Opening up another session of the FNCC! Who is up? What are you working on this week?
Cat
Hi everyone!
I haven't been working on the cake biz this week but rather our party planning biz instead. I made meringue cookies for the first time as a test run for wedding favors. My boys gobbled those goodies right up! LOL! I made invitations and planned centerpieces this week as well. But...no cake. For Easter I'm making "the Green Stuff". It's a pistachio pudding pie that is a family favorite.
How is everyone else?
Cat
I (probably for the first time ever) am ahead of the game for once! I got my weekend cake orders done this morning! I don't know what to do with myself tonight! HAHA
Did a couple small gourmet round cakes for a fundraiser, then a glasses wearing cow cake for the finish! Was a pretty light week! YAY
I made a practice cross cake for Easter. The real thing will be for a First Communion in May, but I needed to figure out what would look best, as I've never done a cross before. Very difficult to ice the corners in buttercream, so I ended up dragging it into a design. After many hours of experimenting, I finally came out with what I like. I even made roses out of candy clay! My kitchen looks like a buttercream truck exploded though! I won't be cleaning up until tomorrow, gotta watch college hoops with my hubby.
I made a practice cross cake for Easter. The real thing will be for a First Communion in May, but I needed to figure out what would look best, as I've never done a cross before. Very difficult to ice the corners in buttercream, so I ended up dragging it into a design. After many hours of experimenting, I finally came out with what I like. I even made roses out of candy clay! My kitchen looks like a buttercream truck exploded though! I won't be cleaning up until tomorrow, gotta watch college hoops with my hubby.
Sounds awesome! Def would love to see pics of the cross! =-) I leave most of my clean up for the dear ole Hubby or the kiddos! HAHA
Cakemommy: The cow in glasses cake sounds hysterical! Post a photo if you have one...I could use the laugh tonight<G>
Norasmom: I have always used fondant on cross cakes and it is a lot easier at the corners/joins to do than butter cream I would imagine. However, people also tend to love those cakes so I'm sure everyone will be very happy with your work come Sunday!
Cat
Here ya go! They are the most studious cows! HAHAHA
Hi everyone!
I haven't been working on the cake biz this week but rather our party planning biz instead. I made meringue cookies for the first time as a test run for wedding favors. My boys gobbled those goodies right up! LOL! I made invitations and planned centerpieces this week as well. But...no cake. For Easter I'm making "the Green Stuff". It's a pistachio pudding pie that is a family favorite.
How is everyone else?
Cat
What recipe do you use for Meringue Cookies? Ive never attempted those! Kudo's for trying them out! The Pie sounds strange but I bet is super yummy!!!
Working on my fruit cake recipe. This time I just threw a bunch of stuff in this version to see what it would turn out like. I've often felt like maybe a stroke of genius will hit me and my random recipe will turn out better than the ones I've found online and in books. LOL. We'll see. So far, none of the previous ones have really struck the right note with my taste buds. I think if any cake is amenable to throwing stuff in, it would be fruit cake. Fingers crossed.
The only other cake-related thing I did today was to make some sugar flowers.
OMG!! LOVE the cow cake!!! I love the teeny glasses on them. Thank you SO much for sharing!
CakeMommy...the recipe is 6 egg whites, 1/2 tsp creme of tartar, 1-1/2 cups white sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract. Whip the egg whites until fluffy, add in creme of tartar and whip a bit more. Add in the sugar a small bit at a time. Lastly add in vanilla and then whip till the mixture forms stiff peaks and is glossy. Heat the oven up to 350 degrees with the cookie sheets/pans in it. Lay parchment onto the sheets and pipe the meringue onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Shut oven door and turn off the oven. Let sit for 90 mins. When they are done they will be crispy all the way through, not chewy at all. Test one and, if still chewy, let them sit longer in the oven until you test one and its crispy. This recipe will make about 200 1-1/2 inch cookies. They are really easy and really yummy!
And, yes, the ingredients in the Green Stuff sound really strange but all together they are great! I'll post my recipe on my blog Monday.
Vgcea: Fruit cake in the USA is odd to me. It is an alcohol soaked brick of cake with odd candied fruit in it. Now my mom simply adores it but I'm not much for rum or hard liquor tasting desserts so it's never been something I grew to like. What is yours like?
Cat
Yeah, American fruit cake is super weird. The fruit cakes I grew up with have way more cake than fruit, little to no nuts, and none of that candied stuff, just real dried fruits. Ours is a cross between traditional English fruit cake and Caribbean black cake so it's soft, and very moist (yeah I used THAT word 
). My version is about 65% cake and I use dried fruits including sultanas and currants that I get from the UK.
When I moved here years ago and found out the type of fruit cakes available, my soul was let down LOL.
AMaking my Easter cupcake sampler. Just poured the sugar for the creme brûlée frosting.
No cake for me this week , although I did book two large cakes from the Marine themed semi freebie last week. I must say my niece really does work for her discount.
I did two Easter workshops with the Cake Association , We decorated Chocolate Easter eggs with royal icing and fondant. So they are already to go for the family lunch tomorrow.
Yesterday we had our traditional family gathering for Good Friday , this involves a Seafood BBQ for us with extended family and friends. My niece wanted to hold it at her house this year , my sister and I were quite happy with this idea as usually we take it turn about. All I had to do was make a nice Asian inspired prawn salad, easy peasy.
It is out to lunch tomorrow with just close family for Easter Sunday , It is also my niece and her Husbands first wedding anniversary , so it will be a double celebration.
So Happy Easter everyone .
Chelle
Hi everyone, Haven't beeb here for awile. Been busy and away not really working on cakes on Friday nites. lol. This week making a giant 7lb white chocolate Easter Bunny. (from a mold of course) he will sit in a Bread Easter Basket. I will fill it with decorated egg mini cakes. Working on rice paper flowers to place around somewhere. Hope everyone has a nice Easter Sunday.
Very Cute cow cake , I like the use of the squiggle impression mat.
Vgcea , I make a lot of fruit cakes. Mine is more fruit than cake though. I don't use much candied fruit though. I do use a lot of different dried fruits and I soak them for a couple of weeks in booze of course. I like to put chrystalised ginger in mine and prunes , I also put marmalade instead of using candied peel.
Loving the cow cake - so cute!
Tonight just working on some sugar brooches for a wedding cake due on Monday. I can't decide which one I like best.... what do you guys think?? I'm leaning more towards the goldy one I think (top right).
It will be on it's own on the middle tier of a three tier cake that will be topped with a large sugar rose and just have lace around each tier and some simple pearl piping.
Very Cute cow cake , I like the use of the squiggle impression mat.
Vgcea , I make a lot of fruit cakes. Mine is more fruit than cake though. I don't use much candied fruit though. I do use a lot of different dried fruits and I soak them for a couple of weeks in booze of course. I like to put chrystalised ginger in mine and prunes , I also put marmalade instead of using candied peel.
I soaked this particular batch of fruits in brandy for a year-- the 1 year minimum is typical for caribbean black cake-- and used crystallized ginger along with dried pineapples, cranberries, and a host of other good stuff. I've never thought to try marmalade, such a good idea, that definitely tastes better than those weird candied fruits. I have found though that there are higher quality candied fruits that cost a grip and are worlds better than the ones in grocery stores. The candied orange peel we use for bonbons in my Chocolatier class is 9000 times better than any orange peel I've bought in the grocery store. *Now that I think about it, I totally should look on the packaging for the maker when next I'm in class*
I vote that one too.
Hi everyone, Haven't beeb here for awile. Been busy and away not really working on cakes on Friday nites. lol. This week making a giant 7lb white chocolate Easter Bunny. (from a mold of course) he will sit in a Bread Easter Basket. I will fill it with decorated egg mini cakes. Working on rice paper flowers to place around somewhere. Hope everyone has a nice Easter Sunday.
OMG! I am loving everything you posted! It all sounds so amazing!
Here is the cross cake. It will be perfect when I make the non-practice one, but I am happy with the design. Ignore the writing, it will eventually say God Bless Eva...once again, I was practicing my technique.
It will probably not taste very fresh because I was practicing on it for awhile, but my family, a.k.a my fan club, will think it tastes good. 
Here is the cross cake. It will be perfect when I make the non-practice one, but I am happy with the design. Ignore the writing, it will eventually say God Bless Eva...once again, I was practicing my technique.
It will probably not taste very fresh because I was practicing on it for awhile, but my family, a.k.a my fan club, will think it tastes good.
Super cute! Are your roses made out of gumpaste? They look good. =-)
Here is the cross cake. The next one will be perfect, but I am happy with the design of this one. Ignore the writing, once again, I was practicing my lettering. It will say God Bless Eva on the real cake.
It's probably so stale because I spent so much time practicing on it, but my family, a.k.a my fan club, will like it.
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