7-2-I-Search-Alexis

=Specialty Cakes: One of a Kind Edible Creations = by Alexis

**Introduction **
I first found interest in specialty cakes while watching Food Network television. They have this show called Ace Of Cakes that follows head chef, Duff Goldman in his Baltimore bakery, "Charm City Cakes". The most interesting part of the show is watching how they design these cakes. They use drills, and saws, hammers, spray paint machines, you name it! Duff and his staff come up with the most unique ways to design their one of a kind cakes.

After watching many of their shows I began to wonder if I could try to make cakes just like them. I began looking at books and I’d bought fondant kits, but when I actually did the baking it didn't turn out the way I imagined.

I know very little bit about the art of specialty cakes and even less about the tips I need to master before starting the process. I do understand that its hard to make specialty cakes, but there must be ways to make the learning experience in the kitchen easier. My goal is to find out what are some tips and tricks on making specialty cakes. I am curious to understand how these cakes are sculpted into edible masterpieces.

When it was time to search my topic, the first place I looked was in my kitchen. I collected all the cook books, family recipes, and sprawled them across the dining room table. After reading them one by one, I found one book called "Best of Family Fun Cooking and Parties." This book, written by the experts at Family Fun Magazine, had a lot of information. (And it also based its recipes around things that were interesting towards children and their families) The pages that focused on my topic were between 124 and 128. I found interest in the basic cake recipes that I found, that could be used to make specialty cakes. For instance, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Celebration Cake, and Better-Than-Basic Yellow Cake. On page 126 they talk about different frosting recipes and tips on making sure your frosting is smooth. For example, you have to wait for the cake to fully cool and brush off the crumbs before adding the frosting. I also learned that if you want a smooth coat, have a glass of warm water to dunk your spreader in. And if you want a perfectly flat topped cake, slice off the top and invert.
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Later, I took the Internet to gather my information. The first place I looked was Food Network.com, because I know that they have a lot of recipes and topics. I began by searching topics such as fondant, frosting, and piping. When I finished, I had found two important links; one about fondant and another about piping. It mainly summarized some basic tips you need to know when using fondant. When reading about piping, I learned many things that you need to know when piping borders along your cake. There are many different tips you can use, that pipe frosting differently. It explained how to fill a pastry bag and use it to design shell shape borders.(Cooking:Baking:Cake Decorating--Pipe Borders:Food Network)

One thing I learned was, to color your fondant you roll it into a ball and add dots of food coloring with a toothpick. Then you knead the fondant until the color is evenly blended. But remember that when you knead the fondant you'll have to wear gloves so that you don't stain your hands. You also have to remember that you make sure the fondant is as smooth as it could get, use corn starch. Take the cornstarch and rub it on your hands and smooth out the fondant while its covered on the cake. The last thing that I thought was very important was, make sure to keep you fondant in a plastic bag while its not being used. *fondant dries out very quickly*

When I found out that I had to interview somone for this project, I knew just the person. I interviewed my Aunt, Heather Harary, who is also an expert in the baking field. She went to school at ICE: The Institute for Culinary Education in Manhattan. I called her and we picked a date to have an online chat. At first, we had difficulty setting up the chat and throughout the chat we went through conflicts. I kept losing my internet connection and Heather Harary had problems sending her comments. But, I did get some information from her. My first question was a start up question: what got you interested in baking? She replies, " In college I had to learn to cook because I was living in an apartment with friends and didn't have the money to eat out all the time. We would eat every meal pot luck style with everyone contributing something. I quickly figured out that a lot of the cooking was drudgery and not everybody liked the results. Dessert was another matter. i found it fun to make and difficult to mess up. I mean, who doesn't love dessert even if it is a little burnt around the edges."

When we continued I soon became interested in the things that she experienced. Heather Haray told me that the best cake she made, actually ended in a faliure. "I made a beautiful 3-tiered birthday cake for a friend. Each layer was a different color of fondant icing. I did not however take into account the Florida heat and the buttercream icing underneath the fondant completely melted leaving a very lopsided, lumpy cake." After hearing about her "disaster cake", my next question was, for people who don't like fondant what else can make a specialty cake as elaborate. "Most people do not eat the fondant. The cake is always iced with some sort of frosting before the fondant is rolled on so you can just eat the cake with the first level of frosting." (Heather)

My next question was, when you make cakes what are some things you need to know about using fondant. She told me that you have to remember to keep the fondant in its container to stop it from drying. She also that before you use fondant, You need to know how to color it, how to roll it out, and apply it to the cake. After I had asked her a couple questions her sleeping baby began to cry. I then quickly asked her two more questions: why is fondant so popular? And for everyone who doesn't know, what is fondant? She sent a reply back saying "fondant is a dough-like icing that is great for covering cakes or making detailed decorations. It is popular for a number of reasons. It seals the cake underneath and keeps it fresher for a longer period of time without refrigeration. Also, you can make incredible designs with a beautiful smooth finish that look very sophisticated." Since her baby was crying I told her that we can end the interview now. I thanked Heather Harary for her and help and she said good luck on the project.

When going into the planning stage, I began doing some more research online about covering a cake with fondant. I found this web site called wilton.com which has instructions on covering a cake with fondant. I started this extra research because I wanted my multimedia to be about covering a cake with fondant and other fondant tips. On wilton.com it shows you the basic technique to covering a round cake with rolled fondant. Conclusion **
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I've enjoyed researching this topic very much. I was surprised that I've learned so much in so little time. I put my new information to work when I made a specialty cake for my birthday. My new understanding of specialty cakes really paid off when my cake was finished. I used fondant, piping techniques, ice cream, and a super chocolate cake. I layered the cake and designed it so that it looked like an Oreo cookie. I got great feedback form my friends and family. I feel so proud of my new knowledge of cakes, I will definately make more in the future.

My IMovie media type="custom" key="796765"
 * Henry, Bianca, comp. "Cooking:Baking:Cake Decorating--Pipe Borders:Food Network." __Food Network__. 2008. Baking. 8 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_baking/article/0,,FOOD_18996_1726691,00.html>.]
 * "Recipes:Decorating with Fondant:Food Network." __Food Network__. 2005. Show: Sugar Rush. 7 Apr. 2008 http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32666,00.html.
 * Family Fun Magazine, and Deanna F. Cook. __Best of Family Fun Cooking and Parties__. First ed. Vol. One. New York City: Disney Enterprises, 2003. 124-126.
 * Harary, Heather. Online interview. 12 Apr. 2008.
 * "Wilton:Wedding:Making the Cake: Covering the Cake with Rolled Fondant." __Wilton__. 2008. Wilton Industries. 3 May 2008 http://www.wilton.com/wedding/makecake/fondant/index.cfm