DON'T FORGET TO TURN ON YOUR LOG TO RECORD OUR CHAT TONIGHT: TO DO:  AT THE
TOP OF YOUR AOL MENU, CLICK ON <<FILE>>, SCROLL DOWN TO <<LOG MANAGER>> CLICK ON OPEN LOG...... AND SAVE-AS ---ANY NAME ...CAKECHAT.LOG (ETC) IN A FOLDER (DIRECTORY) ... AFTER YOU EXIT AOL YOU CAN USE ANY WORD PROCESSOR TO OPEN AND READ IT.

LATER WE WILL HAVE 'OPEN MIKE' AND WE WOULD LIKE IT IF YOU WOULD ADD YOUR INPUT, PLEASE.. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO ADD COMMENTS AND TO ASK QUESTIONS.

THIS WEEK WE MUST USE OUR NEW NAMES APPOINTED TO US BY AOL.. DOLORES777 IS CCCHEFDOL AND PWD SUGAR IS CCCHEFPWD. THIS IS AN AOL THING. WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. I LIKE THE NAME OKAY THOUGH : ) 

"TECHNIQUE" means decorating medium used - like Rolled Fondant, Gum paste, Color flow, Figure Piping, Wafer paper, Lambeth, Australian, etc.

With this in mind, what do YOU like and what do YOU do well? Prize-winning cakes are going to reflect better if you have used techniques you love to do and know well. There are loads of books available now, or classes are offered on many techniques.

If you are making a REAL cake (to eat), then you will also want to make sure the cake is baked nicely and not over-baked. OVER-BAKING bakes the flavors out and makes the cake dry & tasteless. For BOX-CAKES, I test by pressing my finger lightly in the center. If the cake BARELY springs back up, it is done. Remove it from the oven. Let is cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn it out onto the serving tray.

NOW TO THE DECORATING: What is the theme, where did you find it? Wilton's Yearbooks are very good sources for teaching you new techniques that look professional. Find a cake design that fits the occasion and go step-by-step like they instruct you to do. You will be surprised at the new things this makes you do. It will never be boring this way. You will learn a lot.

SMOOTH IT: Your cake should usually appear nice and smooth (unless you are making a 'scenery' cake). I just ice it with the Wilton 11 inch spatula to get it smooth. But if you have problems doing this, there are many other ways.
1. Ice the cake, let it crust, then use a (Viva or Scott brands) paper towel to smooth the icing: Lay the paper towel on the cake after it is crusted enough that it won't stick. Rub your hand in a circular motion over the p. towel. Move the p. towel around as needed.
2. Some people use dress-maker's interfacing material. This will give a smooth affect. (There ARE smooth paper towels too but not easy to find and they are cheaper).
3. Cake Icer tip: Use an over-sized bag of about 18 inches. Do the sides first, then the top. You will still need to smooth out the top with a bent spatula. This is GREAT for icing the sides of character shaped cakes when they need to be iced smooth, then just use the small bent spatula to smooth the icing over the top a little.
4. For 'curved' areas, I sometimes use a Kleenex tissue. I do bevels on wedding cakes like this. I first ice it as well as I can then I smooth it much the same as if I were using a paper towel.
5. Some people use waxed paper. But it tends to stick to the icing worse....but if its all you have!

FLOWERS: Most of the time it is advisable to make them up ahead of time. This way it doesn't seem like you are working on one cake forever. This really helps with wedding cakes.
For roses, I use buttercream icing usually. I make roses 2-4 days ahead and let them dry uncovered. Then I can pick them up in my hand to place them on the cake.
   Of course make fragile flowers up ahead with royal icing (like daisies, drop flowers, daffodils etc). These can be made weeks or months ahead. Store them covered from dust and light (light fades).

CCChefPwd: The light really does play havoc with your made ahead flowers pinks will almost fade out
blues will turn orchid - so do be careful exposing them to light
CCChefDol: When I didn't have stained glass in my car I had to cover my cakes with a plastic bag or
they faded out before I could get them delivered
EffieGreen: CC, does brand of food coloring make a diff?
CCChefDol: Effie...I think some IS better. I like Baker's Preferred...its a gel...easy to mix
CCChefPwd: I have never compared brands to see Effie
CCChefDol: use paste of gels for easy mixing...never watered down coloring like at the grocery store

L2jlu2: which is better to use buttercream or royal icing flowers? & do you charge differently
Gigimama: buttercream tastes better and can be cut through at serving, but royal can be made weeks, even months in advance, are stronger, easier to arrange
CCChefPwd: If they come out of a tip I charge the same - If they have to be handmade like the gumpaste
Tuppy 2: Does the striping method work with drop flowers?
CCChefPwd: flowers then I charge much more. It works tuffy if you don't want the color even in the flowers. If you have a striped bag then your flowers may come out one color, two colors or a combination
CCChefDol: royal icing flowers...I make lots of drop flowers of one color to last me up to a year
ShariE1071: I can never get my drop flowers to come out like in the pictures (tip 224/5)
CCChefDol: drop flowers...just don't stir the color up smooth. they will be multi
CCChefPwd: I have some drops that I was using up some pink and orange left over royal and they make an interesting added touch in arrangements

APPEARANCE: Decide the theme with items in proportion to the cake's size. Choose your colors carefully.
TIP: (Colors - and how to get the shade you want) - Mix color into just a small portion of the icing on the side of the bowl. Then add the amount needed for just the perfect shade. Leave the rest on the side of the bowl.

FIGURES: Do you need to make some sort of tiny figures or accents for the cake? Use stiffened buttercream icing. Just color it, then add powdered sugar until it isn't sticky and you can pick it up and roll it into a ball in your hand without it sticking to you. I've used this method for RADIO KNOBS, EARS/TAIL FOR A PIG, EYES, TONGUE HANGING OUT...etc. You could even form crude LITTLE PEOPLE this way. You'll first need to color the icing in several colors as needed. Then roll icing into little balls and fit together with water as glue. It would be easy to form a 'HAT: Flatten a ball of icing and add a ball slightly squared on top.
SWIMMERS: I made a swim team cake once and formed the heads this way. You'd be surprised how personable they can look by adding the right color hair, glasses etc.

BTW, did you ever wonder....I make up my part of the chat and make it a strict policy never to read what Earlene sends. It is so surprising to both of us how different we perceive our titles. (We both make subject titles for each month). We are required to make subject titles up one month in advance. If there is ever a subject you would like covered, please give us a lot of time.

ICES: This is absolutely the very last week that we have to remind you that you need to have your ICES convention registration in by June 1. You CAN still register even up to the day of, but it will be more expensive. Be sure to read on my web page at: http://w3.one.net/~proicer/ices.htm for more information. Or also go to ICES own web site at http://www.ices.org (to join).
It is not too late to join and you just have NO idea what you will be missing if you have never attended one of our wonderful conventions. (This year it will be in St. Paul MN from August 6th through the 9th.). Don't miss it! There will be about 1,000 cakes from all over the world plus vendors and authors. It is so warm feeling to see our friends there each year. I am especially looking forward to it this year since I haven't been for 3 years! See you there! We'll be doing this chat Aug 6th live at the convention....more plans later on this. We'll get a badge so we'll know who each other is.  

EARLENE'S PART:

CAKE TECHNIQUES GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN A PRIZE FIRST means to me that you have to start doing some good planning.  No matter the medium you are planning to use it helps to have a plan in your head and maybe even a sketch on paper.  Every order for a cake that I take has a sketch to go with it.  Rough - I am no artist on paper.  But usually you can tell the sketch is the plan for the finished cake.  If you have worked out on paper and in your head what you want to do, then the next step is to implement your plan.  What do you start with?

Maybe building a custom stand to support the cake-(like the Tabasco bottle simple stand).  Before that stand can be built you need to make a scale drawing to figure out how many cakes of a specific size you will need to serve the amount of people needed. That plan on graph paper or even  in actual measurements will give you the dimensions and height of the finished cake.  Those dimensions will then be the basis of how you plan the support for that cake.

Maybe you will have to make detailed drawings and plans for 80 pieces that will go together to make one porch - (such as the four porches on the villa rotunda cake). That type of construction requires that the pieces must be made to scale and cut accurately to fit together.  It will take many hours of planning and drawing to execute this type of cake maybe you will need drawings or enlarging patterns for royal icing or color flow pieces that must stand up on the cake -(such as high school or college emblems).  Sometimes these items are easier things to do.  They will usually bring you the picture of the logo or emblem and you can scan it or take it to the copy place and just enlarge the pattern to the size you want.  Last week I had a customer who wanted a high school logo for her son in red and a medical school logo for her daughter in orange, blue, green, white and black on a 9 x 13 cake.  She also wanted flowers, diplomas and congratulations Christy and Byron written on the cake.  Her daughters emblem had lots of colors but her uniforms and lab jackets all were orange.  So she wanted the orange and red featured on the cake along with their two logos.  I made the logos out of royal and after they were dry I turned them over and glued with fresh royal icing a couple of toothpicks to the back of the emblems.  This allowed me to angle these emblems into the back two corners of the cake and use red roses, orange petunias (I had some leftover pink royal petunias left from a cake so I airbrushed some orange on them) and royal blue drop flowers for her flower arrangement.  Then at the last minute I remembered the diplomas.  I rolled out some gumpaste pretty thin and rolled it around a small dowel rod to dry slightly.  Tied the tiny ribbons in appropriate colors around them and laid them in with the flowers.  Strange colors together but it worked with those two emblems

Maybe the customer wants a tree stump for a sentimental cake with their initials carved into the top.  Now she just wants one more little thing.
   Could you make a realistic butterfly that would perch on the side of the tree stump.  Way ahead of time you must allow time to just cut out a gumpaste butterfly so that it will dry completely.  You see all of this type of thing must be planned and done way ahead of baking that cake.  That gumpaste butterfly might take you 20 minutes to roll out the gumpaste, cut out the shapes and lay them over forms to dry.  Then after it is completely dry it might take you another 2 hours just to paint that butterfly.  Of course that would be a really detailed realistic butterfly such as monarch butterfly.
   Advance planning is essential in making a prize winning cake.  This tree stump cake is so much fun and so easy.  I like to do a three layer cake for these.  I stack a layer and a half and then put in a support cardboard & dowel supports.  Layer the other layer and a half.  Ice the three layers with a fairly heavy layer of icing.  Smooth the top of the tree trunk and make a few root extensions around the bottom of the tree trunk.  Now take a fork and starting at the top rough up the sides of the tree trunk to resemble bark, using short strokes all around and down the cake sides and extending out on the root extensions.   Now the top of the cake should be fairly dry.  With a toothpick carve their initials and maybe a heart and arrow into the top.  Airbrush or paint those indentions in the top with black.  Airbrush some circles on the top of the cake to resemble the year rings on a cut tree.  Airbrush the sides of the cake randomly with black and brown airbrush color.
   This makes a really cute grooms cake or a good birthday cake for someone who like to go camping, hunting or fishing. Otherwise for someone who loves to spend time outdoors or in the woods.

Now if you are planning on doing a cake for a friend or family member and not a cake show, go to the Wilton yearbooks.  They are full of wonderful ideas for different occasions and seasons of the year.  If you are operating a small business and want your reputation to be known for the prize winning looks on cakes then you will probably want to invest in some of the other books that give you really professional looks to your cakes.  Such as Roland Winbeckler’s buttercream flowers and figure piping books.  Dolores probably has those in her online catalog at http://w3.one.net/~proicer/index.html  or you can order them directly from the winbecklers at http://members.aol.com/winbeckler/index.html   these two sources are probably the best sources with a large variety of ideas.  Now Dolores also has a  book that has some good ideas such as her petite doll pan.  Other than investing in a pretty good library of books let your imagination help with your cake planning.  Many people already know what they want before they call you.  Just be careful of doing those copyrighted designs - remember that is not legal for us to do.

CCChefDol: sure do Pwd... and I agree...do a cake from a book and makes you try new interesting things
EPre361706: I get ideas from book and change for my own liking
CCChefDol: Pwd...do you know Harold Guttman? He EVEN bought my book! (Was Guttman & Ervan)
CCChefDol: EP...guess we all change to suit ourselves
CCChefPwd: Why not Dol?  Aren't you the best?  LOL
CCChefDol: He couldn't believe all the info...I was a bit surprised at him liking it so much
CCChefDol: blushing

Now if you really want to do a prize winning cake for a cake show that are several things that judges looks for.  One is originality of design.  If you copy something out of a book it counts against you, or maybe I should say it just won’t give you points.  Two is precision and neatness.  In your everyday or every week decorating strive to make all of those shells or stars all the same size,  when you are writing strive for a very neat fluid look,  and in all aspects of your decorating always strive for excellence in everything you do.  Not perfection but excellence.  None of us are perfect decorators - we all have pockets of air that explode out of a tip occasionally, or we older folks have a little shakier hand now, or we have to stop to answer the phone and when we pick up that tip again we squeeze a little harder or lighter as we continue decorating.  Perfection is not our goal.  Excellence in your work and satisfying that customers needs will keep you and the customers happy in this sugar art field.

HSpawn11: Dolores my name is Nicole I am from Tampa Florida, I had the pleasure of seeing your store \ I went to Cincinnati and told everyone that no matter what I had to get to Hamilton one day
CCChefDol: The person I missed on vacation : (
HSpawn11: I am the one you missed on vacation
CCChefDol: HS::: I was so sorry I missed you. My family told me you were there SORRY
HSpawn11: I was surprised when I walked in Cake stuff floor to ceiling
Gigimama: Dolores, my husband just got a job in Lexington, moving from MD in July, so I'll probably come up and see you sometime
Gigimama: Dee-know of any supply shops in Lexington?
CCChefDol: there IS one - I think Gigi
Gigimama: I hope so!

Tuppy 2: Does anyone decorate with frosting pride or something similar?
EffieGreen: Is that like Bettercreme?
CCChefDol: Tuppy that brand isn't avail here. We use Bettercream ...same thing I think
EffieGreen: I use Bettercreme at work.
Thinkchoc: Is Bettercreme the same as Rich's whipped topping?
Tuppy 2: can you use it for garlands, sotas, cornelli lace and drop strings?
CCChefDol: Tuppy:::yes, but don't beat it so much that it gets too stiff for fine work if so
EffieGreen: I've never done string work with the Bettercreme. But it is made by Rich's
L2jlu2: does anyone know how I can get info on Bettercreme, where to get it?
EffieGreen: I decorate ice cream cakes with it.
Tuppy 2: I've noticed that... I really watch it when I'm whipping it.. I never whip it the entire tim
CCChefPwd: I went by my grocery store bakery the other day and asked if they
used the Bettercreame
CCChefDol: L2...try and convince your local supplier to carry it. comes in qt carton frozen
CCChefPwd: They will sell it to me as I need it.  So ask at yours. They might also sell it to you.
EffieGreen: Local distributors might carry it.
L2jlu2: i only have one shop here, they carry Richs whipped toping but not Bettercreme
Mink 02: effie, do you work somewhere where you do decorating different
desserts?
EffieGreen: I work in a family owned dairy store.
Thinkchoc: What's the difference between Bettercreme and Rich's whipped topping?
CCChefDol: Think:::one and the same...Rich’s is the brand
EffieGreen: I'm not certain if there is a diff. Think.
CCChefDol: It is also avail in chocolate

Tuppy 2: Earlene, I used your chart today in the ACD June issue.. It was a great help! :)
You can download the chart at: http://members.aol.com/pwdsugar/index.html
CCChefDol: that was one GREAT chart!
CCChefPwd: Good - that is the most used thing I have in my books I don't think I could operate without it anymore
EffieGreen: Yes, I thought the chart was great too!
CCChefDol: Pwd's is scientifically correct
CCChefPwd: Naw - not scientifically - just to the best of my ability
EffieGreen: May it be copied to hand out to students?
CCChefPwd: Yes you may copy that - I have given out 100's of similar charts in the past
EPre361706: what kind of chart
CCChefDol: EP - in the American cake dec. mag. this month...Pwd's serving chart
EffieGreen: Pan sizes. servings, batter amounts, etc.
CCChefPwd: I loved the cover cake with the big bows.
CCChefDol: I ran out of those Mag. in one week and had to reorder...they LOVED that cake
CCChefPwd: I talked today to a gal that needed that cactus and western info last week.
Gigimama: That cover cake was from the show I entered in March.  Love those bows!!
CCChefDol: Gigi...was that YOUR cake on the front?
Gigimama: NO, I wish! Sorry, I meant I was also at the same show, LOL
Tuppy 2: I was trying to find magazine protectors for my ACD magazines to protect them.. Can't find them anywhere... anyone have a suggestion?
CCChefPwd: I put all of mine in a three ring binder.  Get some of those inserts and slip them into the magazine and then into the binders - they work great.
EffieGreen: Have you checked office supply places?
ShariE1071: Tuppy: try an office supply store... Office Dept has them I think
CCChefDol: Tuppy:::also email and ask ACD themselves...maybe they'll make us a pretty cover
Tuppy 2: thats a good idea!!

Tuppy 2: are petunias hard to make?
Gigimama: Tuppy-Petunias are easy
CCChefDol: Tuppy, people THINK they are at first. They are taught in the Wilton course.  I make them real ruffly
CCChefPwd: Tuppy those petunias were dried royal icing piped with a 104 in a lilly nail former.
CCChefPwd: Cut some foil squares and press them into the former and then pipe
then on the foil and let them dry.
GOOO8: I missed that one night of class and have not done a petunia yet.
CCChefDol: GOOO, why not try taking just that one night as a make up class?
GOOO8: That's an idea I should check into with my teacher-thanks

Tuppy 2: What's the difference between flowers made of gumpaste and flowers made of fondant
CCChefDol: Tuppy, gumpaste flowers can be made to look absolutely REAL
Tuppy 2: I just can't work with gumpaste, but have better luck with fondant... I need to take a class..
CCChefDol: Tuppy...Wilton has a good kit to start with...cheapest way
Tuppy 2: i have that, but the gumpaste cracks... can't get it right...
GOOO8: Dol-so you think the gumpaste kit is something I could use to learn basics on my own (gumpaste)
CCChefDol: Tuppy...do you use cornstarch or Crisco?
Tuppy 2: cornstarch
CCChefDol: GOOO...YES! That’s the cheapest and best way to begin...them on to what Pwd does!
CCChefDol: Tuppy, try greasing your fingers very lightly with Crisco instead
GOOO8: Okay, I'll set that as my summer goal then.
CCChefPwd: Tuppy sounds like your GP is dry.  Use Crisco to work your gumpaste and keep it from sticking and see if that will help.  Even work some into the gumpaste will help
Thinkchoc: Tuppy, I had the same problem, used Crisco and it really helped
EffieGreen: And keep covered what you're not working with.
From Dolores: I don't feel that the original question ever really got answered, so I'll reply now. The screen was rolling so fast we probably missed something: You usually make flowers with gumpaste and you usually use fondant to drape over the cake for icing or covering.
Flowers CAN also be made using rolled fondant but they stay soft and you'll have breakage. One thing...Colette Peters makes flowers from a mixture of half fondant and half gumpaste. She says its easy enough and they aren't so hard...(keeping in mind that someone MAY eat them).

CCChefDol: To all...Pwd has judged a lotta shows, so she IS our authority!

Tuppy 2: when you enter a cake with cornelli lace, does it HAVE to be done w/tip 1?
From Dolores: No, but it SHOULD be if the cake is meant to be professional looking. I use a tip 2 for cornelli when I am doing wedding cakes (to eat).

GOOO8: I am formulating a July 4 cake, with the alternating stripes and a wavy cut end
GOOO8: But I envision difficulty getting a really smooth surface (no airbrush eqmt)
CCChefPwd: Use the buttercream stencils GOOO8
GOOO8: Now that's something I am completely unfamiliar with/pls elaborate slightly
CCChefPwd: Cut your stencils out of wax paper or sometimes if I am going to use them repeatedly. I cut them from la
minating sheets I purchase at Sams.
EPre361706: how do you make stencils
CCChefPwd: Cut a stencil for each color - with an angled spatula ice the open spaces in the stencil and smooth.  lift very carefully and then after that section is dry to the touch you can put the stencil down for the next color.   Using wax paper  or the laminating sheets
CCChefDol: EP:::we have a stencil cutter...melt through mylar (a plastic sheet) over a pattern
CCChefDol: EP:::I have all the directions on my web site of that too
CCChefPwd: you can use an Exacto knife to cut them.
GOOO8: Now that you've described it, it sounds easy.  Thanks.
CCChefPwd: Its a basic technique and so professional looking
EffieGreen: Thanks, that's about what I was figuring, but I wasn't sure.

EPre361706: I need a new over the hill for a friend who is taking 50 hard any ideas
CCChefDol: EP...they've been talking about those on my message board this week...bet you get an idea there
CCChefDol: http://w3.one.net/~proicer/index.html -then to the message board. Probably on 'cake ideas' page

Gigimama: Do any of you ever use do Australian technique? I just love that look-clean and elegant.  I want to try it sometime.  How hard is it?
CCChefPwd: I love the Australian methods Gigi - I am doing lots of fondant now
EPre361706: just started fondant and love it self taught but looks ok  how do i get your mess board
Gigimama: Are the extensions hard to do?
CCChefDol: Gigi...use VERY small tips...delicate....I used tip 00 for lace points...all kinds of ways to do extension, not hard I don't think
Gigimama: I'm afraid they'll break when I'm piping, they're so thin!
CCChefDol: Gigi...make you
r royal using ONLY an egg white with (sifted) conf. sugar and beat to peaks.  It won't stop up your tips hardly ever, honest
Gigimama: I've never used egg white, always meringue powder
Gigimama: Also, no one likes fondant, either.  Do you think it would work on poured fondant or ganache
CCChefDol: Gigi...a frame of mind...add flavoring and talk positively about rolled fondant.  They will like it
ShariE1071: I made rolled fondant for m y mom's mothers day cake... thought it tasted like those orange circus peanut candies
Gigimama: It's hard for me to talk positively about fondant because I can't stand it either! Though I love the look
CCChefDol: Gigi, someone suggested hazelnut flavoring - maybe a good flavor will help
Tuppy 2: Dolores & Earlene, do you do more fondant or buttercream?
CCChefPwd: More buttercream but I am doing about 1/3 of the wedding cakes with fondant now. You have to put flavoring into the fondant or it is not tasty........ I love the lemon and orange flavoring in the fondant because it seems to cut the sweet a little bit
Cake Wmn: I used marshmallow flavoring in fondant last week - didn't taste too bad!
EPre361706: doesn’t he fondant make it hard to cut the cake
CCChefDol: fondant is easier to cut than buttercream. It stays soft
CCChefPwd: The fondant is like cutting through a piece of soft fudge.  Firmer than buttercream but not hard by any means
Gigimama: I was thinking of trying that, MB, would extensions and ledge for Australian technique stick
EPre361706: I do just the flowers what do you mean softer than buttercream?
CCChefPwd: EPre the fondant is firmer than buttercream
CCChefDol: EP, expect r. fond. to cut like pie dough before its baked sort of
EPre361706: it doesn’t get hard hard like the flowers?
RedJanis: Buttercream needs to be kept refrigerated right? What about fondant
CCChefPwd: No unless you leave it for a week or two.
CCChefDol: Red, not at all on either. COOKED icings need to be kept in the fridge
ShariE1071: fondant too?
RedJanis: Like 7 minutes icing?
Icing Wiz: I keep my non cooked buttercream in fridge it has butter
CCChefDol: oh butter, yes, it changes consistency setting out

Icing Wiz: TRADITIONS by Bakery Craft: Dolores did your daughter tell you I emailed you I didn't know you did that one book with all the wedding cakes I have had that for years and always admired it the one for that company I can't remember the name
(No, I didn’t know…yes, I did it…out of print, but we still have copies - not many and can’t get any more.) (Bakery Craft was the company who made the book…I did the cakes)

CarolA5238: I'm cooking up an idea for another grooms cake and this time I will send Pwd my picture, My other cake picture is some where, The bride's excuse is the photo place is trying to make the picture clearer, who knows,  when I'll see it.
CCChefPwd: I am still looking for the other picture Carol.   LOL

EffieGreen: I'm going to rent my floating tier cake stand--what should I charge?
CCChefDol: I think we charge $25.00 to rent ours with a deposit to completely cover a new one in case.  Once some people damaged ours...nicked the paint all over, so be careful

TIP:::MBF821: You can  smooth buttercream on a contoured cake with a paper towel to look almost like fondant. I've even fooled other decorators.

EffieGreen: How is rolled buttercream to work with?
CCChefDol: heard good and bad on rolled buttercream too.
Gigimama: I tried rolled buttercream too, tastes a little better, but after a while on the cake at room temp it softens and starts sliding down the sides a little

Tuppy 2: Do you need to use a cake core with a 14 in round?
CCChefPwd: Tuppy you should not need to use a cake core with a 14 in round
CCChefDol: Tuppy, made a thousand and never used it
CarolA5238: I used the corer and didn't use it both cakes came out just fine,
 
Thursday June 4th, 1998, 9:00 PM ET -in the Kitchen Conference Room Cake Decorating Chat hosted by CCChefDol and CCChefPwd. "Open Mixer - you decide - free ranging cake decorating discussions."
Gigimama: Dolores-"OPEN MIXER"??
CCChefDol: we are ALL going to chat together, so bring your favorite recipes or hints with you...copy & paste them from a note really easy and fast.

IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHATS:
HSpawn11: Dolores I would like to see a chat about who's who in the cake decorating world and what contributions they make
HSpawn11: How about a topic on special techniques from around the world and describe them
Icing Wiz: I would like a chat on starting a cake club and what goes on in one
Thinkchoc: Icing I would like to hear about that

HSpawn11: We are starting a cake club in Tampa we have had 2 meetings and are having some problems
CCChefDol: how so HS?
CCChefDol: Icing...I have a whole BUNCH of info on that and also MBN is going to publish some soon
ShariE1071: HSpawn: when are the meetings, and where?
Tha503: what kind of problems?
RedJanis: What is purpose of a cake club? To exchange ideas, share techniques?
CCChefDol: red, yes
HSpawn11: They are talking about legalities and dues and most want to keep it simple
CCChefPwd: Cake clubs are for sharing knowledge and also networking. It is great to know some more people in your area who do cakes in case you get in a bind and need assistance in a hurry
HSpawn11: meetings are on Fridays near the end or beginning of month our next
meeting is tomorrow at the Honeybee shop
ShariE1071: what time?
CCChefDol: HS::: Friday is a cake decorator's busiest time!!!!
Thinkchoc: Anyone from Long Island, any cake clubs?
HSpawn11: I think 7:30pm
CCChefPwd: Friday for decorating and Saturday for deliveries Saturday night for collapsing  LOL
Cake Wmn: HS we always meet early in the week Mon. or Tuesday when we have club
HSpawn11: Friday is busy but no one had another time we agreed to get cakes done early
Mink 02: i will be there at 7:30 pm
ShariE1071: can't be there :(
CCChefDol: I'm not in a club anymore but ours was on Tuesdays
HSpawn11: Where are you mink
CCChefPwd: Ours meet on Monday nights - we are going to try meeting quarterly now
Mink 02: i'm here hs
CCChefDol: HS:::can't always get cakes done early and SO tired you can't enjoy well
HSpawn11: what area
CCChefPwd: possibly on Sunday afternoons so several of the out of town gals can come.
Mink 02: Rutland, Vermont
MBF821: Confection Perfection of Western NY meets the first Tuesday of the month.
HSpawn11: how will you be in Tampa Mink
Mink 02: where are you from hs???
HSpawn11: Tampa FL
Mink 02: no, I’m a Vermonter
HSpawn11: I thought you said you would be at the meeting at 7:30?????