My Weblog/Sugar Seminars

Monograms

Monograms have been a popular design element for several years now and many of our brides ask to have this detail incorporated into their wedding cake design.

This was the case with Jessica.  Iloved her monogram and knew it would look great on her cake.  The cake was designed to showcase her monogram and it is one of my very favorites!  So much so that I made a video showing how we made the monogram for her cake.

Here is Jessica's cake complete with sugar ranunculus, parrot tulips, and blossoms:

 

Here is our video so you can see the process:

 

Thanks for looking!

Savannah Custom Cakes Tutorials on You Tube

2-27-2012

Did you know Custom Cakes has a You Tube channel?  We do!  I wanted to share tips and tutorials from my sugar world and You Tube seemed the best way to go.  Talking is a better way of communicating for me as I don't have the gift of writing...however I can talk a blue streak as those that know me will attest.

Most of what you will see are the day to day things we have going on in the shop.  These are tips that I think others may find helpful.  Once a month we will be uploading a more professional video, like our Southern Magnolia tutorial.  My very talented son, Jon, has a small production company with a really fancy camera and has agreed to produce some of the videos...so I will save him for the big stuff.  

The Southern Magnolia tutorial is the first in a series of sugarpaste flower tutorials we have planned.  I designed a set of cutters for the southern magnolia and they are now available at Flour Confections.  In fact all of the supplies used in the video can be found on their site.  I know the owners, Scott and Lisa, they carry everything in the sugar arts world and their customer service is incredible.  If you haven't shopped with them, be sure and give Flour Confections a look.

 Here is the link to our channel : Savannah Custom Cakes on You Tube.   Please feel free to take a look and subscribe if you would like to be notified of new postings.

Thanks for looking! 

Southern Magnolia tutuorial:

  

 

 

 

  

2012 Classes at Custom Cakes

2-26-2012

2012 is off to a fast start and I'm excited to tell you about some of the classes we have lined up!  Ron Ben-Israel returns to Custom Cakes in March for two classes.  We look forward to welcoming students from all over the world for Ron's classes.  The Extreme Flower class is sold out but we do have 2 seats available in the Orchid class.  If you have the opportunity we would love for you to join us.

This summer we are offering some fun and informative classes.  June 3, 2012 I will be teaching "Ruffles, Pearls, and a Frilly Flower" class.  We have a lot of information packed into this one day class.  Here is a picture of our class project:

July classes begin with dear friend Ashlee Perkins of Tier Luxury Cakes teaching her very popular "Introduction to Cake Sculpture."  Working with cake, students will make a laying down bull dog cake.

Here is a picture of Ashlee and one of our students with her finished cake:

"Wedding Cakes from Start to Finish" will be taught July 27-30 and will be a four day class.  I will be sharing everything I know about wedding cakes in this four day class.  We will go over contracts, pricing, marketing, how to properly construct a tiered cake, etc,. and this year we will make sugarpaste flowers to use in decorating our cake.  Each student will leave with a wedding cake manual, their wedding cake, and all the forms we use at Custom Cakes.

Here is a picture of our class project:

July 14th will be our "How to Frost a cake with Ganache and Cover it with Fondant" class.  In this one day class students will learn how to make ganache, fill and frost a cake with ganache, and cover the cake in fondant with a perfect finish.  Once you use ganache, you may never go back to buttercream!

We will be announcing a couple of more July classes so check back soon for an update.

For more information regarding our classes or to register, check out the right hand side of the blog.

Hope to see you soon!

 

Chocolate Glazed Mini Cakes

12.16.2011

We had the pleasure of making these small (3"x3") mini cakes for our clients Christmas party.  She asked for chocolate cake, filled and frosted with ganache.  A chocolate lover's dream!  We wanted to make them extra pretty so we glazed them with a wonderful chocolate glaze that was created for cold cakes.  When the cakes come to room temp., the glaze will be shiny.  Once the bow, holly, and berries were added, the cakes were ready for the party!

We make a You tube video demonstrating how we glaze the cakes.  It can be seen at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhkTrtR2d7k&list=UURArw1dPuNOmEF3wTlaOezw&index=1&feature=plcp

The glaze we used is an Alice Medrich recipe found in her "Cocolat" book.  It's a great book...especially for chocolate lovers.  Her recipes are delicious and oh so easy!  The recipe is found on page 175 of her book and is entitled "Sarah Bernhardt Chocolate Glaze."

Thanks for looking!

 

 

 

The Best Carrot Cake in the World - Savannah Custom Cakes

12-11-2011

As many of my Facebook friends know, Custom Cakes makes THE best carrot cake in the world...at least I think so!  Many of my friends have asked for the recipe and I am happy to oblige.  Gail K.  this one is for you!!!!

 

Custom Cakes' Carrot Cake

1/3 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup graulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canoloa oil

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 cups finely grated carrots

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (do not use cake flour)

2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Optional:

*If you like nuts...pecans or walnuts...will add to the yummy factor.  Chop the nuts and add 1 cup to the batter.

*Raisins will also up the flavor factor (unless of course you're not a raisin fan.)  I like the golden raisins but the others will work too.  Add 1/2 cup or more if you are a big raisin fan.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Grease and flour 3-8" round pans or 2-9" round pans.  Add  parchment or wax paper to the bottom of the pan and grease and flour.

3. Place the Granulated sugar, Brown sugar, Karo syrup, and vanilla in your mixer.  A stand mixer works best.  On low to med. speed beat it, beat it, beat it.  We usually beat it for around 10 minutes.  Scrape down the sides several times during the 10 minutes.  The sugars should be light and fluffy.

4.  Add the eggs one at time.  Be sure and scrape the sides of the mixer between eggs.

5.  Add oil and continue beating.  Scrape the sides if necessary.

6. In a separate bowl mix Flour, baking soda, and salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg with a wisk until well incorporated.

7. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture on low speed.  Beat only until incorporated...be sure not to over mix at this point.  Fold the carrots in.

*If you are adding nuts or raisins be sure and dust them lightly with flour and then fold them into the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pans.

9. Bake at 325 degrees until cake is done, approximately 45-55 minutes.  Cake should spring back when lightly touched.  Cool in pans 10-15 minutes.  Turn out on a cooling rack.  When cakes are cool, frost with cream cheese frosting....YUM YUM!!!

Hope you enjoy!

Introduction to The Wedding Cake with Minette Rushing and Jacqueline Butler Feb. 25 -27, 2012

I'm happy to announce the Petalsweet's Jacqueline Butler and I will be teaching an Introduction to The Wedding Cake Class!   

This three day hands-on course is designed to cover all of the essential techniques required to create a beautiful two-tiered cake decorated with gorgeous sugar flowers. If you are new to cake decorating, this is a great opportunity to learn a strong foundation in the skills necessary to create beautiful and impeccably crafted wedding cakes. If you are already creating cakes, this course will give you the opportunity to learn additional professional tips and refine your skills. Under the guidance of Custom Cakes’ Minette Rushing, students will work with real cake and move step by step through the fundamentals of creating and constructing their wedding cakes. Students will also work with Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet to learn the art of hand-crafted sugar flowers, and will create peonies, buds, leaves and filler flowers to arrange on their finished cake. All materials and supplies are provided for students to use during class, and a light lunch will be served each day. Class size limited to 8 students.

 

For information or to register, check out the right hand side of the blog.

Hope you can join us!

SPRING CLASSES 2012 ARE NOW OPEN

 

I'm excited to tell you that enrollment is now open for the master of cake design, Ron Ben-Israel's classes.  This will be Ron's fourth year teaching at Custom Cakes and I am delighted to have him return.  

Ron will be teaching a new class, Extreme Flowers -Giant to Miniatures.  Students will learn to make the large and small flowers that todays brides are asking for.  Join us March 9,10,11, 2012 for this informative and action packed class.

March 13,14,15, 2012 Ron will teach his very popular Orchid class.  This encore class was well received last year and the students' flowers were amazing.  If you plan on attending this class don't wait to register. Be sure and make your travel plans asap.  March 17 is St. Patrick's day and Savannah hosts the nations 2nd largest St. Patrick's day parade which brings many people to our city.  Plan early so you won't be disappointed.

Feburary 4,5, 2012 we have the pleasure of welcoming Swank Cake Design's Wayne Steinkopf and Chuck Hamilton once again to Custom Cakes!  Chuck and Wayne will be teaching their Amazing Fairy Tale Wedding Cake Class!  Students will work with styrofoam and take home a gorgeous 6 tier cake!

Februrary 6, 2012 Swank Cakes Designs's Wayne Steinkopf will teach a full day of his very popular Jacobean design cake.  We are excited to have Wayne and Chuck teaching at Custom Cakes again!  Students are in for a great time!

SAVE THE DATE!  Petalsweet's Jacqueline Butler and Custom Cakes' Minette Rushing will be teaming up to teach two classes.  February 25,26,27,2012 students will work with cake to create a two tier "tall" cake which they will decorate with beautiful sugar flowers made in class.

March 1,2,3,4, 2012 Petalsweet's Jacqueline Butler and Custom Cakes's Minette Rushing will teach a 4 day wedding cake design class.  Students will leave with a 4 tier styrofaom cake, decorated using techniques learned in class.

More information will follow soon on the above two classes.

I hope you can join us!

Thanks for looking!

 

 

Modeling Chocolate Tutorial

11-13-2011

I'm relatively new to the modeling chocolate world only having discovered it less than 3 years ago.  I took a class at Nicholas Lodges' school in Atlanta taught by the amazing Mike McCarey.  To say modeling chocolate has changed my cake decorating life would be an understatement!  Oh the things you can make with modeling chocolate!!

For starters it's great for making figures:

Oh, but look what else you can do with modeling chocolate:

That's right, the "V" cake was covered in modeling chocolate!

For those of you who haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to give it a go.  To get you started, I've put together a tutorial.  Hope you find it helpful!

 

How to Make Modeling Chocolate

Here's what you will need:

2 lbs. white chocolate (I use Merkins super white candy melts)

1 cup of Karo white corn syrup (The cheaper stuff doesn't work as well for me)

1 sheet of parchment paper

Saran Wrap

Ziplock bag

Glass liquid measuring cup

Scale

Microwave

Micro wave safe container

Plastic spatula

Melt the chocolate in the microwave on the high setting, stopping at 15 second intervals to stir the chocolate.  Continue heating and stirring until the chocolate is almost melted.  Continue stirring until all the chips are completely melted.

Here is what the chocolate looks like after its had a few melts and stirs.  You can see it's starting to melt but it"s not there yet.  Back in the microwave for a few seconds.  

This is what we are looking for.  Chocolate has been gently metled. No lumps remaining.  It is warm to the touch but not hot.  If you over heat your chocolate aka "burn it" throw it away.

The chocolate has been melted and now it's time to warm the Karo Syrup.

In a mircowave safe container, warm the Karo syrup for 15 seconds in the microwave on high.  Sir and microwave for 15 additional seconds.  The syrup should be warm to the touch but not hot.

The melted chocolate and the Karo syrup should be approximately the same temperature.  Slowly pour the syrup into the melted chocolate and gently combine the two.

Take care not to over beat.  This will cause the oil in the chocolate to separate out leaving you with a greasy mess.  The chocolate and the syrup should be well combined.

Turn out the molding chocolate onto a sheet of parchment.  

I spread it out so that it cools down a little more quickly.  Cover well with Saran wrap and allow to sit and cool for about 15 minutes.  

After 15 to 20 minutes, knead the chocolate lightly and form into a ball.  Wrap tightly with Saran wrap and then put in a Ziplock bag for storage.

Tips:

1. DO NOT over heat the chocolate.  Once chocolate is burnt there is nothing you can do to revive it.  Throw it away and start over.

2. Coloring modeling chocolate is easy!  You can use colored chocolate chips to start with.  Another option is to use white chocolate and add coloring that is made specifically for chocolate when you are melting the chocolate. The method we use is to add gel color once the modeling chocolate has been made. Americolor gel is what we use in the shop.

3. Modeling chocolate sets up pretty firm.  You can microwave it for a few seconds (and I'm serious about a few...like 10) before kneading.  Again, don't over heat it.

I hope this tutorial will encourage you to make some modeling chocolate!  It's a great addition to our cake decorating repertoire and I hope it will be for you as well.  Let me know what you think!

Thanks for looking!

*For more tutorials be sure and check out our You Tube channel-Savannah Custom Cakes.

Girls Night Out - Cupcake Decorating Fun - Sept. 27, 2011

8.25.2011

Join us Tues. evening, Sept. 27, 2011 for our "Girls Night Out" cupcake decorating class.  Learn new and easy techniques for making beautiful cupcakes.  Bring your friends and make it a party! 

Eight techniques will be demonstrated and each student will make 6 cupcakes to take home with them.  Custom Cakes will supply everything you need.  BYOB and we will serve cheese and fruit for you to enjoy while you work.  Class size is limited.

Date:  Tues. Sept. 27, 2011

Time:  6:00pm - 8:30pm

Cost:  $65.00

All supplies are furnished.

 

Cake Decorating Classes at Custom Cakes' Sugar Seminars

7-28-2011

We have had a great time learning new techinques and meeting sugar enthusiasts from all over the country!  A big thank you to Janet Brown, Wayne Steinkopf, and Chuck Hamilton for sharing their incredible talent with us.  I also want to thank our students who have traveled near and far to attend our classes.

To end out the summer our own Ashlee Perkins will be host a "Rising Cake Boss" cupcake decorating bootcamp for kids, August 20, 2011.  Kids 8 and over are welcome without their parents (if they like) and kids 6 & 7 can bring a parent/guardian and join in the fun.  Kids will use buttercream, fondant, and candy to decorate their cupcakes as well as learn to use various decorating tools!

 

Sept. 24, 2011 Ashlee will be hosting the ever popular "Modeling Chocolate" class.  Students will learn to make and sculpt with modeling chocolate...and who better to learn from than Custom Cakes' modeling chocolate princess!

 

For more information or to register for a class, check out the information on the right hand side of the blog.

Hope to see you in a Sugar Seminar soon!