Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A
Best Cake for Carving? – Shaping a Giant Cupcake
Hello everybody!!
I am a beginner “baker-caker”, and I wanted to ask your opinion on your favourite cake to carve. I’ve been asked to try to produce a “Giant Cupcake” (not big really, only for like 10 or 15 people), and I’ve been looking at some of the tutorials available around the web. Since I trust your advice a lot, I’d like to know which cake you find is the best/easier to bake and carve? My potential client likes chocolate, so I was thinking of trying my hand at Paul’s moist chocolate recipe.
I was thinking of making 2 cakes: the first would be the base of the cupcake with 2 (3 or 4cm tall) layers, and then 1 or 2 layers for the “frosting” on top. Both cakes would have some filling, (because Chilean palate likes super moist cakes with fillings) ganached, and covered in sugarpaste to add the details.
What do you think?
Thanks in advance!
Cinthia x
P.S.: Edited to add: I don’t plan on buying the Wilton cupcake pan, as I’d like to try different sizes with this cake.
Hello myfairdiva
Normally for carving I use a dense cake like Madeira but since you’re making a giant cupcake you could use any good chocolate or mud cake recipe. I’ve used Paul’s recipe http://www.cakeflix.com/online-cake-decorating-courses/chocolate-cake-preparation for several of the tutorial cakes. It’s a super moist recipe which really doesn’t even need filling. Because of the very moist consistency it’s best to freeze the cake before carving. I would recommend that you read the many comments on making Paul’s recipe, you can see the comments here http://www.cakeflix.com/questions/pauls-moist-chocolate-cake-my-feed-back and also here http://www.cakeflix.com/questions/pauls-chocolate-cake-timing
A lot of bakers find Madeira a little dry, however it has a longer shelf life than sponge and if sliced into several thin layers and moistened with simple syrup on both sides of each layer, the cake is beautifully moist. Again if you chill or freeze the cake carving and shaping is made a lot easier. Another recipe I use frequently is this one http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10860/easy-vanilla-cake
If you’d like to use simple syrup it is very easily made by boiling for one minute, equal quantities of sugar and water. Fruit juice can be used instead of water if you prefer. Cool the syrup and apply with a pastry brush to moisten the layers. The syrup can be flavoured, for vanilla add a vanilla pod during the boiling, leave to infuse for a few minutes then split the pod, scrape out the bean paste and add to the syrup. For alcohol, allow the syrup to cool slightly and add a table spoon of your favourite liqueur. If using syrup please don’t freeze the cake once the syrup has been applied as the sugar can crystalise making hard brittle bits in the cake.
Hope some of this helps, I’m sure other members will contribute their favouirte types of cake recipes too.
Thank you so much MIWL! 😀 Those tips are brilliant. I’ve actually spent all afternoon today reading the very informative thread with the choco cake feedback. I will try my hand this weekend most likely.
Thanks again!
Cin
Good luck with your cake Cin, hope it all goes well for you. x
