Baby Animals Cake

This adorable Baby Faces Cake, designed by Mame Recckio-Wolfe, was a finalist in the 2007 American Style Competition. It was featured, along with the tutorial, in the October/November Issue of American Cake Decorating Magazine.

Supplies Needed:

Patterns (Follows Tutorial)
Cookie Sheets or Cake Boards
Tape
Waxed Paper
Royal Icing (2 cups)
Paste/gel coloring: brown, red
Deep pink and yellow
Parchment or Pastry bags
Piping tips: #3, #5, & #12
Art Brush
Water
Gumpaste
Rolling Pin
Textured Pin (optional)
Ribbon Cutter (optional)
Ruler
Craft Knife
Unused hair roller
Corn Syrup (glucose)
Orchid Luster dust (optional)
Lemon Extract (optional)
Black food-coloring marker

1. Make several copies of each animal face pattern and the Onesie. Attach them to a firm, smooth surface that can be set aside. Cover the patterns with waxed paper and tape the in place. Prepare a batch of royal icing, reserving 1/5 of the icing as white. Then divide the remainder into 4 portions, tinting beige, brown, deep pink and yellow. Load a small handful of icing into a small piping bag fit with tip #3, and then pipe the outline of each figure, beginning with the detail colors first. Do not leave any gaps in the outlines. Use a damp brush to help correct mistakes and join lines together. Leave off the noses on the lion, cat, and giraffe for now, as well as the pink in the rabbit’s ears.

2. Add a drop of water, one at a time, to the remaining colored icing until a ribbon of icing melts into the icing below it within 10 seconds. Use top #2 to flood each outline, building it up until the icing has a puffy, raised appearance. Allow the decorations to dry at least 24 hours. If you choose to flood the backside of each face, do that now. Otherwise, add the remaining facial detail with undiluted royal icing


Handy tip- remove the dried floodwork from the waxed paper with a thin, flexible spatula. Alternatively, pull the paper to the edge of a table or countertop. Pull the paper slowly down over the edge, catching the piece as it comes free with your other hand.


3. Dilute a small wad of gumpaste with water until it becomes thin enough to apply with a brush. Pour the “gum glue” into a small container and cover until needed. Roll out a thin layer of gumpaste. If a texturing pin is available, you may apply a pattern to the gumpaste at this point. Cut two rectangular strips 7 by 2 inches in dimension. Flip the strips over and brush the ends with gum glue.


4. Place a hair roller (dedicated for food use) at the center of the strip. Pinch each end to taper the strip, then bring the ends together and press to attach. Allow the bow loops to dry for 24 hours.





5. Fill and stack the cake layers on the cakedrum, using a dab of buttercream to secure. Ice the cake smoothly with buttercream icing. Allow the icing to crust, then mark a diamond pattern into the icing using a diamond impression mat or a straightedge to create the lattices of parallel diagonal lines.





6. Prepare a bag with light red royal icing, adding a small amount of corn syrup ( glucose) to keep it from setting hard (about 1 tsp per cup of icing). Fit the bag with tip #12 and pipe a bead border around the base of the cake. Next, using tip #5 and white royal icing (with the corn syrup added), pipe a small dot at each of the places where the lines cross in the side design. While the icing sets, make a pair of light red gumpaste ribbon tails measuring 2 by 9 inches. Trim one end of the first strip at an angle. Trim the second strip’s end in the opposite direction. The white dots should now be set enough to flatten with fingers 


7. Arrange the bow pieces on top of the cake, with the tails tucked under the loops, flowing toward the front. Prepare another strip of gumpaste to match the bow, measuring 3 by 4 inches. Invert the piece, brush the 4 inch edges with gum glue, then fold the edges up about 1/8 inch width and adhere them. Gather each the unhemmed edges and brush with a dab of gum glue to hold them. Tuck one end under the front of the loop ends and tuck the end underneath the ends on the backside.




Handy tip- At this point, you may choose to color the bow and border with a mixture of pearl dust and clear alcohol. Use royal icing for the border only if you plan to brush it with coloring. Otherwise, use buttercream. For this cake, orchid luster dust was mixed with lemon extract.

8. Use a black food-coloring marker to add any remaining detail to the animal faces. Position the Onesie and animal face on the cake with a dab of buttercream for each. Finish the cake by adding a complementary ribbon the edge of the cake drum, using a glue stick to adhere it.

Patterns

Enlarge baby faces by 200%
Enlarge Onesie Pattern by 120%
Cake Design and Tutorial by Mame Recckio-Wolfe.
all rights reserved 2008
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Photography by Katie Hilbert. 2008

Modeling Chocolate Roses- by Mame Recckio Wolfe

Dark Modeling Chocolate

1 lb. (454 g) semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate

2/3 cup (8 oz. or 224 g) light corn syrup or golden syrup or Karo

White and Milk Modeling Chocolate

1 lb. (454 g) Mercken’s Super White Chocolate [or color candy melts of choice – i.e. Red for Valentine’s Day]

1/2 cup (6 oz. or 168 g) light corn syrup

 The higher chocolate : corn syrup ratio = the stiffer/stronger the clay

 Place chocolate in a micro-safe glass bowl, and microwave for 1 minute intervals, stir, microwave for another minute, and stir vigorously to completely melt the chocolate…if still a little lumpy, microwave for another 30 seconds

 Add the corn syrup and stir quickly to incorporate – stir until the chocolate follows the spatula around the bowl – about a minute

 Pour the chocolate into plastic wrap, or leave in glass bowl covered with plastic wrap, for 24 hours

 Taking small pieces at a time, knead the chocolate until just soft enough to shape

 If the chocolate starts to stick to your fingers, lightly dust your fingers with cornstarch

 Procedure for making roses follows

 Any remaining chocolate should be triple wrapped in plastic wrap, place in a Ziplock bag and freeze indefinitely

Rose making procedures:

Knead small portions of chocolate clay as needed, until soft and pliable

Weigh out chocolate paste:

 5g for mounds = 3/4" or about 2cm ball

 3g for petals = 1/2” or 1-1/2cm

 …mound = ball on the left / petal = ball on right

Rose bud = bud + 2 petals

Small rose blossom = bud + 3 petals

Medium rose = bud + 3 + 5 petals

Full rose = bud + 3 + 5 + 7 petals

Rose Mound or Bud:

 Make mound or bud with a fat-rounded bottom, tapered to a point at the top

 Approximately 1-1/4” long or 3cm

Using a piece of plastic wrap, dust with cornstarch, place the 1/2" ball of clay on the plastic wrap and fold the plastic wrap over the ball:

 Press out to about an 1-1/2” diameter oval, using your thumb or finger

 Make the top 2/3’s of the petal/circle thinner than the bottom 1/3

 Flatten/shape all the 1/2" balls/petals required for your rose, before applying them to the bud/mound – this allows a little drying time , making them easier to apply – less sticky…I have hot hands!!!

 Latex gloves can also be used for this application, if you have very hot hands!!!

 Dust the plastic wrap each time you flatten out the ball

 Note: If when pressing out the ball you feel small pieces of un-melted chocolate – roll it back into a ball, rolling it firmly in your palm…this will melt the tiny pieces of un-melted chocolate

 …this was made with a double layer of scrap chiffon material, with a pastry bag tie…use dust puff gently – the cornstarch comes out very easily…

Small Rose Blossom:

 Wrap the 1st petal around the mound/bud

 Wrap the 2nd petal, tucking it under 1st petal, having the 1st petal overlap slightly

 Continue adding petals, tucking under previous petal…and shaping petals as you add them…

 Mound or bud + wrap + 2 petals

Medium Rose Blossom:

 Mound or bud + wrap + 2 petals – small rose blossom

 Plus 5 more petals

Full Rose Blossom:

 Mound or bud with wrap + 14 petals

Tutorial and Photography by Mame Recckio Wolfe.

Copyright. 2010 All rights reserved.

This material was used with the expressed permission of Mame Recckio Wolfe and may not be

reproduced without written permission from the author.

Mame's Carrot Cake

Mame’s Carrot Cake Recipe

Mame’s Recipe from Eileen 1978

 

Sift together:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

 

Mix:

2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups oil or [1-1/2 cups applesauce]

 

Add:

4 eggs or [1 cup Eggbeaters]

2 cups finely grated carrots

1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple [drained]

1/2 cup chopped nuts

3-1/2 oz. can flaked coconut

1 cup raisins [optional]

Bake at 350 degrees  in 3 - 9"round pans for 35- 40 minutes.

Cool cakes completely before frosting.

 

    

 

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 lb. confectioners’ sugar [about 3-1/2 cups]

 

      Beat all ingredients until smooth.

Mame's note: I have whipped heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and folded it into the Cream Cheese Icing and it was awesome. Sorry I didn't measure, I just winged it; but the consistency is not meant for decorating as it is much too thin. But OH so YUMMO!!
***
Photography by Mame Recckio Wolfe
Copyright 2011
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Mame's Rolled Roses

Mame’s Gumpaste Rolled Roses

Mame Reckkio Wolfe- 03/29/10

Supplies needed:

Gumpaste

 Mat for rolling out the gumpaste

 Small rolling pin

Cutting wheel

Ruler [optional]

Plastic Cross-Stitch grid

Shortening

 Gum glue [small pot with about 1/4 tsp. gumpaste and water]

 Paint brush – for gum glue

Small palette knife

Super Pearl

Stenciling brush [stiff bristled, flat cut brush]

Instructions:

 Roll out gumpaste, thinly – thin enough so that you can almost see through

Roll it into a rectangle, so that you can cut more than one strip at a time

 Using your cutting wheel,

 Cut into strips, approximately 7” x 2” [I don’t measure, I just cut]

The longer you cut the strips, the bigger the rose will be.

 It’s hard to tell from the picture, but above is a sheet of plastic cross-stitch grid from the fabric dept in most craft stores – it’s approximately 12” x 18” and is great for texturing the roses or bows!!!

 Place the grid on top of the strip and using your rolling pin, roll again to imprint the grid design

With a paint brush, designated for the glue gum,

 paint a line of glue down the center on the back side of the strip

Fold the strip in half, lengthwise…wrong side together

Gently press down just below the folded edge – but not on the folded edge – to glue together

This allows a thicker edge on the rose

 Place a little bit of gum-glue at the left-hand side – in about 1/2"

 Fold left-hand edge down – about 3/4"

Brush again with gum glue in the middle of the strip, about 2” starting at the folded down corner

Using your right hand, gather and pinch at the bottom of the strip to adhere it to the folded down corner

 Continue in this manner, brushing a little glue, then pinching & gathering until you get to the end of the strip

It kinda looks like a mushroom from the side-view

Using a small palette knife trim off the pinched part, underneath the rose and put back into a plastic bag for another rose or use

 Place rose aside to dry

Before roses are completely dry, brush with Super Pearl

 I used a stenciling brush for dusting the Super Pearl

Tutorial and Photography by Mame Recckio Wolfe

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

This material may not be copied without permission from the author.

Mame's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mame's Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Mame Recckio Wolfe

This recipe was the first one I ever received or made. It dates back to 1965.

I'm not sure who the originator is, but these are still the best.

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 pkg. [3.4 oz.] vanilla or chocolate instant pudding

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 pkg. [12 oz.] Nestle Semi- Sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts [walnuts]

Make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature 

 

 Mix flour with baking soda.

 Combine butter, the sugars, pudding and vanilla in a large mixing bowl;

beat until smooth and creamy

 Beat in eggs.

 Gradually add flour mixture; then stir in chips and nuts

 Batter will be stiff

 Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheets,

 about 2” apart…I only put 12 cookies per cookie sheet

 Place cookie sheet in middle of oven

 Bake one cookie sheet at a time

 Bake at 375°F for 8 – 10 minutes…9 minutes works best for my oven.

Makes about 7-dozen cookies

Recipe Shared by Mame Recckio Wolfe

Photography by Jacque Benson

2010 all rights reserved
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Autumn Maple leaf tutorial

Mame's Maple Leaf Instructions

Mame Recckio Wolfe-1/05/09

Maple Leaves:

1. Color gumpaste w/Ivory gel color
Ivory gumpaste takes Fall colors more naturally

2. Roll out gumpaste thin on flat side of CelBoard.

3. Lightly dust CelBoard with 50/50 Mix [Confectioners’ sugar/Cornstarch]

4. Cut out various sizes of Maple Leaves

5. Vein leaves using Maple/Grape leaf veiner

6. Using CelPin, soften edges – right side of leaf down

7. Slightly pinch along center vein

8. Place on gently crumbled foil squares to dry naturally

9. Dust in various Fall colors of petal dust [Brick/Golden/Kiwi/Pumpkin/Red]

Mame's Custom Made Petal Dusts

10. Steam

Leaves can also be wired
1. Follow above instructions but roll gumpaste out on grooved side of CelBoard

2. Turn board over
3. Lightly dust board

4. Place gumpaste on board and cut out Maple Leaf

5. Dip 26 gauge wire into gumpaste glue and insert into central vein

6. Vein with ridge-side up on veiner

7. Soften edges – vein side down
8. Allow to dry on foil squares
9. Cover wires with green or brown floral tape
10. Dust with petal dust
11. Steam

Mame's Autumn Leaves

Tutorial was created by Mame Recckio Wolfe-1/05/09-all rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced without the permission of the author.

Copy written © 2009 - Present Year Created by the author of the above work – Mame Recckio Wolfe