ELEVATING YOUR CAKES
Every
once in a while an occasion arises that requires a very special cake. Well, get
ready to amaze your family, friends, and maybe even yourself. With a simple cake
mix, a little imagination, and a few simple tricks, you will be able to create a
cake that is so luscious that everyone will swear you must have placed a special
order at the local gourmet bakery.
Begin with a
package of cake mix in the flavor of your choice. While mixing the
ingredients as per package instructions, you can add a little extra flavor and a
personal touch by blending in a teaspoon of one of the many
extracts available.
Almond, vanilla, butter flavor, and rum baking flavor are all excellent choices
to enhance any white, yellow, or chocolate cake mix.
After the cake is baked and cooled completely, you can now add another
personal touch to it by placing a layer of your or a loved ones favorite fruit
or pudding type filling inside of the yummy cake. To do this, begin halfway down
one side and cut lengthwise around the entire cake. Once you have completed the
cut, remove the top half of the cake by gently sliding an extra cake board or
flat cookie sheet underneath it and set aside.
Now you are ready to add the
layer of
filling. There are so many wonderful fillings available that it will
probably be hard for you to choose a favorite. A moist yellow cake with
raspberry or strawberry filling and a white whipped icing is unbelievable. A
dark chocolate fudge cake with chocolate bavarian cream filling or a cream
cheese filling and a fudge icing is also a favorite of my family. To prevent the
filling from seeping out the sides of the cake, create an "icing dam" to hold
the filling. To create the "icing dam" simply pipe a circle of icing around the
edge of the cake. Make the circle about 3/4" high and spread the desired filling
into the enclosed area.
Regardless
of which filling you choose, spread evenly on top of the bottom half of the
cake. However, do not spread the filling entirely to the edge of the cake. Doing
so will cause the filling to come out the sides of the cake once the top layer
is placed back on.
To put the top layer back into place, simply slide it off of the cake board
or cookie sheet.
Once the top layer of cake is replaced, brush away any crumbs from the top
and sides of the cake and from the cake board that it is sitting on before
icing. Frost with the
icing of your
choice and then sit back and watch the delight on your family and friends
faces.
You can even elevate your layer cakes to new height. Bake an extra layer when
creating - cut in in half and you have 2 more layers to put filling or fruit
between. Layered cakes are becoming the hit of bakery crowd and you can amaze
your guests with the heights your cake takes. For ideas you might want to check
out Sky High or
Great Cakes - 2
newer books dealing with layered cakes.
