London Cake International Show

On Saturday I went to the Cake International Cake and Decorating show in London.   I had always wanted to attend the Cake International show, but until this year it had only ever been on up in Birmingham so I never got a chance to go.  I went down purely as a shopper & decorating enthusiast - not as a blogger.  I was not equipped with my camera, and I never intended to write this post.  It wasn't until I was "tweeting to the outside from the inside" that I decided a recap of the show might be in order. 

The show was absolutely amazing, and I'm so glad I went.  If you're a fan of cake decorating in any form there was something here for you.  I cannot believe how crazy busy it got in the afternoon, so my advice to anyone going today or to the one up in Birmingham in November is get there EARLY.  I don't mean camp outside over night early, but just get there when the doors open early.  The crowds were manageable first thing in the morning, but by noon they were almost unbearable.  I got to the show at 9:30 when the doors opened and left at 1:45 and I still didn't see everything. There was demonstrations, mini workshops, cake decorators signing their books, live competitions, and then there were the sales stalls..... oh the sales stalls!  

If you've ever wanted a specific shade of lustre dust or holographic glitter this was your place.  I  ended up taking a zillion pictures on my iPhone (sorry for the poor quality!), so I'll post them here and let them speak for themselves.  

 Cute little cupcake cases

 How do you decide on a glitter or dust??

Can I tempt you with some sprinkles? 

Cake balls made super easy! Make up to 28 at a time!

Mini wedding cakes inside push pop containers - too cute!

Gorgeous Cake by Zoe Clark 

 Look at that piping!

There were some absolutely AMAZING contest cakes. ** I must apologise for the influx of "man themed" cakes - I was sending pictures of them to my husband who was at home watching our son Jayden.

This one was made of chocolate!! 

The detail on this cake was incredible.  No wonder it won 1st place in its category.

This Samurai cake was massive! 

Nintendo anyone? 

Strangely, this Gremlins cake was probably one of my favourite out of all the cakes at the event. The attention to detail was absolutely amazing.  From glass like eyes, to Gizmo's finger nails and even the torn edge of the paper note - complete with "water spill". This cake definitely deserved it's Gold award.

And finally after over 4 hours of hard core cake decoration shopping, I came away a very happy camper!

Did you go to the show?  If so, what did you think about it, and what did you buy???

Made With Pink's Christmas Gift Guide

With Christmas just around the corner, I couldn't help but pull together a list of my top must have gifts that I either own - or would like to see under my tree this year.  Anyone who knows me knows I absolutely LOVE shopping. I'm drawn to anything cute, pink or whimsical, so narrowing down my top gift picks was difficult!  I was originally going to choose my top 5, but that was far too difficult, so I settled on my top 10.  

Made With Pink's Christmas Gift Guide - Top 10 Picks

1.  Russian Doll Measuring Cups - this set of 6 cute measuring cups look like traditional Russian matryoshkas dolls, and stack neatly inside each other.  They measure 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 full cup.  Available from John Lewis for £11 and other retailers.

2.  Kenwood kMix Food Mixer - I've never been a fan of the classic Kenwood mixer - purely because I didn't like the way it looked, but I'm loving the new kMix line which come in a range of funky colours.  The mixer shown is the Firecracker model, but my favourite is the Oyster Cove 1 which is made up of various shades of purples and greys.  The Firecracker model is available from John Lewis for £369.  All other models are available via the Kenwood Online Store for £399

3.  Pip Studio Tableware - Ever since spotting these gorgeous cups and saucers by Pip Studio last year, I've been a huge fan of the entire tableware range.  They're great because they come in 3 main colours - blue, pink and beige and can all be mixed and matched with each other.  My husband bought me several pieces for my birthday in August, and I just love them and will continue to add to my collection.  The range includes  tea cups and saucers, tea pots, plates, mugs, bowls, charger plates, etc and look gorgeous when the various colours are mixed with each other.  Available from John Lewis for £4 - £50 and other retailers.

4.  Charbonnel et Walker Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles - Swarovski Crystal Edition - I just love these delicious pink champagne truffles.  How could I not?  They're pink!  And they're actually what inspired my award winning Pink Champagne Cupcakes I made around the time when I first started Made With Pink.  To be honest, the only thing different about these truffles that makes them any different from the original Charbonnel Pink Marc de Champagne truffles is that the box is studded with gorgeous pink Swarovski Crystals. I'm going to be honest and say that I could never justify the cost of these just because they have Swarovski Crystals on the box, but there are obviously people who can!  I think for now I'm going to have to admire them from afar, but if you're looking for a gift for the person that has everything, then you may want to pick up a box.  Available from Harrods for £50

5.  KitchenAid Ice Blue Artisan Mixer - I know I'm featuring two mixers, but I just love the look of both of the ones I've chosen.  I don't know if I could ever stray from my pink KitchenAid Artisan Mixer, but this Ice Blue Model (slightly resembling a giant package from Tiffany's) just might tempt me.  If I could have both I would!  Available from John Lewis for £419 - currently comes with a free glass mixing bowl worth £61

6.  Pink Heart Cast Iron Casserole Dish - I spotted this adorable baby pink heart shaped cast iron casserole dish during a recent shop at Sainsburys.  I was immediately impressed with the finish an quality of the dish, as well as it's reasonable price tag. I know for a fact that this will be waiting for me under our tree on Christmas morning :-)  If you're not a fan of the heart shape, it's also available in the traditional round shape in two different sizes.  Available from Sainsburys for £30

7.  Hovis Bread Tin - I don't know why, but I just love this vintage inspired Hovis bread loaf tin.  I'd seen them previously in Selfridges, but never purchased one.  I love the old fashioned look of them, and think they would make a fantastic gift - especially with a loaf of my banana bread already baked inside! I'm not sure if Selfridges still carry these, but they're available online in two different sizes from Not On The High Street for £16 - £28

8.  Peggy Porschen Apron - Ever since discovering Peggy's cake decorating books I've been a huge fan of hers, and fell in love with her pretty pink and brown aprons after seeing them on display in her cake parlour.  At the time of posting this the adult apron is currently sold out, but the children's size is still available.  The aprons are normally sold in store and online, but as the adult size is out of stock it's best to call the parlour to check availability.  Available from the Peggy Porschen Parlour for £15 - £25

9.  Kuhn Rikon Colori Knives - I can safely say that these coloured knives are the most used thing in my kitchen.  I've lost track as to how many I actually have, but the baby pink ones (I have several) are my favourite.  I love these knives because the blades are made of high-quality carbon with a non-stick coating and plastic blade protecting case, which makes them great because I can toss them in my drawer or purse (yes, I've been known to carry one in my purse!) without them getting dull.  They come in a huge variety of colours and patterns including leopard and zebra prints, and even polka dot and cupcake patterns!  Available from various retailers for around £6

10.   ToDryFor Tea Towels - I stumbled across the ToDryFor website a few months ago, and can't get enough of their quirky tea towels!  They have a huge range of designs, many inspired by London and other famous world cities, but the 2 pictured above are probably my favourites.  Available online from the ToDryFor website for £8.50 - £12.50

Hopefully my picks will help you choose the perfect gift for your loved one, or feel free to hint to them about something that caught your eye!  

* Please note that My Top 10 Picks were independently chosen by me, and without any compensation or influence from the manufacturers.