Peggy Porschen : The Academy

5 weeks of classes. 4 modules. 8 weeks in UK. 3 weeks bercuti, muahahaha. Bought the classes through Peggy's website in July 2013. Sangat awal sebab nak berebut tempat. Maximum 6 students per class. Semua classes pun memang penuh 6 orang. The academy is at Victoria. Naik bus memang senang and dekat je dengan Oxford Street.

Warning : Entry sangat panjang with pictures sangat banyak. But if you wish to take the courses, it's good if you take some notes.



The pink building.

The day before. Sebelum the first day of class haruslah try macam mana nak pergi ke kelas dari tempat tinggal. The bus that I took from where I was staying tu turun dekat Victoria Station. From there jalan lah 10 minutes to the academy.

In the pink chef jacket.

No make up to class ok.

First week : Decorating Techniques

Sooooo cute kan. Tea cakes dipped in fondant with royal icing decorations.

Tiny fondant roses.

Gift box.

How to cover mini cakes, brush embroidery and piping.

I like this module. Sebab I learnt new techniques. Same things as I had learnt before but different style / steps. Tak pernah sebelum ni rasa senang buat brush embroidery tapi their techniques make it so simple.



Second week : Flowers



The slightly simple flowers.

First time belajar buat bunga pakai dawai.

Trip to the fresh flower market.

Dummy cake with fresh flowers.

We each got to choose our own flowers.

Best tengok the end results of other students' cakes with their choices of flowers and colours.

With the sugar flowers.

The cake sangat cantik that I had to bring it to Hyde Park untuk tangkap gambar.

The only 2 weeks module. Memang belajar macam-macam. After the first week of this module, rasa macam nak pengsan. Penat mentally, ahahaha. But bila dah masuk second week, the flowers membentuk gituw.

On Thursday, pergi trip to the fresh flower market with a florist. MasyaAllah, it was just awesome. Betul-betul macam pasar but wangi and bersih and sejuk. And after that the florist yang ajar how to assemble the cake using fresh flowers.

I think the second last day baru everyone pun nampak excited. This was the first time ever I did designs like these. Bangga dengan diri sendiri. Heee.



Third week : Tiered Cakes & Business Know-How

Brush embroidery lagi.

And piping lagi.

Decorated sugar cookies.

Tapi tak belajar pun how to bake the cookies.

 

Oh lupa nak cakap, everyday pun they will hidang tea and cake or cupcakes.

Haihh lah gula.

This module agak interesting. Only few days je betul-betul hands on in the kitchen. Other days we had talks with wedding planner, cake consultant, cake stylist, Peggy's husband. Belajar about costing and all. More to theory tapi sangat lah tak bosan.

Fourth week : Baking, Layering & Icing



Semua pun pink.

Sticky toffee cake.

First time rasa ni and memang in love..!!

We did many more cakes. Alcohol, belum sempat bagitau memang they know my cakes need to be alcohol free. Some cakes memang ada. Some tak ada. The one yang ada problem was the fruit cake. The fruits that they use already soaked in alcohol since last year lagi. So I just didn't bring that back. Don't like fruit cake anyway. 

My two out of three instructors.

Overall how did I find about Peggy Porschen's Academy?

The cons, repeat...!!! That's the biggest geram I feel. With the price (google and see the price to each module), I was really expecting something new in each module. Tapi terkejut juga belajar piping and brush embroidery in both Decorating Techniques and Tiered Cakes. And a little bit of piping in Flowers module juga. Memang rasa tak perlu plus wasting time.  

And I lost count how many times we learnt about how to cover a cake with fondant. Totally understand since we need to deco the cakes but by the final module, bosan bila dengar step by step to cover a cake.

But I can say almost more than half of what I learnt is totally new to me. This might be different for other people. I really enjoyed it.

If you completed all four modules baru dapat Diploma. If not, dapat certificate to each module. So if anyone yang interested in joining Peggy's Academy tapi tak nak ambil Diploma, I would suggest to only join the Flowers and Decorating Techniques modules.

And one thing good about this Academy (sama juga dengan Wilton courses and PME courses), you can take the courses anytime in no particular order. Nak ambil satu module satu tahun pun boleh. I chose berderet because of the flight ticket and my business. Senang cuti panjang terus. But that's why I had the 3 weeks gap. Sebab timetable courses and my timetable tak ngam so wujud la 3 weeks gap tu.  

Alhamdulillah, now I have PPA Professional Cake Maker Diploma. Yeayy..!! 



Candy Buffet & Photobooth

My cousin got married few weeks ago. And Abah asked me to do wedding cake, candy buffet, chocolate fountain and photobooth. MasyaAllah..!! The wedding was in Ipoh. Imagine angkut semua barang using two cars. Padat.

 

 

 

Tapi it was fun. Hectic tu memang confirm la kan. Since I made wedding cake and 100+ cupcakes, for candy buffet sempat buat small cookies je. Yang lain semua beli or order from friends.

 

Dah penat-penat buat tapi gambar tak tangkap sangat. Memang tak menang tangan. Yup, it was hectic, I said it again. I think it's because the chocolate fountain. Tak sempat pun chocolate nak cair and flowy tapi orang dah keep on ambil. Huhu that's the fun part la kan.

 

 

 

The fruits.

Strawberry, grapes and banana.

My mom, sister, brother and wife yang cucuk satu-satu.

I was kat dewan pagi tu all sweaty pasang photobooth.

 

 

 

Sugar cookies with fondant. Cepat habis..!!

 

 

 

Bought this from my ex-schoolmate. Ya Allah sedapnya.

First time I really like apam polkadot. Rasa milky. Filling pun sedap.

 

 

 

The candies that we bought.

Lollipops, mentos, marshmallow and all.

I noticed kalau candy macam typical hard candy dalam small packaging kecik-kecik tu, orang tak amik sangat.

Unlike the chocolate ring, lollipop yang shape menarik, memang laju sangat habis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photobooth.

Sorry ada gambar kakak and Hud kat situ.

The theme was brown.

Bought langsir dah siap kat Jakel (year end sale sangat berbaloi)

Kipas tu I made all of them. Sangkut-sangkut pun quite senang.

My brother helped me kejap before he helped my mom cucuk-cucuk buah.

Not bad juga la kan.

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, I kind of enjoyed doing all of that. Sebab kalau in future nak buat business ni, at least dah tau few things. Time buat untuk family ni la macam-macam boleh belajar from mistakes kan. Not that I'm saying that there are lots of mistakes. Just need more improvement.

 

Wedding cake and cupcakes will be updated at Sugar & Vanilla's blog which I think lambat lagi kot nak update. Ni tengah ikut turutan update blog tu. Yang latest one ni pun order bulan November punya. Tak tau bila bulan December punya nak update. Kikiki.

 

 

 

 

Ni tengah fikir-fikir for my engagement's candy buffet. What should I put ye?



 

Baking and Decorating Tips (Part 2)

How to start a cake business :

- 6 months
Give it a try for 6 months dulu (or a year). Sebab kadang-kadang rasa macam best nak drop everything that you do and just bake je dari rumah buat business. Try it first for 6 months. Then only you will know suka atau tak.


- Jangan berkira
Promote to friends and family dulu. This is the time untuk jangan berkira duit untuk bahan. Buat je banyak-banyak and bagi orang rasa. Kalau ada kenduri tu, bawa cake biar ramai dapat rasa.


- Equipment
Guna dulu apa yang ada. Jangan terus beli tools or equipment yang mahal-mahal. Beli just the basic dulu. To these days pun, I'm still buying cake tools yang actually dari dulu boleh je beli. But saja nak tengok dulu whether do I really need it or not. Kalau rasa worth it baru beli.


- Google
Buat research on recipes or how to do. Memang internet ni tak ada la perfect sangat sebab free. Tapi banyak juga boleh membantu.


- Teacher
If rasa memang dah suka in what you do in baking or decorating or both, do take classes. Kena belajar dengan orang yang lagi pro. Tak kisah la short courses or Diploma ke apa. Tak kisah kat bakery shops yang buat classes tu, or kat College ke. Asalkan belajar. Lagi ramai teachers / instructors, lagi banyak method we will know to make just one thing. And with that, kita tau which method suits best for us.


- Practice
Practice makes perfect. It sure does. Kalau tengah free time, tak ada orang order, practice juga. Kalau sampai dua bulan tak ada orang order, every week kena make sure practice.






InsyaAllah with all these, lagi senang nak buat business.

Baking and Decorating Tips (Part 1)

Random tips for the first time :

- When you have free time, potong siap-siap baking paper for many sizes of pans (yang paling selalu guna untuk baking). Put in a container to keep it clean. Kalau ada orang order last minute, senang baking paper dah ada.

- Squeeze lemons / oranges / limau nipis (dan yang sewaktu dengan nya) banyak-banyak, letak dalam container and keep it in the freezer so that tahan lama. Bila dah nak guna keluarkan few hours before. No need to squeeze time baru nak guna. Jimat masa sangat ok.

- Wash your pans, spatula, all those equipment with air panas. Lagi-lagi kalau lepas guna butter or oil. Senang hilang and extra clean. We don't want any stain left and then guna for next time. Just euw.

- Kalau cookie cutters or nozzles yang metal senang karat tu, basuh straight away after guna. Bila dah habis baking, oven still panas kan ? So just letak on a baking tray and masukkan kejap. Akan kering fully.

- If let say selalu guna baking pan 8 inch diameter, beli je banyak-banyak (2 or 3, depends). Memang akan keluar duit at first. Tapi jimat masa baking a lot. Jimat bil electric pun ya.

- Lebih kurang macam kat atas ini, beli cake board and cake box size yang paling selalu orang order. Make sure sentiasa ada few sizes yang selalu guna ni.







Since ramai sangat yang dah tanya bila nak buat classes. Oh if only I have the time. And space. Hehe. So I will only do this random tips kat sini. Not even on Sugar and Vanilla's blog. Tak nak campur. Kat sini boleh tulis dengan laidback sikit.

If ada any questions on tips or difficulty, just email to prettysugar2010@gmail.com . Yang mana sempat and boleh untuk di jawab, will post it here. InsyaAllah kita share bersama :)

Doodling

 

 

 

I love doodle art. But I don't really love doodling. Or maybe just because the fact that I'm just not good at it. Doodle art ni patut nya tak ada rules and there's no right or wrong kan. Tapi kalau everytime I buat asyik rasa tak cantik je. Dah buat one design mesti rasa nak padam balik and repeat balik the same the design but betul kan part-part yang tak cantik before tu.

 

 

 

That day ada extra black royal icing. Typical me, customer order cookies 20 je. Bancuh royal icing macam konon nak kena buat 100 cookies je. But anyway, it's good for me to practice. Piped on a cake turntable. Senang boleh pusing-pusing. Lepas tu basuh. And then lukis balik.

 

 

I know designs kat bawah ni memang tak gempak. Tapi seriously, ni yang paling ok. Yang lain mesti terus padam je. Hehe.

 

 



But it is really good to practice your piping bila ada extra icing. Below I used nozzle no. 2 Wilton.

 

 



 

Picture of a Cake

 

 

I wanted to spend on a lighting tent. Konon bila tangkap gambar dalam tu akan jadi lagi cantik. Asked AbdRhmn and he said no need. Sebab kat my house ada space and I already know how to make my own background.

 

So I googled on "how to take a professional picture of a cake". Tapi tengok semua pun tulis lebih kurang like I always do when it comes to take a picture.

 

 

 

 

 

This is my version of "how to take a professional picture of a cake". Even if you're not a photographer. Think about it, penat-penat buat cake berjam-jam. Tapi gambar tak cantik. Food orang akan makan so what's left are only the pictures.

 

 

You don't need a DSLR. A basic camera will do. Or even camera phone pun ok.

 

DOs :

1. Create a background for your cake.

2. Take pictures kat tempat terang.

3. Take all angles of the cake even if you're going to use only one picture.

4. Same as above, capture sebanyak mungkin gambar sebab bila masuk dalam computer, tak semua gambar nampak cantik.

 

 

DON'Ts :

1. Nampak background ada kain lap or dirty dishes or benda-benda yang tak sesuai ada dalam gambar. Unless kalau memang tu semua props.

2. Gambar gelap. Even bila edit kat computer pun tak boleh nak betulkan.

3. Tangkap gambar cake in a cake box or cookies in plastic. Tak cantik.

 

 

 

 

Examples :

(All pictures below are my pictures and my creations. Most of them dah berzaman like 2-3 years ago)

 

 

 



 

Never do this.

Tangkap gambar cupcakes dalam box siap nampak benda-benda kat tepi yang tak patut.

 

 

 

A very bad example.

Gelap, in a box, keliling sepah.

Designs pun tak cantik. Eeeii siapa la buat cupcakes ni :p

 

 

 

 

In plastic pun tak boleh juga.

Sebab nampak reflection lampu/flash bagai.

Or unless if you buat gubahan cookies dalam bakul.

Dah siap packaging everything and nak tangkap gambar as a whole. Kalau macam itu tak apa la.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was what I used to do.

Guna kertas keras.

But I don't like the fact nanti dalam gambar nampak the line of kertas bercantum tu.

And plus kalau cookies/cupcakes berminyak, kertas tu kena buang.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ni masa baru sangat buat cookies in 2010.

Didn't know what to use as background so I used penutup Tupperware.

Ni gambar behind the scene.

 

 

Tapi bila tangkap from top view, jadi macam ni.

This is the picture I uploaded kat my website dulu.

Not bad la kan.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Ni sekarang.

I'm using kain.

Easy to basuh bila ada cookie crumbs merata.

 

 

 

Top view.

Kan kemas. Hee puji sendiri.

 

 

 

 

Ni kalau tangkap gambar cake.

Just sangkutkan kain tu kat a place lagi tinggi.

Guna kain and there's no line.

Colours of the background is totally up to you.

Beli je banyak-banyak colour kain murah kat Jakel tu.

Or even tudung yang plain tak jarang pun ok.

But make it special for tangkap gambar je.

 

 

 

 

To me, kalau tangkap gambar untuk letak at your business's website, at least make an effort untuk letak gambar yang sedap di pandang. Not only sedap di makan. Cause all these are work of art. Sayang kalau penat-penat buat tapi gambar tak cantik.

 

If you upload kat instagram saja-saja, then it's ok untuk tak kemas sangat sebab tu macam laidback kind of picture place. Unless if you use instagram as a your business's website la. Then that's unacceptable.

 

It makes a huge deal ok. Cake cantik mana pun tapi kalau gambar tak cantik, not many yang akan view. I saw this one company yang jual cakes. They have the best pictures. Padahal gambar a simple cupcake with sprinkles je. But I still click to view besar-besar everytime they upload new picture even if their cake design biasa-biasa je. See the power?

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, people put a lot of efforts to make a cake sampai la upload gambar ke website. So for one to simply steal the pictures for both personal or business use, is just something yang tak dapat dimaafkan. Please faham and respect people punya effort. Hee just an advise :)



Hope my tips are helpful.







 

 





 

NWW Grand Sale

 

 

Last Sunday (30/6/13) Nurul Wonder Wardrobe buat preloved party. I knew about this Grand Sale since first time diorang promote kat Instagram like a week before I think.

 

Tapi tak ada plan nak join sebab assume mesti ada yang jual cakes and desserts dah join. But a day before, they posted at Instagram yang diorang nak orang jual cake and desserts. One more slot left. Sebab ada back out last minute. I texted them right away and Alhamdulillah Izzah (Nurul's sister) said it's still available. Yeayyy memang excited.

 

Buuutttt just imagine, 12 pm (29/6/13) baru confirm join Grand Sale yang tak sampai 24 hours lagi.

 

Saturday -

12 pm : Baked the brownies

2 pm : Keluar lunch with AbdRhmn

4. 30 pm onwards : Buat cupcakes sambil buat jellies sambil buat trifles sambil buat topping brownies sambil buat last minute preparations untuk esoknya.

12 am : Surprisingly semua dessers dah siap.

 

 

Sunday :

5 am : Bangun terus buat labelling harga.

7 am : Kemas-kemas everything. Make sure things in order.

9 am : Pergi bakery shop sebab ada packaging yang tak cukup.

10.45 am : Gerak pergi Wonder Wardrobe.

 

 

 

So my desserts tak ada la banyak sangat and gempak mana. Tak ada decorated cupcakes. Decorated cookies pun simple sangat. But Alhamdulillah everything was ok. Had so much fun. Borak-borak dengan jiran sebelah yang jual churros yang sangat sedap. Borak-borak dengan Nurul. Shopping sikit....eh.

 

 

 

Sebab kan semua ni last minute, tak ada siapa yang free untuk teman jaga booth. So no pictures with Nurul, Suri, wonderful customers etc. Nak minta orang lain tangkap kan memang segan la kan.

 



 

 

 

Ni pun dapat tangkap gambar before je sebab AbdRhmn datang kejap tolong angkat-angkat barang.

He didn't stay long sebab ada hal.

 

 

Me dengan booth/counter di belakang itu.

 

 

 

AbdRhmn memang suka tangkap gambar dari bawah sikit so that nampak extra gemuk :P

 

Outerwear from Dreemika. Besar and labuh. Awesoommee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ni la AbdRhmn, tolong angkat barang jap and duduk kat depan tu. Hehe.

Thanks for helping me and belikan chocolate and roti for my lunch.

:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to those who came and support not only me but all the vendors there. Hope to see everyone of you again, InsyaAllah. Lots of love, xoxo.

 

 

 

.......................................................................................................................................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day before keluar dengan AbdRhmn sebab memang dah janji nak keluar.

And rupanya dia nak belanja makan sebab dapat first gaji. Awww.

Memula minta Secret Recipe. Tapi parking tak ada kat area tu.

So minta Ayam Bakar Mas Mono. Hee sedap.

 

 

Thanks boyfriend, for this.

I'm so proud of you and what you already have achieved.

Will support you all the way, InsyaAllah.

 

Sedih

 

 

"When someone calls me fat, I'll eat more"

June 2013

It's June...!! Pantas masa berlalu.

I finished my Diploma Pastry Art in June last year. And my brother got married in September. So I didn't go all out with Sugar & Vanilla (no marketing) sampai after kenduri our side.

Habis je my brother's wedding. I asked my parents to give me 6 months or sampai June 2013 to prove myself that I can naik kan my business. If things don't work out, to the hotel I go..!! Memang tak nak sangat kerja kat hotel. Yes, the best part kalau kerja elok-elok kat hotel boleh earn the title 'Pastry Chef'. But tak nak la. I love cake decorating. Title 'Cake Artist' pun comel juga. Hihihi.


Sooo what did I prove to my parents that I'm ok with doing my own business.




- November 2012
I approached a famous blogger / fashion designer untuk sponsor door gift. It worth a lot but totally worth every cent. If you've been following my story, it's Jezmine Zaidan of course. And she asked me to sell my things during the opening kat Girls in Hijab, Seksyen 7. It was a fun moment. I think this was my first marketing / sponsorship.

 

 

 

 

 

- November 2012

Tried a new dessert (art kind of style) untuk jual. Which is jelly..!! Yeay. Had fun playing with colours and layering. I'm taking jelly to a whole new level (as for me la sebab selama ni ingat jelly senang je).

 

 



 

 



 

 

 

- December 2012
Dapat masuk tv...!!! Show Safiyya. Where I was nervous like *tuuuttt*. Terus fobia dah nak masuk tv. A camera person. But not a video camera person. Or maybe having the thought of nanti orang tengok. So menggigil tu memang tahap max. But sangat cool experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 



- December 2012
Dapat buka booth with famous bloggers. Nurul TalkTalk, Suri Aryani, and also Jezmine Zaidan. The Save Gaza Charity Sale at Hello Deer. Maybe ada yang memang selalu buka booth with them, but for me, first time. Excited yang teramat sebab baca blog diorang since dulu lagi. And then tiba-tiba Nurul approached me untuk buka booth. Memang la nak. So I did. One of the best bazaar I joined. Tapi time tu memang terasa diri ini kerdil walaupun size paling besar among them. Ngehehehehe.

 

 

 

 

 

- February 2012

Dapat order buat 1300 cookies..! Order paling banyak and I did all the baking and decorating. Mama helped with the packing. At first Mama nak tolong bake kan. But I felt that I can push myself and I did. Fuh sangat crazy. But the downside of it, tak dapat nak accept banyak orders from other customers. Too busy with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-March 2013

I introduced continental cakes. Sebab I'm more to decorated so ada yang tanya nak beli cake untuk makan biasa-biasa je. And I said why not. Bought myself a fridge just for cakes. And Alhamdulillah ramai yang suka. Lagi-lagi banyak cakes jual ikut recipe my mama. Recipes that I grew up with.

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

- March 2013

My cousin got married and I had to do a 4 tier cake..!! 3 tier pun tak pernah buat. Tapi terus kena buat 4 tier. Square shape pula tu. Kalau yang round one memang easier sebab tak ada those 4 sharp edges. So memang panic, risau, takut semua ada before nak buat. Bila dah siap sangat lega. I was so happy. And also the fact that the cake arrived safely. Alhamdulillah. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





- 2013 so far
Can't imagine all those tricky designs that I did. Design yang memang tak agak boleh buat tapi accept juga order. Sangat risky. Of course the 4 tier sakura cake was very scary sebab structure.
One of the examples I did cookies for Ika Radiusite. She asked for Dota 2 nya logo. Tapi gatal pergi suggest buat weapons juga. Very time consuming but the result was awesome. And banyak lagi contoh cuma belum edit gambar and all.

 

 

 

Followers and likes kat Instagram, Facebook and BlogSpot. Alhamdulillah makin hari makin ramai. Tak agak akan ramai yang like and follow secepat ni. Sangat appreciate :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So guess who doesn't have to work in a hotel ? Hee. Alhamdulillah. Happy where I am today. Will work harder. Impian nak buka cafe. Maybe a bit slow sebab takut tu still ada as well as rasa macam belum cukup ilmu in cake decorating. Future, InsyaAllah.

 

 

Thank you all for your supports. Happy bila customers message cakap suka cake or cake sedap. I'm happy that I can make other people happy.