Busy Busy Busy

After being off sick for the last week, I was finally back in the kitchen today with lots of catching up to do.  I finished off the 18th birthday cake I've been working on and delivered it successfully.  It turned out well and I was very happy with the end result, as was the person it was for.  
Pictures can be found at www.facebook.com/melissaskitchen84


Tomorrow will be another busy day as I need to make a cake in the shape of a horse.  For this cake I've decided to just make the horses head, the cake will be made of square sandwich sponge cakes cut into the shape of the horses head, it will then be covered in sugarpaste and then chocolate icing.  Sugarpaste will be used to make the detail of the horse.

Tuesday 27th March 2012

Today was another busy day in Melissa's Kitchen.  I have been working on decorations for 3 different cakes  I have made the champagne bottle for the 18th birthday cake, all I need to do now is put gold sugar paste around the top of the bottle to make the foil, and then it's finished.  I also cut out individual strands of icing to make the mane on a horse cake. I have also attempted to make sugar tulips, these did not work so well because the icing was too soft, I'll try again tomorrow and make some thicker icing, the technique is simple to do but the icing does need to be quite strong.  April is proving to be a busy month for Melissa's Kitchen, so far I have 4 cake orders in (the cake decorations I'm working on now) and I also have a marmalade order.  

18th Birthday Cake continued

I've spent all afternoon in the kitchen making sugarpaste decorations for an 18th birthday cake.  Items include, stars, a large 18 for the top of the cake and plaques to go on cupcakes to spell out the girls name.  The theme for the cake is pink and purple and all things girly.  I am also beginning to make a champagne bottle which is going to take a bit more time, photos will be up when it's finished.  To see all my photos check out my facebook page - www.facebook.com/melissaskitchen84, feel free to add me as a friend, comment on my photos and message me to place an order for cakes. 

18th Birthday Cake

Today marked the start of preparations for the 18th birthday cake.  I'm making a 2 tier cake decorated with a number of sugarpaste models, including a champagne bottle and a big number 18.  Today I started making some small sugarpaste butterflies.  I used leftover sugarpaste from the mothers day cakes and a small butterfly pastry cutter.  I folded up card to make a concertina shape and placed the butterfly shapes into the 'V's of the concertina so that when they dry and become hard they will look like they are in flight.  I'm going to use icing to draw on the centre of the butterfly.   

  Sugarpaste butterflies

New Facebook Page

Yesterday saw the launch of a Facebook page for Melissa's Kitchen. This is where you'll find all information about Melissa's Kitchen, special offers, new items, photos and much more! It is going to be acting as my official web page until I finish creating my proper one. Come and check it out - www.facebook.com/melissaskitchen84

Mothers Day

Friday 16th March 2012 at 7pm I started making sugarpaste roses for the Mothers Day cakes, 24 hours later, the cakes are finished.  Obviously I didn't bake for 24 hours, I did actually sleep, although I went to sleep thinking about the cakes and woke up thinking about the cakes.  I finished making the roses at 10pm, went to bed shortly after, I got up at 9am to start the baking process and make the rest of the icing and flowers.  The end result, I'm very happy with.  The first job this morning was to finish making the flowers.  I then made 4 cakes (to sandwich together to make 2 sandwich cakes, filled with jam).  Next was to make more sugarpaste icing to cover the cakes, this isn't as difficult as it sounds, see the recipes section below to find out how to do it.  The sugarpaste to make the roses last night worked perfectly, as did the first batch of sugarpaste today to cover the first cake.  The second batch of sugarpaste today was not so successful.  I have no idea what went wrong, but it was not working, so I scrapped it and made a new batch which worked perfectly again. I made my own sugar glue to stick the flowers to the cake (see recipes) and then enjoyed a nice glass of wine to reward my hard work!  It's been a busy day in Melissa's Kitchen, but I've loved every minute of it. 




RECIPES


Sugarpaste:  


500g icing sugar
1 egg white
2tbsp liquid glucose


Sift the icing sugar and then add the egg white and glucose, mix together and then knead until soft and pliable.




Sugar Glue:


Small amount of sugarpaste 
Boiling water.


Break up the sugarpaste and put into a small bowl add some boiling water and mix.  It should become sticky, add more sugarpaste or water as required. 

Sugar Roses

Cut Out Flowers

Top of the cake

The finished cake 

    

Welcome

Hi everyone,

Welcome to my blog Melissa's Kitchen.  Here I will be sharing with you my cooking tips and advice, recipes and photos and information about all my kitchen creations.

Melissa's Kitchen is small business selling homemade cakes, biscuits and jams.  Feel free to contact me for a prices and enquiries. 

Melissa x