Red Velvet Cake and Cake Decorating
Today I baked a three layer Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting for my sisters birthday. See below for the recipe I used. I doubled the recipe because I used a slightly bigger pan and wanted to make a 3 layer cake. As well it took longer too cook, so I would add 5 minutes at a time and check the centre.
I was happy with the overall result, and strongly stress the importance of following the steps exactly when it comes to cakes like this in order for the best result. However, I am still on the hunt for the perfect red velvet cake recipe like the one I had at a bakery once... perhaps this will be one of many life quests.
My personal Decorating Tips
I had spent a summer once as a pastry artist decorating cakes for a bakery, giving me the opportunity to learn and practice new skills when it comes to cake decorating. Her are my tips and steps for the cake shown here.
Step 1: Ensure the cake is cooled before proceeding with decorating.
- once the cake is not steaming or hot to the touch you can place it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process. the colder the cake when decorating the better because you do not want it to heat the icing in anyway.
- When you bake a cake the middle will form a dome, unfortunately domes are not ideal for stacking which is why you need to level it off.
- First remove from the pan and place your bottom layer on the platter you plan to serve the cake on. Then using a knife with a serrated edge carefully cut the top of the dome, just as the picture shows it is alright to have a slight curved edge just as long as the centre is flat.
- Be sure to spread icing or filling between each layer as a form of glue. If you are using filling first take a piping bag with icing ( a zip lock with a corner cut works too) and pipe icing around the edge of the top of the cake creating a wall to protect the filling from flowing out the sides.
- When it comes to stacking make sure the bottom layer cake has the right side facing up (just as it was in the pan) and the top layer right side facing down. This sets up the smooth even surface for the top of the cake.
- Whether you are piping on a design or just using a knife to ice the cake always begin with a thin crumb coat. Why? this is to prevent crumbs from appearing in the outer decoration of the cake, creating a cleaner finish.
- Wondering where to start? Take a spatial or spoon or whatever will get the job done, and place a generous dollop of icing on top of the cake. The proceed to take a knife, preferably an icing knife, to spread the icing around, bringing it to the edge and down the sides.
- For just a non-piping finish, just repeat the same steps for the crumb coat using a thicker layer and finish the final look off how you would like, the example from where I got the recipe from is a great simple example.
- For the Rose look I used a large piping tip and worked my way from the centre out. TIP! you want to keep the icing as cold as possible for the optimal shape ( I forgot too at one point and some of the icing sagged down on the sides). 1. Keep the extra icing in the fridge while decorating. 2. place the cake in the fridge while refilling the bag. 3. If the icing in the bag becomes to warm place in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
Hope this inspires you, and feel free to send me any questions or suggestions!
(http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2014/02/red-velvet-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/#x7hQVXOtEJ1d3tsF.32)
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