A Thread For All Uk Bakers!!

Decorating By hailinguk Updated 25 Aug 2017 , 10:29am by Magic Mouthfuls

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Jo Field Posted 1 May 2014 , 6:11am
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AMorning everyone, it's very dark and miserable here today hope weather better where you all are! Can I ask a question and sorry if I have already asked but how many dowels do you think for my 9" square with 6" square on top ? Remembering it is sponge ! I have bought plastic dowels from cake craft but hear some people use wooden (even had a woman suggest wooden chopsticks from Chinese takeaway !!) however some people have advised against wood for Heath and safety reasons is this correct ?

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Jo Field Posted 1 May 2014 , 6:54am
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AGosh just scrolling back and missed loads! Sorry I'm so inexperienced I can comment on carving! Just tried to open the upside link but to no avail! Will try on laptop later sounds interesting.!

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petitecat Posted 1 May 2014 , 7:13am
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Jo, the rule of thumb is the number of dowels equals the size of the cake- so in your case 6 dowels. One or two in the middle, and 4-5 in the corners. I've not had a square cake for a tier before so I'm not totally sure how to spread the dowels out so if I'm wrong hopefully someone will correct me.

 

There are wooden dowels sold specifically for cake decorating and are food safe. chopsticks should be fine! I use straws from Ikea- they are pretty firm and big- over a quarter of an inch in circumference I think. For formal occasion cakes where the client will cut the cake or for weddings, I would use wooden or plastic dowels. 

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nannycook Posted 1 May 2014 , 7:17am
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AJean, that is a good template, I used the same guy 2 yrs ago for Mike wazowski, face, the shape was alittle odd, so go with that it , looks fab and so much easier.

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catsmum Posted 1 May 2014 , 7:17am
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ANanny I got the Cake Lace from The Cake Decorating Co in Nottingham but APOC are stocking it now too.

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nannycook Posted 1 May 2014 , 7:19am
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AThanks catsmum, is it expensive?

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catsmum Posted 1 May 2014 , 7:28am
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Alet's say not cheap but no more expensive than other makes of lace and apparently more reliable. I think the cost is justified by the time it saves in decorating, which as we know is where most of us miscalculate in our charges. You can make it in advance and store it as it stays flexible.

I'll let you know how I get on with it.

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Jo Field Posted 1 May 2014 , 8:10am
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AThanks petitecat, cake pop sticks aren't classed as dowels are they?

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DaysCakes Posted 1 May 2014 , 8:25am
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Morning all you busy, busy cake people! :-D

 

First - love the pansies - I now want a pansy cutter (thanks Nanny! :wink:)

Bashini - I love the colour and the flowers - is this another case of the invisible bulge (scroll back about a 100 pages to see Nanny's posts on bulges [I never saw them Nanny - not once!])

Jean - what a lovely colour!  I don't know what this upside down 'thing' is - as I've been out of caking for yonks and there is so much new stuff to learn.  I love the brush embroidery - what are piping tubes?   Haven't done brush embroidery for years and I think it is enjoying a revival

Jo - I just bought an aqua sugarflair colour on Ebay.  I use wooden dowels and snip them to size (never throw away anything!) and cover them in florist white tape before putting them in the cake.  However, I also use giant plastic straws which I also use as emergency flower picks too!

 

Now off to find out what you have all been up to as there was so much to read!

 

Kathy

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petitecat Posted 1 May 2014 , 8:41am
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Jo, cake pop sticks aren't classed as dowels. I've never even held one so I couldn't tell you whether or not they'd be any good, but I'm sure someone else will! A tip I was given about using wood is covering it in melted chocolate to make it food safe. 

 

Kathy, thanks! I can't recommend upside down enough! Lovely lady Jessica does a wonderful video tutorial:

 

http://jessicakesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/video-tutorial-upside-down-frosting.html

 

One thing  would recommend is to add another step. After placing a cake upside down onto the frosting and getting it level, I would put it in the fridge to set (again). I think because I missed out this step, and the cake kept moving about while I was covering it, the top was straight but not level. You'll know what I mean when you watch the video!

 

Piping bottles, as I call them, are little bottles where you can attach piping tips. It's great if you have to do something with royal icing but need different sized tips for the same batch of icing, because the tips are easily screwed on and off. Otherwise they really aren't that special!

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DaysCakes Posted 1 May 2014 , 8:52am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by petitecat 
 

 

Piping bottles, as I call them, are little bottles where you can attach piping tips. It's great if you have to do something with royal icing but need different sized tips for the same batch of icing, because the tips are easily screwed on and off. Otherwise they really aren't that special!

:) I am old school Jean - I usually have a mound of piping bags and I must own around 60 nozzles (I have at least a dozen size 1s!) and I just work my way through the lot!  I love the control of a home made piping bag (is that weird?).

 

I just researched the upside down method and there's a tutorial on CC - I can't open the YT video at the mo and just saw what it was and now I get it!  Interesting..........

 

I think the cake pop sticks won't work imo.  Their surface area is too tiny and I would not use them for a whole cake.  They are strong though but they could work out expensive and you could end up with the cake peppered in sticks possibly.

 

Kathy

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roxylee123 Posted 1 May 2014 , 8:53am
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Morning ladies.:smile:

 

Jo I use cake pop sticks for my tiered cakes as they are cheaper than the proper dowels and are food save. Make sure they are the plastic ones as some are paper like lolly pop sticks. I cut them with a hacksaw and rub over the cut with a nail file to smooth and just give them a rinse and dry before using them.

 

I bought the Jessica Harris clean and simple cake designs class from Craftsy a couple of weeks ago so I could learn the upside down method, she also shows how to cover a square cake and get sharp edges on it using an extra cake board on top of the cake as a guide. I am planning to try both methods in the next couple of weeks. If anyone is interested you can get the class as well as her other classes half price if you go through the link on her blog.

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bashini Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:12am
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AGood morning all! :-)

Kathy, it's certainly isn't one of those!!! This REALLY visible. Check it your selves..

[IMG ALT=""]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3228862/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

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sugarluva Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:20am
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AJo I have used cake pop sticks to stack smaller cakes before. Not sure I'd Trust them on a big cake but for smaller ones they are fine and I buy mine in bulk from eBay so they're cheap too.

Bashini it looks lovely. I can't open the pic on my phone properly so I can't see any bulges but from here it's gorgeous!

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petitecat Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:21am
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Bashini, that's a beautiful cake. Ever so slightly bumpy at the front (and I'm nitpicking) but you did say you had to use buttercream. I have a feeling ganache is better for getting extremely smooth sides! Those are beautiful flowers!

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roxylee123 Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:29am
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Bashini your cake is beautiful, I don't think bumps are really visible in fact I probably wouldn't have even noticed if you hadn't pointed it out.

 

Can I ask everyone how thick  you all roll your fondant to cover a cake. I use spacers that are 5mm but on the upside down class they say 3mm would this be to thin and tear when smoothing?

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petitecat Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:33am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by roxylee123 
 

Bashini your cake is beautiful, I don't think bumps are really visible in fact I probably wouldn't have even noticed if you hadn't pointed it out.

 

Can I ask everyone how thick  you all roll your fondant to cover a cake. I use spacers that are 5mm but on the upside down class they say 3mm would this be to thin and tear when smoothing?

Roxy, I would do what works for you and your brand of fondant. Some fondant can handle being thin, others have to be thick! So its trial and error really.

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roxylee123 Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:38am
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Thanks Bashini I was just wondering if I will be able to achieve the sharp edges when trying the upside down method if the fondant was thicker than what they used in the video.

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Jo Field Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:45am
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AThanks guys, I was at shops when I messaged about cake pop sticks. Think as you say sugarluva I won't try on my large cake! Will use the ones a got from cake craft although plastic seems so think I may have trouble cutting to size ! Think a trip to local ikea might be on the cards! Just bought my anti slip may in b and q, getting there! Bashini you cake looks lovely, we are our own worst critics though eh!

I have never even tried ganache yet, my cakes are mainly vanilla sponge do not sure people would like choc on top - or maybe that's just me lol! Really do want to try it though will pencil in a trial run with a choc cake :-)

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bashini Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:46am
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Thanks everyone!! But I would have been happier and worked comfortably if I had used ganache.. :sad:

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roxylee123 Posted 1 May 2014 , 9:49am
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I read somewhere not to use straws in cakes as they can split under the weight an bits can crack off inside the cake, has anyone who has used them had any problems with them? I saw the bubble tea straws in Ikea and they would be so much easier and quicker to cut.

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DaysCakes Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:08am
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Hi Roxy - not had a problem with the giant straws I must say.  Although I only use them for light support as in my garden cake:

 

 

The garden itself was made from cake around an inch and a half tall before decoration.  I placed it on thin card before dowelling with the straws - which took the weight.  However, interesting to learn that they might split - will make a note for the future since I had not contemplated that before.  Thanks!

 

 

Kathy

 

PS - shocking photo but this was just a family gift cake - I just noticed my straw fetish extends to the cake box too!  I forgot that I use straws to elevate the lid sometimes.  Does anybody know of a more professional way to do that please?

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petitecat Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:22am
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Quote:

Originally Posted by DaysCakes 

 

PS - shocking photo but this was just a family gift cake - I just noticed my straw fetish extends to the cake box too!  I forgot that I use straws to elevate the lid sometimes.  Does anybody know of a more professional way to do that please?

 

LOL!

 

Cake box extenders I think they're called. I've never tried them tho!

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DaysCakes Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:26am
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Thanks Jean!

 

I have invited a new cake person to join us - Tiddlylicious - she's from Wales too (gosh there are a few of you now - so please don't go starting a Welsh only thread .... because I will miss you all!).

 

She should be coming over any time soon!

 

Kathy

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sugarluva Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:46am
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A

Original message sent by DaysCakes

PS - shocking photo but this was just a family gift cake - I just noticed my straw fetish extends to the cake box too!  I forgot that I use straws to elevate the lid sometimes.  Does anybody know of a more professional way to do that please?

That's actually a really good idea to use straws. You can get box extenders but they're just folded pieces of cardboard that you put in the corners so I usually make my own. Straws would work better though because I always have trouble getting the cake out with all those bits of cardboard.

Why can't someone just make tall cake boxes? At a decent price? It's something we all need and it's not like they don't make big cardboard boxes haha. The only ones I've seen are just big enough for a two tier but they're over £10 a box!

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Tiddylicious Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:47am
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Shes here! :lol:.......just for the record i'm actually a South London girl living in Wales haha!

 

Hi everyone x

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DaysCakes Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:53am
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Sugarluva - just a quick word about straws - don't do what I did once - forgot that there is a bendy bit and the whole lid squashed my cake.  I must have been busy with kids or cats or whatever and forgot to cut that out :-(

 

Welcome Tiddlylicious!  I lived in South London for most of my young life - I am a product of a mixed marriage!  (Mum from South London and dad from the East End)!.

 

Kathy

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Tiddylicious Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:56am
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:lol: me too...and husband is a welsh man who grew up in london.

 

Can I repost my original post on this one? (now im in the right place!)

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DaysCakes Posted 1 May 2014 , 10:58am
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Definitely! :)  There will be more answers for you inside here.

 

Kathy

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bashini Posted 1 May 2014 , 11:01am
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AHi Tiddylicious, welcome to the thread!!:D Of course you can!!!:)

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