Karen Tack and Alan Richardson have worked together for more than 20 years. Challenging each other to come up with silly fun and fresh ideas Karen and Alan are the team behind the bestselling books Hello Cupcake and What's New Cupcake
They consider themselves candy detectives and they get a thrill out of making cake artistry accessible to all.
Known for whimsical cupcakes in their first three books the pair also make memorable full size cakes. Using boxed cake mixes packaged candies and cookies you can find anywhere they take creative license dreaming up everything from psychedelic rainbow cakes to pop art zoo animals purses a workboot and their twist on baked Alaska (the cover cake inspired by the abominable snowmonster).
You won't need fancy equipment or expensive cake molds to try these recipes. You will need to think outside the box.
The pair's newest book Cake My Day Easy Eye Popping Designs for Stunning Fanciful and Funny Cakes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $18.99) allows home bakers with basic skills to become cake artists. Recipes include step by step directions complete with user friendly pictures.
They work in a Connecticut test kitchen which they've nicknamed The Candy Lab. They also do events for candy makers and Karen does food styling while Alan does food photography.
They post recipes and inspiration at least once a week at hellocupcakebook.com.
Q.What is your background
A.Karen I went to Nicolet High School then Ripon College. I was a French major. I went to the Culinary Institute of America after graduating. I figured out I didn't want to work in restaurants so I freelanced for a magazine and learned food styling. In the process I met Alan an amazing photographer and food writer. We've known each other for more than 20 years.
Alan After college I went to art school became an art director and then started doing food photography and a few years into that I met Karen at a Ladies' Home Journal shoot. Karen made the most amazing Christmas cookies I'd ever seen so we've been partners ever since.
Q.Do you remember the first cake you made
A.Karen My sister and I used to bake a lot. My parents had a lot of dinner parties. My mom would let us make the desserts kind of Look at what my daughters can do.
I remember one cake in particular. My sister and I worked on the cake all weekend a Bon App tit recipe that took two days a dacquoise. We were probably 14 15. After several days of working on this cake and serving it to my grandmother she said It's not my favorite. That's one that sticks out.
Q.You're known for your cake books but you don't take orders
A. Karen No special orders. No. We want people to make it themselves. If a friend or charity asks sure. We will do demonstrations because that's enabling and about having somebody learn so they can go on.
Alan We're teachers by nature. We get a thrill out of seeing people do this. Everything we do is about empowering people to do it themselves.
Karen We even have a free app with this book. There are technique videos where we talk you through the different techniques. You have a choice of 10 projects. It is only for Apple operating systems. Hello Cupcake you can download at the app store for Apple.
Q.If there is one design you want to be known for what would it be
A.Karen We do the silly weird projects like a vacuum cleaner. Who is going to make a vacuum cleaner cake But that project tickles me. Not only is it a vacuum on the outside but we included candy inside as garbage.
Alan When we're talking to a group or explain to kids what we're about for me it is spaghetti and meatballs. That you can squeeze frosting out of a Ziploc bag plunk a Ferrero Rocher candy on top pull it together and it is spaghetti and meatballs that's it.
Q.What inspires you to share your designs
A.Karen I like the craftiness of what we do. I'm not a cake artist. We're not pastry chefs wielding a pastry bag. By using things that already have color texture and shape like candies and cookies anybody can be successful. Candy is the same in New York as it is in California.
Q.How did you come to suggest cake mixes and store bought poundcake as a base for many of your projects
A.Alan Karen comes from a trained culinary background. I am more of a cake mix baby.
Karen Cake mix was never passing my lips.
Alan We came to a Vulcan mind meld. Using ready made things available to everyone we cut to the chase and start decorating faster. We recommend store bought poundcake.
Karen You don't even have to turn the oven on
Q.What's the basis for this new book
A. Karen We like to think outside of the box with Cake My Day. Our other books were about decorating cupcakes. They're basically the same shape and size. It is a matter of decorating singly or putting them together.
Cakes open things up. You have so many different vessels different shapes. We tried to narrow it down by using standard baking pans a few (oven proof) bowls and measuring cups. Take a loaf pan and turn it on end you have a different shape.
Alan What you create with that shape is where we become excited. Then you become a candy detective.
Q.What ingredients do you always have on hand
A.Karen Graham crackers marshmallows cookies. There are probably thousands of pounds of candy.
Alan They each have a shape. That's a building block. Look at something like an Oreo. Karen uses a knife to separate it the white side becomes an eyeball.
Karen People almost need permission to cut the spice drop in half. It's not against the law like the mattress tag that says do not remove.
Q.What about using fondant
A.Alan We don't use fondant. In its place we try to create sheets of candy. We smash out spice drops and make large sheets. Another is circus peanuts. Karen came up with the idea of rolling out the circus peanuts. You've got to make sure they're fresh.
Q.What are your tips for frosting
A.Karen Our marshmallow fluff buttercream recipe is just unsalted butter and the marshmallow fluff. Just mix it together. If you want it sweeter you can add confectioner's sugar.
We also use canned frosting. We've had the best success with Duncan Hines classic vanilla creamy homestyle. We sometimes heat up the frosting until it is the consistency of paint which doesn't sound appetizing. We dip a cupcake or pour it over the cake that's a different texture.
Q.What do you request for your own birthdays
A.Karen I like pie. And I'm a carrot cake fan.
Alan You know the cake I most often request is German chocolate cake. I just love it and the only decoration it needs is coconut.
Q.What's your first stop when you come back to Milwaukee
A.Karen Go to Leon's Frozen Custard and have a butter pecan. I dream about it.
Alan Whenever we've been in Milwaukee at the end of the day we're sitting in the dark in our cars slurping down that butter pecan custard.
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