The key is in the door

Life is always a journey.  

I never guessed at the tender age of 8, when my much adored Auntie Pat taught me how to bake a butter cake, that it would start me on a love affair with the beautiful chemistry of baking.

I love the romance of turning butter, sugar and eggs into a magical cake that almost always guarantees a smile.  Yes, Eat cake, and be happy! As my baking improved, the art of turning a yummy cake into a work of art appealed even more as each project had its challenges and nutting them out was even better fun.

So, the progression from a hobby, to a home business and now into our own little studio, it has been a dream that has taken a 6 year journey.  Allow me to share with you the next phase of my love affair with sugar!

A small unassuming shop in a small complex, wedged between a catering kitchen and an indoor squash court, was where we found our new home.

Yes, at this stage....it really was a mess, as we took down all the internal partions of what used to be beautician rooms.

No fear....it scrubbed up pretty well!

What I did fear of course....was..... shock horror.....flat pack furniture!!!! 

Luckily, VERY luckily, not everything was flat pack!

We newspapered the windows....and while we're at it, lets give the neighbours something to talk about!

Beautiful custom made granite tables arrived.  Big happy dance by Winnie!!

Every cake decorators' dream - tables all perfectly level. No more rocking tables!!

 

A fancy coffee machine..........

A lucky money toad.

and we're almost ready for the first classes with Margie Carter! Another very happy dance.

 Check it out!  We're finally up and running!  

3D VW Beetles fresh off the coveyer belt, for our very first christening classes.

 and the first cakes to go out the door.

So yes, we've moved in, and everything is just blissful!  Come and visit us soon!

Love,

Ben Ten, bees and cake without the bake....

It was a lovely long weekend here in the Western State of Australia.  There is nothing quite like having an extra day to the weekend.   It is also the start of Truffle harvesting in WA.  So it was a great excuse to sample some of those newly unearthed Manjimup treasures, a group of us did so at the wonderful LoZucchero in Dalkeith, the best truffle pizza and an amazing freshly made Angel hair pasta with shaved truffle.....it didn't even last long enough to be photographed! If you live in WA and you haven't had some, please do, before it all heads overseas.....particularly to Michelin 3 starred Thomas Keller's French Laundry in Napa Valley, California.

Enough about the food, here is something about the cake.  This weekend Declan turned 4.  They grow up so fast!  I remember making Deckie's 2nd birthday cake, back then, his passion was doggies, and so he got a chocolate cake with a chocolate dog.  Last year, apparently it was spiderman (I didn't make the cake), and this year its Ben Ten.  

It seems that every little boy under 6 is entranced Ben, who can turn into 10 different aliens with the help of his watch/bracelet/omnitrix.....    A cake to cut with family and friends and loads of cupcakes to take to preschool for all his little classmates.

Doting mum Diana was concerned that the omnitrix was far too masculine for the little ladies in the class and so we went politically correct and did half with flowers and half for the ones that wanted turn into little aliens.....

I much prefered the little bees....  

Its so sad to loose a wing!

After all that sugar modelling, baking, caking and ganaching.......I couldn't bring myself to bake for my amazing friend Lilo (sorry Lilo).......

So what does a girl do when a cake is promised and you just can't be stuffed baking??  An icebox cake of course.  Another great American invention.

Layers of graham honey crackers layered with lightly sweetened cream or pudding.  I added Amarula cream liqueur ganache between the layers and stacked it real high, then finished it with a chocolate collar.

It tasted just like an icecream sandwich!  The cream moistens the crackers making them moreish and cake like.  If you can't find graham crackers, I think an oreo cookie icebox cake would be equally amazing!  Next time I attempt it I will not fear the cream, and lather it on thicker.  :) HHmmmmm cream..............