Halloween Spider Cakes

(Spider Cakes)

These are so easy to do and a must for your Halloween parties. The family had great fun making these today although I still have black food dye on my hands from making the spiders - must get some gloves for this in the future.

1. Fill cases just below half full so there is a gap at the top between the cake and case once cooked ensuring a smooth base once the icing is on
2. With orange buttercream spread icing over cooled cakes with an offset spatula
3. Starting in the centre of your cake, pipe a black spiral on top of the orange icing
4. Take a cocktail stick and starting at the centre of the cake lightly drag to the edge of the cupcake. Do this at 1cm spacings to creat your spiders web

For the spiders:

1. Colour some sugar paste with black food colouring (wear gloves)
2. Roll a small piece in to a ball for the body
3. Make 8 legs and press lightly in to the body
4. With some white icing make little balls for the eyes
5. Place on to the spiders web

Voila! Scrummy halloween cakes...enjoy!

Babycakes

(Baby boy cupcakes)

My best friend Kathryn had her 3rd baby last week a little boy named Harrison. He is absolutely gorgeous and it gave me a great excuse to make my first baby cakes!

I bought a baby shapes mould from Design a cake and filled it with a mixture of sugar paste & flower paste some coloured baby blue and the others plain white.

I loved doing them and now need someone to have a baby girl so I can try out the pink design!

Byte IT

Each year, over 500 people from the IT and business community give up their bed for one night to experience a little of what it might be like to be homeless. The money they raise helps Action for Children tackle the root causes of youth homelessness and gets thousands of children and young people off the streets and into secure accommodation with education and training opportunities.

The North East event was organised by Derek Curtis of Bond Solutions and held at The Baltic. Unfortunately I wasn't able to join in at this years event, so what else could I do but to offer to make special 'bytenight cupcakes' along with other favourites (including Rum & Raisin) to try to keep the participants warm as they braved it outside by the Tyne!

Well done to all those that took part.