that's what I was thinking, I think i've wasted loads doing circles. I love fruit cakes but no one seems to like them I find even though they do take a lot more to make. Which is a shame as they are great for baking in advance The light has now gone on my cooker.. i'm beginning to think this is shaping up for one of those weeks! 2 weeks ago it was the fridge freezer. I need to stay away from any electrical applicance i think

Is Ryepac trade only? I mean do you have to be a business to buy from there?

Postage costs are quite high on there :S

I have never made a fruit cake, I don't like the taste of them and marzipan IMO is vile... yuck! I'm gonna have to make one at some point though I guess... sigh! Just glad people are seeing sense and now realise you can have wedding cake with sponge.

Just seen the cricut cake on Ideal World it's £449
What they've shown me so far is very basic cake decorating. Was going to bed but I have to stay & watch now

thanks no i have to stay up lol

nothing too amazing so far on those cartridges. Apparently if you buy "make the cut" you only need one cartridge then you can use any images you like that you download to your own pc. I think that would be a better deal. I downloaded the "make a cut" demo and its pretty good. better than all those cartridge images showing. guess it makes quick work if you got loads to do ?

I use design-a-cake and live not too far from it.

I make tons of fruit cakes everyone I know likes fruit and walnut cake as their Christmas cake so I get to make about 20 every year at least. I also make my own almond paste which I have people coming from miles to get and paying good money for it

Thanks for the link to the circles I might give them a go but I find I don't waste much and it is easy to do in front of the TV on a Friday evening with a nice glass of baileys.

To all those lining your tins, have you not tried wilton cake release. I don't use it for fruit as the lining also helps to stop burnin but for sponges I would never be without it. So quick and easy and a bottle goes a long way, and the cakes just slide straight out, even shaped pans.

Brilliant every time.

I'm afraid I have to say I bailed after 1/2 hour. I did sky+ the rest. I just got fed up of them talking about it & not showing you much of the machine. I must say I had to lol when she said you could use cheese & luncheon meat in it. I'll have a spam cake please I didn't make it to the bit about the make the cut cartridge. That now makes it a bit more appealing. I guess I just want the freedom to use my own designs rather than have to pay a fortune to use the awful designs they supply you with. Also I want my cakes to be individual & not look the same as someones who has bought a cake & decorated it with the cricut.

Yes I use Design a Cake but have only ever got 10% off when I've spent over £100. I'm the same I try to wait & get an order over £60 to save on P+P. Haven't bought in a while because I haven't needed to buy so much. I agree their service is really good. I've only ever had one mistake with an order & I phoned & they sorted sraight away.

I used to use Sugarshack a lot because they were cheap, but deliveries started taking longer & the final straw was when they sent me boxes instead of boards & wouldn't have them back. They said I could have 90 days to pay, as it was their mistake, & then phoned me for the money after a month. Never again

Scrummy I'm the same I get a lot of orders for Xmas cakes. It's going up this year as a new customer buys each of her family a Xmas cake. She put her order in for them at Easter Ooh I've always wanted to make my own Almond paste. Is it cost effective & is it hard to make? It must be good if people come to you just for that. You're making my mouth water just thinking about it.

I've just noticed that the cricut is actually £499.99. The price they show you is for club members apparently. Is it me or is that a bit sneaky having the real price tiny in the corner of the screen?

sillyoldpoohbear almond paste is so easy to make, it has a higher almond content than shop bought marzipan. 50% almonds 50% powdered sugar where as shop bought only has 30% almond. I will post a recipe when I get chance to. I have two or three different once that use slightly different ingredient, but they are all really nice to work with.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CRICUT-CAKE-EXPRESSION-MACHINE-Free-P-P-/170501729047?pt=UK_Crafts_Cardmaking_Scrapbooking_DieCutting_Punches_EH#ht_5618wt_911

Quite a lot cheaper than £499.99 however still expensive I can't justify it as a hobby baker, though I would love to. Seriously.

I just thought I'd let you know about these:

http://www.thehandcraftedcardcompany.co.uk/cardcrafts/4030-diamante-embellishments.asp?refid=4070

I ordered some and they are beautiful. It doesn't say they are especially for food use, but you could attach them to a ribbon, gum paste or real and advise to remove prior to serving. I'd charge the customer a £x amount deposit, refundable on return of the brooches.

They are a lot cheaper than these "food use" ones too http://shop.haveyourcakeandeatit.org/advanced_search_result.html?keywords=brooch&x=0&y=0

Here is the almond paste recipe I promised sillyoldpoohbear. So easy you would not believe it.


Almond paste

350g (12 oz) ground almonds
175g (6 oz) castor sugar
3 egg whites
2-3 drops almond essence

Mix almonds and sugar. Beat egg whites with almond essence and add to mixture. Blend to form a paste. Knead well.

Oops forgot to ask Scrummy, how long does it keep & can I freeze it?

Lisa peps, Didi you have to go and post the link to the brooches? I am now going to be a few quid lighter and I am only a hobbyist who doesn't get to do many wedding cakes . But I just couldn't resist at those prices Just hope I get the chance to use them some day.
Thanks for posting....I think

Sillyoldpoohbear it keeps just like sugar paste (I do like typing those words on here ) Store in a good quality plastic bag and it does freeze.

Love the brooches too

Rosie, I'm the same I have boxes of cheap things that I may someday use. It's now known as my "you never know" collection as that's my excuse when I buy it

Thanks again Scrummy. I know what you mean, I've spent so long here training myself to say fondant I forget that I can call it sugarpaste. I'm so brainwashed I find myself saying fondant in every day life now & everyone looks at me like I'm mad.

You need to copy and paste the whole link

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/cricut-CAKE-EXPRESSION-MACHINE-Free-P-P-/170501729047?pt=UK_Crafts_Cardmaking_Scrapbooking_DieCutting_Punches_EH#ht_5618wt_911

For some reason the site links you to global sugar art when you just click on it. It's £309.99.

I ordered the Paris, Rimini, The Santorini and mustique. All a good size, my advice is go for ones which are 3cm or larger.

think the price in corner is a bit sneaky as was wondering what it costs to be a member? still cheaper on ebay and they are offering it with warranty for a year. is a lot of cash though i'd definitely go with a single cartridge and download the software for using own designs.

The edible diamonds are a nightmare. i won't use them. friend asked for them for her wedding cake. they mist over so quick that they have to be attached last min and if they do mist over you have to polish them with vegetable oil - not fun

Yes I'd prefer to buy it over here for the warranty reason too. The one I saw on ebay said they'd got it here so you didn't have to worry about customs. Does that mean it's the US version imported? Because I've thought about that with getting it from USA there's the problem with voltage difference. I bought some fairy lights from Disney & even with the correct adapter they still melted.

I'd still like to get one but I think I'm going to wait. At the moment it's just come out & it's going to be high priced everywhere. Also I'm wondering if they're going to have them at the cake show at the NEC & if so they might have a show offer.

I think I saw somewhere it costs about £30 to be member of that craft channel. My moms cousin does a show on there. I wonder if she gets discount on products that aren't her own

It's £20 to join as a member of the craft club, heard them say it on the programme. £529.99 that's steep.

Sillyoldpoohbear, good thinking bout the show, that would be fab if there is a good offer on it. Just noticed you are in the midlands, so I guess you are going.

that is another worry - the voltage. think may have to investigate further with regard to it coming in from the US. Still trying to weigh up in my mind how much use I would get out of it and if it could pay for itself oh i completely forgot about the show good thinking. I'm going for the first time this year

Thanks njoycakes for the cuppie recipe you sent me, this is what I created, quite proud for a first go at baking and decorating cup cakes. Just a quick question how much would you sell these for in your own bakeries... in case someone asks at least I can have some sort of idea ^_^ I did the IMBC instead of the whipped ganache cos I looove the taste and texture of IMBC... although I don't have a stand mixer (yet.. still hunting a bargain) so it's a PITA roping in the mother and then having to stand there with a hand mixer for 20 minutes lol.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1776666

Silly, I bought 4 of each design and the P&P was £3.99. The P&P goes up or down automatically depending on the combined weight of your order. Very quick delivery and I got a free gift of 6 sticker diamante's if you understand what i'm trying to describe xD Great quality, just make sure you don't order the "embellishment" ones if you want them for actual jewellery as they don't have pins on the back.

Alsoooo, I finally managed to grab a bargain on eBay of an Imperia Pasta Machine, reallllly happy with it All the reviews on amazon said it was the best brand, so I was happy I managed to get it for £20 when it sells for £40 Would recommend getting one.