Cake Supplies

When I first got serious about cake baking I decided it was time to get serious about the supplies that I used. One trip to JoAnn Fabrics and at least $100 later I had everything I needed to get started. Over the years I have expanded my collection and I must admit, having the right tools makes the baking process so much easier.

Here are your "must" items (in my opinion) if you are going to become a serious cake baker. All of these are from Wilton and can be purchased at www.wilton.com.





Bake Easy - this was the best discovery of my baking "career". I never bake with out it now. Spray it inside your cake pan and every cake will litterally fall out of the pan when you take it out of the oven.

Cake pans - in all appropriate sizes. These professional pans from Wilton are wonderful, the bake evenly and are non-stick.







Cake slicer - once the cake layers have cooled you use this to cut off the bumpy top so that you have a perfectly even layer. The wire is adjustable so you can control the size of each layer.








Frosting spatula - when you are ready to stack your cakes, this spatula is a great way to evenly apply the frosting.










Decorating bags and tips - a must if you are going to decorate any cake. Wilton sells a great box of tips in quantities of 25 or 50, quickly completing your collection.

Slight Change in the Game Plan

We are just under five months away from the wedding and everything is coming into place. The caterer is booked, dresses ordered, photographer confirmed and with all the planning came a slight change in our plans for the cakes. Originally the plan was for me to make all of the cakes, one for each table. During my sisters research she discovered that Target has a bakery and she could order an 8 inch cake for $5.99. It was decided that we would order the cakes for all of the guests tables from Target and that I would only make the "head cake".

What does this mean for this blog? Well, my initial plan was to continue along with this blog long after the wedding was complete. So it seems I may start that shift earlier than originally planned. I will still be blogging about baking, since its still my passion. And I will still be baking cakes to practice for the wedding. My focus will be less on the cake itself and more on perfecting my decorating skills.

Types of Frosting

No cake is complete with out a healthy coating of frosting. We have come a long way from the standard royal icing, these days you can get a cake with just about any flavor or color icing you want. What exactly are all of these types of frosting and why do we have so many, you ask? Well they each serve a different purpose. Lets look at an overview of the most common types of frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream frosting in my opinion is the easiest frosting to make and it has many uses. It not only allows you to make beautiful designs but also holds layers together really well. Buttercream is made up of butter, powdered sugar, flavorings, and liquid (usually milk). My favorite recipe for buttercream is from Wilton.

Fondant

Many wedding cakes are finished with a layer of fondant to give a silky smooth finish. Fondant can be made many ways, but my favorite (which I think is also the easiest and cheapest) is made with marshmallows, water, powdered sugar and shortening. The end result is an easy to work with ball that will roll out easily. The frosting will be much stiffer than buttercream and not as sweet. My favorite recipe for marshmallow fondant is here.

Royal Icing

This smooth, hard-drying icing is perfect for making decorations that last. I believe it is more common for use on cookies than cake except for using it is as a "cement" to fasten decorations together. It is made by mixing powdered sugar with milk or water. A good recipe for royal icing can be found here.

Meet the Venue

After searching, tours and deliberation - Matt and Lara have chosen to hold their wedding at the Grant Humpreys Mansion in Denver, CO. I had the opportunity to visit the location when I was visiting the couple in January and I was blown away. From the outdoor terrace over looking a park to the grand staircase entering the main dining room this location is perfect for a classic fairytale wedding. There is more to this mansion than meets the eye, it has a rich history matched with rumors of being haunted.

The Masion

The mansion is a 3 floor, 30-room home, created in the Beaux-Arts style, an architectural art form which is inspired by the ancient world and Renaissance Europe. James Grant, one of Colorado's most wealthiest men, hired talented architects Theodore Davis Boal and F.I. Harnois, to build his show piece home for the total cost of $35,000. The mansion has a glorious brick facade with terra cotta balustrades, projecting balconies and 20 foot columns.

The History

James Benton Grant was born in 1848 on his family's plantation in Alabama. In 1882 he relocated his company, the Grant Smelting Company, and his wife to the state's capital, Denver and was elected third governor of the state, from 1883 - 1885. James Benton Grant died in 1911, and Mary sold this grand home to wealthy southern-born entrepreneur Albert E. Humphreys in 1917.

Haunted Mansion

From HauntedHouses.com

Albert E. Humphreys, who was a keen-eyed, crack shot, died in a suspicious shooting accident on the third floor.

In nearby Cheesman Park, near the Grant Humphreys Mansion, the remains of 2000 people are still buried there, as the park was built on top of the Mount Prospect Graveyard or Boot Hill, founded in 1858. In 1873, the elected officials renamed the cemetery, calling it City Cemetery, a place where epidemic victims, transients and criminals were to be buried. In 1893, like many cities, Denver officials decided to use the land for something else, and gave 90 days for the bodies to be moved. The Catholic and Jewish sections were all removed by church and temple members, but many graves were left unmoved. The city hired an incompetent undertaker who made a huge mess of things, creating a large scandal.

Graves were looted in the process, bodies were broken in order to fit them into little mini-boxes, causing body parts to litter the ground, getting all mixed up. No respect was given the unearthed dead, despite being warned by psychics to say a little prayer over each. (Uh oh! Not a good idea!)

Well, all hell broke loose, and the spirits were disturbed, and began wandering around and through the buildings and homes near the cemetery, showing themselves in mirrors. Finally, the whole mess was plowed under, and a park was made on top of the havoc created, called Cheesman Park.

At least 5 ghosts make the mansion their home.

The entity of Albert E. Humphreys is still enjoying his home, restless because of his untimely death due to either a stupid accident, a possible suicide or a deliberate murder.

4 other separate entities keep him company. Perhaps some are from the disrupted and desecrated graveyard, who still haunt the park area. They perhaps wandered in and liked the mansion, and decided to stay. Perhaps other family members or other people with a connection to this mansion have also decided to move in and make themselves at home.

Cake Break

I admit I have been bad at blogging for the past week - my excuse... I have been quilting. I know, could I be any more domestic?

This past weekend I delivered two quilts to the babies of my college roommates. It took a few weeks and many hours of my time, but I was extremely happy with the end result.

Jett, 2 months old, and his rain boots quilt.

Cameron's "party time" quilt.

I also spent some time with Miles and took a picture of him playing with his Gone Fishing quilt.