Cake Decorating Basics. Rachel Brown

to a particular food. It can be caused by the lack of an enzyme needed to digest the food, stress, illness or poor nutrition, or it can be inherited. Symptoms are very similar to those caused by a food allergy – initially making it difficult to distinguish between the two – and are often delayed, which can make it tricky to identify which food is the cause. Once this is determined, however, sufferers are encouraged to avoid it.

       Gluten Intolerance

      Also known as Coeliac Disease (CD), gluten intolerance involves a reaction to the glutens or proteins found in some cereals, including wheat. If you are making a cake for someone with gluten intolerance, use only gluten-free baking powder and flour. You will find recipes for gluten-free fruit and sponge cakes in the Recipes section, which begins on page 111. Feel free to decorate both cakes with ordinary marzipan and sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing); a recipe for marzipan can be found on page 30, and the sugarpaste recipe is on page 32.

      Food Allergies

      Unlike a food intolerance, a food allergy involves the immune system. During an allergic reaction, the immune system mistakes a harmless food as a threat. It creates chemicals and histamines in an attempt to protect the body, which trigger symptoms that affect the skin, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Symptoms arise within minutes of eating or touching a particular food, so allergy sufferers must avoid it at all times.

       Egg Allergy

      Generally, it is the proteins found in egg whites (albumen) that cause a reaction in someone with an egg allergy, but proteins in the yolks can also cause problems.

      It is essential that you eliminate all eggs and egg products from any cake you make for an egg-allergy sufferer. You will find recipes for egg-free fruit and sponge cakes and marzipan, and albumen-free royal icing, in the Recipes section, which starts on page 111. If you plan to use ready-made sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing), be sure to check the ingredients list beforehand, as some brands contain egg whites. (The recipe in this book, which can be found on page 32, does not.)

       Nut Allergy

      Ordinary marzipan, which contains almonds, is off limits for those with a nut allergy. If you must cover a fruit cake that you have made for a nut-allergy sufferer, either replace the marzipan with nut-free marzipan (see page 123) or apply a thin layer of sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing) and proceed as normal. You will find the recipe for ordinary sugarpaste on page 32.

       Dairy Allergy

      This is the most common type of food allergy and requires sufferers to give up all foods containing cow’s milk, such as cheese and butter. The Recipes section, which starts on page 111, includes recipes for a dairy-free fruit cake, sponge cake and chocolate topping.

       E-Number Allergy

      E numbers represent colours, preservatives, additives and other agents that are included in packaged goods. They have been tested for safety and passed in the European Community but still cause allergic reactions in some people. If you are making a cake for someone who is allergic to a particular E number, check the ingredients lists on all of the products you are using to make sure they are safe.

      Thinking Ahead

      Whenever you are making a cake for someone with a food intolerance or allergy, make sure you thoroughly wash all surfaces and equipment before you begin. Never just carry on and ice a cake for a nut-allergy sufferer with the same rolling pin that you have been using to apply marzipan to another cake, for example.

      Diabetes

      Diabetes arises when the body either cannot produce insulin (a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose, or sugar, in the blood) or cannot use the insulin it produces. There are no foods that diabetics should avoid, and there is no need to cut out all sugar if you are making a cake for someone who has the disease. Like everyone, however, people with diabetes should try to eat only small amounts of foods that are high in sugar or fat. You will find low-sugar and low-fat fruit and sponge cake recipes in the Recipes section, which starts on page 111. If you are making a sponge cake for a diabetic, be sure to use only diabetic jam (jelly) and cream filling (see recipe, page 120; the sugar content in ordinary buttercream recipes is far too high for someone with the disease). If you are intent on covering the cake, give it a very thin layer of sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing) and suggest the recipient removes it before eating the cake. You will find the recipe for ordinary sugarpaste on page 32.

      CHAPTER TWO

      THE CAKE ITSELF

      In the excitement to get to the most glamorous part of making a cake – decorating it – it is tempting to rush through the preceding steps. But if your cake is to look and taste as good as you want it to, you must master the recipes for classic fruit and sponge cakes, and the all-essential techniques of levelling, cutting and filling cakes.

Fruit Cake

      Nothing beats the rich aroma of fruits and spices that wafts through the house when a fruit cake is baking. It is the ideal winter warmer.

      The only drawback to making a fruit cake is that it should ideally be baked three months before it is needed to give the flavours plenty of time to develop. (The Timesaving Tip below offers a shortcut, however.) Fruit cake is also rather high maintenance after baking, requiring a big ‘drink’ of alcoholic mixture – drizzle 60 ml (4 tbsp) over a 20-cm (8-in) cake – immediately after it comes out of the oven, followed by a series of smaller ‘drinks’ – drizzle over roughly 15ml (3 tbsp) – every one to two weeks thereafter.

      After you have given your fruit cake its first big ‘drink’, wrap the cake in two layers of greaseproof (waxed) paper, then wrap it loosely in a plastic bag or put it into an airtight container. Never wrap a fruit cake straight into kitchen (aluminium or tin) foil; the fruit reacts with the foil, and the cake eventually takes on a metallic taste. Store it in a cool, dark place, only removing it to give the cake its small ‘drinks’ every week or so.

      Timesaving Tip

      If you are short of time and need a fruit cake quickly, wrap it in greaseproof (waxed) paper after you have fed it and it has cooled down, and put it in the freezer. Freeze the cake for a minimum of 24 hours, then defrost it at room temperature for another 24 hours at least. This helps with the maturing process and draws out the flavours. Once the cake has defrosted, you can continue with the marzipan stage (see Working with Marzipan, page 30).

      Feeding Fruit Cakes

      A mixture of alcohol, glycerine and hot water makes for a lovely, moist cake. Each time you make a fruit cake, blend a fresh batch made up of two parts alcohol, one part glycerine and one part hot water, and store it in an airtight bottle until you need it. Substitute this mixture with pineapple juice if you are making a fruit cake for someone who does not like the flavour of alcohol.

      Making a Fruit Cake

      INGREDIENTS

       (See Fruit Cake, page 111, for specific amounts and recommended baking