ALizzy - I understand your dilemma - I have no advice but please don't do what I did recently. My sister asked me to do a cake as a huge favour for her daughter (who wasn't employed and had no money) to give to her boyfriend. She was going to make the cake and ice it. That's about as far as it goes for her and I was OK with that. However, she brought me a plain, supermarket "photo" cake the day before delivery because she hadn't got time to bake and the finish was s**t! I had already prepared the sports car topper and the letters for the name - I just felt really uneasy about the whole thing. ApparentlyI was told he loved it and his family said it was the best tasting cake they had ever had.....really?? Anyway - just be careful not to go down that route as some compromises are a bridge too far!! :grin:

Kathy

A

Long story short, bride and groom got married in Vegas (popular, eh?), but they both had their birthdays whilst they were there. Client wants a box of four birthday cupcakes for each of them and has given me fairly free reign, other than his should be casino-themed and hers should be more showgirly and glamourous. I tried his last night, so cards, poker chips and the Vegas sign, but they just looked really amateur. Am hoping I was just tired. Have googled like mad to find some inspiration, but a lot of the ones on google also look really amateur too. Will have another go today once I have buttercreamed all my big cakes...

A

I've got to be honest, I always do the whole thing in the mixer, but once I get to the flour, I use the K beater on the lowest setting. Never have any issues with sinking...

AOooh - can't you go all Cake Boss and get some LEDs in there? :D (I'm sure you are aching to do that!!)

Kathy

A

On a big cake, maybe. But on cupcakes?!! ;)

AHaha! Maybe not......one bite and the lightbulb will be in the oesophagus! However - if anyone can get LEDs in - it's going to be you!! Kathy

AOh dear Kathy, that's the last thing you want someone to turn up with! Luckily when I was emailing her I said to tell me her budget and I'd see what I could do - crucially though I also said I'm not promising anything, and that I'd tell her if I couldn't do it. I had a feeling she wouldn't be able to stretch to my minimum (she works part time in a kebab shop so not exactly flush) so I gave myself an out just in case :-)

A

You'll be fine. Just think monkeys. You weren't happy with them, you remade them, they were great.

Yep, that's what I did. All I know it's that I have about a 50% failure rate if I use the ka beginning to end, no matter how careful I am. If I finish by hand I rarely have problems. I'm honestly convinced that cakes know when you're a bit iffy about a process!

AMorning all!!!:-)

Thanks Kathy & Lizzy. :smile:

Kathy, once I had to decorate a store bought cake or ordered online. It was horrible!! Dents and cracks everywhere, not covered the board and this person's friend tried to decorate and made it worse! But you know, I told him not to mention my name because everyone would think that I did the cake!!! It was for his girlfriend's 21st birthday!!! No one should get a cake like that for a 21st!!!!

AI won't do other people's cakes anymore. I say it's for health and safety, but it's actually because I don't want to put my name to a dodgy looking cake! Apart from anything, they're never tall enough!

AOh Bashini - that was EXACTLY the same scenario! But my niece - who was supposed to say it was a shopbought cake - didn't say anything and they thought I had made it. They were obviously just being polite! The flippin' thing wasn't even centred on its thin carboard base. I did my best but they didn't "get" that I didn't want to have anything to do with it - they thought I was being odd. (Well maybe I am). Anyway folks - changing the subject - the news is....I'm not a (ganache) virgin any more!!! Yayyy! I love it!:-D

Did it last night with the engagement cake and I love, love, love it!

Kathy

AMorning!!

Loads of decorating tonight after work, I need to make Cadbury ganache too. Ugh. Ganache. I can never get it right!

Barbara - forgot to say ice and arnica to bring out bruising and reduce swelling!

ABlimey Marvel you have been a busy bee!! Could you maybe do some kind of edible printing to help you out with some of the bits? Good luck though, I'm sure they will all look amazing! As always!

Oh dear Lizzy, at least you've been upfront to say that you may not be able to help her. It's difficult though isn't it :/ luckily I've never been asked to decorate someone else's cake, but I would say no and explain it's health & safety too.

Yay for trying out ganache Kathy!! So pleased you liked it! I do find it temperamental, but when it works it's fantastic!

Hope all your decorating goes ok Kuuushi!

Right, better get on! Shopping to do, and lists to make :) Got a manic weekend so I need to get planning ahead, really looking forward to it though - BBQ and drinks with friends on Friday & Saturday, then we are off to Rewind on Sunday - hurrah! :grin:

A

Not managed to catch up on everything I've missed yet, Cc is really playing up for me.

I think it might have been me that mentioned the flavourings the Rhubarb and Custard are my favourite two but the others are delicious as well. Especially the coconut. This is probably a bit late now as you've probably already been so hope you picked some up!

Now let's see if I can catch up without me phone freaking out.

AAh I knew I'd seen I'd seen them mentioned somewhere! Those were to 2 that I got, can't wait to use them!

After last nights bake off, wondering how they would fair in biscuit form!? :grin:

They were all so good last night, that George and the Dragon was amazing though!

AGood grief, is there some national polydowel shortage going on at the moment?! Trying to get hold of the hollow white ones, and I can't find any in stock at any of my usual suppliers! Typical!

Biscuits aren't my forte but I thought the George and Dragon was really good.

Tiddy - hope you are ok haven't spotted you on the thread for a while. I remember you talking about your colour shapers that you thought were invaluable. I see they come in many sizes, different levels of firmness and shapes; pointed, chisel, flat, rounded and angled.

Obviously quite expensive so I wondered what kind of range you would advise to buy?

ALast night's bake off was really good, I thought it was a shame that guy went as he seemed nice and just had a bad week but he was probably the most deserving to go last night.

I've only tried the flavours in buttercream and cake balls so far and they were good. You don't need a lot thoigh otherwise the flavour becomes too over powering.

I have to make some cake pops for a baby shower for this weekend. I'm doing them for my cousin but to be honest I can't really be bothered with them. I used to make loads and loads of cake pops but haven't bothered with them for a while so thought I'd be eager to make some again but I just can't be arsed Hehe. Oh well, will just have to get on with it!

AWell done Kathy!!! So glad you liked it and work out for you!!!:grin:

Yes, haven't seen Tiiddy for a while.... Hope you are ok Tiddy!!!

I haven't make many pops. But I had some cut offs from a cake so I made some pops using left over butter cream. Guess what they are still in the fridge!!!! :grin: Need to get the candy melt sorted out first....

AWoohoo Kathy! :-D It's lovely to work with isn't it? It also really helps get straight sides as it's much firmer than bc. Not good for the hips though, as I find it does need to be checked frequently to ensure it's not gone off in the 20 minutes it's been on the worktop...

I've just messaged my 17yo to tell her I can't help :-( I know I complain about people being rude about prices, but seriously, it's way easier to say no to them than to someone who's been really polite and is trying to buy a nice cake for her friend.

AI missed a page! What flavours are these you're talking about?

I saw those colour shapers on a blog recently, they look great, but as you say catsmum, tons to choose from. I wonder if they do them in hobbycraft so you could see them in the flesh?

Yes Lizzy, Hobbycraft have some on their website and some of them are actually reduced currently. Oh lord I feel a trip to Bicester coming on, Hobbycraft is next door to Lakeland there - double peril!!

AThe flavours are from Lakeland.http://www.lakeland.co.uk/search/flavours/q01.r10.1

Just Googled the colour shapers as I didn't know what you were talking about, what are they used for?

AI got the lakeland rhubarb and custard ones - yum!

Catsmum LOL I was in the Bicester one yesterday as it's 10mins from me - very dangerous - which was why I was amazed I only came back with what I'd gone to buy - normally I end up with all sorts of extra bits! Although I wish I'd known about the colour shapers as I'd have nipped into Hobbycraft to have a nose at those too!

Aw I know what you mean Lizzy, easy to tell rude people no, but it's such a shame when it's a nice person!

Good luck with the cake pops Sugarluva! Since my wedding order from March (200 of them!) I haven't touched one! I just can't get on with candy melts, although I did find the PME ones better than the wilton ones.

Yikes!! HUGE thunderstorm just hit here, it's gone pitch black and is absolutely pouring down! Right on top of the house by the sounds of it!

I need to put a ball and chain round my ankle to keep me at my desk. I also need the mini-loaf cake tin.  I had to throw one of my loaf tins I use for bread last week as the coating was peeling so I need a new one of those too.

Just looking at the hobbycraft storage unit as I am sick of having to empty large poly boxes out every time I need a cutter.

http://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/really-useful-drawer-unit-11-x-7-litre/572895-1000

There are some useful tool boxes available, mainly for garage tools but you need somewhere to stand them. OK for those with a cake room. Still suffering from cake room envy. (envy) I don't think this one is too obtrusive.....and you get a further 15% discount if you join the Hobbycraft club.

Save meeeeeeee!

AOkay I have to share this with you all - totally not cake related but woke up this morning with a voicemail.... I never get voicemails let alone overnight ones.......... it was at 1am and a frail little voice said "help, you have to come and help me, I am stuck half way up the stairs on this damn chairlift" !!!!!!! I had to call and make sure she'd not been stuck there for 6 hours but she seemed very angry "who is this?!! who are you?! why are you calling me?!! Oh I called you by mistake did I? BY MISTAKE?!!!!!" sheesh I was just checking you were ok!

Poor wee thing :(

AHello! :-)

It looks like CC is behaving today, couldn't get on last night at all. I had "new" on there yesterday as well, it's gone today tho.

I'm fine Siany, my son has moved back in with his tail between his legs. I'm glad he's back home really but I don't think I realised how quiet and tidy it was without him. He came home full of plans and promises (and dirty washing!) but he's still in bed and probably won't surface for another couple if hours.

I'll try to catch up but apologies if I miss anyone.

Lovely cake bashini, I love the standing starfish.

Hi jo, nice to see you. Glad your carrot cake was successful and glad you haven't thrown the towel in. :-) While you're here, did you make a round minecraft cake? If you did would you mind posting the photo again? Tiddy showed me her square one, she said it would be easier with a straight edge to start but I know I'll go wrong trying to cover it all.i know I've seen a round one somewhere, I'm hoping it was yours.

Hope you're just busy tiddy, not ill. x

M4rvel I don't envy you with a Vegas theme. I tried to do a poker themed cake last year and it was a mess. I hadn't been decorating long but it was probably the worst cake I've ever made.

I really enjoyed bake off last night, I knew rocket man was going as soon as he said he didn't make his own sugarpaste, did you see Mary Berry's face?!

Going back to check what I've missed while I can.

AThanks sugar :-D

You can use the colour shapers as brushes apparently, but also as handy dandy (*sigh*, I miss Blues Clues) modelling tools.

I have a bone to pick. Who was it who said about the works, was it you roxy? I've got my decorating books, lovely, pleased with them, super. My problem is the sweets and biscuits books that I also ordered because they were under £3 (how could I not order at that price?). I am going to be a size 20 by October I think. I have basically drooled over about 600 recipes, most of which contain artery clogging amounts of cream, butter and sugar.

If I can't fit in my jeans next month I know who to blame! :-D

Gray, you can't win can you? She probably thought she was phoning her son or something :-) As they say, no good deed goes unpunished!