The smallest things in life make me happy

I discovered these wonderful plastic cupcake boxes, to hold 6 cupcakes at our local discount store. I haven't used them for cupcakes, but for cupcake papers. I have been on a quest to find something suitable to stop my cupcake papers from flaring out, once removed from their packaging, for quite some time. This simple box does the job beautifully, no more stretched papers in the rubbish bin for me! Yay!. If you'd like one of these cool boxes too. Just ask in the comment section when placing your order at http://www.kiwicakes.co.nz/ and I'll be happy to send you one. (please don't send me a separate email request for a box, as at this busy time of year, I'll likely forget to include it with your order - if it's there in the comments section, it can't be missed out)

Cupcake wrappers make the cutest jar covers

How cute. I just realised cupcake wrappers make the cutest jar covers. So quick and easy. And for gift giving, can be perfectly matched to a batch of cupcakes. Click here for cupcake papers

Fruit cake in a Nordicware pan

One of my dear customers Irene shared this photo with me, of a fruit cake she made in a Nordic ware pan. We were both pleased with the level of definition retained in the design. She has kindly allowed e to share the photo with you.

Today I am 34!

Yes that's right - today is my birthday. Not sure where the last 34 years went. But I got here. I have been spoilt rotten by my family. Of interest to you all will be the cake made for me, by my dear friend Lisa from "The Whole Cake and Caboodle". I knew I was going to pick up a cake, what I didn't know, was she had made me a whole bunch of cookies too. I just LOVE my cake and I LOVE my cookies. Thankyou Lisa!

When Lisa was organising my cake, she asked me to give her a slice of scrapbooking paper I liked. I couldn't decide, so gave her three, She incorporated the design from 2 of them in the bottom 2 tiers of the cake (you can see one of them behind the cookies as backdrop). The bottom cake is chocolate with irish cream icing, middle tier is carrot cake with cream cheese icing and the top is lemon with lemon buttercream. All covered in chocolate fondant. As I have the cake right here in front of me, I can honestly say, it looks MUCH MUCH nicer than the photo can show.

Tools I can't live without #7

This Wilton Cake release is quite likely one of my biggest passions. I will rave about it, to anyone that will listen. It ensures, your cakes release easily, with not one single crumb stuck to the cake pan, it also gives a great golden surface for decorating. It is particularly useful for novelty shaped pans. This is a story some of you may have heard me tell before. But I gave my Mum a bottle of cake release one day, telling her how good it was, she took it, all the while thinking I was mad, then not long after I received an email from mum entitled "I LOVE CAKE RELEASE". She proceeded to buy a bottle for everyone of her friends for Christmas last year (who are also now converted). If I could urge you to buy just one thing new, it would be this. Priced at just 9.50, one bottle should last for around 20 cakes. Click here to buy.

To use: Shake bottle. Flip up the top of the dispenser cap and squeeze out a small amount of Cake Release into center of pan. Using a pastry brush, lightly spread Cake Release on pan bottom and sides. Fill pan with batter and bake as directed. To release, place cooling rack against cake and turn both cooling rack and pan over. Lift pan off carefully. Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Vegetable Shortening (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and/or Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil), Corn Flour, Lecithin, TBHQ and Citric Acid in Propylene Glycol Added to Retard Oxidation.

Tools I can't live without #6

Following on, from the last "tools I can't live without" post #6 is the heating core. This tool was one of things I'd heard alot of raving about. I was sceptical about how well it could work. Once I tried it, I became one of it's biggest fans. It really REALLY works.

A heating core is used heat to bake large cakes evenly. Releases easily from cake. Recommended for 10 in. diameter or larger pans. Simply grease inside & out - fill core with batter, once baked, remove core from cake and replace cake plug in hole. Heating cores are $18 each. Click here to buy.

One of our own on Cake Wrecks

I got word today that Lisa from the Whole Cake & Caboodle (based here in Whangarei) had made it to the Cake Wrecks site (When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong). But rest assured it is not because Lisa's cake is a wreck, quite the opposite. Lisas stunning Sesame Street cake made it on, in celebration of 40 years of Sesame Street. BECAUSE IT WAS SO GOOD. Now we all grew up watching Sesame Street. I had great delight introducing my children to Sesame Street and even now I enjoy the Sesame Street DVDS. Particulalrly the 25th anniversary edition, which has some clips, I remember. Hopefully they'll bring out a 40th anniversary DVD. I'll be first in line to get it.

I hope this has made you think about your favourite Sesame Street moment. Click here to see the full Cake Wrecks Sesame Street post.

New plunger cutters WOWEE!

Today I've had so many new & exciting products I am like a pig in mud - I just want to play with them all. Today Sleigh, Snowmen & holly leaves joing the already fantastic range of plunger cutters.
Click here to view our range of plunger cutters.

Custard Squares from Denheath Desserts

For those fo you that are fans of Denheath custards squares you have to watch this video. For those of you that haven't heard of them, you have to watch this video After doing so you can order them from the oh-so-lovely Lisa at http://www.denheath.co.nz/

Baking for Hospice

I was made aware about Baking for Hospice from the Delish Cupcakes blog. If there's anyone near the North Shore (Auckland) who would like to help with baking for Hospice - then check out the Baking for Hospice blog I've just emailed some of the bakers and the orgnaisers to offer cupcake papers etc, for use in the endeavour - as geographically I am too far away to deliver baking.

Today I sampled the taste of YELLOW chocolate

I had word from Telecom & Josh that the YELLOW taste testers would be in Bank st Whangarei from 11am-2pm today. I couldn't wait to race down and try out the TASTE OF YELLOW. I met with the two lovely girls here in my photo who explained to me, the 4 tasting samples all needed to be tasted YAY! 4 whole chocolates just for me. Then I had to nominate NOT which chocolate I liked the most, but which chocolate tasted the most like YELLOW.

This is what the 4 chocolates looked like.

The testers marked off on a sheet, which colour wrapped chocolate most tasted like YELLOW in each testers opinion.

The testers were well positioned outside one large bank, across the road from another and next to the rubbish bin (for all those wrappers) and a pedestrian crossing to catch new taste testers. As I was chatting to the girls, the bank staff were revolving in and out in rotations, word had got around the banks via email.

The girls told me what each flavour was, and it's likely I didn't taste test them in the correct order, to get the best from them - but then I wasn't thinking straight, I just wanted to taste them.

Thankfully the lovely girls allowed me to bring home 1 of each, so I could share the story with you here.

Kowhai Cream

Now I wanted this one to most taste like YELLOW who wouldn't being Kiwicakes and all - but sadly it did not. This was the third chocolate I tasted on the street and couldn't taste much of anything at all. When I came home to take this photo for you, I made a point of tasting it first - I shared half of each chocolate with Kiwicakes Grandma (aka Mum) and she said it tasted of pollen. I thought it very subtle and couldn't describe what it tasted of. Not YELLOW in my opinion.

Lemon Yoghurt

I tasted this on the street first, I love lemon and was surprised to find it was subtle, there was an absence of tang. Not YELLOW in my opinion. Kiwicakes Grandma also gave it the thumbs down.

Pineapple Custard

I tasted this on the street second. I immediately thought this tastes of YELLOW I am neither a great fan of pineapple, nor do I dislike it. To me it tasted much like the flavour of a pineapple lump. Kiwicakes Grandma said "too artifical!".

French Toast

I tasted this last, I was very intrigued by the idea of french toast chocolate. It was a wonderful flavour. It got my thumbs up for the taste of YELLOW Kiwicakes Grandma also gave this the thumbs up (no we do not always agree).

I stayed and chatted with the Yellow girls for a short time, in the time they were handing out samples, I heard only "that tastes like YELLOW" for the french toast and pineapple flavours.

Now you might be wondering what I think YELLOW tastes like. To me YELLOW had to be big, bold and bright, not subtle - French toast fitted the bill, as it ticked all the boxes of tasting great as well as big & bold.

Edible silver star glitter shapes in stock now

These edible silver stars are this weeks favourite thing (they join the existing gold stars & pink hearts). They just landed in NZ today. Priced at $18.00, there are 1000's in one vial. Click here to buy.

Kiwicakes is the sole NZ distributor for Rainbow Dust at wholesale. Rainbow Dust is Kosher & Halal approved. It is also suitable for vegetarians.

Recipe for Tylose Gumpaste

I was just shown this recipe for Tylose Gumpaste from - Sharing and Caring - Cake decorating and sugarart tutorials. Whilst I haven't tried it, it is reportedly very good. There are also some great cake photos on this site. Click her for - Sharing and Caring -