PastryScoop.com Summer Wedding Cake Chat Series

Ron Ben-Israel of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes
June 16, 2004

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Hi Everyone! Thank you for joining us today as we chat with Ron Ben-Israel, wedding cake artist and master pastry chef instructor at The French Culinary Institute here in NYC. Welcome Ron!

<Ron Ben-Israel> Thank you for having me. Now on to the wedding cakes!

<Dawnd> What is your favorite flavor and filling for a wedding cake?

<Ron Ben-Israel> Some of my favorite flavors from this season include white citrus cake with citrus zest (lime, lemon, and tangerine), multi-berry cream fillings, coconut, lime, ginger, caramel, and passion fruit.

<char> Do you only make wedding cakes?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We make cakes for all occasions.

<Jeanne> What's your preferred brand of fondant or do you make your own?

<Ron Ben-Israel> For commercial fondant, I recommend using Satin Ice. You can find them online at www.satinfinefoods.com. Unfortunately, in order to make fondant "from scratch," one needs special equipment.

<Char> What are some pointers for rolling fondant?

<Ron Ben-Israel> When rolling out fondant, remember you want only a thin layer. I only use powdered sugar and never cornstarch! I suggest rolling the fondant on a marble surface. The cold and smooth surface makes all the difference in the world.

<Jeanne> I have only stainless steel tables in the shop and I'm sure that's what is giving me the trouble (one table is reserved exclusively for rolling fondant so there are no scratches or dings). And a marble slab is far less expensive than a sheeter!

<NhumiSD> I like the look of fondant, but I find it tastes terrible. Is there another alternative?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I suppose it's all personal opinion. I find that fondant can take natural oil very well for flavor, from coffee to citrus.

<Cami> Can you use an Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream on fondant covered cakes that will be at room temperature for 24 hours (from time assembled to service)?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I've never understood how cakes can stay at room temperature. All of our cakes are frosted with buttercream, refrigerated, covered in fondant, and refrigerated again. But, a lot will depend on your refrigerator. It needs to have moisture control, so the environment is dry and your fondant does not "sweat." We have a customized low-humidity refrigeration system to suit the cakes in the properly described environment.

<Char> Without using shortening, what type of buttercream will produce the whitest icing?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We use both Swiss and Italian meringue buttercreams. However, because any real buttercream always contains some portion of butter, it will never be pure white.

<Jennifer> When covering a cake with buttercream, is there any secret to getting it smooth?

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> The easiest way to get a smooth finish with buttercream is to apply a light crumb coat first. Chill the cake. Then add another coat using an off-set spatula.

<Cami> Because fondant cannot be refrigerated, what type of filling do you use?

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Jams and preserves make great cake fillings. Buttercream is also another easy option. Just make sure you give the cake and buttercream filling enough time to come to the proper temperature before serving!

<Suzanne> Can I use royal icing to decorate buttercream cakes (for example, string work and brush embroidery)?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I only use a little bit of royal icing on my cakes. You have to be careful not to have it too runny or the room be too hot- the royal icing will melt and lose shape.

<shamu1> Any advice on making a dacquoise? Do you suggest using buttercream or whipped cream?

<Ron Ben-Israel> Never whipped cream in a cake that should stay at room temperature; it's a great celebration for bacteria! Try to read about food handling guidlines. Buttercream, especially when made with pasteurized egg whites, is much safer.

<Suzanne> Any tips on keeping cakes cool during transport? For now, I put them in my trunk, fold the back seat down, and crank up the A/C, but I'm worried about using ice packs because they might get the cake boxes wet with condensation.

<Ron Ben-Israel> For cake transportation, you must, at least, deliver the cake in an air conditioned vehicle. I'm afraid the trunk may be too hot. You can also use dry ice, which is dry, but never let it touch the cakes. We use dry ice when flying cakes by building a box within a box.

<char> Do you charge a delivery fee?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We do charge a special delivery/flying fee for long distance transportation.

<Cami> Do you bake the cakes and freeze them until you need them?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I never have enough time to freeze cake layers in advance. But it is possible, as long as they are well wrapped.

<sue> Do you have a large staff to assist in the baking and assembly of the cakes?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I have about ten people helping me in every aspect of the business. I'm just the one who stays late to wash the dishes!

<Lelka> How do you find people for your business?

<Ron Ben-Israel> Most of my employees come through culinary institutions. I often hire them after they've completed a full-time, three month internship with us.

<Suzanne> How many cakes do you produce in a week? Do you have to limit yourself and turn away business?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We create about 15 wedding cakes a week in the May/June busy season. I often have to turn clients away and refer them to a colleague.

<Dawnd> I have read that you have your own food colors for your flowers. Do you plan on selling these colors?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I'd love to get into merchandizing, but it would take me away from my clients and their cakes.

<char> Do you have a source for ribbon?

<Ron Ben-Israel> There are many sources for ribbons on the web. In New York, we buy ours wholesale at the Design Building.

<Suzanne> What do you use for cake boards, both the decorative base and the structural support between tiers?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We only use laminated wood boards because cardboard circles tend to get soggy. I suggest finding a good carpenter to cut the boards for you. I prefer to create our own board and cover it with sugar paste to match the cake it will rest upon.

<scratch1> How can I keep marzipan soft enough to make decorations ahead of time. It always seems to dry out.

<Ron Ben-Israel> Try keeping the marzipan decorations in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer. When ready to decorate, bring to room temperature still covered.

<Julie> What types of flowers are used in your cakes that are displayed in your website?

<Ron Ben-Israel> All of our flowers are made of sugar, or rather, sugar paste (also known as gum paste).

<Suzanne> Do you price your sugar work per flower or as a flat fee per cake?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We charge a flat fee per cake, but that flat fee is based on variants such as design intricacy. Special flowers, such as orchids, require more of our time and therefore cost more!

<Christine> Do you use commercially available cutters for your flowers or do you have cutters custom made for your business?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I use both commercial and custom made cutters.

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Ron, don't you often make your own molds? Can you tell us how you make a custom mold?

<Ron Ben-Israel> To begin, you must have a good object to mold. If you want to create your own mold, make sure to work with food grade silicone.

<Julie>What is the difference between crystallized sugar flowers and gum paste flowers?

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Crystallized sugar flowers are real, natural flowers that have been brushed with eggs white then dusted with sugar. Sugar paste or gum paste flowers are hand shaped using edible ingredients.

<Jeff> When making roses, how do you cut out the large outer petal? Do you use a shape for molding your perfect roses?

<Ron Ben-Israel> It's hard to theorize about sugar roses. I do have some extremely large cutters for the outer petal I made myself.

<sewsweet2> When making flowers and leaves with gum paste, do you recommend a double-sided or single-sided veiner?

<Ron Ben-Israel> To achieve life-like results, I always prefer double-sided veiners simply because natural leaves and petals have both sides.

<Cami> Do you paint the gum paste before you do the flowers or paint them after they are already dry?

<Ron Ben-Israel> We use both techniques, depending on the flower and the desired final product. The sugar paste can be colored before rolling, and the dry petals can be brushed with dry pigments or colored with liquid colors.

<Jeff> I'd like your opinion on a common controversy. Do you attach flowers on wires? If so, how do you attach them to the cake? Many people discourage sticking wired flowers directly into the cake.

<Ron Ben-Israel> That "controversy" is an old story. You need to decide what is right for you as a professional. According to the health department, anything around or in a food product should be either edible, or non-toxic. I see no problem with sugar flowers on bamboo skewers or covered wires designed for that purpose.

<Jeff> Good. I generally make flowers on toothpicks when possible and only wire leaves when absolutely necessary!

<Jeanne> For the wires in cake controversy, I have had good success in using thin straws (sometimes those coffee stirrers work for very small arrangements). Twist the wires, put them through the straw and insert the straw into the cake. This way there is no contact between the cake and the covered wire (our health dept is very by the book!).

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> You can also wrap wires with clean florist tape.

<DianaPastry> I want to move towards wedding cakes as my specialty. What do you suggest? School or stage?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I believe that in order to become a successful wedding cake designer, one needs to have a varied background. It never hurts to take art classes to start and keep yourself up to date on design trends. But I believe the most important thing in becoming a great wedding cake designer is having a strong pastry arts base. Without some kind of schooling, there is no chance to make a difference in a very competitive field.

<Jeff> Do you think you will ever teach anyone how to make those spectacular roses of yours? I'd love to learn your method! They are the best I've ever seen!

<Ron Ben-Israel> Thank you. I teach classes every week at The French Culinary Institute in NYC, as part of their professional pastry arts program.

<FCI_Jock> Ron also takes on students from The French Culinary Institute for externships but only if they are referred by one of our pastry chef instructors and meet Ron's approval!

<DianaPastry> Do you have wedding cake classes at The FCI?

<FCI_Jock> We do have a wedding cake unit as part of our 600 hour pastry program. We have two evening schedules as well as the full time day schedule. Please feel free to contact me at jgrundy@frenchculinary.com for more information on The French Culinary Institute, or call 646-254-7532.

<Dorina> Do you have any favorite cookbooks you use as reference or that you recommend to have in a collection?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I love any book by Rose Levy Beranbaum, Maida Heatter, or Julia Childs.

<Jeff> Do you have any plans to make a video/DVD or write a book to instruct your art of flower making?

<Ron Ben-Israel> Unfortunately, the video/DVD will have to wait, as for teaching, I'm afraid all my resources are committed to The FCI and to making lots of cakes!

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Ron taught a great two-hour workshop on wedding cakes at our last PastryScoop.com conference. We will have another conference this fall with short, topic-specific, workshops on Sunday, October 17th. In fact, Ron will be teaching another wedding cake decorating workshop.

<Brooke> Do you ever feel stifled or get "creator's block" when designing cakes?

<Ron Ben-Israel> Fortunately, I'm never stifled, surrounded by so much creativity in New York City! Only, I never seem to have enough time to do it all!

<Julie> What do you feel is the most important element when it comes to being a trendsetter in your field? Education? Competitions?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I'm laughing here. I don't know what to say really. In my mind, I just make cakes.

<Christine> What is your favorite part of the job?

<<Ron Ben-Israel> Getting photos from the weddings/celebrations, when people are enjoying the cake!

<Gloriaagain> Who are your competitors? What is your secret to success?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I'm close to most cake designers in the New York City area. We all compete with each other in a friendly way! As for my success, my secret and my "formal" training came from Betty Van Norstrand here in New York.

<Joshalow> Do you participate or attend demos at conventions such as ICES sponsored events?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I'm not a member of ICES. However, I'll be at the October State Fair in Oklahoma as a guest.

<Lelka> Ron, do you still dance?

<Ron Ben-Israel> I love doing the tango, and can't wait to do some two stepping in Oklahoma!

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Unfortunately, our time is up today! Ron, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with our members and thank you all for joining us today! If you haven't done so already, please check out our round-up of NYC's top cake artists which features RON BEN-ISRAEL. Visit www.pastryscoop.com and click on The Scoop to read the story. Also, a transcript of this chat along with others from our summer wedding cake series will be posted on our website in July.

<Ron Ben-Israel> Back to the stove. Thanks for all your questions and comments!

<Judiaann_PastryScoop> Our next Summer Wedding Cake Chat will be with Susan Morgan from Elegant Cheese Cakes on Wed. June 30th at 12:00 noon (EST). And don't forget to sign up for Ron's wedding cake workshop at our October conference!