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I am planning a two tier cake. I will bake and use your freezing in the pan method . My question is , after , I remove the frozen cakes from the pans , do I rewrap them in plastic wrap to defrost in the refrigerator or defrost them unwrapped ?
It’s best to defrost them wrapped, to maintain freshness and also so the condensation forms on the outside of the plastic instead of on the surface of the cake. Here are the most relevant articles:
How to Fill Layer Cakes in the Pan (full tutorial)
How to Freeze & Thaw Cakes
Cake Condensation Solutions
Cake Planning Schedule
I’m retired and want to take up baking. I’d like to make a gingerbread house. What kitchen tools do I need? I downloaded the ebook so far.
You’ll find the tool list in the book. Have fun!
Thanks. I guess I better keep reading. 🙂
I just discovered your website and want to thank you for your honest, straightfoward way of sharing your experience with us. I live in Panama, where it is awfully hot all year round, so your tips on freezing, etc. are especially helpful.Again, thank you so much!
Hello, I just found your wonderful page, got subscribed to be able to tell you how amazing tips you are delivering. I am a home baker, started when my daughter was little and I keep doing for my grandchildren and friends. Sometimes I charge, specially when they ask for special occasions and it is complicated; however, they feel that I am overcharging. I looked at your price lists and I believe I have been charging too little… therefore, thank you for your lists.
Hi. I just found your blog and I am making the cake for my parents 50th Anniversary. I baked the cakes last week and put them in the freezer with plastic wrap and foil. Is it too late to take them back out of the freezer and try this technique for the layers?
Dear Kristen,
I love this blog and there are so many ideas! Could you help me with my cake decoration plan for my 3 year olds birthday cake? I’d like a 4 layer cake. I’m thinking a moist yellow cake. I’m trying to decide on buttermilk cake or a sponge cake. The filling idea is lemon curd/ cream cheese , vanilla ice cream layer and a raspberry jam layer. I ordered a set of round flat pans and rectangle pans to make I dividual cake layers. What do you think will or won’t work with my plan? Should I store the cake layer back in its pan and freeze them until stacking, then refrigerate, etc.? The party is this Saturday. What day should I start baking, Thursday?
Your expert advice would be so helpful!
Thank you
Sherrie
Hello!! I’ve loved reading peoples comments and concerns. Its wonderful to see so many people being creative and making their own cakes!
I’m buying my cakes from a grocery store ( where they have been already iced with buttercream and frozen ) I want to apply my fondant over their icing and add stacking Dowels to make it 3 tiers. I plan on buying 6 cakes and stack them in sets of 2, I will do a little bit of carving to make the 2 sets a smaller size but very minor.
My 1st question is:
Should I buy the cakes frozen take them home and apply my fondant then and then freeze again for 3 days.
or
Should I buy the thawed cakes take those home, apply the fondant and then freeze for 3 days?
I was planning on buying and decorating the cakes on the Monday, freezing them till Friday morning, placing them in my cooler for a 4 hour transport. Assembling at our Wedding Venue, and placing them in their fridge till Saturday afternoon. The Reception says they will bring the cake out at 430 and sit till we serve it at 8:30.
2nd Question:
Is that time frame okay or does it take more time to bring to room temperature?
My fondant design is just plain with Royal icing to look like mountains
Thank you,
Jaime
I bake cakes all the time. This is the first time I ever got suggestions that helped me completely. I recommend everyone look u up. Thanks for all your help
Hi,
I just watched your video on how to fill and stacks cakes back in the cake pan and I totally love this idea and will use it. This method keeps the cake layers smooth and straight before the crumb coat and will make my life so much easier so thank you for this awesome tip!!!
Thanks for accepting. i love your work, well done.
You are welcome
I have to say, after finding your site, and watching videos and downloading one of your books, Kirsten, I do not think I will ever turn to anyone else for advice again. I started making cakes back in the early 90’s when most people did not know what rolled fondant was. I often used my own creativity and many, many hours (always with icing) to get the same results as one would get from rolled fondant. Forgive me for maybe being a bit critical, but I think that the rolled fondant trend makes amateurs look like professionals. Their cakes look great, but I know few who actually know what to do with a spatula and icing bag. I dropped cake decorating for this reason; I felt like I couldn’t compete with the rolled fondant foodies. I agree that a cake should not only look edible, it should taste edible too. Most people I know will peel the fondant off a slice of cake like they would peel a banana before they eat it (tossed in the garbage). I have always sworn by buttercream icing and anyone I have ever made a cake for would eat the icing too! And now, only now have I found the answer to my dilemma of achieving a beautiful, smooth cake that is tasty. Your tips and techniques will take hours off my cake decorating time and I now have the hope that I can make money doing it. I was doubly impressed to find that many of your designs use chocolate and not rolled fondant. That got me even more excited! I hope that the buttercream icing becomes a big trend again, and you could be the person to get it all started. I will be posting a picture of my daughter’s wedding cake when it is finished. Can’t wait to get back on the cake wagon. Thank you so so much!
Barb,
This is the best comment I’ve read in awhile! Thank you! I do so love helping make cakes yummier.
I can hardly wait to see photos of your daughter’s wedding cake! Soooo looking forward to that!
– Kristen
Hi, Kristen,
First off, I am embarrassed to say I misspelled your name. So sorry. I have a friend named Kirsten who decorates cakes, maybe that is why I screwed up LOL.
I was hesitant to post the pic of my cake because I am very picky and it did not turn out the way I wanted it to. Design-wise, I mean. The icing/filling was amazing and worked as advertised 😉 However, the guests and my daughter and son-in-law were very impressed. I think I saved my girl a few bucks as well! She wanted a simple two tier cake in ivory to go with the cake toppers she chose, so we went with the love-birds-tree-leaves sort of design. The buttercream isn’t quite ivory, but it was close enough. I was inspired by your cake with the tree and leaves, but my tree branches ended up looking more like veins, IMO. Still, I was very happy with how I was able to ice the cakes and keep them smooth-looking by using your techniques.
Before I dove in to do the big one, I used up some chocolate scraps to test out your method. Because I am still searching for the perfect chocolate for modelling chocolate, I had to embellish this one with rolled fondant decorations. It turned out so cute! I dubbed it a “micro cake” and I think these little guys might be the specialty I would choose to go into business with. Would love your opinion!
Overall, I think my cake was a success, and it was because of you for sharing your talent, skills and experience. Thank you so much!!!
Barb
I thought I could post more than one pic at a time (but no!) So here is the micro cake I made 🙂
Whhaaaaat. Barb, when I first saw the micro-cake, I was like…no way…that could not be a real cake. Are you serious?! I never even heard of a micro-cake before but it makes total sense. We should all get to have one! I love it!
And the love birds cake is beautiful and sweet. I knew immediately those were tree branches.
Thank you for sharing! I’m sorry it took me a while to respond. You made my
daymiddle of the night.Well thank you, too Kirsten. I used the term micro-cake because I think it gets peoples attention 🙂 I enjoy the challenge of working in miniature and I was sort of inspired by the mini version of your topsy turvy cake in your Alice in Wonderland gingerbread house. I would like to try a micro version of the mexican wedding cake and the optical illusion cake in micro (some day!)
SOOOO Excited to have found you. I can’t tell you how many fails i have had with bulging and oozing fillings. I looked everywhere for the answer and it appears that you have been sent from heaven. Can’t wait to make a cake this weekend.
Hi. My name is Claudia and I am from Colombia S.A.I live in Roselle IL. I recently suscribed to your blog and YouTube chanel.I’m a home baker and I am super excited about your videos and got myself your E book about butter cream.
This morning I watch your last video and was very surprised to hear you say that your baking days were over!
What do you mean by that?
Claudia,
Hey! I just found this comment. Great cake! Apologies for the extremely delayed response. Yes indeed, my baking days are over. I have shifted over to working as a bakery consultant and writing books about this craft. This keeps me plenty busy. It is my goal to make use of everything that I learned by sharing it with all of you.
I am so glad and excited to find your blog !!!! Oh Hi and am a home baker , I am so excited about filling and freezing my cakes , thank you for your tutorials I will send pictures after am done ☕
Hi
I m making cake for my daughter bday.she want barbie cake.Wat I more wanna know is whether chocolate with corn syrup is eatable? As fondant icing most of the people doesn’t like to eat.As is want to decorate with chocolate but eatable…not like fondant one
Everyone loves the taste of choc. modeling clay when I use it….white/choc. Etc
Good morning ….. well this was such a great start to my day. Finding you!
I have put my hand up to make the birthday cake for my husbands 60th and then went …. OMG what have I done.
So now I will have your book (in a minute) and hopefully I can find all I need from it. I live here in France and the language is not my strong suit.
It is advice that I am seeking as I am about to visit a supply shop and with luck I will be able to buy what you recommend.
I wish to build a square medieval tower. As in the attached photo.
I thought it should be built from a brownie mixture or a heavy type cake.
To decorate it I would like it to look like stones. The heavy stones on the roof could be made from your moulding chocolate techniques. I thought of pressing in candy coloured chocolate stones – but how would they stick. Or shall I carve in the shape of the stones and paint them – using moulding chocolate?
It will be six stories high with a separating sheet between each layer to help cut it. It is for 120 guests.
I am more than willing to engage you as a consultant as I realise that I am demanding rather a lot of guidance here.
Thank you ever so much for whatever aid you can offer me.
Cheerio for now
Suzanne
Suzanne,
If you need immediate answers or coaching on this project, I offer a consulting service for involved cake undertakings like this. You can try the number listed on my contact page to set something up. If you have trouble reaching me at that number or would prefer to arrange a Skype call since you’re overseas, then please email me at [email protected].
thank you so much for your time and help you expend with my friend Ario help me to be connect with your web-side .
I’m so happy finally I can enjoy all your Talents and Knowledge.
Thank you for SHARING you make the Differents
Pilar LozanoA..
Just found your blog and subscribed. Your tutorials are outstanding!! Will be ordering your book from Amazon. Thanks for all your tips and ideas.
Me Too!!
You know, it so saddens me that there are no more chocolate modeling instructors out there to help us. Looks like I will have to learn more about that icky fondant stuff. I read a piece on the Internet where someone was experimenting the mixture of modeling chocolate and fondant. Interesting, huh? I may try it. Sounds like there is a realm of possibilities. We shall see!
Less than ten years ago, you could not find a book or website specifically on the topic of modeling chocolate. Now, it’s a mainstream technique in cake decorating with plenty of great instructors who teach about it. There are all kinds of goodies in this resource too, so I’d say you have lots of info at your disposal.
The topic of mixing modeling chocolate with fondant is also covered in my book and is a great technique to try, as it offers the combined advantages of both mediums. Go for it.
I have mixed the 2 with my homemade marshmallow fondant and it worked well!
I have done that and I really like the taste and texture
Hi I have a question I need to do a birthday cake for 27th February. I wanted to bake and freeze the cake. How long should it stay at room temperature before I can ganache? I would be applying fondant on top. It would be my first time using ganache so need help
I would recommend ganaching the cake when it’s cold – at refrigerator temperature. That way, the ganache will set up. Then, let the coating fully harden in the fridge before adding fondant. The cake should be cold to the core when you do this. It will make it easier to add the fondant.
I have read your book over and over and over again. I’m seriously sad that your app is not compatible with my Windows Phone. Oh, well, I am confident that it will be compatible at some point in the future.
I don’t in fact have an app, so this is not a problem I could solve.
I’m not sure what book you are referring to but my ebooks are available via multiple reading platforms (such as Kindle and Kobo) that are indeed compatible with smart phones. However since they are heavy files with lots of detailed images, it is recommended that you read them on a computer or larger mobile device.
nice and creative
i m a very big fan of ur recipes
how did you secure piano cake to cake board? Not the actual piano board but attaching piano too board?
I don’t secure the piano cake to the stand. I just wait to display it on the stand until the start of the party. At most, I might use a couple of glue dots between the cake board and stand.
Can you give us a tutorial on how to do Paul Bradford’s famous chocolate wrap cake technique?
Thank you for your idea request but that would be unethical to post something on my blog that is for sale by another cake designer. That would violate my #4 core value: To respect the copyright of other cookbook authors and cake designers.
O….i am sorry i was thinking on the lines tht u may hv ur own method in the recipe for the choc wrap as well as the technique to use the wrap on the cake.
Nt a prblm at all. Regrettably,
I msd his demo at the Birmingham ICHF. Thx.
I do have my own ways of wrapping cakes with modeling chocolate. You can find instructions in my book, Cake Decorating with Modeling Chocolate. Typically, I resort to two methods: draping or paneling. Although you can also cover a cake with modeling chocolate by pleating, ruffling, or arranging a pattern of shapes. Paul Bradford uses a lot of smaller pieces of modeling chocolate to create that whole effect. Here is where you can find a free mini version of his modeling chocolate wrapping technique.
OMG!!! Thx a million…just what I was looking for. Yaayy!
I have subscribed to you blog and would lov eto enter into the contest for the gold and silver leaf. Thanks
Hi from South Africa, I made a few white choc modeling choc batches but all rock hard, so gather now I’m probably using way too little corn syrup as SA’s is very thick & difficult to measure. Is there any way to correct my hard failures? Maybe melt again & add more corn syrup?
Yes, you can melt it again and add more syrup or you can knead more syrup in. Try to knead your batches thoroughly first though just to be sure as sometimes modeling chocolate is rock hard after its first set but then softens after kneading. You know you need more corn syrup if it’s still dry and crumbly after kneading.
Estupendas ideas
Hi I just started using modeling chocolate but I have a problem with shine. I have a very dull dark colors, what can I do so the pieces aren’t so dull.
You can dust them with a little sparkle dust to make them shimmer. If you roll the chocolate then it helps to roll it between two pieces of parchment paper because that will add some shine. If you want to give something small like an eyeball a little shine, then rub your finger over it several times and you will see it get smoother and shinier.
can you use a springform pan instead of using a deep pan and blowtorch?
There is one more alternative that I discovered recently. It’s this kind of removable bottom pan. There you get all the benefits of a sturdy anodized pan without any of the drawbacks of a springform. I’ve been using this type of pan lately and I like it!
So glad that I found your Blog with the chocolate recipes. I love the look of fondant but the taste has something to be desired. I am looking forward to trying your recipes,
Why would my modeling chocolate mold? I made it on Friday and went to use it today Monday, and it had molded. What did I do wrong?
I have no idea…I’ve never heard of that happening, ever. It usually lasts for months, years even. Please send me a photo.
Hello, my friend would like a micro pig birthday cake, would be very grateful if you could help thanks ………belinda
hi,
Just ordered your book on Amazon.com… have to wait at least a month before it’s here, I live in Belgium 🙂 can’t wait to find the solutions for my problems with white moddeling chocolate… I’m sure I gonna enjoy it 🙂
Just ordered your book on Amazon.com, can’t wait to read it, I love the idea of using molding chocolate since I have never been a big fan of fondant 🙂 Thank you!!
I ordered your book from amazon, I should receive it early next week. I can’t wait !!!!!!!
Hi
At the top of the blog on the far right is a dessert with what looks like caramel on the top. Any chance I can get the recipe as everytime I look at your site I am craving it as it looks Lush! (welsh term for amazing)
I am still trying to get your book in the uk. Any ideas where it would be?
thanks
Amanda
Hi there!
I make my caramel by feel so I put sugar with some lemon or acid in a clean pot with water and boil it until it starts to caramelize. Then I add cream (gotta be careful here because cold cream will cause the hot sugar to boil and sputter). Another great thing you can use for a caramel cake filling is dulce de leche. YUM. Love your cake photo! Thanks for sharing. The best place to look for my book in the U.K. is on Gazelle. That is my U.K. distributor. Right now that listing says my book is not out yet. It’s not true. They are just out of stock. Reserve yourself a copy there. You can also buy from Amazon U.S. I know some people in Australia who have had luck with that.
I got my copy off Ebay!
So happy to have found this site! You do excellent cakes!!
Can’t wait to get the book and learn new techniques.
Just ordered your book! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! I really love your work.
your pig is awesome TFS your work ; )
just ordered your book. is the competition only valid for U.S.?
I subscribed yesterday and recieved my email but cant open the link to confirm.
Sorry about your dead link! Some browsers are not as compatible with it. Simply copy and paste that link into your browser’s address bar and that will direct you to the confirmation page.
FELICIDADES..!! ME ENCANTA ESTE BLOG AL FIN ALGUIEN QUE NOS EXPLIQUE GRATUITAMENTE LOS TRUCOS DE ESTE BELLO MUNDO DE LAS TORTAS. MIL GRACIAS.
Love your work. Thanks.
I have subscribed twice now, but I haven’t received an email from you. I checked my junk folder. It’s not there either.
Kathleen, I can’t manage to send anything to that email address either. I got this error message: Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the server for the recipient domain kathleen.net by kathleen.net. Do you have an alternative email?
Try my google email address and see if there is some sort of success there.
Okay I subscribed that email.
Love your work. Truly amazing.