Basic Recipes

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="059785a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Make-A-Cake, Houston's Oldest & Largest Cake Decorating Supply Warehouse</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>    </B></FONT></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="0b1c64d0.jpg" border=0 width="198" height="77" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakeACake, Houstons Oldest Largest Cake"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services"><U><B>Our Products and Services</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location and Hours"><U><B>Location and Hours</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Useful Information"><U><B>Useful Information</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats New"><U><B>What's New</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos "><U><B>Photos </B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cake Gallery"><U><B>Cake Gallery</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Class Schedule"><U><B>Class Schedule</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I><B>Basic Recipes</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Buttercream Icing</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > is a soft icing that forms a light crust and can be colored and/or flavored for use on cakes. It is easily piped and can be smoothed with a clean hot spatula.</FONT></div> <div> There are several different receipes for buttercream icing.   Here is the basic formula:</div> <div> 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening</div> <div> 1/2 cup butter or margerine</div> <div> 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract</div> <div> 4 cups (about 1 pound) sifted powdered sugar</div> <div> 2 tablespoons milk</div> <bR> <div> Cream butter and shortening.  Add vanilla.  Add sugar one cup at a time.  Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.  For a stiffer icing, subtitute shortening for the butter.  For spreadable icing, add 3 to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Grandma Schwartz's Flour Icing</B> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >is great for our hot Texas summers as it holds up very well in the heat. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> 6 tablespoons flour</div> <div> 1 cup water</div> <div> 1 cup butter</div> <div> 1 cup sugar</div> <div> 1 teaspoon vanilla</div> <bR> <div> Cook flour and water over medium to low heat until it starts to become transparent.  Cool the mixture for two hours.  Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add flour mixture and vanilla.  Beat until white and fluffy.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Caramel Icing</B></div> <bR> <div> 1 cup sugar</div> <div> 1 cup evaporated milk</div> <div> 1 stick of butter</div> <div> 1 teaspoon vanilla</div> <bR> <div> Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a saucepan.  Boil mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage.  Add vanilla and remove from heat.  Cool to lukewarm.  Stir until creamy enough to spread.  If it is too stiff, add a drop or two of evaporated milk.  If too thin, cook a little longer or add powdered sugar.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Royal Icing</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > is an icing that becomes hard and crunchy and is great for making decorations, figure piping, decorating cookies and even icing cakes.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> 3 level tablespoons meringue powder</div> <div> 4 cups (about 1 pound) sifted powdered sugar</div> <div> 6 tablespoons water</div> <bR> <div> Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes until icing forms peaks.  Add a bit more water to thin icing to quickly cover (or "flood") outlined cookies.  Keep icing covered with a damp cloth or paper towel as it tends to harden fairly rapidly.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Simple Syrup</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > is made by combining 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water, boiling for 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.  Store in a covered jar in a cool place.   Simple syrup can be brushed on cakes to add moisture and sweetness.  Adding about 2 tablespoons of simple syrup to 1 cup fondant melted in a double boiler will make a pourable fondant frosting suitable for covering petit fours or other small cakes.  Leftover simple syrup can be used to sweeten iced tea.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Apricot Glaze</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > is a coating that is brushed or spread thinly on the all sides of a cake before icing, to keep cakes moist, to provide a crumb sealer, and to help the frosting stick to the cake.  Apricot glaze can be made by taking apricot jam and warming it in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it begins to melt down. Take the mixture and strain the liquid from the pulp.  Or, take 1/2 cup apricot jelly and 1/2 cup simple syrup and melt together over low heat.  (This recipe would make enough glaze to coat about 30 to 40 1 x 1 inch petit fours.)  The liquid can then be brushed on cake, bread or whatever you would like to seal with a shine.  </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  </div> </td> </tr></table></body>