I have a similar story to many of the members of The Cake Collective…I started baking as a means to escape the everyday mundane routine and have an opportunity to be creative in a delicious way. I would take great pride in the positive feedback I would get from my friends and colleagues regarding the baked goods I would share with them. Every week they would get a taste of something new. Eventually you start getting requests from your friends to make birthday, celebration, wedding cakes, etc…there comes a point when you need to transition from the hobby baking realm to deciding whether this is something you want to do as a business. Fortunately it’s an easy transition if you love to bake! I personally think things taste better when you put love in as an ingredient :)
Just last week I made a special cake for a friend of mine who recently got engaged. The result was a two tier love inspired Pan di Spagna cake for the newly engaged couple. Hearts were the theme, not only because they are in love, but some of the décor at the party included some felt hearts handmade by the bride-to-be. This would be the inspiration for the cake topper.
Just last week I made a special cake for a friend of mine who recently got engaged. The result was a two tier love inspired Pan di Spagna cake for the newly engaged couple. Hearts were the theme, not only because they are in love, but some of the décor at the party included some felt hearts handmade by the bride-to-be. This would be the inspiration for the cake topper.
A traditional Italian Pan di Spagna layer cake is not typically suitable for supporting multiple tiers, but I made an exception and added some buttercream (instead of chantilly cream) before covering the cake in fondant. I would also like to note that making the sponge cakes used up A LOT of eggs!
After baking, layering, filling, icing, carving and covering the cake in fondant…the love of cake design takes over. Hearts, Hearts and more hearts, with ruffling and edible silver paint to give the fondant appliques more depth. Here’s where I’ll share a tip...
When painting on cakes I used edible petal or luster dusts and add either lemon extract or vodka to make them liquid. Alcohol is used to facilitate drying of the painted elements. DO NOT mix with water…this will result in melting the sugar in your fondant and taking forever to dry.
The beauty of painting on a cake with edible dusts and alcohol is that you can practically erase everything you painted with little to no evidence that you made a mistake. If you have a slip of the brush while painting on your cake, take some straight vodka or lemon extract, dip a cotton swab into it and wipe & lift away the misplaced paint. Simple as that!
The beauty of painting on a cake with edible dusts and alcohol is that you can practically erase everything you painted with little to no evidence that you made a mistake. If you have a slip of the brush while painting on your cake, take some straight vodka or lemon extract, dip a cotton swab into it and wipe & lift away the misplaced paint. Simple as that!
 | 1. Here I'm painting on the cake.  |
2. Oops! See the small grey line above the ribbon.
3. Dip a cotton swab in alcohol.
4. Gently dab and lift away the oops.
5. Notice that the grey line has lifted! You can see it on the tip of the swab.
Always use a clear spot on your swab for any additional passes you may need to do.
Always use a clear spot on your swab for any additional passes you may need to do.
PS Congratulations to Lidia and Marco!
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