A Thread For All Uk Bakers!!

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

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Relznik Posted 4 Aug 2013 , 9:07am
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I always use Tesco value butter...  I've tried other brands, but I wasn't as keen on the taste! :)
 

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Jenna1588 Posted 4 Aug 2013 , 2:43pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chezzabelle 

Awww thanks your stuff looks great too icon_smile.gif what cake are you doing? I done a 50th cake for my mother in law earlier this yr i done a two tiered one icon_smile.gif

 

A Madeira cake, covered in Jade Green fondant with some decs on but I'm not 100% sure yet how to arrange it. Stressful! LOL Just doing a single tier :)

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chezzabelle Posted 4 Aug 2013 , 2:53pm
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AI done mine teal and brown it looked great as i am sure yours will do too :-D

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bashini Posted 5 Aug 2013 , 9:46pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chezzabelle 

Can i be thick and ask whats a dam?
I only use jam in middle of my cakes cos if i use buttercream and jam i find the top part slides off :-S

 

Hi chezzabelle,

 

So sorry for the late reply, a dam is a just a butter cream piping around the edge of each layer. Just use the piping bag and the couplers and pipe and then fill with the filling. I torte the cake twice and do a butter cream layer and then the jam. So, its like " cake - butter cream - cake - jam - cake". 

 

And I love Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting! icon_biggrin.gif But I don't sell it with that frosting as it needs to go in the fridge. So instead I offer Italian Meringue Butter cream or white choc IMBC. icon_biggrin.gif

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chezzabelle Posted 6 Aug 2013 , 5:30pm
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AThats ok thanks for replying, so on your jam layers do you use buttercream for the dam or do you use jam? Always wondered how other people got a thick layer of filling in their cakes and why i couldnt and it slid lol

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bashini Posted 6 Aug 2013 , 6:44pm
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Use butter cream dam for any flavour except for chocolate. But make sure you don't put the filling right to the top as it may overflow. icon_biggrin.gif

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chezzabelle Posted 6 Aug 2013 , 7:03pm
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AMmmmm gonna give it a go next time (shame i didnt read this earlier as i just made a cake for my mum and dad to cheer them up lol) :-)

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bashini Posted 7 Aug 2013 , 8:43am
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I always take the chance to try out new things when I do cakes for my family!!!! icon_biggrin.gif

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chezzabelle Posted 7 Aug 2013 , 1:50pm
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AThats what i did earlier had a go at rolled roses (dont think they look too bad lol) still gotta put some piping or something round the bottom cos my 2 children were nicking the fondant so packed it away incase they tried to poke their fingers in the cake lol [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3073024/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

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bashini Posted 8 Aug 2013 , 8:27pm
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That looks really good. The roses are sooo beautiful! icon_biggrin.gif Well Done! 

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chezzabelle Posted 9 Aug 2013 , 10:54am
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A

Original message sent by bashini

That looks really good. The roses are sooo beautiful! icon_biggrin.gif  Well Done! 

Thank you my mum and dad loved it :-D even got my 6yr old son making roses with me too lol

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cbouzala Posted 9 Aug 2013 , 11:22am
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it looks really nice!

well done!!!

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chezzabelle Posted 9 Aug 2013 , 4:53pm
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AThank you :-)

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madmuppet Posted 22 Aug 2013 , 10:59pm
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Evening all :) well after a week Ive finally managed to read all 211 pages icon_eek.gif

 

I've been baking as a hobby and general distressing solution for years and finally after having 1 to many people tell me I should sell my creations have decided to take the plunge and start up my own business icon_biggrin.gif

 

Now it's all early days at the moment just perfecting recipes etc and doing research into the local area, photos for my portfolio as well as trying to find out as much as I can about setting up the business from home :) And Ive just enrolled on a patisserie course at the local college :)

 

I have a few questions and no doubt will have many more lol but for now any help would be greatly received....

 

1) Does anyone know if you have to have 2 doors between the kitchen and the bathroom?

2) Do you need 2 sinks in the kitchen or as the bathroom is next door can I get away with that as my hand sink?

3) Is it alright to have cats bowl and food in the kitchen except when I'm cooking/decorating etc? At the moment I remove these and give the kitchen a good clean down before baking but am thinking may have to have a rearrange with these if need be and less hassle lol

4) If you rent do you need to tell the landlord?

 

Sorry I know these may have been answered earlier on but after 211 pages and being a bit silly and not making notes of all the bits I've had to ask lol

 

x

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Relznik Posted 25 Aug 2013 , 7:52am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by madmuppet 


1) Does anyone know if you have to have 2 doors between the kitchen and the bathroom?

Not sure if the rules about this have changed...  they may have and you may be OK.  Give your EHO a call and ask.  They're not as scary as you think!!

 

2) Do you need 2 sinks in the kitchen or as the bathroom is next door can I get away with that as my hand sink?

I think you might be OK.  But, again (sorry, not much help, LOL) your EHO will tell you. 

 

3) Is it alright to have cats bowl and food in the kitchen except when I'm cooking/decorating etc? At the moment I remove these and give the kitchen a good clean down before baking but am thinking may have to have a rearrange with these if need be and less hassle lol

I don't know the answer to this one, sorry!

 

4) If you rent do you need to tell the landlord?

YES!  And you need to tell your household insurance.  And if you're ever likely to deliver a cake, your car insurance.  And you MUST register with your local authority (so, for you, Ess-ex County Council, I imagine...  where in Ess-ex are you? (had to hyphenate due to flippin' censoring!)  And even if you're not making much on your cakes at all, you must register with HMRC.

 

Suzanne x

 

 

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madmuppet Posted 25 Aug 2013 , 10:31am
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Hi Suzanne

 

Thanks for the reply icon_smile.gif Im going to get in touch with my council (I live just outside of Col chester so come under tendring) as soon as the kids get back to school Ive finally found their info after much searching though their website and I will need the extra door lucky that I have the space for it just another thing to add to my growing list of needs icon_biggrin.gif

Getting hold of my landlord is going to be a right pain! fingers crossed she isn't going to be my blocking point in all this. As for my car insurance until I get up and running properly people can collect from me.

 

Ive sort of got it in my head that by Christmas everything will be in place and I can crack on and be at the Christmas fair evening with a stall icon_biggrin.gif

 

Theres just so many little things that people don't realise you have to get done my list so far of important things are ...

 

1) food safety certificate

2) contact council

3) contact landlord (what fun)

4) contact HMRC

5) install another door, wonder if I can get away with a folding one?

 

And just keep believing in my dreams icon_biggrin.gif

 

Here's a cake Ive just finished for my cousin's little boy.

 

 

 

 

 

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supergran89 Posted 26 Aug 2013 , 2:18pm
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Hello. I'm new and self (internet and books) taught. I have recently made a wedding cake for a friend's daughter which had loads of gumpaste flowers. The method I used for sticking them to the wires was to heat the end of the wire in a candle flame until it began smoking, then insert it into the gum paste. This melts the gum paste and it sticks hard. (There is a danger of discolouratiion, as it can singe and "caramelise".

 

I love the UK thread.

 Just working my way through reading everything that's on there, as only found it yesterday!

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nannycook Posted 26 Aug 2013 , 5:14pm
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AHi supergran, welcome, thats a good way of inserting wires, thays what i've spent the last 2 days making, roses for an anniversary cake on sat, i've never made a spray before, hoping it goes ok!! I've made pink roses,blossoms and lily of the valley and leaves. Not sure how to assemble it yet, open to suggestions

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chocaholikk Posted 6 Sep 2013 , 1:37am
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AHi to all the UK bakers on CC. Im from Manchester. Ive only just come across this thread. Im just a hobby baker...self taught from YouTube vids and Craftsy. I usually bake for my family and have thought about making it into a business but I keep dismissing the thought. I love to decorate cakes and I like to think im fairly ok with it too now. I havent read all 106 pages of this thred YET but intend to do so soon.

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cbouzala Posted 6 Sep 2013 , 5:25am
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Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has experience with melting sugar to create caramel?

I did this as a test and used it to decorate a cake, but although I formed the sugar and it got crystalised, it started melting into my cake! and it was a disaster :(

Does anyone have an experience with using it?

thankssss

christina 

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supergran89 Posted 7 Sep 2013 , 6:07am
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Hi. Were you using it as a topping? As far as I know, caramel should be heated without stirring, so that it doesn't crystallise.

(The sugar crystals which form on the side of the pan shouldnt be stirred in. As it sets hard when cool (rock hard) I cant see how you would use it as a topping, without mixing it into something with fat in it - (just making this up now!). DId you use a recipe?

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cbouzala Posted 8 Sep 2013 , 7:06am
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Thanks for replying!

Yes I used it as a topper and I did follow the recipe, although I did not know the exact temperatures as I do not have a candy thermometer.

Do you think this is why iy was not right?

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Jenna1588 Posted 16 Sep 2013 , 4:04pm
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Hello.

 

I've just been online to buy some cupcake boxes, I came across The Craft Company website. If you 'like' their Facebook page, you can get free delivery, or click on the following link - FREE Delivery on your next order http://woobox.com/uudrzy

 

Great prices on cupcake boxes, not much cheaper than eBay but every penny helps :)

 

Hope some of you can make use of it. x

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cbouzala Posted 17 Sep 2013 , 7:11am
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Hi

Does anyone use a food de-humidifier to dry quicker sugarpaste ie models? and if yes what is your experience with it?

 

I am thinking of purchasing one, as I have made 2 models for an engagement and although almost a wk past by they where not dry enough and caused a lot of issues (probably also because when they were not 100% dry I put them in a display box, which must have increased the humidity)

 

I definitely don’t want to disappoint another one of my customers...and with late orders... I have read that a food de-humidifier may be a good option

 

any thoughts or ideas will be very welcomed

:)

 

christina

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Crazy-Gray Posted 17 Sep 2013 , 7:44am
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A

Quote:
Originally Posted by cbouzala 

Hi

Does anyone use a food de-humidifier to dry quicker sugarpaste ie models? and if yes what is your experience with it?

 

I am thinking of purchasing one, as I have made 2 models for an engagement and although almost a wk past by they where not dry enough and caused a lot of issues (probably also because when they were not 100% dry I put them in a display box, which must have increased the humidity)

 

I definitely don’t want to disappoint another one of my customers...and with late orders... I have read that a food de-humidifier may be a good option

 

any thoughts or ideas will be very welcomed

:)

 

christina

 

Did you use straight sugar paste, or sugar paste with gum trag, or sugar flower paste (SFP)? Straight sugar paste would take months to dry out totally, its really soft, you can add gum trag and depending on thikness of course it would dry in a week or three, SFP can be ready to assemble after a night in a dry room!

You can speed the drying of all three in an low oven (50-100C) for a few hours or even over night, but too hot and they will melt and warp.

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Jenna1588 Posted 17 Sep 2013 , 12:10pm
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I had this problem not so long ago! I used CMC with sugarpaste and it just didn't dry at all, I thought about buying a food dehydrator but decided it would be cheaper to whack what I'd done in the bin and start a fresh using something different. CMC is a complete waste of time to me. (Each to their own though) 

 

I guess it depends if you used anything with you SP as previous poster said. 

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bashini Posted 17 Sep 2013 , 12:28pm
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I use flower paste all the time, when I make flowers. For me, squires kitchen flower paste works well as I have warm hands. So you need to find the paste that works for you. And CMC/gum trag doesn't work for me either!!! If I have to get the flowers dry quickly, I put them in the airing cupboard. But most of the time, I make the accents well in advance, at least 1 week ahead. :)

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cbouzala Posted 20 Sep 2013 , 6:38am
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Thank you all for you comments, they are very helpful!

I used plain sugarpaste and I was hopying that since I had a wks time it would be sufficient

I will be trialing flower paste now, I just placed an order

Can I just buy white one and colour it, as I did with the sugarpaste or do I need to purchase all these different colours? It would be expensive this way I think

 

thanks for your help again!!!

Much appreciated

christina

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cbouzala Posted 20 Sep 2013 , 7:13am
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Also, what is the difference between modeling paste and flower paste?

Have you tried modelling paste?

Oh its getting so confusing.....

christina

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Jenna1588 Posted 20 Sep 2013 , 9:45am
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AHi Christina. You can buy white flower paste and colour it. I do it all the time. Make sure you use gel colourings. Don't know the difference between the 2.

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