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| My cake won't look anything like this! |
So I did put my hand up. And now I'm organising the school raffle. It's actually been fine. Lots of other mums have come up with brilliant prizes from local businesses - three-course meals from local restaurants, 4-day football courses for kids, so I think it's going to be really good.
But it hadn't always looked quite so healthy. In fact there was a point when I thought a bottle of plonk from our local Costcutter was pretty much the extent of it and I panicked.
So I offered to cook a cake a month for a year for a lucky winner. Whenever I mention this to other mothers or my friends I get a look and I can't work out if the concern is for me or the winner. But I think it is a GREAT idea (not my idea, I hasten to add, but my friend Sarah, who did it recently as a fundraising event for her local street party) and my cakes aren't that bad.
After baking 12 top quality cakes they should be a whole lot better too. I've decided to take this opportunity to improve my cake-baking skills as well as my cake-baking kit. I've got to cook the first one on Friday so I can display it on the raffle table on Saturday. It needs to look BRILLIANT. Anyone got any good recipes/ideas for me? I'm all ears. Or recipes and photos? If you've got a great pic, maybe stick it on our Facebook page so I can see it? Or Pinterest it. And do you think it should appeal to kids (get them to pester parents to buy tickets) or adults (it's their dosh so you want them to like it). Bear in mind I'm not an expert baker (or icer!) so keep your expectations low! The picture above is just eye candy (it's from here) and in no way relates to what I anticipate mine will look like...
I just made a rainbow cake! It was pretty involved and no mean feat (I hate baking) but I reckon it would've been a bit easier had I not had 2 children to look after at the same time. It was a real show stopper though, really has the wow factor.
ReplyDeleteIt's on my blog www.morethantoast.org x
What an amazing cake - looks so beautiful! But 18 egg whites...I'm not sure I'm that dedicated a PTA member!
DeleteWow. Great cake Alice. When is your school raffle Claire? I am totally going to come. I would love you to bake me a cake every day for a year. That was the deal right?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter if it won't be as pretty. Surely as it will be homemade it will taste probably more delicious than the one in the picture. Happy baking!
ReplyDeleteI am totally with you Alida. Sometimes really beautiful cakes just don't look like they will taste nice. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
DeleteGo for pester power! The more icing the better. For example these (which are no way as hard as they look... just print out pics of the cakes and go for it) http://www.recipesfromanormalmum.com/2012/04/21/octonauts-cupcakes/
ReplyDeleteThese cakes are more like the octonauts than the real deal - so beautiful!
DeleteI made a fruit cake for our guess the weight of the cake stall. not pretty, so it wouldn't do for your thang, but at 2.3 kg it was one heavy cake! There were quite a lot of jubilee tray bake ideas about last month - doing a plain ish cake then mascapone/cream cheese type icing with the union jack made out of soft fruit (strawbs/rasps and blueberries. Does your school have an emblem that might be easy to approximate in soft fruit??
ReplyDeleteAh, RJ, I like your style. Their emblem is our postcode, SE21. That is not a bad idea at all...thank you!
DeleteThat is SUCH a good idea - I auctioned off my baking services at the nursery fundraising g auction last year and was embarrassed by how much people bid.... Then realized it was because they wanted a fancy birthday cake, argh. This year's one is tomorrow and I am beginning to think about doing it again... You might have inspired me.
ReplyDeleteGo on, go on!
Delete..... Er, sorry, I wasn't very helpful with ideas. But given the popularity of any kind of chocolate-related blog post, I'd say a big fat choc cake is your best bet.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think chocolate is always a winner, isn't it? With kids and adults. Maybe with some raspberries, as they're in season.
DeleteWhat a great idea, and I'm so glad I read this now and not a week ago. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI might copy you and do for the Christmas Fair anything (even a rainbow cake, which I did for St Paddy's this year) would be less pressure then the gingerbread house that I was 'persuaded' to do last year!
My rainbow cake is on my blog in March!
I made a a stadium cake last weekend (easy peasy with a Bundt tin!)
Anyone who has made a rainbow cake has my TOTAL respect. And if the gingerbread house was even harder than that, respect!
DeleteGreat idea for a prize.
ReplyDeleteMy fail safe cake is Lemon Polenta Cake - from Nigella's Kitchen (and is on the web too)
It is basically a lemon drizzle cake with a much more interesting texture.
And served with some cream on the side..... wowzers!!!
Simple method, easy cook and delicious.
Good Luck with your venture!!!
(and obviously factor in the yearly calendar -
Simnel Cake for Mothering Sunday/Easter. Christmas Cake/Log. Birthday cake for family child etc.)
xxx
Stephen
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