comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.
BAKING TIMES BY PAN
Brownie pan (9 x 6 in; 23 x 15 cm
or 8-in/20.5-cm square)—
20 to 30 minutes
Wilton Mini Wonder Mold Pan—
approximately 20 minutes
Wilton King-Size Muffin Pan—
approximately 25 minutes
Wilton Mini Ball pan—
approximately 15 minutes
9 x 5-in (23 x 12.5-cm) loaf pan—
30 to 35 minutes
9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) cake pan—
30 to 40 minutes
ROYAL ICING
MAKES 3 CUPS
Royal icing is perfect for writing names and adding delicate designs to your cakelets because it’s easy to pipe and dries hard, so there’s no risk of smudging. You can tint it with gel food coloring, as well. For making outlines and names, be sure the icing is relatively stiff. If you want to fill in an area with icing (the technical term is “flooding”), thin it out a little with more water. Meringue powder can be found in the cake decorating aisle at craft stores.
4 cups (450 g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
6 tablespoons water
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the all the ingredients together on low speed for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the icing loses its shine (stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times). Add more water by the teaspoon if the icing appears too stiff to pipe easily. Store icing in an air-tight container at room temperature.
VANILLA FROSTING
MAKES 3 CUPS
What I love about this frosting is how easy it is to work with. Vegetable shortening-based frosting keeps longer and resists melting better than butter-based frostings and results in a pure-white color that is easier to tint.
1 cup (191 g) vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon (15 g) meringue powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla bean paste (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons (35 ml) water
1 lb (454 g) confectioner’s sugar
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all ingredients. Place a damp kitchen towel over the mixer to keep the powdered sugar from billowing out. Turn the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed to medium-high as the ingredients come together. Beat until light and fluffy. Store icing in an air-tight container at room temperature.
| In the Bag | Level Easy/IntermediateBatter yields enough cake for 1 cakeletFondant quantity listed is suitable to complete 1 cakelet |
The purse cakelet is always a big hit in my classes because it offers endless decorating possibilities. You can make it dainty, sophisticated, trendy, or whimsical. You can add flowers, polka dots, or even recreate a famous designer’s insignia. It’s so easy to customize for the lucky recipient. Just consider her favorite colors and sense of style, then let your imagination go.
Tools
9 x 6-in (23 x 15-cm) metal brownie pan
The Necessities (pages 11–12)
Purse template (see Templates, page 115)
Flower cutter set
Texture sheet
Ingredients
One 16-oz (455-g) box cake mix (any flavor) prepared, or batter for one 9-in (23-cm) cake
1 recipe Vanilla Frosting (page 17) or 1 container store-bought frosting
12 oz (340 g) white fondant (see Resources, page 114)
Red gel food coloring (or other accent color)
Yellow gel food coloring (or other base color)
Prepare the handle (two days prior to decorating)
1 Tint 11 oz (310 g) of the fondant with the yellow gel food coloring (or other base color of your choice).
2 Roll out 1 oz (28 g) of the base-color fondant into a curved, rounded strip to create the purse handle. Place on a piece of parchment paper and set aside to dry for at least two days at room temperature out of direct sunlight (to keep the color from fading). Wrap the remaining base-color fondant in plastic wrap until ready to use.
Bake the cake
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare the cake batter. Spray the brownie pan with non-stick spray.
2 Pour the batter into the pan, filling it three-quarters full. Smooth the top and bake for 20–30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
3 Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. If the cake rose above the pan, use a serrated knife to cut away the top of the cake to make it level (set the knife across the top of the pan so you can use it as a guide). Run a knife around the edge to loosen the sides. Invert the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack and allow it to finish cooling. When completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least two hours until cold and firm.
Prepare to decorate
1 Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap it atop a piece of parchment paper. Cut the cake in half. Apply a layer of Vanilla Frosting to one half and stack the other half on top.
2 Place the Purse template against the cake and use a sharp knife to cut out the cake, using the template as a guide. Use the knife to clean up any rough edges of the cakelet.
