Cake Decoraters Advice Needed!! Also a thread for Chat, Hints & Tips

[PlumBumMum]

I know we had a thread a while back, and I'm always hijacking other peoples these days so SOME ADVICE NEEDED

Need to invest in some more cake tins, I have currently been working with a friends tins, but she is talking about starting up again so I will have to give them back

So at the minute I am looking at buying square tins, should I go for seperate sizes of Invicta OR the multi size cake tin

Has anyone got one? what do you think, Is it anygood?

Bella thats how it starts, doing cakes for family & friends and then a friend of a friend wants one, snowballs from there

Olihan t'is me, I'm getting nervous, haven't done many figures and I need to get cracking, I am supossed to be practising now, as I have a little boy to do for next week sitting on his communion cake with a racing car also (they didn't want Holy)
the things I talk myself into

Chunky yeap you could freeze it,

ready to roll is easy worked with but if you aren't confident you can get the it rolled out already, or is that what you mean

My neighbour bakes all her cakes and buttercreams them and freezes, and they taste grand

Thanks plumbummum, everyone seems so knowledgeable, i feel like a right idiot. my dd is thrilled that i am going to attempt to make her a cake, so dont want to dissapoint her. Just want something that looks nice but not complicated, im not sure what the icing is so will have to look around at that.

Chunky, in the supermarkets it's in the baking section, made by Dr Oetker and it comes either as a block or in a long box which is the ready rolled. This stuff.

Silverspoon do their own version as do the supermarkets, imo the only own brand worth buying is Asda's, the rest are very sticky and hard to work with.

Make sure you spread a thin layer of buttercream over the outside if the cake before you roll out your icing so the icing has something to stick to. Roll out the cicng to about 5mm thick, lift using the rolling pin (lay rolling pin across middle of icing, fold one side over then lift) and lay over. Smooth with the palms of your hand and tuck in carefully around the bottom of the cake before trimming off any excess.

Be warned though, once you start decorating cakes 1) everyone wants you to make a cake for them, 2) it's addictive and 3) it's a blooming expensive hobby!

and very time consuming too!

Plum, meant to say, you can make them ages in advance if that takes the pressure off. Also, this month's Cake Decorating magazine has a family tree cake in with very detailed instructions on modelling figures in different outfits. Not sure if you can get it over there (big WHSmith's do it here) but if you want a copy I'll post one over.

And it takes over your kitchen cupboards/worktops plus your entire kitchen will forever be covered in a fine layer of icing sugar dust.

Oh Brilliant Olihan, I actually mean't to subscibe to Cake decorating but when I went to do it on line they didn't offer any of the freebies that are in the mag

I can get it in Easons, but it sells out quick, Looks like I'm off shopping tomorrow

Funny I did an overhaul of my cake cupboard today, haven't tried ASDA icing yet, I use Tesco, ASDA seemed to do a cheap one then a really cheap one so wasn't sure

Thanks everyone for the advice,you are stars

Wont have much time as dd1's birthday is in school hols and don't have family nearby so will have to do it bit by bit hence the freezing,

What i have planned (in my head anyway) is to make a round vicky sponge filled with jam and buttercream then covered with ready roll icing, writing dd1s name in icing pen and then cutting out small hearts using more ready roll icing, and perhaps putting sweets on it

Olihan, you are recommending dr oetker or asda (i couldn't get the link to work is it asda smartprice or just normal asda?) it is the ready rolled stuff that i think i want, once i have covered sponge do i put on a little more buttercream to stick on the hearts? also if i want to put sweets around the base onto the cakeboard what do i use to stick them with? (sorry to sound thick)

Asda normal ready to roll is better than the smartprice.

Stick the icing hearts on with a little bit of water. For the sweets, mix a bit of the ready to roll with a few drops of water to make a sticky gunk, then put a blob on the back of the sweets.

Chunky exactly what Olihan said

sorry to have posted then run away. I love the idea of having a chat thread for cakes.

have finished the 2 dogs and am half way through a bride and groom topper.

I am going to have a rush on on Sunday because I am away from this afternoon until Sunday afternoon and then have 12" and 9" cakes to bake sunday evening then decorate them on Monday for Tuesday evening pick up.

I would have baked the cakes before the weekend but the wedding isn't until Next satruday so want to bake the cake as late as possible.

As for being an expensive hobby - I have turned into a total cake bore, cake books and tins and equipment are as exciting to me as Shoes used to be

Any chance of a pic of the topper and dogs? My DH said he knows what it's like to be one of our dogs now- all this cake around and he isn't allowed to eat any!!

yupwhen I have finished it all I will take pics and post them

Got the cake decoration magazine today and the sugarcraft one so, off out to hang out the washing and relax in the sun with them

See BTPOG you are not alone, gone are the days of buying ordinary magazines

ooh another one to buy! excellent.
have baked a 9" chocolate cake and 12 " madeira sponge ready to makeup wedding cake tomorrow. must go and buy ar\ipan tomorrow morning for the fruit cake that is going on top.

Well I did my first proper figure today, took me just over 2 hours,
it is for a communion cake for Sat, NOW my only problem is...
He looked a nice size, but if I do my other figures like him they will be too big for the top table wedding cake...aaarrgghhh

So I really must get cracking on it as I am going to start to panic, its for July but its really not that far away!!!

And I am still trying to decide about the fan page, 1 major problem is I don't have an official name yet, don't want to be cakes by plumbum as there are quite a few of those here (well not plumbums but whoever's) and 2nd haven't a clue about facebook(hehe)

Olihan how much extra flour do you use? hink it was the snow white thread you told me off to search see if I can find it!

Its ok found what I was talking about, off to bake some cakes

OK Photo of Plain wedding cake with dogs on top now on profile.

brilliant BTPOG, well done, what have you got next??

Looks like I will be using the money from communion cake to go get the silver wood as I have just been asked to do a 10" square christening cake.

Right off to turn out a cake

thank plum,
I have a mermaid tea party next week then another wedding cake for the week after that.

OMG you are busy, I remember you getting asked to do those wedding cakes seems ages ago now

I need to find somewhere cheap for drums & boxes so I can keep a few here, as I have the christening cake to do next and then a mickey mouse cake for niece/godchild

I have just carved out a racing car, but everything is on hold now until dcs off to bed,

Now I know why I sit up until the wee hours, I prefer to get everything done instead of stopping & starting

Picutres Please!!

they all sound amazing

Communion cake on profile