Sunday, February 12, 2012

In My Kitchen: February 2012

Joining Celia and her 'In My Kitchen' posts - head on over to Fig Jam & Lime Cordial and join the fun...


This month my kitchen has only one thing on it's mind....cakes.  More specifically, fruit cakes and their elaborate sugar coverings.  In less than 1 week (!!!!) I will have all finished and completed a two-tier wedding cake for the marriage of my 75-year-old bride on Saturday coming (I'm also her Matron of Honour - we're keeping it in the bridal party!).  At this point, I'm not panicking.  The rain has just started up again which will make things harder if it doesn't go away by tomorrow (the humidity in the air makes the fondant chuck a hissy and not dry or set properly).  Here's hoping the week is fine and sunny so the panic doesn't set in early. 


In My Kitchen....


....are a whole heap of sugar flowers and leaves waiting to be turned into little bouquets to be arranged artistically on the cake tiers.  Given that I still don't know how that will be the results could be....interesting...to say the least!  Everything - the design, the colours, the shape - has been left entirely up to me.  Sounds good in theory.  Not so good for a perpetually indecisive person.  I keep changing my mind.  At some point (hopefully very soon) I will have to make a decision and stick to it.  


In My Kitchen....


....I have the cake tins and boards mocked up to give me an idea of the finished product.  I'm planning on making the whole thing sit on a double board.  That is, the bottom cake will sit on a board a bit smaller than the one in the photo, which will then all sit on this board.  Makes the cake ensemble (fancy made up description right there!) seem larger and more grand than it really is.  Ahhh, tricks of the trade!!  I'm thinking the top tier will sit on a spacer (a piece of square polystyrene between the top cake and the pillars that you can't see) to give the impression that it is just hanging there.  Both cakes will have a frill around the bottom of them - the top tier's will sit just lower than the bottom of the cake hiding the spacer.  That's the plan anyway.  Could change as the days pass.


In My Kitchen....
Humph!  For some reason Blogger is rotating my pic...it looks so much more impressive right way up!
....are the results of a two-day intensive cake decorating course I have just finished this afternoon. (sucker for punishment?).  I'm actually glad the course was on this weekend - I've now had heaps of very recent practice covering cakes and boards again - I am feeling confident and ready for the real thing.  Which should take place tomorrow.  Weather permitting.  (please rain, go away).  


Oh, and In My Kitchen....are plans and entry forms for the local show coming up in March into which I will be entering a decorated cake (novice contemporary section) and maybe some jams....!  Busy, busy!

Happy February In-My-Kitcheners!


4 comments:

  1. Shelley, that's fantastic! Thank you for playing! I can't wait to see a photo of the finished cake! And how's the bridesmaid's dress fitting going? ;-)

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  2. Wow- you have been busy!
    The closest I've come to a wedding cake is decorating cookies to decorate the cake for my son and d-i-l. I did the flowers for their wedding and made the breads and soup and salad for the luncheon at the reception, as well. I grew up in the florist business so the flowers were the easiest to do- although we were on a tight budget and so I mainly used flowers from my garden and all my friends gardens!
    Thanks for the peek into your kitchen- you have some exciting stuff going on!

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  3. Wow, amazing. I am envious of someone who has the patience to decorate cakes. Love it. Thank you for sharing your kitchen.

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  4. I have only ever made one flower so I really admire what you are doing!

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