This has been a complete whirlwind for me, and Avoca I'm sure. I don't think I've had more than a few hours sleep on any given day. I know I have been getting the 'emergency', we're-out-of-cake, calls on a seemingly regular basis & have rushed into the kitchen to whip up what I can to get over to them. We can't have coffee without cake after all. That's sacrilege isn't it? ;-)
Ok, so onto addressing some questions/concerns that have come up since the G.I.R.L.S big retail debut...there have been MANY questions:
Q: What kind/type of ingredients do you use in your cakes? Do you use margarine or shortening?
A: NO! I do NOT use ANY kind of shortening (not Vegan, not anything) in my products, nor do I use margarine. These products are highly processed (shortening is 100% partially-hydrogenated oil, not to be confused with other solid oils such as coconut or palm kernel) and are not, in my opinion, supposed to be part of the human diet. I use 100% butter in all it's glory.
My butter is a high-fat, European-style butter that is produced and packaged in the great state of TX.
As for the other ingredients: Unbromated/unbleached flour, eggs, sugar (from TX), milk/buttermilk (also from TX), Niellson-Massey flavorings (again, in my opinion, the absolute best you can get outside of physically cultivating your own orchids and harvesting vanilla beans), and other natural ingredients like cocoa, and chocolate with actual cocoa butter. Yes, even the white "chocolate" has cocoa butter. I never use "coatings".
Q: Where do you get the fillings for your cakes/cupcakes?
A: My recipes and my own two hands. I make most of the fillings myself, from scratch. That includes my chocolate ganaches as well as my fruit curds. The fillings I do not make are thoroughly sourced to ensure they contain only natural and minimal ingredients. For instance, the adzuki bean paste filling in the Geisha Girl is simply red beans, and sugar. I, of course, add the Madame twist on it from there before introducing it to the Green Tea chiffon ;-)
Q: Why do your cakes seem more dense than what I get at the grocery store? They seem to dry out faster.
A: Commercial grocery stores and producers of boxed cake mixes use what they call, Emulsifiers (allow fat and liquid to combine more effectively). These are, respectively, Lechitin, mono and di-glycerides, rice starch, and poly-glycerol ester. Are these bad in and of them self? Not really (read more about food additives here), but they are additives...something in addition to what is naturally found in the ingredients used in baked goods. These additives are why the grocery store can make a cake on Tuesday, put it in a refrigerated case and leave it there, to sell to you, for well over a week & when you eat it there is no difference in it's texture from day one. Personally, I think there is something wrong with that.
Also, in the boxed mixes, there are plenty of preservatives which give the cake a very springy texture & helps them last almost indefinitely, even long after it has gone stale. If I can extend the shelf-life of my cakes by using these "enhancers" why don't I do it? My ethics merely won't allow it.
I am a minimalist at heart & truly believe that how we live and what we eat should be in it's purest possible form. For those that have grown-up on boxed cake mixes and grocery store products, this is going to be a bit of a change, but I think once you ween yourself off of those other products and onto what cake started as and what I think it should always be, you'll have a whole new appreciation for what it is to make and enjoy cake/cupcakes.
Q: How should I store my cakes/cupcakes?
A: Proper storage of my cakes/cupcakes include: storing in an airtight container, covering any cut portion of cakes with cellophane or other airtight material such as waxed paper, and keeping OUT of the refrigerator wherever possible. Circulating cooled air will dry your baked goods like nobody's business. Of course, many of my cakes contain gobs of creams and egg-based fillings so you'll want to refrigerate these. Follow the steps for keeping your items air-tight and you'll be good. You'll be able to enjoy your cake for up to a week...if it lasts that long ;-)
Q: What is in your icings? How do you get them so silky?
A: Butter, sugar, and natural flavoring. That's it. They are silky not because of the ingredients, per say, but the technique used. Many of my frosting/icings are of the meringue variety which means they use cooked egg whites in some capacity. Either the sugar and egg whites are cooked together & then beat to oblivion before butter is added, or they are cooked by adding the melted sugar to them after they have been slightly beaten. These techniques produce silky, smooth, buttery icings.
For my "traditional" butter cream, I use a not-so-traditional method which is merely mixing butter, sugar and flavor, also know as, English Butter cream (notice I didn't spell it "Creme" or "Butt'R") I know, crazy concept eh? No shortening goes into my butter creams at all. Maybe it's me, but when I envision someone sitting down with a can of Crisco, a bag of sugar and a spoon, it makes me ill.
Q: How come your Bordello Bites (i.e. cake balls, cake truffles, et al), only come in 3 colors/types of chocolate? Why do they taste so different than other ones I've had that come in a variety of colors?
A: One word: Chocolate. I use only pure, real chocolate. I do not use "candy coatings" or what the industry refers to as
You will not find crazy colors for one reason: I have not found natural oil-based coloring that I require in order to color my white chocolate. When I do, then you might see some colors making an appearance, but until then you can have as many colors/flavors as you'd like as long as they are dark, milk, or white. ;-)
I hope I was able to address most of your questions/concerns. If not, feel free to give me a call, 817-231-5148.
Until then, stop on by Avoca Coffee and get yourself a slice of cake...pure, decadent indulgence as nature intended, and a press-pot or two.
As always, sending you, Cupcake Kisses & Frosting Foreplay!
Madame Patti-Kakes (aka Da Madame, Madame PK)
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