Fourth generation baker, Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro, better known as, The Cake Boss on TLC oversees Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Buddy manages a successful bakery, family and finds time to coach other aspiring bakers on reaching their dreams.
Nothing says “holiday cheer” like the smell of something delicious baking in the kitchen. Whether you’re making a cake for a holiday party or baking something delicious with your own family, Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro shared some of his biggest tips for becoming a successful Cake Boss at home. In this interview, Buddy shares his own delicious secret ingredient that will make your fabulous dessert one to remember. The Cake Boss also talked to us about his website, CakeBossCakes.Com and shared the inspiration behind his in store line and products.
Buddy Valastro: When it comes to icing it’s all about the consistency. If you have an icing that’s a little gritty or a little airy, it’s a lot harder to smooth. So my icing has got the smoothest, dreamiest texture out there. I mean it just makes life so much easier for anybody at home to make a cake. One of the biggest mistakes people make at home when they’re baking is they don’t let the cake cool off enough, so let the cake totally cool, stick it in the refrigerator for an hour. Another big tip is you need a turntable, if you don’t have one it’s going to make icing a cake a lot harder.
TheCelebrityCafe.Com: Lets talk about the inspiration behind your website Cakebosscakes.com and the in-stores Cake Boss line.
BV: A lot of people were coming to me telling me that I inspired them to want to bake and they want to do things like I do. I honestly believe if you have the right ingredients and the right tools, you can be your own cake boss at home. In the industry we have our own little tools that make life easier for us and we have little tricks that we learned over the years and I want to give that to people so they become more successful not only in the way the cake looks, but the way the cake tastes. In 1995, I reformulated my dads cake recipe and we added pudding into the mix, so every single cake mix that we sell comes with a little pudding pouch just like we do at Carlo’s Bakery; which makes the cake so much more moist and delicious.
TCC: Which tool from your line is a must-have that you would say you can't live without?
BV: Well it’s tough, you really need a spatula and you need a turntable. So those are very important tools to cake decorating.
TCC: Do you believe anyone could be a Cake Boss in his or her own kitchen this holiday season?
BV: I really do and at the end of the day, even if your cake doesn’t look great, it’s something you can do with the family it’s an activity that you can do together, it’s something that at the end of the day, it’s still going to taste delicious. Even if it doesn’t look perfect, you’re still going to eat it, it’s still going to be a lot of fun and you’ll create a memory that is really fun. I never forget rolling meatballs in the kitchen with my Nona. You and your family will never forget baking a cake like the Cake Boss in the kitchen.
TCC: What about the master at home bakers?
BV: The master at home baker. Wow! Well if they’re the master, do they really need tips? I always say up the ante. You know, try to use fondant, and try to make a tier cake, try to do something a little more out of the realm. If you want to up the ante, there are a lot of different things you can do. I think that piping and painting are two of the hardest techniques you can do, so test yourself on some painting and piping!
TCC: Facing other bakers who have cake specific lines in stores, what makes your product different?
BV: Well the secret ingredient [pudding] recipe in my cake mix, which is very important and at the end of the day, I really believe that I have done it for so many years, like when I formulated the icing, it had to be the right consistency, I mean I went back and forth for about six months to get it right. Not only in taste, but in texture because it’s all about the texture. So it’s kind of like, I just didn’t, you know slap my name on something and say, ‘hey, it’s Cake Boss.’ I really was involved in what it looked like, what it tasted like and how it worked. And that’s what I do with all of my products.
TCC: How did you decide on the flavors available in stores?
BV: Well we went with what we have in the Bakery and duplicated those.
TCC: Which one is your favorite?
BV: I like the white cake, I really do. I mean the Red Velvet is delicious I actually ate a piece about five minutes ago, but the white cake is my favorite; white with white is what I like.
TCC: The names of the cakes are very creative, I personally like Bada Bloom, what is the inspiration behind them?
BV: Bada Bloom is cool right? We wanted to do little Buddy-isms you know and really have my flair and stuff like that.
You can find out more information on the Cake Boss line at CakeBossCakes.Com and buy your own Cake Boss tools at Michael’s and Kohls.