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Hello, thought a group for English cake makers and deorators would be a good idea so wherever you are join me in discussion, thoughts, and musings about cake and cake toppers

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Graham on February 5, 2010 at 6:36am

I agree, homemade cakes are far more satisfying. My first cake was for my daughter's 2nd birthday, it wasn't nothing elaborate just a plain sponge with fondant icing, piped borders and then a rice paper topper with a fairy on it. The reason I decided to make one was because we lived out in Germany at the time and wasn't too good on the language to go and order a cake! Plus german cakes were very dry. Then at every birthday and christmas I attempted to make a cake and found my skills improved everytime. Then I was hooked, refuse to buy a shop cake again!

Permalink Reply by Lilly Wilders on February 9, 2010 at 10:46am

Tanya, why did you start making cake toppers? :o)

Permalink Reply by Tanya on February 9, 2010 at 11:23am

Hi Lilly, I have been a floral watercolourist for over 20 years! selling mostly to the Japanes market ( but also in the UK) I simply just stopped! I couldn't face it any longer. after a break I decided I wanted to do something compleatly different but creative as it's all I can do. I started after visiting a bridal show in Bristol I saw a lovely cake and was driven to make something to put on the top of it, I spoke to the cake maker and she encouraged me to have a go which I did and I am still doing it two years on.
It's not an easy market so many toppers out there! but I firmly believe I have something different and desirable that will find real status in the topper world.
Why did you start making cakes as you are very creative why not another field.?
Tanya

Lilly Manning said:

Tanya, why did you start making cake toppers? :o)

Permalink Reply by Rach on February 11, 2010 at 10:31am

Hello everyone, I just realised i hadn't written on here yet. Well I'm currently living in Essex, I started cake decorating about 6 months ago from out of no where really, I just thought that looks great I wanna be able to do that!! so I have done a couple of courses, watched a lot of vids on youtube and practiced. I would love to be able to do this full time. Like Lilly though I'm a bit of a perfectionist and some things take ages!!! practice me thinks :-)

Permalink Reply by ann pallett on February 15, 2010 at 11:52am

Hi everyone. I'm from Jersey CI in the UK
I've been decorating cakes for 29 years and love my job, you do have to evolve as there are many trends. When I first started we only used royal icing, goodness that was hard work, but I'm so pleased did it, I've just recently done a 2 day course at Slattery's in Manchester making little figure toppers, was brilliant fun, anyway I rambling on a bit, need to go and bake a cake.
Ann
My business is called Bake me a Cake

Permalink Reply by Rachel Graham on February 18, 2010 at 4:26am

Hi Ann,

welcome! I think you are the most experienced out of us all here so far. How have you found adapting to the latest "trends" in cakes over the years? I remember my mum and gran only ever covering their Christmas cakes in royal icing, now it seems that out of the window and fondant. I think because its easier to handle and can be moulded, and certainly quicker to cover a cake. royal icing you have to put layers and layers of the stuff on right?

Rachel

ann pallett said:

Hi everyone. I'm from Jersey CI in the UK
I've been decorating cakes for 29 years and love my job, you do have to evolve as there are many trends. When I first started we only used royal icing, goodness that was hard work, but I'm so pleased did it, I've just recently done a 2 day course at Slattery's in Manchester making little figure toppers, was brilliant fun, anyway I rambling on a bit, need to go and bake a cake.
Ann
My business is called Bake me a Cake

Permalink Reply by ann pallett on February 18, 2010 at 5:30pm

Thank you Rachel.
It hasn't been had at all to evolve because I was trained in advanced pastry and we covered royal icing and pastilliage (which is a form of fondant or sugar paste) chocolate , sugar pulling the list goes on, I even entered hotelolympia in London one year.., my tutor was German and was brilliant, I loved the course and would encourage anyone to do it.
I have a page on face book if you want to go and have a look, my business is called "bake me a cake" if your not on face book just google "bake me a cake ann pallett "and it should get you to my page ,
Are you just a hobbiest or are you planning to branch out. ?

Rachel Graham said:

Hi everyone. I'm from Jersey CI in the UK
I've been decorating cakes for 29 years and love my job, you do have to evolve as there are many trends. When I first started we only used royal icing, goodness that was hard work, but I'm so pleased did it, I've just recently done a 2 day course at Slattery's in Manchester making little figure toppers, was brilliant fun, anyway I rambling on a bit, need to go and bake a cake.
Ann
My business is called Bake me a Cake

Permalink Reply by Ann Simerson Williams on March 10, 2010 at 11:19am

Hi Everyone. Hope you don't mind my joining this group. I am an American who has lived in the UK for nearly seven years. I stopped decorating several years ago while I was getting a career going, but picked it up again about two years ago. I've really enjoyed brushing up on old skills and learning new ones. I primarily make "American" style cakes, for my fellow Amer. expats, but also try to make the most of living here, and learning skills that UK decorators are famous for. I like to tell people I'm bilingual... I speak Cake in both "American" and English!

Ann

Permalink Reply by Tanya on March 10, 2010 at 12:39pm

Hello Ann, you are most welcome to the group.
What is the biggest difference between English and American cakes? have you taken on some of the English cake making skills and if what why? we are looking forward to hearing more about you and seeing your cakes.
Tanya

Ann Simerson Williams said:

Hi Everyone. Hope you don't mind my joining this group. I am an American who has lived in the UK for nearly seven years. I stopped decorating several years ago while I was getting a career going, but picked it up again about two years ago. I've really enjoyed brushing up on old skills and learning new ones. I primarily make "American" style cakes, for my fellow Amer. expats, but also try to make the most of living here, and learning skills that UK decorators are famous for. I like to tell people I'm bilingual... I speak Cake in both "American" and English!

Ann

Permalink Reply by Ann Simerson Williams on March 10, 2010 at 1:22pm

Thanks for the welcome Tanya.
Let's see, aside from Americans using a lot of cake mixes I think the biggest difference between US and UK cakes is the use of buttercream. Although sugarpaste has really taken off in the states over the last several years, the majority of cakes are still covered in buttercream. Almost everyone in the states who starts decorating starts with BC, whether on a course, or using prefilled tubes and plastic tips that you can buy at any grocery. In a US grocery the basic buy and take it cake is covered in BC with a piped border and some BC roses.

Another notable difference is size. Cakes in the US just tend to be bigger. They don't need to be, they just are. The average layer cake is 4 inches high (usually made from two 2 inch layers. They may or may not be torted). It's not uncommon to have wedding cake tiers that are close to 5 inches high each.

In the US fruit cake is not popular. If you see fruit cake it is usually because there is a close European connection in the family. UK fruit cakes are different (and MUCH better) than the average US fruit cake.

I never used sugarpaste before I lived here and I love it. I should probably spend more time on BC piping skills, as I am still rusty, but I'm hoping to take a royal icing course sometime in the next year. Really, I doubt that I'll have call to use it, but every new skill offers something to the overall product.

Permalink Reply by Lilly Wilders on March 10, 2010 at 4:03pm

Hi Ann, there's something you might be able to help me out with! From what I've been able to work out, American Gumpaste is the equivalent of our Flowerpaste and I wondered if you knew how they compare? I often see quite large figures made from Gumpaste and think they'd be really expensive to make from Flowerpaste so I wondered if Gumpaste might be a bit different and (hopefully!) cheaper... :o)

Ann Simerson Williams said:

Thanks for the welcome Tanya.
Let's see, aside from Americans using a lot of cake mixes I think the biggest difference between US and UK cakes is the use of buttercream. Although sugarpaste has really taken off in the states over the last several years, the majority of cakes are still covered in buttercream. Almost everyone in the states who starts decorating starts with BC, whether on a course, or using prefilled tubes and plastic tips that you can buy at any grocery. In a US grocery the basic buy and take it cake is covered in BC with a piped border and some BC roses.

Another notable difference is size. Cakes in the US just tend to be bigger. They don't need to be, they just are. The average layer cake is 4 inches high (usually made from two 2 inch layers. They may or may not be torted). It's not uncommon to have wedding cake tiers that are close to 5 inches high each.

In the US fruit cake is not popular. If you see fruit cake it is usually because there is a close European connection in the family. UK fruit cakes are different (and MUCH better) than the average US fruit cake.

I never used sugarpaste before I lived here and I love it. I should probably spend more time on BC piping skills, as I am still rusty, but I'm hoping to take a royal icing course sometime in the next year. Really, I doubt that I'll have call to use it, but every new skill offers something to the overall product.

Permalink Reply by Rachel Graham on March 11, 2010 at 3:37am

Hi all,

Sorry I've not been around too much for the past few weeks, work hectic and I have my driving test today!! I'm nervous as anything so I'm just trying to keep busy! Got an hour until my instructor picks me up for the pre-test drive around!

Fingers crossed! How are you all?

Rachel x

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