I dont really like mud cake. I find it too dense for my liking. I make a tonne of Nigella Lawson's chocolate fudge cake and I always always get rave reviews for it. I will hunt out the recipie if anyone wants it. It's a bit of fiddling around but I have made some changes that work for me.
Hi Leigh,
We have just gotten back from the playground/dog offleash area and the kids are about to jump in the pool. My son has just turned 6 and my daughter was recently 4 years old. They are growing up so quickly, but I am looking forward to her going to pre-prep next year so that I remember what alone time REALLY means! 
Feefs a cheats mud cake that stays moist for up to 6 days under fondant is Greens cake mix mud cake, replace some of the liquid with liquid coffee. Works every time. Even replaced some liquid with liquid caramel. I must try that recipe as well, thanks Jade.
LiliS, yes please!
The mud cake recipe I posted is not as dense as most mud cake I've tried. It's more like a .. hmm.. rich chocolate cake? I haven't made it with milk chocolate as I prefer dark chocolate, but will try it soon because a friend has requested that!
ooohhhh kaaaayyy!
have finally finished reading all of that, Cheryl i am so sorry to hear about your hand! I hope it gets better soon!
As for a meet i am free on fridays too! Koko black could be ok... i used to work there, but i dont know anyone who works there now so no free chocies! But i would love to catch up with you guys!!! But before we do i do i need to get over whatever sickness i have, ive been so sick the last week 
but to cheer me up here is a pic of my adorable niece!
Hi guys... man there were so many pages to read through! anyways... i have a HUUUUUGE favour... I have a wedding for a friend to do on the 4th of November (cupcake tower thingo)... but then last night a friend of a friend's mum rang and wants me to do a 3 tier mudcake/fondant for the day before... ((note to self... must learn to say no!!
Anyways.. the favour is a half decent recipe for the mudcake -- something that'll keep for a day or so nicely under fondant... I figure if I can get one of these I'll be able to help this girl out... I have a couple of recipes from the US, but nothing that I love... just wondering if anyone else has one they wouldn't mind sharing....
Thanks heaps...
--Fi
Still need a mud cake recipe? I have one that I have been using for about 10years now - did a trial run and it was still OK under sealed fondant after 2 weeks.
MUD CAKE
Place 250g unsalted butter, 1 & 1/2 cups warm water, 200g dark chocolate (I have used the good stuff and also the cheap cooking chocolate and most can't tell the difference - personal choice) & 1 tablespoon instant coffee into a saucepan. Melt and stir thoroughly to eliminate the grainy texture. Do not boil for too long or liquid will reduce and alter ratios. COOL - If you're in a hurry you can place the saucepan in the sink full of cold water and beat with a hand mixer to hasten the cooling process.
Add 1 cup caster sugar, 1.4 cup cocoa, 1 & 1.2 cups SR flour, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix slowly with electric hand mixer.
This mixture fills a 20cm springform tin or use double quantity for larger pan.
Bake 150'C for 1 - 1&1.2 hours.
Leave to cool in tin.
MARIA - Come for a drive to Kurrajong - I am trying to get rid of some of the geese - take your pick!!
Oops - computer glitch or system error.
Second and third paragraph 1.4 should be 1 quarter - same for other measurements with a . instead of a "/" (hope this one prints correctly
Hi Leigh,
We have just gotten back from the playground/dog offleash area and the kids are about to jump in the pool. My son has just turned 6 and my daughter was recently 4 years old. They are growing up so quickly, but I am looking forward to her going to pre-prep next year so that I remember what alone time REALLY means!
Hey ya,
Is pre prep sort of like kindy? I want to put my soon to be 4 year old in C&K. Having only just turned 4 means she goes into prep in 2009.Love being a SAHM but I really love interacting in a work place as well. Love being on CC as I can learn as well as talk to other people that like cooking as well. Alone time. Goodness what is that lol. I do playgroup at the moment as well as my youngest in swimming lessons. They do grow so quickly. I remember when my nearly 18 year was nearly 4 years old and was enrolling her into preschool for that year.
How is everyone tonight. Don't we all need rain. The tank needs filling again.
Leigh
GINGERKITTEN your niece is adorable!!! I hope you feel better soon... you've been sick long enough!!!
Someone called me this morning asking for a small birthday cake for her husband... for tonight!!!! She called at 11:30am... Anyway WHY DO WE SAY YES. YES. YES... So now have chocolate cake in oven... She wants a heart with "I love you" written on top 
(wanted a little face that vomited.... that option doesn't seem available). I will be so sick of hearts in a couple of weeks!!!
Pam... we would love a little goose... problem would be our dog... oh yeah... that and the distance getting to you!!!
Talking about prep/kindergarten etc...... here, all children from age 3 attend kindeergarten full time from 9-4, Mon - Fri.... for 3 years. They then start grade 1 at age 6. You just pay for the delicious fresh cooked lunch they get... which is about $150 a month. They eat pasta or risotto, then they are served, meat or fish, with veges or salad... fruit and bread!!!
I think this system is fantastic, and they love it... they are stimulated all day, have english, gymnastics and little excursions. My son last year had excursions to Lucca, Florence & Pisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LiliS, I would love that recipe too please !! 
Ginger, hope you feel better soon - your niece is gorgeous !!! making me clucky again...hahaha ( need a man first 
)
Most mud cakes, once sealed with fondant will still be edible months later - I tried one that Sue ( my cake.dec teacher ) had sitting in the cupboard for about 4 months & it was still nice..
GINGERKITTEN your niece is adorable!!! I hope you feel better soon... you've been sick long enough!!!
Someone called me this morning asking for a small birthday cake for her husband... for tonight!!!! She called at 11:30am... Anyway WHY DO WE SAY YES. YES. YES... So now have chocolate cake in oven... She wants a heart with "I love you" written on top
(wanted a little face that vomited.... that option doesn't seem available). I will be so sick of hearts in a couple of weeks!!!Pam... we would love a little goose... problem would be our dog... oh yeah... that and the distance getting to you!!!
Talking about prep/kindergarten etc...... here, all children from age 3 attend kindeergarten full time from 9-4, Mon - Fri.... for 3 years. They then start grade 1 at age 6. You just pay for the delicious fresh cooked lunch they get... which is about $150 a month. They eat pasta or risotto, then they are served, meat or fish, with veges or salad... fruit and bread!!!
I think this system is fantastic, and they love it... they are stimulated all day, have english, gymnastics and little excursions. My son last year had excursions to Lucca, Florence & Pisa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Toni,
With a tough life life that I think I want to go back to school myself!! Not sure about the gymnastics at my age BUT the rest sounds like my sort of life!
Was only just saying the other day that this is the first year that I haven't had ANY children in school - no homework worries, no projects/assignments, deadlines, stressed kids - It has been fantastic!! but then I hear about the "italian' model - Boy, have those Italians got things sorted - certainly wouldn't get those sort of "day trips" here in OZ - my 20yr old daughter was laughing when I told her - she said "Hey, remember when we got to go on an excursion to the North Richmond Sewerage Treatment Plant" - hahaha have we got a lot to learn from WOGS (said in purely the affectionate Aussie way OF COURSE!)
North Richmond sewerage treatment plant.. an excursion?? lucky girl lol
When I was in Katherine NT my boys started preschool when they were 3 and then the year they turned 4 they did prep. Love that sort of system. So your day mucst be great Toni. Already have that alone time that Curvy and I are looking for (lol except your DH coming home for lunch which would be lovely, for me only occasionally as my DH comes home at 3pm every day due to starting at 6am) Leigh
I dont really like mud cake. I find it too dense for my liking. I make a tonne of Nigella Lawson's chocolate fudge cake and I always always get rave reviews for it. I will hunt out the recipie if anyone wants it. It's a bit of fiddling around but I have made some changes that work for me.
Good morning, all!!
Lili, I would LOVE Nigella's fudge cake recipe, please! I am SOOOO sick of mud cake. With all the wonderful recipes out there, I try and talk people into something different, but no... always mud cake!
Toni, can you please book me into that pre-school? Sounds like my kind of deal, especially if they make you have an afternoon nap! (Am I showing my age, again? 
)
Ginger, thinking of you and hoping you'll be better soon.
Good Morning Ladies! Yawn!!
Yes, Leigh, my little girl will go next year into what I call "kindy' most of the time cos the new name of "preprep" is such a mouthful. Then she will go to prep the next year in 2009, sounds like she is the same age as yours! I have her going to a nice local c and k that her brother went to, so she is really familiar with the place and should make a good transition. (plus she is a chatterbox hypo little thing like her mum so she will probably amuse them all nicely!)
I am free for a whole 2 days from about lunchtime today, as I will drop both of my kids off to my parent's house for a school holiday sleepover but this time it's 2 NIGHTS! YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do have to do a cake today and a huge cake tomorrow, but it will be easier to do them uninterrupted and then I might be able to sit down and watch some telly!!
Oh yeah, uh huh, oh yeah! (doing a little excitement dance!) 
Ok, here is the recipie link.
Just so you know, I used substitutes for some things that I just couldnt find in the good ole 'burbs!!!
I used vegetable oil in place of corn oil.
Couldnt find golden caster sugar so just used raw caster sugar
Muscovado sugar... well everyone I asked in my area looked at me with a 
so I used half white and half raw caster sugar in place of this. Still turned out very yummy!!
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/food/whoscooking/articles/0,10103,165631_176880-2,00.html#fudge
Enjoy!
!)
I am free for a whole 2 days from about lunchtime today, as I will drop both of my kids off to my parent's house for a school holiday sleepover but this time it's 2 NIGHTS! YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I do have to do a cake today and a huge cake tomorrow, but it will be easier to do them uninterrupted and then I might be able to sit down and watch some telly!!
Oh yeah, uh huh, oh yeah! (doing a little excitement dance!)
I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous 
My darling almost 2y/o crashed through a window yesterday with a chair. No real harms done, some superficial cuts to her scalp caused by the flying glass. I think I ages about 100 years though and even when it happens in slow motion, you are never quick enough to stop the worst from happening. We called the ambulance though, just in case. She is fine, ate some ice cream and watched mtv for a while before going to sleep.
Lili,
Thank you for the recipe!
I used vegetable oil in place of corn oil.
Corn oil is sold in chinese shops if you have one nearby. It has something about it. I use it for stir-fries quite a bit. Gives a special taste. Actually I bought it once in our Coles.
OMG, just came to edit my message and saw your next post . What a DRAMA! I bet you were scared more than your little one.
You can also substitute the muscavado sugar with dark brown sugar, has a similar effect. Oh to be back in England where they know what muscavado sugar is!
hey all!
thanks so much for all your recipes... now I have so many to trial!!
and mud cake still edible after 4 months!! wow!! now that gives me a little more breathing space.. sounds like I could almost make it the weekend before... or would that be too skanky for a wedding cake???
Thanks again...
Fi
Not skanky at all Fi, I try to use cakes that have a minimum 2 week lee-way, that gives me a week to decorate and the customer a week to eat. It might mean doing some tests on your regular recipes but the more you understand your product the better for being able to give customers the answers they need!
Also I've been wondering what one would charge for a pillow cake with a tiara? Please PM me if you do not want to talk about it in open. I have a query for 18th birthday cake. Do not know any details yet, but let's say it is a 9" sponge type cake. Many thanks in advance, girls!
Yes, I'm quoting myself
Really need your help on this subject. Now I know the details. The cake is to feed 50 people, 30 x 30 x 10 cm Chocolate cake for a Disney 18th birthday costume party. The birthday girl will be Cinderella. So I just happened to anticipate the right cake for the occasion.
Any help on the price will be very much apperiated.
Also I've been wondering what one would charge for a pillow cake with a tiara? Please PM me if you do not want to talk about it in open. I have a query for 18th birthday cake. Do not know any details yet, but let's say it is a 9" sponge type cake. Many thanks in advance, girls!
Yes, I'm quoting myself
Really need your help on this subject. Now I know the details. The cake is to feed 50 people, 30 x 30 x 10 cm Chocolate cake for a Disney 18th birthday costume party. The birthday girl will be Cinderella. So I just happened to anticipate the right cake for the occasion.
Any help on the price will be very much apperiated.
I would charge $290 for the cake without the tiara, I don't know how much to charge for it, as I've never made one before, but I would think it would take several hours to make, so maybe add another $100 to $150.
This is based on my pricing structure, using mud cake, layering it with ganache and then covering it in fondant. Can I just say that a 12 inch square cake is a lot of cake for 50 people, even if you are serving it for dessert, JMHO.
OzCookie, I think my hair is greyer than grey now. I had a hell of a time settling my DH afterwards... he was a mess
I have a terrible feeling this is just the start of a looooong list of 'adventures' she will take us on.
Lili, if it's any consolation, my DS was also an "anything can happen" toddler - I spent quite a few years permanently tense and fearful.
He is now almost 19, fit and healthy (and gorgeous! just my opinion)
The adventurous spirit eventually became strength, agility and a talent for sports and that evil little mind that was always looking for trouble became a fine intelligence! (Well, as much as any teenage boy can be intelligent! 
)
My only advice is to keep your little munchkin busy and (if practical) enrol her in some structured activities like kindy-gym, ballet or similar when she's a little older! Good luck - this, too, will pass! 
Hey, Fran!!! The wait is over!
Have you enrolled in any good classes with Paris?
Let me know when you and Nati will be in Sydney - perhaps we can catch up!
Hi Elena
I haven't enrolled in anything
The ones I'm really interested in are the week long courses, and I can't leave D'arcy for that long!
I might consider the advanced firgure molding. I'll keep you posted for sure my friend
Fran,
Thank you so much! Her anticipate price was $100 I guess for this size cake it'll only cover the cost of making with no decorations ... Yet, she would like a WOW factor in it She obviously does not have a clue on pricing. But then, here in SA everything is a bit cheaper and for my 9" fruitcake with the swan I got estimate of $270 at a cake decorating shop.
I'm not sure if she wants mud cake or just chocolate cake, yet to confirm that. If the "pillow" goes ahead then the size will be cut down just because of the shape. I actually want to make the cake just to have it in my portfolio. Will see how far up I can stretch her anticipated price
Once again, Fran, THANKS A LOT!
Oh, yes, Paris classes. I wish I could afford them
Well Yana, you're very welcome, and like I said, that's MY pricing model, based on Melbourne metro prices, and I do tend to be quite expensive too, I do lose a bit of business because other cakers underprice me, but I'm sticking to my guns with my pricing.
That being said, if I REALLY want to do a cake, then I will almost do it for nothing. My first Madhatter, after the Planet Cake course, was sold for $350. Paris would kill me if she knew, so nobody tell her 
It was that cheap because it was done for an acquaintance and I was just so excited to actually practice the design, plus I went a bit over board with it all.
The one thing I really want to say Yana, is, if you start your business with low priced cakes, its a real struggle to get the prices up over time, because you will develop a customer base that will become accustomed to your prices and getting them to the next level can be very difficult.
I just started out expensive and keep on raising my prices with the rising cost of supplies and how busy I get. Next week I have 3 wedding cakes, so I guess the prices aren't that bad!
Another request...
I bought some jewels off the net -- diamonte type -- however, now that I got them they seem a little small to put on a cake. I know they aren't edible -- which is a problem for me -- but my friend said that it's not a problem... anyways... is there anywhere in Oz that we can get decent jewels to put on cakes -- literally on the cake??
TIA
--Fi
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