To Brett—my most favorite person.
Thank you for our wonderful life.
Introduction
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Helpful Equipment Beyond the Basics
Frequently Used Ingredients
ALL ABOUT LAYER CAKES
Elegant Cakes and Confections
Orange Salted Honey Cake
Garden Cupcakes
Matcha White Chocolate Cake
Almond Apricot Battenberg Cake
Berry Pistachio Pavlova Cake
Blackberry Elderflower Vertical Layer Cake
Swedish Princess Cake
Almond Raspberry Celebration Cake
Lavender Blackberry Cake
Decadent Desserts
Chocolate Millionaire’s Cake
Butterscotch Banana Cake
Fancy-Pants Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes
Triple-Coconut Cake
Vanilla Passion Fruit Caramel Cake
Pistachio Truffle Cake
Chocolate S’mores Tart
Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream
Sticky Toffee Date Cake
ALL ABOUT MACARONS
French-Method Macarons
Italian-Method Macarons
Kids’ Cakes and Party Treats
Sprinkle Surprise Cupcakes
Pink Lemonade Cake
Lemonade Cupcakes
Brownie Sundae Cake
Milk & Cookies Cake
Rainbow No-Bake Cheesecake
Blueberry Galaxy Cake
Ice Cream Macaron Sandwiches
Cotton Candy Cloud Cake
Double-Vanilla Cake, Four Ways
Classic Cakes with a Twist
Chocolate Tiramisu Cake
Coffee Cheesecake
Cannoli Cake
Peanut Butter Éclairs
French Opera Cake, Two Ways
Mix-and-Match Meringues
Tuxedo Checkerboard Cake
Chocolate Banana Pie
ALL ABOUT PIE
All-Butter Pie Dough
Rustic Bakes and Cakes
Caramel Apple Pear Pie
Rosy Rhubarb Strawberry Slab Pie
Chai Walnut Cake
Mix-and-Match Fruit Tarts
Victoria Sponge Cake
Angel Food Cupcakes
Mini Mocha Cakes
Hand Pies and Pie Pops
Celebration Cakes and Seasonal Sweets
Sparkling Raspberry Cake
Meringue Gems
Chocolate Malt Easter Egg Macarons
Hibiscus Lemon Marbled Macarons
Apple Blackberry Pie
Cinnamon Peach Apricot Pie
Blueberry Plum Nectarine Pie
Maple Applesauce Cake
Molasses Pumpkin Spice Cake
Yule Log Cake
Candy Cane Marshmallows
Gingerbread Village Cake
BACK-POCKET ESSENTIALS
Whipped Vanilla Buttercream
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Drizzle
Caramel Sauce
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Decoding Vanilla Cakes
How to Fill and Frost a Cake
How to Frost a Cupcake
Playful Piping
Converting Recipe Sizes
Storage
Transportation and Slicing
Sources
Acknowledgments
Index
For me, the “icing on the cake” means much more than frosting. It is taking a sweet treat and elevating it to something even more delightful. It is that little something extra that transforms our homemade baked goods into beautiful, show-stopping desserts. In a literal sense, the concept includes meticulously piped frosting on sky-high cakes and gardens of buttercream rose–topped cupcakes, but it also means ultra-chic French macarons with marbled icing, a kaleidoscope of seasonal fruit tarts, and all the sugar-filled and sprinkled-covered decorations of our dreams.
If you don’t know where to begin, fear not. I didn’t always have the confidence to experiment with complex decorative designs. My baking journey didn’t begin until I was nineteen. In a borrowed kitchen, armed with mismatched baking pans, I started down an unfamiliar path that would eventually feel like second nature to me. I taught myself how to cook and bake during my first few years away at UC Davis. My meals were quick and simple, and mainly provided the bare essentials in order to survive my communications lectures, dance team practice, and busy social schedule. However, my love for baking developed from something much more than just needing to refuel. Baking became a mental vacation from my active college life. By concentrating on a recipe or meticulously measuring ingredients, it was a way for me to escape the chaos of my rowdy roommates, the stress of exams I didn’t study enough for, and any other emotional hiccup that came with early adulthood. Baking also presented an opportunity to be creative. Even if my first cakes were nothing short of a disaster, I still had fun practicing my elementary piping skills and arranging store-bought candies on top to make them extra special.
Over the years, the setting has changed, but the scene remains the same. The crowded college kitchen transformed into the one I shared with my older brother after graduation, to the local bakery where I worked nights until I could fill and frost a cake in five minutes flat, to my own cake shop, to the kitchen in the city condo my husband and I recently renovated. Whether in a professional kitchen or at home with my family, I’ve learned that I enjoy baking for the emotional connection and artistic outlet it provides.
I opened The Frosted Cake Shop in my mid-twenties. Making cakes for clients stunted the emotional aspect of baking, but I still enjoyed bringing their visions to life. Four years later, my husband and I moved from California to Vancouver, Canada, and closed the doors to my shop indefinitely. Missing that sense of community and working one-on-one with clients, I started my blog, Style Sweet. A bit lonely and lost in a new country, I began baking just for me again. Baking at home instead of in a commercial kitchen allowed me to experiment with flavor pairings, truly enjoy the baking process, and rediscover my passion for dessert design. I taught myself the art of food photography and styling in order to document my creations and share them with my online community. This turned into my first book, Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes.
Having readers create and enjoy my recipes with their own families and friends and seeing copies of my book in their homes has been surreal. Writing a cookbook is an honor, and after completing my first one, I realized that I still had so much more to share! My first love will always be layer cakes, so I’ve included plenty of brand-new cakes in this book. However, Icing on the Cake contains a wider array of decorative desserts and is more of a tribute to beautiful recipes and a passion for pastry than a sequel.
When putting together ideas for this book, I sat down and asked myself, “Why do we bake?” What draws us back into the kitchen before every birthday, holiday, special occasion, or even random Thursday night to bake up something from scratch? What motivates us to stay up past midnight anxiously watching a perfect butter cake rise in the oven, to commit to making finicky macarons even after a dozen failed attempts, to research and retest pie dough over and over until it feels just right between our fingertips? Most of us don’t have the time to spend countless hours hiding away in the kitchen piping buttercream roses or the like, yet if we are truly passionate about it, we find a way to do it anyway.
For me, I bake because it is both communicative and creative. I love molding, shaping, and weaving together ingredients with my bare hands into something delicious—each pastry with my own signature flair or unique flavor combination. Baking for others is how I communicate feelings of love and gratitude. Most often we don’t put in all the attention and effort required for these baking projects unless they are for someone we completely adore, so when you can’t find the words you need to express your love or admiration, then say it with cake and pastry!
And when I bake, I love to create beautiful food—with swirls of pastel buttercream and delicate icing flowers, as well as rustic beauty in the form of sharp sugar shards and golden rivers of dripping caramel sauce. Most of the time, my desserts would still taste great without the extra flair, but I do it because it’s fun, and sometimes that’s all the reason we need.
Like most bakers, I enjoy the process of creating delicious desserts from scratch; the way pastry comes together between my fingertips; and transforming a pile of ingredients into spectacular works of edible art. First and foremost, recipes should taste great, but if baking is a form of therapy, then decorating is my favorite type of creative expression. From delicate meringues to rustic pies, I strive to make each of my recipes beautiful and delicious from the inside all the way to the icing on the cake. I hope that my stories and recipes will encourage you to do the same.
I hope you find this book equal parts inspirational and educational. My goal is for you to learn from my experiences, find joy in the narratives, and get so excited and inspired by the images and ideas that you are instantly drawn into the kitchen. Within these pages, I’ve included my favorite combinations for technique, design, and flavor. You will find a “Featured Decorating Techniques” list on each recipe, which highlights the different decorating techniques you can learn while making that particular dessert, as well as step-by-step photos for some of the more complex designs. For example, some of the designs include:
Ruffle Petal Cake
Buttercream Flower Cupcakes
Combed Icing Cake
Buttercream Flower Crown Cake
Gold Painted Cake
Icing Swirl Cake
Ombré Shell Cake
Wavy Ruffle Cake
Rustic Ombré Cake
Smooth Ombré Cake
Chocolate Drip Cake
Watercolor Cake
Striped Buttercream Cake
Paint-Splatter Cake
Textured Watercolor Cake
Zigzag Cake
Loopy Ruffle Cake
Checkerboard Cake
Classic Lattice Pie
Marbled Icing Macarons
Pie Dough Roses
Five-Strand Braided Edge Pie
Rosette Cake
Vertical Layer Cake
Many of the projects reflect a particular aesthetic and/or pair well with the flavors within the cake, but I encourage you to mix and match the different elements as you wish to create truly one-of-a-kind confections. There is something for everyone and every season, but do not feel limited by the images and recipe pairings I’ve chosen to showcase. Swap the loopy ruffles on the Cannoli Cake (this page) for the delicate ruffle waves on the Pistachio Truffle Cake (this page) and vice versa.
It’s true. Some of the recipes in the book are slightly over the top, include various subrecipes, and take a good amount of time to build and decorate. But it’s okay to be aspirational and I hope this is the book that lets you live out all your pastry dreams. Other recipes bake up quickly and have as few ingredients as plain egg whites and sugar, and most have time-saving variations. If the drippy chocolate glaze and gold splatters of the Chocolate Millionaire’s Cake (this page) excite you, then go for it! If, instead, it seems overwhelming, sub in store-bought caramel sauce and skip the bells and whistles.
Have fun, plain and simple. While learning new techniques, there are bound to be some stressful points along the way, but don’t let the angst outweigh the fun. If a decoration or detail is not bringing you joy, leave it off. Save the larger, more involved cakes for special occasions and keep the quick cupcakes for casual weekdays and impromptu game nights. But if meticulously blending together the perfect shades of buttercream or hand-rolling dozens of roses out of pie dough makes you happy, then you are definitely going to love the pages that follow.
Cake pans: The layer cake recipes in this book call for either 6-inch (15-cm) or 8-inch (20-cm) round pans. Chose aluminum pans with sides that are at least 2 inches (5 cm) high. My Fat Daddios and Wilton pans have lasted from my bakery days and into my home kitchen. Other useful pans include a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33-cm) jelly roll or cake pan and a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan. A standard (12-cup) muffin pan will hold both regular and extra-large cupcake liners. In all cases, look for pans that are not too dark and that are not nonstick.
Candy thermometer: There are various tricks for determining the state of boiling sugar (ranging from soft ball to hard crack), but a candy thermometer makes the task much easier. A thermometer is also great for knowing when raw eggs have reached a safe temperature.
Double boiler: A double boiler is a means of using indirect heat to warm delicate ingredients like egg whites and chocolate. You can buy a set of pots specifically made for this purpose (they’ll look like two saucepans stacked on top of each other), or create your own using a heatproof bowl and a saucepan. The bowl should sit securely on top of the saucepan without touching the bottom. Fill the saucepan with an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) of water and bring the water to a simmer over medium-low heat, then set the bowl on top. Be sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. You want the heat of the steam to heat your ingredients, not the direct heat of the simmering water, which could scorch whatever you’re cooking.
Fine-mesh sieve: A medium or large fine-mesh sieve is helpful for so many things, from sifting dry ingredients to straining custards, creating lump-free batters to refining smooth pastry cream.
Heatproof rubber spatula: A heatproof rubber (or silicone) spatula is not only great for all types of mixing, but can also be safely used when cooking components on the stovetop.
Icing smoother: For smooth sides and crisp edges, a metal icing smoother will make your homemade cakes look professional. They are fairly inexpensive and will save you a lot of sanity. Chose one with teeth on the opposite side for a two-in-one smoother and icing comb, like the one made by Ateco. Alternatively, you can use a bench scraper to smooth icing.
Kitchen scale: Using a kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure ingredients. I highly recommend measuring flours and other dry ingredients with a scale, and using a scale is imperative for measuring chopped chocolate and delicate mixtures like when making macarons.
Offset metal spatulas: Offset metal spatulas (available in varying lengths and widths—I recommend having a small and a large one) consist of a metal strip bent at an angle at the end where it attaches to the handle. This angling gives you more control when, for example, you’re applying frosting to a cake. Possibly my most used kitchen tool, offset spatulas are great for everything from frosting cakes to serving a slice of fruit tart.
Oven thermometer: An inexpensive oven thermometer is a great investment. Found at most well-stocked grocery stores (and readily available online), an oven thermometer will let you know what the actual temperature of your oven is, not just what the dial says. Once you get to know your oven, adjust the temperature accordingly.
Parchment paper: Not to be confused with waxed paper, parchment paper can be used to line baking sheets. For more delicate cakes, lining the bottoms of the cake pans with parchment, cut to fit, helps baked cakes release easily from their pans.
To cut parchment paper rounds, simply tear off a piece of parchment slightly larger than the bottom of your cake pan. Fold the parchment in half (left to right) and then fold in half again (bottom to top). You should have roughly folded a square at this point. Bring one of the folded edges to the other folded edge to create a triangle. Fold the triangle in half to create a smaller triangle. Depending on the size of the cake pan, fold the triangle in half one more time.
Flip the cake pan upside down. Place the tip of the folded parchment triangle in the center of the cake pan. Keeping the tip of triangle in the center of the cake pan, trim the edges with scissors following the curve of the edge of the cake pan. Unfold the parchment and check to make sure it fits snuggly inside of the cake pan. Trim to fit as needed.
Pie and tart pans: Metal and glass pie pans conduct heat better and more evenly than ceramic pie pans. Chose a pie pan with a lip to help secure the edges of the pie dough. For tarts, choose fluted pans, either round, square, or rectangular in shape, with removable bottoms.
Piping bags: Depending on the recipe, both disposable and canvas piping bags make their way into my kitchen. For smaller tasks like piping chocolate accents or messier tasks like using multiple colors of buttercream to create flowers, I opt for small disposable bags. For larger tasks like frosting a couple dozen cupcakes, I find that large canvas piping bags are handier.
Piping tips: Stocking a variety of piping tips—large and small, fluted and plain—will help with everything from cake decorating to filling tart shells. Smaller star and petal tips are great for finer, delicate decorations, while large round tips help with filling cakes, piping macaron batter, and much more. See this page for specifics.
Rotating cake stand: If you make layer cakes often (or plan to), a rotating cake stand will help you create smooth frosting finishes and various piped designs. They range in price and material. The inexpensive plastic ones will suffice, but my sturdy metal Ateco version has lasted me nearly ten years so far.
Silicone baking mats: When you’re lining a pan, parchment paper will suffice in most cases, but silicone baking mats make great reusable nonstick surfaces for baking macarons and meringues.
Stand mixer: The mixing speeds and timing for the recipes in the book are based on using a stand mixer. Occasionally, I’ll give you the option to use a handheld mixer, but for recipes with longer mixing times or for which you need two free hands to get things done, like French meringue buttercream or marshmallows, a stand mixer is highly recommended.
Almond flour: You can make your own from blanched almonds, but packaged almond flour is perfectly acceptable. Look for almond flour over almond meal for use in macarons, and be sure to grind it in a food processor to get an even finer texture before use.
Butter: Always stock your refrigerator with and use unsalted butter, unless a recipe specifies otherwise. Even though most recipes call for added salt, it is best to control the amount by using butter that does not contain salt. Since good-quality European butter usually has a higher butterfat/lower water content, save it for pie and tart dough.
Chocolate: Chocolate is measured by weight. Look for the quantity on the packaging, or use a kitchen scale. Milk, semisweet, and bittersweet/dark chocolate contain different amounts of cacao—the higher the cacao percentage, the more intense the chocolate flavor and the lower the amount of sugar in the chocolate. When a recipe calls for dark chocolate, look for cacao percentages ranging from 65 to 70%. For semisweet chocolate, look for percentages from 50 to 60%. I recommend brands such as Valrhona, Callebaut, and Guittard chocolate. When you can, splurge on good-quality chocolate sold in blocks or fèves (bean-shaped discs).
Cocoa powder: Unless otherwise specified, choose unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Black cocoa powder (ultra–Dutch processed cocoa powder from which all the acidity has been neutralized) may be called for to create richer flavors and deeper colors, but it is not necessary.
Eggs: The recipes in this book use large eggs. Measure the egg whites when directed to do so, as for Swiss meringue buttercream and macarons. Some free-range and organic eggs have dark yellow yolks that may impart a more golden color to your cakes and custards. They taste the same, but may affect your overall vision for the cake.
Flour: Be mindful of the type of flour that a recipe calls for because different types contain different amounts of protein, which can affect the finished baked good. Cake flour results in more tender cakes and should be used when called for in a recipe. However, different brands of cake flour may yield different results, so you may end up wanting to use a portion of cake flour and a portion of all-purpose flour to get your desired texture. For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure flour. If not, use the dip-and-sweep method (see this page).
Gel food coloring: Gel food coloring has a higher concentration of color than liquid coloring, meaning you can use less to achieve the colors you need. This also means you are not adding too much additional liquid to a recipe, which is important when you’re making something like a delicate macaron batter or meringue that might break from too much liquid. I recommend AmeriColor gel food coloring.
Instant Espresso Powder: Many of the chocolate cake recipes call for hot coffee and/or instant espresso powder. These ingredients enhance the flavor of the chocolate. You won’t necessarily be able to taste the coffee, but if you prefer not to use coffee, substitute hot water in equal measures within the recipes.
Luster dust, disco dust, and edible glitter: These powders and glitters come in a variety of colors, including metallics. They can be applied like powdered food coloring with a brush to sugar paste and fondant or mixed with a clear alcohol to create a paste/paint to brush or flick on cakes and pastries.
Milk and cream: Reach for whole milk for cake batters and custards. When a recipe calls for heavy cream, look for a cream with around 35% milk fat. Keep cream chilled for better results when whipping.
Salt: Use fine-grain (kosher or sea) salt in recipes in this book. Reach for flake salt or fleur de sel when using salt as a garnish.
Sprinkles: A collection of sprinkles always comes in handy for cake and cupcake decorating. Stock different colors and shapes of sprinkles, quins, nonpareils, sugar pearls, and dragées. Do not consume silver dragées in large quantities.
Sugar: Most recipes call for granulated white sugar. Superfine or caster sugar may be used for making meringue, but it is not necessary. Confectioners’ sugar is also known as powdered sugar. In this book, confectioners’ sugar is measured unsifted, so measure the indicated quantity and sift after measuring, if needed.
Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract whenever vanilla extract is called for, especially in buttercream and custard. If a recipe calls for vanilla bean paste or real vanilla beans but you can’t find them, use pure vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste and whole beans can be quite expensive, so save it for vanilla buttercream or meringue, where the flavor will really shine.
If my first book, Layered, is any indication, my love for layer cakes knows no bounds. Cake making was my gateway into the world of baking and pastry. I thank my twenty-year-old self for picking up a few odd cake pans (6-inch springform pans, to be exact, and not something I would recommend for your first set of cake pans) on a whim one afternoon.
I grew up submerged in the performing arts. Being a dancer was such a huge part of my identity for my first twenty-five years of life that when I was forced to take a step back due to migraines and motion sickness, I felt lost. I’d tried other forms of fine arts, like watercolor, but I was never very successful with any type of painting or drawing until I started considering buttercream my medium and cakes my canvas. Cake decorating was the creative outlet I needed at such a turning point in my life and career. A blessing in disguise, it was the final push I needed to put all my energy into my budding bakery.
I ran The Frosted Cake Shop for four years prior to our big move to Vancouver. Starting in my brother’s 1940s kitchen, I first turned my passion for cake making into a career. In order to be properly licensed, I quickly found space in a commercial kitchen to rent before opening my own brick-and-mortar shop.
My shop was a family affair. My mom painted the interior my trademark pale turquoise blue and my brother helped with logo design and marketing, while my dad and I spent countless hours getting plans approved by the county. Friday nights were for family takeout in my reception area, and on the weekends my husband, Brett, would help with wedding cake deliveries and washing endless dishes. During this time, novelty and gravity-defying cakes were extremely popular. In addition to classic wedding cakes covered in my signature handcrafted sugar flowers, most of the other creations leaving my shop doors were topsy-turvy style, carved characters covered in fondant, mini tiered cakes, and more.
No matter the style of cake, success came down to the foundation. In order to stack and deliver layered cakes, you must start with a great recipe and a structurally sound base. Even the most gorgeous of cakes is nothing without these two pillars of cake-making success. Here are some of my best tips and techniques for baking the best layer cakes:
A perfect layer cake is all about balance and texture. The cake crumb itself should be moist and tender, yet stable. Different types of cakes, like butter, sponge, and oil-based cakes, may be moister than others, but none should be dry. A carrot cake might be incredibly moist compared to a light, airy chiffon cake, but neither should be so tender that they crumble when sliced.
While I encourage you to play with the composition of different cakes and fillings, some combinations work better than others. You may find that an airy sponge cake pairs better with a thin layer of raspberry jam and sweetened whipped cream than a heavy cream cheese frosting that might weigh down its delicate layers. Genoise cakes are notoriously bland, in a good and intentional way, and rely on soaks and simple syrups to add sweetness and flavor, while a decadent chocolate cake might not need more than a dusting of confectioners’ sugar to be enjoyed.
Likewise, not all fillings are created equal, and the amount used should vary based on density and sweetness. A thick layer of creamy fudge or buttercream tastes heavenly, but I recommend smaller ratios for fillings like rich ganache or sweet jam. For added texture, I like to throw in a crunchy element, like chopped nuts or even sprinkles, when possible.
Be sure to follow the storage and serving suggestions for each recipe. Most cakes are best at room temperature while others, such as a genoise cake, remain soft even after refrigeration and actually improve over time after they’ve had a chance to absorb some of the moisture and flavor from the filling. When in doubt, please don’t eat cold, stiff Swiss meringue buttercream.
Most of the butter-based cakes in this book use the creaming method. I’ve broken down several of the steps and the importance each plays in creating the perfect crumb. Not every cake recipe will call for all of these techniques, but they are great rules to bake by in general.
Start with room-temperature ingredients: Unless otherwise specified, all of your ingredients, including butter, eggs, and milk, should be at room temperature for a smoother, more homogeneous batter. Room-temperature (softened) butter is crucial for proper creaming (see below), and keeping the ingredients the same temperature helps them come together easier to prevent overmixing. Room-temperature butter should be soft enough to leave an imprint of your fingertip when pressed, but should never feel greasy or melted. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them (in their shells) in a bowl of tepid, not hot, water while you gather the other ingredients.
Preparing your cake pans: To prevent your baked cake from sticking to the pan, properly prepare your pans before adding the batter. Most recipes will call for greasing and flouring. For best results, brush the inside of the cake pans with very soft butter, sprinkle with flour, shake it all about, then tap out any excess flour. Oil or baking spray may also work. For more delicate cakes, I also recommend lining the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper to keep their tender crumbs from tearing.
Measure and sift dry ingredients accurately: Unlike other types of cooking, baking requires you to accurately measure your ingredients. For example, as little as ½ teaspoon baking powder can make a huge difference. Weighing flour is the most accurate way to measure. If you do not have a kitchen scale, measure using the dip-and-sweep method: Aerate the flour in its container with a whisk, dip a dry measuring cup into the container, then sweep the edge of a butter knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
Sifting the dry ingredients together not only eliminates lumps, but also evenly distributes the leavening agents throughout.
Creaming butter and sugar: Want tender, velvety, melt-in-your-mouth cakes? Please take the time to properly cream butter and sugar together. I can’t emphasize the importance of this step enough. Do not rush through this process, which is usually the first step in any butter cake recipe. Beat together room-temperature butter with sugar until fluffy and pale in color. This should take 3 to 5 minutes. During this process, the mixer drives air into the butter-sugar mixture as the sugar granules cut into the butter and create little air pockets. This friction helps the sugar start to dissolve and softens the butter even more. Creamed butter and sugar distribute throughout the batter more evenly for a smooth batter, and, most important, the batter is more aerated and provides better lift, resulting in a more tender crumb.
Add the eggs one at a time: With the mixer running on medium-low, add the eggs called for in the recipe to the batter one at a time, and wait for each egg (or white or yolk) to be fully incorporated into the batter before adding in the next.
Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients: Instead of dumping all the flour or milk in at once, alternating between adding dry and wet ingredients keeps the batter smooth and helps prevent overmixing. This technique allows the batter to absorb the ingredients more efficiently. Always start and end with the dry ingredients.
Reverse mixing method: Instead of starting with the creaming technique, this method begins with the dry ingredients and ends with the eggs. I tend to favor this method when I am looking for a lighter, springy cake crumb (see Decoding Vanilla Cakes, this page). The key to this method is to slowly stream the egg mixture into the batter, allowing it ample time to be absorbed, and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. Be careful not to overmix or the crumb will be dry.
Checking for doneness: Because ovens bake at different temperatures, it is important to know what doneness cues to look for instead of just relying on the clock. The tops of the cakes should appear dry and slightly golden when they’re done. Many sponge cakes are done when the surface springs back to the touch. The easiest way to check that a cake is done is the toothpick test: Begin checking the cake at the lower end of the baking time range. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and pull it out. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, the cake is done. If the toothpick is moist or coated in raw batter, continue baking and check again in a few minutes. Resist checking for doneness too often, or your oven may lose heat. A cake is typically overbaked if it pulls away from the sides of the pan (slight pulling away is probably fine, but if there is a significant gap, the cake is likely overbaked).
Cooling and leveling: Set cakes on a wire rack to quickly stop the baking process. Let them cool in their pans on the rack for 10 to 20 minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle. Do not let a cake cool completely in the pan or it may become difficult to remove. Remove the cakes from the pans by running a thin knife around the inside of the pan and then invert the cake onto the wire rack. Let the cakes cool completely, right-side up on a wire rack before removing the parchment (if used). The cake should be completely cool before leveling or cutting; this will help prevent tears and cracks. Some cakes will be slightly rounded on top after baking. To increase the stability of your layer cake, be sure to trim off the domed portion with a long serrated knife (see How to Fill and Frost a Cake, this page).
The crumb of a cold cake holds together better, so to make things even easier, wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator before leveling or cutting the cakes into multiple layers.
Filling and frosting: Be sure that the cake layers are completely cool before filling or frosting. Heat from a warm cake may melt the butter in a frosting.
Again, a chilled cake is easier to fill and frost and creates fewer crumbs. Be sure that the frosting is not too stiff, or it may tear the tender cake when you spread it on. For more details, check out How to Fill and Frost a Cake (this page).
Timing and storage: Unless otherwise specified, most cakes may be baked in advance. It may be difficult to bake the cake, make all the fillings and frosting, and assemble the entire cake in one day. Most cake layers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a couple of months before they’re assembled. Wrap them very well in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Thaw frozen cakes in the refrigerator overnight, still wrapped, before assembling.
TUNNELING WITHIN THE BAKED CAKE CRUMB:
batter was overmixed
CAKE SANK IN THE MIDDLE:
cake is underbaked; oven door was opened too often and/or too early (before the structure for the cake was established); too much moisture in the batter; leavening agents were not fresh/active
CAKE IS DRY:
batter was overmixed; too much flour added—be sure to measure accurately; oven was too hot or cake was overbaked
CAKE IS DENSE OR TOUGH:
batter was overmixed; wrong type of flour (higher percentage of protein) was used; butter and sugar were not creamed properly
CAKE IS TOO TENDER OR CRUMBLY:
batter was undermixed; wrong type of flour was used (lower percentage of protein); too many tenderizers, such as sugar, fat, or egg yolks, were added
LARGE CRACKS ON THE TOP OF THE CAKE:
batter rose too quickly because the oven was too hot or there were too many leavening agents; cake pan was too small
CAKE IS UNDERCOOKED OR RAW IN THE CENTER:
oven was not hot enough; check for doneness—don’t just rely on the clock
BATTER IS SPLIT OR APPEARS CURDLED:
cold ingredients were used instead of room-temperature ones; butter and sugar were unable to cream properly. Note that the batter may still be used, but the crumb of the baked cake will be affected
Adorned with dainty ruffles and floral elements, this collection of cakes and sweets is dressed to the nines, all ready for any chic gathering or elegant affair. Many of the cakes are artfully decorated with piped butter-cream frosting, while others are naturally stunning, like a towering pavlova or the traditional design of a green Swedish Princess Cake. Not only are their designs enchanting, but they also boast delicate flavors of lavender, almond, raspberry, and the like to match their graceful exteriors. I imagine sharing slices of Orange Salted Honey Cake at brunch or passing around gilded trays of floral cupcakes at a fancy garden party.
FEATURED DECORATING TECHNIQUE: RUFFLE PETAL PIPING
The enticing combination of citrus and salted honey is the perfect blend of zesty flavors. It is creamy, complex (in flavor, not in preparation), and decadent while still being light and fresh. The honey in the buttercream is fairly distinct, and the touch of salt makes the flavor palette multidimensional. The cake pairs perfectly with afternoon tea, and the delicate, petal-like finish would be a gorgeous accent at any brunch or shower.
MAKES ONE THREE-LAYER 6-INCH (15-CM) CAKE; SERVES 10 TO 12
FOR THE SALTED HONEY CUSTARD:
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1 cup (240 ml) plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
4 tablespoons (50 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
FOR THE ORANGE BUTTER CAKE:
2¼ cups (295 g) cake flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest from about 2 large oranges
⅓ cup (80 ml) fresh orange juice
⅔ cup (160 ml) buttermilk
¾ cup (1½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
FOR THE HONEY BUTTERCREAM:
4 large egg whites
⅔ cup (160 ml) honey
⅔ cup (135 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups (4 sticks/450 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Gel food coloring of your choice
Put the butter in heatproof bowl. Set a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl.
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the honey, and the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk the cornstarch into the honey mixture until smooth.
While whisking, stream about half of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the egg yolks (this slowly raises the temperature of the eggs so they do not curdle). Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk mixture and heat over medium-low heat, stirring continuously, until the pastry cream thickens and slow, large bubbles start to pop on the surface. Whisk for 1 minute more, then remove from the heat.
Pour the pastry cream through the sieve into the bowl with the butter. Add the vanilla and salt. Stir until smooth and cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool and thick, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 6-inch (15-cm) cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together between your fingertips until fragrant. In a separate bowl, stir together the orange juice and buttermilk.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar-zest mixture and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Turn the mixer to medium-low and add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. Mix until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. After the last streaks of the flour mixture are incorporated, mix on medium for no more than 30 seconds.
Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Allow the cakes to cool completely, right-side up, on the wire rack before removing the parchment. Level the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife as needed.
Put the egg whites, honey, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gently whisk them by hand until just combined. In a medium saucepan, bring an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler (be sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Whisking intermittently, heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 160°F (70°C) on a candy thermometer.
Carefully affix the mixer bowl to the stand mixer (it may be hot) and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg white mixture on high for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it holds medium-stiff peaks and the outside of the bowl has returned to room temperature.
Turn the mixer down to low and add the vanilla. Add the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until the buttercream is silky smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
Place one cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Fill a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip with the honey buttercream. Pipe a ring around the top edge of the cake to create a “dam.” Fill the ring with half of the honey custard and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with a second cake layer and repeat; place the final cake layer on top.
Crumb coat the cake with the honey buttercream and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Place the cake on a rotating cake stand. Smoothly frost the cake with a thin layer of buttercream.
To decorate the cake with the ruffle petal piping technique, fill a piping bag fitted with a petal tip (Wilton #104) with buttercream. Gently touch the tip to the cake, narrowed side facing down, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bottom of the cake. Hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle and pipe continuous swags of buttercream around the bottom of the cake. Each swag should be 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wide. The bottom of each swag should graze the cake board or serving dish. Continue around the cake, slightly overlapping each row, until the sides are completely covered.
For the top, hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle to the top of the cake. Keeping the narrowed side of the tip pointing away from the center of the cake, gently squeeze the piping bag as you move it out away from the center of the cake and back in. Continue piping concentric circles of petals around the top of the cake clockwise (or counterclockwise, if you are left handed), spinning the cake stand as you go. As you approach the center, tint the buttercream a soft peach color, or the color of your choice, to create a gentle ombré effect. Overlap the rows of petals and increase the angle of the piping bag until you reach the center. For the top of the cake, I find it most comfortable to pipe around the edge farthest from my body, gently spinning the cake stand as I go.
Loosely cover with plastic wrap or place in a cake box and chill in the refrigerator until 30 minutes before serving. Let come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then slice and serve.
Store leftovers loosely covered with plastic wrap or in a cake box in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FEATURED DECORATING TECHNIQUE: BUTTERCREAM FLOWERS
Early in my career, I worked at a local bakery alongside veteran cake decorators. Every weekend, I’d watch in awe as our top decorator, Carol, would effortlessly pipe swoops and swirls on five-tier wedding cakes as I struggled to write “Happy Birthday” in my best chocolate cursive. My buttercream flowers are still not nearly as perfect as Carol’s, but I will keep trying, experimenting with different designs and getting excited each time I transform a simple batch of cupcakes into an edible sugar garden.
My point is, it takes a lot of practice to be perfect, but don’t put perfection over fun. Keep in mind that no flower in nature is perfectly symmetrical, so try not to let a few wonky petals keep you from enjoying the process. Thankfully it is just buttercream and you can always scrape it off and start again if you are not satisfied with your work.
MAKES 14 TO 16 CUPCAKES
FOR THE SOUR CREAM VANILLA CUPCAKES:
½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream
¾ cup (100 g) cake flour
¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large egg whites
TO ASSEMBLE AND DECORATE:
1 large recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream (this page)
Gel food coloring
Sugar pearls
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the milk and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Turn the mixer to medium-low and add the vanilla. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing until each is incorporated before adding the next. Mix until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on medium for no more than 30 seconds after the last streaks of the flour mixture are combined.
Using a disher or mechanical ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds of the way full with batter. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let them cool in their pans for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from their pans and allow to completely cool on a wire rack before frosting.
Decorate as described in the following pages and serve at room temperature.
Store cupcakes in a cake box or in a cake pan loosely covered with plastic wrap for up to 1 day at room temperature or up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip with about ¾ cup of the buttercream. Pipe a cone shape in the center of the cupcake; the cone should be a little less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a petal tip (Wilton #104) with buttercream. Holding the piping bag at a 45-degree angle leaning in toward the cone, with the narrowed side of the tip facing up, pipe an inner petal that wraps around the tip of the cone to create the center bud.
For the inner row of petals, pipe three petals, equally spaced and slightly overlapping, around the center bud. Keeping the piping bag at a 45-degree angle leaning in toward the bud, with the narrowed side of the tip facing up, pipe arcs starting at the base and then up and partially over the center bud. Release the pressure on the bag after each petal before piping the next.
For the middle row of petals, pipe five petals around the cupcake. Keep the piping bag slightly leaning away from the center of the cupcake with the narrowed side of the tip always facing up.