Stars, Spots, Stripes and Victoria Sponge

The lady I made this cake for wasn't very specific when she placed her order. Usually I'd start with a photo, picture, figure or specific theme. My brief for this one was to come up with something different, original, 'out of this world.'  Where do you start? It's for an adult so little green men and UFO's didn't seem quite appropriate.

Instead I took inspiration from the birthday girl who loves all thing blue, stripey and/or spotty. It was as easy as pie (well cake) after that. I can't help feeling that this could be the inspiration for any Jubilee orders next year. A little bit of red in all the layers and maybe some white in the stars and I think we've got something very special indeed.

White Chocolate Truffle Gateau

White Chocolate Truffle Gateau with Coffee and Kahlua Butter Cream and home-made white chocolate truffles. Not just any gateau, a Mamma Makes Cakes gateau!.

My first Christmas party of the season yesterday and I supplied the cakes. Santa and Rudolf Christmas Cake, Christmas Cup Cakes and a White Chocolate Truffle Gateau with homemade chocolate truffles. I was a bit nervous about the reaction that they were going to receive but it could not have gone any better.

Time is getting on a bit for Christmas orders but if you're in charge of pudding for the big day and would like some help please do give me a shout!

Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow

Inspired by the lyrics of Sammy Cahn;

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

And here is my snowy homage to Christmas. It's a simple affair but I think you'll agree its got it all, snow, Santa, Reindeer and a Snowman. What a winter wonderland. Again, last orders for Christmas cakes is the first week of December and this one starts at £60. Give me a shout if you need anything :-)

Santa's Secret Christmas Snooze

I've been slaving away in the kitchen like one of Santa's elves making cakes for my Christmas orders. If I'm honest I lost my mojo a bit and was almost crippled with self-doubt. Then my friend (of Kitty-Gate fame) plyed me with copius bottles of Rioja and I as wobbled my way home I realised that the only way to conquer your fears is to confront them head on.

Out came my baking book and before I knew it the Spirit of Christmas was back and the fairy dust was flying. Well the edible glitter anyway. I'm pretty pleased with the results, this first one is for a party next week, I hope everyone likes it.....

By the way its not quite too late to place your orders for a Christmas cake. This one starts at £60. Give me a shout if you need anything.

Shaun the Sheep

I lost sleep over Shaun the Sheep. I loved making him for my latest commission and I was really pleased with the end result. The problem was - the photo! I don't know what was going on yesterday but my friend tells me it was a full moon. I'm not usually superstitious about these things but I'd swear that my Shaun got a bit of the curse of the old were-sheep. He certainly didn't like being photographed.

I took a great photo on my digital camera but the Creative Director got hold of it. How an almost 3 year old can find a way to permanently delete a file is beyond me. She is surely a technical genius. So there I was, all blogged up and no photo to show.

And then Mama Kitty Gate stepped in. Well Papa technically. A little bit of technical wizardry, fairy dust, a 1-2-3 and here we are. I'm really proud of him and I'm pleased to say so was the birthday boy. I'm happy to welcome Shaun to the Mamma Makes Cakes Menagerie.

So, if you need a cake, you know who to ask - email me on mammamakescakes@hotmail.co.uk.

No ewes. lambs or rams were harmed during the writing of this blog update.

Say Hello, Kitty

Happy Birthday to Evie Redwood who is 3 on Tuesday. I hope you had a lovely birthday party today and that everyone enjoyed the Hello Kitty cake your mama ordered.

Who knew that Hello Kitty could be so controversial? I had what can only be described as a Kitty Gate moment on Thursday evening when one of my friends came over for a girls night in. I was looking forward to a couple of glasses of wine after a stressful day of making my own Kitty and all the little handmade flowers that I used to decorate Evie's cake.

My friend is very supportive of Mammamakescakes so I was quite excited about introducing her to Kitty. I'd already got the thumbs up from my Creative Director so was looking forward to my moment in the sun, my minute of glory. A drum roll, couple of sparklers and a Catherine Wheel later I do my great 'ta-dah' and, well, nothing. The sound of silence.

After about a second my friend looks at me and says 'are her ears supposed to be that big?'. Talk about gutted. Long story short, no they weren't supposed to be that big so after a little bit of cosmetic surgery (and yes an ear job really can change a face) my Kitty was reborn. Reluctantly I have to admit that she looks a lot better for it. I think Mama Redwood agreed too.

Constructive criticism? It kind of sucks doesn't it?

Anyway, I am happy to add this Hello Kitty cake to my portfolio so whether you'd like one of these or ANYTHING else let me know and I'll see what I can do. I may or may not ask my friends opinion next time.

Let me Bake you a Cake

We've had to introduce a strict exercise regime at home now. With cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner we're fighting to walk the dog and have to write up a rota for the cross training machine. My family are BEGGING me to stop making them cake and to start looking for commissions.

So, I'm biting the bullet and I've baked up a price list. OK so it's not really a list, more a price. To get myself up and running I will make you a cake - either Freddy Frog or Fairy House for the princely price of £45.

If you've seen a picture of a cake somewhere else and would like me to do that for you just DM me on Twitter @mamamakescakes and we'll talk toppings.

So if you have a birthday, anniversary, celebration or just love cake please give me a shout, I'd love to help.

Cupcake, Cupcake?

It's a philosophical business cake making. While you're mixing, baking, waiting for it to cool, making icing and decorating, your hands are busy, you're concentrating, but your mind can wander. As I whipped up a huge batch of cupcakes for my latest order I had an epiphany and I thought I'd share it with you.

Up until now if someone called me cupcake I'd have been very tempted to hit them with my wooden spoon. It seems such a patronising, back-handed put me down.  You don't call a bloke cupcake so why me? After hours of baking these sweet nothings I think I've changed my mind. After all, what is a cup-cake? It's a light, tasty, yummy thing, topped off with a big swirl of loveliness. So, if you want to call me cup-cake, do, and thank you, much appreciated.

Oh yes and of course - I make cupcakes!

Away with the Fairies

WHAT was I thinking? It seemed like such a good idea to take this commission but in retrospect I think it might have been the Cava talking. Well I can't let the side down now, there are a whole bunch of children and one special birthday girl who can't have a party without a cake.

So back onto Google images with my creative director (my nearly 3 year old is a career girl already) and she selected a beautiful but difficult looking fairy cake. Oh no, not one of those ones you cut the lid off and in half to make 'wings', a two storey toadstool house adorned in pastel coloured fairies. OKAY.

Down to business. Miracle of miracles I didn't have to bake two cakes this time, which is maybe as well because I'd decided to make some cupcakes for them as well as a little thank you for my first order. The cake was baked and cooling so I made up the buttercream and icing. Ready to rock and roll. It all came together quite well actually, my biggest problem was little fingers stealing my fairies as soon as they were made.  We got there in the end though and I'm really pleased with the result. I hope my friend is too.

La Grenouille

It all started with my daughters first birthday and a big, green, frog.

In the past my mother has made all of the cakes for our special occasions - birthdays, christenings, Christmas, but this time I just fancied giving it a go myself. Armed with her secret recipe and google images, myself and my older daughter (she's 2.5) set out to make the perfect birthday cake.

It wasn't the most auspicious start when Mia decided what her little sister would most like in the world was a bright green frog but hey, I was happy to give it a go. 8 hours, 2 takes and a lot of tears later a frog was born.

I was so pleased with the results but could never have anticipated the reception that Freddie received. Everyone who came to the birthday party thought he was great and one of my friends asked me to make a cake for her own little girl's birthday which is this weekend. I can't believe it. I think maybe I'm going to be a cake maker when I grow up.

If you live in Berrylands or Surbiton and would like me to make you a cake for any occasion do give me a shout- I'd love to help!