The cakes are beautiful. Certain they'll get to destination safely. I'm trying some next week.

Having just got back into this, can I ask is bc better than sieved apricot jam for coating a cake prior to icing with fondant? I always used to use the jam and have never tried bc. Does it give a smoother finish? Thanks.

Thanks very much, SkisInOkanawa! I am doing a fondant cake this week, so will give it a bash.. Will let you know how I get on.

Pauline

Hi, I use buttercream under fondant. With bc you can get a smooth surface for the fondant. But now I am using ganache under fondant, only for chocolate cakes at the moment.

I know there are decorators use marzipan on all their cakes. When they cover a cake with marzipan, they use apricot glaze and then cover it with fondant. But I don't like marzipan on my sponge cakes, even though I love eating it!

Hi There,

I was hoping for some advice on pricing? I am currently making a castle cake (inspired by Lyndseyb52), and although I won't be charging this time, I was wondering what I could expect to charge for a cake like this? It's a two tier (10 and 6") covered in fondant, and with pastillage turrets etc.

Thanks
Pauline

Hi Pauline, when I price cakes, I calculate how much I will be spending on the ingredients. And multiply it by three and add another £10-£20 on top of that, if you are making pastillage and turrets, as you will be taking few hours to make them.

Hello fellow UK bakers!

I've been lurking these last couple of days and happily stumbled upon this thread. I'm based in Middlesex and after being made redundant a month ago and with no sign of work coming my way I have taken it as a sign that I should do something about turning my love for baking (cupcakes especially) into a business venture. I usually make for friends and family but I am by no means a pro - I think there is definately much room for improvement and it's going to take practice to get me up to the level where I feel confident to take on big orders from people other than friends and family.

I actually have an "order" for a wedding on the 4th of July - the bride already has a cake that's being made and a friend of mine told her I make cupcakes and next thing I know she's ringing me asking if she can have a few to accompany her cake She asked how much they are and I told her I was willing to do them for her for no charge if she doesn't mind me providing my business cards on the guest's tables and she said sure. I hadn't asked how many guests had confirmed yet but when I did she said 150 So you could say it's a big one!

I've not been 100% happy with my buttercream - it always tatses great but always crusts which I hate. I want nice fluffy and smooth buttercream. Anyone care to share their recipes for one? I would love my icing to come out just like in the attached image.

Sorry for the long post, I'll stop now

Hi there laineybugz, welcome to the thread. I would suggest that IMSC (Italian Merangue buutercream) is will be perfect. I posted 2 videos before on how you make it.

Thanks bashini! Will give the IMBC a try.

Kim, the custard buttercream is here:

http://thecakedcrusader.blogspot.com/2008/10/sultana-cake-with-vanilla-custard.html

thought Id post the blog address as he has some nice looking things on his website!
The only thing is with this buttercream, is it ok to leave out of the fridge as it has eggs in (cooked)? I put this on my sisters birthday cake, she left it out (i did warn her) and everyones still alive.....but officially it should stay in the fridge, shouldn't it? What does everyone think?

Slush, I owe you lots of thanks, I made your choc cake once for the above sisters cake and once for a friends mum last week, they both LOVED IT! It is a fantastic recipe, uses less chocolate and less messing about than the recipe i used to use, and tastes loads better!! Its so moist! I thought it almost had a brownie-like consistency, really nice so thanks so much for posting that!

Hi Laineybugz, sorry i missed your post somehow! Good luck with the wedding cupcakes, do you know what design they will be yet? Sounds very exciting! Lucky bride getting them for nothing, hope she offers to pay for the ingredients!!
I am in a similar position to you too, just hoping to take the leap to start making cakes for a business rather than a hobby, scarey but exciting!

I am so looking forward to the region 2 exhibition today at Harrogate....i can't wait. Last time i went was about 3 years ago. Is anyone else going?

hey jojo76!
I'm so pleased it worked for you!
my dh surprised me with a new kenwood (was using hand mixer til now) and I embarrassingly flopped my unfloppable choc cake 3 times!!!!
anyway finally my sis informed me that the benefit of such a powerful machine is NOT to beat the eggs on high!!
cakes were good enough for my fam to eat but not to sell - were nice and fudgy!!
so anyone else trying it, i will not call it unfloppable anymore but it is a gr8 cake!
go easy on the eggs!!!

Good morning UK bakers!! I am soooo pleased I found you here!! ( I usually read the cookie forum, but I will have to start with the cupcakes now )-

Before I asked, I have read the 27 pages of this thread I will be on holidays in London for a week, does anybody know of a shop where I can buy baking supply ( not pans and silicone mats, but sprinkles, colored sugars, nonparelis, jimmis and other toppings also Wilton tips for my pastry bags).

I have been looking on internet, but all the shops that I find mean getting a BR for at least an hour, I mean there must be one of this shops in the west end ...

By the way I'm spanish & live in Tenerife......

Thank for your replies

B

Hi Choc Ice!

I'm not sure I can help too much as I'm not in London, but I was going to suggest Lakeland. They have quite a good selection of piping tips etc, and I've got sprinkles in there before (but I think that is a bit hit and miss depending on what time of year it is).

There is a shop at Bluewater and I think Brent Cross, but that might be too far out for you. You can find them online as well.

Hope you have a great holiday! Hopefully someone else will have a better suggestion for you.
Best wishes

Does any one know of a good box mix for a basic vannilla sponge? I have so much trouble with these i dont know why!! my mum makes the most beautiful light fluffy sponges ever from scratch, And yet when i try. . there like bricks LOL. yet my chocolate cake is to dieeee for !!

i dont take orders or anything, so at the minute i prefer to use a boxmix for friends and family because i find its good and consistant, but i would love to know of any good plain mixes out there if youve ever tried one? my mum suggested i use Greens, but i havent been able to find one

Thank you sares,

it never ocurred to me to go to Lakeland !!, But as you say I think its a bit far out..

Thank you so much ,

B

Here is my cake! Today was the party and he was so thrilled with it. Thank you all for the courage to do it. I wasn't too sure I could pull it off, a pie and a choir boy is an odd combination for a cake, but I am quite satisfied with how it turned out. Everyone thought the cake was just right for him and that was a true compliment. So thank you all and Tutugirl for your ideas and encouragement!

I did try and experiment on this cake as well. I wanted to marbelize the fondant, but I think I kneaded it too much, so I only had one good streak going down the front. I don't think you can see it from the photo. I also used the FMM lace cutters for the first time. I need more practice getting the seams to join properly. Any advice on that would be greatly appreciated.

It's such a great feeling to deliver a cake and see true enjoyment and appreciation for the gesture and the work involved.

Oops, here's the link! LOL.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1387338&done=1

Hugs!

Thank you lomfise... it seems that they have a lot of stuff

Oh they do And the staff are very helpful, almost too helpful, so remember to bring your platinum visa

SkisInOkinawa, the cakes' turned out beautifully!! Well done on a brilliant job. Its best when the cake holds so much sentimental value; his garden roses (which look so real by the way), the pie and choir boy. When you look at the cake, its like reading a little bit of your neighbours' biography!

skis in okinawa, well done, the cake is lovely!!! youre so talented, I love the flowers and the choir boy is great too, youre brilliant at modelling!

Slush, lol at your unflopapble cake! Mine turned out quite fudgey, in that they were very moist, should it be less moist? Im wondering if i didnt cook mine for long enough now, though the top was springy and a knife came out clean.....can you describe how the textrue should be (paranoid now lol)!! How long would you cook it if you were cooking in one eight inch tin? I think mine were in about an hour and a half.........
youre so lucky getting a new mixer! bet youve been baking loads since you got it!!

I have been making butterflies today for a cake im doing for a family friend next month, had a practice piping them with royal icing, I wanted to do some sort of lacy ones andthen put them on the cake with the wings up, if you know what i mean, I'm quite pleased with them so far.....its nice when you learn to do something new! I am pretty poor at piping on the whole though, i need lots more practice any advice from anyone on how to get better, is it just loaddddddssss of practice i need?

jojo76 - the cake is a moist cake but i call it flopped if it is more dense in the middle. I always cut my cakes in half to check!!
it can have tiny darker bit in it because of the real choc. it does also seem to take quite a while to bake but everyone loves it so I keep making it and yeah I did feel rather spoilt and terribly excited when this HUGE parcel arrived at the door - I could not imagine what it was and when I opened it..........I danced around the room!!!
been married 9years and he's never done anything like that!!

As for the butterflies I would probably use a cutter or mold and do them in flower paste cut out parts of the middle and let it dry propped open a bit.
I can never be bothered with making up royal icing anymore. (since I got craft gun - very good buy!)

SkisInOkinawa, the cake turned out really beautiful - well done! I've never done any proper modelling, but I am going to try teddies this week, for my nephew's cake.

Can I ask everyone which margerine they use for cakes? It's just that I normally use Flora for my plain madeira sponge, but I made a cake over the weekend and it turned out slightly heavier than normal. I wondered if it could be that I used Clover?

Jojo76, I have made Slush's chocolate cake a few times now, and I love it! I usually have to bake mine for about 1hr 20mins.

Pauline

Ok, mine was pretty much the same amount of moistness all the way through...... and baked them about the same amount of time as Paulineg....neither got any complaints so hopefully I did it right!!!!! I love decorating but I am not very confident with baking, though I'm learning!
I like the idea of a clay gun... I dont have one or any cutters or molds for butterflies, so I was hoping to come up with a method that I could do with what I have here...we are getting married in August and as a result, am totally strapped for cash!!!! I may post some pics if they dont turn out too monstrous lol.
Pauline, I usually use I cant believe its not butter, but the Lidl version for madeira cakes and it seems to turn out really tasty, but it is quite heavy so I rekon clover would probably have the same effect.

by the way, am hopeful for a kenwood mixer to arrive after my ninth year of marriage.....