What did you bake today?

Finicky Fi · by **Finicky Fi** » Tue May 08, 2022 6:46 pm

Cheers. I may just have to eat it all before the weekend so!
Your cupcakes look great btw.
School wasn't as appetizing in my day!

SunnyK · by **SunnyK** » Wed May 09, 2022 8:28 am

Finicky Fi - Choc Biscuit Cake will keep for aaaaagges in the freezer too so you could freeze half of it. Although it's so addictive that I doubt it'll last too long!

PaniniRoses · by **PaniniRoses** » Thu May 10, 2022 8:33 pm

Ladies, for those who are decorators as well as bakers, could you recommend icing tools / set? I usually just schlep a bit of butter icing on things I bake, but I want to do something fancy for DD's birthday which will involve lots of fancy icing on buns/cupcakes and I'll need something to make it look like I have some skills! Thanks

wedjul05 · by **wedjul05** » Thu May 10, 2022 9:07 pm

Panini: I don't know where you are but I know Inspiring Idea's in Blanch do a whole range of icing tools. Huge range. Wouldn't have the patience for it myself.

I baked today:

- sticky toffee pudding cupcakes with a salted caramel buttercream frosting
- sponge cake for the kids (which I've yet to put rasp jam/dessicated coconut on, tomorrow!)
- white choc chip/milk choc chip oatmeal cookies.

I took the day off work as I'd a dentist appt and was full sure I need 1 maybe 2 fillings, which I didn't in the end. Just possibly a bloody expensive and painful root canal....marvellous.

So I came home and spent 2 hrs baking. Tidied up a bit and then sure it was time to get the kids from the creche. I cannot sit still, even on a so-called day off. I am wrecked now. Still....I am brining some of the cupcakes/biccies into work. LOVE sharing what I baked. That's why I make them. I'll only have 1 myself and DH will have 1 and that's it. I would bake all the time if I could, love it.

SunnyK · by **SunnyK** » Thu May 10, 2022 9:16 pm

Panini I wouldnt be too hot with general icing skills either but am grand with buttercream - which is a good thing as it tastes and looks yum and is used to throw on top of most cupcakes.

What I would recommend is two metal tips... A closed flower tip and an open star tip. The closed flower tip will do the topping like in my last pictures of the pink cupcakes.... The buttercream appears like a flower. The open star tip will do the standard type of topping - ill post a pic from my pc tomorrow. Then you just need some disposable icing bags and you're sorted! To jazz them up then I'd get some food colouring, a couple of flavourings and some sprinkles or edible toppings.

You'd get all these bits from a baking shop like Decobake in Clane or Dublin city or else a website like Stuff4cakes or cupcakestyle which I love.... But be prepared to want everything you see and spend a fortune!!

If you want I can pm you the links to these tips so you know what you're looking for? Buttercream is really easy to use and you can find lots of clips on you tube showing you how to do it.

Wedjul05 could you post that sticky toffee cupcake recipe PLEASE?! They sound amazing!

PaniniRoses · by **PaniniRoses** » Thu May 10, 2022 9:27 pm

Thanks SunnyK. Any time I've used bags and nozzles in the past it's been a bit of a disaster, so I was looking at some of the icing guns on Amazon wondering if they'd make it a bit easier. I'll have a look at those sites and see what looks idiot-proof. Wed, I don't tend to go over to Blanch very often, so now I've an excuse!

This is what I'm planning to do, so I'll have to get practicing!

Emme · by **Emme** » Fri May 11, 2022 8:16 am

mackenzie wrote:Emme do you store your brown bread in an airtight container? And I am still looking for a nice brown bread recipe that isn't too heavy so I cannot help you with that one.(it may not have been cooked long enough though)

Yup...my mother makes amazing brown bread but she hasn't a notion of amounts etc but she leaves hers lying around and it lasts for days so I was wondering if the cake tin I have it in is causing the problem. My receipe is as follows:

180 degrees - 40-45 minutes (keep an eye on it)

400g flour
75g bran
1.5 level teaspoons of bread soda
half level teaspoon of salt
Sieve all the above
Half litre of buttermilk

top with sunflower seeds

Mrs W · by **Mrs W** » Fri May 11, 2022 8:35 am

PaniniRoses wrote:Thanks SunnyK. Any time I've used bags and nozzles in the past it's been a bit of a disaster, so I was looking at some of the icing guns on Amazon wondering if they'd make it a bit easier. I'll have a look at those sites and see what looks idiot-proof. Wed, I don't tend to go over to Blanch very often, so now I've an excuse!

This is what I'm planning to do, so I'll have to get practicing!

Panini I was the same with the icing bags, I tried the syringe thing and its a bit small so you need to keep refilling but then I found a silicone piping bag on Lakeland.co.uk! Its really good and because its rubbery you can squeeze every bit out of it and then just turn it inside out to clean it.

I havent baked anything since Easter so I think tomorrow will be some marathon baking! I might try the cookie monster cupcakes, has anyone tried them? I dont like coconut so i think I'll make buttercream and blue colouring instead?

SunnyK · by **SunnyK** » Fri May 11, 2022 8:56 am

Mrs W wrote:I might try the cookie monster cupcakes, has anyone tried them? I dont like coconut so i think I'll make buttercream and blue colouring instead?

One of the girls in work made them last week using buttercream and colouring and just used the nozzle that is used for grass - they turned out perfect and she said pretty easy doing it that way too - post a pic when you've done them!

Finicky Fi · by **Finicky Fi** » Sun May 13, 2022 8:16 pm

Bakers - any suggestions as to how to make cakes look good?
I can make a good tasting cake, but not an attractive one!

SunnyK · by **SunnyK** » Mon May 14, 2022 11:27 am

Fi I think it's just a matter of mastering icing really to make them look really attractive.

It kinda depends what type of cake it is too you know. Like if it's a Victoria Sponge or something you can just shake Icing sugar over it through a seive and it looks lovely.

I'm grand with buttercream but I definitely need practive with normal pre made icing and stuff - there's loads of different types and I haven't really done much with any of them at all yet - it's next on the list!

If your cakes suit buttercream icing then you can either ice them just using a palette knife, I think if you dip it in boiling waiter before spreading it makes it look smoother.

Other than that then you could just invest in some piping nozzles and icing bags and use them for the buttercream icing, they make things look fab I think!

Good luck - and post some pics of what you make!!

HippyChic · by **HippyChic** » Mon May 14, 2022 1:28 pm

Delighted to see this is still going as I hadn't checked it in a good few weeks

I was baking like mad recently so I'm not going to list aaaall the recipes here, am adding them to the blog over the coming days (doing 2-3 a day otherwise I just get too frazzled) so you can get them there...and here comes the food p0rn >:o)

There's a chocolate-caramel cake underneath all that icing!

Gluten-free triple-chocolate birthday cake

Gluten-free vanilla sugar cookie rugby balls

Vanilla sugar butterfly cookies with lemon-y royal icing

SunnyK · by **SunnyK** » Mon May 14, 2022 2:05 pm

HippyChic delighted you are back! I had lots of baking questions for you over the last while but thought you had left WOL - can't even remember them now! :o0

HippyChic · by **HippyChic** » Mon May 14, 2022 2:14 pm

Aww sure you can't get rid of me that easily :o0

Been busy with the new job and also had my first commercial baking sales (the birthday cake and rugby cookies above!) so not much time for dallying online.

Actually, was hoping you guys could help me. The gluten-free cake and cookies were an order for a local lady and I have another order from her for more of the cookies and I have to bill her for the whole lot then as well. WTF am I going to charge??? Have worked out my costs and it's looking like the cake will be €30 and the cookies €1.50 each (though I'll do them for €1 for her for re-ordering and for being my first official customer!). Is that okay do you think or is it way too expensive/cheap?

SunnyK · by **SunnyK** » Mon May 14, 2022 2:39 pm

That's great that you've started doing some commercial baking HC - fair play!!

Regarding the costs - I mean if you've worked out the costs an dthat's what they are coming in at then that's what you have to charge! It's expected to pay a bit more for gluten free food anyway as most people know the specialised ingredients are dearer.

I must take a look at your blog again - I made 2 batched of your orange truffles recently and everyone absolutely LOVED them!

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