Читать книгу Cake Decorating Basics - Rachel Brown - Страница 21

There are several questions you should ask yourself and the recipient of your cake before you start baking. Establishing the answers well in advance will ensure that your cakes are well received, each and every time.

How many people will the cake need to serve?

Once you know this, consult the Portion Guide on page 109. This will tell you how many portions of sponge cake or fruit cake you can expect to get from different sizes and types of tins (pans).

What sort of cake does the recipient like?

Are there any special dietary needs to consider?

It could be a disaster if you make a fruit cake covered in marzipan – which is packed with almonds – for someone with a nut allergy. Consult Special Dietary Needs below to find out which recipes are suitable for people suffering from food allergies, food intolerances and diabetes.

Does the cake need to travel far?

Storage and Transportation on page 108 tells you everything you need to know to get your cake safely to its final destination.

Is there anything you can do in advance?

Home-made marzipan should be used as soon as possible (though it is worth noting that ready-made versions keep well), but royal icing will keep for one week in an airtight container, and sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing) will keep for two. (There is no need to refrigerate royal icing or sugarpaste; just give the royal icing a good stir, and the sugarpaste a good knead, before use.) Buttercream freezes well, as do freshly baked and cooled sponge cakes, which can be frozen plain or buttercreamed for up to a month. Fruit cakes can – and really should – be baked three months before they are needed to allow the flavours to develop. Store them during this time in plastic bags or airtight containers in a cool, dark place.

You will find classic fruit and sponge cake recipes in Chapter 2, The Cake Itself (see pages 22 and 23) and variations in Recipes, which starts on page 111.