Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

where and what to buy for cake decorating.

634 replies

Twit · 23/10/2009 10:31

I have just started to decorate my own cakes, I was given a cake decorating book for my birthday after constantly complaining about the quality of birthday cakes in the supermarket.
My question is this; where [online] would you recommend I buy my bits and pieces, and what should I buy?
I have had a look around and am feeling overwhelmed by the choice. What colour paste should I go for? I am also a bit confused about edible sparkle/glitter powder. Some websites say it it inedible, some say it is non toxic and you could eat it.

OP posts:
Olihan · 30/10/2009 21:46

The rising and cracking happens when the outside cooks too quickly so crusts over, then when the middle cooks and rises it bursts through the crust. If you cook at a lower temp it will stop that happening, particularly in cupcakes. Larger sponges, especially if they're quite deep tend to do it regardless (for me, anyway!) which is why I use the Bake Even strips from Wilton. You don;t get the hump with them and it also means there's less off cuts to eat throw away.

If you're using a frosting type icing on cupcakes then I think a hump is good but if you want to just put a disc of sugarpaste then you want it flat. So there's your conclusive answer .

Moosy · 30/10/2009 22:52

Right, my challenge for next week is to bake the perfect sponge cake. I'll try the conventional oven at 160 - how long would I cook an 8" cake for at that temp?

Olihan · 30/10/2009 22:56

Mine take about an hour and a half at 140 degrees. IIWY I'd check at an hour then every 10 mins after that.

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 31/10/2009 08:30

sorry ladies,
fell asleep on the bed reading stories to DS1 at 7pm and woke up at 7am !!!!! I feel so groggy!!

anyway I love all this cake talk..
I cook in 2 tins at 160 I find that they are cooked after about 25 minutes.

going to bake witches finger biscuits for haloween party tonight.

bellavita · 31/10/2009 09:13

The book is fab, I was sorry to put it down last night in bed, but I could not hold my eyes open any longer!

I have sliced the top off yesterdays burnt offerings and also about 1/4 of an inch all the way round. Underneath looks fine and some of the unburnt bits tasted nice, so there is hope. I fed the cake before I wrapped it up and put it to bed!

Tell me more about these bake even strips Olihan..

Moosy · 31/10/2009 09:37

Wow that's a good sleep greyskull!

Thanks all for the baking advice, I'll give it a go soon (tomorrow if I have time) and report back.

PlumBumMum · 31/10/2009 09:59

So do you split the mix stated in a recipe into 2 tins or make up 2 mixes [stupid question]

oh and I used my new mixer this morning for my meringue ghosties I feel like a kid at christmas

DebiTheScot · 31/10/2009 10:13

the moulds that I ordered off ebay yesterday at 3pm are here already! I was shocked. They look good, just need to master getting nice baubles now.

Moosy Thanks for the recipe. I've never made a Christmas cake before though so I need more instrutions please!

Moosy · 31/10/2009 10:47

Debi - soak the raisins, sultanas and currants in the brandy for a few days/a couple of weeks before you bake.

Beat the butter and sugars together until it's smooth but not too light and fluffy or the fruit will sink when you cook it. Mix in the treacle, then beat in the eggs and vanilla with a little of the flour. Use the rest of the flour, the spices, salt and almonds to coat the fruit a bit before stirring it all in together.

Bake at 130 (fan) for 4-4.5 hours. This recipe fits an 8" square or 9" round tin.

PlumBumMum · 31/10/2009 11:20

Anybody ever baked a cheesecake, how do I know its ready the timer has went of but it is very wobbly looking but the top is cooked iykwim

bellavita · 31/10/2009 11:58

It should have a slight wobble when shook gently. It will then firm up on cooling.

Have done a baileys cheesecake and a rum and raisin one - Yummy

PlumBumMum · 31/10/2009 12:42

ooh thanks Bella , this is a white choc one

would love the recipe for the baileys one sometime if you have it handy

bellavita · 31/10/2009 13:18

It may take some time I got it out of one of my Good Food/Olive/Delicious Mags and there is rather a lot to look through, but will look this weekend.

PlumBumMum · 31/10/2009 13:35

thanks just whenever you find it don't worry

Love Baileys at christmas

DebiTheScot · 31/10/2009 14:22

Thanks moosy, do you feed it with brandy after you've made it? I'm thinking that if my small children are going to eat it that maybe I shouldn't do that.

Once we have an idea on a date for moving house I'll decide when to make it.

Will have to get to the cake shop soon though to get what i need to make the baubles as I think I might need to make a few hundred before they're any good!

Moosy · 31/10/2009 15:45

I don't feed mine much, just prick and paint once it's cooked then wrap it up and leave it for 2 weeks before marzipanning, then another 2 weeks before icing. DD2 LOVES Christmas cake - the more alcoholic the better!

DebiTheScot · 31/10/2009 19:30

2 weeks marinating, 2 weeks before marzipan and 2 weeks before icing! Then start again when it goes wrong. That doesn't leave enough weeks!

Moosy · 31/10/2009 20:03

Why do you think I've started mine so early!

Olihan · 01/11/2009 15:53

bella. Did it bash you in the face as you nodded off? I'm on dh's iPhone at the mo but will link to the bake even strips when I get home . I love 'em, they've made my cakes so much better - even if it is cheating!

If you don't like really alcoholic fruit cakes you can soak the fruit in pineapple juice and feed it with pineapple juice too. It makes a really lovely moist cake.

On baking in 2 tins, I usually make half the recipe at a time as I only have one tin of each size and I've found the second one doesn 't rise properly if it's been sitting about for ages.

stealthsquiggle · 01/11/2009 20:45

PlumBum - too late I know but yes a cheescake will still look wobbly when cooked - I did the hummingbird bakery chocolate one this w'end and it was yum

As for the burnt cake - yes slice the top off, then ice it the other way up. Due to general incompetence slightly shaky hands when slicing tops off cakes, I more often than not turn them over and use the nice flat bottom as the top surface for icing.

Original poster
Twit · 02/11/2009 12:39

I love reading this thread, it's so cool that I'm not the only one making use of the various experts!

Instead of making a traditional christmas cake, which my dc's don't like much anyway I was thinking of doing a ginger sponge and basing it on a design from the Debbie Brown cake book, tweaking the colours/decorations for christmas.[In particular the teddy bear/giant cupcake one - it seems like it might be easy to change to christmas - holly instead of flowers and father christmas instead of a bear.]
I can only find sticky ginger cakes, which I'm guessing won't let me cover them in sugarpaste.

Or are there other christmassy flavours I could add to a sponge cake?

I used the recipe in the book, and found it was ok, I didn't eat any, but it looked and felt right and everyone else said it was fine.

I have a kenwood mixer- I'm not sure if it's the one everyone is about though.

OP posts:
Molecule · 02/11/2009 13:58

I made up this ginger sponge recipe Twit, which may do the job.

Take a bog standard sponge recipe, and to every 4oz or 110g of flour, add a teaspoon of ground ginger, mix the cake mixture as usual. Finely chop half a lump of stem ginger (must be the stuff in syrup) again to each 4oz of flour, and fold in to the mix. Bake as usual. At the end you could warm the ginger syrup and pour on the cake - it maybe enough for the icing to stick to, or you may need to brush with jam.

Ginger lovers seem to like this cake.

bellavita · 03/11/2009 10:13

PlumBumMum - have not found cheesecake recipe . Am annoyed with myself for not being able to locate it as I would like to do it for Christmas. Will keep looking even if it is just for my own satisfaction.

PlumBumMum · 03/11/2009 12:29

Thats okay, although got the £9 bottle of Baileys today in Tesco so remember me if you find it

My cheesecake was a huge success, dh adored it, he is very particular about his cheesecake so that is a compliment

bellavita · 03/11/2009 21:49

PlumBumMum

[chuffed emoticon]

Found it! I was determined to.... In the huge two piles of mags I have, I thought I had pulled all the Olive/Delicious ones out - but this little blighter was hiding!

Here goes..

chocolate biscuits 175g
unsalted butter 60g melted
white chocolate 150g chopped
cream cheese 600g
creme fraiche 300g
caster sugar 200g
vanilla pod 1 - split open
3 large eggs at room temp
Baileys 60ml - I sloshed more in, but I suppose it depends if you like more or less.

Heat the oven to 180/fan160/gas4. Base line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

Whizz the biscuits and mix with the melted butter, press down into tin and bake for 10 mins then cool.

Melt half the white chocolate - cool. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the creme fraiche, caster sugar and vanilla seeds. Beat in the eggs until you have a glossy mixture. Fold in the melted chocolate and the rest of the chopped chocolate and stir in the baileys. Pile everything into the tin and smooth,

Put a tin or a dish of water on the base of the oven to create steam and put the cheesecake on the middle shelf. Cook for 50 mins to 1 hour, the cake should wobble a little when moved but will look puffy and set. Turn the oven off, open the door a tiny bit and leave the cake to cool completely (minimises cracking). Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Decorate with chocolate shards or shavings.