Crafting ornate cakes is a passion for executive pastry chef Jessica Grossman of Patrick Properties Hospitality Group in Charleston, S.C. She knows what trending direction to take when it comes to transitioning to the cooler months. In short, fall brings spice.
Chef Grossman’s kitchen sees an increase in requests for spice cake and carrot cake. Chocolate and red velvet are perennial favorites, but many embrace the idea of darker colored cakes in winter.
Icing pairing is crucial to success. A few of Grossman’s favorite requests include:
- Spice cake with spiced buttercream
- Carrot cake with ginger buttercream
- Chocolate with espresso buttercream
- Red velvet with salted caramel buttercream
And don’t forget to factor in the weather. The cooler months present a more favorable atmosphere for fondant cakes. However, weather can have a mind of its own, so Grossman generally recommends that fondant cakes be displayed indoors – just to be safe.
Citrus is also still in season, so use it, she recommends. Orange buttercream with spice cake is a personal favorite in her kitchen, and it pairs deliciously with pumpkin cake.
Also, think outside of the box with icing.
Salted caramel icing is better than ubiquitous cream cheese icing. Pairing it with red velvet cake perfectly balances sweet and salty.
Ginger buttercream is a great choice with carrot cake, spice cake, hummingbird cake, hazelnut cake, or lemon cake.
Colorful fall flavors
With the arrival of cooler weather, Paris Baguette, a premium bakery-café chain that features creative cakes and pastries, recently announced the launch of its new fall menu featuring new Latin-inspired cakes including mango coconut and tres leches.
This year’s new fall menu items, which include an array of fall flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg, are available at Paris Baguette locations nationwide for delivery and pick-up options.
New fall menu items include:
Mango Coconut Cake: Golden vanilla cake filled with three layers of fresh mango and coconut soft cream, covered in a layer of coconut flakes, an array of fresh fruit, and a chocolate Paris Baguette topper
Tres Leches Cake: sponge cake, topped with thick cream and fresh fruit
“Paris Baguette is thrilled to announce the expansion of our new fall menu, which offers more harvest-themed options than ever before, for our loyal fan base,” says Darren Tipton, chief executive officer of Paris Baguette.
