Home-made cakes thread 2

littlebit

Nanamia wrote: »

Wow littlebit a proper laboratory set of tests:) glad you've decided on your favourite that's another job done:)

Oh sorry I missed your adventure Nat. Sounds wonderful I did google the area cos geography is not one of my strong points ( not outside south Manchester !) Finally starting to feel like myself again today:) Can't Believe it lasted so long. It was horrible. No baking for a few days yet tho need two 'clear days' fingers crossed it won't be long:) Ive lost a fortnight !!!

Must admit i have a little OCD i think especially when it comes to researching stuff I'm awful, i do it for hours and look at every possibility and variation i can think of or that Google throws out as i search it suggest stuff, i also made 2 different butter creams 1 trex, 1 without trex lol i made 2 different chocolate coatings the other day when i made the big cake to test them out, like i said Ocd :rotfl:and i also still have the sponge cake

VfM4meplse

becs, the macaroons look amazing, really professional!

littlebit wrote: »

Must admit i have a little OCD i think especially when it comes to researching stuff I'm awful, i do it for hours and look at every possibility and variation i can think of or that Google throws out as i search it suggest stuff, i also made 2 different butter creams 1 trex, 1 without trex lol i made 2 different chocolate coatings the other day when i made the big cake to test them out, like i said Ocd :rotfl:and i also still have the sponge cake

It's very easy to get obsessive in the pursuit of perfection .

I've been looking for the disposable icing bags - found the CBY in Asda that bindiboo recommended and slung them into my basket w/o a second thought - and was a bit surprised to see they scanned though at £2.75 for 10! Sorry, just too expensive for 10 bags and not very MSE! Since then I've been on a bit of a mission - the plasticy bags and rigid tubes seem to be everywhere, from 99p to £2. I thought these would be a bargain at 1p for 20 from Amazon - but of course they hit you handsomely with the delivery costs! So I've decided to DIY with some greaseproof paper for now.

I did buy some 15L plastic boxes from Wilko this morning for just £3 each, handy for storing all my baking goodies and keeping unwanted visitors out!

moosetastic

VfM4meplse wrote: »

becs, the macaroons look amazing, really professional!

It's very easy to get obsessive in the pursuit of perfection .

I've been looking for the disposable icing bags - found the CBY in Asda that bindiboo recommended and slung them into my basket w/o a second thought - and was a bit surprised to see they scanned though at £2.75 for 10! Sorry, just too expensive for 10 bags and not very MSE! Since then I've been on a bit of a mission - the plasticy bags and rigid tubes seem to be everywhere, from 99p to £2. I thought these would be a bargain at 1p for 20 from Amazon - but of course they hit you handsomely with the delivery costs!

I did buy some 15L plastic boxes from Wilko this morning for just £3 each, handy for storing all my baking goodies and keeping unwanted visitors out!

These are the disposable icing bags I use - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-x-DISPOSABLE-SAVOY-21-ICING-PIPING-FOOD-MASH-BAGS-/150573884963?pt=Uk_Crafts_Cake_Decorating_MJ&hash=item230ee72623 cannot fault them and they are gigantic!

Some good looking cakes ladies and gents, loving the Stewie cake Monkey!! Like the macaroons as well Becs, you'll have to divulge the recipe, are they like whoopie pies? Liking the research littlebit, you can never be too OCD when it comes to baking I think! Striving for perfection is always in the back of my mind!

So, here is the birthday cake I made for my friends little boys birthday today, Fireman Sam (made of icing) and Thomas (its a toy, I cheated!! ) -






they were accompanied by 24 cupcakes as well, I didnt pipe the icing as it was made with dairy free margarine and I didnt think it would hold up well with the heat of my hands on the piping bag -

becs

Oh moose that is absolutely stunning! Really gorgeous, I bet your little boy was thrilled!

Vfm4meplse I don't normally use disposable bags but a Wilton one which is great, however with the 216 cupcakes to ice tree was no way I could ge bothered with washing it up every 10 minutes so I bought the big Lakeland disposables. They were expensive but they are brilliant. I won't use them all the time but for big stuff then they'll definitely be used.

NiceGuyEddie_2

The Lakeland 'Get a Grip' piping bags are advertised as disposable, but can actually be re-used as they wash and dry fine. Obviously if you're requiring v. high-quality icing and/or are piping in high quantities (as in becs' amazing Union Flag display) then you might not want to risk it and just get one use out of each bag instead, but for more everyday piping and smaller quantities I've never had a problem with reusing the bags

Holly from the last series of the Great British Bake Off mentioned this on a cupcake course that she ran, and if it's good enough for her high standards then I figured it was definitely worth a try, and so far they've been fine to re-use.

VfM4meplse

Amazing cakes moose, you're so talented!

Monkeymagic

Love the macaroons becs. always think they look very grown up fireman sam cake is ace moose, as ever.
finally my burger cake was finished today. anyone else find once its finished you just want shot of it? I get absolutely neurotic about some last minute disaster and shout at my poor kids if they go within 10 feet of it! Anyways here it is. the fry box is made of card and my mum did that for me as i am useless with a printer!

becs

Wow monkey that is amazing! My birthday is jan 14th if you fancy sending one lol! Fantastic!
We've just had details of the village fete in a couple of weeks and there is a cake competition. Trying to think of what I could do. It can be cupcakes or full size sponge. Thought might do the cupcake rose bouquet or was thinking something along the olympic theme. Thought I could do a round cake covered in fondant with te middle circle on top cut out, could then make it like a running track around the outside and the pipe buttercream grass in the middle. Anyone have any other ideas? Don't want it to be too over the top as usually only half a dozen entries and only one of those was decorated last year. My victora sandwich came 2nd that I threw together an hour before as didn't know about it!

Monkeymagic

Thanx becs. would send one but it weighed a tonne so dread to think what the postage would be
funnily enough i have got cake comp at end of month thru work, its at our sports day - yes they have home made and give us a clue for the lazy people i had similar thoughts on olympic theme as thought appropriate for a sports day. had got as far as running track and had thought of long jump as sand v easy. if you google olympic cake theres lots of ideas. i liked the ice cream cone olympic flames

moosetastic

thank you all for your kind comments monkey, that burger cake is amazing!!! love it!!