Rose's Heavenly Cakes (70 page)

Filling and Frosting the Cake

A heavy-duty turntable (see
Turntables
) is indispensable for filling and frosting large cakes.

The amount of frosting between and on top of the layers should be between 1/8 and ¼ inch thick. Use the following guideline for approximate amount of frosting to spread between cake layers.

I have offered four different frosting options in this chapter (all but the lacquer glaze can also be used as fillings):
Passion Mousseline and Macadamia Topping
,
White Chocolate—Vanilla Bean Buttercream
,
Grand Marnier Ganache
, and
Dark Chocolate Lacquer Glaze
. The most versatile is the mousseline, which can be made in many different flavors.

Buttercreams become spongy on sitting at room temperature, so rewhisk them lightly by hand to keep them smooth and creamy.

Sandwiching the Layers

Begin by spreading a small dab of frosting on the cake round to hold the cake layer in place. Set the cake layer on top. (I like to use nonstick removable bottoms of fluted tart pans to support the cake, but a cake lifter or open-sided baking sheet will also work well, especially if coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray.)

Heap a mound of frosting onto the top of the cake and, with a long narrow spatula held at about a 45-degree angle, turn a turntable or spread the frosting in a back-and-forth motion to cover the entire top of the cake. Avoid lifting away the spatula until the entire crust is covered because it will lift up the crust. Remove any excess frosting. Chill the cake for 5 minutes in the freezer or for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator to set the frosting before placing the second layer on top.

Applying Frosting to the Sides and Top

Either support the sandwiched cake layers in the palm of one hand or set them on a heavy-duty turntable. (Two-layer cakes larger than 8 inches require the turntable.)

Use a metal spatula to place a large gob of frosting on a side of the cake. Press it from side to side without lifting away the spatula so that it doesn't lift away any crust. Continue all around the cake layer, allowing the frosting to rise about ¼ inch above the top.

Frost the top of the cake in the same way as the top of the first layer. When the entire surface is covered, hold the spatula halfway across the cake with the blade almost flat against the frosting. Pressing lightly, rotate the turntable in one full circle.

Remove the excess frosting from the sides by holding a small metal spatula parallel to the sides and rotating again.

If the cake needs further smoothing, dip a spatula in hot water, shake or wipe off the water, and repeat the smoothing process, pressing lightly because there will be little excess frosting to remove.

If desired, you can use a small metal spatula to make swirls in the top and sides of the frosting.

Tiering and Transporting the Cake

If at all possible, transport cake layers separately and tier the cake at its final destination. If you are transporting a tiered cake, to keep the tiers from sliding, it is advisable to drive a 3/8-inch wooden dowel, sharpened at one end, through the tiered cake layers. For ease in removal, choose a dowel that is about 6 inches longer than the height of the finished cake. Before placing the cake layers on top, it is a good idea to cut two 1-inch slits in the center of each cardboard round to form an X. This will enable the dowel to penetrate the cardboard without the risk of compressing the frosted cake. There is no need to make the cuts on the cardboard supporting the bottom tier. Use a hammer, tapping gently, to drive the dowel through to the bottom of the cake. When the cake is ready to be displayed, remove the dowel by twisting and pulling it up and out of the cake. Frost or place an ornament on top of the cake to hide the small hole.

Alternatively, you can use a 3/16-inch decoratively covered wooden cake base and a ½-inch dowel attached to its center with a flat-head screw (similar to a sheetrock screw). Be sure first to make a hole in the dowel slightly smaller than the screw to prevent the dowel from splitting. The dowel must be shorter than the height of the completed cake. Also drill a slightly larger than ½-inch hole in the center of each cardboard round before placing the cake layer on top. When you are ready to tier the cake, lift the layer supporting it with the palms of your hands. Line up the center hole with the top of the dowel and carefully slip the layer down to the base or layer beneath it. To prevent marring the frosting, when the cake layer gets almost to the base or layer beneath it, remove your hands and allow it to drop gently into place.

Plastic Straw Internal Support

Inflexible plastic drinking straws placed evenly in a circle on each layer that will support another layer ensures that the upper layer will not sink. This was a brainstorm of my husband, Elliott, who assured me that straws could withstand a significant amount of weight without displacing nearly as much cake as wooden dowels, which are much more difficult to cut to size as well.

To insert the straws, first mark an outline on the frosted cake tier of where the next tier will be placed. You can use the pan the layer was baked in as a guide by inverting it over the center and touching it down lightly to mark the frosting. Insert a plastic straw into the center of the cake until it touches the base and use a pencil to mark off on the straw the height of the layer. Remove the straw and cut it off at the pencil mark. Use this straw as a guide to cut other straw supports the same length. (If the cake will be assembled where it will be presented, you can cut the straws 1/8 inch higher than the cake to prevent frosting from sticking to the tier above and make serving easier.)

Insert one straw in the center of the cake (unless you plan to drive a stake through the center) and then insert the other straws in an equidistant circle just inside the guide marks. A 12-inch layer needs eight straws and one for the center. A 9-inch layer needs six straws and one for the center. The top tier does not need straw supports unless something heavy is to be placed on it.

In order to place one tier on top of another, at the beginning you will need an inflexible heavy-duty pancake turner that can support the full weight of each tier, and then a small offset spatula to finish setting the tier in place.

Begin by centering one tier over the tier below, using the outline on the frosting as your guide. Let the side opposite the spatula touch down on the frosting first. Gradually lower the tier, leaving space to keep the spatula from touching the frosting on the tier below. Transfer the weight from the large spatula to the small offset spatula and then remove the larger one. Carefully finish lowering the tier, moving the small spatula out to the very edge and then slipping it out completely.

Pipe a border of buttercream around the base of each tier to seal in the freshness, hide the edges of the cardboard round, and give the edges a finished appearance.

Serving the Tiered Cake

Wedding cake portions traditionally are smaller than usual dessert portions because they are most often served after a large dinner that includes other desserts. Some servers cut thin slices from the full height of each sandwiched tier, 4 inches high by 2 inches deep by ½ inches wide, but you can also cut a square 2 inches high by 2 inches deep by 1 5/8 inches wide.

The most practical way to cut 8-inch or larger tiers of wedding cake is in concentric circles until the small 4- to 6-inch center round remains. This section can then be cut into narrow wedges.