Gypsy Caravan and Shire Pony

So sometimes you get a cake order that just goes to plan! No issues, everything goes smoothly and it turns out just as you want it to. This was one of those. And while it was a pretty big, tall carved cake with modelling of an animal I'm not all that au fait with, I loved it.

This is a gypsy caravan with Shire pony pulling on the reigns. In jade green and burgundy red with bright gold accents. Made for a couple's wedding anniversary.

Another Unicorn!

No introduction required, it's another unicorn cake! Still love 'em.

The Best of The Cake and Bake Show 2018

As promised, here are the pics of every entrant into The Cake and Bake Show 2018 held at the Excel Centre, London. I've popped some of the cakes below but do check out this link for the full line up.

Which is your favourite? Please comment if you see yours!

Rose and Tiaras

One of this week's creations was for a 2 year old little girl called Lilliarnah, who had an ever so pretty pink and white glittering cake made for her. It featured dusky pink roses, bows, fallen petals and a glistening tiara. I just love doing pretty cakes!

The Cake and Bake Show 2018

I am back from a rather tiring, muscle-building trip to London over the weekend. I competed at the The Cake and Bake Show 2018, entering the Around the World in 80 Cakes category. Bit of a mad weekend!

So as you probably know, the Cake and Bake Show is all about celebrating the love for baking and cake decorating, good food and drink and community passion. Their first London show was held this weekend just gone at the Excel Centre in London, featuring the fab cakers from Channel 4's Extreme Cake Makers Molly Robbins and Rosie Cake Diva, alongside well known favourites Jane Asher, Eric Lanlard, Rosemary Shrager, Paul Jagger and Candice Brown.

Struggling on public transport from Wiltshire to East London was, frankly, not much fun. I have done it before for Cake International so really should have known better, but I don't learn lessons very well apparently! Anyway, by GWR train and TfL tube, I traversed my way across the city, carrying my 42" 6 tier wonky cake, balloon topper, weekend stay rucksack and cake repair kit. Oh, and a bottle of violet gin for my hosts. AAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!! I now resemble the Michellin Man. Or Stay Puft. My muscles feel swollen, is what I'm trying to say.

About 5:15pm I finally made it through the doors of the exhibition centre, coming to realise that the venue rooms I wanted were at the far end of the centre. I didn't cry. Much.

Making several stops on the way down the hall, I got to the sign in table and was able to start setting up my cake. I'd been up since 6am, tired, hungry, sore, and stressed but SO happy that all my careful bubble-wrapping hadn't been in vain. Only a couple of minor breakages! Woo hoo!

The title of this year's competition was 'Around the World in 80 Cakes'. Here's a few close ups of the cake... it's a wonky topsy turvy cake in 6 tiers with 3D balloon topper. This is my vintage styled balloon with pilot in his fur jacket and red cravat...

The bottom tier was based on the great barrier reef one side and a river bed the other...

The second tier was airbrushed to resemble the sand shoreline meeting the see, with royal icing brushed waves and featured the pyramids of Giza and Sahara dunes. Third tier was the English countryside with a mini Stonehenge running around to London residential streets and Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament on the other side. Fourth tier was rainforest and a waterfall one side with Macchu Picchu in relief on the other. (Note: remind me never to attempt Macchu Picchu again)...

Fifth tier was airbrushed Aurora Borealis northern lights over icebergs with stone rocks and Emperor penguins with chicks the other side. The sixth tier was simply clouds with the balloon precariously positioned on top...

I didn't win, however the cake was the feature photo in The Telegraph newspaper so I was pretty chuffed with that!

I had a wonderful time, bought some fab new cake decorating equipment, tasted some amazing food and drinks and just enjoyed being surrounded by such a wonderful community.

I'll make another post shortly with photos of all the entries, some absolutely amazing cakers out there! Congratulations to all the participants and winners alike.

Did you have a favourite? What stood out for you as the best part of the weekend? Did you meet any new friends? What did you buy?!!!

Something New In The Oven

So I've been doing a bit of thinking, trying to come up with some USPs, make Sweetie's Cakery stand out from the crowd; and I do believe I've come up with something I've not seen other bakers offer. Something that will take a bit of work to set up, I'll need to build an extra part of my website, complete various practical tasks to be able to have a great starting point for customers, but it is really exciting!

The idea will cater to customers looking for an instant response, quick turnaround and value for money. I'm not giving it away quite yet, but watch this space for the announcement!