Cake Decorating in the 80s & 90s

By Lorraine Hakes2 Comments
The 80s and early 90s was a good time to be growing up. Parties were simpler back then with just close family or maybe a couple of friends over for processed foods, pass-the-parcel and presents. We had parties at home and my mum would always make the birthday cake for my brother and me.  I've kind of followed this tradition with my son and this year he's having a few friends over for pizza, pass-the-parcel and cake. A couple of years ago I went through the box of photos my mum has and found some pictures of our cakes through the years.  I've tried to edit the photos to show the details and they're great examples of the history of cake decorating! My son has asked me for a Simpsons themed cake this year for his birthday (which might change before May!) but it goes to show that some things don't go out of fashion. If you browse the cooking section of charity...
Read More

Chocolate chip muffins

By Lorraine HakesNo Comments
Chocolate chip muffins Ingredients (makes 12 muffins) 250g plain flour 100g caster sugar 3 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 175ml whole milk 75ml vegetable oil (or sunflower oil) 1 egg 200g chocolate chips 3 tbsp caster sugar & 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar (for the tops) Method Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases. In a medium/large bowl, combine the flour, caster sugar, baking powder and salt using a handheld mixer. In a small bowl or jug, add the milk, oil and egg and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mix and whisk until combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir in with a spoon/spatula. Fill cases 2/3 full with batter mix. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins before baking with the combination of 3 tbsp caster sugar and 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool 1 minute before removing...
Read More

Jersey Boys themed celebration cake

By Lorraine HakesNo Comments
The brief for this order was to make a Jersey Boys celebration cake with "wow" factor, including lights into the design. Cake Board I started with the cake board so it would have time to set before transferring the cake onto it.  This was covered in white fondant and scored to look like wooden floorboards - like a stage.  I then mixed a little vodka with brown food colouring and brushed this mix over the cake board.  I applied a second coat so that some areas were darker than others for an authentic look. Before After The cake consisted of seven layers of vanilla sponge sandwiched with vanilla buttercream. The bottom tier was a square shape for contrast and covered in blue fondant to match the background of the Jersey Boys logo.  This was printed on icing along with the Jersey Boys and added to the bottom tier.  I added a diamonte effect cake trim, as well as plenty of glitter and stars. The back of the...
Read More

Lemon wedding cake

By Lorraine HakesNo Comments
When my friend announced her engagement, I was thrilled - woo! Party!  I was then shocked - and honoured - to be asked to make her wedding cake.  She was already planning the flavour and style and two flavours she definitely wanted was lemon drizzle and chocolate. The months passed, but every so often I'd receive an image of a cake design she liked (good ol'Pinterest).  She'd settled on one design which had candied lemon up the side and finished with a lemon yellow buttercream.  The plan was to create a two-tier wedding cake with 48 cupcakes in similar flavours to the cake, plus 12 vegan and 12 gluten-free. The wedding cake The top tier of the cake (8-inch cake) consists of four layers of lemon drizzle filled and decorated with a mild lemon-flavoured cream cheese frosting. The bottom tier (12 inches) has three layers of chocolate sponge, filled and decorated with a white chocolate ganache.  The whole cake was then dusted with a fine coat of...
Read More

Baking – literally and metaphorically!

By Lorraine HakesNo Comments
I'm going to sound like the biggest grump in the universe, but this week in Essex has been too hot.  It's coincided with baking a LOT of cakes too.  I'm not complaining about the orders (!), but standing in front of an oven in temperatures of 30 degrees hasn't been 100% fun.  Am I allowed a "woe is me moment"?!I've just finished baking the last order of the week which was a carrot wedding cake with cream cheese frosting.  I hope the bride-to-be enjoys it.  I've made a lot of carrot cake recently and it's becoming one of my favourite bakes. What's been baking?These include the wedding cake (no photo yet), a vanilla sponge for a 100th birthday and a small 30th wedding anniversary cake.  I was also a massive teacher's pet (I've never grown out of that) and I made his new reception teacher a tiny sponge cake.  The Christening cake with the little elephant on top and the wedding dress cake was made last week.I have a...
Read More

Cake beginnings

By Lorraine HakesNo Comments
For the love of cake...My early cakes had seriously lumpy icing and the cake was so dry they shared textural similarities with the cinnamon challenge.  This did not stop me forcing people to accept homemade cakes as presents. I now use a better recipe for a moist *shudder* vanilla sponge and I believe I have improved my skills when it comes to the decoration too (trying so hard not to sound full of myself here!)  Enough so that I'm boldly entering into the competitive world of cake decorating (what was I thinking?!) Pepa Pig Sponge Bob Call of Duty Pac-Man In my mid-twenties, I moved from where I lived in South-West London, to Essex so I could live with my (then) boyfriend.  His daughter is now 13, but back then, she was a wee girl of just 4.  For her 5th birthday, I wanted to bake a cake and one of her favourite characters was Peppa Pig.  I had baked lots of cupcakes and Swiss Rolls when I was at school, but...
Read More