For some reason i have felt slightly hesitant in allowing these pictures to be shared with a varied audience, perhaps its because ill have to actually admit the 6 stage process that occurs whilst making these creations.
1. Being asked to make the cake.
This is not something i do as a business or to make a profit from its purely to help friends and family out.
When someone first asks me to make a cake i become quite excited and my imagination runs wild on what i could create, sometimes forgetting my limited decorating skills.
2. Forgetting the cake.
All the enthusiastic thoughts consume me for around 3 days, after which my mind carelessly seems to slip back into my normal routine of stressing about everyday life and becoming obsessed with my latest celebrity chef craving ( Simon Hopkinson at the moment, if anyone wanted to know )
3. Remembering the cake.
Thoughts of panic start to seep back into my mind around 5 days before the cake is due to be ready, OK i might have the cake designed and planned in my head but what about the technical side of things like working out the correct amount of cake mixture needed for the appropriate sized tin ( something I'm still very unsure how to do ), how much icing I'm going to need to buy to cover the cakes or how I'm going to store the cakes to prevent cracking , drying out and possibly our agile border collie from finding out where they are.
4. Baking the cake.
This is one stage where i most feel at ease, baking and cooking relaxes me as i concentrate on beating the soft slippery butter into the crunchy golden caster, always being amazed at how the heavy buttercup coloured butter transforms into a off - white cloud like structure - how can any thing that looks that light be bad for you? My only problem is keeping R away from the freshly baked goodies as the warming and heavenly sweet aroma wafts through the house.
5. Decorating the cake.
This is the stage at which i always regret agreeing to make the cake. I do not profess to being an accomplished cake decorator, fondant icing is like a hormonal female, sometimes being quite willing at being moulded into any shape possible but within a few seconds its attitude can change into an awkward stubborn monster for no reason at all. There are times in this process in which i actually consider throwing the cake in the bin, believing that i could never recover it from the disastrous depths that it has entered, it takes all of my power not to scrunch it up and squidge it between my icing sugar covered fingers ( god help anyone who tries to enter the kitchen at this point. I have to take a step back ( without standing on the bits of fondant and pushing them into the creases of my tiles making it near impossible to scrape it out ) and count to ten trying to evaluate how i can rescue my failings and turn it into something presentable and edible looking .
6. The Taste Test.
My stress levels do not make an attempt at lowering until the cake is cut and tested. If it was possible to hold my breath from when i finished the cake to the trying of it i think i would. Relief washes over me when reports of a delicious tasting cake come back to me , Ive ( hopefully ) never made a bad tasting cake yet but the taste test always lingers over me, i have to stop myself from grabbing those who have not given me their opinion by the shoulders and shaking them violently until they have answered my Inquisition into how my wares have tasted.
I realise that these statements might give the impression that i don't enjoy making these cakes for people which is not the case at all, its just that my ideas are a little more free form and i prefer to favour delicate edible flower decorations, exotic flavourings or unusual pairings, i just like to try and steer away from tradition and try something completely different however stressful i may make it sound.
A birthday cake for a squash enthusiast
A 1st birthday cake
Christening Cake
I love the rainbow cake! xx
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