Saturday 6 October 2012

Shaped Pans... I have 2!!!

What's the title all about? Well quite basically shaped cake pans!

I currently own 2 myself, a Wilton Giant Cupcake & a Wilton 3D Skull... I love them, just wish I got to use them more - still the Skull is very new for me & Halloween is upon us soon, with a couple of cakes to knock out!!!

I've made a fair few Giant Cupcakes, but not done 1 for a while... I may actually attempt a Christmas version, just because I've not seen anyone do this - I wonder if it's possible to bake a rich fruit cake in the tin?! Not so sure about lining the top, but should be able to line the base ok.

Without further a do, here's a couple of pictures of some of the Giant Cuppies I've previously made my Skull! Enjoy.....


         



Wednesday 25 April 2012

Never enough time...

Well, I never seem to have enough to do all that needs doing in a day that is for sure!


Today I have been literally sat at the laptop since, I did the chores & had my shower, I've been updating & trying to get content on my website you see...  I am sure people that look at websites think it is a 2 second job & everything is just there for you - WRONG!!!


It takes an absolute age, or maybe that is just me?!  I've been amending pages, getting rid of 'SPAM' comments (I'm so glad they're saved for approval before going live, more about that in a different blog), trying to add photos to my galleries (that hasn't happened, so need to get assistance from my friend Lorraine) it all just takes so long & you feel like you are getting nowhere... well that's how I feel about it.


It's so disheartening, as I really want to make my website look beautiful & add photos etc, but it just doesn't seem to get very far along at all.  Still bestie had a look around & left a comment for my guest book that I approved - So at least I have 3 guest book comments now, some news for the latest news page, I've linked this blog to the site, changed the sites header logo, edited the text on the home page & managed to put the correct picture to Lorraine's testimonial.  Doesn't sound like much does it?!


It took all afternoon though as I was trying & trying to upload pictures to the cupcake gallery but to no avail, it will be fully photo functioning one day - no idea when that day will come though as like my title suggests, there just isn't enough hours in the day!!!


Anyway, if you would like to take a look at my incomplete website, you can find it here: So·phis·ti·cakez!

Friday 20 April 2012

Only another 10 days...

Where on Earth has this year gone?!  I sit here updating my blogs (as I have been blogging a lot from my mobile & iPod - they don't make them look so pretty) & think to myself I last wrote a cakey blog on March 7th... OMG it's April 20th now!!!  I have just been so horrendously busy at home with the children, with the cakes, with chores that time has just brushed past me & it's almost May, we're almost half-way through the year!!!


So what have I been up to since my last cake blog I hear you ask???  Well it's been pretty much business as usual & lots going on as always both at home with the family, out with friends & of course loads of cakey goings on, else why would I be writing on my cake blog? Lol


Now this is the list of cakey goings on since my last cake blog; A very chocolatey 8" ultimate chocolate cake for my very dear friend & 'Biatch' Elaine, 84 x chocolate cuppies & 84 x vanilla cuppies for Cameron's (my eldest) teacher Mrs Clark (neé Miss Andrewes) to celebrate her marriage with all the teachers at the children's school & all year 5's & year 6's, a 9" triple layer chocolate fudge cake with chocolate ganache filling for Anneliese's friend Hannah's Dad, My own Dad's birthday cake (sorry the picture is on my camera still), 80 cake pops & 48 x Easter cuppies for Easter weekend at various places... Lol  So just a little bit of baking?! 2 cakes (5 layers in total), 216 cuppies & 80 cake pops total!!!


Oh & I have also been asked about 3 more weddings, a 90th birthday & a 50th birthday too!


I suppose a few photo's (off my mobile, I love the camera on my HTC) wouldn't go a miss in this blog now would they?!


 Elaine's special cake

1 of the 7 boxes of 24 Chocolate & Vanilla Cuppies

Hannah's cake for her Daddy


20 cake pops for karaoke at the Kings Arms with Funky Mike (hubby's bestie) 


24 Easter cuppies for Cupcake-oke at The Star with DJ Wobble (my hubby, Duncan)






20 Cake Pops & 24 Easter Cuppies for Easter Egg hunt
at friends Steve & Helen's on Easter Sunday (big gathering)


20 Cake Pops for karaoke at White Hart with Jason Ayres (bestie)

Wednesday 7 March 2012

B B B B B Birthdays!

Well, the past month has been fairly chilly to say the least hence the blog title of B B B B B Birthdays... That's me saying it through chattering teeth, lol!


It has been a very busy month cake wise, fortunately I have a rest this week but what have I produced since my February 1st???


Well..... I've had 2 x 8" Victoria, 1 x 10" square Vanilla, 3 x 8" Chocolate, 1 x 'Ham' cake, 1 x 4" square Fruit, 2 x 10" square Fruit & 48 Cuppies to date, that I can remember!!! That's a lot of baking ;)


Here's a few pictures of the various months work:


 My brother-in-law's 'Surprise' 40th Cake & Cupcakes


Bestie Jason's 'Ham' cake & my 'lover' (extremely great friend) Caroline's cake

My friend Teresa's son Jack's 'Surprise' 18th cake

My little princess Anneliese's 5th birthday cake (which she absolutely loved)

Thursday 16 February 2012

Surprise Birthday Cakes

There's nothing better than a surprise birthday cake if you ask me... It's just great seeing the expressions on people's faces when you produce a wonderful cake to them in their birthday when they're not expecting it, even better if it is for your family or very close friends too!


Now, there was a surprise cake on Saturday for my brother-in-law's 40th birthday celebrations, there were also Strawberry Daiquiri & Tiramisu cupcakes too... I think he & the rest of the family were suitably impressed, if I do say so myself they all looked & tasted fabulous!!!


I have been planning an extra special surprise cake for my bestie for a few weeks now, this has caused me sleepless nights & concern about how it was going to turn out, but I've impressed myself with the result - yes I know he follows & reads my blog, but he knows he is getting a cake... Just he has no idea what & I'm not letting any spoilers creep out, so you'll just have to wait for later Jason!  Evil bestie, Mwahahahahahahaaaaa!!!


Along with bestie's cake I've been decorating another surprise cake, which I cannot divulge any information about as the recipient has no idea at all that I am aware & that's how it will stay until the time comes to unveil the surprise... I can't wait though as the cake looks amazing!!!


I have another cake to do for another birthday next week too, though I won't get to see the face of that recipient... I'm sure it will be a picture though & I hope they will be happy with their cake too!


February sure has been a busy month cake wise, but it is flying by so fast... I suppose that's the problem with the shortest month of they year (although being a leap year we're getting an extra day) - I wonder what cakey delights I will have to do in March?!

Monday 13 February 2012

Not just cake...

That's right, it's not just cake that is produced here, today being the first day of half-term & having the kiddies home from school with me, we are making Chocolate Brownies & Cherry Flapjack with Dark Choc Chips!


Now the question is: "Will any of my children actually attempt to help me or will I be working alone as always?!"


The original plan was that Cameron (my eldest) was going to help as he really wants to make Flapjacks (suppose I'd better make some plain as well as the choc cherry) but I feat that now the evil television box has been powered up & sucked their minds blank of rational thought, my kitchen assistants will be thin on the ground if any! Lol


Still that just means that I can crank up the tunes on my iPod, listen to what I want & not have any distractions or interference... The kiddies will just enjoy the pleasure of getting to eat the delicious treats that I am about to make!


I'll edit this later & add some pictures when done... May even bring some samples out tomorrow for our family trip - privileged individuals will hopefully get to sample some too!


Here's the pictures:


 Flapjack & Choc/Cherry Flapjack


Chocolate Brownies (straight out the oven)

Friday 3 February 2012

Slow on the blogs, but not on the cakes...

Wow, it has been mega busy on the cake front here recently & is getting busier by the day... I don't mind though cause I enjoy what I do, so it's all good!




Last week I made a most fabulous 4-Tier Wedding Cake for a gorgeous couple, Fay & Richard (friends of my adopted daughter Alison) it consisted of a 12" rich fruit cake & a 10", 8" & 6" soaked vanilla layered sponges. It was decorated with matching pink & black gerbera, pink & black ribbons, black hand painted swirly design on white regal icing & I made a black, pink & white selection of beaded floral wires for a centre topper to finish it off... It looked amazing, wouldn't you agree?!



I've got loads of birthday requests coming up this month too, a 40th birthday cake today, 40th cupcakes next week, 40th birthday cake next weekend, 16th birthday cake next week also, then a Valentine's cake & birthday cake the week after & a 21st birthday cake at the end of the month.  It seems that the majority of my friends all have birthdays coming up at the moment!


I also have 2 x fruit cakes to make this weekend, a 4" square & 10" square... These are for the hospital staff that have been looking after my step-mother over the past two weeks to say thanks for all they've done while she's been in.


Busy, busy, busy... But it's all in the name of cakey goodness & keeping the public happy. I'm actually a little relieved that all my friends & family that do have birthdays this month have not requested cakes, cupcakes or cake pops as I think I'd need both a bigger kitchen & a kitchen assistant or 2 as I'd quite literally be over run with cakes - on a quick count up I've got approx 27 birthdays of family & close friends this month! Lol