Stylish Cakes: The Extraordinary Confections of the Fashion Chef
()
About this ebook
More than sixty unique couture confections that take the pastry arts to a whole new level of imagination, style, and taste
With 250 full-color photographs and illustrations
Related to Stylish Cakes
Related ebooks
The Power of Sprinkles: A Cake Book by the Founder of Flour Shop Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSweet Magic: Easy Recipes for Delectable Desserts Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bonjour, Happiness! Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5One Souffle at a Time: A Memoir of Food and France Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Advanced Bread Baking at Home: Recipes & Techniques to Perfect Your Sourdough and More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhite Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Baker's Daughter: Timeless Recipes From Four Generations of Bakers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5French Women Don't Sleep Alone:: Pleasurable Secrets to Finding Love Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Layered: Baking, Building, and Styling Spectacular Cakes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Artful Baker: Extraordinary Desserts From an Obsessive Home Baker Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pasta, Pretty Please: A Vibrant Approach to Handmade Noodles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCakes by Melissa: Life Is What You Bake It Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearn to Cook 25 Southern Classics 3 Ways: Traditional, Contemporary, International Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Margaret Palca Bakes Cookbook: Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Memories from a Famous Brooklyn Baker Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding My Self Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Christmas Sweater Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Keep on Running: A memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDana’s Bakery: 100 Decadent Recipes for Unique Desserts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Good Enough Daughter: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meet The Nanny Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sugar Cube: 50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Alligators, Old Mink & New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Classic Digest - Spring & Summer Desserts: In the Pantry Classics, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeads and Tales: The Autobiography of Aage Thaarup, Milliner to the Royal Family Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Journal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsQuivering Desserts & Other Puddings Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tea In A Tin Cup: Culinary Reminiscences of a Writer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForever Now (A Young Adult Romance) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Courses & Dishes For You
Joy of Cooking: Fully Revised and Updated Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The "I Don't Want to Cook" Book: 100 Tasty, Healthy, Low-Prep Recipes for When You Just Don't Want to Cook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Unofficial TikTok Cookbook: 75 Internet-Breaking Recipes for Snacks, Drinks, Treats, and More! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Instant Pot® Meals in a Jar Cookbook: 50 Pre-Portioned, Perfectly Seasoned Pressure Cooker Recipes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Taste of Home Copycat Restaurant Favorites: Restaurant Faves Made Easy at Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Freezer Meals: 50 Essential Recipes for Today's Busy Cook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tartine Bread Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5DIY Sourdough: The Beginner's Guide to Crafting Starters, Bread, Snacks, and More Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One Bowl Meals Cookbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation's Best Purveyor of Fine Soup Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ultimate Soup Cookbook: Over 900 Family-Favorite Recipes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cooking at Home: More Than 1,000 Classic and Modern Recipes for Every Meal of the Day Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Salad of the Day: 365 Recipes for Every Day of the Year Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Betty Crocker Lost Recipes: Beloved Vintage Recipes for Today's Kitchen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The $5 a Meal College Vegetarian Cookbook: Good, Cheap Vegetarian Recipes for When You Need to Eat Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The No-Mess Bread Machine Cookbook: Recipes For Perfect Homemade Breads In Your Bread Maker Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Korean Home Cooking: Classic and Modern Recipes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ninja Creami Recipes: Easy, Delicious and Creamy Recipes to Enjoy from Smoothies, Sorbets, Ice Creams to Milkshakes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeals in a Jar: Quick and Easy, Just-Add-Water, Homemade Recipes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dutch Oven Cookbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seriously Good Salads: Creative Flavor Combinations for Nutritious, Satisfying Meals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From Scratch: 10 Meals, 175 Recipes, and Dozens of Techniques You Will Use Over and Over Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Stylish Cakes
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Stylish Cakes - Charlotte Neuville
Circe Photography: © Circe photography llc
Dedication
For my mother, Christiane
Contents
Dedication
Introduction
Buttermilk Pound Cake
I. HOW FRENCH
Luxe French Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Ganache
II. A SHOT OF COLOR
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Butter Cake
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Buttercream
III. NIGHT AND DAY
Galettes Sablées (Sugar Cookies)
Royal Icing
Pearlized Gelatin Bubble Tutorial
IV. THE ALLURE OF METAL
Charlotte’s Favorite Carrot Cake
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
V. WHIMSY
Red Velvet Cake
VI. INTO THE WOODS
Cream Puffs
VII. JEWELED FANTASY
How to Make a Miniature Cake
Acknowledgments
Bibliography
Select Sources
American and Metric Conversions
About the Authors
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
INTRODUCTION
FASHION, A SENSE OF STYLE, AND FINE FOOD all have been an inherent part of my life for as long as I can remember. French was my first language, as my European parents had immigrated to the United States from Paris in 1948, three years before I was born. My father, Jacques, was a dashing and handsome home decor buyer for I. Magnin, the legendary high-fashion and luxury specialty store based in San Francisco. He was also an accomplished painter and draftsman, with a keen eye for color and composition. I was practically raised at I. Magnin: I have very clear memories of strolling along the Chanel-perfumed first-floor aisles, the sound of highly coiffed saleswomen cooing, There goes Jacques’s daughter,
wafting behind me.
My father, who began his career at Gump’s in 1951, was fond of citing Richard Gump’s motto Good taste costs no more.
He moved on to I. Magnin in 1953, when I was one and a half years old. His responsibilities there took him all over the world to purchase one-of-a-kind antiques and objects and to collaborate with artisans to create exclusive designs for the store. His work seemed so exotic, and I saved the many postcards he sent home while on his travels.
My childhood home was a reflection of my father’s sophisticated tastes, a life informed by beauty. We had an extensive collection of books in many different languages—German, Italian, French, and English. My parents were both voracious readers, and books, especially art books, held center stage in our living room. One of my earliest pastimes was to sit with my father and thumb through art books on Alberto Giacometti and Leonardo da Vinci. It made me feel very important and grown up that he would share his books with me. These sessions together marked the beginning of my art history education, as my father would discuss the artists and then ask my opinion of their ideas and work.
Although my father spoke English well, my mother, Christiane, arrived in San Francisco speaking only French. She somehow learned to speak English, to cook, and to drive while raising two daughters, often alone, as my father was traveling the world. She came to speak English beautifully, though, and became a highly regarded dean of college counseling for San Francisco University High School. She was smart as a whip—not to mention curious, highly gracious, and, above all, practical. Years later, she would also become my trusted best friend.
Christiane was of firm convictions in all matters culinary. She became a gourmet cook, much to my chagrin as an adolescent. I used to beg for a normal hamburger
when the rôti de boeuf arrived at the dinner table. The kitchen was unquestionably and completely her domain and off-limits to my sister and me. Hence, my cooking
experience was limited to making elaborate mud pies in our neighbor’s garden path. My grandmother, Jeanne, whom we called Goupi, used to save her empty tinfoil pie tins (she loved Swanson frozen pies!) for that express purpose.
The first time my mother allowed me into her kitchen, I was eight years old. We would work side by side, each on our own projects. My first baking specialty was buttermilk pound cake, although I once used the wrong measuring cup and ended up with double the amount of flour in the batter—six cups, instead of three. The batter had to be thrown out, and I was devastated. I never made that mistake again. I eventually perfected the cake, and I’m pleased to share the recipe for it with you.
My mother and me, 1953.
Charlotte Neuville: Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville
At eight months old, with my parents, 1952.
Charlotte Neuville: Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville
With Madeleine (right) and my mother, 1963.
Charlotte Neuville: Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville
My mother’s Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe card.
Charlotte Neuville: Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville
At age five, in the San Francisco Chronicle, 1958.
San Francisco Chronicle: © San Francisco/Polaris
At fifteen, 1968.
Charlotte Neuville: Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville
In Fire Island, 1978.
Charlotte Neuville: Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville
Because I wanted my mother to invite me back to bake with her, I always made sure to leave the kitchen sparkling clean according to her exacting standards. Even though cleaning up thoroughly was part of the experience, I remember thinking the baking thing was worth pursuing and soon became known for my desserts, especially French fruit tarts. My father was my target audience. He loved dessert, and I always strived to make him happy and proud of my accomplishments.
My mother also had an unerring sense of style. For many years, she sewed dresses for my younger sister, Madeleine, and me, although she always bought a new dress for each of us at I. Magnin for the first day of school. Of course, it was a special treat to be taken there to shop. With its pristine white Carrara marble, I. Magnin was the temple of chic. I attended my first fashion show there—that of designer James Galanos—when I was six. At that time, I. Magnin had in-house models and staged private fashion shows so their best customers could preview the new season’s garments and place custom orders on the spot. I remember sitting in the front row, gazing in rapture at the models—with their bouffant hairdos and false eyelashes—towering above me as they sauntered down the runway. I felt so special to be there, and the experience cemented my love of fashion at that very moment! I wanted so badly to be a part of that glamorous world, and to this day, I’m sure this early exposure to style was a catalyst for my becoming a fashion designer.
A year after attending my first runway show, I had the opportunity to participate in a different kind of show—and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. In April 1958, my father opened the Far Eastern Gallery on I. Magnin’s mezzanine, the first in a series of annual events that he launched for the store for many subsequent years. That first year, he recruited me to model as a young Japanese girl. A geisha
wrapped the traditional obi around my waist and tied my jet-black hair into a tight knot. I was in sheer heaven! A photograph of me with one of the I. Magnin fashion models even appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. After that, I became keen on following fashion (now that I had modeled myself!).
I recall very fondly the first Chanel suit my father brought home from Paris for my mother in the early 1960s. I was in awe of and totally transfixed by the elaborate details, like the delicate silk label and trademark gold chain that was hand-sewn into the nubby wool jacket. At the time, my mother bore a striking resemblance to Jackie Kennedy, complete with bouffant hair that she had set every week at the local hair salon. She was beautiful.
By the time I was in high school, I was still enamored with