You can usually tell how clean a pastry kitchen is by how well the piping equipment is maintained. In well-managed kitchens, the pastry bags get emptied and cleaned at the end of every shift. There are places for the bags to … Continue reading
Category Archives: Tips
Here are some holiday gift ideas for the baker or cake decorator in your life. Stocking Stuffers Under $10 Mini Roller Cutter This 1 1/2″ stainless steel roller cutter is handy for all kinds of decorating projects involving fondant, modeling chocolate, … Continue reading
While working as a pastry chef here in the U.S., I’ve noticed that many Americans prefer shortening-based cake frosting over real buttercream. Probably because it’s what’s used in supermarket cakes, it’s in the center of so many cream-filled goodies, and … Continue reading
The piping that I did on the cake above is a Martha Stewart design. When making, selling, or buying wedding and specialty cakes, there is the factor of the cake serving platter. Because every cake needs to sit on top of something, … Continue reading
In this industrialized world, most of us don’t know how this wonderful thing called chocolate is made. Here’s how it’s done, from rain forest to table. The Cocoa Tree The cocoa tree, or Theobroma Cacao, is a tropical evergreen native to … Continue reading
Because most cakes rise in the middle, you often get a pesky dome that needs to be trimmed off, which creates cake scraps. Imagine working in a bakery that makes hundreds or thousands of cakes daily, how much leftover cake tops accumulate. … Continue reading
1. Rubber gloves to prevent dying hands when working with colors. 2. Styrofoam brick wrapped in plastic wrap, to anchor figurines in process. 3. Yard/meter stick to measure and trim rolled chocolate. 4. Flexible measuring tape for measuring contoured cakes 5. … Continue reading
Here is the truth: The American chocolate industry has developed and successfully marketed so many artificial brands of chocolate that the average U.S. consumer is hooked on cheap/fake chocolate, a.k.a. mockolate. The best way to avoid buying mockolate is to first understand … Continue reading
The ideal working environment for modeling chocolate is a cool, 65°F (18°C), dry room with clean surfaces and equipment. Do not work directly in sunlight. Minimize contact with moisture and humidity. The optimal tabletop is clean, smooth, and made from a … Continue reading
This comprehensive set of charts calculates the serving sizes for round, square, tapered round, topsy turvy, and tapered square cakes at 2” (51 mm), 3” (76 mm) and 4” (102 mm) heights. Based on the average wedding cake serving size, … Continue reading
Vintage 2010 blog post It’s like perpetual art period or crafternoon up in here except instead of construction paper all over the place, it’s modeling chocolate and instead of paint on the elbow, it’s buttercream. Here is how I keep the gadgets organized. First, I’ve … Continue reading
Here is a list of some of my favorite tools for professional cake baking, filling, torting, carving, building, assembling and construction. Cake Pans The best kind of cake pan is deep enough that it can be used both for baking … Continue reading
This plastic piping bag stand holds frosting bags and parchment paper paper cones while you fill them, freeing both hands to scrape every last bit of chocolate or frosting from the bowl. When not in use, it’s the perfect vessel for cone storage You … Continue reading
When it comes to cake pans, the best long-term investment for your bakery are deep, thick gauge solid aluminum pans. The Advantages to Solid, Deep, Aluminum Pans The thick metal and high walls help buffer the heat so that cakes … Continue reading
The heating core is a nifty gadget that helps radiate heat into the center of large or deep cakes, reducing baking time and allowing for a more even rise and a more evenly baked cake. This is particularly handy when … Continue reading
Both at home and in a commercial kitchen, it’s hard to keep piping and decorating tips in order. Spool hangers work well. These handy hangers double both as a drying rack and viewable storage for your many tips and couplers. I highly … Continue reading