Hey guys!
I was so excited for today because me and a friend were off to do a cake decorating course at Sweet and Floral (came up on Groupon). It was soooooo much fun!
We learnt how to colour icing using gel colours (sugar flair ones which were all veggie, vegan and gluten free).
We made bows (like the spots? We even learnt how to make spotty icing!)
We learnt how to pipe different designs with butter icing- a rose and a swirly thing;
And made some little doves (that is the swirly icing technique)
Here is the rose underneath some roses made of icing which I also learned how to make!
So pretty! With some edible glitter on there for fun!
We also got to choose our final cake! I went for fondant icing (so I had 2 of each) with some little flowers and butterflies.
And a close up;
I was so excited about this and the course was just brilliant. We all started off with white fondant icing (tescos is the best apparently) and then we had to choose our colours- I used navy and melon colours in varying amounts to make yellow, blue and green.  We got given drinks and cake (and biscuits were available) while we decorated, and they were so good at demonstrating and then coming around to each table to help. I have some great ideas for how to decorate my Christmas cakes this year. Plus, if I get some colours I could go all fancy and make marzipan carrots for the top of carrot cakes! 🙂 Plus we got to take our 4 cakes home in a box!
I have been looking for places that sell the gel icing now, and I found a cake shop in Welwyn which is near to me! Yay!
Other news- I actually screamed (yup, then I realised the windows were open, what will the neighbours think) when I found this freebie in my Ocado shopping!
Piglet of peppermint teapigs tea!!!!!!! How exciting! Yes, I really do scream over 2 teabags. I just love freebies, and mini things, and tea, so all three together= amazing!
I also popped to the shops- I went in to Holland and Barrett to get some cranberries (Christmas cake making starts in half term- one week to go yay). I came out with this. Ahem.
Mint tea, a mixed box of various teas including vanilla strawberry, and blueberry, unsweetened almond milk (to tide me over before I attempt my own in half term), 2 packets of un-sulphared cranberries, Doves wholegrain spelt flour, Maca powder (although I think I actually wanted lucuma?), cherry licorice (to even it out as it was buy one get one half price).
Some desserts made with pea protein!
And some coconut flour! I keep reading about this so when I saw it I went for it. Plus it is gluten free so I can make something for my friend who has coeliacs. Any recipe recommendations will be well received 🙂
I am going to leave you with another cake photo!
Which one do you think looks most impressive? Have you ever made things like that for cakes before? Anything else I should try besides carrots?
PS Holland and Barrett were promoting their loyalty card- seems like a Boots advantage card so worth signing up if you shop there. 🙂
All the cupcakes are pretty but I think the dove one is my favourite!
I love Teapigs! That’s such a good freebie from Ocado! 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Andy told me I was rather sad for getting that excited about the freebie! But all freebies are good freebies!
OMG those cupcakes are ADORABLE!! Can you do a v-log teaching us everything you know now?!?!?
April (Foods of April) has some awesome coconut flour recipes! 🙂
Uh, no idea on the v-log- can you do a v-log on how to do a v-log??? Just kidding! Next time I make them I will get Andy to take some photos for sure 🙂
Thanks for that will google that blog.
That course sounds so cool, I would love to do something like that! 😀 My favourites are the roses and the butterflies, but they’re all really pretty 🙂
& thanks for the tip about H&B loyalty card…I’ll try to remember to sign up next time I’m in town 🙂
It was so much fun! I am glad my friend came with me but next time I would also happily go along as they were so good.
I love the cakes! The butterflies and birds are stunning… my mum’s brilliant at that and I’d love to be able to do it properly.
I’ve just signed up for a H&B card but haven’t got round to registering yet… the one near my work’s tiny which is such a shame because they don’t do the best stuff! I love these coconut flour biscuits http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2009/08/18/grain-free-coconut-flour-biscuits/
they’re great 🙂
If you register there is a free postage offer too! So worth activating the card to get that if your local one is small. Thanks for the recipe link too.
I am so not good at decorating things so I think they all look amazing 🙂
Thanks! I am normally in the “rustic” camp with my presentation, so I am so proud that I made something so pretty 🙂
The flowers are stunning, I have always wanted to be able to make them but I’m just not delicate enough. Well done, such an amazing course to go on 🙂
I never had any idea how they made them, but it is quite simple- I will take some pics when I make them at home 🙂
I am so impressed! All of the cakes look utterly professional (I’d pay for them if I saw them in a shop) and my absolute favourite has to be the one with the fondant roses.
I wish I had half the creative talent that you do!
xxx
Thanks Jessica 🙂 Me and my friend just kept on saying how pleased we were when we made them! Without going on the course I would have had no idea how to make them though
I love those cakes! My Mam is a wonderful cake decorator and made mine and my friends wedding cakes. That’s one big H&B haul! I love those little pea protein yoghurts, they are a little bit sweet, but its handy that they are ok to be stored at room temp 🙂
I had never even seen them before but I like that sort of thing 🙂 One of my friends does wedding cakes etc on the side too- don’t think I am that good though! The pressure! My Auntie made my parents their wedding cake but that was mainly because they werent going to have one, and my Auntie thought that you can’t have a wedding without cake!
I can’t decide between the roses and the doves – they are both amazing and all four are very impressive!
I’ve seen those yoghurts in H&B before, but never tried them. I might have to buy one next time I go in.
My Dad is the Christmas cake maker in our family – I can’t wait until I can tuck in 🙂
Yeah home-made is the way to go 🙂 Plus making them is one of my fave projects 🙂
I got a H&B card! 150 points for signing up! (not that i’ve checked my account yet…)
Yeah think it takes a while for them to register on the account- but worth £1.50 so not bad!
Doves my fave as ive never seen it before. I made an angry bird cake, see my blog, looks like a kids made it in comparison to your sophiticated efforts lol
ah good stuff 🙂 I did have to be shown step by step 🙂