Professional Cake

She is an amazingly talented writer, photographer, baker, pastry chef and, and…need I say more. We were delighted when she agreed to guest blog for us just before the Labor Day holiday and scrambled to post her amazing looking recipes for you to enjoy.

Professional Cakes

Tara Barker, of A Baking Life recently guest blogged (we were thrilled and delighted to have met her acquaintance and love seeing her pop in during Foodies’ Night In on Monday afternoons). She is an amazingly talented writer, photographer, baker, pastry chef and, and…need I say more.  We were delighted when she agreed to guest blog for us just before the Labor Day holiday and scrambled to post her amazing looking recipes for you to enjoy. She shared some of her family’s favorite dessert recipes – specifically gluten free cake that looks absolutely amazing (be sure to check out the food pictures).

She has provided just a few tips to help take your cake making to the next level. Check them out below. A very special thanks to Tara for her expert advice. In her own words:

Here are some tips for professional-looking cakes:

Professional Cake

- Lay four overlapping strips of parchment or wax paper on your cake stand/serving platter before placing the bottom layer of cake on it. This keeps your serving platter clean while you frost, and when the cake is finished you just need to gently slide the strips of paper out from under the cake.

- If the sides of your cake layers have a lot of loose crumbs on them, first apply a very thin layer of frosting (or whipped cream, in this case) over the entire surface, to trap the crumbs. This is called the crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake, and once the frosting is firm, apply the rest in an even layer. None of those pesky crumbs will be visible on the finished cake!

About the Author

Tara Barker is the owner and author of A Baking Life, a gluten-free blog devoted to eating and living well on the coast of Maine. Drawing on her previous work as a professional pastry chef, she strives to make gluten-free cooking and baking as easy and delicious as possible, so that no one has to feel deprived. When she is not writing or playing in the kitchen, she can be found chasing after her young sons and trying to find time to relax with her husband. Contact her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)