Cake Decorating and Think Thin Thurs

I spent my time this week making and decorating a cake for a friend at my Theatre group. It was his mums 70th Birthday and he asked if I could make her a cake. I asked him what his mum was interested in hobbies etc, so I could get an idea for the design. He said she loves cats! I asked him if his mum liked gardening......she did so I had the beginning of an idea!

I wanted something cute! Kittens playing, flowers, plant pots that type of thing, I browsed the web for inspiration and found this cute image, I painted him on the side of the cake using food colours. Butterfly's and flowers were the theme and repeated around the cake...
Run-Out Work The design on the cake top is a run out, this is icing piped around the design shape, then filled in with a runny consistency royal icing. The design is left around a week to set then I painted the design with food colours. I enjoy this technique, any design can be re-created this way!

The other side of the cake - Kitten with a butterfly on his nose!

I really loved painting the design on this cake, the day was sunny, I was in no rush, I put some good music in the cd player and I just enjoyed the time........ The painting was the last to be done on the cake as there is an order to decorating it goes like this...

1. Make the run-outs/decorations around a week in advance
2. Make the cake - To keep this fresh usually only two days before cake is due

3. Roughly two days before the due date, Butter cream and cover the cake in Fondant/Icing It need a whole day to set before any painting can be done (we don't want knuckle or finger marks)

4.Paint run-outs.let dry... Paint any designs on the cake...

5. Remove run outs and place on cake - Do any final piping !

6. Finished in good time,usually the evening before . Place in box and finished!

Depending of the decorations and design a cake takes around a week to complete, as so many things need to set, dry etc. It can take a lot longer if making figures they are more complex!

'In an English Country Garden' that is the song I thought of whilst painting the cake, around the back of the cake I painted, Hollyhocks, lavender and other flowers...
***********************************************************************************
Think Thin Thurs

I am updating early, late wed night. I am happy with this week I still managed to walk and do the exercise vid, but not walk as much with the cake taking most of my time! I walked twice at 20 mins each. But I did a lot more dancing around the house and stretches etc

I am sure I am losing weight as my pants feel a bit more loose! The snacking has not been so bad either, I took more notice of the clock and managed to eat the last thing before 9.00pm, but not always....

So my goals for next week are

1. To get back to walking 4 times a week

2. and No eating after 9.00pm !!!

Yes they are the same goals as last week, but this week was a bit out of whack! ha,ha

See you all again soon

Priscilla x