Happy Halloween!

I hope you all have a great Halloween, I couldn't resist sharing with you this great eyeball food from Simply Stated check out their post for "how to"

Butter flavour Crisco shortening in stock now

Today I've added to our product range, butter flavour vegetable shortening by Crisco. This is great for those who've in the past had to add butter flavouring, no need, it's already there.

Click here to buy $12.50

A cake pan to make any letter or any number

This awesome new cake pan can make any letter or any number - what more do you need?. I have been so excited ever since I knew these pans were on the way. Today they have FINALLY arrived. They are very heavy and a nice quality.This wonderful cake pan can be used to create any letter from A to Z or any number from 0-9.
Simply follow the guide included to move the squares to create the outline of the shape required.
Spell out words for events, or a childs name. Can even be used to create no#s such as 2 & 1 to place on top of a large sheet cake for large celebrations.
Can be used with cake, brownie or Jelly. Measures 4x7x1'' deep.

Chocolate 3d Christmas bauble cheescakes

Anyone that knows me knows that I ADORE Christmas. Here at Kiwicakes, the planning starts for Christmas around July/August. I've been thinking about having a play with this 3d Christmas bauble chocolate mould for a while now (it can be used to make completely spherical chocolates). Then it hit me - Christmas cheescakes were begging to be made! And it was so easy.

Here's how: I took my favourite cheescake recipe and mixed in some red and green 100s and 1000s I was worried the colours would bleed excessively. But even after a very good stir, they were still looking great (you can use store bought cheescake also)

I melted milk chocolate moulding melts in a double boiler. I spooned it in to the 3d Christmas bauble mould and left it to set in the freezer for aprx 5minutes. When you take the mould from the freezer. hold it up to the light, if you see any thin spots, cover these with a little more chocolate.

I then spooned in to the cavities aprx 1tbsp of cheescake mixture. I covered this with a biscuit base, I used Malt biscuits, as I felt they were less sweet than many alternatives, given all that extra chocolate (and I had them in the cupboard). I allow 1.5 malt biscuits per mini cheescake. For 9 biscuits, I used 3 tbsp of melted butter. Simply pulse biscuits in food processor until they are crumbs, or place in a bag and smash with a rolling pin. Stir in melted butter. Press biscuit mixture in to cavities. Place entire mould in fridge for an hour or so. The baubles released from the mould very easily and the biscuit stayed right where it was supposed to.
I coloured them using just two colours, from the Rainbow Dust range of edible silk lustres (suitable for vegetarains Rainbow dust is Halal and Kosher certified). The red is Metallic Moroccan Velvet and the gold is Metallic Golden Sands. I was really thrilled with how they turned out.

Tools I can't live without! #5

This tool, is one of those things, once you have it, you never knew how you managed without it. Once you've iced a cake, it seals it, so you don't drag crumbs through your icing, as you're smoothing.

Tips 789 is Wiltons 2'' wide cake icing tip Here is instructions on how to use it, from Wiltons site. They have a wealth of information check it out at http://www.wilton.com/ (photographs copyright Wilton Industries Inc 2004)

Preparing a perfectly smooth iced cake, while keeping crumbs out of the icing can seem like a tricky thing–but over the years we've developed some methods to make it easier. Start by positioning the cake on its serving board on the turntable. Remember to thin the icing with 3-4 Tablespoons of corn syrup so it spreads easier. The trick to keeping crumbs out of your icing is to glide your spatula over the icing, never allowing the spatula to touch the cake surface or to pull already spread icing from the cake surface.

Step 1
Trim a 16 in. Featherweight bag to fit tip 789. Fill bag half full with icing. Hold bag at 45° angle and lightly press tip against cake. Squeeze a ribbon of icing in a continuous spiral motion to cover cake top, with last ribbon forcing icing over edge of cake top.

Step 2
To ice the sides, squeeze icing as you turn the cake slowly. Repeat the process until the entire cake side is covered.

Step 3
Rotate the cake slightly and repeat the procedure, starting from a new point on the rim until you have covered the entire top surface. Smooth the center of the cake by leveling the icing with the edge of your spatula. For easier smoothing, it may help to dip the spatula into hot water, wipe dry and glide it across the entire surface. Set the cake aside and allow the icing to crust over for at least 15 minutes before decorating. At that point you may also lay Non-Stick Parchment Paper on the iced cake top and gently smooth with the palm of your hand.

Tools I can't live without! #4

Following on, from the last "tools I can't live without" post is #4 the offset spatula, it makes life so much easier. Smoothing cupcake tops, smoothing cake sides, spreading chocolate on transfers sheets or lifting up fondant cut outs from the bench, you name it - it just makes life easier!

More on Polystyrene cake dummies

Great news everyone, the polystyrene cake dummies have landed!. Thanks for all the great feedback you've given me, on finally being able to bring these to you at a reasonable price.

Some great ideas have been shared with us, on the uses of cake dummies. One in particular that interested me, was using round or square dummies, with matching shaped cake boards to create cupcake stands, at a fraction of the cost of buying a large one. The polystyrene dummy can be dressed with a fabric sleeve, to match the party decor, or even the bridesmaids dress material. I've been so inspired, I think I might try my hand at one.

We'll have more great cake dummy shapes coming soon.

Kiwicakes is proud to be a trend setter for new products and prices, whilst we strive to lead - we find others often follow with price matching, so we're happy to be bringing you these great new prices. Whether you choose to buy from us, or those that have chosen to match us in price. We are proud to be cutting the price of your large cake dummies in half.

Polystyrene cake dummies at the best price in NZ

I always endeavour to seek out the best price, first time for my customers here at Kiwicakes. In the past, I have been horrified, with the cost of polystyrene cake dummies, and have ordered them in, on an as required basis. However this week, I am thrilled to announce, Kiwicakes now offers the best price on the web, within NZ for cake dummies, we have round & square shapes, due in to stock next week, and if other shapes prove popular, we'll add them in to stock too.

Dummies are 3''/75mm deep and priced from 5''/125mm diameter @$5 to 14''/350mm diameter @$12. Compare our prices. In most cases, I've found them to be 50% cheaper. Click here to buy

More of my little cakes from this weekend

I found these groovy blackberry & raspberry lollies, from the trademe seller tozzies, and couldn't resist piping the top of a small cake, in round balls, using pink buttercream. I baked a big batch of red velvet small cakes, using the straight sided cupcake papers. I just love these, as no cupcake pan is required.

Then I piped using a no#12 wilton nozzle, blobs of icing and one blackberry and one raspberry atop each, and they were done.

I think the raspberries, could easily represent a strawberry, these would be nice for a Strawberry Shortcake party. Oh dear, you'd have to eat all the blackberries yourself. Unless of course, there is a character named after blackberries.

I've been having a play with little cakes over the weekend.

Last weekend, when I visited the food show, I bought an awesome roll of licorice from Rosalie at New Generation Licorice (where was this when I had train tracks to make. This stunning huge long roll, is wrapped with plastic film between, so when unrolled it doesn't stick to itself. I could tell you how long it was, but you might not fathom just how big, so I've taken a photo for you. NGL has sellers around the country - this huge roll only cost $10.

I had fun making these sushi mini cakes using the licorice.

Firstly I baked a batch of red velvet shallow cakes in straight sided cupcake papers. I removed the papers and cut them all to a matching height.

Then I crumb coated them all with white buttercream. I cut licorice strips to fit around the circumference. I turned the iced side face down in to a plate of coconut, and placed random pieces of cut lolly on top. I thought they looked pretty cool in a container, that just fitted them perfectly.

You can now keep up with Kiwicakes on facebook

Well I've joined the ranks of facebook. You can now keep up with us there too by clicking here I've only just signed up today, so don't expect to find too much there today. However if you're a facebook user join me as a fan. Go on be the first!

Do you bake from scratch?

Do you have a baking blog, website or published literature and bake from scratch? You might be interested to join the "Baked from Scratch" movement. Started by Jess from Sugadeaux Cupcakes out of sheer disbelief that professional high end bakeries would use packet mix as the basis for their goods. As a consumer, you can be sure those who are listed here are baking your treats from scratch. There are several members from New Zealand already.

Go to http://bakedfromscratch.blogspot.com/ to join and you too can use the "baked from scratch logo"

We are drowning in 3 pallets of stock!

Last week I had three pallets - yes THREE pallet loads of stock arrive, as a special clearance offer from one of my suppliers. Much of it I agreed to without even knowing what I was getting. Needless to say I have stock coming out my ears. Those of you that have been with me for years, know as I operate online only, our base in Whangarei is Mums house. POOR Mum! - before we could get it packed off to the storage areas and stockroom, it had to be sorted. For 48 hours, her house has looked like a warehouse.

It took three full loads in Mums van to clear most of it up to our storage unit. And we're not finished yet!

Well I know you're all dying to know what I received. There is more candles than I'll ever need in a lifetime, party ware, bride & grooms, balloons and licensed character items.

There's good news for all the KiwicakesNZ blog readers, to help me make some room, I've decided what better way to clear it quickly than to GIVE IT AWAY TO YOU. Simply place any order at http://www.kiwicakes.co.nz/ mention this blog post in the comments section at time of ordering and we'll include a free gift with your order. Where possible, we will theme your free gift to match your order.