Gorgeous & Gruesome Cakes for Children E-Book

Debbie Brown

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 195

Beschreibung

"Gorgeous and Gruesome Cakes for Children" features 30 fun and original birthday cake designs suitable for both boys and girls alike. With designs by the UK's bestselling sugarcraft modelling author, all the cakes are tasty, easy to create and will be the star of the show at any child's birthday party. The book begins with a comprehensive section on getting started with cake decorating, including useful advice on the basic tools and equipment needed. There are also delicious cake recipes, providing the all-essential base to the added decorations. With such a compelling mix of pretty and horrible designs, whether they're into monsters or princesses there's something for all children here. Girls will love the gorgeous Frog Prince and Cinderella's Glass Slipper cake, whilst boys will find the gooey Alien Egg or gruesome Swamp Monster simply irresistible!

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction

Basic recipes

Basic techniques

General equipment

Dotty dog

Swamp monster

Cloud castle

Alien spaceship

Ted in a box

Pirate skull

Trumpet tower

Alien egg

Frog prince

Scary octopus

Sea palace

Shark!

Acorn fairy

Baby dinosaur

Princess castle

Spider trap

Flower fairy

The dungeon

Ragdoll

Troll house

Glass slipper

Hey monster!

Midnight fairies

Ugly bug

Fairy wand

Worms

The butterfly ball

Eyeballs

Crowns and tiaras

Bugs

Templates

Index

Introduction

I really enjoyed writing this title with its fun mix of gorgeous and gruesome inspired designs for children. The gorgeous designs were easy to imagine, a little pink perhaps, a magical castle, a pretty fairy, some sparkle or a cute face and there’s your appealing gorgeous cake that draws looks of admiration on the special day from all those little faces looking up at you.

When making some of the more gruesome designs, a colleague’s words kept ringing in my ears, ‘You couldn’t make anything look ugly! Every piece of sugar you touch turns out cute!’ I suppose it’s rather true as most of the designs herein really aren’t too gruesome at all. They are gruesome without being too much so – even the Ugly Bug has a funny facial expression that couldn’t offend and the Monster instead of being angry just looks endearing!

I could’ve added some ghouls, a little blood and guts, perhaps an ugly worm or some disgusting looking rotting brains oozing out of the Pirate Skull’s eye, or a pretty little butterfly sitting on the Baby Dinosaur’s tongue about to be his tea, but decided to keep the designs slightly tamer, to stop those widened eyes of horror from little children’s faces. I know they love the really gruesome ideas for cakes, but when it comes to the serving, the wrinkling of noses is common and they never really want to consume the really unsavoury looking ones, and it’s such a waste of a nice celebration cake and all the time you’ve spent perfecting it.

I hope you find something to inspire you within these pages and the designs give you and the lucky recipients much pleasure. I’ve been writing and designing for many years and all of these cakes are achievable within a sensible timeframe although I recommend you leave plenty of time to decorate to alleviate any stress as the special day nears. I’ve found as long as the cake is sealed tightly with a good covering of sugarpaste no later than a day after baking then it can, depending on the climate you are working in, last anything up to a week before consumption, allowing you time to perfect your masterpiece. Just have fun and be happy to have found this wonderful and rewarding pastime.

Debbie

Basic recipes

Butter sponge cake

This recipe is rich and moist but with the addition of a little extra flour makes it slightly denser so perfect for sculpting. I would recommend using this recipe in preference to shop bought sponge mixes as these are often too soft and crumbly to withstand being sculpted into different shapes.

If you have a fan assisted oven, it may be advisable to reduce the suggested oven temperature slightly. I also recommend placing a metal baking (cookie) sheet onto the top of the bakeware so the cake is protected from the hot air during baking.

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2-3. Grease and line the bakeware. Sift the flour into a bowl.

2 Soften the butter and place into the food processor or a large mixing bowl. Sift and add the caster (superfine) sugar. Beat until the mixture becomes lighter in colour with a fluffy texture.

3 Add the eggs along with two thirds of the flour and beat well.

4 Add the Vanilla essence/flavouring and then fold in the remaining flour.

5 Spoon the mixture into the bakeware and level the top.

6 Bake in the centre of the oven until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

7 When baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cold, store in an airtight container or double wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) for at least eight hours, allowing the texture to settle before use.

Pretty pink raspberry cake

This recipe is gorgeously pretty pink in colour and tastes great with the addition of the raspberry jelly (Jell-O). The jelly also helps to slightly firm the texture of the cake, making it perfect for sculptures.

If you have a fan-assisted oven, it may be advisable to reduce the suggested oven temperature slightly. I also recommend placing a metal baking (cookie) sheet onto the top of the bakeware so the cake is protected from the hot air during baking.

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2-3. Grease and line the bakeware. Sift the flour into a bowl.

2 Melt the jelly (Jell-O) for one minute in a microwave and then stir until dissolved.

3 Soften the butter and place into the food processor or a large mixing bowl. Sift and add the caster (superfine) sugar. Beat until the mixture becomes lighter in colour with a fluffy texture.

4 Add the eggs along with two thirds of the flour and beat well.

5 Add the melted jelly (Jell-O) and then fold in the remaining flour.

6 Spoon the mixture into the bakeware and level the top.

7 Bake in the centre of the oven until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8 When baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cold, store in an airtight container or double wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) for at least eight hours, allowing the texture to settle before use.

Slime lime cake

This recipe is gorgeously gruesome green in colour but tastes great with the flavour of the lime jelly (Jell-O). As the raw green jelly (Jell-O) is quite pale, I added a few small drops of liquid green food colouring into the cake mixture as this helps to intensify the colour, but of course you could leave this out if you wish.

If you have a fan assisted oven, it may be advisable to reduce the suggested oven temperature slightly. I also recommend placing a metal baking (cookie) sheet onto the top of the bakeware so the cake is protected from the hot air during baking.

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2-3. Grease and line the bakeware. Sift the flour into a bowl.

2 Melt the jelly in a pan over a low heat or heat for one minute in a microwave and then stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.

3 Soften the butter and place into the food processor or a large mixing bowl. Sift and add the caster (superfine) sugar. Beat until the mixture becomes lighter in colour with a fluffy texture.

4 Add the eggs along with two thirds of the flour and beat well.

5 Add the melted jelly and the liquid food colouring if required. Fold in the remaining flour.

6 Spoon the mixture into the bakeware and level the top.

7 Bake in the centre of the oven until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8 When baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cold, store in an airtight container or double wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) for at least eight hours, allowing the texture to settle before use.

SUGAR SYRUP

Sugar syrup is an easy way to ensure your cake remains moist during the preparation process and of course the serving. When preparing your cake, brush or dab sugar syrup carefully over each sponge cake layer, preferably with a silicone pastry brush and before the cake filling is added. The syrup slowly soaks into the sponge until it is distributed evenly throughout the cake. I also brush syrup over the top and sides of the sponge cake just before the crumb-coat is spread over the surface as I find it spreads a little easier.

Some cake decorators prefer to be generous when brushing on the syrup whilst others are more conservative. I find excessive sugar syrup can cause the sponge to become very sweet, so I recommend the following quantity. You can, of course, add more; in fact, many cake decorators use double these quantities.

•   115g (4oz) caster (superfine) sugar

•   125ml (4fl oz) water

•   5ml (1tsp) flavouring (optional)

1 Pour the measured sugar into a saucepan along with the water. Heat gently and bring to the boil, stirring carefully. Simmer for one minute to ensure all sugar granules have completely dissolved. Do not leave unattended as sugar can burn easily. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2 Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within one month.

3 Flavouring sugar syrup is not absolutely necessary but if you’ve baked a flavoured sponge cake then flavouring the sugar syrup to complement it can really enhance the taste. Although the most popular flavouring is vanilla, different seedless fruit jams also work very well.

BUTTERCREAM

A great versatile filling and the first choice for many, buttercream made with real unsalted butter is delicious. Can be carefully flavoured for choice. This amount is enough for each project in the book, plus a little extra just in case.

Makes approximately 625g (1¼lb/3¾c).

•   175g (6oz/¾c) unsalted butter, softened

•   2–3 tbsp milk

•   1 tsp flavouring (optional)

•   450g (1lb/3¼c) icing (powdered) sugar, sifted

1 Place the softened butter, milk and flavouring into a mixer. Mix on medium speed and add the icing (powdered) sugar a little at a time. Mix until light, fluffy and pale in colour.

2 Store in an airtight container and use within 10 days. Bring to room temperature and beat again before use.

BUTTERCREAM VARIATIONS

Chocolate

Fold in 145g–200g (5–7oz) of melted and cooled dark, milk or white chocolate

Orange or lemon

Add 30–45ml (2–3 level tbsp) of orange or lemon curd.

Raspberry

Add 30–45ml (2–3 level tbsp) of seedless raspberry jam.

Lime

Add 30–45ml (2–3 level tbsp) of freshly squeezed lime juice.

GANACHE

Ganache is a rich chocolate filling and coating, popular with cake decorators as it’s not only a delicious filling, but when spread on the surface of the cake as a crumb coat smoothes the surface ready for a neat application of sugarpaste (rolled fondant). Although not absolutely necessary, I recommend you leave the ganache covered cake to set for 24 hours room temperature. This allows the surface to set hard, making it easier to gain great results. To ensure the ganache sets firm enough to stabilize the cake and make it easier to cover, the cream quantity differs for each recipe due to the higher fat content of both milk and white chocolate. Although both will set well, dark ganache will set the hardest. In warmer climates you may slightly reduce the cream quantity further.

When you’re ready to apply the sugarpaste, the surface needs either a little sugar syrup, jam or softened ganache stippled over the surface to make it sticky ready for the covering. Take care not to add too much moisture otherwise your sugarpaste covering may slip.

This amount is enough for each project in the book, plus a little extra just in case.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

•   625g (1lb 6oz) dark couverture chocolate

•   500ml (18fl oz) fresh single or whipping cream

Milk Chocolate Ganache

•   625g (1lb 6oz) milk couverture chocolate

•   340ml (12fl oz) fresh single or whipping cream

White Chocolate Ganache

•   625g (1lb 6oz) milk or white couverture chocolate

•   170ml (6fl oz) fresh single or whipping cream

1 Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water (or a bain-marie) to 40°C (105°F).

2 Put the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for a minute. Allow to cool slightly.

3 Using a hand whisk, slowly pour the cream over the melted chocolate whisking gently together. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture thickens quickly, keep whisking until combined.

4 Allow the Ganache to cool, then transfer into an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within one week.

SUGARPASTE

Good quality ready-made sugarpaste is easy to use, produces great results and comes in a range of colours. Sugarpaste is widely available in the UK and many other countries around the world through cake decorating outlets and some supermarkets. There are many brands to choose from so it is best to try out as many as you can to find out which works for you best.

If you find ready-made sugarpaste difficult to source, here is a simple recipe:

Makes 625 g (1¼ lb/3¾c)

•   1 egg white made up from dried egg albumen

•   2 tbsp liquid glucose

•   625g (1¼ lb/4½c) icing (powdered) sugar

•   A little white vegetable fat (shortening) if required

•   A pinch of CMC or Gum Tragacanth if required

1 Put the egg white mixture and liquid glucose into a bowl, using a warm spoon for the liquid glucose.

2 Sift the icing (powdered) sugar into the bowl, adding a little at a time and stirring until the mixture thickens.

3 Turn out onto a work surface dusted liberally with icing (powdered) sugar and knead the paste until soft, smooth and pliable. If the paste is a little dry and cracked, fold in a little vegetable fat and knead again. If the paste is very soft and sticky, add a little more icing (powdered) sugar or to stabilise further a pinch of CMC or Gum Tragacanth.

4 Put immediately into a polythene bag and store in an airtight container. Keep cool at room temperature, or refridgerate. Bring back to room temperature and knead thoroughly before use. Can be frozen for up to 3 months.

ROYAL ICING

Royal icing is used to pipe details, e.g., hair, fur effect, etc. I also use royal icing to stick items together, as when it dries it will hold items firmly in place. Ready-made royal icing can be obtained from supermarkets or in powder form to which you only have to add water (follow instructions on the packet). If you prefer to make your own, follow this recipe.

Makes 75g (2½ oz)

•   1 level tsp egg albumen

•   3 tsp water

•   65–70g (2¼oz/½c) icing (powdered) sugar

Put the egg albumen into a bowl. Add the water and stir until dissolved. Beat in the icing (powdered) sugar a little at a time until the icing if firm, glossy and forms peaks if a spoon is pulled out.

To stop the icing forming a crust, place a damp cloth over the top of the bowl until you are ready to use it or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.

EDIBLE GLUE

This recipe makes a strong edible glue which works extremely well. Alternatively, readymade edible glue can be purchased from specialist cake decorating outlets.

•   One large pinch of CMC powder

•   2 tbsp boiled water, cooled until warm

1 Mix powder with warm water and leave to stand until powder is fully absorbed. The glue should be smooth and have a soft dropping consistency. If the glue thickens after a few days, add a few drops more water. Store airtight in the refrigerator and use within 1–2 weeks.

NOTE: CMC is an abbreviation of CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE, an edible thickener widely used in the food industry. Must be food grade C1000P/E466. Use Gum Tragacanth as an alternative.

MODELLING PASTE RECIPE

This quick and easy recipe makes a high quality modelling paste.

•   450 g (1 lb) sugarpaste (see page 15)

•   1–2 level tsp CMC powder

1 Knead CMC into sugarpaste. The sugarpaste starts to thicken as soon as CMC is incorporated so can be used immediately. More thickening will happen gradually over a period of 24 hours. Amount of CMC can be varied depending on usage and atmospheric conditions. Store airtight.

QUICK PASTILLAGE RECIPE

Pastillage is fast drying, suitable for freestanding items like cards, boxes, etc., as the paste dries extremely hard and will keep shape.

Makes 260 g (9 oz) pastillage

•   2 tsp CMC powder or gum tragacanth

•   260 g (9 oz) royal icing

1 Mix 2 level tsp of CMC into 260 g (9 oz) stiff peak royal icing. The mixture will thicken immediately. Knead on a work surface sprinkled liberally with icing (powdered) sugar until the mixture forms a paste and is smooth and crack free. Keep airtight and store in a refrigerator. Bring back to room temperature before use.

Amount of CMC can be varied depending on humidity and your preference for stiffness of paste.

QUICK FLOWER PASTE RECIPE

As above, but add 2–3 generous tsp white vegetable fat. Add a drop of vanilla essence, lemon extract or rose water for aroma.

SUGAR STICKS

These are used as edible supports, mainly to help hold modelled heads in place.

Makes around 10-12 sticks

•   5 ml (1 level tsp) stiff peak royal icing

•   1.25 ml (¼ tsp) CMC or gum tragacanth

•   Icing (powdered) sugar in a sugar shaker

Knead the gum into the royal icing until the mixture thickens and forms a paste, adding a small amount of icing (powdered) sugar if the mixture is a little wet. Either roll out and cut into different sized strips of various lengths using a plain-bladed knife, or roll individual thin sausages of paste. Leave to dry overnight on a sheet of foam. When dry, store in an airtight container.

Sugar sticks and other food-safe supports

Basic techniques

Cake decorating is easier than it looks, although it can seem a little daunting if you are a complete beginner. This section shows you a few simple, basic techniques that will help you achieve great results and professional-looking cakes.

Keep the knife flat to cake surface to remove crust

Roll out evenly using a sprinkling of icing (powdered) sugar

SCULPTING A CAKE

The first rule of cake sculpting is to have a moist but firm sponge cake that will not crumble. I recommend that you follow the recipes and method given in this book for a Butter sponge cake (see page 7). If you are tempted to buy a cake mix or a ready-baked cake, make sure that it won’t crumble away as soon as you start to cut into it. Ready-made cakes are really only suitable for projects involving minimal sculpting and stacking of layers.

Use a serrated knife for cake carving. When trimming away the crust of a cake, keep the cake level so there are no problems with balance if the cake is being stacked. Use a ruler for straight cuts and be aware of the knife blade, keeping it in the correct position for the cut you need.

ROLLING OUT SUGARPASTE

Sugarpaste can be rolled out successfully on any even food-safe work surface, but I recommend that you use a large polypropylene board and rolling pin, both of which have tough, smooth surfaces.

Start by kneading the sugarpaste, until soft and warm. Sugarpaste can start to dry out when exposed to the air, so roll out as quickly and evenly as possible to a covering thickness of around 3–4mm (⅛ in), moving the paste around after each roll using a sprinkling of icing (powdered) sugar. Make sure there isn’t a build up of sugarpaste or icing (powdered) sugar on either your board or your rolling pin, to help keep the sugarpaste perfectly smooth. Sugarpaste can stick to the work surface very quickly. If this happens, re-knead and start again.

COLOURING SUGARPASTE

Some brands of ready-made sugarpaste are available in a range of colours but I usually prefer to mix my own colours. The best food colourings are obtainable as a paste or concentrated liquid. Avoid the watery liquid food colourings and powder colours, unless you want to achieve very pale shades. Powder food colours are usually only used to enhance certain areas.

Sugarpaste blocks

Knead paste until colour is even

Lift the sugarpaste using a rolling pin

Roll the sugarpaste gently over the cake

The best way to apply food colour paste is with the tip of a knife. Simply dab a block of sugarpaste with the end of a knife (if you are creating a new colour, remember to keep a record of how many ‘dabs’ of paste you use). Add a little at a time until the required shade is achieved. Knead thoroughly after each addition until the colour is even. Bear in mind that the colour will deepen slightly on standing, so be careful not to add too much.

If you wish to colour a large amount of sugarpaste, colour a small ball first, and then knead into the remaining amount to disperse the colour quickly. Wearing plastic gloves or rubbing a little white vegetable fat over your hands can help when colouring with deep shades, as this can prevent a lot of mess. Some food colours can temporarily stain your hands.

COVERING A CAKE BOARD WITH SUGARPASTE

Knead the sugarpaste thoroughly until soft and warm. Roll out to roughly the size and shape of the cake board, using a sprinkling of icing (powdered) sugar and move around after each roll to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of 2-3mm.

Place the rolling pin on the centre of the rolled out sugarpaste and lift the back half over the top. Hold both ends of the rolling pin, lift and position the sugarpaste against the cake board and unroll over the top. Roll the rolling pin gently over the surface to stick the sugarpaste firmly to the board. If the sugarpaste is still loose, moisten along the outside edge only, using a little water or edible glue on a brush.

Rub the surface with a cake smoother for a smooth, dimple-free surface. Lift the cake board and trim away the excess around the outside edge using a plain-bladed knife. Keep the knife straight to gain a neat edge, carefully removing any residue along the blade for a clean cut.

COVERING A CAKE WITH SUGARPASTE

Before applying sugarpaste to the buttercream-covered surface of a cake, make sure the buttercream is soft and sticky by reworking a little using a knife, or by adding a little more. Roll the sugarpaste out approximately 15cm (6in) larger than the top of the cake to allow enough icing to cover the sides of the cake. You can lift and position the sugarpaste on the cake as you would to cover a cake board, and then press the sugarpaste gently but firmly in position, smoothing over the surface using your hands. Rub gently with your hands over any small cracks to blend them in. If you have any gaps, stroke the sugarpaste surface to stretch it slightly. Trim away any excess using a plain-bladed knife.

OBTAINING A GOOD FINISH

You will invariably find that you have occasional bumps on the surface of your cake or trapped air bubbles. A cake smoother is invaluable for obtaining a perfectly smooth finish for your sugarpaste. Rub firmly but gently in a circular motion.

Any excess icing (powdered) sugar can be brushed off using dried sugarpaste. With stubborn areas, use a slightly damp large soft bristle pastry brush. The moisture will melt the excess, but take care not to wet the surface as streaks may result.

CAKE LAYER CUTTER