Cake, Decor and Cairns!

My Cairns Cruise Ship Market post received so many positive responses! Thank you! It has inspired me to keep exploring and sharing with you the different stallholders that pop up at these dedicated local cruise ship markets in Cairns, as well as the regular 3rd Sunday of the month markets at The Pier Cairns.  Today's spotlight is on Handmade Gifts Cairns Whether you’re looking for a special momento of your visit to Gimuy Cairns or seeking a one of a kind handmade gift for that special someone, Handmade Gifts has you covered. I really love their mottos: "Perfectly Imperfect" and "Handmade is just better!" You'll find an assortment of locally designed, handmade and upcycled products including cards, magnets, bag charms  keyrings, wristlets and hand decorated photo frames. Handmade Gifts Cairns Majority of their items are Australia Post, Cruise line and Airline friendly. Next time you visit Cairns be sure to check out Handmade Gifts, a local favourite at The ...

Hello and thank you for visiting my little cake decorating hobby blog! I am currently taking an extended break from all online activities. In the meantime there's loads of past blog posts on here full of hints, tips, recipes and decorating ideas! So don't leave, have a click around and check out the blog archives while you're here! And don't forget to sign up below so you are one of the first to know when I am back blogging and sharing my journey with you all again! (I will be back - I promise!) Happy Caking! ❤ Naomi x Share  heart emoticon  Inspire  heart emoticon  Motivate :: Home Bakers Doing it For Themselves!

I'm really excited to be able to give Cake Decor in Cairns followers this special discount code for full professional cake decorating classes at The Cupcake Orchard! The amazingly awesome Alexi has again this year given us a $20 discount on all of Lauren Blong's whole cake covering classes including mastering the sharp edges of square cakes. Learn how to ganache a cake to smooth perfection and cover smoothly, complete with straight fondant edges! What a fabulous skill to learn! The prices are amazing! Take for example the square cake class - after our $20 discount, it only costs $105 which includes you being given a delicious naked cake, learn the correct techniques to ganache, cover and beautifully decorate perfectly.  But wait there's more! Yes it's unreal I know, but lunch is also included!! I am really excited about these classes as they are the cheapest you will ever get from a professional in Cairns. Hold on, you think I am just a little bit too excit...

On a weekly basis I get requests for cake orders, wedding cakes, birthday cakes, christening cakes... but at this stage of my cake decorating journey I do not sell my cakes. I don't have a registered kitchen and this is my hobby, and as soon as you start putting financial pressure on my decorating I would no longer enjoy it. So I thought it would be a great idea to list some of the fabulous local business' who network with me on a regular basis. These lovely local cake makers have a strong social networking presence and can all be found on facebook. The list is by no means a recommendation, just a simple directory to help you make contact with each business individually, to find the one that suits your personal needs.  So if you really cannot make your own cake and need assistance from a professional then try out my Local directory for Cairns, Queensland. To access the Local Cake Decorators Directory click "Local Directory" Tab above or... And...

One of the very first mysteries I like to unlock in my beginners workshops is Fondant. It's known in various parts of the world by many names depending on additives, including Gumpaste, Sugar paste, and Petal Paste. But over here in Far North Queensland Australia, I like to use the general name Fondant. I believe knowing what fondant is, where to buy it, and what to do with it are the 3 biggest mysteries to the average home baker and why it is my most popular workshop. There are several options from making your own, to supermarket  and baking supply stores and of course online. I usually cover the most common brands seen locally but if you have different brands in your local area feel free to add your comments below. After explaining where to buy fondant, I move on to Gel colours (brands names Wilton and Americolor) and what CMC/Tylose is used for. I will create another post on the different brands in the near future, but today we'll get back to reviewing that fondant. ...

Attaching decorations with edible glue. In cake decorating there are so many different definitions,  products and methods.  It can all get a bit confusing at times! Depending on what country/ city you live in the terminology will be different.  For example sugar paste, gumpaste and fondant can mean the same thing depending on your culture!  Gum  Tragacanth:  Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes. It's a natural edible gum. When added to fondant makes it more pliable and stretchy, improves structure and a better dried end result. Expensive.  CMC :  Carboxymethyl Cellulose is pretty much the man made cheap version of gum tragacanth and does the same thing but is easier to find. Tylose Powder:  Is the same as CMC but a different chemistry name... I am not a scientist so I don't really know exactly how they are different but you will o...