How to Make a Multi Colored Loopy Bow

One of my most popular cakes, the safari first birthday cake, started my obsession with making two toned loopy bows.  I just cannot get enough of them.  I've had past clients say to me, "wow, how do you make that bow?".

I've seen a couple different ways to create them.  My friend, Milena, has a tutorial using wires.  Awesome.  The way I learned to make them is to secure the loops together with candy melts, which is the method I'm going to show you here.  

What you will need:

• Different colors of fondant
• Tylose Powder
• Paint brush
• Paper towels
• Rolling Pin
• Ribbon Cutter
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Parchment or Wax paper
• PVC Piping to hang the loops
• Powdered Sugar for dusting
• Colored Candy Melts

Start by kneading a generous amount of tylose powder into your fondant.  This is very important because it will make the fondant harden.  

Next, roll out two different colors of fondant, brush a little gum glue onto one of the pieces and move the other piece on top of it.

Use a rolling pin to thin out the fondant to an 1/8" thick.  If your fondant is too thick it will take longer to dry.

Use a ribbon cutter to create strips that are 6" long.   Don't throw out the thinner strips because they will be used later for filler.

You will need to repeat all the steps above with different colors for a total of 20 strips.  You may not use all of them in your bow, but it's better to have extra in case of breakage.

This is my ribbon drying contraption thingy, which I LOVE.  It's made with PVC piping.  All the pvc parts can be found at the hardware store.

Hang the strips around the piping as shown varying the top color.  Use a small amount of gum glue to  glue the bottom of each loop together.  Cut the bottoms of the loops into points using scissors.  

Also, trim and lay the thinner scraps of fondant over a piece of piping.

Allow the strips to dry for 24 hours.

Assemble your bow as shown starting with a small dab of candy melts onto a piece of parchment or wax paper.  Your candy melt color must be the same color as one of the loops.

Layer the loops securing them with more candy melts.  Use paper towels as support as you layer.  Once the candy melts have dried, remove the paper towels.

Dip the thinner strips into your candy melts and fill any empty spots in your bow.  Secure with a paper towel until the candy melts are again dry.

Peel the bow off the parchment paper and glue the bow to the cake using more candy melts.   If your bow has powdered sugar on it, you can remove it by rubbing a little shortening onto it, or by spraying it with vodka through an airbrush.  

How to Make Evenly Spaced Stripes on a Cake

Stripes on a cake will work for any occasion.  I've done them for baby showers, and both adult and teen cakes.   

When I want perfectly spaced stripes, like this sweet cake I made for Mother's Day, this is how I do it.

Start by tracing around your cake pan onto a piece of parchment or wax paper.  Cut out your circle and fold in half.  Fold the paper in half two more times.  The more folds you make, the more stripes you will have.  

Unfold your paper and secure it to the cake with a pin.  Using the folds as a guide, mark your cake with a ruler or straight edge.  

Sprinkle your surface with powdered sugar, roll out your fondant and cut the stripes with a ribbon cutter.  

Glue strips of fondant to your cake using gum glue.  Use a ruler to straighten the stripes if needed.  

Voila!

Covering a Cake Board in Fondant

Covering your cake board with fondant will add a more clean and polished look to the final presentation of your cake.  Yes, it will add an extra step in the cake making process, but it is totally worth it.

My friend, Kathia, has posted about this before, but I wanted to go over it again to stress the importance of this step.  

This cake that I made did not have a pretty fondant covered board and it needed it.  I wish I could go back in time to fix it!  These boards did get covered - Thank God!  

If your cake is covered in fondant, your board will be so much prettier and matchy-matchy if it is also covered in fondant.

It's easy.  Here's how you do it.  

Things you will need:

Cake Board or Drum

Tylose Powder

Fondant

Paint Brushes

Rolling Pin

Palette Knife or exacto knife

Fondant Smoother

Powdered Sugar for dusting

Luster Dusts

Rubber Stamps

Ribbon 

Hot Glue Gun

Royal Icing or Candy Melts

Start by making your gum glue by mixing a little tylose powder and water into a small bowl.  The powder may not dissolve right away, but will eventually.  Knead more tylose powder into your fondant.  This will make the fondant harden, which is a must when covering your board.  

Sprinkle your surface with powdered sugar and roll out your fondant to about 1/4 inch thick.  Brush gum glue around the board leaving the center dry and unglued.  Use a rolling pin or both hands to move the rolled fondant over to the board, and smooth using a fondant smoother.  Cut out the center of the fondant, and trim away the excess from the sides.  

Banana's Foster Cake Recipe

MY FAVORITE CAKE RECIPE!  Shouty capitals on a Monday, you ask?  YES!  This one is worth screaming about.

Banana's Foster Cake...  let me tell you about it.  Four moist layers of rum soaked cake, one layer of thick caramel sauce and 2 layers of sweet buttercream frosting.  It's so good it's like the Easter Bunny and Santa all rolled into one!

Start by making your caramel filling.    

Bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk to a boil while stirring. 

Continue to stir until the caramel reaches 238 degrees F, or the soft ball stage.

This caramel recipe makes way too much for what we need in this cake, but that is never a problem for me because it freezes well too.

I always forget to get pictures of the simple syrup making.  It's simple.  Happy place - go there.

Prepare the cake recipe and divide batter evenly into two 8" round cake pans.  

While the cakes are cooling, make your buttercream.  My two favorite buttercreams are posted here. 

Torte and soak the cakes in the rum simple syrup.

Don't forget to make a buttercream dam before adding the caramel filling or else it will spill out the sides of the cake. 

Frost the cake as you see fit.  I topped mine with a chopped pecans.

Now GO, make this cake, or I will start shouting at you again.

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Thick Caramel Sauce

From Cake Central Magazine

Printable

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring.

Carefully stir in heavy whipping cream.

Attach a candy thermometer to your pan.  Continue to stir until the caramel reaches 238 degrees F, or the soft ball stage.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. 

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Rum Simple Syrup

Adapted from Confetti Cakes Cookbook

Printable

½ cup water

½ cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons dark rum

Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, stirring.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  When the syrup comes to a boil, remove it from the heat, add dark rum and allow to cool.  When cool, simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Banana Cake

Adapted from Food.com

Printable

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 1/8 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Garnish

chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 325°.  Line two 8” round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with pan spray. 

In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachments, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add 2 tsp vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

Stir in banana mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Vanilla Buttercream Recipes

You’ve probably heard of Pink Little Cake (if you haven’t you must go check out her amazing cakes, cookies and How-To’s!).  She is launching a new feature on her blog called the ‘Cake Artist of the Month’.  And this month it’s me! Thank you Kathia!  I’m blushing. 

Even though my head is a little inflated right now, I’m going to stick to my original plan of sharing my buttercream recipes.

Finding the perfect vanilla buttercream has been a struggle for me over the years.  I have tried tons of recipes and gone through hundreds of sticks of butter in search of my favorite. 

I have narrowed it down to my top two vanilla buttercream recipes.  I’ve tried to pick one but I just cant! 

American Buttercream is and will always be my family’s favorite buttercream.   It is sweet, creamy and perfect for cupcakes.  This recipe is a favorite among kids.  And well, it’s damn good.
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

     4 sticks unsalted butter

     2 lbs powdered sugar

     2 teaspoons vanilla

     1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt

     5 – 6 Tablespoons half and half

     ·      If you are in a high temperature location or would like a crusting buttercream substitute 1 cup of Hi Ratio shortening for 2  sticks of the butter.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add sugar, half and half, vanilla and salt; mix until light and fluffy.


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Meringue Buttercream is a newer recipe for me and an adapted recipe from my friend Jeanette (from Blue Ivey Company & Cakery).  It is a cross between Swiss Meringue and American Buttercream.  It is buttery, creamy and smooth.  When I cover a cake in fondant this is the one I use. 
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

    1 lb, 8oz. powdered sugar

     2/3 cup pasteurized egg whites

     1 Tablespoon vanilla

     6 sticks unsalted butter, softened

     ½ cup hi ratio shortening

In an electric mixer using a wire whip, combine sugar, egg whites and vanilla.  Mix on low to combine.  Increase speed to high and mix for 10 minutes to build volume.  Switch to paddle attachment and reduce speed to medium, slowly add softened butter and shortening and beat an additional 10 minutes or until full volume is reached.