking and Cake Art received a very rare request to replicate the treasures of Indian celluloid on cake from an ardent fan of Indian cinema. A brainstorming session on how to present Indian Cinema as a delectable delicacy. After a fair amount of thought on the task ahead, a replica of the film reel was made with fondant icing followed by an edible print of the everlasting stars Madhubala, dilip Kumar to the everlasting melody geniuses – Lata Mangeshkar, manna Dey , madan Mohan, Mohammed rafi, Kishore Kumar and Jagjit singh on a rectangular chocolate cake with signboards saying Happy Birthday. The challenging aprt was the placement of the reel at a tangent of 45 degrees on top of the cake with the edible print placed along the sides of the cake.

To Order Creative 3D Sugar-crafted Theme Cake Click on this link and fill the form

Miniature cake decorations

2011-05-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

Brief : Minimalistic wastage

Given this brief Avril, a student pursuing the cake decoration course, an avid lover of aqua, the sea and sea animals came up with a brilliant concept of crafting a mini aquarium. She says that she firmly kept in mind that nothing should be wasted and yet present an innovative cake design. Aquariums and fishes also were a fascination and caught her attention. She began by cutting a small rectangular piece from the thermocol and then using edible blue spray covered the background, she used a fondant icing for the borders and then butter cream icing for the fishes and the plant life depicted in her creation. Miniature yet precious !!

Egg free mini desserts

2011-05-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

They say surprises come in small packages !

Desserts are sweet goods made of cream, milk, sugar, chocolate, flour and fruits to incorporate. Dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food . The word dessert comes from an Old French word desservir which means to serve. Desserts are generally served and offered in various portions, but the here we have tried miniature version of 30-35 gm sizing which is great for parties, gatherings, celebrations as well as a wedding buffet.

Miniature desserts created spread over a vast range from cheese cake, tiramisu, blue berry and kiwi tarts to chocolate fudge laced with caramel and pastries. Miniature desserts are very dynamic in nature as it entices a person who does not have much of a sweet tooth as well as the dessert connoisseur can treat themselves to miniature portions of different kinds of desserts – so you can taste a variety in double the quantity and not feel guilty about it ever ! Ideal for events, weddings , conferences and tasting sessions.

Learn Desserts at IBCA, click on this and check the course details

Cake decoration: An infinite journey

2011-05-17T01:38:00.000-07:00

Cake decoration is a very diverse and vast term in terms of technique, idea and creativity.

Basically, one can work with butter cream or royal icing and put your creative skills to test. In Butter cream decoration, with a star nozzle , you could play with piping shells, upside down shells, garlands, zig zag and rosette.

Garlands: strands of icing can be used to create frosting that resembles ribbons, vines, or banners that swing in the wind. Garlands are often used to circle around the circumference of the cake.

Shells: plain or embellished shells can also be used for borders. Grooved marks in the tip create marks and indentations like you’d see on a seashell and one of the the most popular forms of cake decoration.

Rosettes are like drop flowers, rosettes are not meant to be realistic but add a pretty addition to the cake. These mini-roses can be added to a cake’s top, base, or sides.

Outlines: this technique is used to set off a part of your design from the rest of the cake.

Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, it may be better to use a thin, or thick outline of icing. However, a dark color usually works best. A few interesting techniques in butter cream icing are the star drop technique and the shell stretch technique which are ideal for fillers especially in for children’s party cakes which have theme like Alice in wonderland, Barbie and her family Mickey and Minnie mouse and the recently popular Ben 10.

The Art of Piping

2011-05-16T05:07:00.000-07:00

Piping is a very intrinsic and integral part of baking. What is most interesting and fascinating is the size of your piping bag and the pressure you insert at the rear end to get the design your intended.

Another important aspect that needs attention is the angle at which you hold your piping bag and the firm and controlled pressure you use to pipe your design. This techniques works on the seam of 3 different pressures – light pressure, medium pressure and heavy pressure all with the same kind of tip that is cut off. Light pressure for thin lines, heavy pressure for thick lines and medium press for in between lines.Designs can of various kinds – flowers such as roses, poppies, daisies, carnations to leaves, branches, curtains and hearts.You could play with cream or royal icing .The technique of piping can be used for outline or to fill in or both .The Baking paper can be used to make quick and cheap piping bags instead of buying the ready-made ones you can find in the stores. Using a piping bag will allow you to have more control over decorating your cakes, cookies and pastries and therefore give you a professional finished result. Because baking paper is not expensive, it is possible to make lots of piping bags to experiment with different frosting colors and designs. Use a different piping bag for each color frosting to create intricate and interesting patterns on cakes and cookies.

Check Video of Flower Making

Chocolate Musings

2011-05-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

There’s something inherent in all of us about chocolate; be it the children’s most loved book “ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or the Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche starrer “ Chocolat” We can never say No; sinfully enticing and truly heavenly, chocolate has the power to lift your emotional and creative energies. Speaking of creativity and chocolate, chocolate seems that it is going to be a dominant factor to reckon with. Right from tempering to the different techniques of piping on different surfaces to artistic design creation, it’s been chocolate all the way - dark, plain and vanilla. Surfaces used include Egg trays and bone tools for the curvy wave like chocolate, balloons and Pringle tins and butter paper – innovative designs, creativity unlimited – on cakes, cookies and desserts as a home, fence, skirt …

Weddings and Cake in India

2011-05-01T04:17:00.001-07:00

Weddings are memorable occasions in an individual’s life. Friends cement the occasion creating cherished memories. making it even more special to remember. In India, weddings are known for a large number of interesting rituals, customs and traditions – all which require immense and careful planning. Bridal Mehendi forms an integral part of an Indian Bride’s wedding Day. The very thought of Mehendi conjures the lovely hue of the colour red and the intrinsic design and patterns in your mind. Creativity manifested can best describe this lovely well thought concept of a wedding cake a friend can gift to a very dear friend on her special day. Cakes highlight a celebration and no celebration is complete without a cake .A Wedding cake is an old tradition . The roots of this tradition are found in Roman history. These wedding cakes play a significant role in the wedding. These cakes come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Many couples try to match the wedding cake with the flower arrangements, brides white dress or favorite flavor of the couple. The cake is designed after a detailed discussion with the bride as she wants it to be special for the most happening event of her life. The cake is a symbol of couple’s love, trust and commitment. The wedding cake is multi layered. Decorations on the cake must be interesting and should go along with the theme of the wedding.

Children & Colours

2011-04-30T23:08:00.001-07:00

Children have always been fascinated with colours….as was seen during the children’s baking workshop where the children went berserk with joy when asked to work with different coloured fondants and they tried coloured cookies; the children worked on eclectic combinations – pink & green; orange and yellow; red & yellow; it was such a joy to see so many happy faces work their nimble fingers through a mélange of colours, many an artist in the making

Insights to learning

2011-04-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

There’s never a dull moment at our school and a lot of insights to learning have come from the tried and tested method, this proved to be very true the other evening. As part of intense practice and rehearsing for India’s Got Talent show, while dressing up the young girl , it was seen that the fondant strip that went around the girl’ waist was too soft to stick because of the moisture in the air. An evening brainstorming session on what kind the material to be used to get the right texture resulted in Viola ! Gelatin , a gelatin strip where colours can be added and where the moisture is absorbed, These are some really endearing moments that one can fondly reminisces about……