Cake Tips

     I've got some cake tips for you, just some things I've picked up.

• When making a cake from a box mix use the mix itself instead of flour to prepare the baking dish or pan.
• Test your old baking powder by putting a little in a bowl and adding a little boiling water. If it fizzes it's still good, if it has no reaction throw it out and buy a new container of it.
• When you make a scratch cake add the flour alone and slowly as the first dry ingredient you add to the rest, it's supposed to make the cake fluffier for some reason.
• Whet her adding wet to dry or dry to wet add a little at a time in between mixing or you might form air pockets in the batter.
• If you're making a chocolate cake add about a half cup of coffee to batter this is supposed to bring out more of the chocolate flavor.
• If you want to decorate the cake but aren't sure of yourself, place some plastic wrap on the side of the cake and then put your pattern on it. That way you can tell how it will look on the cake itself. Then you can just remove the piece of plastic without too much damage to the frosting.
• Make sure the cake is cooled before you frost it or the frosting will melt when you put it on.
• Pile frosting on top of the cake first and then spread it outwards and down the sides. Never let your knife touch the cake without frosting , it could cause cake to be scrapped off.
• If your goal is to have a decorative cake first and taste second then use a fondant frosting. It's a solid piece of icing that is smooth without ripples from a knife but it doesn't taste as good as real frosting.
• If canned frosting is too sweet for you use half and mix that with an equal half of cool whip.
• If you don't like butter cream frosting at all, try just adding cool whip, powdered sugar, or a homemade frosting with cream cheese and/or other favorite ingredients.
• Instead of icing you can use whole, or pureed fruit, fresh or frozen.

photo credit: djwtwo via photopin cc