Weds 22nd August!

I've just been watching the football - what a depressing experience that was! Oh well, I shan't comment, probably it's a case of the least said, it started ok, but oh boy, did it end poorly.

Anyhow, I've been a busy bee. Lots of work recently - hit that patch in the rota where it's been nothing but 8 - 4's. Ah, I hear you all say, lots of time to be working in the evening then. No, lots of time to be sleeping in the evening is what I say. I did get a bit done, but frankly, an 8 - 4 leaves me pretty much wanting dinner and a bit of mindless telly followed by a chapter or so of something entertaining bookwise, before sleep. What energy I did have went on icing...

Yep, the cake. What can I say? I have an entire potfull of butterfly wings and various letters that will eventually make a 'Happy Birthday' and walls sort of splattered with remnants of pink and white icing! (Actually I exaggerate this part, if the landlords reading!)  Seriously though, using an electric whisk to make royal icing is not a particularly good idea!

To be honest, it's not the electric beater, so much as the exploding icing bags. I don't know what they're doing to icing bags these days, but they don't seem to hold together the way that they did.  I bought a new one a couple of days ago and it actually had a gap in the seam before I'd even filled it!  Next one's I buy, I'm going to buy the good one, yep the professional bag, because you can at least rely on it holding together, and possibly lasting more than one icing session.  It's like tights, it's not a good thing to try and save money on.

 

Well fingers crossed anyhow, tomorrow I make the cake. I have the recipe, the ingredients - the pan is out of the cupboard and waiting for it's lining to be fitted - buttered and parchmented ladies, I'm old fashioned. I did use one of these super-doopery silicon jobs, but to be honest, I can't cut it well enough to actually fit the bottom of the pan, so it's best to stick with what you know.  Especially now Lakeland make that wonderful three inch roll that just fit's the sides so wonderfully.

My recipe is a buttermilk pound cake sponge. It needs to be a keeper, so using one of the buttermilk recipes will make for a moister sponge.  I aim to be cooking by first thing tomorrow, and icing by tomorrow night, probably fitting the final touches over at Winsley. I don't think it's worth the risk of trying to move the thing with butterflies in place - it's easier to put the base icing on and take a pot of buttercream with me (and the piping bag!) to do the bodies of the butterflies and stick the wings in over at Winsley. At least that's the plan right now... who knows what it will be by tomorrow??