Spiderman Party Cupcakes - from Kiwicakes test kitchen

I have seen this effect in photographs before but never had a try myself - until today. With such bright colours it really is a simple and effective way of impressing Spiderman fans! I made a yummy golden cupcake for the design to sit on top of...

Cream 125 grams butter, 1 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla essence. Slowly add two large eggs, beating well throughout. Add 1/2 cup milk and a pinch of salt. Sift over 1+1/3 cups flour and 1+1/2 teaspoons baking powder. Mix again for 1-2 minutes until all combined and mixture is light and creamy. Spoon into black Foil Cases and bake at 175 degrees for about 15 minutes. Makes 12+ cupcakes. And our taste testers agree they are tops so you might be best to double everything and make 2 dozen!

When they have completely cooled, cut off the top dome so it is level with the top of the cupcake papers.

Mix up a simple butter icing to colour and spread over the cut surface...

Mix together with a bread and butter knife - 25 grams of butter melted, 3 tablespoons of boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence and 2 cups of icing sugar. This will achieve a runny consistency that will be easy to spread and pipe.

Colour 1/4 of the icing mixture black with a squirt of food grade colour and colour the remaining 3/4 with a good squirt of bright red. Spiderman fans will know if your colours end up pinkish or greyish (and guaranteed they will tell you!!) so its worth getting the right bright colourant.

Pop your black into a piping bag with a size 3 tip so you are ready to pipe. Its best to just work on one cupcake at a time so your icing is wet and the two colours blend nicely. Take a blob of red icing on your knife or spatula and cover the entire cut surface. Then work quickly with the black to pipe a generous dot in the middle of the red, as well as free handing three rough circles about 5mm apart as pictured above. It will look somewhat like a bulls eye. Then use a toothpick (or similar) to drag 8 equidistant lines from the middle of the cupcake to the outside.

If your icing firms up a little just give the red a few seconds in the microwave to bring it back to a nice runny consistency. By holding the black filled piping bag with the warmth of your hand for a minute it will do the same job.

And just like magic you have created a spider web effect. These can be made in any colour - and would also be good for halloween parties with a candy spider perched on top!

Another growing trend is to top cupcakes with rings that the party kids can have as party favours and wear as rings on their fingers afterwards. We have them available in many of our different licensed ranges. Certainly a quick and easy way to echo your party's theme! Check out our party supplies page for over 50 differerent ranges of licensed party ware - everything from Strawberry Shortcake to John Deere Tractor!

New classes with Trish from Gobake on Kiwicake's schedule for 2013

Saturday August 31st Beginner's cupcakes 1.00-2.30pm $49 with Trish from Gobake.

This 1 ½ hour course teaches all about the basics of cupcake decorating. Learn to pipe 2 toned swirls, pipe a rosette and hydrangea and finish off by learning how to create Satin Ice flowers and butterflies to adorn the top of your cupcakes. The course will teach you how to whip up GoBake Easy Frost Crème and Frosting then flavour with our very own Flavacol range. Come with nothing and leave with 6 stunning cupcakes to take home to impress all your friends and family.

Saturday August 31st Advanced cupcakes 3.30-5.00pm $49 with Trish from Gobake

If you are looking to build your skill level from beginner to advanced cupcake decorator than come along to our 1 ½ hour Advanced Cupcake Class.

Refine your decorating skills using Satin Ice Fondant, Gum Paste and GoBake Easy Frost.

Learn the technique of brush embroidery using a very simple method with Easy Frost Frosting.

Create a beautiful anemone and handbag then finish off with the vintage quilting technique.

Bring nothing but yourself to this course and leave with 6 cupcakes.

Sunday September 1st 9.30-12.30 Figure modelling with Trish from Gobake $100

Learn how to make a variety of 3d figures using Satin Ice rolled fondant & gumpaste. In this class you will learn to create four cake toppers including a little girl & cupcake, high heels & handbag, cute bunny & a happy teddy. Everything supplied, just bring yourself.

Sunday September 1st 2.00-5.00pm Christmas cake (includes Christmas figure modelling) with Trish from Gobake $100

Have the best Christmas cake this year to show off to your family & friends. This class is suitable for anyone including beginners to the more experienced. Cover a cake in Satin ice rolled fondant, make a 3d santa figurine, penguin & Christmas tree from gumpaste. In class you will be working on a polystyrene cake dummy. If you wish to work on your own cake, bring either a buttercream/ganached covered cake to class. Or if using fruit cake, bring to class with marzipan layer in place. Everything supplied just bring yourself (and your own cake if desired)

Wilton 2014 yearbook available for pre-order now

It is with great anticipation each year that I look forward to the release of the Wilton 2014 yearbook. I've just received notification that our airfreight shipment is leaving the USA tomorrow - you can preorder your copy on the Kiwicake's website here at a cost of $35

I wanted to point out to those of you that have purchased a Wilton pattern book in previous years, that Wilton is not producing a pattern book in 2014 (I have been told they are going to make the patterns available online)

At Kiwicake's we have a trained Wilton instructor on site to help with all your Wilton needs.

Kiwiana Cupcakes class at Kiwicake's

We sure had fun this weekend past. Kirsten Day was with us in store at Kiwicake's teaching cupcake making classes, to celebrate the launch of her new book "Kiwiana Cupcakes, Cake Pops & Whoopie Pies"

Here are some photos from the class. We had 2 class, both sell outs, with 16 students per class.

I couldn't resist snapping some photo's some Kirsten's demo cupcakes.

Kirsten had never seen the pink sheep at Sheepworld - until her first visit to Kiwicake's. So here in Whangarei, we claim the pink sheep from the front cover as our own, as if Kirsten had not come to visit us regularly, she would never have seen them.

Thanks so much for coming to see us Kirsten - we can't wait to have you back (and for book #2)

French toast in a chocolate - from Kiwicakes test kitchen

Going out to breakfast really appeals to me if I can order french toast with all the trimmings - caramelised grilled banana and smoky bacon with a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Yum! So I tried to recreate the flavour combination inside of a chocolate bar and its not half bad.

To whip up this unusual but quite moreish treat you will need:

250 grams milk chocolate melts (or try your favourite mild-tasting chocolate)

1/4 cup bacon candy if you can get it, or traditional salty dried bacon bits 

1/4 cup banana chips 

2 teaspoons of Nutrafresh sparkling banana powder

1/2 teaspoon maple-flavoured oil

1 teaspoon flo-coat  

Chop your banana chips and bacon candy/bits roughly - the chunkiness you can get away with will depend on the size and shape of the chocolate mould you are using. Then simply melt the chocolate pieces in a microwave set on its medium-power setting. Heat in short bursts stirring  between bursts until liquid. Stir in all the other ingredients to the chocolate and simply pour into your mould to set. Remember to 'drop' your freshly filled mould onto the bench as many times as it takes for the air bubbles to be forced out. 

I used a chocolate bar mould and this quantity made 6 chocolate bars. Happy experimenting!

Wilton Course 1 starts June 27th

June 27th sees the start of the Wilton courses here at Kiwicake's. Course 1 runs from Thursday 27th June 12.30-2.30 for 4 weeks. The class is suitable for absolute beginner's however it would still be enjoyable for those with a little experience. (to book, visit us in store, or email sandra@kiwicakes.co.nz)

In Course 1, you will be taught the Wilton Method® - the easiest and best way to learn cake decorating. For 85 years, Wilton has been teaching the Wilton Method® to decorators of all skill levels. With Wilton's Course 1, you'll learn how simple and fun it can be. Our experienced Wilton Method® Instructors will show you all the steps to getting to fabulous. Your Wilton Method Instructor® will show you the best way to decorate, step by step, so that you can experience the excitement of successfully making a cake that will amaze your family and friends. Topics covered in Course 1 include: How to Bake a Great Cake for Decorating How to fill and hold a Decorating Bag Decorating Bag Pressure Control Icing Consistency Dimensional Decorating Drop Flower Piping Gel Pattern Transfer Rosette Shell Pompom Flower Shaggy Mum Ribbon Rose Printing and Writing on a Cake Guidelines for Elementary Cake Design

Exciting new metallic Click-Twist food paint pens from Rainbow dust

This week, we've had an exciting new product range arrive here at Kiwicake's. The new Click-Twist pens arrived while Esme was here visiting Kiwicake's. As I was unpacking the shipment, I handed a purple one to Esme (her favourite colour) and said "How would you like to be the first person in New Zealand to try these pens?". Well of course she didn't say no, she grabbed the chance and went straight to work on a piece of fondant.

It was hilarious, as Esme brushed the purple over the fondant, we both simultaneously said "ooh - aah" - I guess you had to be there, but it was very funny. You can check out the full range of ten pens here 

The following details below are from the Rainbow Dust manufacturer

A ready-to-use and VERY convenient paint brush, pre-loaded with our very popular metallic food paint. Simply twist the end cap of the brush until the paint fills the brush tip and you're ready to go! When not in use, simply wipe any excess paint from the tip of the brush and place the cap back over the brush until next time. No mess, no fuss. It's quick and easy! Sometimes you need a paint colour on hand but don't need the extent of a paint pallet, water beaker, brush and paper towel. Sometimes, all you need is a Click-Twist Brush®. This is great for small areas of coverage and detail work and due to the controlled delivery of paint into the brush tip, there is minimal wastage which means your Click-Twist Brush is very economical®, allowing you to paint many many decorations!

Click, twist and use Radiant Metallic Paint Dry in 10 - 15 minutes Once dry the lustre pigment is sealed within the surface - no dust or smudges Economical use of paint

Label Claims: Nut Free, GM Free, Suitable for Vegetarians, Certified Kosher & Halal

Supplied in a premium colour coded, retail-pack with full colour front and reverse design, including foil print. The current range has 4 different reverse designs, each demonstrating a different use for the pens.

Baking classes with Esme Dawson

Yesterday Esme held interactive baking classes here at Kiwicake's. Everyone had so much fun and I think everyone told me they learnt heaps. We had a morning and an afternoon session, the items covered were similar, but the flavours varied across the two sessions.

Esme had everyone up helping her

In the morning we had Cheese and chive scones, my absolute favourite and sooooooooooo tasty!. As well as carrot cake and bakewell tart.

The franipani filling for this bakewell tart is from the Use Real Butter site here and Esme's pastry recipe is as follows

INGREDIENTS

170g butter
85g Chelsea White Sugar
1 small egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
Zest of ½ lemon
260g flour

METHOD

1. Beat the butter and sugar
2. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Add the flour and mix to a paste.
4. Rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before using.

Esme's carrot cake recipe, she made in two layers so it would cool quicker.

In the afternoon, we had plain sweet scones (they got gobbled before I got a photo) and "yellow" cake.

The yellow cake has egg yolks only, so is a richer flavour and more yellow colour than whole eggs. It is slightly denser but still moist texture to it.. The yellow cake recipe is from the Joy of baking site here The most important thing when making this cake, is a lengthy creaming process for the butter & sugar (10minutes)

Esme's Cheese and chive scone recipe

Here are some of my tips;

• Buttermilk is the key to go the best scones (in my opinion). You can subsitute normal milk in this recipe, but they will not be as light and tender. 
• You can omit the butter entirely. In fact, when I am pressed for time I don't add it. However, I do find I get a slightly better scone by adding a little butter. But then again I'm pretty pedantic when it comes to scones! Most people would not notice I suspect. 
• Quick & Light hands make the best scones. By this, I mean don't be too heavy handed once you add the liquid. If you overwork the dough you will end up with tough scones. A knife is best for mixing. 
• Get them into the oven ASAP. Once you add the liquid, time is of the essence. You want to get them into the oven as soon as you can. 
• Always sift your flour & baking powder. When rubbing in the butter, lift the mixture up from high, this always works in a little extra air. 
• When sprinkling the cheese over the scones, let bits fall down the side and onto the tray. These form those wonderfully crunchy bits that contrast wonderfully with the light scone. 
• This recipe can be adapted to any size/flavour. Always use a ratio of 1 cup of flour to 2t of baking powder. 
• If you want sweet scones, then omit the cheese/chives, increase the butter (25g per 1 cup of flour) and at a couple of tablespoons of sugar (to taste). 

Enough rambling from me, onto the baking!

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees celcius. 

3 cups flour

6t baking powder

25g butter (optional)

375g grated tasty cheese (1 bag of the pre-grated stuff)

1 bunch chives, chopped 

1 container (500ml) buttermilk

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Rub in butter, if using. Stir in cheese & chives (reserve some cheese for sprinkling on top).

Add 3/4 of the mlk, stirring with a knive. Add enough to get a soft dough. If you need more liquid, add a little milk or water.

Pat out on a floured board. Cut up. Put onto baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle on reserved cheese. Pop in the oven and bake for 12-15 mins (depends on the size you cut them). 

Bake until risen, golden and cooked. They should sound "hollow" when tapped on the bottom. 

Best eaten warm with lashings of butter. 

Esme's recipe for plain scones

Omit the cheese & chives from the recipe above

change butter to 75g

add 1/4 cup sugar

Esme's Carrot Cake recipe
Whisk 4 large eggs (size 7) until light & fluffy with 1 3/4 cups of caster sugar for 5 minutes in a stand mixer

Mix in 1 cup of oil

Sift together 2 cups of flour (DON'T LEAVE OUT THE SIFTING) 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon (or mixed spice). Fold in.

Lastly stir in 3 cups of grated carrot

Bake in 2x 8inch/20cm cake pans at 170C for 20-30 minutes (or one larger 22-23cm tin)

Esme's Cream Cheese icing
125g butter
125g cream cheese
500g icing sugar sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
squeeze lemon juice

Make sure your butter is soft and squidgy (not melted) and your cream cheese is at room temperature. Cream butter until light & fluffy - add cream cheese, mix until blended. Beat in icing sugar in 2 lots. Add flavourings. Whip until smooth. To keep at piping consistency, don't over beat as the cream cheese starts to turn to liquid.

Swiss meringue fairtrade chocolate cake with Esme

Last night Esme demonstrated for the Whangarei cake guild. Earlier in the day, she made 2 gorgeous chocolate cakes (see recipes below) here at Kiwicakes. She used our gorgeous fairtrade sugar and cocoa, which I recently purchased from Tradeaid. The cane sugar, has a wonderful golden colour. Esme and I were discussing it and she and I agreed, it was very similar to the golden caster sugar often used in British recipes. Esme tells me, it gives a more caramel top note to your cake YUM!. The chocolate was Whittaker's fairtrade Dark Ghana.

She wowed all of our guild ladies with her Swiss meringue buttercream (she used this recipe on the first challenge on Chelsea New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker" last year). Most of us admitted to never having made it before. We'd had a request from a guild member to pipe a cake using the Wilton 2d tip so Esme opted for an Ombre style cake. Everyone agreed it tasted delicious. A fun night was had by all

Esme's Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Egg whites

Caster Sugar

Butter

Right. Now this is a bit of a different recipe, the above ingredients are weighed in ratios i.e. 1:2:2.5

Example, 150 grams of egg whites, 300 grams of sugar, 425 grams of butter. 

Put your egg whites and sugar in a bowl of a pot of simmering water. Stir regularly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture if quite hot to the touch. Rub some inbetween your finger and thumb and if you can't feel any grains of sugar its ready! 

Pour the mixture into your stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until the mixture if thick and it is at room temperature (will still be a little warm, but you don't want it to be too hot that it will melt the butter). 

Now change to the paddle attachment and add the butter 50g at a time. Do this on a low speed, otherwise you run the risk of whipping out all the air. Take your time with this part. I sometimes find I don't need all the butter, but keep adding it until your buttercream comes together. It  may look soupy/curdled at one stage, but do not fear, continue with the butter and beating and it will come together to form a luscious mousse like buttercream that is not too sweet. 

You can add any flavourings you like at this stage e.g. melted cooled chocolate, essences, fruit puree/powders. Refer to Note below regarding cream cheese. 

The weights I gave above are enough to pipe generous swirls on 24 cupcakes or fill/ice/decorate a 23cm cake. 

Whilst this is quite an expensive calorie rich buttercream, it is a real decadent treat and well worth the extra effort!

Cream Cheese SMBC

You can turn this into a cream cheese frosting, but there are some rules you must follow to ensure success. 

To this recipe you can add 250g cream cheese. 

First, you want the cream cheese to be at room temperature. Then you need to beat it until light and fluffy. A stand mixer is good for this. Turn the mixer down to low. 

IMPORTANT, you need to add the buttercream to the cream cheese (not the other way around or you will split the delicate buttercream). 

Take a big dollop and with your mixer on low add it to the cream cheese, keep adding in 4-5 more parts and mix until smooth. Do not over beat. You want to mix it on low until it just comes together. 

Esme's Chocolate Mud Cake recipe

1 cup milk

1 T vinegar

250g dark chocolate

1 cup boiling water

1t coffee

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 170 degrees. 

Pour hot water over chocolate, add coffee. Leave while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and tins (1 x 23cm or 2 x 20cm). 

Mix vinegar and milk together. Sift dry ingredients. Stir in sugar. 

Whisk the chocolate mixture until melted and smooth. Whisk in oil, mik, eggs & vanilla. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, with a whisk until mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared tin(s) and bake for 40-45 minutes for the 2x 20cm tins or 50-55 minutes for the 1x 23cm tin. 

This is a lovely moist chocolate cake, which you can ice/decorate as you wish. It is equally delicious served warmed with custard and fruit. This cake keeps for several days in an air tight container - if you figure out how to make it last that long please let me know!

Happy Baking :)

Fondarific fondant now at Kiwicakes

Fondarific fondant is now available at Kiwicake's, it is a far superior fondant to many brands on the market. When I was at ICES in the USA last year I visited the Fondarific stand in the vendors hall. I was taken with it's working properties, as it does not dry out. The photo above is Jay Qualls (whom I took a seminar with whilst I was there - he's so much fun and really funny!) and Joshua John Russell, who is a Food network winner (and a online tutor on Craftsy). The centre tier of the cake above he told me was made mixing teal and white fondant together.

Currently I have the 8oz Fondarific fondant pots in stock, they are $8.95 each. The flavour is a yummy buttercream flavour.

Some key points about Fondarific

Exceptional pliability

Only high quality ingredients used

Less or NO powder Sugar needed for rolling

NO Elephant skin, drapes over corners easily without tearing

Unlimited work time

Great for beginners as well as professionals

Dries firm, but does not dry out

Colors will not run or fade

Ingredients: Sugar ( sugar cornstarch), partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, non-fat dry milk, soy lecithin (emulsifier), artificial flavor, cane sugar, cornstarch,glucose fructose, water, salt, vanilla, butter flavor, Carboxymethyl cellulose, Gum Arabic, vegetable glycerin.  Containers Soy and milk products.

Modelling:
Modeling is easy with Fondarific. If you require a more firm fondant base, you may mix ½ gumpaste and ½ Fondarific  or 1 tsp of Tylose powder per ½ pound of Fondarific.

Allergy Information
Fondarific contains soy and milk products. Nut Free, Gluten Free and Trans-Fat Free. Soon to be Dairy Kosher.

Storage
Store Fondarific on the pantry shelf. May be refrigerated and frozen. 

Fondarific in Summer Months
Do not be alarmed if Fondarific is very soft and buttery. Let Fondarific return to room temperature and Knead the bloom (white coating) if present back into the product. This will not affect the quality of Fondarific.

Fondarific in Winter Months
Fondarific may arrive firm. Microwave 10 seconds per pound checking for hot spot about every 20 seconds. DO NOT OVER HEAT! If you do, allow product to return to room temp, knead and then roll. Little or no powdered sugar or cornstarch is necessary for rolling Fondarific.  Do not use shortening with Fondarific.