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

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I'm in love with this new shoe cutter set

Just landed today and I'm in love, with this new shoe cutter set.

Includes Sole Former, Heel Former & Shoe Cutter. The kit comes with 16 stage by stage pictures/instructions, along with shoe sole cutter and a former to allow your sole to dry in a glamourous shoe shape!

The heel mould is made of high quality silicone and features locking buttons, to ensure your 2 halfs of the heel match well. The plastic former allows you to get the perfect shape when drying the sole.Templates are included for the different shoe styles which makes the BEST SHOE on the market!

THE SIZE OF THE FINISHED SHOE IS APPRX 12CM LONG AND 5CM HIGH

Clikstix! - the easiest strip cutters to use - built in ejectors

I'm thrilled to announce Kiwicakes is now the sole NZ distributor for Clikstix. Revolutionary alphabet, number & shape cutters from the UK, with built in ejectors, so you no longer have to pick out the fiddly bits of icing. Designs include three styles of alphabet & numbers, daisy, blossom, hearts & stars.

I received samples from the manufacturer, prior to taking on the distributorship for this product and I can assure you they're easy to use.

Priced from 16.95-19.95 per set. Click here to view the full range.

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Fondant Quilting

I often get asked how to do quilting on fondant - I just saw this snazzy wee post on Wilton for how to Click to go to Wilton's how to It uses the fondant cutter embosser tool and this great tip is one of hundred in the book Celebrate with Fondant.

How to use Silicone CHABLON moulds

These stunning new silicone chablon mats are a brand new release from Autumn Carpenter. Prices at 59.95, they will take all of the hard work out of creating even sized shapes. Available in square, round and scalloped, they are in stock now!

How to use - To Create Shaped Pieces

Step 1. Lay chablon on chocolate transfer sheet.

Step 2. Pour approximately 2/3 pound melted candy coating or melted and tempered real chocolate over the chablon, fillling the first row on two sides.


Step 3. Smooth with a confectionery blade or other straight edge, spreading at an angle.

Step 4. Slide transfer sheet with chablon onto a cookie sheet and place in refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Step 5. Invert and remove transfer sheet.

Step 6. With gloved finger press gently to remove chocolate pieces.



Truffle Sandwiches

Step 1. Create shaped pieces following directions above.


Step 2. Mix truffle recipe below.


Step 3. Pack truffle mixture in pastry bag fitted with a #21 tip.


Step 4. Pipe truffle mixture on top of one shaped piece.


Step 5. Place a shaped piece on the piped truffle mixture.

Truffle Recipe
•2½ cups (¾ pound) finely chopped real chocolate
•1 cup heavy cream
•¼ teaspoon salt
•¼ teaspoon vanilla
•Melt chocolate. Cool at least 98°. Whip cream until it holds a soft peak. Add chocolate, a little at a time, to whipped cream, stirring with a spoon. When all chocolate is added, stir in salt and vanilla. Chill in refrigerator until mixture is firm but not stiff (5-20 minutes). Beat with a spoon until fluffy. Do not overbeat

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.

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!

Tools I can't live without! #3

I often get asked - what tools I can't live without. I get asked by curious customers as well as people buying for the cake decorating fan in their life. So I thought I'd begin to share a few of my all time favourites with you. In no particular order - here goes #3 Piping or decorating bags OK OK, so we all use them. But there are uses beyond the obvious. I favour a 12'' bag for my piping work, I can get enough twist at the back end, to stop my icing going out backwards (a rubber band, also helps in this department). And no matter how tempted you are to put heaps of icing in the bag, the less icing you have in the bag, the faster you pipe, saving you more time in the long run (a good guide, is enough icing that you can comfortably squeeze in your hand, icing should not be up higher than width of your palm).

Disposable bags are great for piping chocolate, I piped the white chocolate coral on plastic sheet, simply by filling a disposable bag with white chocolate, then I snipped the end of the bag, to reveal a very fine hole - then hey presto, pipe with a wiggling action and you have coral, Freeze 2-3 mins and peel back plastic sheet. (Coral is overdusted with sparkle dust)

Although I had seen a large piping bag used to fill small cakes on cooking shows, I NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED HOW GREAT IT WAS!!! - until I tried it. Not only did I not get drips over the edges of my paper cupcake cases (which look ugly when they are cooked), I filled the cupcakes in no time flat. To fill bag - place over an open necked vessel, tip cupcake batter in to bag, twist off back end and proceed to fill cupcakes, just bend tip of bag up with 1 finger to stop flow in between cupcakes. If you follow this method, you will not be sorry. Bag can of course be used for icing too.

Tools I can't live without! #2

I often get asked - what tools I can't live without. I get asked by curious customers as well as people buying for the cake decorating fan in their life. So I thought I'd begin to share a few of my all time favourites with you. In no particular order - here goes #2 rotating cake stands or turntables I wouldn't be without them. Gone are the days, where I contort my body to reach the back side of a cake, or try to move a cake board across the bench, only to slip & stick my finger in my beautiful icing. I own both a tilting turntable & a low flat one. The tilting turntable I find gives me extra height, to get the cake closer to me, when I stand at the bench, as I don't like to bend down (after 3 hours, I suddenly find my neck & back are sore). My low flat one, is great for taking photos of my cake, from all sides. I also use it when presenting the cake to the birthday person, as no matter where they choose to sit at the table, the cake can always be gently turned to face them, with ease.

Tools I can't live without! #1

I often get asked - what tools I can't live without. I get asked by curious customers as well as people buying for the cake decorating fan in their life. So I thought I'd begin to share a few of my all time favourites with you. In no particular order - here goes #1 TIP COVERS Oh my goodness, where would I be without them. The pop right over the top of a Witon coupler and decorating tip. Meaning if you stop for lunch, or to take a break, your icing doesn't dry up in the nozzle. At only $4.50 for 4, these would have to be one of the best value for money around.