The Essential Guide To Baking

A cake frosted in a boiled type icing will not freeze well. The icing will be ruined if you try

to freeze it.

PROBLEM: What is a good flavor combination for white buttercream icing?

Try vanilla and a little almond extract. When using butter for the shortening, try vanilla and

a little orange extract. Always use a small amount of any strong flavor as the background taste.

PROBLEM: I want a very dark chocolate icing on top of my devil's food cake layers, but I want

to use a lighter chocolate icing for between the layers and outside edges. What must I do?

You should use two types of icing. For the top simply melt a small quantity of chocolate

morsels along with a little heavy cream. Do not whip this mixture. Ice the sides and between

the cake's layers with regular chocolate buttercream, then carefully spread the warm, melted

chocolate over the cake's top.

TIPS ON ICING

Buttercream:

I. Mix cocoa/oil with the powdered sugar before creaming with shortening in buttercream icing.

Mix three level tablespoons of cocoa with one tablespoon of salad oil or melted shortening to

make one block (one ounce) of unsweetened baking chocolate. When making a portion of the

buttercream chocolate flavored, use the cocoa conversion to make the chocolate flavor. Do not

add raw cocoa to the finished buttercream icing.

II. Use Emulsified shortening when using food colors or colored jams in buttercream icing.

III. The more buttercream icing is mixed (after the chocolate has been added) the lighter in

color the icing will become. When you want a darker colored chocolate buttercream, do not mix

the icing more than necessary to blend in the chocolate.

IV. Chill freshly baked chocolate cake layers in the refrigerator before applying the icing.

Gently rub any loose crumbs from the chilled layers and you will not have as much trouble

spreading the icing.

BOILED ICING:

I. A little Cream of Tartar mixed with the dry sugar (before cooking) will make firmer and

whiter boiled icing.

II. Cool cake layers completely before icing. Use a sharp knife and cut away humps and high

sides. The layers should be fairly level before applying the icing.

FONDANT ICING:

I. Thin fondant icing by heating or use a small amount of hot liquid. Hot coffee is excellent

to use when thinning Chocolate fondant.

II. Always keep fondant icing covered with plastic or a thin layer of vegetable oil.

Icing Techniques And Tricks