Morning all 

Thanks for all the virtual hugging, it must have worked as I'm much better  I was fretting because I've only just got over an infection (suppressed immune system) and really didn't want another, but it seems to have passed! Wootwoot!

I hope Leah is ok Maisie? I only saw lots of well wishing, I didn't see what was wrong with her so I hope it's nothing serious.

Sock Monkey, if you're covering the whole cake in chocolate pieces you don't need to smooth the sides, just thwack the ganache on. If you saw the malteaser/m&m cake I did a while back, that had a chocolate wrap on it, but the ganache underneath looked as though I'd thrown it on from the other side of the kitchen  You might want it a little more 'applied', but you really won't need it done with sharp edges and glass smooth sides. 

KFC beans - I used home made edible glue (the tylo one) which looked like the real thing, however, after sitting overnight it ate into the sugarpaste a bit and the 'tub' they were in had a couple of melty bits at the top. If you do a piping gel option I'd probably put a few drops of flavouring into it - I told the kids it would not be pleasant to eat, but they still did, so if I did it again I'd allow for that 

I'm another one for the PME tilting table, love it. They last too - I've had mine about 15/20 years. 

Maisie, does your sister (was it sister, it's miles back in the thread?!) like water lillies? I only ask as one of the few designs I liked on an E stand was where they'd made each tier look like a waterfall was flowing from the tier above, and the cakes were like ponds with little ripples and waterlillies on them. It was really pretty.

The waterfalls would be easy, just some strengthened sp placed on one cascading onto the next one. It hides the stand though and makes a real feature of the space inbetween the tiers. I'm going to try and find a piccie as I think that's clear as mud.

I know I've missed cakes, but I can't remember which ones. Nanny, did I say how much I liked your car one? The sp on the car is so smooth, it's really impressive!

That apron is gorgeous Jo! Have you seen the ones from Anthropologie? I'm in love with them but I can't justify buying a pretty apron when I'm such a disaster in the kitchen. I wonder if they do one that looks like cocoa splodges intermingled with red food colouring? 

This is kind of it maisie. I can't find the image of the exact one I was thinking of, but this is the general idea.

Good luck Suzanne 

AThose cakes are pretty lizzy. I've seen this one before which I thought was nice...

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5Pumsto3NazVpUe1SzDb0LqcE0YOdbe8AxnRehokszQYgbaGdhw

But anything that makes a feature out of the stand rather than hiding it would look like it was a design idea, maisie. Like this...

http://www.designercakes.co.uk/gallery/wedding%20cakes/stands/newlarge/waterfall.jpg

Hope those links work because it won't let me post the pics

AMorning All!

Oooh pretty apron Jo!! Gotta love a Christmassy apron! And tea towels! I love a good themed tea towel :grin:

Good luck with the to do list Suzanne! I'm currently sitting here paralysed with indecision! :/ Just cannot decide what to do for these fair cakes :( I want to do so many things I can't narrow them down, or put them together into some kind of logical design. So much easier when a customer tells you what they want LOL!

So far on my 'want to do' list are: a lustred tier, something with royal icing - either piped swags/pearls, pinstripes, or more of a lace pattern, or stencils (which I don't actually have any of at the moment). I also have 2 new cake lace mats which I want to play with - chantilly and victoriana. Also, something rosy, maybe with brush embroidery leaf trails and then 3D roses on top of that pattern....? Or painting?

And don't even get me started on colour schemes......

Gah. Right, I need a cuppa and to get going on something.........!

Glad you are feeling better Lizzy :)

A

Love these waterfall cakes, especially this one! Really pretty with the swags and ivy 'joining' each layer together....

Ok, must go get on with something..............

AMorning all. :-)

Jo I had one of those aprons on my wish list last Christmas but nobody took the hint! I've got one I love actually, Leah "made" it in school. Her teacher asked if I had an apron I could send in for a class assembly concert and did I mind if it didn't come back or came back ruined. It's my favourite apron now.

Kuuushi I love your shirt cake, it's really good. I'm thinking of making one for my stepsons 18th in November actually, covering a funny shape really worried me tho. I especially love the pokeballs btw! :-D

Glad you're feeling better Lizzy. Leah's ok in herself, she's got a cold and a bit if a temperature. Calpol is bringing it down no problem but I'm hoping it doesn't go down onto her chest so I'd rather have her home so I can keep an eye on her.

Thanks for the cake stand help. :-) I thought you explained well actually Lizzy, I had a very pretty cake in my head. I didn't much like the one in the photo if I'm honest. Is it me or do most cakes look too short on those stands? Thank you too sugarluva, the one in the second link is very similar to the cakes my SIL found on Pinterest. The stands weren't decorated but apart from that, very similar, I think she'd like that. I'm starting to think it's a blessing she wants a stand now. We have to be at the church for midday, the club is available to us from 10am. I'll be travelling an hour down the motorway to get there (with a car full of people), Leah's a bridesmaid so she's gona need getting ready and it looks like I'll be decorating the hall as well because my SIL "won't have time"! And have I mentioned it's on New Years Eve?

P.S they looked like rugby balls to me Kuushi, until you called them pokeballs! :-)

That's a lovely cake Mel - I would worry about the waterfall effect though if it were me - nowhere to hide iykwim.  I must have missed that you were doing a fair - when is it?  Could you not theme it around the season?  That would anchor you to something specific - like halloween or bonfire night or harvest festival - if it's soon, that is.

Sorry Maisie - forgot to ask.... how is Leah today?

Suzanne - note to self re your hubby and going to have his NHS appointment done in the private sector....take your credit card with you.  They asked my husband for a swipe before they would look at him.  We have no idea how much they charge for an egg and cress sandwich and a cup of tea!!!  We're not even sure if he has to pay for the dressing and pain relief which they gave him (presume yes).

Kathy

AHi Kathy, she's not too bad, just hoping it doesn't go down onto her chest, she takes ages to recover from a chest infection. How's your husband? That's terrible, the NHS referred him, the NHS should pay. Take your credit card for care that should be free at the point of delivery? Shocking!

Right then, now I'm limited to three tiers, what sizes would I need to serve 120? Please keep in mind I don't do square! :-) My SIL isn't bothered if there's enough for everyone, partly because she just wants it to look pretty and partly cos she doesn't think half the guests (men mostly) will eat it cos they'll be too busy propping the bar up. I'd like to know tho and I'd like to ake it big enough if I can. And if I don't have to buy too many new tins. My apron Leah customised in school. [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3288029/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

AHows Leah Maisie?

You better lizzy?

Thank thank you, just rubbed it with my hands, as could see how I was gonna use the smoother. Do glad it turned out ok, she loved it too.

AShe's brightened up a lot nanny, probably the calpol sugar hit! Thinking of letting her go to school tomorrow (she loves school, see how she is tonight.

Glad they liked the car cake, you did really well for your first go, I'd never have guessed you hadn't made RKT before if I didn't know. Bet you'll use them all the time now won't you. :-)

AJust had a look online. 6 inch fruit, 8 inch sponge and 10 inch sponge is 89 servings. Does that sound right? I have to make one tier fruit so I'm thinking it should be the 6 cos it'll be a short tier and shorter will look better on the smallest with flowers (topper, whatever) on too to give it more height. Then again that was when I was going to stack them. They'll all need something on top on a stand won't they? I could do the 8 inch fruit which (by my working out) would give me 100 servings but that's just going to look stupid isn't it?

AI could make the 10 inch fruit but that would look even worse. And I've never made a 10 inch cake before so I'd probably panic about how long I'd have to leave a fruitcake in for.

Maisie - if you are worried about quantities - why don't you offer a cutting cake?  I've done that before - just a plain iced fruit cake or madeira cake.  Then, they can cut it in the kitchen and nobody will ever know it wasn't one of "the" cakes.

Kathy

Edited because I forgot to say how cute that apron is!

AI thought about that Kathy but my SIL isn't very bothered. She's only stipulated one tier fruit cos my brother loves my fruitcake so much. I think 89 servings is get awayable with. She's inviting 120, typically 20% don't come and with it being New Year's Eve it might be even less. The thing that's really bothering me is the height difference between the fruit and the sponges. Is it going to look stupid? And will 10, 8, 6 look nice on a stand? I've got a 6 and an 8 tin, don't really want to have to buy more than I have to. I ordered a stand yesterday, maybe I'll have a better idea when it gets here.

All this talk of aprons is making me think I should put a nice one on my xmas list. I don't even have one! I just accept that whatever I'm wearing will be covered in a light dusting of flour, icing sugar and splatters of cake mixture.

Quick question - I froze some egg whites last month because I didn't know what to do with them at the time (I was making ice cream). Can I defrost them and use in SMBC or is that a really bad idea? This is only for a cake for us to eat at home - I'd use fresh or carton egg whites for cake for others.

AHaha, sock monkey I should weAr my pinny back to front I think, I always end up with big white handprints on my backside! Can't help with the egg whites sorry. X

A[quote name="maisie73" url="/t/622656/a-thread-for-all-uk-bakers/17880#post_7550923"]Hi Kathy, she's not too bad, just hoping it doesn't go down onto her chest, she takes ages to recover from a chest infection. How's your husband? That's terrible, the NHS referred him, the NHS should pay. Take your credit card for care that should be free at the point of delivery? Shocking!

Right then, now I'm limited to three tiers, what sizes would I need to serve 120? Please keep in mind I don't do square! :-) My SIL isn't bothered if there's enough for everyone, partly because she just wants it to look pretty and partly cos she doesn't think half the guests (men mostly) will eat it cos they'll be too busy propping the bar up. I'd like to know tho and I'd like to ake it big enough if I can. And if I don't have to buy too many new tins. My apron Leah customised in school. [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3288029/width/200/height/400[/IMG][/quote]

Aww maisie that is lovely. And I love it everyone I see a picture of your kitchen because for a split second I think it's mine! We have the same tile, same coloured cupboards and even the same door handles I've just noticed!

ALmao sugarluva, I'm the same when I see yours. :-D sometimes I wish I'd chosen something a bit less high maintenance tho, those tiles are a pain to keep clean aren't they?

I'm glad Leah doesn't have anything serious maisie! Calpol is awesome - I'd like to give the inventor of that a big sloppy kiss 

With non-stacked cakes it used to be that you'd have shorter ones at the base, getting taller as they went up. Apparently it keeps the balance right to your eyes. 10/8/6 will be lovely.

My fruits come up at about 2 1/2 - 3", but I wanted a good 4" for the 12" one I did recently, so I just did 1 1/2x the batter. I made sure it was really well wrapped - more than usual, and lengthened and slightly lowered the cooking time. It came out brilliantly and you wouldn't have known whether it was sponge or fruit as it was the same height as the others.

Alternatively, you could make your normal mix, then sit the cake on several drums the same diameter. That will give you the illusion of height once it's iced, and you don't have to faff around with your mix 

Sock monkey, I use frozen whites regularly for smbc and normal meringue, they're fine 

Thanks nanny, much better now!

That apron is so sweet maisie!

Me neither Sockmonkey - I think it's time I got one though....I'm usually in a right mess when I do cakes - the places icing sugar gets into!  Well you learn something every day - I never knew you could freeze egg whites!

Yes Maisie - it's a right cheek asking him for his credit card.  I mean - what if he hadn't got one?  When he was offered this place by the GP we thought it was great - right at the top of our street and he could walk there.  In the end he spent over 6 hours there because they left him in a private room until there was nobody left - he thinks that if he hadn't gone outside to find somebody they would all have gone home.  It was a minor op all done in 20 minutes.  He waited 4 hours before it was done and then another 2 hours before they let him go after making him eat a sandwich and drink a cup of tea!  He only had a local anaesthetic.  Grrrr........

Kathy

A

Ha ha ha me too!!!!! or I get a big splodge of chocolate down the front of my top and THEN see the apron hanging up lol

mine's a herdy one :) google images herdy apron :)

AMy fruits are probably about the same Lizzy. Interesting you said the shorter ones should be at the bottom, I thought it would be the other way around. I thought with say a 12 inch diameter 4 inches won't look as tall as a 4 inch tall 6 inch. I like the idea if two the same size drums. Bit worried about shrinkage tho. Saying that my fruits don't shrink anywhere near as much as my sponges. If I did have too much shrinkage do you think a six inch short fruit on two staggered boards would look nice? A 6 and a 7 maybe or a 7 and an 8? Depending in the size of the stand I'm thinking 10 inch cake on a 12 inch board, 8 inch on a 10 inch and 6 inch on an 8 inch. If I do that I'd keep the 8 inch for the 6 inch so I'd add a 7 inch to the fruitcake. I don't think I've explained that very well! Do you get it and do you think it would look nice?

A

Quote:

Originally Posted by maisie73 

Lmao sugarluva, I'm the same when I see yours. sometimes I wish I'd chosen something a bit less high maintenance tho, those tiles are a pain to keep clean aren't they?

I thought you were all talking about husbands there and so I was about to chime in but now I realise you meant tiles....... Will keep schtum :D

AHaha! Gray I get splodges of chocolate down my top WITH my apron on! :-D

ANo Gray, definitely tiles. I don't have to polish and buff my husband (to get smears off) til my arm aches! :-D

A

Quote:

Originally Posted by maisie73 

No Gray, definitely tiles. I don't have to polish and buff my husband (to get smears off) til my arm aches!

lol Maisie!! oh the mental images!!

AI don't know what you mean Gray! Have you never seen anyone clean their tiles before?!! :-D

ALol, Gray comes on and suddenly the tone's gone south :-D

I don't think shrinkage would matter maisie, you can just fill in gaps with marzipan :-) The staggered boards sound good too, the only rule of thumb I know of is to keep the board above equal to or less than the size of the cake below it :-)

ASorry Kathy, didn't see your post - Gray's fault! Not a great experience then? I wonder if it was because hubby was an NHS patient? We've got a private hospital close to us that NHS patients are referred to occasionally and everyone I know who's been there hasn't had much good to say about it. Except one but she's a snob and just likes to tell everyone she went private!

AI'm so pleased mine are a rustic matt finish now! I can leave them a day or two and when the MIL calls totally affront her by taste-testing the 'dust' layer (actually just icing sugar of course lol)

hmm it's nearly teabreak time in work.... my office mates are gonna ask me what I've been chuckling about... anyone any suggestions for what to tell them so I don't have to admit to chatting about kitchen tile choices?? lol