Anyone in here decorate cakes?

[OctMtnWoods]

What an incredibly talented bunch of ladies you all are!

 

[stargrazer]

Beautiful cake Mos, hope you had a great Thanksgiving...well, that goes for everyone!

Welcome OctMtnWoods, love love love your sig picture...I'm a hiker myself, good stuff! Thanks for the compliments, we do have some awesome cakers here. I'm a beginner and have learned a LOT since starting the thread, some nice folks hanging about here.

Keep 'em coming! I haven't done any cakes at home since I started working at the bakery (lots of pies last week but that's another story, lol) but I have a wedding cake due on Dec 8 so I'll make sure and get pics of it for ya'll.


Diana

 

[Imzadi]

Do any of you have a Royal icing recipe that's strong & hard enough to make gingerbread houses AND is edible? The one I have uses raw egg whites & wouldn't be good with kids.

 

[MosMom]

3/4 cup of warm water
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2.25 lbs. powdered icing sugar


In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened...about 30 seconds.

Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

Tint with food coloring or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

 

[cryssi]

3/4 cup of warm water
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2.25 lbs. powdered icing sugar


In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened...about 30 seconds.

Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.

Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.

Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.

Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.

Tint with food coloring or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

I use this one all the time! Although I don't use the 2.25# of sugar, just one 2# bag...lol

 

[MosMom]

Yeah, I always seem to have a few bags with about a 1/4 left in the bottom so I just throw it in. If I needed to open a new bag for that small amount I wouldn't do it either.

 

[Imzadi]

Thanks for the royal icing recipe. Where can people buy the meringue powder? Do they have to go to a Michael's or craft store, or can they get it at the supermarket? I want to post the royal icing recipe on my Cookies from cake mixes! thread, but it defeats the purpose of using quick, simple ingredients if people have to chase around for the meringue powder.

 

[cryssi]

I don't know that I've seen it at a regular grocery store. I get mine from the cake shop. I've also bought the Wilton ones at Michael's/JoAnn. They also should have it at walmart in the cake decorating section...

 

[MosMom]

I got mine at Walmart. My middle of nowhere Walmart. In the Wilton/cake decor section back by crafts & wedding stuff.

 

[suzannews]

Here's a pic of a High School Musical 2 cake I made for DD to take to a friends party. Hopefully it will show.

sorry, can't get the link to work

 

[stargrazer]

Hey, hope you all are doing well and ready for the holidays!

I wish I could use royal icing at work - they aren't being too stringent about hampering my creative abilities but nothing but buttercream for now. Sigh.

Cool thread, Imzadi; if I ever get any interneterwebbing time back I will check it out!

Suzannews, wish we could see your pic

I think I mentioned not being able to get pics at work, but today I got to do my first retail wedding cake so I got pics before I left. It was a lot of firsts for me as far as caking goes; first stacked cake with dowel supports, first buttercream tiered, first time three tiers, first time doing a lot of scroll and dots - freehand at that first time putting a ribbon on a cake, first delivery, etc. I learned a lot of lessons, it isn't perfect but it's also not bad so I'll take it for a first! Here she be...Ivory. Scroll work goes all the way around the bottom and halfway around the top but the glare is a bit much.

Can't wait to see any holiday stuff ya'll are up to!

Diana

 

[cryssi]

Looks great!!!

I haven't had a chance to cake much, but I'm in the middle of 88+ dozen cookies...

 

[CF'er]

Excellent cake Star.

Question for the pro's. DD9 wants to make a gingerbread house this year. Is one of those kits the best way to go? If not any suggestions or tips on places to get started. I've never done one before.

 

[stargrazer]

CFer, thanks for the response! It depends if you are wanting to have a baking and decorating experience or just decorating.

We use the kits and then just buy more candy to decorate with and make more royal icing as needed. I'm too busy to actually bake any houses and we don't eat them anyway; as it is, DD will be decorating it on her own during holiday break it looks like.

If you want to bake it, no doubt the folks here have some amazing ideas for you.

Cryssi That's a LOT of cookies! The smell would make me crazy, I LOVE the smell of cookies baking.


Diana

 

[CF'er]

So the pre-made kits are ok just add extra "sparkle" on your own? That's probably what we'll do then as it's a whole lot easier. I am dessert challenged in the kitchen.

 

[scarlett873]

Well...I'm no longer working for the bakery. I came to realize that it just was NOT the place for me. While I liked the people that I worked with, the owner, in my opinion, had very unreal expectations as to how long it should take to complete something. I was doing things that I have NEVER done before and had I known that she was timing me, I would have moved a little quicker. But silly me...I was more concerned with how to do things properly and not quickly! And I think that I was unfairly "timed". It did not take me as long as she said that it did to do what I was doing...even the other girls had my back on that one. But after a lot of thought, I realized that it was just not the right place for me. But it's not a bad thing!

I'm back at my full time job full time again, which is good for my checkbook, and I've decided to transfer my credits towards a Business Administration program. Instead of getting an associates degree, I'll be getting my Bachelors degree! While I still really want to decorate cakes, i'm excited to try something new...again...lol

I still want to decorate cakes, but I want to do it on MY terms and not someone else's.

I'm getting ready for my boss's annual end of the year celebration this weekend! I go up a day early to help him cook and I also handle all of the desserts. So i'm about to immerse myself in a baking frenzy! They have a specific theme each year and I try to coordinate my desserts with their theme. This year's theme is gingerbread houses. So i'm making gingerbread cupcakes, mini eggnog cupcakes, tiramisu trifle, peppermint mousse cups, gingerbread men, and truffle dip. There will be approximately 60 of us at this party...so i've got to prepare quite a bit. It's a lot of work, but I really enjoy doing it! I won't be sleeping until Sunday...lol...and that'll be with a slight hangover... Lack of sleep+no time to eat+wine/irish cream at the party = one tipsy Brandie!

Lovely cake up there!!

 

[Imzadi]

well, good & bad for you Brandie. Bring plenty of business cards with you for your boss's event. Maybe you'll get lots of business & referals out of it. Maybe you're meant to start your own dessert catering company - doing things in your own time frame & getting to pick & choose the events you want to work.

 

[Carys]

I've really loved looking at the photos on this thread. Baking is a source of relaxation for me, and I like to dabble in making things for friends, although I have no training and my efforts are, shall we say, homespun As a contribution to the photos on this thread, here's a babyshower cake I made for a friend earlier this year.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1168961

 

[stargrazer]

CF'er, those kits can be ADORABLE! Have fun!

Brandie...I totally understand the 'being timed' thing. My manager has been really good about letting me slide on some of the timing thing for now but I know a LOT of managers will NOT slide on it; although it is decorating (and perfection is something in our blood) most retail shops are about production and, as a newbie, that's a hard thing.

I'm sorry about the job but as Imzadi said, this may be a good thing in the long run. Obviously you are talented in the kitchen and I'm sure at some point you will get the RIGHT opportunity for your talents. Keep sharing your pics and stories with us because I am inspired by you ladies!

Have fun at your boss' party (and have a drink for me!)

Carys, that is a lovely picture, your roses are really nice! Thanks for joining our thread, hope you will stay and chat with us

Alright ladies, I'm off the caking today, tomorrow I have two character cakes and a bunch of fruit filled cakes to do for the floor but for today...off to finish holiday shopping.

Hope you have a day!!

 

[Zandy595]

I need help from you wonderful cake makers.

DS wants a surfboard shaped cake for his 12th birthday (this Saturday) and I can't figure out how to do it. I'll need enough cake for 10 people. My biggest problem is trying to figure out what to bake the cake in.

Any ideas?