Little Cakes & Mini Gateaux

Little Cakes
& Mini Gateaux Half the size, but double the taste mini gateaux and cakes are full of flavour and goodness. This carefully compiled book means conversion charts are pass! Our recipes are specially adapted for the popular miniature baking moulds and ideal for intimate tea parties. Choose from sweet and fruity, elegant with lots of buttercream and chocolate, delicious classics or delicate mini cakes: with over 100 recipes these cakes offer amazing versatility. And they also make irresistible treats for amorous cake lovers! Little Cakes
& Mini Gateaux Naumann & Gbel Verlagsgesellschaft mbH,
a subsidiary of VEMAG Verlags- und Medien
Aktiengesellschaft
Emil-Hoffmann-Strae 1, 50996 Cologne (Germany)
www.vemag-medien.de
Front cover photo: StockFood/Bischof, Harry
Translation from German: Mo Croasdale for
SAW Communications, Dr. Sabine Werner, Mainz
Realisation of the English edition:
SAW Communications, Dr. Sabine A.

Werner, Mainz
Complete production:
Naumann & Gbel Verlagsgesellschaft mbH
All rights reserved
ISBN 978-3-8155-8779-9 Picture credits: Food Fotographie Michael Bauner: pp. Studio Klaus Arras: pp. All other photos: TLC Fotostudio Decorative illustrations: Corinna Weis

Introduction Whether a little treat for yourself or as a gift to take to friends, its unlikely that anyone will be able to resist these miniature versions of delicious cakes and gateaux! Our cute tinies appeal not only for the charming exteriors, but their inner values will be appreciated just as much. Whether a moist sponge cake, fruity tart or richly filled cream gateau, these miniature versions are every bit as tasty and appealing as their bigger siblings! The filling makes the tart splitting and filling cakes The easiest way to cut the little cakes in half is with a serrated knife. Leave until completely cool, then use a small sharp knife to cut about 1 cm into the edge of the cake. Hold the serrated knife horizontally, and turn the base while cutting through it.

If using liquid creams, the flan base is fitted into a kitchen ring so the filling can be spread over the base and the top of the cake placed on the filling. Once the filling has set, the ring is carefully removed and the cake decorated. Creative cake decorations Decorate your little cakes and mini gateaux to give them the perfect finishing touches! There are no limits to what you can do: depending on the type of cake it is, you can decorate the tops and sides with fruit, nuts, croquant, glac cherries, chocolate sprinkles or flakes, sugar flowers, grated coconuts, sugar balls or crystals and the list goes on! Sprinkle cakes with a plain surface such as sponges with icing sugar, or dot them with whipped cream or buttercream. You can also cover them with a chocolate coating or glaze to make them look more attractive. You can buy ready-made glazes and Candy Melts (wafers of coloured coating) to make your task easier! If youd like something a bit more unusual, use decorative or sparkling sugar.

Delightful coatings glazes and frostings Glazes and frostings not only look pretty and taste delightful, but are also an excellent way to disguise any little mistakes and as an added bonus, they also help to make the cake stay moist for longer! If you would like to cover a cake with a glaze or frosting, all you have to do is pour it carefully onto the surface of the cake and then spread it evenly over and around it with a palette knife. Delightful coatings glazes and frostings Glazes and frostings not only look pretty and taste delightful, but are also an excellent way to disguise any little mistakes and as an added bonus, they also help to make the cake stay moist for longer! If you would like to cover a cake with a glaze or frosting, all you have to do is pour it carefully onto the surface of the cake and then spread it evenly over and around it with a palette knife.

The glaze will run down the sides, so just smooth it in the same way as you do the top.

Icing and lemon icing To make sugar icing the traditional cake decoration just combine some icing (confectioners) sugar with a little water to make a fairly viscous, smooth mixture. To make lemon icing, just using lemon juice instead of water. Apricot glaze To make an apricot glaze, simply pass some apricot jam through a sieve, then boil in a small saucepan with a little water and sugar for about 3 minutes, stirring continuously. The glaze is brushed onto the surface of the cake while still hot. Apricot glaze is also often used under chocolate glazes, marzipan and ready to roll fondant icings to help them stick better to the cake.

Chocolate glaze For a basic chocolate glaze, you just have to break the chocolate coating into small pieces and melt in a bowl over hot water. Ready to roll fondant Rolled fondant is a soft and stretchy topping made from sugar that is available in various colours and different flavours. To help it stay on the cake, first brush the surface of the cake with a sticky substance, such as apricot glaze, icing sugar or buttercream. Do not use anything acidic or waterbased, such as quark or cream, as they will soften the fondant. Before fondant icing can be used it first needs to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. After resting time, knead it thoroughly with lightly greased hands to make it malleable.

When kneading the fondant, do not layer any pieces of the icing, as otherwise you will not be able to achieve an entirely smooth surface. After kneading, roll the fondant out on a silicone mat, or sprinkle the work surface with some cornflour, and use a wooden or silicone rolling pin to roll it out to a square about 3 mm thick (make a square even if your cake is round!) and of a size that is bigger than the outer dimensions of your cake. You can use your creativity to conceal the seams with pretty fondant borders when you cover your little cake or mini gateau. One last word about shortcrust pastry: unless stated otherwise in the recipe, roll shortcrust pastry out on a floured work surface after chilling and then put it in the tin. And now to work enjoy browsing, baking and the fruits of your labours!

Almond cake with raspberries Preparation time: approx. 50 minutes baking and approx. 30 minutes cooling time) For a 18-cm springform cake tin 200 g raspberries 125 g flour 1 tsp baking powder 125 g ground almonds 125 g soft butter 125 g sugar 1 sachet vanilla sugar pinch of salt 2 eggs 2 tbsp yoghurt Additionally butter for the tin 150 g icing sugar a little pink food paste Put the raspberries in a sieve. 30 minutes cooling time) For a 18-cm springform cake tin 200 g raspberries 125 g flour 1 tsp baking powder 125 g ground almonds 125 g soft butter 125 g sugar 1 sachet vanilla sugar pinch of salt 2 eggs 2 tbsp yoghurt Additionally butter for the tin 150 g icing sugar a little pink food paste Put the raspberries in a sieve.