New Kiwicakes ad

I'm really happy with how my new print ad appears for the latest issue of the NZCDG magazine. Special thanks goes to my talented husband, without whom I would only have mediocre ads, instead of the lovely ads he creates for me.

A very special recipe

Today I'm treating you all to the recipe from Stephanie Curnow for Pumpkin Chocolate chip cake. This was one of the flavours in the winning 5th birthday competition cake. The flavour is hard to describe, but I can say, this cake was an abslolute favourite with Grandma Kiwicakes, Mr Kiwicakes, me & the lovely Karina (who works for me). Everyone was amazed Pumpkin was an ingredient. Well it was just so delicious. Steph kindly agreed to share the recipe.

Pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin

Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl; stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in pumpkin and add choc chips if desired .
Pour batter into two greased 9-inch round layer cake pans. Bake at 180° for 35 to 40 minutes. Turn out onto racks to cool.
Icing
250g cream cheese, softened
250g butter, softened
500g icing sugar
splash of milk
cream together cream cheese and butter until a uniform colour. Slowly add icing sugar, then add enough milk to bring to a creamy consistency. Best to keep this icing refrigerated.
Enjoy!
Steph

Safari Sunset cake

If you would like the instructions for this safari sunset hat box cake using Fmm safari Tappit set, or the lovely cake using the Fmm farm & domestic animal set click here for a downloadable PDF

-->

The Daisy collection makes all these great flowers

The newly arrived Daisy Collection cutter sets, makes all of these great flowers from FMM. Better yet, you can download their instruction sheet here on how to make them all.  This set is great value at only 14.50

-->

Clikstix - hearts & stars tutorial

Here's a great tutorial produced by the manufacturer of Clikstix, for which Kiwicakes is the New Zealand distributor.

Materials/Equipment

Heart clickstix Star Clickstix

Flower paste
Vegetable fat (Crisco or Kremelta)
Corn flour in a muslin bag
Edible glue
Rolling out board and rolling pin
White floristry tape
Floristry scissors
26g metallic wires
PME Lustre spray (optional)
Paste food colours

It’s important that the flower paste is brought to working consistency before commencing any work – knead a small piece of flower paste with a tiny smear of vegetable fat in the centre of your hand till it stretches like bubble gum.

Lightly grease the rolling out board and rolling pin with vegetable fat. Roll out a piece of flower paste till just over1/16th inch in thickness.

Lightly dust part of the rolling out board with corn flour. Transfer the rolled out flower paste onto the dusted area and gently move around to make sure the flower paste can move freely.

Place the star Clickstix on top of the flower paste. Place fingers on the side bars (not the springs or central area) press firmly and move the cutter over the rolling out board.

Remove the surplus flower paste.

Optional - flip the Clickstix over and return it to the rolling out surface and press the centre of the Clickstix firmly (the plunger mechanism will indent the paste).

Hold the Clickstix above the rolling out surface and press the central area to activate the plunger mechanism.

Dip the tip of a half length metallic wire into the edible glue and remove the surplus. Carefully insert the wire into the star. Press the flower paste around the wire firmly (to secure).

Repeat the above instructions with the heart Clickstix.

Optional paint the indented area in the star and heart with a shimmer petal dust mixed with food grade IPA

Leave the hearts and starts to dry for 24 hours before continuing.

Cut a the white florist tape into 1/3rd width and tape the wires together

Wires must not be inserted directly into a cake you must use a flower spike

Optional spray the completed wire spray with PME edible lustre spray.

The Royal wedding cake

I've had a couple of folks mention to me, they haven't seen the Royal wedding cake yet. So I thought I'd post a couple of the official pics of the cake. Made by Fiona Cairns  What did you think of the cake. What aspects do you think will feature in requets from brides this year?