The Cake Crusader

I've always loved cake! The picture above is of my brother Paul & me at his third birthday party, I was about about eighteen months at the time but already you can see my keen interest in baked goods and had you been able to hear what I was thinking it would probably been along the lines of "hmmm I wonder what size icing nozzle she used? How does she get her royal icing so smooth?!!"

My Mum is a great baker. She always baked on a Friday for the weekend (Sunday afternoon tea is BIG at the Smithies!) so every week we would have a different variety of yumminess - victoria sandwich, madeira, flapjack, scones, fruitcake - you name it we had it - yum scrum delicious!

Mum was always great about letting us help in the kitchen, she was very encouraging about experimentation and would always be there to help, assist and clear up. It was a terrible shock when I moved out of home to find that house elves only exist in the world of Harry Potter, you do actually have to do your own washing up and it IS possible to run out of utensils at the crucial moment if you don't clear up as you go!

My baking isn't as good as Mum's but my thing is cake decorating; I just love, love, love to make surprise or celebration cakes that make people's hearts sing! And this is where the Cake Crusader comes in, the Cake Crusader is my alter ego (I think thats a nice way of saying I have multiple personalities!)

I can't remember exactly where he or she came from but remember drawing the little logo with my fabulous sister in law Rache, and it's never changed.

The Cake Crusader's motto is...

"Because everyone needs a baked super-hero!"

...and I think that's true.

One of my biggest joys is to come up with a 'cunning plan' for a cake I know someone I love will love!

It could be Marcie & Jude's 50 carrot birthday cake....

Kev's groovy rock & roll guitar...

or Rachie's 40th chocolate explosion

for me 'Cake Crusading' one of the purest forms of Joy, Love and Work...and I LOVE it!

People often tell me I should start a bakery or do this professionally and I think that's very flattering but I don't agree. The whole magic of Cake Crusading is to create something extraordinary for someone I Love; I've tried making cakes for people I don't know but it just becomes a chore...and of course you're less likely to get invited to the party to share in the yumminess!

Have a sweet day!

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