Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi
I have been asked to make a cake which has fresh summer fruits to decorate it . How do I stop the fruit from going off ? I have been asked to put on strawberries,Kiwi and peach. Some of the people who are eating the cake are vegetarian.
Can I use glycerine?
The cake is going to be a vanilla cake with white chocolate ganache and finished with buttercream. He did not want sugar paste. He requested a gateaux but I suggested butter cream rather than cream because I thought that it would keep better .Does this sound like a good idea? I’m going to add a little ganache to the butter cream to give it some shine.

Thank you again for the brilliant advice that I get from you clever cake people!
Rachael

Hi Rachael

Fresh fruit is best placed on cake as close to the event time as possible. First make sure that the fruit is free from any bruising as this is a weak point for mold growth Strawberries bruise easily so really inspect them before buying. I wash fruit individually and dry thoroughly in kitchen paper. The best way to glaze fresh fruit is with boiled apricot jam. First boil the jam in the micro wave or saucepan until it bubbles, it takes a just a few seconds depending how much you boil up. Strain the jam through a wire sieve to remove any bits. Using a pastry brush paint each fruit to cover completely and place on some parchment paper until the jam sets. You may need to reboil the jam as it cools because it begins to reset. The treated fruits will still remain tacky but can be handled when required for placing on the cake. I wouldn’t recommend glycerine as not all is vegetarian type. It also tastes yucky!
Are you filling the cake with white chocolate ganache and crumb coating with white chocolate butter cream?
I’m not quite with you on that bit. I would fill with white chocolate butter cream and coat the cake with white ganache.
What do you think?

Hi Madeitwithlove

Thank you for getting back so quickly.
I now know how to deal with the fruit!
With regards to the cake – he wants a type of gateaux cake – so I will not be covering this one with sugar paste. He wants piping around the base and top of the cake. Can I still cover in white chocolate ganache and then pipe with butter cream? This one has confused me because I usually ganache then cover with sugar paste!

Thanks again for your help
Rachael

Yes you can do that. Your idea of a little ganache in the butter cream sounds good too, just make sure everything is at room tempterature when you add it. It’ll all turn out great! x

Hi Madeitwithlove

The man that I’m making the cake for does like the sound of a white coated ganache cake.
I’m not putting sugar paste over it so do I need to make the ganache different to the way that I normally do?

Thanks in advance for your help

Rachael

Hi Rachael

For coating a cake with ganache make it as Paul does in the tutorial and use the ganache chart for the quantity you need.
Here is Paul’s tutorial: http://www.cakeflix.com/using-ganache-making-white-chocolate-ganache
Here is the ganache chart: http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/how-to-ganache-cakes-without-gnashing-your-teeth

Follow the column for the white or milk chocolate quantities. You can also flavour your ganache with oil base flavours like these http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=313
If you want a simple vanailla flavour just boil the cream with a vanilla pod. Let it sit for about an hour and then split the pod, scrape out the pulp and add it to the cream. Re boil the cream and add to your chocolate for the ganache. If you flavour with vanilla bean remember that the ganache will have little brown speckles in it to show that it contains real vanilla. Perhaps you may like to give the gentleman a choice, he might not want a speckley ganache! x

Hi Madeitwithlove

Thanks again for your reply. You are so clever!

Rachael

Hi Madeitwithlove

Thanks again for your reply. You are vey clever and generous with your time!

Rachael