**ALYPALY** **SLUBS** **STEALTHSQUIGGLE**

[bellavita]

could I have your help please, well actually pretty please

I have made a few cakes now which have turned out really really well. I could do with a bit more patience when it comes to modelling stuff, but it usually turns out ok. My last cake was my christmas one and I used the bauble thingy (cannot for the life of me remember what it is called now) and painted them and the cake did look nice.

However, my lovely friend has called tonight (who has seen my efforts and who has also sampled lots of my homebaking) and has asked if I will make a cake for her parents golden wedding anniversary in April . At this stage that is all the info I have been given as she is coming round on Friday for a proper chat - and I am assuming she will want me to guide her as to how the cake should look.

Blimey, this is turning into an essay... So, what I am asking is, can you recommend a decent book to buy? I do have a couple of nice books but they don't have anything in them with regards to weddingy type cakes.

Can you point me in the right direction?

Aly- what a love you are, I could kiss ya! >

If you ever find yourself at a bit of a loose end, please feel free to pop along to Shiney's cock and cake healthy eating thread - that's where I normally hang out, you would be welcomed by all

you can adapt your percentages of fruit to fit. As long as the weight is the same ,just use the fruit you like and if you dont want it too dark add less treacle.

I like to soak my fruit for a few days in brandy before i cook with them too(alcoholic)

Generally speaking, to scale any recipe up, it is on area (assuming you want roughly the same thickness) so from 7" square to 12" square you actually want to do:

(1212)/(77)

= 144/49

= very roughly 3 (actually, pretty exactly 3, but my point it is doesn't matter) so I would multiply a 7" square recipe by 3 for a 12" square cake.

I like the starburst idea but I would do it in the centre with stars and numbers on wires - just make them in advance and leave them to dry flat for as long as you can.

Aaargh stupid bold letters

I meant

(12 12) / (7 7)

Thanks ladies, you are most lovely

alypaly's cake looks a good one. You could also look at thi one which we find is good. It cuts well, without leaving crumbs everywhere.

One thing I forgot to mention, which would also apply to Alypay's cake. Check the oven temperature. Gas ovens, particularly, can often not be very accurate on temperatures at low levels. It is worth buying yourself a good oven thermometer from your nearest cookshop (only around £5, much less than the cost of the ingredients) to check.

I have a fan oven that cooks very very fast - Delia say's something like 4 1/4 hours for the 7" christmas cake and mine cooked in something like 3 hours. It turned out beautifully though.

I am actually going into town tomorrow and we are lucky enough to have a Lakeland, so I will pop in and get a thermometer.

Are size 2 eggs large?

Description
This article is from the Cooking and Conversions FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Victor Sack [email protected] others.

2.2.8 Egg sizes
According to the BEIS (British Egg Information Service) Web site, eggs
in the UK are now sold in four different sizes: Small, Medium, Large and
Very Large (these replace the old sizes 0 to 7).

UK egg sizes

Size 2 eggs are large
New Size Weight Old Size

Very Large 73g +over Size 0
Size 1

Large 63 - 73g Size 1
Size 2
Size 3

Medium 53 - 63g Size 3
Size 4
Size 5

Small 53g +under Size 5
Size 6
Size 7

Thank you