Baking - where to start?

[xolily]

i want to start making cakes! pretty ones
any tips? where and how to start?
good books to buy?
things that i'll definitely need to invest in?

thankyooou! x

 

[DJJ]

Do you do any baking at the moment?
I have a book called Fast cakes by mary Berry. Its great has loads good cakes in it but do you mean you want to make decorated cakes?

 

[gills8752]

go look at a blog called "I am Baker" great place for excellent cake mixes and lots of ideas.

 

[xolily]

DJJ yeah decorated cakes, i've been told to just start with cupcakes! Thanks for the links and book xx

 

[LoveCakes]

Mary Berry recipes are great, they always work and you don't have to buy weird ingredients like with delia.

I'd get a rubber spatula, large mixing bowl (tesco do plastic ones) and some scales. Sandwich tins (shallow ones) are good to start or a 6" one makes smaller cakes, good for starting off.

I'd start with fairy cakes (we call them buns but seems to be a local thing)

to make a dozen (or 1 victoria sponge)

2 eggs
4oz/56g Self Raising Flour
4oz/56g Margarine/Butter
4oz/56g Caster Sugar
Dash of vanilla

For fairy cakes you can just use the all in one method and mix it up until it's smooth. Spoon into cases and bake for about 20 min. They're a good way to start off and fun to decorate.

Let us know how you get on

 

[Leopard]

I made fairy cupcakes today

 

[DJJ]

For decorating cakes you will need either an icing surgyrne or icing bags. Lakeland do good sets with different attachments for making flowers and things. You can buy ready to roll icing. to ice a cup cake roll the icing out and cut out a circle using a cookie cutter, slightly dampen the cake or spread with jam. put icing on top, smooth over an then pipe a design on top. My mum has done wedding cakes in the past (including mine) and ive done it along aside her and on my own. look in you library for books before you buy any.
hope that helps. have fun being creative.