Ask the teachers

Can I freeze a regal iced wedding cake? – Wendy Pattinson

I have a layer of a wedding cake that is NOT fruitcake. I want to marzipan and regal ice it and then freeze it. I want to defrost it the day before the wedding to add the wedding toppers so that the cake does not get stale.Is this possible as I have been told the icing will go sticky! but would it dry off again after a while?   

Dear Wendy,

You don’t mention what kind of cake it is, but I’d assume perhaps a classis vanilla sponge or carrot cake, as these tend to be the most popular choices. If so, they both freeze very well.

However, I’m afraid that the icing will go sticky if you freeze the cake fully embellished. The reason for this is that the ice crystals deposited in the various layers during the freezing process, will melt and alter the structure of the sugar crystals in the icing on defrosting. This results in a sticky and shiny finish that remains tacky and doesn’t actually dry off, as you might expect.

 Apart from the shiny appearance of the cake, you may find it hard to stabilize the toppers to that sticky layer.

Depending on the size and type of cake, it may take 2 days to defrost thoroughly; would that give you enough time to marzipan and ice it before the big day? I have done this with a 12 inch diameter carrot cake, and it remained fresh.

Cream cheese and chocolate ganache icings do freeze very well, so might be options for you if time is an issue and you want to try a more contemporary decoration. I find the traditional finish a hard one to beat though.

 I do hope this helps.  

With best wishes,

Max Clark, Senior Teacher and Buyer for Leiths

Can I freeze Ottolenghi’s pear and ameretto cake? – Andrea Kluman

I have tried to get on Yotam Ottolenghi course without luck, but I use his books. The problem I have is that I want to start baking i.e the pear and amaretto cake ,can I freeze it?

Hi Andrea,

It is fine for freezing for up to a month.
Defrost covered, overnight.
Refresh in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes, then allow to cool before eating.
This should breathe some life and freshness back into the cake.

Heli  Miles, Teacher at Leiths

Leiths chocolate brownies: What am I doing wrong? – Vanessa Merrill

 I don’t get sticky middle and crispy top, they taste good but they’re crumbly and a bit powdery, not sticky at all.

Dear Vanessa,

These problems could be occurring because you have overheated chocolate, under or over whisked the mixture, or over baked the brownies.

If this problem persists after checking the above notes, please get in contact again.

Maxine Clark,  Author, Teacher and Buyer at Leiths

Why is my fudge still soft? – Dr. Sue Brown

I made the fudge that is in both the Techniques and Cookery bibles. It has remained relatively soft, too soft to keep its shape well enough at room temperature. I can get it firmer by keeping it in the freezer, but what have I done wrong? Did I not beat it long enough after cooling? I beat it for 10 mins and it did look thick in the bowl- is it possible I should have gone longer?

Dear Sue,

The most likely cause was that the mix was not heated enough. The liquid needs to come up to 117C; this ensures that the correct amount of water evaporates out of the mix. It also ensures that the sugar reaches the soft ball stage. Sugar behaves very differently depending on what temperature it has been taken to, even after it has cooled down. It might be worth calibrating your sugar thermometer (by putting it in boiling water and checking it reads 100C).

Rupert Holden, Teacher at Leiths

Why won’t my dough rise? – Anne Watson

Hi! I’ve been making bread for a while and have no problem getting the dough to rise – but when I try to make things like fruit buns, croissants and English muffins my dough refuses to rise at all, even though I’m careful with liquid and proving temperatures, reactivation of dried yeast etc. I end up with thick, doughy lumps! What am I doing wrong? And do you have any courses coming up for would-be bakers? Thanks, Anne

Hi Anne,

There are a few possible reasons for this.

How much salt are you putting in? Too much salt will slow the dough right down… Is the milk scalded and cooled when added to the yeast? There is an enzyme in milk that affects the yeast growth.

Finally, enriched doughs will move much slower than simple ones as there is more to slow the yeast down and so it will need proving for almost double the time as a normal bread dough!

We have a two day bread workshop coming up in April, which we will be confirming on the site very soon.

Hope this helps.

Hélène Robinson-Moltke, Senior Teacher at Leiths

Where do I buy squid ink? – Sue Waton

I recently attended the Summer Dinner Party day course and made fantastic squid ink tagliatelle. I have now bought a pasta machine and am happily creating my own pasta but here in West Sussex I cannot find anywhere that sells squid ink. Do you know of any local suppliers or anywhere I can buy it online? (the only supplier Google can find is in the USA)

Dear Sue,

I am glad you enjoyed the course and that you’re already using your new skills at home.

Fishmongers usually keep jars and sachets of squid ink, but, finding a good “wet” fishmonger these days, isn’t particularly easy!

However,  it can be bought on-line from Rick Stein’s specialist Ingredients department. Easier still, just give them a call, and they will process your order over the telephone. Here’s the details you will need:

4g Sachet squid ink (£1.00) Product code: 8424596250045

Telephone number: 01841 533 250

Using this product will give you some “street cred” too, as I am sure that when they know the source of your ingredients, it will impress your friends no end!

Good luck with your next batch of pasta.

Maxine Clark,  Author, Teacher and Buyer at Leiths

How do I remove zest from a grater? – Judy Volquardsen

How do I remove remains of grated stuff from course fine grate side of a box or upright grater. A teacher told me but I have forgotten the technique! Judy Volquardsen.

Zesting a piece of citrus fruit is a real pain, as you well know! We find the best solution is to cover the fine gauge of the grater with a piece of cling film. Pull it nice and tight over the holes, and grate your lemon/citrus fruit over the top of it.

The zest will be caught on the cling film, and none of it will get stuck in the grater.

The zest of any type of citrus fruit is a very fine layer indeed, so the rubbing action should be very light, and the piece of fruit should be turned constantly to prevent too much friction in one place. If done correctly, you won’t make any holes in the cling film, but, if the action is too vigorous, it will tear.

I hope this helps and is the technique you had in mind.

Maxine Clark,  Author, Teacher and Buyer at Leiths

Will My Chocolate Ganache Keep? – Vicky Mogford

I want to make a cake for a charity cake sale & I’m looking at some recipes in the Leith’s Baking Bible. I notice that some recipes for icing or ganache contain cream. If I use cream do I need to keep the cake refrigerated afterwards until it is eaten? Or does the sugar / chocolate preserve the cream? Vicky Mogford

What a lovely donation for your charity event.  Ganache is a combination of chocolate and cream, usually a 50/50 ratio and sometimes with the addition of a little butter. It is basically a soft, spreadable truffle mixture. It will definitely have to be refrigerated in order to maintain its freshness and appearance.

Although sugar is indeed a preservative, I am afraid that the levels of it in chocolate are insufficient to act as a preservative in a gananche. If it is a warm day, the icing will soften and lose its form, and if the day gets very hot it will “sweat” and possibly melt.

The only icing that will stay really fresh, preserved by its sugar content, is a royal or regal icing as used for traditional wedding, Christmas or celebration cakes.

As you mention you have the Baking bible, may I suggest making the Passion-fruit syrup surprise cake (P 365). It is a delicious cake that is straightforward to make and has a passion fruit syrup topping that also seeps into the sponge, so would be able to sit on your display quite happily. In terms of sales, it might appeal to a wider market too, as it is a little bit different from the norm. To give it a contemporary finish, you could wrap it in brown paper and tie it with a hessian bow. How could anyone resist buying that?

I hope this helps and that you have a very successful fund-raising event.

Max Clark, Author, Teacher and Buyer at Leiths

What Wine Should I Serve to Accompany My Puddings? – Faith Ransom

I am serving Royal pudding (cream, sponge and jam with meringue topping,in ramekins), and need to match a wine with it. We are a group of eight who enjoy a meal where we all cook a course, and match the wine to it.  Can you recommend a wine for me please?   My other pud is the Delia ‘Terrine of Summer Fuits’.  Is there another wine that will match that?  Faith Ransom

For the Royal Pudding, I would suggest something sweet, but not too heavy.  I know that this may appear a bit strange, but an Asti Spumante would be delicious.  Or look for the slightly more unusual (and less fizzy) version, Moscato d’Asti, also from the north-west of Italy.

For the Terrine of summer fruits, a sparkling wine would again offer the right combination of lightness and freshness.  How about a Rose Champagne?

If a still wine is preferred, the excellent Elysium Black Muscat from Andrew Quady would go well with both dishes.

Richard Bampfield, MW and Wine Lecturer at Leiths

What size eggs should I use for baking?- Lindsay Grant

I have a copy of your Vegetarian Bible. Which I have to say is an absolutely fantastic book. I have now started making the cakes, which are absolutely delicious. However they are not turning out quite as expected. I have been using large eggs but should I be using medium eggs? The recipe does not specify, it just says eggs. They have been quite damp and dense in the middle and haven’t risen well. I realise that many other factors could be causing this problem but I’d like to solve the egg query first. Lindsay Grant

I am so pleased that you are cooking your way through the Vegetarian bible. I think most of us are guilty of favouring certain sections of a cook book, so it’s really great to hear that you are using it methodically.

Unless stated, eggs are usually medium size. This is something we put in the introduction of our books now, but am afraid it was assumed at the time the Vegetarian bible was published.

However, the difference in size between medium and large eggs isn’t so great as to cause the results you have mentioned. A cake may take slightly longer to cook if a little more moisture is added, but unless a significant amount of extra liquid was added, it wouldn’t weigh it down, make it soggy or prevent a good rise. After all, eggs are a raising agent and I often add an extra one as a cheats way to get good volume to a sponge!

A medium size hen’s egg weighs approximately between 50-60g. A large one would be around 60-70g, with the very largest being no more than 73g. So, if we assume you had 3 x large 70g eggs, we are looking at 210mls of combined white and yolk, whereas 3 x medium 60g eggs would yield 180mls. The difference would only be about ½ a medium egg. Even if we took 3 x of the lower weight medium versus 3 x highest weight large, it would still only be a 60g difference. None of this is very scientific of course, as I’ve only taken an average and assumed the weight of your eggs, but, it does illustrate a basic and not wildly relevant difference.

I am more concerned about the use of your dry raising agents (bicarb/baking powder etc), speed of assembly of ingredients once moisture is added to the mix, and location of the cake tin in your oven.

Maybe you would prefer a chat? Let me know what’s best and I will do what I can to make your next cake a roaring success!

Max Clark, Contributer to Leiths Vegetable Bible