Cake Decorating Community - Cakes We Bake

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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Hi Tanya, I'm in Norfolk. I've been decorating for about 18 months.
Hi Lilly, now there are two of us!
I looked at your cakes they are very acomplished you are obviously hooked!
I live in the Loire in France so this is one way of meeting other English cake makers although I do not make cakes I make toppers for cakes so I like to know what's going on in the big wide cake world.
I would imagine that you would like to make cakes for a living? or would you not?
speak soon
Tanya



Lilly Manning said:
Hi Tanya, I'm in Norfolk. I've been decorating for about 18 months.
I have mixed feelings about doing it for a living. Sometimes I think it would be quite nice but it takes me soooo long to finish a cake that I don't think I could charge enough to make it worthwhile. I think I'd have to learn to be less of a perfectionist first - but then I'm not sure I'd enjoy it as much if I'm not ending up with something I feel I can be proud of. Maybe with another few years experience I'll be quick enough that I can have a rethink!

Your toppers are gorgeous! I really like the pink love birds!
Hi Lilie, Being a perfectionist is good, being obbsessive helps ! I'm pretty much the same so I know what you mean by the time factor It can take me a couple of weeks to design a topper from scratch and then perfect it once I have resolved the design and how it goes together they take a couple of days to make.
Do you have a FT job?
speak soon
Tanya
PS Why did you join this site and not a UK based one?


Lilly Manning said:
I have mixed feelings about doing it for a living. Sometimes I think it would be quite nice but it takes me soooo long to finish a cake that I don't think I could charge enough to make it worthwhile. I think I'd have to learn to be less of a perfectionist first - but then I'm not sure I'd enjoy it as much if I'm not ending up with something I feel I can be proud of. Maybe with another few years experience I'll be quick enough that I can have a rethink!

Your toppers are gorgeous! I really like the pink love birds!
Sorry Lilly...........wrong spelling
No problem, even half my family get it wrong most of the time!

I don't work at the moment tho I plan to soon if I can find anything - my sons just turned 10 and my 15yo stepson has come to live with us and helps out so it seems as good a time as any to get back to work. I haven't really come across any UK based sites. I'm a member of half a dozen groups on Facebook but they're mostly just about people showing off their work or advertising their businesses and I'm more interested in the more social aspects. I followed a link to here in one of them and this seemed like more the sort of site I was looking for!

Tanya said:
Sorry Lilly...........wrong spelling
Hi All,

I'm in Dundee, Scotland. Originally from London. I'm just an amateur baker/decorator. I've been doing it for a few years or so, making cakes for family and friends.

Rachel
Hello Rachel, welcome to the group. how long have you been in Scotland? how is the cake scene where you are?
this site is really good friendly and supportive how did you come across it? Questions questions! it would be nice to know more about you and your cake making please tell us.
tanya

Rachel Graham said:
Hi All,

I'm in Dundee, Scotland. Originally from London. I'm just an amateur baker/decorator. I've been doing it for a few years or so, making cakes for family and friends.

Rachel
Hi Rachel,

My mum's family were from Dundee and moved to London!

Your cakes are lovely, I love your Monkey cake and the 50th Birthday cake is stunning! :o)

Rachel Graham said:
Hi All,

I'm in Dundee, Scotland. Originally from London. I'm just an amateur baker/decorator. I've been doing it for a few years or so, making cakes for family and friends.

Rachel
Hi Lilly & Tanya,

I've been in Scotland for nearly three years now. I made the "odd" cake before moving to Scotland but looking back at them now, they were terrible! Practice definitely makes perfect!! lol. I'm self taught baker/decorator learning by books, tv etc and also a lot of experimenting and trial and error. I've booked myself into a sugar flower making course in March, the little delicate things I can't master!!

There's a woman in Dundee who does the most fantastic cakes, she's a business from home. She mainly does wedding cakes. I'm no way at the stage of business standard and I enjoy doing it as a hobby anyhow. No pressure!

I agree with Lilly on the UK based websites, there aren't really any - (maybe there's an opening there!) plus I find the Americans are more passionate about their cakes, they seem to make cakes for everything and the use of buttercream is amazing!

How did you both get into cakes?

Rachel
Hi Rachel, sugar flower course sounds good.
I do not make cakes! I make cake toppers please visit my website www.lebigkiss.com when you have a minute.they are not edible, I make them from paper and lots of lovely things.
I supply more toppers to the states than the UK, I think some English cake makers are still quite reserved and their clients a bit afraid to have something different.
I find the Americans are very passionate about cakes and more " go for it!" making cakes with a "freedom" that I like.

The Dundee link with Lilly is interesting!. My husband has just after a long search found out that his grand father was from Aberdeen.
My mother was Austrian ( Vienna) and my father a Yorkshire man so quite a mix!

I think a Dundee cake recipe would be nice ...............do you make many?
speak soon
Tanya

Rachel Graham said:
Hi Lilly & Tanya,

I've been in Scotland for nearly three years now. I made the "odd" cake before moving to Scotland but looking back at them now, they were terrible! Practice definitely makes perfect!! lol. I'm self taught baker/decorator learning by books, tv etc and also a lot of experimenting and trial and error. I've booked myself into a sugar flower making course in March, the little delicate things I can't master!!

There's a woman in Dundee who does the most fantastic cakes, she's a business from home. She mainly does wedding cakes. I'm no way at the stage of business standard and I enjoy doing it as a hobby anyhow. No pressure!

I agree with Lilly on the UK based websites, there aren't really any - (maybe there's an opening there!) plus I find the Americans are more passionate about their cakes, they seem to make cakes for everything and the use of buttercream is amazing!

How did you both get into cakes?

Rachel
I've been baking since my teens and after my son was born I bought a book on party cakes for children, meaning to have a go, but it ended up just sitting on a shelf for 8 years. Then year before last on my stepsons birthday, we deciced it'd be nicer if I baked something rather than get a shop bought cake than none of the kids are really than keen on. At the last minute I decided to dig out this book and give something a go. He loves drawing so I made him a sketchbook cake and it was much easier than I'd expected and went down so well I was hooked from then. I've spent a year giving everyone cakes for birthdays and anything else so I could get lots of practice in!

How about you? What was your first cake?
Rachel Graham said:
Hi Lilly & Tanya,

I've been in Scotland for nearly three years now. I made the "odd" cake before moving to Scotland but looking back at them now, they were terrible! Practice definitely makes perfect!! lol. I'm self taught baker/decorator learning by books, tv etc and also a lot of experimenting and trial and error. I've booked myself into a sugar flower making course in March, the little delicate things I can't master!!

There's a woman in Dundee who does the most fantastic cakes, she's a business from home. She mainly does wedding cakes. I'm no way at the stage of business standard and I enjoy doing it as a hobby anyhow. No pressure!

I agree with Lilly on the UK based websites, there aren't really any - (maybe there's an opening there!) plus I find the Americans are more passionate about their cakes, they seem to make cakes for everything and the use of buttercream is amazing!

How did you both get into cakes?

Rachel

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