Sugarcraft chat

[wem]

I started a thread for cake people a while back but it got a bit lost in Chat so thought I'd try to tempt people into our lovely new baking topic.

Hopefully I'll see some of the posters from the chat thread, but for any new people popping in, introductions: I'm wem, I'm a recent cake obsessive and have been bothering mumsnetters about it a fair bit as I'm starting up cake decorating business. I don't have anywhere near the experience or knowledge of some of the posters in here, but I do have an excessive willingness to chat about cake :)

Let's try this again, eh?

I find a smoother does make a difference, but you can get a reasonable finish with your hands.

Viking Vagine, i agree with Wem, you do get a much nicer finish with a smoother. Also dont know what everyone else thinks, but i find the paste colours better than the gels, which i found out when i did to toned buttercream, one colour was gel, one was paste, the paste was so much e asier to spread in the icing bag, but either are fine to work with. I bought something called dipping solution today to dilute gels/paste to paint with instead of using vodka, ( i'd be so tempted to drink it i'd have none left) not sur if anyones used it before.

I haven't come across any pastes, only wilton gel, but it's not payday for another week, so I have time to look! Which brand is the paste you use?

Squires pastes. yep i know what you mean, i spent £16 in a cake shop after work and i dont get paid till next week either!!

I have a special bottle of vodka for cake painting, but the best thing I have used was overproof rum brought back from Jamaica - entirely undrinkable, but perfect for the job. One bottle lasted 10 years (until I dropped it)

I use the sugarflair colours and also use a lot of regalice precoloured icing as our local icing shop sells the entire range and I get trade discount. I use the rejuvenator spirit to paint with as well, it gives a Much better finish than vodka as it is very high in alcohol and therefore evaporates very quickly. It's great for painting with metallic petal dusts. I go through loads of it, shame it's so expensive !

Right, I'm about to order a ridiculous amount some stuff from the Lindy's cakes website. Sod payday, I'm using my own savings, otherwise DH might quite rightly kill/divorce* me be unhappy.

*delete as appropriate

Yes Nigel that sounds the same as what i bought yesterday, they told me to keep the lid on as it evaporates very quickly, i used it today, i made my gift box of some new stuff the shop sold me abit like Squires flower paste but cheaper, worked really well and dried in an instant i then mixed that solution with some edible glitter and painted the box, quite happy with it. Amazon is pretty good for the coloured regalice though, and lots of other things as long as you make sure theres no delivery charge.

VikingVagine, i have found her website alittle bit expensive as theres a delivery charge, check out Amazon first, i bought her book the other day, £13 so not cheap but very very good, my next cake to attempt is the one with the brush embriodery, absolutely love that cake!

Viking - I would shop around a bit IIWY. I find Lindy's website expensive for most things

The problem is the shipping costs to France, I already have one of her books (which is how I ended up on her website) and made myself a list of vital things I needed, then did a few price comparisons with the companies who offered international shipping and her site was the cheapest but still bloody expensive .

Ah Viking your in France, yes i can see how shipping costs would work out to expensive for you. dont you have a nice little cake decorating shop anywhere near you?

Nope, it's not caught on here yet, give it another 6 months and I'll be able to get everything in my local craft shop for 6 times the price !

Well Viking i could do with a holiday, i could always bring whatever you wanted out to you, ooo the thought of it.

Hi, can i join in please?

I am newish to cake decorating, i am in the process of starting my own buisness from home, i do simple cakes and cup cakes but today my MIL has given me her case of sugar craft bits (mainly for making flowers), i have never done flowers (appart from the odd rose), any tips on where to start would be great? I havn't looked through the case yet (its still in my car) but it has a few cutters, crimpers, flower paste, wires and lots of powder colours in there (plus a few other bits).

Sorry, I can't give you any advice, haven't tried making anything yet!

What does everyone think for the rainbow cake, baring in mind I want to cover it and decorate it, should I make it in layers with buttercream, or all in one with a tie dye effect?

Hi Marne, i've only recently joined and have to honest there are so many talented people on here, your very lucky to be given all that stuff as starting out is expensive as i've found out myself but once you have it it starts paying for it. I find carnations, daisy, primroses easy to do, but you need a set of the tools, that include, a ball tool, veiner etc, i've bought loads of cutters, po wders, paste, just have a play really you'll be amazed what you can do. P.S how do you put the smileys on? i cant figure it out?duh!

Viking - I made a tie dye one for DD2's birthday - she loved it. A proper rainbow would have been great but she really wouldn't have cared less. I will save my rainbow cake days for an adult/teen who will appreciate the effort!

Hi Marne - have a look at your local college for courses if you want to get into sugarcrafting. Our local college does termly course teaching the basics.

Blueberry, would you give me the recipe for your tie dye cake please? i tried a rainbow cake once however it looked lovely but was as flat a pancake, i can only assume adding all the colours knocked the air out of it, possible do you think?

Thank you, i think i have tools (will have a look tomorrow), i have done a small amount of sugar craft (just not flowers).

I made my first rainbow cake a few weeks ago and it turned out really good, i also make rainbow cup cakes, i cant find a natuaral colouring that works well though, my dd reacts to the colouring (as we found out after giving her rainbow cake).

I have to make a 85th birthday cake in a few weeks and was hoping to try out some flowers, i am also helping dsd (well i know it will be me making it) to make a 80's cake (possably rubix cube) next month.

I have made a few cakes for friends and family but am now being asked by other people (who have seen my cakes) if i can make cakes for them, i'm more of a cupcake person really but am getting better at bigger cakes (maybe one day io will do a wedding cake).

Marks place, I make cakes for family for fun, nothing like the ones you ladies have done! Not sure how to post pics will try to upload some to my profile!

I don't think I have enough asparagus but I have used up all the icing I had coloured and have had enough. Assembly tomorrow, and then on to the next cake.

Did you dream about asparagus last night stealth? They look brilliant, can't wait to see the assembled cake. What's the next cake? I've just finished my buttercream butterfly cake, and just counted up - I've done 7 cakes since 23rd May, it's been a busy month! I've got a break now, til middle of July then the wedding at the end of the month, eek.

Hello Marne and PeppaPigsArse, looking forward to seeing your pictures :)

No asparagus-related dreams, thank goodness - I just came down and looked at it all this morning and I know there won't be enough tips. Sigh. Oh well, work to get done - I will just have to make some more tonight if I need them.

Next up is DH's birthday - scuba-diving themed cake, which I theoretically have evenings this week to do as he is away (if I ignore the fact that I have to do asparagus cake tonight and am then out for the next 2 evenings ) - then village fete on 14/7, then nothing that I am aware of until DC and Godchildren birthday season starts in October (6 DC for whom I generally make cakes in the space of 6 weeks). I am very impressed with the rate at which your business is picking up, wem, but not surprised given how good your cakes are.