Autumn Love Bites

Hiya!

I haven't been baking much but I decided to do some baking today and as a trial and error it was a success especially with Z.

Ingredients:

- 225g Unsalted Butter

- 225g Self-Raising Flour

- 1 tsp Baking Powder

- 100g Golden Caster Sugar

- 100g Light Muscovado Sugar 

- 4 Large Eggs

- 1 Large Orange, Zest.

- Dark Chocolate covering

- Food Colouring paste, Red, Orange and Yellow

1. Mix the butter and eggs together in a bowl and leave to the side.
2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugars and baking powder together.
3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and carefully fold them together.
4. Using half of the orange juice it into the mixture and add the zest.
5. Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients together for a minute.
6. Separate the ingredients equally into 3 bowls and add your colour paste (about 2 drops each). 
7. Fold the mixture into the food colouring until it is fully covered.
8. Pour the ingredients into a tray alternating the colours and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Rest the cake for up to 2 hours
10. Melt the hot chocolate covering either using the microwave or place a heatproof bowl above a pan of hot water.
11. Pour the chocolate over the cake and let it rest.
12. Once the chocolate hardens you can cut the cake into squares and ENJOY!!

I added an extra step as I used a cookie cutter and stamped out little love hearts for Z. It was small but still full of flavour. Z and S managed to finished the whole thing by the time I got out of the shower so that was the only picture which I had managed to take. Z left me 1 to try and I loved how it tastes! It reminds me so much of Autumn! Next time I will try and add some cinnamon to the chocolate to give a christmassy feel.

I hope you can try this recipe out

TC

xx

Valentines Day 2016

Hi!

So Valentines Day has come and gone and I hoped you all had a good Valentines weekend. S did an amazing job this year.

My flat is funny as you have to go down the stairs to get to my flat and he placed rose petals with tealights leading down to the living room which was very cute. 

I opened the living room to find the following picture..

I never knew he could be this romantic but it was a wonderful surprise. S had work so we didn't have a home cooked meal instead we got a Chinese take away.

We got a take away from Saikei in Greenwich. We normally go here for weddings and dim sum but we haven't had a take away from here before and I don't think we will ever again. Apart from the sweet and sour king prawns everything else tasted bland and greasy. The soft shell crabs wasn't even spicy nor was the ma por tofu. 

S didn't have time t get a dessert so I made a quick dessert whilst we sipped our champagne and talked. 

Click on the image above to see the recipe I used.

Hope you had a lovely Valentines Day 

TC

xx

Tottenham Loaf Cake

Hi! 

I love cake and custard and recently I made this Tottenham Cake for Valentines Day and it was so yummy especially with vanilla custard!

Ingredients:

125g Butter, soften

125g Caster Sugar

125g Self Raising Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

2 Large Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp  Milk

For the icing

150g Icing Sugar

1 drop of Pink/Red food colouring

1 tsp cold water 

Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat the oven at 160'c

1. Place the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and cream together until white in colour and fluffy

2. Add the eggs 1 at a time into the mixture and beat.

3. Fold in the Self raising flour and baking powder until fully combined

4. Place the Vanilla extract into the milk and pour into the mixture

5. Bake between 12-15 minutes at 160'C until brown in colour or until a skewer comes out clean

6. Leave to cool completely if not the icing will not set

7. Using a skewer poke random holes throughout the cake

8. Mix together 60g of Icing sugar and 3 drops of warm water and pour over your cake. I found that leaving your cake on a cooling rack with a plate or cake tin underneath made the clean up easier.

9. Mix the 150g icing sugar and food colouring together until fully combined. Add the cold water slowly until you have a thick but pourable consistency.

10. Pour over your cake and place some sprinkles on top. Leave the icing to harden and enjoy.

Hope you get a chance to make this yummy cake 

TC

xx

Tea anyone?

Hi!

I love a nice cup of tea but I always have to have something to go with it or it just doesn't feel right so the other day I decided to make a marble loaf.

Ingredients

- 175g Butter, soften

- 175g Caster Sugar

- 3 Large Eggs

- 1/2 tsp Vanila Extract

- 225g Self Raising Flour

- 25g Cocoa Powder

- 2 tbsp Whole Milk

1. Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat until white and fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla extract and eggs into the mixture and beat well.

3. Pour the self raising flour into the mixture and using a hand-held mixer mix well.

4. Spoon out half of the mixture in a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder and milk. Mix.

5. Using a lined loaf tin spoon in 2 large spoonful of vanilla batter and then 1 spoonful of chocolate batter. Alternate on the next layer so 2 chocolate and 1 vanilla etc. Once Finished using a skewer make a 8 figure in the batter and bake.

6. Bake at 160°c for 15 - 20 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean

7. Sprinkle icing sugar on top and enjoy

You can be as creative as you want with the marbling or if you really can't be bothered you can make it half and half but I hope you try this recipe and tell me what you think.

TC

xx

Final Bakes of 2015

Hi!

I can't believe that 2015 is coming to a close and a new year is just around the corner! Eek! I thought I'd end the year with some of my bakes which I didn't manage to blog about from August - September 2015.

My goal for 2016 is to be able to upload at least one bake a month so wish me luck.

Anyways..

Hemp Surprise

Sponge: Vanilla

Filling: Vanilla Buttercream

Covering: Vanilla Buttercream 

Extra(s): Fondant Decorations

This cake was baked for S friends and it was his idea. I didn't manage to take the inside but it was a rainbow cake inside. I'm going to lie. I didn't taste the cake nor did the birthday boys because someone stole it! Someone decided that they need cake and stole the whole thing.  

Chiffon Fruit Cake

Sponge: Vanilla Chiffon 

Filling: Fresh Cream and Fruits

Covering: Fresh Cream, Chocolate Fingers, Malteasers

Topping: Fresh Fruit, Chocolate Heart Shaped Lollipop

Fruit Cupcake

Sponge: Chocolate

Covering: Vanilla Buttercream 

Topping: Fresh Kiwi, Fresh Strawberry dipped in Chocolate

I made these for my friend's niece. A traditional Chinese Birthday Cake is made from a chiffon sponge so I attempted it and it was a success as it had risen well and tasted yummy.

Mini Fruit Cake

Sponge: Vanilla

Filling: Fresh Cream, Strawberry Jam, Fruit Cocktail

Covering: Fresh Cream

Topping: Dark Chocolate Ganache, Fresh Fruit

I made this for S birthday cake. I used the Wilton Rainbow cake pan and was so disappointed. The cake was so small but it was just about enough for 5 people. The cake tasted just right as I didn't add icing sugar to the fresh cream due to the sweetness from the fruit cocktail syrup and strawberry jam. 

Chocoholic

Sponge: Nutella Chocolate

Filling: Dark Chocolate Ganache, Nutella Butter cream

Covering: Nutella Buttercream, Chocolate Fondant

Topping: Fondant Flowers

This was my first time making fondant flowers and I was so proud of what I had achieved even though it wasn't perfect in my eyes. I made this to go with 50 Nutella Cupcakes for a wedding reception. I was told that the colour theme was purple so I used 2 different hades of purple. I originally had 3 but it didn't work well so I used white flowers with some purple food colouring painted on.
The bride was shocked and overwhelmed by the cake; the guests loved the accompanying cupcakes and they had an amazing reception.

Thank-You for reading about my baking ventures

TC

xx

25th Birthday Cake!

Hello!

I know I haven't been up to date with my posts but I have been lazy. I'm sorry!!

So alot has happened and I am now 25!! EKKK!! Lol

Here is my yummy birthday cake from my amazing little sister although I had to design my own cake LOL

Chocolate Celebration:

Sponge: Vanilla

Filling: Fresh Cream and Fruit Cocktail

Covering: Fresh Cream with Dark Chocolate Ganache 

Topping: White Chocolate covered Strawberries, 

Border: Pipped Fresh Cream with Half cut strawberries

Extra(s): Chocolate Champagne Bottle  (Bought from Thorntons)

This cake was very light as I asked for a vanilla chiffon sponge, the layer of cream was just enough to balance the dark chocolate making it less bitter and the fruit cocktail was not thick but just right.

I am very blessed 

TC

xxx

Here is a simple Chiffon Cake recipe if you wish to try it

https://en.cookpad.com/recipe/1472541

May Bakes 2014

Hello !!

So sorry for not updating as often as I would love but I have been extremely busy; not only am I having to go through the terrible twos but I've just started a college course but still found time to bake ;)

It was my mum's birthday the other day and thus another reason to mess up the kitchen and create alot of cleaning was due for LOL

Fruit Birthday Cake with Chocolate Wafer

Fruit Birthday Cake with Chocolate Wafer:

Sponge: Vanilla

Filling: Fresh Cream and Fruit Cocktail

Covering: Fresh Cream

Topping: Strawberries, Mangos, Kiwi, Peaches and Blueberries

Border: Chocolate Wafer Biscuits 

Extra(s): White Chocolate Plaque (Handmade)

This cake is just as lovely as my amazing mother :) It tasted good and is so pleasing to the eyes but I do think that we should of cut the wafer into the same length as it does look messy *sighs*

Anyways...

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I have recently started to experiment with baking cupcakes and it has been so fun. Below are recent cupcakes I've made for the first time.

I saw a recipe online for Ferror Roche Cupcakes and decided to have a go. I didn't follow the recipe through 100% as I didn't want it to be too sweet nor did I want a chocolate overload!
Summers here so I have to watch my weight lol..

Ferror Roche Cupcake with Nutella Butter Icing

I really liked the taste of the Nutella Butter icing but I was dissappointed in the Ferroro Rocher in the middle.. The wafer bit had become soggy and not as crisp but the nuts gave it a lovely texture and luckily I didn't make it a chocolate sponge as the butter frosting was so sweet.

Here's the recipe I kinda followed http://cookiescupcakesandcardio.com/?p=4742.

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Butter Icing

I'm not a big fan of Oreo cookies (or any type of cookie xD)  but my friend asked me to teach her how to bake Oreo Cupcakes for her boyfriend and so we did.. lol

The recipe I was meant to follow had a cream cheese frosting but I didn't have any so I made it into just butter icing with crushed Oreo biscuits.

I loved the taste of them as the bitterness of the Oreo's made the butter icing less sweet but I had so much trouble piping the icing on as some of the crushed Oreos would get stuck in the nozzle ¬¬ 

Here's the recipe I kinda followed: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/1871966/recipe/oreo-cupcakes

Chocolate Surprise Cake

Welcome!!

Well I did promise more home-made cakes and here is our latest one :)

Chocolate Surprise Cake!! 

Chocolate Surprise Cake:

Sponge: Chocolate
Filling: Chocolate Cream with Roasted Hazelnuts&Almonds
Covering: Dark Chocolate Ganache
Topping: Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Honeycomb flavoured Matchsticks Chocolate
Border: Roasted Hazelnuts&Almonds
Extra(s): Home-made White Chocolate&Dark Chocolate Plaque

This cake is NOT for anyone on a diet because its just full of chocolate!!! It was so yummy and I was so surprised at how well the vanilla balls came out! :)
If I was to redo this cake I would like to make other shapes once you cut into it but experimenting is the only way forward lol

Inside of the Chocolate Surprise Cake

I will post more cake pics soon but for now

Thank-You for reading

TC x

P.S. I will tweets pics of food on my twitter so check it out at XsumBubz