Confectionary Chalet, Confectionary Recipes

Kathleen's Confectionery Hints

~Baking Hints~

Preheat oven at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes before placing cake pans in oven, check temperature with oven thermometer. Baking cake at a lower temperature will help the cake to bake more evenly; adjust baking time, due to lower temperature.
When preparing cake pans for baking, grease only "Bottom" of cake pans, never grease the sides, unless unusual shaped pan is being used; this will allow finished cake layers to rise much higher when baked. Make sure to cut around edges of cake pan immediately after removing from oven, to release baked cake layer from pan.
To prepare cake pans for baking, you may line cake pan with parchment paper cut to the size of your cake pans (or) Bakers Joy spray (or) a homemade recipe of Pan Grease; 1 cup shortening, 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup vegetable oil; Combine ingredients, mix well with electric mixer and store in airtight container. You may keep a supply of the pan grease mixture in a covered container, use when needed. (refrigeration is required in hot weather)
When using a cake mix, follow mixing time exactly for that particular brand and kind of mix. Always measure accurately for any recipe using wet and dry measuring cups and LEVEL measurements. For best results, use extra large eggs in recipes.
Fill cake pans no more than 1/2 -2/3 full with cake batter; tap cake pan several times on counter to eliminate air bubbles from cake batter.
Unless you have an exceptionally wide oven rack, never place two layer cake pans on the same rack while baking; allow at least 2" between cake pans layers and the oven wall, this prevents uneven rising in finished cake layers.
When baking cakes on seperate oven racks, reverse the layers on racks 20-25 minutes into the baking time, or as soon as cake batter is "set." The top oven rack ususally bakes hotter than the bottom in most ovens, unless you have a convection oven that circulates the air while baking. This technique allows for more level and evenly baking of cake layers.
Baked cake layers are usually done when they start to pull away from cake pan sides; cake layers spring back when lightly touched with finger, or a toothpick is inserted in the center of cake and comes out clean.
To release cake layers, simply cut around the edges of pan, to loosen the cake, this will prevent cake from sticking to pan sides. Place cake pans on cooling rack, allow to cool in cake pans for 15 to 30 minutes, for 8” to 12” layers, slightly longer for larger cakes. Cooling cake layers on a cake rack, allows air to circulate and prevents the layers from being "wet" on the bottom.
Turning a warm or hot cake out of a baking pan too quickly, will crack and fall apart. Cake layers that cool in the pan too long, will stick unless lined with parchment paper.
If your cake has cooled in pan and was greased with shortening & flour, this will cause the cake layers to stick in cake pans. If this occurs, simply heat the bottom of cake pan over a low flame on stove until cake releases from pan.
When ready to turn cake layers out of pans, loosen edges with a knife or cake spatula, invert rack on top of cake pan and flip over. If cake layer has a hump in the middle, immediately flip over onto another cake rack so cake is resting on flat bottom and not on hump. This will prevent the cake from cracking in half.
Cakes that are to be torted, filled or frosted should be fully cooled or baked one day ahead, for ease in handling.
Before buying larger cake pans, be sure to measure your oven to insure the new pan will fit in your oven.

~Cake Storage Hints~

Cakes can be frozen for up to three months in heavy-duty foil. Cake must be thawed completely before frosting or decorating; this prevents frosted cakes from developing air bubbles when completely thawed and decorated.
Iced cakes may be frozen six months to one year, if placed in air tight container (or) cake box wrapped with freezer wrap or heavy duty foil, then place in plastic bag. When defrosting, keep cake wrapped until completely thawed.
Un-iced cakes should be stored at room temperature no longer than 24 hrs.
All cakes should be refrigerated to keep their freshness. When serving buttercream cakes, they are best at room temperature; whip cream cakes are best when served cold.

~Frosting Hints~

After decorating many class cakes you may have several different frosting colors left over, don't waist the money or the ingredients by discarding the frosting; make chocolate frosting out of your left over colored frosting, by mixing them all together. If your original frosting is made with shortening only and you have approximately three to four cups after mixing colors together; add 1/2 cup unsalted sweet butter, softened; blend well with mixer, add 9-12 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (or) 3-4 oz. melted bittersweet chocolate; add more chocolate if a stronger chocolate flavor is wanted. Use this recipe to frost your next cake. This helps from wasting un-wanted colors, left over from previous cakes.
Use unsalted sweet butter in all frosting recipes. Unsalted sweet butter has a higher melting point than regular butter, this prevents your frosting from becoming to soft for frosting and decorating your cakes.
If you have left over Royal Icing, made with meringue powder; use leftover icing to make buttercream frosting; for each cup leftover, add 1/3 cup shortening or softened sweet butter, flavoring, pinch of salt to taste. This allows you to use the leftover icing to decorate a cake and not waist the ingredients if you no longer need royal icing.

~Useful Hints~

Use Meringue Powder in place of egg whites. Meringue Powder acts as a stabilizer, keeping shortening and other liquids from separating, especially in hot weather. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons Meringue Powder to boxed cake mixes to help cakes rise higher.