Ro Z's Sweet Art Studio

Wow, what a challenge the building of the cake was. All the baking was done by Jen. She solely bakes from cake mixes. Now there is nothing wrong with cake mix; however, when it comes to carving, building and creating a tall cake, you need a solid foundation. When planning the cake, I suggested and advised that she bake scratch pound cake to have a sturdy foundation. However, she had never baked from scratch and does not bake from scratch. I then suggested that she needed to create a box mix into a pound mix (more eggs) to provide the needed structure. So, after the major cracking and falling apart of the base layer, it was back to the drawing board. Pound cake was then baked. Although, that set back took up time and messed with the original drawing. So, it was time to come up with Plan B. The base was now a lot smaller - 16" instead of the 22" we wanted to begin with. And the bottom base was now covered with a crumb coat, fondant, and I created the waves with icing. It is the strength of a decorator to be flexible and be able to overcome shortcomings. So, that is what we did as a team, we overcame what was presented to us and moved on.

So, all you seasoned decorators, you know what happens as I am sure you all have had your share of debacles and experiences. Jen just happened to have hers on national television, and that is okay, because it shows her perseverance and that she is able to overcome obstacles. For you new decorators, don't be afraid to try and make mistakes. It is all part of the learning process!

More to come.....

6 Comments to What you didn't see - building the cake:

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jenny on Thursday, June 09, 2011 10:10 AM

Wow, thats interesting, I've never baked from a box mix, they didnt really have them in the uk, and I dont like the aftertaste, I didnt realize they came with additional problems with structural integrity! My favourite recipe for a really sturdy cake that needs to stand up to abuse and tastes incredible is the planet cake chocolate mud cake. Its super yummy too, more like a brownie than a cake! I noticed you have the book in the shop, so it should be easy for your customers to check it out! It seemed to me that you all looked pretty professional and they didnt really make too much of a drama of it.

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jenny on Thursday, June 09, 2011 10:11 AM

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Daph on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:31 AM

So how many eggs exactly do you add to a cake mix to make it into a poundcake?

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	Ro Zinniger on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 8:54 AM Hi Daph: Ideally, you would add an extra egg, so it would be 4 eggs, 1 C water, 1/3 C oil, and the mix. There are other variations. However, I would ALWAYS suggest baking from scratch - always. I use a pound cake recipe that is tasty and moist at the same time, however the crumb is tighter and compact - makes for a denser cake. This will hold up when carving and building. For cakes that would go on top or that were smaller and did not have to be carved, I would always use my regular vanilla cake recipe that is not as dense. Of course, remember it all depends on your end result. If you are baking a cake for your family, go for a cake mix, it is certainly okay. You can go to www.bettycrocker.com for variations and some cool recipes that use cake mixes! Happy Baking!!!!! P.S. I love their triple chocolate cake mix....makes a great cake in a pinch! : )

driveways melbourne on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 8:14 PM

I have been reading your blog for the last 3 days and find so much interesting topics here. It really proves that your tutorial was helpful. Thank you so much for sharing and also for the great tutorial about building cake! :)


	Ro Zinniger on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 11:10 AM Thank you. It is challenging to keep up with the blog and all categories while balancing a school and retail store; however, my ultimate goal is to share and educate. I feel the more we know, the more efficient we are! Thank you for your feedback, and I will continue to post more! Cheers!

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What you didn't see - building the cake

6 Comments to What you didn't see - building the cake:

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