Buttercream – The Ocelots' Den

Is Bigger Better? Sharing the Secrets of Tall Cakes

By Julia on 7 July, 2021

IMHO, Tall cakes are epic! If I need to make a small cake or any cake for personal events, I make tall cakes. (I may also overbake for my personal events). This is when I experiment the most and test out new techniques and ideas. I don’t want any cake-tastropes for my clients.

What is a Tall Cake?

A tall cake is simply what it seems. A TALL cake! Depending on the size of the cake, the height may look more proportional or taller. For my menu purposes, my cakes have a simplified definition.

My Standard cakes are all 2-layers. And my Tall Cakes are 4-Layers. All of my cake layers are baked to the same dimensions. I am more than happy to create a custom number of layers. (My pricing menu has pricing for 2-layer, 3-layer, and 4-layer cakes). If you want 5+ layers I can certainly accommodate!

No More Leaning Towers!

I’m going to get on my soapbox again and emphasize the importance of structure in tall cakes! Tall cakes are essentially a more modern version of a tiered cake, but they have the same diameter. The structural integrity can be compromised from the weight of the cakes. This can lead to leaning, collapsing, or squished fillings. (Which is NOT ideal). To prevent this, I insert dowels, or straws, and depending on the size of the cake, I may include a cake board.

Any way you stack it, you can’t go wrong with cake! I like the drama of the added elevation, but maybe you’re a no-drama mama. (And that’s great too!)

Mix ‘n’ Match

I don’t have the prices listed on my menu (because there are nearly infinite possibilities for options), but you can mix standard cakes with tall cakes for a modern surprise!

Call me up, if you want a Mix ‘N’ Match cake! (By call me, I definitely mean text or email me). I am obsessed, but haven’t had a reason to bake one yet!!

Baked Goods | Cake | Wedding | Weddings

Buttercream Dreams: Choose the Right Frosting to Avoid Disaster

By Julia on 2 June, 2021

It’s probably no surprise at this point if you’ve been following along with this series, but I am not a huge fan of Frosting. I find many frostings are overly sweet (even though I have an enormous sweet tooth). When it comes to Frosting, 9/10 I make American Buttercream. The flavor of butter really helps balance out the sweetness of the Confectioner’s Sugar (aka Powdered Sugar).

American Buttercream

American Buttercream is a very simple Frosting to make. It is primarily 2 parts Sugar to 1 part Butter (by weight). (I’m also a huge fan of weighing ingredients when possible. You get more consistent results, and once practiced, it is faster than measuring). Other than the Confectioner’s Sugar and butter, the only other additions are Cream or Milk and any additional flavorings. (I use Salted Butter, you should add a little Salt if you aren’t using Salted Butter. The Salt balances out the sweetness).

You can color the Buttercream, you can flavor it to suit your needs, and one of its best qualities is that it crusts. A crusting icing is excellent, IMO, because if you inadvertently touch it a little bit, it remains undisturbed.

The limitation of American Buttercream is it is not fond of the heat. The melting point of the Butter is 90-95°F and softens above 65°F. If you have an outdoor wedding, this can be quite concerning. The Cake may melt before the Cake is cut! (CAKE-TASTROPHE).

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a bit more challenging to make, but the extra effort creates more structure in the frosting. Swiss Meringue uses heated Egg Whites mixed and beaten with Sugar and then the Butter, Color, and Flavorings are added.

This is a silky frosting. It doesn’t crust and feels light and flavorful on the tongue. The Egg Whites can seem intimidating, but don’t let them get in your way! I adore the slight sheen to this icing.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Italian Meringue Buttercream is the most advanced of the buttercreams. It is a boiled sugar syrup gently streamed and whipped into room temperature Egg Whites. I think what intimidates most bakers is making the sugar syrup. And to that, I recommend getting an instant-read thermometer. It takes the guesswork out. Plus, you can use it for more than candy making. (steaks, roasts, etc). I don’t recommend the candy thermometers that you clip on the edge. They are harder to read and I find that they are less accurate. (I make a lot of marshmallows and my instant-read thermometer is my BFF!!).

Once the correct sugar syrup is achieved the next more unnerving part of making Italian Meringue Buttercream is that it seems like it is falling while you are very slowly adding the butter to the Meringue mixture. You have to believe in it and persevere.

The benefit of Italian Meringue, beyond its lovely texture and lighter flavor, is it the sugar syrup creates a stronger structure for the frosting. This also makes it a bit more stable for warmer temperatures.

Other Types of Buttercream

There are of course other types of buttercream. I am simply highlighting the most common types. French, German, and Korean Glossy (also known as GG Glossy) are the other Buttercreams I am familiar with.

French Buttercream

French Buttercream is made the same way as Italian Meringue Buttercream, except it’s made with egg yolks instead of whites. It’s naturally more yellow-hued and has a more custard-like flavor. It tastes similar to Pastry Cream.

German Buttercream

German buttercream is custard-based. It starts the same as when you make pastry cream (Whole Eggs, Cornstarch, Sugar cooked until thickened, then warm cream is added). Once it is made, the custard is beaten into butter. It is very buttery and doesn’t hold up well in the heat. It is even softer than American Buttercream.

Korean Buttercream

The other names for Korean Buttercream are GLossy Buttercream or G.G. Glossy Buttercream. (G.G. More from G.G. Cakraft developed this style. Korean Buttercream is made exactly like Italian Meringue Buttercream, except it uses chilled butter. This gives it its shiny (glossy) finish. It withstands heat really well. It is excellent for piping beautiful designs and making buttercream flowers.

Flavors

Of course, you can add any liquid flavorings (extracts, emulsions, etc.). For example, the “Wedding Cake” flavor includes 1teaspoon of Vanilla and 1/2 tsp of almond extract. You can also include up to 1 Cup (8-oz) of Chocolate (melted and cooled), Lemon Curd, or Seedless Preserves. These examples are for a recipe of approximately 16-Ounces of Confectioner’s Sugar and 8-Ounces of Butter.

Baked Goods | Christmas | Cupcakes | Holiday

Who Spiked the Cupcakes?

By Julia on 23 December, 2019

One of my girlfriends asked if I could make some boozy cupcakes for her annual Christmas Party (9? years running). I looked through a variety of different recipes on the internet and kept circling back to the thought of keeping it simple, packed with flavor, and seasonal. One of my favorite winter drinks is a peppermint mocha, and who doesn’t love a steamy mug of cocoa topped with marshmallows or filled with some whipped cream?

For the base of my cupcake, I used my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. It is rich and chocolaty and always seems to be a crowd-pleaser. (The secret ingredient is coffee. Tasty, delicious dark coffee from a local roaster here in Richmond. Dark as Dark from Blanchards).

In my busy baking haste, I neglected to take photos as I was in the process of making these delightful concoctions. However, I’ll still do a quick overview before sharing the final product images.

After the cupcake base layer, I had intended to have a lovely light but stabilized whipped cream frosting. Friends, I met this task with failure, and I had a quick deadline. (Probably the reasons why I wasn’t busy snapping photos along the way).

Instead of my concept frosting, I went with an ol’ standby that is ALWAYS delicious, and ALWAYS turns out. Buttercream. I flavored it with equal parts vanilla and peppermint extracts. (As I had intended to do with the failed batch).

While the cupcakes were in the oven, I spread some chocolate out, added a layer of peppermint candy melts, generously sprinkled some crushed peppermint, and let it set up.

Once the cupcakes were cooled and frosted, I cut the peppermint bark into wedges and ~~stabbed~~ stuck the piece in the frosting.

The most fun part was adding the tiny bit of tipsy. I ordered some pettite pipettes. (They hold a volume of 4ml). For reference, there’s ~ 44ml in a standard shot. I added the pipette of peppermint schnapps, and the cupcakes were complete!

The best part was, they were popular enough to get a second order!

Baked Goods | Cake | Holiday | Wedding | Weddings

An Unconventional Wedding Cake

By Julia on 21 August, 2018

My oldest brother got married this month! My wedding present to him and his bride was to help plan the wedding and to make the wedding cake. I know how stressful weddings can be, and I thought it was an excellent opportunity for me to get to know my SIL. I live 700 miles from where we grew up, and I have limited vacation days, so I try to maximize whatever time I have at home.

I knew the wedding would be a significant commitment, but it’s my big brother, and he asked me to be his “best man.” There is no way I could imagine refusing such a kind gesture and the loving inclusion on their special day.

The cake flavors were a simple choice. The couple quickly agreed on Red Velvet Cake with Buttercream Frosting. All that remained was to come up with the design. They both had their hearts set on having a Deadpool cake. I was a bit confused at first, but then they explained their love story and the significance of Deadpool.

My initial thought when I heard “Deadpool cake” was a Deadpool cartoon face round cake, with loads of red and black frosting. I try to be pretty open with design ideas, but I wanted to steer them towards something a little more traditional, with the fun and significant element of Deadpool. They had already chosen flowers and wedding colors. Gerbera daisies, and Orange, Purple, and Green.

I made the bouquets and boutonnieres. The mini bouquets were for my nieces. With flowers that represent their names and a few were mimicked in the bridal bouquet.

I couldn’t wrap my brain around how to fit this comic-book character into this romantic theme. Also, I know my brother, I hadn’t seen him with my SIL yet, but I could see him lovingly smashing the cake in her face. Red and black frosting stain my hands when I bake with them. I can’t imagine the damage they would inflict on a wedding dress.

So, as I like to do, I did more research. I watched the movies because I hadn’t seen them yet. I hoped that something in them would inspire me so their wedding cake would succinctly represent them as a couple AND look beautiful amidst the flowers and other decorations for the wedding.

I am so glad I watched the movies because the thing about Deadpool is, he can’t die. (I’m sure that’s obvious to any hardcore comic fans. He wasn’t a character I was exposed to until this month). So, I had the idea to have the cake drop on top of him and squish him! Then I was off to the races!

The bloody version was just for a dramatic effect. I didn’t intend on making a bloody wedding cake. *(But I would if they wanted it)*

I drew some mock-ups and sent them to my SIL for approval and got to baking. I wanted to do a test run of the cake and see how long it would take me to bake, frost, and decorate because I would be flying to Michigan from Virginia. I made a test cake for my BIL’s birthday because he also loves comic book characters.

I molded Deadpool, an “L” and some Gerbera Daisies out of modeling chocolate. For the real cake we were thinking about a cake topper that was M <3 S. (I typically put the woman’s initial first, but I didn’t want it to read S&M and give any mixed messages) I dusted some of the elements with luster dust for dimension and sheen. I piped all of the details, and I was incredibly proud of my effort.

My least favorite part of baking is cake delivery. It is terrifying. It makes me anxious. There are so many things that can go wrong after putting so much effort into the delicious artwork. More often than not, I have someone drive with me, and I hold the cakes. Or I drive and have someone hold the cakes.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t an option on this day. So I packed my car up to drive 8 miles. I made it the whole way there. I am sure I annoyed all of those around me because I was driving so slowly, taking corners like a little old lady and accelerating at a painstakingly slow pace. Then, because I lost my mind, I decided to pull into the driveway. HUGE mistake. I heard the cake topple right on over, and I cried.

For the wedding, I knew I wouldn’t be traveling with the cake. I would bake and decorate it at my sister’s house where the reception was held, but still, I felt defeated and embarrassed.

Fortunately, because Deadpool is the anti-hero, he survived the debacle. Also, my in-laws are the greatest and still devoured the cake.

I did some research and decided with my tight timeline flying in the night before the wedding; it was best if I brought the cake, frosting, and modeling chocolate to assemble on site. I looked at the TSA regulations and packed it up in my cooler as my carry on. It was the perfect solution, especially since after delays we didn’t get into town until well after midnight.

The cake traveled really well in it’s cooler along with the buttercream and candy clay. There were a lot of tasks to accomplish to prepare for the festivities as soon as the day began. I took a trip to the store for some last-minute charcuterie items. (I was obsessed with finding fresh figs). I tried my hardest to coordinate the fruits and veggies with the wedding colors. We sliced, chopped, and prepared everything while other helpers set up the flowers and other decorations and drink stations outside.

My sister spent a lot of time before my arrival, setting up lights and arranging her gardens to have space for a dance floor and the DJ. Everything was happening in whirlwind succession.

I crumb-coated the cake and gave it it’s polished finish before adding the other details. At this point, my brother liked the cake simple. So I stopped. Why spend more time on it if the groom is happy. We still had a lot of other tasks to accomplish, and the ceremony was 30 minutes from the reception.

I wish I would have gotten better photos of the cake. The ceremony was at sunset, and the reception was in the evening, so it was too dark, plus, at that point I had shifted my mindset into my Best Man role, and I was focused on my speech and spending time with my nieces and nephew (and the bride and groom).

My best man’s speech was a hit! Look at the applause!

Baked Goods | Birthdays | Cake

How to bake a Cake for a Lover of Macabre

By Julia on 14 April, 2018

Nevermore

It’s my Sister-in-Law’s birthday this month! She loves Crows and Ravens (and birds in general). I wanted to make her a special petite cake to honor her.

I rolled out some black fondant and went to town cutting out feathers. I embossed and shaped each one by hand. After I applied them to the cake I gave them a simple paint job using black shimmery luster dust.

I also dusted the white buttercream once it had crusted. I liked that it gave the appearance of birch bark.

Everyone Enjoyed the Tasty Surprise! Also, the Birthday Girl LOVES Frosting.

Baked Goods | Cake | Easter | Holiday | Spring

Sweet Bunnies and an Even Sweeter Cake

By Julia on 29 March, 2018

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. Everything around me is starting the gain new life. Flowers, trees, baby animals! It’s also when we get to celebrate Resurrection Day.

I typically shy away from the adorable bunnies in my baking for Easter. I generally try to focus on the Lamb (and sheep) instead. Last year I baked a precious Carrot Cake with and decorated it like it was a little Lamb.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

This year, I was enamored with bunny ears and flowers. I wanted to practice my buttercream flower piping skills, so I used cookies as a nice base, and then I also added some bunny ears piped in white chocolate on a non-floral version. I love taking treats into the office to test them out!