Mastering the Art of Perfect Cake Icing: A Step-by-Step Guide

Cake icing is not merely a topping; it's an art form that elevates a good cake to greatness. The perfect icing can transform a simple cake into a masterpiece, adding flavour, texture, and visual appeal. 

Whether you're a novice baker or a seasoned pro, mastering the art of cake icing is essential for creating memorable desserts. In this guide, we'll delve into the techniques and tips to ensure your cake icing is of the highest quality.

Step 1: Choose the Right Ingredients

Quality ingredients are the foundation of delicious icing. Opt for unsalted butter for a rich flavor and smooth texture. For a lighter icing, consider using vegetable shortening or a combination of butter and shortening. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor, and sift icing sugar to remove any lumps, ensuring a silky-smooth consistency.

Step 2: Achieve the Perfect Consistency

The key to achieving the perfect icing consistency lies in finding the right balance between firmness and spreadability. Begin by creaming the butter until light and fluffy, then gradually add the powdered sugar, beating well after each addition. For a thicker icing, add more powdered sugar, and for a thinner consistency, add a splash of milk or cream.

Step 3: Flavour and Colour Your Icing

Enhance the flavour of your icing with extracts, such as almond, lemon, or orange, to complement the flavor of your cake. For chocolate icing, use high-quality cocoa powder or melted chocolate for an indulgent treat. Experiment with different food colouring gels to achieve vibrant hues, but remember that a little goes a long way.

Step 4: Master the Techniques

There are various techniques for applying icing to a cake, each offering a different aesthetic appeal. For a rustic look, use a spatula to create swirls and peaks. For a smooth finish, apply a thin layer of icing as a crumb coat, then chill the cake before adding a final layer. Invest in piping bags and tips for intricate designs, such as rosettes, borders, and lettering.

Step 5: Practice Patience and Precision

Patience is key when it comes to cake icing. Take your time to ensure each layer is even and smooth, and use a cake turntable for easy maneuverability. If you make a mistake, don't worry, icing is forgiving, and you can always scrape it off and start again. Remember that practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to experiment and refine your skills.

Step 6: Store and Serve with Care

Once your cake is beautifully iced, store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent the icing from melting or becoming too soft. If you're not serving the cake immediately, cover it with a cake dome or plastic wrap to keep it fresh. When it's time to serve, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to achieve clean slices.

Conclusion:

Mastering the art of cake icing requires practice, patience, and precision, but the results are well worth the effort. By choosing the right ingredients, achieving the perfect consistency, mastering various techniques, and practicing patience and precision, you can create stunning cakes that are as delicious as they are beautiful. 

So, roll up your sleeves, grab your spatula, and let your creativity shine as you embark on your cake icing journey. With dedication and practice, you'll soon be icing cakes like a pro.

New Choco Cakes Launch in the UK

Just about everyone loves chocolate cake. So That's Food and Drink is pleased to be able to share the news that St. Michel, France's favourite cake and biscuit brand, brings its much loved Choco Cakes range to the UK: a selection of Choco Muffin, Choco Waffle, Choco Donut and Choco Burger are now available in Tesco* and Waitrose stores plus online at Ocado with a rrp £2.00 per box. 

Made in France using French wheat, cage-free eggs and absolutely zero palm oil, the Choco Cakes range contains no artificial preservatives. You can learn more here www.stmichel.com/uk/en  

Available in handy boxes of six, each delicious cake is individually wrapped in foil, making them perfect to pop in to lunch boxes or as an afternoon treat at home or on the go, guaranteeing freshness and that unbeatable, authentic French taste.

Choco Burger is a delightful soft cake made of two slices of airy biscuits filled with chocolate mousse.

Choco Donut is a fun and light sponge cake, made in a donut shape and coated with irresistible, thick milk chocolate.

Choco Muffin is made of scrumptious fluffy dough, dipped in milk chocolate giving a tasty topping.

Choco Waffle is an exquisite little sponge cake with three soft squares filled with smooth chocolate. 

Founded in 1905 St. Michel has a tradition of excellence: all of its products are made in France to traditional recipes using the finest quality ingredients. The Choco Cakes range is the latest family friendly addition to the St. Michel portfolio.

*Choco Muffin, Choco Waffle and Choco Burger only available at Tesco stores nationwide. Range availability in store may vary by location, so please check.

 

Cakes for Apes: Bake Off's Jo Brand and Henry Bird join International Animal Rescue's Campaign To Shine A Spotlight on World Wildlife Day 2024

Supported by many well-known, popular faces, IAR's Cakes for Apes campaign aims to raise awareness. 

Talking about the campaign, comedian and host of the Great British Bake Offs Extra Slice, Jo Brand, said: "Whether you're a business, a teacher or a parent, we really need your help to show the next generation how they can take care of our planet and also the deep connection between wildlife, nature and climate. 

"Cakes for Apes is a great opportunity to share International Animal Rescue's message with young people whilst raising some funds to support the animals. We would love you all to take part."

A spokesperson went on to add: "We invite schools to participate in our 'Cakes for Apes' appeal to raise awareness. Get baking, go wild and raise money to save orangutans like Budi, whose journey from captivity to canopies exemplifies the transformative impact of IAR's work. 

"Initially confined to a tiny chicken cage, Budi flourished under the round-the-clock care provided by IAR. Now thriving in forest school, Budi is growing more independent each day, showcasing the tangible impact of rehabilitation and release efforts."

Anyone can sign up for a fundraising pack here: https://www.cakes4apes.org

"If schools wish, they can also take advantage of IAR's educational resources, tailored for assemblies and beyond. These materials aim to empower communities with knowledge, encouraging active participation in conserving wildlife and their habitats. Schools can download the resources for free here: https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/lessons

Former bake-off contestant Henry Bird, whose journey began as a baking enthusiast, has transitioned his passion for creating delectable treats to a broader mission of advocating for animal welfare and environmental conservation. 

Known for his appearance as the youngest competitor on series 19 of the Great British Bake Off, Henry has embarked on a journey to use his influence to support causes close to his heart. 

Henry said, "I've always loved animals, the environment and baking and I want to make a positive impact. Cakes for Apes gives me a fun way to contribute and raise awareness about the critical need to protect rainforests and the animals that depend on them. It also helps to raise funds to support the animals and educate future generations."

The dedicated team at IAR Indonesia spearheads initiatives to rescue and rehabilitate orangutans, safeguarding orangutan habitats through an extensive landscape conservation project. This initiative involves protecting forests, promoting sustainable farming, reforesting areas, and creating tree corridors to enable orangutans to move freely and safely between protected areas.

Education and outreach programs are pivotal in inspiring change within local communities and worldwide. By fostering awareness and understanding, IAR aims to create a shared responsibility for the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants.

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES:

· RESCUE: Saving animals from suffering

· REHAB: Providing round-the-clock care and rehabilitation

· RELEASE: Facilitating the return of animals to their natural environment

· EDUCATION: Empowering communities with knowledge

· REFORESTATION: Protecting and restoring natural habitats

· PROTECTION: Safeguarding wildlife in their native ecosystems

Soreen bring health and affordability to the cake aisle

Soreen, the nation’s favourite malt loaf brand, has reformulated their banana loaf recipe to delight consumers taste buds with their exceptionally tasty and nutritional goodness.

The new Banana Loaf reformulation packs a powerful punch in flavour with an authentic banana bread taste, alongside heightened nutritional values, at a far more affordable price than other snacking and breakfast options.

At a time when households all over the UK are struggling to uphold a healthy lifestyle but are equally feeling the pressures of daily expenses and inflated costs of living, balancing health and affordability is admittedly something of a tough proposition. 

However, Soreen’s range provides healthier snacking alternatives whilst achieving good value for money. For example, Soreen Banana Loaf is 147 calories per portion at a cost of 30p per serving, far less than other category products or coffee shop cakes.

As the biggest HFSS compliant brand in cakes, Soreen has grown by 11% showcasing that customers want to make healthier choices. Soreen continues to be a popular household staple given its nutritional yet tasty appeal and versatility.

Liz Jacobs, who is the Marketing Director at Soreen said: “The beauty of Soreen is, it's an affordable, tasty and nutritional daily snack.

“At Soreen, we didn’t perceive HFSS to be a restriction, we saw it as an opportunity to refresh some products by adding more nutritional goodness in to optimise our health credentials and propel the brand as category leaders for health.

“Our HFSS compliant products have the chance to increase in-store visibility by moving to more premium store positions, thus encouraging shoppers to choose healthier snacking options and aligning to government guidelines to reduce obesity in the UK.”

The grocery sector has recently been under pressure given the challenges of increasing ingredient costs, which have inflated the price of numerous products. For this reason, some retailers increased their private label ranges given consumers disposable income has fallen. 

The private label options are there to provide cheaper alternatives to brands as shoppers switch products to achieve good value for money. Soreen provides affordable health for homes throughout the UK.

Liz went to say: “We are ‘Champions of feel-good nutrition,’ hence nutrition is a huge priority to us as a brand. We’re also committed to communicating with integrity and always showing our colour coded nutritional GDAs on the front of our packs.

"Soreen’s latest campaign ‘Try Me Topped’ presents some fabulous, and rather unusual combinations to get the senses going, encouraging people to experiment, and inviting them to share their faves, so that the nation’s most loved Malt Loaf topping can be determined!"

https://www.soreen.com

Body Rescue. Tasty recipes to rescue your body

Body Rescue Lemon Drizzle Cake Ingredients

For the cake:

1 medium sized sweet potato 1 1⁄2 cups ground almonds

1⁄2 tsp Baking powder

1 cups Coconut oil

3 Eggs

1 cup Coconut sugar 3 Lemons zested

For the drizzle:

3 Lemons Juiced 1⁄2 cup Maple syrup

Preparation Method

• Peel and boil the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes or so until they are cooked.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas mark 4, meanwhile in a bowl beat the eggs.

• Whisk in the coconut oil and coconut sugar to the eggs. 

• Add the ground almonds and baking powder.

• Mash in the sweet potatoes and lemon zest and combine. 

• Grease a cake tin and pour in the mixture.

• Place the tin in the preheated oven and cook for 50 minutes.

• Meanwhile make the drizzle by melting the three juiced lemons and maple syrup together on a low heat in a sauce plan.

• Take the cake out of the oven and pierce a few times with a knife on the top and pour the drizzle mixture all over the cake.

Crispy Quinoa Cakes

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Makes 15 cakes

Ingredients

4 tbsps of coconut oil

1 1⁄2 tbps almond butter

4 1⁄2 tbps maple syrup

2oz / 55g / 1⁄3 cup raw cacao powder 1 1⁄2oz / 45g popped quinoa

Small cake cases

Method

• Put the popped quinoa into a mixing bowl and set aside.

• Place all the other ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently for a few minutes, while stirring, until the ingredients melt and combine to form a smooth mixture.

• Pour the melted mixture over the popped quinoa and stir until thoroughly combined.

• Spoon the mixture into small cake cases and place them in the freezer for around fifteen minutes or the fridge for about half an hour.

• You can buy your quinoa ready popped or pop your own in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat. Cover with a lid and shake regularly to prevent sticking.

Apple Sauce & Chia Bowl

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Soak time: overnight Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Apple Sauce

3 large apples, peeled and diced 3⁄4 cup organic apple juice

2 tbsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation Method

For the Chia Bowl Oats

1⁄2 cup rolled oats

1 1⁄4 cups unsweetened almond milk 2 tbsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

• For the apple sauce – add all the apple sauce ingredients into a medium sauce pan and bring to a low boil. Stir regularly to combine all ingredients. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the sauce pan, letting it simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

• Continue to stir to avoid sticking. When the apples are soft, remove from the heat and mash. Allow to cool and then store in the fridge in an airtight container.

• To prepare the chia bowl oats, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

• Once mixed well, place in the fridge overnight.

• The next morning, layer the oats with the apple sauce and continue to do so until your bowl or serving cup is full.

Nice to Know: The apple sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.

Vegan Saffron Rice Pudding

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 teaspoon of saffron threads

• 8 oz / 225g / 1 cup Arborio rice

• 1 vanilla pod (split)

• 1 tbsp (or to taste) rice syrup, honey, or maple syrup

• Pinch of salt

• 2.75 pints / 1.6 litres / 7 cups almond milk

To serve:

Raspberries and blackberries

Preparation Method

• Toast saffron in a dry skillet for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and crush into a powder with a spoon.

• Whisk together the crushed saffron and almond milk.

• Put all the ingredients apart from the milk into a saucepan.

• Cook the rice on the hob, adding the milk gradually, and stirring fre- quently. (It takes around 25 minutes.)

• Serve warm, with the berries on top.

https://thebodyrescueplan.com