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I'll be answering ten questions each month... and if your question is chosen, I'll post a personalized response!

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Categories

• General Baking
• General Icing
• Ingredients
• Rolled Fondant
• Buttercream Icing
• Royal Icing
• Fillings
• Decorating Techniques
• Icing Colors
• Tips Used in Decorating
• Storage
• Cupcakes and Mini Cakes
• Cookies
• Candy
• Gingerbread
• Tiered Cakes
• View all questions

Do you have a baking, decorating or celebrating question for Nancy? Now is your chance to have it answered.

Check here each month, Nancy will select ten questions submitted by viewers and post her answers here.

When a recipe calls for pure vanilla extract, can I use imitation vanilla? Will it change the taste of the recipe?

Ang - from Torrance, CA

My niece will be getting married this July. She wants “personal” cakes at each table at the reception – that will be 35-40 cakes plus the small wedding cake. Plus, I have to haul everything a distance. I plan to start baking the cakes soon and freezing them, but when should I start? What size cake 8 or 6-inch should I use? I plan to ice with buttercream icing, and use some fondant decorations. I’ve never done this many cakes before at one time!

Marcia - from Johnstown, PA

How do you attach marshmallow popcorn balls to a stick?

Erica - from New York, NY

Because butter is very expensive, can I substitute margarine for butter?

Tina - from Jakarta, Indonesia

What does it mean to torte a cake and how do you do it?

Andrea - from Colbert, WA

I was looking into making the caterpillar cupcakes, but wasn’t sure how to get the different color icings. Can I make the colors, or do I have to buy cupcakes in different colors?

Jessica - from Houston, TX

How can I achieve black fondant? When I color it, it turns grey.

Liz - from Soledad, CA

For a stacked wedding cake (6, 8 and 10-in.) what sizes do the separator plates need to be?

Angie - from Toronto, Ontario

How do you convert cup measurements to grams? For example, what is the gram equivalent of 1 cup of flour or 1 stick or butter?

Gloria - from London, United Kingdom

I understand that buttercream seems to be the most popular base for fondant covered cakes. However, can I use whipped chocolate ganache? What alternatives are there?

Anita - from Petaling Jaya, Malaysia