Practically a Baker's Apprentice...
This week I had the privilege of becoming a baker’s apprentice for the afternoon. A baker’s apprentice/babysitter.
My dear friend Kim and I trade services. She has a hair salon in her home, and so every three weeks or so I babysit her kids in exchange for what would cost FAR more than a babysitter would be paid. Shhh don’t tell.
Let’s face it, Kim is talented. Besides being a Sandra Bullock look-a-like, she is an amazing hair stylist, baker, Mom and hilarious friend. You see, I’m getting the good end of this friendship deal. Again, don’t tell.
Keeping all of this in mind, I decided to pretty much ask her to give up all of her spare time to be a part of my wedding this summer. Our conversation went like this:
Me: Hey Kim, will you style my hair for the wedding?
Kim: Sure!
Me: And all of my bridesmaids?
Kim: Sure why not.
Me: Can your two daughters be my flower girls?
Kim: Oh wow, that’s really special.
Me: I’m not done.
Kim: There’s more…
Me: Yeah…see, I need a cake…
And that’s how I asked Kim to make my wedding cake. A little over a year she made a huge mistake. She made a birthday cake for my 26th birthday, and she made it as a replica of my red Coach purse. To top it off, it was the most delicious cake I’ve ever eaten, complete with cream cheese frosting and fondant icing that looked AND tasted good (what?! Can such a thing be? Yes.) Of course I got it in my head that I wanted a wedding cake as fabulous as my birthday cake, and luckily Kim has obliged.
Our theme for the wedding is Two of a Kind, done in the style of playing cards. Our invitations have been made in the style of playing cards, many of our decorations reflect this theme and we’re hoping to have some sort of mock roulette wheel involved. The cake is going to be tiered, each tier reflecting either clubs, spades, hearts or diamonds. It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait for more cream cheese frosting.
This past Sunday as I babysat, Kim and I decided to send the kids outside so we could…surprise…make a cake. I know, I’m a very attentive babysitter. Now the basic problem with this scenario is that I’m a terrible baker. As in, I made a batch of blueberry muffins once that turned blue. Also you may remember my cake debacle around my fiance’s birthday (Search in January blog entries to read up on that one…). Kim, out of the kindness of her heart decided to teach me.
Kim has all sorts of fancy baking tools that I can’t prounce the names for. Like a Mi-x-er. What? She has contraptions that stand up and have drawers that host enough sprinkles and decals to delight Willy Wonka. She has fancy baking pans, and spatulas that don’t fall off in the bowl.
The very scientific technique Kim uses is a patented method of baking taught by French Chefs during the Renaissance. Some of the methods include:
SALTCP - Which stand for, “Stir All That Crap In” - a tried and true method meant to insure the butter and wet ingredients don’t stick to the side of the bowl.
The Plop method - as in, “Put half of the batter in each pan. Just Plop it right in.”
The multiple baking temperature method:
• Heat oven to desired temperature
• Place cake pans in oven
• IMMEDIATELY accidentally turn oven off (this may or may not be due to your brainless babysitter’s actions. But let’s move on…)
• Realize there are no delicious baking smells coming from kitchen
• Check oven - note the barely cooked skin on the top of the cake
• Check oven
• Repeat Step one
The Sprinkle Cover Method - when you kindly decide to gift the cake to your friend, but don’t have time to let the cake cool before icing, cover the crumbs in the icing with lots of sprinkles.
My favourite method however was the Hoover method. This is one that I taught Kim. Here’s how the Hoover method works:
1. Bring newly baked cake to parents’ house
2. Immediately proceed to eat ½ cake with family
3. Realize you forgot to take a photo of said cake before being “Hoovered”
All in all, I’ve been lucky enough to have a talented friend like Kim, to be treated to her amazingly delicious treats (that didn’t sound right…) and I’m honoured to have my wedding cake a Kim Original.
Happy Icing!
Our delicious cake creation: Remember I licked the spoon and added the eggs
My dear friend Kim and I trade services. She has a hair salon in her home, and so every three weeks or so I babysit her kids in exchange for what would cost FAR more than a babysitter would be paid. Shhh don’t tell.
Let’s face it, Kim is talented. Besides being a Sandra Bullock look-a-like, she is an amazing hair stylist, baker, Mom and hilarious friend. You see, I’m getting the good end of this friendship deal. Again, don’t tell.
Keeping all of this in mind, I decided to pretty much ask her to give up all of her spare time to be a part of my wedding this summer. Our conversation went like this:
Me: Hey Kim, will you style my hair for the wedding?
Kim: Sure!
Me: And all of my bridesmaids?
Kim: Sure why not.
Me: Can your two daughters be my flower girls?
Kim: Oh wow, that’s really special.
Me: I’m not done.
Kim: There’s more…
Me: Yeah…see, I need a cake…
And that’s how I asked Kim to make my wedding cake. A little over a year she made a huge mistake. She made a birthday cake for my 26th birthday, and she made it as a replica of my red Coach purse. To top it off, it was the most delicious cake I’ve ever eaten, complete with cream cheese frosting and fondant icing that looked AND tasted good (what?! Can such a thing be? Yes.) Of course I got it in my head that I wanted a wedding cake as fabulous as my birthday cake, and luckily Kim has obliged.
Our theme for the wedding is Two of a Kind, done in the style of playing cards. Our invitations have been made in the style of playing cards, many of our decorations reflect this theme and we’re hoping to have some sort of mock roulette wheel involved. The cake is going to be tiered, each tier reflecting either clubs, spades, hearts or diamonds. It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait for more cream cheese frosting.
This past Sunday as I babysat, Kim and I decided to send the kids outside so we could…surprise…make a cake. I know, I’m a very attentive babysitter. Now the basic problem with this scenario is that I’m a terrible baker. As in, I made a batch of blueberry muffins once that turned blue. Also you may remember my cake debacle around my fiance’s birthday (Search in January blog entries to read up on that one…). Kim, out of the kindness of her heart decided to teach me.
Kim has all sorts of fancy baking tools that I can’t prounce the names for. Like a Mi-x-er. What? She has contraptions that stand up and have drawers that host enough sprinkles and decals to delight Willy Wonka. She has fancy baking pans, and spatulas that don’t fall off in the bowl.
The very scientific technique Kim uses is a patented method of baking taught by French Chefs during the Renaissance. Some of the methods include:
SALTCP - Which stand for, “Stir All That Crap In” - a tried and true method meant to insure the butter and wet ingredients don’t stick to the side of the bowl.
The Plop method - as in, “Put half of the batter in each pan. Just Plop it right in.”
The multiple baking temperature method:
• Heat oven to desired temperature
• Place cake pans in oven
• IMMEDIATELY accidentally turn oven off (this may or may not be due to your brainless babysitter’s actions. But let’s move on…)
• Realize there are no delicious baking smells coming from kitchen
• Check oven - note the barely cooked skin on the top of the cake
• Check oven
• Repeat Step one
The Sprinkle Cover Method - when you kindly decide to gift the cake to your friend, but don’t have time to let the cake cool before icing, cover the crumbs in the icing with lots of sprinkles.
My favourite method however was the Hoover method. This is one that I taught Kim. Here’s how the Hoover method works:
1. Bring newly baked cake to parents’ house
2. Immediately proceed to eat ½ cake with family
3. Realize you forgot to take a photo of said cake before being “Hoovered”
All in all, I’ve been lucky enough to have a talented friend like Kim, to be treated to her amazingly delicious treats (that didn’t sound right…) and I’m honoured to have my wedding cake a Kim Original.
Happy Icing!
Our delicious cake creation: Remember I licked the spoon and added the eggs