Our Cake Spotlight for December 2008 is Cakes & More member cakechick’s ‘Caitlyn’s Cupcake Cake’.

To make the cake cakechick describes: 

“The cake itself was a white chocolate and strawberry swirl, layered with white chocolate ganache.

 

It is 2 x 9 inch round cakes staked on top of each other (about 3 – 3.5 inches high each) and then tapered at the sides and rounded at the top.  I iced the whole lot in white fondant and then I cut out the pink icing and draped it over the top.  The sprinkles on top are partly cachous and partly edible pearls. 

 

The fairies were inspired by a picture I saw on the internet. I used a sugarcraft gun to make the hair, legs and arms but I couldn’t get the wings to stay on they kept sliding down the back so I ended up pulling some petals off some artificial frangipani’s I had.

 

Finally the letters the fairies are holding were dipped in edible glitter.

 

The cake was for a customer, she previously ordered a Christening Cake from me.”

Thank you cakechick for that great inspiring description, nice last minute save with the fairy wings, when all else fails run around the house and see what you can find!  Well done.

Cakes and More wish everyone a wonderfully happy and merry Christmas and a safe, prosperous, yummy cake New Year.

Safe and happy holidays to all of you and your families.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ONLY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.

If you are not comfortable sticking wires in your cake, then use a flower pick!

A summary of quoted Sections of the National Act and various sub-sections is that the use of wire inserted directly into cake is PERMITTED so long as:

The NSW Food Authority was very helpful in seeking to clarify points and did mention that there were major amendments to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 passed through the Australian Parliament on 20 June 2007.

Victorian residents need to be mindful that they have State regulations that may conflict with National regulations and should check with the relevant State authorities http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/

AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ONLY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.

Also this information does not change the conditions imposed in Schedules for Show Cakes - if it states NO WIRE to be used - then it STILL means that!

I found it very interesting chatting with the NSW Food Authority and the gentleman was very helpful - he did say that Cake Decorating was considered a LOW-RISK food activity and that we would all probably fall of our perches if we investigate too much.

For example:

• Did you know that “chocolate” is legally allowed to contain a % of FOREIGN MATTER (I forget the actual number but it was still alarming) that means for every kilo of chocolate you add to your cakes you could be adding ?.01% of ‘SOMETHING ELSE’.
• That they would be more concerned about the food safety aspect of some “pinched Macca’s straws” being inserted into the cake than the actual Cake Decorating wire itself.
• All items that penetrate the cake surface (skewers,wires, etc) should be wiped down with alcohol wipes as a form of sanitiser.
• He also mentioned that because we are doing lots of “hand” work - where gloves are more than often not used - that these articles should be considered INEDIBLE for customers. ie. your hand moulded figures, flowers etc. and this should also be noted on your Customer Information Sheet.

Some of you will have your own ideas on this subject and you are entitled to those ideas this is merely relaying the information sourced from the relevant food authorities - you do not have to follow it if you choose not to - this information is provided for those that wish to, so that they can do it safely and within the appropriate guidelines.

Our spotlighted cake for November 2008 is Cakes & More member Torki’s Mini Christmas Angels, appropriately ready for Christmas!

All hand made and edible. The perfect Christmas gift. 

I suppose by declining to comment she thought I wouldn’t post the picture… hahahah she’d be wrong!

The Blacktown Show

(the website is now showing the 2009 schedule)

Blacktown Showground
Richmond Road
Blacktown

http://www.blacktownshow.com.au/index.html

To be held:

Friday 13th March Main Events - 5.00am - 9pm
Saturday 14th March Main Events - 8.30am - 10pm
Sunday 15th March Main events - 8:30am - 4pm

Admission charges:

Adults - $10.00
Children - $5.00
Concession - $5.00
Family - $25 (2 Adult, 2 Children)

This year the show only had two entries so if you are looking to get your feet wet, then definitely give this one a go! This is this year’s schedule apparently the 2009 won’t come out till a few weeks before the next show but apparently it doesn’t change very much so you can always start working on something.

Icing & Decorating

Entry Fee $2.00 per entry

Exhibitors are limited to one entry only in each of the following classes.

Exhibits to be staged by 10.00am Friday 13th March 2009

Prize money: 1st $10.00 | 2nd $5.00
Special Prize - Novice Class 46 - trophy by the Cake Decorators Guild of NSW.

Prize money in this section will be paid after 4.00pm Sunday.

SENIOR PRIZE OF $50.00
FOR BEST OVERALL EXHIBIT IN CLASSES 43-47
DONATED BY BLACKTOWN CITY COUNCIL

43. Wedding Cake, not less than two tiers, iced & decorated.
44. Novelty Cake, iced & decorated, not to be cut.
45. Special Occasion cake, iced & decorated, not to be cut.
46. Novice - any cake, iced & decorated, not to be cut. Open only to exhibitors who have not won a first, second or third prize in an Icing & Decorating Section of any previous Agricultural or Cooking Show.
47. Presentation of Sugar Flowers.
48. Junior. Any cake iced & decorated by a junior 16 years & under.
49. New Sugar Art piece

http://www.blacktownshow.com.au/cookery.html (bottom of page scroll down)