A Thread For All Uk Bakers!!
Decorating By hailinguk Updated 25 Aug 2017 , 10:29am by Magic Mouthfuls
A[quote name="m4rvelgeek" url="/t/622656/a-thread-for-all-uk-bakers/24660#post_7575138"] Well then this is the one you want: [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3328690/width/200/height/400[/IMG]
Although, I'm sure I've seen cheap sets in Wilko if you want to have a play with a variety before you buy better quality versions of your favourites?
I indulged in Cassie Brown's 5in1 tool at the weekend. It's so pretty.... [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3328691/width/200/height/400[/IMG][/quote]
Thanks for that, will keep a eye out in wilko's (our local one is quite pants now though
AYay! My Internets been playing up, I've been like a junkie without her fix!
Just wanted to say I'm still catching up but I've just seen your cake and it's brilliant nanny, I can't see what's wrong with it. It's at the bottom if the page so before I go to the next one (and you probably say what you imagine is wrong) I thought I'd let you know that I can't see anything.
Off to finish catching up now. :-)
AI've missed loads so I'm going to catch up bit by bit I think.
Lovely cake Victoria, cake lace is my new favourite thing. I've only ever used Claire bowman and I've had a couple of dodgy pieces but for the most part I follow the instructions and it turns out well. On FB last week somebody was having trouble with it and somebody else told her to mix a golf ball size of gum paste with two tablespoons of crisco and sort of press/roll it into the mat then peel it out. She said that's all she ever does, much cheaper than any of the mixes. The lady who was having trouble tried it and came back to say it had worked. Might be worth a try out of curiosity I think. Also, who said about adding a drop of the part b liquid? It says on the instructions online that you will have some liquid leftover when all the powders gone so you can use extra for more supple lace and not run out.
Good haul m4rvel, I'm dying to see your rose mat, it's on my wish list already! :-)
Gorgeous cupcakes mel, I love other peoples but I hate making them myself, so much work for little tiny cakes!
Sophie's cake is adorable Kathy, I saw it on FB the other day. My mam said "what are all these cakes on my newsfeed?" I told her she'd joined a few groups and "liked all my friends cakes. :-D
Right I've got to go back and look again. I'll make a cuppa first.
AOh my goodness what wonderful cakes!! Spireite that spire worked out great well done!!
And Sian.... wow.... just wow..... :)
I feel strange having no cakes at the moment, my prices are a bit high for the area I guess and I'm enjoying the quiet..... although I realised something last night and I feel so so bad... theres a lovely lady who's gotten a cake from me for her wee fella every year since I started right from his first birthday and with going away I have to cancel her order :( I guess I can't cancel Mrs Gray's dream of travelling now she has the chance because of just one cake...... but I feel sooooo bad :(
I'm gonna start a wee thread I think and ask if there's anyone over here who can take the order for me and I'll pay for it myself so she get's it for nothing.... I just hate hate hate letting people down :(
ALmao nanny! I see your stripes now but I honestly didn't notice at first and even now I think you're being too hard on yourself. Tge little details are excellent, that's what I was looking at. You didn't need to redo it, really not worth a divorce is it! And anyway, real awnings/material etc doesn't always have the pattern matching at edges, seams and corners.
Beautiful cake Mel, I love the colour too. Who was asking about a baby shower cake? Chezza was it? How about something like Mel's for a girl or with stars instead of butterfly's for a boy? I'm sure mel won't mind you stealing, erm I mean taking inspiration from her gorgeous cake. :-D
Lovely cakes spirelite, I've no idea what disc world is but they're lovely. Well done with the spire :-) And btw, I've been told off enough for it so it's my turn now. You're not "only" a hobby baker! And we're not all professionals. We hobby bakers are so lucky that the professionals on here are so lovely (and patient) with us. :-) My advice would be to master one thing at a time. If your flowers keep breaking up stop making them, go back to watching videos or picking our brains on here for a while. I say "our" loosely cos my rose looked like a strangled cabbage but you know what I mean! Or try a different flower. I can't make a rose and it's disheartening to keep trying and failing. So I just made a different flower. It's not brilliant but it's recognisable and I'm not embarrassed to put it on a cake. Sorry if I sound preachy, I wanted to help, I've had so much help on here, I'm so much better than when I first started and it's all thanks to this lovely lot. :-)
I'll post this and go in to the next page.
AI'm so glad you said that Maisie... I can't do roses at all I don't know how people get them open and pretty I wonder if they dry the petals first and then assemble but I find once I get past about 3 rows of petals I get into cabbage territory too!! ...except the wafer paper ones.... they're super easy! :D
ASiany, that's stunning! Really beautiful!
Gray would your customer mind a fruitcake? That way you could make it before you go and it'll keep til she needs it. How long before she needs it will you be going?
AMaisie that is such a good idea!!! I'll offer that as a suggestion.... it's 3 weeks so none of my other recipes will keep.... it's such a releif to think I can offer her something other than someone elses phone number! sending you a big thankyou hug! :)
AAnd I meant to say, I was in asda the other day and they have a little pack of tools for £1.50. Don't know if the one m4rvels showing us is in there but might be worth a look. They also had a silucone giant cupcake tin for £4. There are lots of cakey bits in asda and tesco now, they're getting better I think. And in pound land last week they had loads of Jane Asher bits, moulds, spatulas, mini cupcake stands, books, cutters, loads. Well worth a look if you haven't got much or for spares. Oh, I've also just ordered some silicone number tins from Studio. They were only £2.99 each on offer so I ordered all of them! I've never got on with silicone but I'm going to try again. If I hate them they can go into the lending library! I'm looking for a plastic fish bowl to maybe use on Leah's cake in May. I've seen the glass ones in tesco (thanks roxy) but I'd rather plastic if I can find one cos a) I'm a butterfingers and b) it's for a child's cake. If anyone sees any on their travels I'd be ever do grateful if they'd let me know. I know they're on eBay but they're about a fiver each and I don't want to pay that for something I only might use.
A
Original message sent by Crazy-Gray
I'm so glad you said that Maisie... I can't do roses at all I don't know how people get them open and pretty I wonder if they dry the petals first and then assemble but I find once I get past about 3 rows of petals I get into cabbage territory too!! ...except the wafer paper ones.... they're super easy! :D
Grey yes you so the outer petals on wires and let them dry and then construct.
Thank you all so much for your lovely comments.
AWon't let me edit so I'll add here, depending on how open you want the Rose you let the set totally, for a tighter open rose, if that makes sense, make the petals, wire them, let the set for a short while and the add them, it allows you to still manipulate them a bit into where you want them. Mcgreevy cakes has a great rose tutorial.
See how we have missed your wisdom Maisie! That fruitcake idea is a great one. Roses are something that I like doing actually - I even do them with blu tack while I'm sitting reading big files! However, the one thing I have not tried is the full life sized ones. I can only do teeny tiny ones about 3cm wide at their biggest. I have bought poly cones for the centre and I am going to try to do one for my dummy cake that I am working on. I actually don't think I have any cutters though that are big enough. More shopping it seems.....(like that's a bad thing!)
Kathy
AThanks Sian that makes perfect sense thank you! I'll have a look at that tutorial too :)
I'm sorry - this has nothing to do with cake at all but I thought it was of "public interest" lol. To all my Welsh friends.......what on earth has been going on in the Clwydian Hills at Llandegla? (Sorry you are going to have to use Google to find out!). Now some of you have been absent for a while.....but....hmmmm!!
Victoria, sorry! I got the wrong end of the stick. Yes I thought you mean for classes :)
Sounds like me 3 years ago!! Two cakes in one day, panic, stress, exhaustion (I was up till 2am finishing both cakes) arms and hands falling off my sugar figures etc etc. We all go through this phase I think!!
Siany, love your cake. But my goodness I think I'd pee my pants at the thought of transporting that!
Gray, Nicholas Lodge has fab flower tutorials on Craftsy. He makes amazing flowers. Join their mailing list and wait for an email about a sale, quite often 50% off, then purchase his lesson. That's what I did with his anemone and peony lesson. I haven't purchases his rose lesson, but from the photos on Craftsy they look so beautiful.
AThanks for that Kathy! That's a good advertisement for the welsh isn't it!
I was thinking Gray, 3 weeks is too long for a mud cake even but if she doesn't want fruit (people either love it or hate it in my experience) how about a plainish decorated, pastel coloured sponge. You can freeze them, it will be sticky when it defrosts but it's ok when it's dry. I wouldn't use strong colours in case they run but it might be worth considering. Or a decorated dummy/ small fruit cake and an un decorated sponge that can go in the freezer so the non fruitcake people can still have some cake? The more options you can give her, the better you'll feel about it.
AThanks maisie, those are great ideas I'll offer her a fruitcake and a little freezer sponge to go with it I think :) but I'll give her the option to go with someone else too I think that's only fair since I'm letting her down..... I must admit I was was slightly worked up about asking for advice incase my nice frinds told me I was a nasty selfish monster!!!
Oh love Mr Lodge's flowers!! I'll sign up like you say that's a great idea! I do have a couple of his books but they are a bit advanced.... kinda like learning to do the high dive before you know which way round the swimming trunks go on!!
lunch time!!! :)
AYou are funny Gray. :-D I don't think you're a nasty selfish monster at all. You wouldn't feel so bad if you were for starters. Don't forget your holiday is a direct result of mrs Gray losing her job, far more devastating than having a cancelled cake. You're doing the best you can for your customer, even to the extent you're prepared to be out of pocket. And you said she's a lovely lady so I'm sure she'll understand. As far as I can see it was an oversight and you're doing everything you can to rectify it. That's good customer service as far as I'm concerned. Don't beat yourself up about it. :-)
AIncredible cake sian, absolutely gorgeous!
Gray, Alan Dunn books are awesome for roses (and tons of others). I usually use his stuff as the basis for mine, although recently - specifically with rose cascade cakes - I haven't wired the outer petals as you can't put the wire in the cake. They take a looong time though, usually 2-2 1/2 hours for a full one from paste to dusted rose. I always thought I was hugely slow until I saw Peggy porschen say her ones take about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, and they're not going for proper realism. Whew.
Also, I think you're lovely for trying to sort your customer out :-)
Feeling very old today after hearing that brooklyn Beckham is 16!When the hell dogs that happen! Surely he's 3 isn't he??
AAlan Dunn he's amazing!! I follow him on FB, and Carlos Lischetti too... I wanna be like those guys when I grow up.....
AOoh, Carlos lischetti is incredible. I've got his first book and his second is on my wish list when it comes out. I'd give my right arm for some of either of their talent. Although that might render the trade a bit pointless I suppose :-D
AI loved Alan dunn till I found out that his courses were £800 for a day. FOR A DAY!! Greedy fecker, on top of that all the flowers he displays at shows are porcelain not flower paste. Greedy cheat. Right I'll just off my soap box now
AMay have done something stupid. I removed the flower off the fan on my cake, carefully with a scalpel, but it's left damage to the front, (it was attached with a double strength pure albumen royal icing, so cement basically) I was expecting this and it's a small area that will be covered by the new flower but I was really unhappy with the way it was attached, it looked clumsy behind the flower and the more I looked at it the more it seemed a good idea to try and take it off and redo it. I may be crying later
A[quote name="Crazy-Gray" url="/t/622656/a-thread-for-all-uk-bakers/24690#post_7575208"]
ASquuee have to tell you, I saw this on a tutorial for making a fence. Fill piping bag with royal icing, put flower wire up through the teeny tiny opening in the end (seriously make it small) and then carefully squeeze the bag and pull the wire, it coats the wire in royal icing and you have a strong royal iced thin wire to use as fence, or for my purposes new dangly bits for my flower headress.
Thanks for all the help, Jean, Chezza, Lizzy and Mel (hope I haven't left anyone out there). I'm not actually renting at the moment but am looking at how it would affect whether I could run a cake business. Mel, would you mind telling me where you do customer consultations as you can't do it from home? Also do you do delivery of all your cakes? I don't drive which could be another problem...
Wow, Siany, that is one impressive cake! Which course are you doing?
Maisie, is the gumpaste + trex method for having a lace imprint on a panel of gumpaste? Oooo, that sounds like a really pretty effect, especially if lustre dust is applied on top to highlight the lace pattern . I'm still wanting to try getting open lace from the moulds as well - I've thought of adding some glycerine to the Pavoni mix next time to try to get it more supple once dry. Not sure how sensible an idea is, but it's probably worth trying.
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