I've done it!

It's taken me 1 month, since the pallet of party supplies plonked itself down in my driveway at 4.40pm. We worked furiously to get the pallet unloaded before nightfall. THEN it took me 1 month to get every item loaded to the Kiwicakes website. But I have done it. I have now loaded children's part items such as hats, plates, invites, banners & so much more in the following themes Batman, Wiggles, Barbie, Disney Princess, Tinkerbell, Wall-E, Spiderman, My Little Pony, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Toy Story & Winnie the Pooh (and there are probably more I've forgotten)

I get asked all the time, how to make the swirl on a cupcake "like a frosty boy icecream". It's simple really. Use the Wilton tip 1M or 4B or if you don't want grooves in your swirl use Wilton tip 1A. If you're doing mini cupcakes, then you need tip 22, 32 or 199 (for no grooves use tip 12). You can find all of these icing tips/nozzles on the kiwicakes website.

Follow this link to Wiltons website for step-by-step instructions on how to get the look. http://www.wilton.com/technique/1M-Swirl

How to transfer a pattern to a cake

If you're anything like me and can't draw to save yourself, this useful tip from the folks at Wilton will come in handy, for those times you need to tranfer a picture to cake. You can use anything really, a picture from a colouring book, or a drwaing. All you need is some clear piping gel.
Use this link to go to Wiltons website for step-by-step instructions
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/patterns/transferring-patterns.cfm

What is a coupler - how is it used?

I get asked all the time, are couplers really required. In my opinion YES. They allow you to change the tips in your icing bag, without emptying the bag.

Check out all about them at Wilton and see how to fit them to your bags. (photo copyright Wilton industries inc 2004)

http://www.wilton.com/decorating/decorating-basics/using-decorating-bags.cfm

Kiwicakes 3rd birthday competion entries

I now have 4 entries for the Kiwicakes birthday cake competition. There's only little more than a week to go, before the competition closes, so come on folks, send me your entry, you have a good shot at winning the $500 worth of prizes. The cakes all look great and sound yummy. I can't wait to share them with you all.

Cake cutting guides

I frequently get asked what size cake pan should be used to feed a certain number of guests. To which my reply is always, "depends how big you want to cut the pieces". Here is Wilton's guide for cutting cake, using a variety of different shaped tins.
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/cake-cutting-guides/wedding-cake-cutting-guide.cfm
And for sheet cakes
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/cake-cutting-guides/party-cake-cutting-guide.cfm

First entry received for Kiwicakes 3rd birthday competition

Well I've received my first entry for the Kiwicakes 3rd birthday competition. Yay!

Today I've also received quite a few emails with descriptions of cake makers block, and promises of finished designs after Easter.
This is so much fun, it's as though it's my birthday and I'm 7 years old again.

I won't be posting to the entries to the blog just yet, so as not to give an unfair advantage to those entries not yet received.

Kiwicakes 3rd birthday competition

I'm so excited to announce the Kiwicakes 3rd birthday cake competition. 1st prize is a $500 goody box of cake decorating supplies for the winner.

How to enter

I'm asking anyone interested to design a birthday cake for Kiwicakes 3rd birthday party. Your cake should echo what you feel epitomises Kiwicakes. Your design ideas can be sent to me in any form, for example, a sketch or even a photo of a previous cake you've made, feel free to add written notes describing how you might alter the cake from your photo, or what elements in your sketch represent. The winner will be required to bake & decorate the winning design.

Be sure to include what flavour(s) the cake will be and the approximate size of finished cake.

Where to send it

You can email your ideas to me at sandra@kiwicakes.co.nz or post to me snail mail at Kiwicakes, Po Box 4441, Kamo, Whangarei. Entries close April 30th 2009. Please include your telephone number with your entry.

The details

There are no design limitations for your cake, you can make it as big or as small as you like. However there is a limit of $50 for cake ingredients. I felt by limiting the cost of ingredients, this would allow design talent to shine through, rather than lots of expensive ingredients.

The winner will be required to make bake & decorate the winning design, during the month of May, at a time to suit them. I will then arrange for the cake to be collected from their home town for delivery to Kiwicakes.

I'll be loading the entries to the Kiwicakes blog (without the entrants names - so you can all remain anonymous) so that anyone interested can check them out.

Terms & Conditions - Kiwicakes 3rd birthday competition

Prize is $500 worth of cake decorating supplies, chosen by Kiwicakes - delivered to the winner, at a destination within NZ. Prize is not exchangeable for cash.

Winner is required to bake and decorate the winning design during the month of May 2009.

Cost of ingredients is the responsibility of winner.

Competition is open to all residents of New Zealand (pick up address for cake must be within New Zealand).

The winner agrees to their name & photo of cake being used for publicity purposes.

Entrants designs will be loaded to the KiwicakesNZ blog.

Winner will be posted to Kiwicakes blog and will feature in a future edition of the Kiwicakes newsletter.

Entries close April 30th