Kiwi Cake decorator - Rachel Jenkinson

Our latest profile in the Kiwi Cake Decorator's profile is Rachel Jenkinson. If you would like to be profiled here, please contact sandra@kiwicakes.co.nz

Your name & business name (if applicable). Any website, facebook page, blog etc: Rachel Jenkinson, hobbyist baker & decorator http://www.facebook.com/rachs-cakes#!/pages/Rachs-Cakes-Balclutha/142863472432177

How long have you been decorating? I have been interested in cake decorating ever since I was an “ankle biter”. My aunty is a cake decorator and I used to love looking through her Women’s Weekly cake books and picking the cakes I wanted for my birthday, so I have always been interested. Then about a year ago I thought I would seriously try and learn the art. I am self-taught so over that time I have been learning as I go, trying new things and practicing different techniques and slowly building up my “cake kit” as I go.

What is you favourite thing to bake & decorate – why? I love working with fondant because I love the polished, smooth look it gives, whereas trying to get buttercream smooth tends to stress me out! I really enjoy making cupcakes as I find them less stressful.

What got you started in baking/decorating? My passion for cake decorating started when I made a Dora the Explorer birthday cake for my little girl’s third birthday. She absolutely loved it!

What are your top 5 decorating tools you cannot live without? My rolling pin, tylose powder, my turntable that my lovely sister-in-law bought for me, my little shaping tools and my pizza cutter wheel – I don’t know what I would do without it!

What do you do when you’re not decorating? Eek, well with two littlies under four, working my “real job” for 34 hours a week, my duties as the treasurer and fundraising for our local toy library, I don’t get a lot of time for relaxing. But when I do I love to put my feet up, watch a DVD and have a glass of sauvignon blanc – ah, bliss!

What are some of your favourite creations you’ve created and why? My favourite cake to date would be this Dorothy the Dinosaur cake I made for a friend’s wee girl’s second birthday party. She wanted a girly, Dorothy themed cake and I was pleased she wasn’t after an exact copy of anything so I had some creative license. I was thrilled with the end result and how the Dorothy figure turned out – I was terrified the kids would be like “that’s not Dorothy”!

What is you favourite Cake, cookie, or cupcake flavour? I love Mississippi Mud Cake – its always so yummy and moist, it keeps really well and actually seems to get better with age, yum!

If you could have someone make a cake for you, what would it be like? That is a tough question, I have never really thought about it. I get to make my own 30th cake in June so it will give me something to think about LOL! I would love anything that somebody made for me because everything always tastes better when you don’t have to make it yourself LOL!

Rachel did you know, you have more posts than any other member in the Kiwicakes forum (including me). Tell me a little bit about your experiences of the forum.

Oh gosh, no I didn’t, where on earth do I find the time! Don’t tell my husband because he will expect me to start doing more housework! I was really excited when the forum started because it’s so great to have somewhere that is relevant to us kiwis. You can learn a lot from overseas forums but it’s great to have somewhere where we can talk about things that relate to us, such as New Zealand dollars, New Zealand ingredients etc. I probably have so many posts cos I joined up the first day you started it (LOL!) and also because I love to share everything, whether it’s my latest cakes or whether I am trying to help others out or just give them support. I think it’s awesome to be able to help each other out and share knowledge.