SPCA Cupcake Day 2017

Kiwicakes made the local newspaper. In support of SPCA Cupcake Day. We are donating $2 from every animal themed sprinkle medley until August 14th 2017

Trainer Tom comes to visit Kiwicakes for Pokemon Go

Recently we had a visit at Kiwicakes from Pokemon Go Trainer Tom. Kiwicakes baked cupcakes to sell for $2 each with all funds going to Toms charity Live More Awesome (supporting mental health awareness). We also made Tom a special cake just for him

A great time was had by all, then Tom had to scoot across town to take part in a level 4 Pokemon Go gym raid for a Tyrannitar.

If you'd like to create your own Pokemon go cakes & cupcakes, you can using these 

Check out Tom's YouTube channel, this video includes his visit to Whangarei

Pink Ribbon Breakfast Sweets - from Kiwicakes test kitchen

Support the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation during May of each year by hosting a pink ribbon breakfast. Or again in October when it's breast cancer awareness month. It's not difficult to do, its a good excuse to catch up with friends and family and the money raised goes to a great cause! Here are a few sweet ideas...

The iconic pink ribbon is super simple to create with either a strip of fondant or modelling chocolate twisted once. Cupcakes make a nice parting gift for friends to enjoy later, as they have probably filled up on other savouries and sweets at your brekky.

Kiwicakes have a good range of old fashioned lollies great for snacking on at gatherings. In the pink theme I went with sour strawberries and  Good to dot around the room in snacking bowls.

glo-hearts.

Store-bought mallowpuff type biscuits were made into boob shape with a dot of white chocolate melts and a pinch of crystal candy pink glitter. These were a great conversation piece!

Plain vanilla cookies are jazzed up with pink fondant or modelling chocolate toppers. Use any cutters you have to cut both the cookie and the topper. Smaller plunger cutters can be used to imprint extra decoration and adhere the pieces with sugar glue. Nice to have with a cuppa.

This photo does not do these scrummy meringues justice. They were a stock standard recipe that I added a couple of teaspoons of 100% strawberry powder and an equal amount of boiling water to before beating. They were punchy and chewy in the center, while crisp on the outer. The natural flavour of these fruit powders is just amazing.

 Get inspired, get your friends together and get collecting for this important cause.

Bronchiectasis Foundation launch here in Northland 7th April 2015

Yesterday was a very special day here in Northland with the launch of the Bronchiectasis Foundation the Culmination of a dream of Esther Jordan-Muriwai. Yesterday would have been Esther's 25 birthday. Sadly she passed away 10 months earlier. Family, friends, health professionals, dignitaries and the Governor General, Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae acknowledged her courage and determination during the launch event.

Katie pictured above also has Bronchiectasis. You may remember Katie from December 2013 when I made her 10th birthday cake for Operation Sugar. (you may also have seen her in Countdown supermarket ads, the local paper and other Bronchiectasis awareness campaigns)

Earlier this year the Whangarei Cake Guild had the pleasure of meeting Esther's parents Camron and Ana. They came along to one of our monthly meetings and told us Esther's story of bravery and perseverance living with this terrible illness. I had tears in my eyes listening to Esther's story and immediately my mind went to my young friend Katie, as she battles with Bronchiectasis every day. Esther's parents asked if as a club we'd be prepared to create a cake for the launch of Esther's dream the Bronchiectasis Foundation. Of course as a club we all wanted to help. The stunning cake you see is a group effort from many members. I was proud to get involved, in fact I was bursting at the seams to help. Kiwicakes donated the cake supplies needed to make this cake. Every member had a different job. Mine was to cover and emboss the cake board (using an impression mat). The Whangarei Cake guild was represented at the event yesterday by Anne & Megan, who both contributed to making the wonderful cake (Megan baking & covering, Anne was one of the rose makers and cake transporter - many other members helped to produce this stunning cake).

You can read more about this wonderful event and Esther's dream here in a Northern advocate newspaper story
You can watch the story on Seven Sharp TV Show here and see the lovely Katie being interviewed and on Maori TV here
If you want to know more about Bronchiectasis you can check out the Northland support group facebook page here 
Photos used with permission - Lisa Reed.

Elina Prawito - Satin Ice Artist of excellence

On Monday I travelled to Auckland to see Elina be presented with her Satin Ice artist of excellence chefs jacket. Elina is the first person in New Zealand to be awarded this honour. You can check out Elina's work on her website here and her facebook page here The Satin Ice website has a lovely profile on Elina which you can read here

Elina gave us an awesome demonstration on how easy it is to make the ice cream cupcake. I love the clean simple lines of her work, which are so often hard to achieve. She made it look do easy!

Here I am with Gobake's newest team member Kirsten and Elina of course!

Kiwicakes 8th birthday cake winner - Paula Andrew

At the recent cake expo in Auckland. Paula Andrew our winner of the Kiwicakes birthday cake competition delivered her winning cake. The little Trixie Kiwi unfortunately forgot to hop in the car, for the tip down to Auckland from up North. However we think Paula did an amazing job to get it to us at all, with all her wee ones out sick with the flu.

It was great to be able to share our birthday cake with many expo visitors and our friends from other cake stalls around the hall. It sure was a tasty cake (raspberry and lemonade). Everyone commented just how gorgeous it was to eat. We done Paula, we loved our cake!

Kiwicakes 8th birthday competition winner - Paula Andrew

Today I'm pleased to announce the winner of the Kiwicakes birthday cake is Paula Andrew. Paula submitted the sketch above. A Minecraft theme with pixelated social media icons on 4 stacked cakes with a pixelated Trixie standing on top. The cakes are approx 3,4,5 & 6'' cubes. Raspberry lemonade flavour YUM!. And even better news I've arranged with Paula to have the cake made for the Cake Expo in Auckland July 4,5&6 2014. So if you're coming along, you'll be able to see the cake up close & personal.

In no particular order here are the other entries that were submitted for the competition.

My favourite rose maker EVER is coming to Kiwicakes

Lisa Templeton is my favourite ever icing rose maker. I mean just look at the photos. I still look at them and think "that can't be real?"

I'm super excited to announce Lisa is coming to Kiwicakes to teach these wonderful roses Tuesday March 11th 2014 12 noon-5pm. Spaces are strictly limited and will be filled on a first come first paid basis. Cost for the 5 hour class is $100 per person.

Look how huge they are (there is a hand in some of the photos) Lisa tells me she'll bring a variety of dusts with her, so we can colour the roses any colour we wish.

For those of you that don't know Lisa, she owns and runs Denheath Desserts with her husband Donald. World famous for their custard squares. Lisa will be bringing afternoon tea for us all from Denheath, so we can keep our stamina up for this 5 hour rose making class. If you want to join us. Book online at www.bookwhen.com/kiwicakes

Baking classes with Esme Dawson

Yesterday Esme held interactive baking classes here at Kiwicake's. Everyone had so much fun and I think everyone told me they learnt heaps. We had a morning and an afternoon session, the items covered were similar, but the flavours varied across the two sessions.

Esme had everyone up helping her

In the morning we had Cheese and chive scones, my absolute favourite and sooooooooooo tasty!. As well as carrot cake and bakewell tart.

The franipani filling for this bakewell tart is from the Use Real Butter site here and Esme's pastry recipe is as follows

INGREDIENTS

170g butter
85g Chelsea White Sugar
1 small egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
Zest of ½ lemon
260g flour

METHOD

1. Beat the butter and sugar
2. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest.
3. Add the flour and mix to a paste.
4. Rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before using.

Esme's carrot cake recipe, she made in two layers so it would cool quicker.

In the afternoon, we had plain sweet scones (they got gobbled before I got a photo) and "yellow" cake.

The yellow cake has egg yolks only, so is a richer flavour and more yellow colour than whole eggs. It is slightly denser but still moist texture to it.. The yellow cake recipe is from the Joy of baking site here The most important thing when making this cake, is a lengthy creaming process for the butter & sugar (10minutes)

Esme's Cheese and chive scone recipe

Here are some of my tips;

• Buttermilk is the key to go the best scones (in my opinion). You can subsitute normal milk in this recipe, but they will not be as light and tender. 
• You can omit the butter entirely. In fact, when I am pressed for time I don't add it. However, I do find I get a slightly better scone by adding a little butter. But then again I'm pretty pedantic when it comes to scones! Most people would not notice I suspect. 
• Quick & Light hands make the best scones. By this, I mean don't be too heavy handed once you add the liquid. If you overwork the dough you will end up with tough scones. A knife is best for mixing. 
• Get them into the oven ASAP. Once you add the liquid, time is of the essence. You want to get them into the oven as soon as you can. 
• Always sift your flour & baking powder. When rubbing in the butter, lift the mixture up from high, this always works in a little extra air. 
• When sprinkling the cheese over the scones, let bits fall down the side and onto the tray. These form those wonderfully crunchy bits that contrast wonderfully with the light scone. 
• This recipe can be adapted to any size/flavour. Always use a ratio of 1 cup of flour to 2t of baking powder. 
• If you want sweet scones, then omit the cheese/chives, increase the butter (25g per 1 cup of flour) and at a couple of tablespoons of sugar (to taste). 

Enough rambling from me, onto the baking!

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees celcius. 

3 cups flour

6t baking powder

25g butter (optional)

375g grated tasty cheese (1 bag of the pre-grated stuff)

1 bunch chives, chopped 

1 container (500ml) buttermilk

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Rub in butter, if using. Stir in cheese & chives (reserve some cheese for sprinkling on top).

Add 3/4 of the mlk, stirring with a knive. Add enough to get a soft dough. If you need more liquid, add a little milk or water.

Pat out on a floured board. Cut up. Put onto baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle on reserved cheese. Pop in the oven and bake for 12-15 mins (depends on the size you cut them). 

Bake until risen, golden and cooked. They should sound "hollow" when tapped on the bottom. 

Best eaten warm with lashings of butter. 

Esme's recipe for plain scones

Omit the cheese & chives from the recipe above

change butter to 75g

add 1/4 cup sugar

Esme's Carrot Cake recipe
Whisk 4 large eggs (size 7) until light & fluffy with 1 3/4 cups of caster sugar for 5 minutes in a stand mixer

Mix in 1 cup of oil

Sift together 2 cups of flour (DON'T LEAVE OUT THE SIFTING) 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon (or mixed spice). Fold in.

Lastly stir in 3 cups of grated carrot

Bake in 2x 8inch/20cm cake pans at 170C for 20-30 minutes (or one larger 22-23cm tin)

Esme's Cream Cheese icing
125g butter
125g cream cheese
500g icing sugar sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
squeeze lemon juice

Make sure your butter is soft and squidgy (not melted) and your cream cheese is at room temperature. Cream butter until light & fluffy - add cream cheese, mix until blended. Beat in icing sugar in 2 lots. Add flavourings. Whip until smooth. To keep at piping consistency, don't over beat as the cream cheese starts to turn to liquid.

Kiwicakes 7th birthday competition winner

I'm excited to be announcing the winner of the 7th birthday cake competition for Kiwicakes - Karyn Thomas from Nelson will be making and sending us this cake in aprx 2 weeks time. The theme was "Trixie goes on holiday". Karyn has given us a winning design with all of the supplies Trixie would take on holiday with her.

I can say with complete honesty, I would have loved every one of these cakes, they are all so great!. I had a very tough time picking a winner. Here are the other entries we received (in no particular order)