Welcome
The arrival of spring and summer brings joy and and wonder as we discover new things and create wonderful memories that carry us through the rest of the year. At Cakewalk Chicago there are many great new products and ideas to help you create extra special memories. Stop in to check out our expanded line of Fondant tools and look at our Summer Class Schedule. You're gonna like what you see. We are busy at Cakewalk Chicago and are proud to announce the birth of our newest sweet treat Logan James, Born May 9th. Logan looks forward to meeting you when you stop by the shop. Read below to find out about more sweet treats of the season.
Splendid Cakes I Have Made:
We love to see the completed work of Cakewalk Chicago students and ask for copies of photos to post on the Website or feature in the store, One student has gone one step further and created a fabulous page featuring some great work and every day it seems that there is something new. Meet Lynn a Cakewalk Chicago student who is creating fabulous works of art in Sugar. Click here to see more Splendid Cakes I have Made by Lynn R.Cake Club:
We have been having a great time at the Cake Club Meetings. Demonstrations, Professional Advice, Networking, Food, and Fun are all part of the mix. Visit the News and Notes page to learn more about what you have been missing.
Not Just Another Little Knicknack-Gifts that won't be left behind.
making giving thank you gifts affordable. Join Cakewalk Chicago for a Free Candy making Demonstrations this summer and see how easy it is. Check out the online class schedule for dates and times
Food Facts
June, July, and August brings us Berries, Cherries, Melons. Nectarines.
Peaches. Pears. Plums and 2005 marks 26 years of Farmers Markets in Chicago. Read below to learn how to choose the best that the season has to offer. Follow this link to Farmers Markets in your area.
Berries
Even if the strawberries are being transported only a short distance, they have to be picked unripe off the vine, in order to survive the journey and that means a less than optimum sweetness. Look for firm, bright berries, not too dark or bruised, with the green caps still on. White shoulders are an indication of unripeness. Raspberries are the most fragile of summer fruits, can spoil in just a matter of days. Look for berries that have no mold and have a firm shape. Look on the bottom of the carton for staining; this may indicate some overripe berries within. Raspberries are available all summer long and are harvested in two crops—the first sometime between May and July (depending on climate) and the second usually beginning in about mid-August. When choosing blueberries look for those that are large and round with a deep blue-purple or blue-gray color; a reddish hue indicates they're not yet ripe. Perfectly ripe blueberries will have what produce aficionados call a "waxy bloom"—a frosty look that indicates a fine, tasty berry.
The Stone Fruits: Cherries, Plums, Peaches
Stone fruits will ripen after they're picked, but they won't be as sweet as they would have been plucked ripe off the tree. Many peach varieties yield full flavor in August. look for plums that, like other stone fruits, give gently to light pressure, and avoid those that are either too hard or too soft. The large variety of plums on the market today, from black plums to red plums to pluots (a hybrid of an apricot and a plum), makes this fruit season quite long—from June through October or so. Cherries appear for a few months, generally from June to September. Seek out cherries that have fresh, green stems and are plump, firm, and free from spots, blemishes, and bruises.
What's Cooking?
Summer Celebration Cake
Serves 12
Yellow Cake, two 8-inch layers
1 jar strawberry jam
1 cup fresh blueberries rinsed, drained and divided
1 cup sliced peaches or nectarines
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
Fresh strawberry slices, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Prepare, bake and cool Yellow Cake, following recipe directions. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Microwave opened jar of strawberry jam for 15-20 seconds. Stir. Jam should be warm enough to drizzle down sides of cake. Spread 1/3 cup jam on cake layer. Arrange 1 cup blueberries on jam. Spread half the whipped topping to within 1/2 inch of cake edge.
Place second layer on top. Repeat with 1/3 cup curd, 1 cup peaches and remaining whipped topping. Garnish with strawberry slices and remaining 1/2 cup blueberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (For best results, cut cake with serrated knife; clean knife after each slice.)
