70th birthday cake, part 2

This morning I iced the cake in fondant. I think the half marg, half butter worked. The buttercream crumb coat had harden nicely and the cake seemed much more stable than the last few I have made. The findant went on smoothly. I alway have a job transfering the iced cake to the board without leaving fingerprints and dents.

I was going to cut out some music notes but as time wasn't on my side, I painted some on. I was also hoping I could make the guitar stand up but it broke. Just a 70 to plonk on the top when I get to Dads and some candles and it will be done.

70th Birthday cake. Part 1.

Dad is 70 on Saturday so to celebrate I've made him a birthday cake. I alway find it tricky as to what to put on a mans cake, but this time I have an idea which hopefully will be quite simple to do.

Part 1 Make the cake.

Iz and I set to make a basic Victoria sponge.
It true bake off style the first one when wrong and we have to start over. With Iz helping chaos ensued and she caused more work tidying up, but she enjoyed mixing and licking.

2. Making decorations.

So I'm going with a music theme as Dad plays the guitar. I printed out a few outlines of guitars and cut it into parts to cut round. I'm doing this with the hope it will dry for tomorrow and I can assemble it. I have also done a few in case I break them. 

3. Crumb coating.

So once the cake is sandwiched with Strawberry jam and buttercream a layer of buttercream is spread on the top and sides. This is where I go wrong. As I tend to use Penny lactose free marg my buttercream often ends up to soft and sloppy and the cake slides under the fondant as it doesn't harden. This time I have made it half butter and half marg and will leave it to set over night before I icing it.

That's about all I can do today. 

Rainy day

Rain and the cold has put playing in the paddling pool on hold so for something different to entertain the kids had a go at cake decorating.
I mixed a few different colours up. Minecraft colours for James and pink for Pen, gave them cutters, rolling pin and let them go.
These are the results.

They tasted great too.

John's big 40

On the 10th August John celebrated his 40th birthday. We had a BBQ at home with the family. Despite the dodgy looking rain clouds it kept fine and we had a lovely time.
This was just one of his birthday cakes. He was very lucky and got 2. I made this one and his mum made a lovely chocolate cake with a rubix cube, Dennis the menace and Kermitt the frog on it.
For his prezzie we went to Swindon computer museum,  Wookey Hole and Borwood House to see Tractor Ted.

Cake Lace

Just recently I've been playing with my new toy, Claire Bowmans cake lace. Unlike a lot of these things often there is a knack or you have to be super patient, which I'm not. This however, is quick, easy and is ready to go almost straight away.
You just mix the 2 ingredients like it states on the pack. Spread it on the silicone lace moulds and pop it in the oven to dry. 10mins later it is ready to peel from the mould and use. It looks and feels like lace and if stored right can stay flexible for 6 months. I'm going to try colouring it black next and go for a goltic looking cake.
Here is the result. My Grandma 91st birthday cake.

Happy 4th July

Happy independants day to all the people across the pond. I'm not American, but I like any excuse for a themed party, so tonight we are having an 4th July BBQ. I have made a yummy cake and going to hunt out some Missippi mud pie for pud. Along with red, white and blue attire, we are going to have some cosmos and Manhattens.

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow our gorgeous little boy turns 3. He is having a little party at home in the afternoon with 4 friends and family. The theme is JCB there are diggers everywhere.
Today I've been busy making yellow and orange fairy cakes and a very impressive birthday cake. Really looking forward to it.

Cake Cake Cake

Cake I made for Hollys birthday. Was very easy to create and one I would definatly do again. I took the idea from cake decorating magazine. This is how I managed it. I should have taken pictures of each step but I completing forgot.

I first made a Victoria sponge and covered it with fondant icing. While the icing was soft I stamped it which the flower stamp. I have to press on quite hard and going round the corners was tricky.
I make a bowl of royal icing, seperated and coloured it yellow, pink and orange.
Using my smallest piping nozzel I piped round a few of the outline of petals (not down the middle). Using a small wet paint brush I brushed the piping into the petal and down the flower. After I finshed the flower I piped around the flower again.

It was very relaxing to do and I'm very pleased with result. I was disappointed in how the fondant icing came out, it have air bubbles in it. I'm not sure how I can get rid of them and every sponge cake I ice seem to have them.

Cake Flops. I mean pops.

As stated in the previous post, that amongst all my Christmas goodies was a cake pop kit. So I decided to channel my inner Jane Asher and have a pop at making some. Armed with my pretty pink silicon pop mould, Victoria sponge batter and a rather poor instruction book, I dreamt I would be turning up at my sister's party tomorrow with arm fulls of delicately iced treats.

This is what I aimed to achieve.

I started off well.

However, due to an inbalance of cake mixture my pops had a flat bottom. I thought I would be able to disguise it with the decoration.

The finished result.

Not quite what I was aiming for. These were the best, the rest refused the stay on the sticks and slid down them rather pathetically. Penny and John enjoyed eating the dregs. I'm too ashamed to take them to Cols tomorrow (hangs head in shames).

Todays effort.

I'm pleased with the decoration. The fondant icing is a bit ropey, I was in a hurry to get it done.

2nd birthday

James' 2nd birthday was yesterday. I am shattered. Because he doesn't know anyone his age we decided to go to kids world in Skeg, play and have a meal. Charlie and Marley came too. They all loved it. I enjoyed the meal, mum and dad both came. The cake I made was amazing and tasted great.
James opened his cards in bed with us in the morning, then had a few presents downstairs. He got a remote control car from us which he keeps banging into things. Some bricks from aunty Kerry, Thomas birthday train from aunty Katie and a mouse, grandma Greenaway got him a Thomas lunch box and book. Throughout the day he got Thomas bricks from dad, mix mix stuff from mum, wooden train track bridge and gates from Col. Lovely books from Grandad Metcalf. play do from Ros. He also got some money.

We visited Johns dad in the evening, then nipped in to see grandma to giver some cake, by this time James was fast asleep. He had a very busy day.

Katies birthday

Had Katies birthday party last night. We were having a bbq at dads but unfortunatly the rain meant we had to have it in the shed. It was a good night. Ros came down so did Lou. Dad smoked us all out by putting the fire pit in the shed. James went home with mum. Everyone slept in tents in the garden. Spent today recovering. X

Cake.

Had a go at making a Barbie cake for Katies 25th Birthday. Was really impressed with the way it turn out, considering I was in a rush. It was meant to be a surprise but she noticed that there was a pair of Barbie legs on the table and guessed. Shame the cake was a bit heavy.

x

I have found a new talent.

After the disaster that was the carrot cake, I decided to make a sponge, which turn out beautifully. Next came the decoration. Inspired by the cakes I saw at the wedding show and the fact that thought it didn't look that hard I decided to have a go. I found a super, thought really painfully slow, you tube video to show how to do the zebra print step by step. Icing the cake white was surprisingly easy. Roll it out, bung it on, smooth it down. Wasn't too concerned about bumps and blemishes because I could cover them. Getting the icing pink was a nightmare. It didn't seem to matter how much pink colouring I put into it, it was remain a pale pink, I wanted fushia. Gave up in the end, added a bit of red which seemed to brighten it up. If i do it again I will buy the icing already coloured.

With a pizza cutter in hand we, me and Katie, made the stripes. I have to admit Katie was more efficient at this than me, so I left her to it, and I stuck them to the cake.

Put some huge feathers it and there you go. Really please with it.

Sam.

Cake mistake.

Hi

Having been inspired by the sensational cakes from the wedding show, and me thinking I can do that, is having a shot at making a birthday cake for two friends (1 cake they can share). For something a bit different I decided to do a carrot cake, I thought it might be easier to ice. Got stuck in this afternoon. The cake is meant to take 45 minutes in the oven. Took it out and it was still wobbly, so bunged it back in again. 10min late another look, still a bit wobbly gave it a prod, it was still sticking to the knife, in it goes again. This happened until it had been in for 1 hour 15mins. Blow this I thought, maybe it will it is meant to be a bit wet and will carry on cook as it cools. So I take it out and sit down for a coffee. Went back 15mins late the whole thing had sunk it half it's size with a big crater in the middle. Sod this. Plan B I'm going to serve the carrot cake with so much cream cheese topping on that they won't notice. I had also made a sponge and put it in the oven. Fingers crossed it will turn out beautifully. If it doesn't I will buy a blinking cake.

The collapsed carrot cake.

Christmas shopping.

Went Christams shopping today in Lincoln. It was as bad as thought it was going to be. The place was empty, except for Primark whihc I stayed clear from. I ended up getting a few bits. I was going to get Chiristmas decorations but had a job finding any. So if anyone knows where to get some nice ones from let me know. I don't want tack. Now I have a house I'm all grown up.

Sam.

PS I made this cake and decorated it. It was Dad 60th last Sept had a big party for him.

Quite mildly grumpy

There I am happy as anything looking forward to going away. Then blow me down something goes and spoils it. Typical!

THE JOB CENTRE. I'm still arguing with them about money they owe me from Christmas. When I go today I'm told that they have been paying me too much. Instead of waiting for me to give me pay slips to them they have paid me instead. So I think I have to pay it all back. £400!!!! Feeling quite annoyed. And slightly stupid because I didn't notice anything different in my bank statements. Someone is looking into it for me and I shoudl find out how much I pay back in a few weeks. It is a complete mess. So instead of enjoying myself in Scotland I'm going to be thinking about and watching how I spend my money. GRRRRRRR.

Sam X

Mummmmm Cake

Hi.

Have just finished making and baking Vicky's birhtday cake. I started this morning at 11 and have only just finished. It is a bit pink. It wasn't meant to be this pink I spilt the pink colouring. Never main so likes pink. I'm quite pleased with myself. I rang her up this morning while I was making the flowers on it. She was saying that she wasn't going to get a cake this year. WRONG. I just hope it taste ok. Going to give her it today. I haven't got anything to store it in. Hope she likes it.

Sam X

PS I have to use a marker pen to write on it. It was the only thing I had must remember to tell people they can't eat that bit.

Hi.
Was in school again last week. Had a really rough day. Bit of a crazy class. But I managed, though my voice was quite strained by the end of the day. I definitely earn my money that day.

This is the finished result of the Christmas cake I've make. Really pleased with it. Dad doesn't like it, said it would like better with model santa's and snowmen on it. Decided that was too difficult for a beginner like me.

Having two Christmas's this year. Dad's Girlfriend has invited her family next weekend, so we are having an early Christmas, with turkey, crackers and games. I haven't meet them before. I will also be the odd one out as I'm going to be the only single person there everyone else is taking a partner.

Dad had finally brought him Christmas present from last year. Me and Colleen clubbed together to get him a bow and arrow, but the one we got him wasn't very good. So we just gave him the money to get one he liked. He is all kitted out now.

Sam X