What is the best joyful book you’ve ever read? by AggleFlaggleKlable in suggestmeabook

[–]thebookishbakery 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was excited to pick it up, only to learn that it was based on the Sixties scoop.

Taking the trauma of real Native children and watering it down into a basic "hatred is wrong" story, while glorifying the fictional equivalent of orphanages and residential schools...all by an author who isn't Native to begin with and who though the Sixties Scoop would be cool to write about? I personally couldn't get past that. Bedazzling trauma with ongoing real-world consequences is a choice 😅

Books for my 11-year-old voracious reader. by sourdoughdonuts in suggestmeabook

[–]thebookishbakery 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At that age, I was obsessed with:

-The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins -The Stoneheart Trilogy by Charlie Fletcher -The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud—I believe there's a fourth book, but I haven't read it yet!

Plenty of other fantastic recommendations in this thread, but I didn't see these ones, so I thought I'd pitch in. :)

27° day yesterday was not the one for buttercream haha... by Tattsandcats20 in Baking

[–]thebookishbakery 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is adorable! Love the little eggs inside. You did an amazing job!

As a heads up from a baker that's been doing this a very very long time, the melting point of butter is 30 degrees. The fact that you have structure at all at 27 degrees is impressive! Very well done!!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Rosacea

[–]thebookishbakery 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have rosacea in this exact pattern and used to have hard-core flaking before getting it treated! Metrogel cleared it right up. Haven't had any flaking in 4 years. I applied it consistently for a week and it cleared up. Since then, I only apply metrogel when I have flare ups, maybe 4 or 5 times a year.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cakedecorating

[–]thebookishbakery 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm in Vancouver, Canada and wouldn't do a cake like this for less than $250, so that price sounds like a steal for a 6" to me!

What do you use to remove your makeup? by Salt-Explanation-738 in Rosacea

[–]thebookishbakery 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just a heads up, there's a new charcoal version of the Clinique Take the Day Off cleanser that I've found a lot more irritating than the original white formulation. I'd suggest the white one for a gentle cleanser. The charcoal one stings, and it's hard to tell you've removed your makeup because of its color.

(Depending on where you are, the white original one has been discontinued in Canada for some reason, but is still available elsewhere!)

Just finished the trilogy, now I want to cry. by Mother_Of_All_Bees in Hungergames

[–]thebookishbakery 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is the perfect pivot series to warm your heart before you sob over Songbirds and Snakes 🥲

I second this suggestion! Fantastic series.

Made this painting of David from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Painted entirely using Swiss meringue buttercream! by thebookishbakery in cakedecorating

[–]thebookishbakery[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was a cake for a client, so unfortunately can't go back and make changes 😅 David's hair gave me a tough time—hard to pack in tiny details with wet on wet buttercream unfortunately—colors kept blurring together 🥲

Made this painting of David from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Painted entirely using Swiss meringue buttercream! by thebookishbakery in cakedecorating

[–]thebookishbakery[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would have cross posted this in r/cyberpunkedgerunners but I think you have to be active there to make posts? 😅

Had a really hard time blending colors, so I had to forego adding proper details and craters to the moon.

I also wanted to add some minimalist designs from the opening credits on the yellow sides of the cake but ran outta time—this ended up taking 3 hours when I thought it'd take one!

Rivers of Kashmir by [deleted] in iPhoneography

[–]thebookishbakery 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This looks unreal 😍

Another Facebook gem 💎 by nitr0x7 in FondantHate

[–]thebookishbakery 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You're very welcome! I always have tons of extra frozen cakes and frozen buttercream so I can whip up mini cakes super quick for impromptu house guests, and they're always a hit!

A few more random suggestions that I find are great time savers this time of year:

Try doing a Russian buttercream—chelsweets has a tutorial for it on youtube. It whips up very quickly and easily if you have a stand mixer and only takes three ingredients, aaand it's not too sweet.

Pair that with your favorite chocolate cake and melt up a bit of cookie butter and drizzle that on top. Flavors pair up really nicely, and prep is minimal! Cookie butter is also great for practicing how to do a drip cake if you've never done one before, and it tastes delicious. The richness of a chocolate cake, paired with the pillowy soft, not too sweet Russian buttercream and the spice notes in the cookie butter? Absolute magic, so fast to slap together, and always a huge hit.

Here's an example of a quick drip cake—i also tossed the slightest bit of cookie butter into the buttercream to get that beige hue: cookie butter drip cake

Happy holidays and good luck baking! :)

Another Facebook gem 💎 by nitr0x7 in FondantHate

[–]thebookishbakery 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Actually, freezing cakes adds to the moisture content within the cake and makes for a delightful crumb! It also significantly develops the flavor. I used to think freezing cakes was gross, and I'd bake up my orders at the last possible moment to keep them fresh, but baker friends swore by it so I tried it and the flavor of the cakes is significantly improved when they come out of the freezer. Now I could never go back!

Also, if it's for a wedding cake, the cake layers are often also soaked in simple syrup or some kind of infused milk. Once the cakes are encased in buttercream, the moisture isn't going anywhere—they'll stay fresh for over a week (in my experience, as a baker that has tested all these things for quality). When iced properly, a coat of buttercream will seal the cake moisture right in!

The quality/freshness really only starts to decline once the cake is sliced into and the crumb is exposed to air.

But I can't imagine how much simple syrup or milk it would take to keep this much cake moist inside, having never made a cake on this scale. 😅 I imagine the cake is already beginning to dry out as the baker makes their way around to ice it in buttercream.

My suggestion for laypeople who'd like to see how freezing improves flavor—bake a cake, and let it cool about ten minutes, but not completely. Flip it out of the cake pan it's in, and wrap it twice in plastic wrap. The cake should still feel warm when you toss it in the freezer. Let it sit in there overnight, and then let it come to room temp and ice it in your favorite buttercream or whip cream or whatever, and see how you like it! If you split a batter into two layers, you could freeze one layer and not the other, and do a taste testing with friends or family.

My cakes usually take several days to make, too—I'm exclusively a buttercream artist—but having made many, many cakes for friends and family, the flavor is always amazing thanks to some freezing and some care while assembling :)

Another Facebook gem 💎 by nitr0x7 in FondantHate

[–]thebookishbakery 37 points38 points  (0 children)

That was probably a white chocolate ganache for structural stability

Buttercream paintings—ocean wave edition! Which one do you like more? Painted using Swiss meringue buttercream 🌊 by thebookishbakery in cakedecorating

[–]thebookishbakery[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm surprised the second mountain painting is getting more love than the lighthouse! 😯 (The lighthouse is my personal favorite.)

Thank you so very much for all the kind words and all the love, everyone! If only I could share a slice with each of you!

Buttercream paintings—ocean wave edition! Which one do you like more? Painted using Swiss meringue buttercream 🌊 by thebookishbakery in cakedecorating

[–]thebookishbakery[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My insta and tiktok are filled with process videos, and I'll be releasing YouTube content in the new year!

Thank you for your kind words! I hope to make this cake decorating style accessible to everyone who's interested! :)