Journey Through Baking

Sick and Lazy

2009-11-07T15:37:00.000Z

Hello. I have been M.I.A lately because of serveral reasons, I have been sick and I have been procrastinating.

I really need a new laptop, this pc laptop is just not doing it for me. What can I say? Once you've had mac you never go back! How is that for an ad campaign?!

I need to get my act together.

Cupcakes @ 3am (but really 2am, thanks to the clocks going back)

2009-10-25T02:06:00.004Z

Just finished piping. Next up... the washing up...

I wish I had a bigger kitchen/house. The living room doubles up as my decorating area with the ironing board set up for extra surface space. My bakeware and decorating boxes are spread everywhere and frosting is such a bitch to get off the carpet. Yes, I know I should do the piping in the kitchen but then I can't watch X Factor...

Ah well. Beggars can't be choosers.

Chocolate Cupcakes @ 1am

2009-10-25T01:52:00.002+01:00

As soon as I got home at just past midnight, I was straight in the kitchen baking cupcakes for tomorrow's order. I said it before, and work and next day orders DO NOT MIX.

Annnnnnd I ran out of eggs! Can you believe that?! I bought some today thinking I had more at home... but no... so I have to complete the second part of the cake order EARLY tomorrow morning :/ Ready to be picked up at 10am.

Right, I'm gonna go and do some piping while watching X Factor.

First Attempt on a Purse Cake

2009-10-19T21:42:00.004+01:00

Woke up feeling creative and wanted to take on a challenge. What could be more challenging than a cake replica of something like say, a bag?

Like real life, before you get a fancy bag you start with a more affordable purse, right?

The 'Sarah' purse from the L.V range.

Okay, so the final product is nothing to write home about... but we all have to start somewhere right?

There were many problems to begin with. Mainly my lack of patience, having the wrong size brush and not enough fondant, the middle of the cake being a... little under baked AND choosing a highly difficult style of purse... all added to the final product being rather... bootleg.

(I chose L.V because I had left over chocolate fondant, and it was similar colour to the L.V leather)

Stitching.

Well. Practice makes perfect.

I am nervous about taking the decorating class. I have never been to a cake decorating class before and am self taught, so this will hopefully be a revelation.

Come in to my Domain!

2009-10-15T22:25:00.002+01:00

I just bought bakebake.co.uk!

Now for the tricky part... the website.

I am still set on using the apricot font and so may end up having to buy it... My head gets in a spin whenever I think about all this jargon, its certainly a learning curve if anything.

Baby steps...

Marvel Comic Theme Cupcakes

2009-10-11T00:24:00.005+01:00

We have, X Men, Captain America, Incredible Hulk, Spiderman and a personailsed logo with his initials, for the birthday boy.

Apparently, Superman and Batman aren't part of Marvel. Who knew?!

7AM

2009-10-10T09:24:00.000+01:00

Urgh. To wake up at 7 in the morning on a Saturday just isn't right. Completed the order of cupcakes. Did half yesterday night (or early this morning, 2AM!) and finished the rest just a moment ago.

Working nights and having cake orders the next day is so not working out.

You get complacent, and become unfocused. You're tired and you make do because you just want it to be over with... thats not why I started baking. It was fun, and an outlet for the stress I accumulated throughout the week. Now its beginning to really feel like work.

Still. Its probably the lack of sleep talking. I know if I really started to hate it, I would stop. It's just that when youre in that state of mind, you'll never be entirely happy with the end product. And I want it to be PERFECT every time.

Anyway, the order was for 22 Marvel comic theme cupcakes. Half were vanilla sponge and the other half was carrot cake. It was an order put in from my friend, she wanted to pay me but I said I'll do them as a present for the birthday boy.

Will update with pictures once I can crawl out of bed to get the USB cable.

No Rest For The Wicked

2009-10-10T02:21:00.003+01:00

Came home from work just before midnight and I was straight in the kitchen getting busy with an order for tomorrow.

The things I do in the name of baking!

Just waiting for the last batch in the oven. Then bath and bed I think... Debating whether to finish the rest of the order now or early (7am) tomorrow morning...

Bake Bake on Facebook!

2009-10-08T22:08:00.004+01:00

So I have picked back up the momentum... I have created a group on FB and in returned gotten so many lovely words of encouragement and best wishes. Maybe some of it will penetrate into my resisting mind! Aaargh!

Have a few orders on the cards... new themes which I am looking forward to create. The best thing is I get to have creative reins over the final product and so with that, the only pressure I have is if it pleases the receiver.

Calling GRAPHIC DESIGNERS... DESIGNERS... I want this specific font (APRICOT) but I don't want to pay for it, esp when I cant carry it over to a new laptop... So if you can help... cookies for you :)

The Part Where I Wished I Paid More Attention At School

2009-09-17T00:46:00.000+01:00

From the word go, I have already designed my "business card" (I'll stop using the inverted commas when I start to feel professional enough to own "business cards", let alone give them out). Chosen a name, devised a long term plan, scratched the surface of product marketing and spent some time sitting at the dinner table (come desk) staring at the screen of this Dell laptop wishing it was the new Mac Pro.

Oh and logging in and out of FB.

FOCUS!

Hmm... I wonder if anyone has wrote on my wall...

So It Begins...

2009-09-14T21:17:00.000+01:00

After a long time coming, I have decided to embark on my next adventure doing and hopefully making a living of what I love to do best. No, not eat, but bake!

I guess, it had a lot to do with the confidence thing, believing I was capable of creating things that people would actually PAY for! I know! The idea sounds ludicrous! But, with Jessica starting school, the restaurant is no longer the excuse as to why I can't pursue this.

I admit. I am scared. I am the kinda girl that thinks the cup is half empty... I always expect the worse to happen... I fear criticism, but I am more uncomfortable with praises... and most of all, I rather give up trying than to face failure... but lately I have been feeling that the notion of not ever trying is worse than failure itself...

I have thrown myself out there, for the sharks and all. I am being brave and realising that those daydreams I frequent so often, may one day become a reality.

And so it begins.