Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?....SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!

Just finished this for a friend's little girl. Apparently she's mad about Spongebob Squarepants. To be honest in this house, with my children, I'm mad about Spongebob too. IT'S ON TOO MUCH!

I think I know most of the episodes off by heart (sound only though, as I hear it, not watch it ).

"Fancy a krabby Patty?"

Cakes in need...of eating! (For Children in Need)

On Friday it was year six (Laurice & Hannah) assembly at school and parents and children usually take refreshments together afterwards. Unfortunately the school have been unable to keep the kitchen open so shop bought cakes are the only available option. Laurice and Hannah decided that as a family we could make the cakes ourselves and donate the proceeds to Children in Need. As it was a non uniform day they wore Pudsey t-shirts and spotty neckerchiefs. Laurice made a couple of Mary Berry's lemon drizzle traybakes, a tray of all butter shortbread and I made 50 or so vanilla cupcakes. Between us we made Pudsey heads to sit on top of a mile high swirl of Italian meringue buttercream in vanilla or raspberry.
The first batch of cupcakes ended up at home uneaten as the lovely cupcake wrappers I had were useless. They tightened inwards around the middle of the cakes like a lace up corset (very odd) and as a result the cakes mushroomed out over the tops. I ended up using some very plain muffin cases from Asda. They are just the right size and never come away from the cupcakes. It's a shame they only come in white/dark brown.
Laurice covered a box for donations with spotty paper whilst Hannah and Millie cut out lots of small Pudseys to decorate it with. We covered the serving hatch of the kitchen with a large spotty cloth and despite squashing a few cakes in transit (they were too tall to put the lids on the boxes) we were ready to go.
Assembly was excellent with everyone in year 6 reading and singing beautifully. Laurice and Hannah both showed their winning cakes from Cake International to the rest of the school whilst others brought in swimming and dancing trophies for display.
The staff served the cakes and drinks and we made a decent bit of money to send in to Children in Need.
Kevin (hubby) got in on the act later that night by ringing the donation through on behalf of the school (St Mary's the Mount Primary in Walsall). He chatted to Sunita (Shobna Gulati) from Coronation Street's corner shop as we watched Take That on T.V.

As ever it was late and rushed and we hope to do better next year, a familiar theme maybe?

Cinderella,.....hurry...hurry....hurry!...(thats just me finishing the cake!)

This cake was yet another very last minute project.

The cake is my version of a Debbie Brown design from her wonderful book "Enchanting Magical Cakes".
My girls wanted Cinders to wear the more recent blue gown and have more modern hair. Who am I to argue.
I love the girly colours and the little little tiara don't you?
You can learn how to make the tiara by watching Lorraine Mckays free how-to tutorial on www.extra-icing.blogspot.com

Try...ing to make a rugby cake!

Just finished this for a young rugby player at our local rugby union team in Walsall. His mum wanted him kicking a ball over the posts, but with only 4 days notice there was no way I could have guaranteed he would have been standing by the end of the night (although that sounds about right for a rugby player!).



Well as he will be only 13 and I didn't think it would be good enough I went for a try instead.

 My son Harry has already told me that his hair is too light. He fancies himself as a bit of a cake critic. He could definitely critique the tasting of cakes!

First Day Blogger's Block finally cracked by Cake International Success

I planned to start writing this blog well over a year ago. Friends were nagging me to publish photographs of some of the cakes I've made but I really have been too busy to begin and didn't know where to start.

Anyway, it was Cake International at the NEC on November 5-7th and myself and two of my daughters Hannah & Laurice,  both aged 10 decided to enter.

At last, something to write about on this blank page.

Hannah and Laurice both entered the under 14s Christmas Cake class. They both did really well as they had a school entry exam on the Saturday morning and needed to swat up, as well as preparing their cakes (everything is always done at the last minute in this household!)

Anyway they came away with a Gold award each plus 1st and 2nd in the class.

I am so proud of them.

Hannah's is a nativity scene (obviously) using Karen Davies' angel mould http://www.karendaviescakes.co.uk/ which she dusted and painted.

The cow on the top is her version, of my version, of the wonderful Lorraine McKay's version, of a cow http://www.extra-icing.co.uk/ (more about that later) .

 

Gold & 1st in class Junior under 14
Hannah Conod





Laurice used teddies around the base of her cake, an idea adapted from a cake she had seen in one of Karen Davies' lovely Christmas books, giving each a hand moulded and painted Christmas hat.

Gold & 2nd place in class

Junior under 14

Laurice Conod

 

The teddies on the top were hand moulded, with the Christmas tree being made from a drawn template (all very hurriedly put together I have to say).

Laurice entered last year for the first time and also won Gold and was 1st in class.

I have to say a big thank you to both Karen Davies and Lorraine Mckay as their work has inspired both of these two lovely young girls to produce such wonderful work!

                                                            

  

Laurice & Hannah with the
Chairman of the Judges
 Brian Taylor

For the second year running I was totally disorganised and had to rush to make a cake with just a couple of days to go before the show started. I hadn't been able to think of anything to do and when I did, I was too busy to do it! Typical!
Well I just about managed to get this cake finished enough to take to the show. At 4am I only had half a woman! I sort of finished 5 mins before leaving the house and had to stay up for two nights on the trot to get it to that stage, although I was annoyed with myself for having to miss lots of detail and rush the rest.
Anyway, despite all that it managed somehow to pull off a Gold in the novice class!
I was buzzing for the rest of the weekend and had to drink plenty of wine to celebrate!
Next year I will really try not to cock things up and leave it so late (my hubby says he has heard that before!)

Gold Award Novelty Cake - Novel Design