If, like me, you've gained a few pounds during lockdown, either through emotional eating or just plain eating out of boredom, then now that the country is getting back to work you might be thinking about shedding that extra weight. I know I am. This week I went back to my first Slimming World meeting since lockdown in March and although there were safety procedures and social distancing measures in place, it did feel as though life was starting to return to some sort of norm

It's been a really exciting time at Julia's Cake & Eat it! Not usually being one to enter many big competitions in the past, I

So you have just got engaged. Congratulations!! The following few months will be a very exciting time for you, not to mention busy, busy, busy as you go about planning your big day. There is so much to think about when planning a wedding that brides can sometimes feel a little stressed and overwhelmed. Understandably, you want the day to be perfect and to go off without a hitch. After all, it will be one of the most important days of your life and you want to be creating

2018 was another busy year at Julia's Cake & Eat It! I'd like to say a big thank you to you all for your custom over the past year and for trusting me with your cake orders. It means so much to me. I have really enjoyed making all your cakes and hope that you will come back again this year. As we move into 2019 I have made a little video with a small selection of some of your cakes from last year. I hope you enjoy it. And remember, if you need a show stopping cake for you

Hello cake lovers! I'm just a little bit overwhelmed and excited this week because I'VE WON A CAKE COMPETITION!! You probably don't know (and there is no reason why you should) that I am a member of an online cake school. I first joined this school about four years ago when I ventured back into sugarcraft again, following a long break of about fifteen years, as I wanted to refresh my skills and catch up on all the trends and techniques that I had missed whilst I was out of

Hello cake fans! I've got some great news for you this week and something I am sure you will love ❤😍 Today sees the launch of my much awaited Christmas Special. You all went a little crazy for this last year and you've been asking me if I am going to do it again this year. And, well, you know me, I hate to disappoint anyone so because you are all so lovely, here it is: There's a choice of two designs, both of which are 6" fruit cakes but you can order a sponge cake if you

Hello Lovelies! I'm back again with the next instalment on the science of baking. You might remember that I mentioned in this post about the different types of flour used in baking and the way gluten affects the finished result of your bakes. Then we looked at the different types of sugar available and how the type of sugar you use will make a difference to your baking. This week we are looking at eggs. What do eggs do in baking? In addition to their nutritional value, egg

It's that time of year again and Hallowe'en is almost upon us. Ask most people about Hallowe'en and they'll say "Oh, that's American, isn't it?" This couldn't be further from the historical truth though. It is true that Hallowe'en is very popular on the other side of the Atlantic but in recent years it has become more popular in Britain again too. Perhaps we Brits have forgotten our past, since it all started here many hundreds of years ago. Or perhaps we just got confus

Following on from this post about the correct storage of your decorated cake, It is equally important to know how best to travel with your cake to ensure that you and the cake arrive safely at your destination. There are just a few simple precautions that you should take and these can make all the difference between the cake arriving as intended or not surviving the journey at all and ending up a crumbling mess. ADVICE ON HOW TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR CAKES Cakes should never be in

I was horrified to learn recently that one of my wedding cakes had been ruined by the staff at the hotel venue where the reception was held because they had stored the cake in the fridge overnight. This was despite my leaving instructions with the catering manager, which she signed to acknowledge. It turns out that she had gone off duty and not passed on the instructions to the other staff. Fortunately, the reception and cake cutting ceremony had already taken place and it

The other day I was chatting with my husband and happened to mention how much I love my customers (because you lot are awesome!) and he said to me "are they customers or are they clients?" Well, I considered this question quite carefully when I added your lovely testimonials to my website because this was something I wanted to get right. Like me, hubby thought that the word 'client' sounded a bit more sophisticated than 'customer' and I explained to him that the reason I had

I'm really excited to announce that I have just added three new flavours to my range of eggless cakes and cupcakes. These are rose & cardamom, rose & pistachio and gulab jamun. You can see these in the picture on the left alongside the plain vanilla cupcake, which is always a firm favourite. I'm getting more and more requests for eggless cakes these days so as I am always on a quest to find unusual designs and flavour combinations, I thought I would give these a go. I have

OR "If you want to be original, be ready to be copied" - Coco Chanel I saw this quote by Coco Channel on Pinterest recently and it reminded me of the above quote by Oscar Wilde and how, in the cake decorating world, our customers often present us with a photo of a cake they have seen and ask us to make the exact same cake. Now, I am not saying that anyone who copies a cake is a mediocre cake decorator. Far from it! You still need the knowledge and skills to be able to pull

I read in the press recently that unicorns are going to be the next 'must have' toy this coming Christmas, including a giant plastic sit-on unicorn which travels at adult's walking pace and another that poops glitter! I was rather surprised that unicorns have only just made the Christmas wish list as the internet seems to have been awash with all things unicorn and rainbow for months. There is scarcely a day goes by without something on a unicorn or rainbow theme cropping up

In case it escaped your attention, there was a bit of a spectacle in Windsor this weekend when the town played host to our very own fairy-tale wedding as our Prince Harry married his sweetheart Meghan Markle (who knew her first name was Rachel?). In true fairy-tale style, Windsor was sparkling in the bright sunshine, there was a 1,000 year old castle, soldiers on horseback, a horse drawn carriage and a handsome prince, who was clearly besotted with his beautiful bride. The ru

You might think it rather strange for someone who makes cakes every week to be writing this article but this subject is quite close to my heart and I am genuinely interested in the reasons why we, as a nation are gaining weight. Before I go any further I must own up and say that I am in no way immune to the daily stuggle of maintaining a healthy weight and I have full sympathy with those who, like me, find it difficult to resist the temptation of a sweet treat from time to ti

Is this your reaction when you receive a quote for a high end custom made cake? If so, then you are not alone, judging by the number of posts I see on social media from other cake designers bemoaning the fact that their clients always want a top end product at supermarket prices. So let me explain a little about why your custom cake is more expensive than the supermarket variety. First off, supermarket cakes are usually mass produced and flash frozen weeks, sometimes months

What is the difference between fondant (also known as sugarpaste), buttercream and chocolate ganache? If you don’t know the difference then here is a quick run down: Buttercream is a smooth cream made from beating butter and icing sugar. This can come in many flavours and colours and even though you can make amazing cake pieces with this cream, you cannot sculpt to the extent of fondant. Chocolate Ganache tastes like truffles. Ganache is a mixture of melted chocolate and crea

The most common question I get asked is "How much does a cake cost?" To a cake decorator that is similar to asking "how long is a piece of string?" (But I do have an answer!) Your local cake decorator is much like an artist. A piece of art can range from a postcard size reprint to a one-of-a-kind 3m square wall canvas (and everything in between). While all different, it all depends on what you love, suits your event and your budget. I make your cake from scratch using quality

Hello and welcome to my new website. You will be able to find photos of some of my cakes here and also contact me with enquiries should you need a show stopping celebration cake for your next event. I'll be updating the site regularly so I hope you won't be a stranger. Remember to come back and see what's new and check out any special offers that I will be running from time to time. Sharing the cakey love! Julia By subscribing or contacting us you consent to receiving email