Problems as a Pastry Chef

As you all know, we have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the amount of refined sugar we eat in our house. We rely on the natural sugars of fruits and raw honey to sweeten anything that needs to be sweetened. Grapes have frequently been too sweet for me to eat lately. I can only eat about 3 MAXIMUM so, imagine how it must be test tasting the pastries that I am hired to do.

This last week I had a wedding I was hired to do in Estes Park. Imagine my concern when I realized that I haven't eaten refined sugar in 3 months and that I will be up to my elbows in it while baking these cakes. Good news here is that I was able to get rid of a LOT of refined sugar and white flour that was in our house. Bad news is, I have to taste test to make sure I have enough flavoring in the cakes and icings. The reason this is bad news is because, SUGAR IS TOO SWEET!

The flavor of cakes I was hired to make were: yellow cake with chocolate buttercream icing, pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, and chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream icing. I took a small piece (about the size of a half stick of gum) of cake top, that I had cut off to level out the cakes, and tasted it with the cream cheese buttercream. I couldn't even swallow, I had to spit it out. Of course my girls had to try after they saw my reaction. They didn't mind it, but I don't really think they notice the difference like I do. After that, all I could taste was sugar. Not even the chocolate buttercream tasted like chocolate, even though I used bittersweet chocolate. I didn't trust the taste buds of my children and since we are ALL eating the same things, I didn't really trust the pallets of my mom and husband either. 

My prayers were truly answered and my burdens lightened this weekend when my brother, Regan, come and spent a few hours with us on Saturday. He immediately became my designated taste tester.  I don't think he minded at all! Especially when I had him taste the chocolate buttercream.  ;)

I am continually amazed at how much sugar I used to eat. Even when I wasn't really thinking I was eating a lot of sugar. And I am completely floored at how sweet sugar actually is. So much so that it sends shivers up my spine to even taste test it. The last time I made a cake before this last week, I was able to taste test just fine. I was able to keep those scraps in my home and have my family eat them. They would be our "snacks" in the middle of the day or desserts after dinner. I couldn't bring myself to keep them around this time.

The cake turned out beautiful. I am ALWAYS grateful to be hired to do cakes. I LOVE baking and decorating cakes. It really is my passion. The cake turned out beautiful.

I hope the bride and groom enjoyed their cake and I hope the guests enjoyed theirs. Even though it was too sweet for me.  ;)