How cool?! Cakes & Food Festivals

Have a read of a fellow cakey blogger...

http://misscakehead.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/oyster-cake-sweetcorn-sponge-sausage-icing/

Now I think Bestie would like a piece of this & tracking down the food festivals after his recent sausage tasting trip! Happy Reading :)))

Choctastic for Chocoholics

So, Lisa contacted me again after I had done a gorgeous 8" chocolatey chocolate cake for her Dad's 60th birthday...

A friend of hers wanted the same for a 70th birthday, except she wanted 2-Tiers (an 8" on a 10") brilliant!

Chocolate overload & some, you see the original cake I'd done for Lisa's Dad was a chocolate square sponge, filled & covered with delicious chocolate ganache, then adorned round the edge with Cadbury chocolate fingers & topped with Malteasers.

This 2-Tier was to be identical. Bare in mind the original cake took 600g of chocolate in the ganache, 3 boxes of fingers & just over a box of malteasers. This 2-Tier took 1.2kg of chocolate for ganache, 7 boxes of fingers & 3 boxes of malteasers... Plus obviously the chocolate sponges too!

Now this week has been particularly trying in the kitchen as I've had so much on, cakes, house, chores, school, appointments, clubs - it's been full on & some... So there were a couple of glitches along the way, but I do feel despite the occasional panic attack & error, as fraught as it may be I deal well under pressure.

We've all enjoyed the excess chocolate cake, so none went to waste! Want to know the gory details where errors occurred?!

First off on bake day my 8" sunk in the middle quite drastically, I had a mass baking 6" sandwiches, 8" sandwiches, 8" square, 10" square, 12" square... I accidentally opened the wrong oven 5 mins before end baking, wouldn't have been a problem on the right oven - alas the top oven had 15 mins left, so epic fail.

So then another 8" square needed baking from scratch... Not a problem, got that sorted & all was back on schedule.

So day 1 of ganache process first layer to fill, cover, set... 8" goes perfectly to plan, then on to the 10" - argh, as I unwrap it from cling film & move it to torte (slice in half, to fill) 1/3 breaks off! Eeeeeek, panic! So instead of my usual Thursday night karaoke jaunty to de-stress, I'm on a mad dash to Tesco for more butter & eggs then up all night baking a new 10" square!!!

So yesterday was a mad decorating day & some, I had to torte, fill, cover, set the 10" & while that was setting I started work on the 12" Victoria square - this was a last minute corporate cake for a 25th year anniversary that I took on for a friend Jan, made sense as Duncan is providing the entertainment for their celebrations.

So the Victoria is filled, jammed, layered, crumb coated & put in the fridge to set, while the chocolate 8" & 10" are out to have their second ganache coats, the 10" I had pre-dowel'd worth the first ganache coat (so it stoopid support the top tier). My kitchen smelt heavenly, so deliciously chocolatey!

I then second coat ganache'd the 10", stacked on the 8" & second coat ganache'd that top... I then had to Malteaser & Cadbury finger the beast! As you can imagine, I had to work pretty fast before the ganache set & so that the malteasers & fingers did not melt (advantages of having cold hands). But yes, I managed it before the school pick-up!

All that was left was ribboning & some fondant work to the board, what a choctastic success - it looked absolutely fabulous!!!

Just so you know, the 12" corporate cake was finished yesterday evening too & looks totally wonderful too... But you can judge both by the photos x

posted from Bloggeroid

Birthday Dilemmas

So it's like this...

... This weekend I get to see one of my most closest cousins whom I love dearly, we've always been so close & stayed in touch since childhood even though we've probably not actually seen each other in approx 22 years!

Shocking I know, but we're always chatting via FB, txt... Used to be pen n paper but how times change eh?!

Now my cousin is always commenting on my status's n page & as she will be turning 36 on Friday I must do an ultra special cake for when she is here to celebrate her birthday in style (she's like the lil sister I never had) but I'm having so many dilemmas as to what to do?!

My first thought was a rainbow cake, as I've been wanting to do one for a while now... But that would just be vanilla or lemon sponge - plain, simple flavoured.

My second thought was a toffee, mocha, chocca cake... Similar style to a rainbow with 4 layers or so but each layer a different flavour: vanilla, toffee, coffee, chocolate - mmmmm, indulgent flavours.

The third thought was a giant chocolate cupcake... As I've not done a giant for a while so it would be busy awesome to do a chocolate overload giant - perfectly chocoholic!

My final thought is just a simple rich chocolate sponge to celebrate the birthday & then do some different flavored cuppiecakes to take to bestie's karaoke on Sunday night so we can have a variety of flavours to enjoy!

What to do?! I've no idea & keep changing my mind (it's a womans prerogative) so what would you do???

The curse of number 13 & a fantastic 90th birthday cake!

13.1.13 - So it's just another ordinary Sunday to the non superstitious people, like myself...

To prove a point I've broken mirrors, walked under ladders, trodden on cracks, seen singular magpies & not saluted them etc, etc!

I wake up, make a coffee, feed the kids, tidy the kitchen & set about getting everything ready for the cake I'm about to assemble n decorate... Everything is going to plan, or so I think!

The fact is though, after I post a status on my cakey Facebook page this is where either a) I'm cursed or b) the day was cursed!!!

At 9:43 am I set my pages status as: it's time to fill, crumb coat, regal ice & decorate the 90th birthday cake with lots of prettification now! Hehe

So I open a new cake drum, add a little buttercream frosting to it & put the bottom layer down... Brilliant all going well, pause to put kids bowls in dishwasher while the strawberry jam is heating gently in the microwave.

My dad calls by unexpected, the microwave pings & I remove the jam n stir, setting this to one side while we chat cake, family, life & I make a coffee for him, then carry on with putting the buttercream frosting in the middle of the cake to fill - I then say goodbye to my dad.

Next I put the top layer on the bottom & chill the whole cake in the fridge to set the buttercream frosting before I crumb coat (oblivious to my error at this point) I'm happily singing along to Olly Murrs, chatting with my lil princess Anneliese totally unaware.

The cake is removed from the fridge & I'm crumb coating it with buttercream frosting, I just finish levelling it all perfectly when lil miss pipes up "is it time for the jam to go on now mommy?!"

Oh my freaking days!!!! I'm mortified, I see the cooled jam sat there in the prep dish just waiting - so I'm looking at the perfectly crumb coated cake, thinking what am I gonna do now (it's 11:30)...

Ok, don't panic Lynda I say to myself... So I think maybe if I'm extra careful I can just separate the layers & put the jam in, then tidy up the crumb coat again - this should work right?!

Wrong..... As I delicately start to ease the top layer off the bottom it starts ripping - Eeeeeek!!! Not wanting to give up I carry on with a few explicit words firing out my mouth (Gordon Ramsey has nothing on me) ooops.

The top is off (minus a few mm from the base) & I start to level the buttercream frosting on the bottom layer to add the jam but it is full of crumbs where the bottom of the top separated off, I add the jam all the same but my stress levels had gone beyond breaking point for the week (it has,been a week n a half for me & this is where it gets messy) - the top layer is back on but then... I loose it as I know it is not perfect, I have OCD & I'm not happy, what would the recipient think???

Still cursing for England (poor hubby is washing the girls hair) I start screaming how the cake is ruined (not the word I used, but I'm censoring this blog) that nobody cares, I'm a failure etc, etc, etc - I then ask if anyone wants the stupid cake, screaming I'm gonna have to start again but I have just 5 hours to do it all.

Now this next point will sound hilarious but believe me, it was lucky I was the only living thing in the kitchen at the time... I grabbed the bread knife from the drawer & physically took it out on the innocent cake - I think I should've been sat in the corner rocking or carted off to a mental asylum!

Lookie what happened to it!!! I was completely mentally unstable, after screeching at my hubby to hold me & tell me it'll be alright, he helped me set about from scratch it was midday - I don't think I've ever knocked a Victoria sponge out so quick & I didn't even use my trusty bible (my guru's book) for back up confidence... He weighed as I shouted out ingredients & quantities, I mixed, it worked quite well having an extra pair of hands!

It was quite tense in the kitchen though. I quickly vented my frustrations to some very good cakey friends but in the brief format (bet you're all reading this now eh?!) & put a new status on my page: time for a new cakey blog after this creation is finished me thinks! Lol x

Once the cake was safely in the oven hubby went off to sort sons hair out with the clippers, while I whipped up another batch of vanilla buttercream frosting.

I then set about making a fondant open rose, 5 rose buds, 6 leaves & a butterfly, during the process of this I had to pause to get the cake out the oven, restart whole it cooled in the tins for 5 mins, turn the cake onto cooling racks to finish cooling completely & continue to work with the fondant!

It was 1.50 by the time I'd finished all this, yes I was panicking as I needed to be finished by 5pm latest... The cake was being collected at 5.30 & I was due out at 5.50 for a belated Christmas party!!!

I have a clear up from my modelling with fondant & pit all the ingredients away, wash up the cake pans & pieces from my Kitchenaid, then recreate my assembling workspace. The new cake is thoroughly cooled (so glad it's winter, aids the cooling process) & start again where I had started over 4 hours ago.

De ja vous: cake board, frosting, bottom layer, frosting...

Yay I remembered the jam!!! Top layer, crumb coat & set in fridge while I roll regal icing (fondant) out to cover it. This took two attempts as the regal ice was a little bit dry & cracked the first time, soon sorted that out with a bit of Trex though!

Covered the cake with ease, smoothed, polished & trimmed the excess off... I had my blank canvas finally to add the magic.

Phew it looked like the curse had lifted or so I thought, had it?!

I got my pink royal icing ready gave it a refreshing beating, had my icing tips already layed out, my bag was waiting with a coupler in, had my trust highball glass to hold my icing bag, I placed the cake on my turntable & put the first tip on to pipe the edges.....

On with the filling, I wondered if my royal icing was a bit too thin? So tested a rosette on a lid, it seemed ok (I think I looked away too quick as was stressing about the time), so I went about piping the first row around the base of the cake - insert sinister music here, da da da daaaah! Disaster strikes again, by the time I'd got half way round the original starting point had lost its form like a melting snowman!

I could cry again, yes I physically was like Niagara Falls when I had my mental breakdown after cake one! But no, I can do this... So I carefully scrape off the fallen royal icing, very carefully clean the cake drum with some kitchen towel & baked water, then empty my piping bag back to a bowl & add some more icing sugar to stiffen it to a more piping consistency - great!!!

FFS, I made it too thick & it was hell to pipe... After the initial base piping I change tips & add a smaller rosette above the random shellish pattern, it looks ok, I change the tip again & add a ruffle type edge to the top - fantastic it's starting to look good.

I then start gluing on the rose, rose buds, leaves & butterfly, it's a delicate job & you can't rush it. I then put my writing tip on the coupler to add the wording - grrrr, grrrrr, grrrrrrrrrrr the royal icing is now too thick for my writing tip!

Good job I always test on a lid before cake else it could've killed it completely again beyond fixing at this point - so quickly I emptied the bag back into the bowl, added some lemon juice & thinned it out, while hubby had to wash the tip out for me... It was 4.30, the kitchen looked like a bomb site for me!

I refilled the bag, piped the wording & then set about  adding the ribbons, I royal iced the first in place, then the second & then royal iced a bow together & royal iced that on to the front... Finally the cake was finished it was 4.40!!!

But the story doesn't end there, oh no......

The box that I had out ready for the cake was too shallow with the rose decoration on top, if I hadn't noticed I could've killed it again! I folded that box back up & got a taller box, I then proceeded to take photos quickly before boxing it up (also got a couple of it in the box). I could now almost finally breathe easy, but urgh the kitchen was a freaking mess!

Now I can't stand leaving my kitchen in disarray, hubby offered to do it but I just had to pitch in & get it just right. I dived in the shower at 5.05 (remember out by 5.50, cake collected 5.30), I literally had got out, dried & thrown my dressing gown on, when I heard the knock on the door - good job I knew the lady eh?! Hubby sorted Lisa out with the cake for her nan, I said a quick "Hi" & ran upstairs to get dressed & dry my hair.

I actually just managed to pull this one off in the nic of time, it just goes to show what pressures us home cakers go through... After all we are human & not robot or machine as per your average shop brought mass produced £10 cake.

Hope you like the end result, I think it turned out incredibly well... How about you???

Happy caking y'all x

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.....

         

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)

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)

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?!

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

Christmas Cakes are now priority...

As the title suggests, Christmas Cakes are now my priority as far as cake life goes!  I did have a few spontaneous Cupcake-oke's that I was going to create gorgeous Cupcakes for yesterday & this Friday coming but they have definitely had to take a back seat & be bypassed this time as there just is so much other stuff going on right now (few issues in my life that have put a sudden stop to this sadly) & with 6 x Christmas Cakes to feed, marzipan & ice, they really do have to be my priority only as far as cakes go.


I currently have 2 x 5" Christmas Cakes, 2 x 6" Christmas Cakes & 2 x 8" Christmas Cakes that have been mixed, baked, fed & wrapped sat in their tins maturing, waiting for their next Brandy feed - boy do they look & smell good already =)


I however did manage to get out two birthday cakes for my good friends that always request cakes from me for any event they have coming up, although decorating & distributing from another kitchen this week - I have also gained a new fan club in the process, who were astounded with my skills & wow'd with my work!

A short but sweet blog, but hey cakes can be small & are most definitely sweet so it is all good =)

Christmas is coming & the goose is getting FAT!!!

Not strictly true, but my waistline will expand that's for sure - not sure I would class myself as a goose though?!


Anyhow, haven't done a cakey blog for a while so I suppose I ought to before the year comes to a close... can you believe it's December 1st already?!  Doesn't time fly when you have good cake???  I think it does!


Well, the next few weeks are going to be busy, busy, busy in my little kitchen - right up until Christmas we will be having Cupcake-oke at the pub where my lovely hubby does his regular karaoke slot: Last week a lovely friend was down & it was his first visit to this karaoke venue so I treated him with my Carnation Vanilla & Triple Choc Chip Chocolate Cupcakes they went down amazingly well & even another friend who is a pastry chef could not believe how good my cupcakes were & called me a name as they said even they didn't make cakes THAT good! This week is a friends birthday so again I am making cupcakes for her, another birthday celebration next week (although the birthday is tomorrow, but they are out with family), the week after my bessie is out to play so gotta do cupcakes then for sure & the week after that is my adopted daughters 25th birthday so of course she is getting cupcakes & cakepops (so long as I have time) & that is also Christmas Eve, Eve!!!


I also have 2 birthday cakes to make next week, 5 Christmas cakes next week & also a birthday cake for my adopted daughter to take up to her real parents for the 22nd - it's all go & the kitchen is going to smell divine for the next few weeks - I can't wait!!!


Oh, here's a couple of pictures of the cake pops that I made & blogged about previously (Oct 12th):

Cake Pops... The cakes of the future?!

What is a Cake Pop?  A Cake Pop is a creative way to enjoy a little bit of cake in a fun way!


During the past 6 months I have heard & seen more & more of Cake Pops, so inevitably I wanted to do some research & try my hand at making some...

Pretty little things aren't they?!  Now these are just a few examples of Cake Pops that I have found around the net (thanks Google images), I am yet to attempt to make any although I am going to attempt them & take them out to karaoke with me on Friday night so if you want to try my Cake Pops for yourself then come & join me =)

The Cake Pops I am planning on making are going to be mint-choc flavoured, a double chocolate cake crumbled & mixed with a mint-choc buttercream frosting to form the ball shapes... I will then be coating them in Wilton candy melts chocolate mint which is brown in colour & will be decorating the completed pops with bright candy decorating pens & various sprinkles to make them all pretty!

I will take plenty of pictures & re-blog about these very soon so you can see what my Cake Pops turn out like... I am hoping they will be a real success as I have promised my adopted daughter Alison that I will make her some for her Birthday in December this year, wish me luck.

It's MY Birthday...

Yes, you read correctly... in a little over 3 days it will be MY birthday!  Yes, Friday July 29th is my birthday & you've guessed it I will be making my own cake/cupcakes & eating it/them!!!  What's wrong with that???  I know what flavours I like, I know what design I want & I know what I like - it's perfect if I do it myself isn't it?!


Now, last year I had a three tier stacked birthday cake consisting of a 10" square chocolate, 8" square coffee & 6" square caramel cake... it was divine if I do say so myself & was very girlie!

As you can see I also had a cupcake tower with 3 different flavours of cupcakes, last year I had Oreo, Vanilla 99 Flakes & Vanilla with Chocolate Chips topped with indulgent Chocolate buttercream!

Now this year, as my birthday is on a Friday & my husband does karaoke down a local pub that I always go to without fail... I am taking cake/cupcakes to the pub!  On this years menu will be a chocolate birthday cake in the form of a very girlie giant cupcake, this will not be being cut but will be coming home with me, as it will have a candy shell which makes them not the easiest to cut & my children are away for my birthday so it's only right that they get to share my cake with me!  Also though to keep all the guests happy at karaoke I am doing a selection of cupcakes again, we are having: Oreo, Peanut Butter, Espresso & Red Velvet (all particular favourites of mine) Just hope the guests are not too disappointed they won't be getting any of the giant cupcake?!  Maybe I might do a small 6" cake to take to the pub instead & just leave the giant cupcake at home to have with the children???  I am thinking that sounds like the best plan to avoid anyone being disappointed in me.

Bit of a brief blog this evening, but not a lot else to blog about at present... I've blogged on my personal blog so am a little blogged out "/

Have cake & eat it!!!

Weddings, Charities & Birthdays...

Well it is all go in my little cake world, since July started I haven't really stopped!  The first weekend was amazingly busy, but the events that went hand in hand with the cakes were amazing in themselves.  I first had a very chocolatey Hen Do cake to create for my friend Sam's hen do, then I had the 2-tier Wedding Cake & 100 x Cupcakes to create for my friend Louise's wedding, finally I had a birthday cake to create for my son's 10th Birthday!  See the pictures for the creations for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd of July:

This is Sam's Hen Do Cake, I think she really, really liked it as While I was out at my regular night off at Karaoke I received this text: Thank u so so much for my choc cake.  Love the pic and sparkles.  Amazing.  Thank u x 

Above are the 100 x Wedding Cupcakes, boxed & ready to be transported for the event...

The 2-tier Wedding Cake with Bride n Groom figures & Del Boy's Reliant (supplied by a friend)

 100 x Cupcakes on tower with bridal bouquet

My Son Cameron's 10th Birthday Cake, Dr Who themed as requested by him!




Now, as if that was a busy week?!  Last week I had a Charity event, Belle's Boutique which was in aid of Cancer Research organised by a good friend of mine Nicholle... she had asked me a while back if I would have a stall with Cupcakes on, to which I agreed as it was for a good cause after all & in memory of her mum.  So again I had a fairly hectic cake week as I also had a 10" Birthday Cake to make for a friends brother's 30th birthday party.  I made 96 mini cupcakes & 68 regular cupcakes for the charity event, these then had to be divided up & packaged.  36 mini cupcakes went on my 2-tier cupcake plate stand, the remaining 60 were boxed in packs of 6 then tied with a cute cupcake ribbon.  The 68 regular cupcakes were boxed in 4's, again topped off with a cute cupcake ribbon - I then inserted business cards under each ribbon!  A big THANK YOU to a wonderful young lady Miss Megan Gunn (my friend Debbie's daughter) who hand-crafted me some wonderful Cupcake themed bunting for the event with my trade name So·phis·ti·cakez!  It was a very busy 3 hours & I am awaiting the final amount raised for the charity to get back to me.

Beautiful Bunting Meg =)

This week, I have a birthday cake & cupcakes to make for Thursday for a very special friend of ours & Friday I have a small birthday cake to make for my friend Aisling's boyfriend... it's all go at the moment, but it's great =)