Showing posts with label RG27. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RG27. Show all posts

Sunday, 10 March 2019

It's a bit like being at the dentist!


That’s probably not how you would expect me to describe your wedding cake consultation is it?  But it really is.  I will encourage you to eat lots of cake, and whilst you are busy eating it, I will be asking you lots of questions!  Just like when you’re at the dentist, it will be difficult to answer the questions!  😊

Seriously, what can you expect at your consultation?


Firstly, I hold the consultations in my quite small studio.  That is why I will generally ask you to limit the consultation to two of you only.  I can, by prior arrangement, accommodate a third person, like your Mum if she is the very kind person paying for your cake and wants to have an input.  As the space is small it really isn’t suitable for children, so I do ask you please to leave them with Granny for a while if possible. 

I always offer at least four different flavours of cake for you to try.  Usually there will be two of my more popular flavours and very often I like to throw in a wild card flavour!  This month I have given all the couples Pina Colada cake to try, and they have all absolutely loved it with about six couples actually ordering a tier of Pina Colada.  I don’t normally offer fruit cake or carrot cake, but I can do that by prior arrangement and if enough notice is given.   I will also serve freshly brewed coffee, tea or water to drink. 

And then, it is really a case of deciding how many portions of cake you will need and therefore how big the cake will be.  When we know the size of the cake required, we can talk about a design.  I will ask you about the colour scheme of your wedding, about your flower choices, etc.   If you have seen cakes which you like elements of please do bring along the pictures to show me.  It’s also very helpful if you have any colour swatches and pictures of flowers from your florist.


The consultation normally takes about an hour. 

After the consultation I will prepare a full quotation for you, detailing all the elements of the design we have agreed.  I will give you a really rough sketch (and I mean really rough 😊) if I think it will help you to picture the design.  This will all be emailed to you, usually within a day of our meeting. 

I always try to stress that if the quotation is more than you expected, that you should tell me.  It may be that the design can be adjusted to fit your budget, or I can give you a design that will fit your budget.  A good rule of thumb is ‘the simpler the cake the lower the price’.  If you want a cake festooned with sugar flowers it will obviously be very much more than a naked style wedding cake with minimal decoration. 

Quotations are valid for two weeks after they are issued.  

This doesn’t guarantee that the availability for your date will remain, but I will notify you if I have other interest in the same date in the interim.  Your cake is confirmed as soon as the reservation deposit is paid.

It’s all very painless, and that’s where it might differ from going to the dentist!

Sonja x






Tuesday, 12 February 2019

Five go to Wales!



Once upon a time five cake-making friends, Kimmy, Jojo, Suzanne, Jo and Sonja, went to Wales on a big adventure.  They took a picnic and lashings of ginger beer……

Well actually they didn’t, but they may have drunk lashings of wine! 

On Friday, myself and four friends went to Cardiff to attend and compete in the Welsh National Cake Show and Competition.  We spent a lot of time on Friday evening, in the pouring rain and gale force winds playing car Tetris.  It wasn’t an easy job to fit five competition two tier cakes and our bags safely into one car, but we stowed bags everywhere and had a very uncomfortable journey!  The rain lashed down all the way, and the very strong winds made it quite tiring to hold the car in a straight line.  At one point, as we crossed the Severn Bridge, it looked like we might actually be blown into Wales with one particular gust! 

We arrived in Cardiff at about 8.30 p.m., quite a bit later than we hoped.  When we found the hotel, we started to unload all the cakes and baggage and attempt to get to the hotel without being blown over (it was a walk away).  Sadly, as Kim took her beautiful wafer paper decorated creation from the car a strong gust took the box and the cake ended up in two pieces with quite a bit of damage.  But she was stoic, and hid her upset very well.  

We decided that we needed to attend to our hungry bellies before doing anything else! So a very nice dinner was enjoyed by all, with Kim and myself proving to the folks of Wales that us English girls can also drink like fish! 

When we returned to the hotel Kim set about repairing her entry.  After another drink in the bar Jojo and Suzanne decided it might be an idea if they finished their entries!  Jo and I were quite fortunate, and were able to retire to bed earlier than everybody else! 

I’d like to say we were up with the larks on Saturday, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, but I can’t!  It was more a case of us emerging one by one in various states of blearyeyedness. Nevertheless we enjoyed a lovely breakfast before battling the incredible galeforce winds again and indulging in another game of car Tetris before setting off for County Hall. 


Cardiff County Hall played host to the inaugural Welsh Cake Show and Competition, the love child of Martyn and Carmel. It was evident just how much love and attention they had given to the organisation, from the little personal message written on the back of my ticket, to the fact that every certificate was presented personally and not just handed out.  The competition was by the far best organised competition in my experience, nothing was left to doubt. Other larger competitions could learn a lot from them.

We set up our competition entries on the tables with a mixture of nerves and excitement.  Even Kim had managed to rescue her beautiful entry and repair it.  Once you get the competition bug I don’t think it ever leaves you.  Although competitions are stressful and nerve-wrecking, they are somehow still fun and exciting.  Kim and Jo were our competition virgins on this trip.  But they’ve got the bug so bad they are already fixing up the next one. 
Judges Paul & Agnes studying my cake!


We had a few hours to peruse the show whilst the judging was being done, and before the results were announced.  There were lots of vendors there demonstrating and selling a wide array of cake tools and ingredients.  But we had to curtail our spending, mindful of the third game of car Tetris yet to be played.

And I’m very pleased to say the cake ladies of Hampshire did very well, bagging two silvers and two bronzes.  Everybody in Wales was very welcoming, and nobody moaned that we had crept into Wales, nabbed their awards, and crept out again.  Furthermore, we’re going to do it all again next year…..if they will have us!  And we hope to stay longer so we can see a bit more of the beautiful city of Cardiff.

Next stop Birmingham....Cake International in November is calling!

Kim from Kimmy Cakes
Bronze Award

Jo from Cakey Heaven in Fleet



Suzanne from Ditsy's Cakes in Andover
Bronze Award

And me....
Sonja from Little Cottage Cakes
Silver Award

Jojo from Jojo's Cupcake Madness
Silver Award


Monday, 5 October 2015

What an honour!

It was such an honour to be asked to make a 100th Birthday Cake for Jean's birthday.  It is really not something that cake-makers get to do very often.  This could be the only one I ever make, so it had to be special.



I was contacted by Ian and Barbara, Jean's Grandson and his wife.  They really wanted a numeral cake.  This was partly because the impact of three numbers is undeniable, and also in this case it allowed them to choose three different flavours of cake to give all their party guests a choice.   Together we decided on a vanilla sponge with raspberry preserve and vanilla buttercream filling, a rich dark chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling, and a very tangy lemon cake filled with luxurious lemon curd and lemon buttercream. 



Ian and Barbara are in the floristry business, and as Granny Jean lives with them she is surrounded by beautiful flowers, especially on the day of her birthday party.  Their beautiful home was absolutely filled with vases and vases of stunning floral arrangements.  It was therefore only fitting that the cake was decorated in a floral theme too.

All the flowers on the cake were handmade by me using sugarpaste.  The ribbon which trimmed the cake and the very large board had the personal messsage of "Happy 100th Birthday" on it too. 




And if that wasn't enough..... Jean received a personal card from The Queen!