Roses and Chocolate anyone?

Ahh Valentines Day! When flowers make you feel special and loved that little bit more and Chocolate is heart shaped and you miss the extra that comes when it is in a block shape!

I actually made this cake for a lovely friend of mine for her 82nd birthday! She had been stood up by her son and had no plans so I wanted to do something pretty and special for her.

This was a light vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream and jam in the middle then vanilla buttercream on the outside and a dark chocolate drip.

It came to mind today as I think it actually has a certain romance about it with the mirror shine of chocolate and the softness of the roses. Chocolate and flowers will be exchanged today in the name of love, but sometimes love and kindness can be seen in many ways in many relationships.

For me the gift of a cake which you have spent time on and poured love into creating is a wonderful thing. Sharing its soft loveliness with someone IS another beautiful thing and then just saying those little words- I love you cake! It can’t get much more beautiful than that!

Happy Valentines everyone!

I can make a rainbow….

Rainbow cakes are so much fun, you can go bright and vibrant like I did here where I went very light on the buttercream in the layers as I was piping roses on the outside! or Pastel soft colours that are muted and pretty.

Either way you end up with a really fun slice of multi colour sponge that just shouts colour and party!

One thing to watch out for is blue food colouring allergies, this cake has blue in the blue and green layers and the purple buttercream and so wouldn’t be suitable for anyone with that allergy.

I remember being at the party and my now sister in law had enjoyed many cocktails before cutting into this cake and she kept telling everyone there was 12 layers! I was so worried everyone would be disappointed!

I needn’t have worried it went down a storm as did the kitkat wrapped smartie covered cake for her sister (they were born 1 day apart!)

NYE

Ahhh baking isn’t just for cake and I have to say I do enjouy all sorts of baking fun in my kitchen!

2020 arrived with quite some pace in my world, not only freshly moved into a new home but having experienced the wonders of New York’s cuisine and a brand new kitchen and oven to take for a spin!

Here is a little pic of the spread I put on- mostly all made by myslef and from local produce too!

We have Sausage Pie with a layer of onion chutney made from local sausage meat from Sweetlands- in my world this is the yummiest and best sausage meat ever! It’s a little darker than I would like but it was my first pastry bake in the new oven!

Then there is a big cheese and vegetable quiche which I omitted the cream from and I was nervous it would loose texture an taste but with roasted onions, peperers and aubergine with garlic inside I shouldn’t have worried!

In the back were some filo mince pies, open and crunchy and naughty as they should be!

Then not in shot as it was chilling in the fridge was a 3 layer fiery ginger cake with cream cheese frosting and stenciled silver glitter stars!

The night was a wonderful success, food and drink was consumed with many smiles and much laughter and some terrible singing!

I realise it seems an age ago already! But how was your NYE?

New Year started with cake!

Fiery Ginger Cake with Creamcheese Frosting

I realise this is a terrible picture, the cake had in fact had been cut, eaten, cut some more, and then moved from the serving dish to an ordinary plate to travel to another home . (My belly was already too big after much indulgence to keep it at home!)

You can just about see the stencilling and piping I did- this wasn’t my best work. My hands were both in bad shape and I had been told I might have athritus just hours before I decorated it.

So as shoddy as this was I was pleased that it was welcomed with much appreciation and despite being a large cake easily enough for 20 people only 10 people made that big a dent after a huge supper!

I feel its important to bake with love and that is all I had in this case as my normal steady strong hands were cramping and stiff with pain. Yet still I saw smiling happy people enjoying my cake.

When you want to eat the cake!

I make a lot of cake and most of the time I never get a slice. Now this is good for my waist line but sometimes a girl has got to eat!

In my boring day job in an office it is traditional for the team to buy a cake for birthdays but I said would you mind if I made one (well 2 it’s a big team and I wanted a chill evening so I did loaf cakes!)?

Everyone said ohhh yes please lol they tend to be my guinne pigs for new recipes so they get lots of my cakes to try!

So I made my all time favourite cake one I have loved since childhood and a family recipe (sans sprinkles!)

Lemon Drizzle Cake!!!! Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum!

Here it is all safe and sound on its way to the office! He he

Is it wrong to have cake for breakfast? 🙄🤔🤭

Love and support

So this week it is my birthday and my beautiful family helped me celebrate over the weekend. Surprisingly no there was no cake but there was a sumptuous 4 course meal which included the lightest of vanilla cheesecake I have ever eaten and beautiful petit fours including chocolate dipped strawberries and homemade coconut ice!

I was given this beautiful personalised notebook that I adore! My fav colour is blue- you may have noticed my logo is blue not the traditional pink or apricot favored by cake businesses!

I simply adore it, and I have already started to fill it with drawings of ideas for cake decoration and things to try!

I love stationary anyway, but I think this is my faviourite ever piece I have owned. Its all mine and is perfect for me.

So thank you to my loved ones for supporting my dreams and my creativity with this wonderful gift. I can not tell you enough what it means to me that you support my venture and my goals!

Thank you Thank you and Thank you!

Oh and do not worry there will be cake this week- Lemon Drizzle my all time favorite!

Something Different

I love cake- as you may be able to tell! he he

I love trying out recipes and different designs and I do enjoy a good bag of sprinkles and when they match my display plate ohhh my!

This is a lovely little cake I made for a friends birthday, like me she loves colour and a bit of something quirky! So the outside is a party of colourful dots and swirling fruits against a background of creamy cream cheese frosting. Then when you cut into the cake a rich dark red velvet cake is revealed.

I adore red velvet cake, the texture is so luxurious and the hint of chocolate adds a divine taste to the soft smooth sponge.

I say have some fun with your cakes and let them speak to the personality of the person or persons they are celebrating!

Happy Birthday to my lovely friend Christina!!!!!

Goodbye Summer..

Ah it would seem Summer has ended and Autumn is well and trurly here! That makes me a little sad- I do love Autumn those crisp blue skies days with red and orange leaves skipping through the air!

But Summer was short and I will miss lazing around on a picnic blanket enjoying the warm sun and the smell of flowers.

So I thought I shall just have to bake a little sunshine! This is a Jamaican Fiery Ginger Cake and I have decorated it with beautiful little flowers like those you might find in a meadow.

It’s my taste of the Caribbean sun wrapped in an English summer meadow!

We’re off to see the Sausage Shop, the wonderful Sausage Shop of Bishop’s Stortford because because because…

Some lovely 2 portion packages of yummy cake have winged thier way (well sat on my passenger seat) to the Secret Sausage Shop in Bishop’s Stortford.

Fancy a little treat but not the whole cake? Well we have got you covered!

Victoria sponge with lots of jam ✅

Decadent gooey Chocolate cake (GF) ✅

Farmhouse style Spiced Fruit cake ✅

Sweet and moist Lemon Drizzle Cake ✅

A little of what you like it’s good for you! Go on you know you want to!

The Secret Sausage Shop is at:

Unit I3 Peek Business Centre
Woodside
Bishop’s Stortford
Hertfordshire
CM23 5RG

Piping fun!

I had a wonderful Sunday afternoon playing with colourings and piping flowers! Sorry for the crazy gif but my phone decided to make an animation and well it shows off the angles he he!

I love flowers faux, iced and real. I think nature got it right on beauty and elegance! I realise the colours I choose here are not so natural or elegant but it is fun!