My Big Fat Cake Diary!

Totally new to this “blogging” thing! My blog is titled “My Big Fat Cake Diary” and it"s kinda apt!

My name is Mandy Whitelaw im a 30(something) curvy mother of 2…Although my 9 year old daughther thinks im 21 :)

The thing is i love CAKE.Going to the gym has never been my thing squeezing myself into some hidious lycra number so i fit in with all the size 8 hotties,Muffintop hanging out for all to see (mmm MUFFINS i like MUFFINS)For me to break out into a sweat just trying to get the gym door open!( Push OR Pull? ),And trying to suck my pre christmas belly in as i walk past all the machines looking for the easiest one to go on,And after all that im starving,phew burnt off some calories enough for me to have a tiny bit cake perhaps.?..Oh no not me, ive worked hard ,to heck i will reward myself and have 2 HUGE slices of my homemade Vanilla cake with the complimentary vanilla buttercream,That feeling you get as you eat cake…good cake…Who needs an excuse?Ok so im not that bad hahaha.

REWIND 4 YEARS AGO…………..So my love for all things cake (eating) and (Baking) started a few years ago,With apron and wooden spoon in hand i started reading up on recipes,cake decorating,baking.I found my passion!Id spend hours in the kitchen trying out recipes,and getting my poor children to “taste test” my creations,Ok yes alot of my first cakes were awful….Too dry…not cooked…tasteless…BURNT!!!!Thank goodness i could keep the kids quiet about “mums disasters”.

Could i do better? I always wanted to be one of those mums that baked,made great cakes and house always smelled “homely” Then i nailed it !!!!After many many trials…long nights,And a smokey kitchen,A creation worthy to call “A CAKE”…It was a great feeling like id found out something no-one else knew….So i was ready to give myself a challange,and boy what a challange it was :(Money was tight around this time and my nephews 1st birthday was coming up!…So i came up with the genius idea i would make a birthday cake for him…personal and wont cost too much (or so i thought!)…I called my sister to tell her my idea and she agreed to let me make Azaan"s birthday cake,I was comitted no backing down now,The party was booked and i had a cake to make…………………………………………………

Armed with my self taught knowledge i took the task “head on”,With not many cake tools i set out to make this cake the best looking and best tasting! “costco eat your heart out”…I spent nearly a full 18hours locked away in my kitchen,With the help of countless cups of coffee…Oh i love my coffee too!..So with a 4.40am finishing time i was done in! and done.. Zzzz (time management,something us cake decorators can relate to)…Id focused that much on the job i was doing when i stepped back to admire my 2 tier work of art,My kitchen looked like there had been a tornado ripped through it,I was far too tired to even begin to clean up…Even though my usual OCD would have managed,Not this time i was caked out!…Off to bed i went…In bed so tired i just wanted to sleep…“Mandy your up in a few hours to take this cake to the party”…Could i sleep NO…why?…the truth!…i was up every 10 minutes checking the cake!!!!!…..Was it going to collapse?…Was it going to fall off the table?,It was like checking on a new born baby(and yes guys 4 years later i still do it…ok not every 10 mins,maybe every couple of hours hahaha)

The day of truth arrived i was excited and nervous…Felt so tired but the fact the cake was still standing and i could hide my tiredness with he entire contents of my makeup bag made me smile :) Got me and the kids all dressed in our party clothes..Boxed the cake all secure(check),Birthday card and small present(check)…..20 mile journey with tiered cake,2 kids and a woman that normally drives like LEWIS HAMILTON.(SHOUTY CAPS!!!)…..OMG panic…holy crap.Ok so ive already told you i was tired up checking on my “baby” every 10mins….Well now this “baby” was in my car ready to embark on a 20 mile journey….My “wobbly” tummy sunk…Much to my planning,baking,covering,stacking,finishing the cake,id forgotten this VERY important part!..(and as any cake decorator will tell you the delivery always nerve wracking can go one of 2 ways,"great OR “horribly wrong)Thank the lord Lewis wasnt driving that day,More like an 80year old with the shakes!….Me,”My baby",and of course my kids got there in one peice…I got out the car legs still trembling gave myself a shake and headed into my sisters house looking like id just “knocked a cake up in an hour”…when i really felt like id been 10 rounds with mike tyson!Azaan my nephew was all smiles opening his presents,With the family all there to celebrate his 1st birthday.Id sneaked in to the kitchen to grab a coffee,get my second wind….Ok ok im not going to lie, yes check on my “baby”.The moment id worked up to had arrived,Time to cut the cake,The compliments were coming about the taste,the look,I thought i was going to be upset seeing it all cut up,Given all the “hidden drama” that happened on my journey to this day,But NO,NOT UPSET?…Ok that confused me bigtime.

But the fact is guys 4 years down the line even though im not up for 18hours(if i dont want to lol),I put as much effort,passion and love into ALL my cakes,And even though i take it as a huge compliment "It"s too beautiful to cut"…Take a picture!..Then dig in and enjoy,Have those 2 slices if you want,The gym can wait!!!

Many thanks for reading

Mandy x