Opening up another session of the FNCC! Everyone is welcome! This is a place where we talk about what we have been working on and doing during the week, ask for help and share photos of our projects. Some come on in and share with us!

Cat

This past week I started working on my Demo Cakes. I got one done and it's in my album: http://cakecentral.com/g/i/2902623/a/3291994/valentines-wedding-cake-covered-in-mmf-and-topped-with-a-fondant-bow-and-fondant-love-plaque/

I also promised my husband that I would make him football cupcakes if the 9'rs made it into the SuperBowl...well, they did, so I did....

He's been happily munching on these today. The footballs are actually fudge. Other than that I've just been working on the designs I want to make over the next two weeks for the new Demo Cakes. Then I get busy for a long while!

What has everyone else been up to?

Cat

I've got a timeline cake for delivery tomorrow.  50th birthday.  6 cakes, one for each decade and one with a large 50 on it and the saying "50 Fabulous Years.  Each cake is decorated with stuff from that decade.  All the cakes are made/covered in fondant and all the decor is done.  I have a lot of hours in this cake. 

Still not happy with some of the decorations.  I want them shinier, but hesitate to paint them this late in case they don't dry.  I have never steamed anything.  Do you guys steam yours?

No, I have never steamed anything. I've either used shortening to make it shiny or just painted it. But you are right you don't have time for it to dry. Post photos when you can...they sound very cool!

So I can just rub shortening on it?  I have a highway patrol hat that I really would like to look shinier.  It's about 6 inches in diameter and I don't want to mess it up as it is the focus of one of the cakes.  I think I'll try it on something less noticeable before I attempt the hat.

Yes, you can. It will make it sort of semi glossy, not really shiny per sey. That's how I got the record to look shiny on my turntable cake.

Thanks for the visual.  That's what I'm looking for.  Not shiny, shiny - just not dull.  I just tried it on something else and it's perfect. 

Awesome! SO very happy to be of some help! 

AMy question is kind of a beginners question...

What do you make "dummy cake" out of?

Hi Cat, 

Still Quiet as far as caking goes . I have a couple of family birthdays next week , but the boys never want anything special , they just want to eat cake , so I don't waste any huge effort on them.  I think they really just prefer a good old fashioned sponge cake with jam and cream, uniced. Truth be told so do I. 

I might see if I can dig out my recipe for ginger fluff sponge , I haven't made one in a while. 

I am starting to plan lessons and demos for the coming year. My students have let me know that I have had a long enough hiatus and they are eager to start learning again. This year I am going to start teaching from one of my student's shop once a fortnight. I really love teaching , it fulfills most of my caking creative needs of decorating without the stress of producing and delivering a cake. 

It is Australia day here , so we have had damper for lunch and I am doing lamb chops for dinner. I am also about to go down to the bakery and buy some lamingtons . 

Most of the celebrations and fireworks have been cancelled as an ex tropical cyclone and expected flooding bearing down on us. They are expecting over 300ml of rain in the next 12 hours ,The beaches are closed up and down our entire State's coastline. Just to give you an idea of size , Queensland is about twice the size of Texas. 

Well I am off to the bakery hoping that there are still some Lamingtons left. 

Have a great week. 

Chelle. 

The "dummys" are actually food grade styrofoam. They are cut in standard cake dimensions. And they come in all shapes. I get mine from http://www.**********.com because the cost is so much lower than anywhere else. Then you just decorate them like they are a real cake. As long as you dust them regularly they will stay for several months. I change mine out every 8 months or so.

Well here's the thing: I've a christening cake due tomorrow BUT they want it ALL WHITE. They want an angel, a baby, flowers and writing ALL WHITE. Help! I just finished some fantasy flowers (that look rather like hibiscus), some frangipani,the angel and the baby. I'm thinking maybe add some roses? But  how on earth do I put all that white together? Ideas anyone?

ANow, Arlene, the best way to put together a cake that is one solid color is just to use the texture of the pieces. Yes, roses would work to help you do that. Tuck in roses in between the decorative pieces and you will find that when the lights hit the cake you will have shadows. Just make sure not to put all the pieces/roses at the same height or in the same direction. Different heights and directions will give you more shadows.  

Elcee...is that fun or are you regretting taking the job? It sounds like something I would "get" myself into. LOL!

Chelle,

What is "Australia Day". Is that like our Independence Day? Since you are in the middle of summer is the rain a good thing or just a real pain in the butt? I mean, that is a LOT of rain!  And, I'm dying to know what a "damper" is? My kids are just the opposite of yours. I swear they spend all year trying to figure out what type of cake they can have me make. In fact, I have their requests already for this year...a "favorite things" cake for my middle child in February, a "Drive In Movie Theater" for my youngest in April and a "Luau Beach Cake" for my oldest (turning 30) in June. Not one of them is "simple". LOL! Top that off we have two grandkids and those cakes have been requested as well...a "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" for the youngest in April and a Barbie Doll cake for the oldest in August. Now, here's the funny thing...both of the oldest kids were married out of town so I didn't get to do their wedding cakes! LOL! The younger one has a 5 year anniversary this year (same weekend as her sister's 30th birthday) so she is sure to request a fancy cake for that. So, yes, every year I have to fit those cakes into my schedule as well as the client cakes. Now, I am like you...I prefer simple. Bake me a lemon with raspberries and I'm a happy girl.

Cat

Yes Australia day is like your independence day. It commemorates our federation as a Nation . 

Damper is a traditional campfire bread, usually cooked over coals in a camp oven , which is really a big cast iron pot with a lid and a handle.  It is made from , flour , water ( sometimes milk if you have it or beer even ) and sometimes some baking powder or soda for leavening however this is not essential and traditionally served with golden syrup . My sister actually picked up some from the supermarket today so I didn't have to build a fire in the backyard. These days I cook it in a conventional oven and tart it up a bit some good cheese and chives. 

It is usually a round rustic looking loaf. 

Lamingtons , are a Queensland cake , they are made from sponge cake cut into squares , then dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. They can have jam and cream in the middle but the purists will tell you that it is not a traditional lamington if you do that. 

We have had so little rain lately that a few days ago , my front lawn was dry , brown and crispy. So the rain is welcome here, however further north they have had a couple of tornados, flash flooding with several towns having to be evacuated. .  I however have two very unhappy corgis camped in my laundry refusing to go out at all. 

My uncle has a cattle station out in the west of our state and he was about to put his cattle and station up for sale as they had no rain and couldn't keep buying water and feed. The rain has saved him from doing this and his creeks are running again. 

I'm on the other side of Australia to Chellescakes, almost directly across, and there is no sign of rain here.  Wish you could take some of our wind, though, I am so sick of it.  After watching one of the craftsy videos I have been making hydrangers today.  I had made the centres a couple of days ago so all went relatively smoothly.  I shall dust them and wire them together tomorrow and see how I went.  Hubby is off lawn bowling for the weekend so we are not doing anything special for the holiday.

A

Sorry to disagree with you Chelle. Australia Day has nothing to do with Federation. Aus Day commemorates the first fleet under Capt Arthur Phillip setting foot in Sydney Cove and claiming the land for England's king, and then establishing the first penal colony. This was 18 years after Capt Cook "discovered" Australia.

Federation happened on 1.1.1901. We don't celebrate it, except for say the 100th anniversary where it was mentioned a fair bit in the press ;-)

Thanks Evoir , I couldn't remember , which date it commemorated . Federation , first landing or first fleet. ( history has never been a strong point I was always too busy dancing or playing the piano. )   It is a shame that most of the fireworks and concerts and celebrations were cancelled here this year. I think this weather system is heading towards you now , you are in NSW if I remember correctly. 

A

What is supposed to be where the ***s are? Lol

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