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?

no need to be I am delighted

How brilliant, to see your design recreated :)

I am in need, sugarcrafters - I'd like to use this design on a cake. Any ideas how to do it? I'd love to invest in a stencil tool and make a stencil of it, but that's not very realistic on my budget.

I would print it out in the size that I want and then prick it onto a cake and royal icing pipe it.

I thik it is a lovely design

I was told recently by Eddie Spence (an amazing royal icing man) that a little pencil never killed anyone. I would trace it onto the cake very gently, it will give you much clearer lines to follow.

a little pencil never killed anyone

Well, not since they replaced the lead with graphite anyway!

Hi all, is there room for another one? I've only made a few cakes so far but really loving it. Sadly my modelling skills are zero which is a bit limiting, but I can cut out and stick on

This weekend I'll be icing my first two tier cake for my friend's 40th. I'll be trying to copy this star cake. My last one was also an attempt at that but made a few errors and wasn't that happy with it. Recipient was overjoyed anyway This time I know where I went wrong so I'm hoping for a much better result.

Thanks for the ideas on the design, in my fickle way I've thought of something else I'd like to do instead on a cycling theme. I'll probably bother you about that when I get stuck on it too.

Welcome AngelDelight, good luck for the weekend, hope it goes well!

oh, another question, not about bikes - anyone ever used cocoa butter to paint onto cakes? Mich Turner uses it in one of her books, it looks like it might hold colour better than using spirits. I'm not sure where to buy it from. I've asked in a cake shop and a health food store but neither have it. I've googled but the ones I've found it's not clear that it's ok to use in food, it looks more cosmetic/beauty. If it's pure cocoa butter it should be edible right?

I am here to quietly rant! I made an octonauts cake for a little boy in March and have found his mum has entered it into an Octonauts cake comp somewhere online as her own, she has claimed it all her own work, she has also since de-friended me on FB (our kids went to school together before we moved DD to a local school) So I can't see her bragging about the cake she made!

Wem - never used cocoa butter or seen it used on cakes.

blueberry that's awful! I can't believe someone would do that!

I've been lurking since I found this thread, but haven't posted until now.

Wem, Squires Kitchen/Shop sell cocoa butter.

www.squires-shop.com/ibf/index.php?p=catalog&parent=64&pg=1

Thanks midori, that's great :) Now if I can just remember which project I wanted it for...

Cake monster made! Picture on profile- thats my first go at sugarcraft!

Thanks whoever said stick decorations on with vodka, brilliant idea!

Hey, that's brilliant! It's worked really well :) When's the party?

Tommorow! How do I keep it fresh till then- tin foil loosely over it?

Tinfoil would be fine. You don't want anything airtight as it makes the sugarpaste too soft. I'd say it was fine as is, but it depends whether it needs protecting from other kitchen usages, or prying eyes!

Wem, I think I promised to tell you what the book was I've been using for ds's birthday cakes. Its by Debbie Brown: "50 easy party cakes"

ooh I love octonauts cakes fancy sharing the picture of your award winning cake... aside from her claimin it is hers Well done you must be a great cake to win an award!!

blueberry that's awful Do you know who's running the competition? Could you contact them and notify them that it's not this woman's work?

Lord Cake monster is brilliant!

I've been using edible glue, which works really well.

One problem I have which is stopping my cakes from looking more professional is that I find it really hard to get the fondant to look smooth. I'm ok with the layer over the cake itself as I have a smoother tool thingy (can you tell I'm a novice yet ) It's the fondant I'm using for e.g. cutting out letters/stars etc. that I'm finding hard. Any tips? Maybe I'm not massaging it enough before I roll it out? In case it's relevant, I cheat and buy ready made fondant off the 'web.

Have added some pics to my profile now. The problem I'm referring to is most obvious in the star cake. The letters of the name appear a bit... cracked... I guess that's a good description. I've bought a non stick board in case it's rolling out with icing sugar that's causing the problem.

Angel - it will be the icing sugar causing the problem, use a little trex on the surface you want to roll out onto and it will stop the fondant sticking. You only need a very thin layer.

Con't find the comp online apparently it was a village one. I can't be bothered to complain but have tagged my company name in her pics of the cake on the Octonauts FB page. Never I think it is on my profile.

so it is! well done you..
Angel I find that mexican modelling or flowerpaste work best for cutting out as you can get it really thin and smooth without it cracking.
And I echo what BlueBerry has said trex is the cakedecoraters friend!!

Thanks for the recommendations. Will get googling and stock up!

Thanks mistlethrush, I've seen other Debbie Brown books and they were good, so I'll have a look out for that one :)

If you want to have a look at it, let me know.