Fresh Strawberries As Decoration On Cake Top
Baking By Formynana Updated 7 May 2012 , 3:26pm by imagenthatnj
With strawberries in season now I have been wanting to make a cake with fresh strawberries on the top (edible) but also for beautiful decoration. I saw on a foodchannel show that when you put fresh strawberries on top of cake/cupcakes they should have some type of simple syrup or glaze. What is the easiest so that the red color of the berries shows thru? . Thanks ! 
According to the french judge on cupcake wars you have to glaze the strawberries to preserve them and not have them wilt. I have no personal experience, but I have read that melted apricot jelly is often used. I'm not too sure if a simple syrup will work or not. Again I have had no experience yet. I intend on trying the apricot jelly trick.
I do know I love the fruit tarts made at our local grocer and they glaze their fruit. It also make for a beautiful presentation too.
I make a French Apple Tart and other fruit tarts with gourmet apricot preserves, but it's really for looks and an added flavor.
I just delivered a cake yesterday with fresh strawberries around the sides and top just pressed into the IMBC. It worked perfectly. But the berries were fresh and had plenty of life.
I make a strawberry cake with preserves and chocolate covered strawberries. But on the cake made with fresh strawberries only, I like the naked strawberries. They stayed perfect for the 8 hours before serving.
Pastry chefs usually buy the neutral glaze for their fruits. My pastry books usually list them as ingredients. You can buy it here:
http://www.forthegourmet.com/Neutral-Mirror-Glaze-Sugar-p8154.html
There's a small, inexpensive one here, if you want to try. This one doesn't have to be heated, because your fruit can be damaged with warm glaze.
http://www.lepicerie.com/customer/product.php?productid=122030&cat=0&page=1
Your neutral glaze can be flavored with anything from fruit juice, fruit purée, coffee or another liquid. The ratio is 40 percent liquid to 60 percent glaze.
I do have a recipe for a glaze, but it involves mixing and boiling pectin, glucose, and citric acid...might be a little bit much work.
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