Full Of Cake

15th Birthday Cake

2010-05-18T15:05:00.000+01:00

Evie's 15th Birthday cake request was for blue frosting.....so that's what she got. Magnolia Cupcake cake recipe baked as two levels and stuck together with buttercream frosting and covered with sprinkles from Crate and Barrel served on my diner cake stand! Washed down with Babycham. ( Again taken me such a long time to upload!)

Magnolia Bakery New York City 2008 trip

2010-05-17T15:01:00.002+01:00

Taken me so long to upload these photos and post but once again another visit to Magnolia and really it never fails to delight. This time it was around Thanksgiving and there were Thanksgiving cupcakes to be had. Always fun, always enjoyable and I love being able to look through the window at the bakers inside.....

Zampa NYC

2010-05-16T15:42:00.000+01:00

Pecan Pie to break your teeth on......

Evie's Birthday Party Cake Mow Mow

2010-05-15T15:35:00.000+01:00

Ok - so we tried our best - this is what Evie requested and this is what she got. Mow Mow. The cat with the lazer beam eyes.

All the Fun of The Fair

2010-05-14T15:31:00.001+01:00

Just off Carnaby Street there is a little arcade of interesting shops in Kingly Court. All the Fun of The Fair is a haberdashers with a fabulous display of crocheted and knitted cakes in the window - it looks so beautiful and so real - my favourite that Easter were the hot cross buns.

Ramona's Cupcakes

2010-05-13T13:21:00.001+01:00

This March on our yearly meet-up in New York my friend Jilly had asked a work colleague to make some of her cupcakes to bring for us.
These were made by Ramona and travelled all the way from South Carolina to New York - and wow they were fabulous.
Italian Creme, Chocolate on Chocolate and Carrot Cake flavours, with our names piped across the top. Getting them through airport security was a challenge, not because of them being cake and not allowed, but because all the security people wanted to eat them.
Ramona, thankyou! Jilly - well guarded! xx

Ramona says.....

Jane,
Thank you for showing my cupcakes in this manner. I really feel special and honored that my friend, Jill asked me to bake these for her trip to meet you and the other ladies.
I don't take pictures of my baked goods. This will be some of the first pictures that I have besides the pictures of "The Traveling Cupcakes" that Jill sent to me during the trip to New York. I am glad that you enjoyed them enough to put them on this site. Next year, you will have to try my key lime cupcakes. They are my favorite now. I hope to one day meet you.
Ramona

Pinkest Witch Cup Cakes

2010-05-09T14:14:00.005+01:00

These wonderful creations are by a facebook friend of mine, Klare Bailey who is in the early stages of setting up a cupcake business. They look so pretty and delicious. I love the dark chocolate sprinkles on the swirly pink and the lilac hundreds and thousands on that soft chocolate brown. They have a vintage charm about them. These flavours were chocolate, lemon ( they are actually the pink ones) and vanilla and raspberry and were made especially for the Christening of Klare's second niece. Good Luck Klare! Now I want to taste!

http://pinkestwitchcupcakes.moonfruit.com/

Klare says

"thankyou Jane .. very exciting to see my cakes up on someone elses site :-) Can I just add that those pictures were by a fab guy called Rollo Grise. Anyone who wants to volunteer for tasting and is in my areas, drop me a line via the contacts page on the site. Klare x"

The Brooklyn Flea & Kumquat cupcakes

2010-04-11T15:18:00.000+01:00

March 2009 and The Brooklyn Flea which was then open at DUMBO.
A visit to the Kumquat Bakery stall to get a box of little cupcakes to try - they were wonderful mainly because you can pop them in your mouth all at once and get the full flavour! Perfect. I love peanut butter and chocolate together so had three of those and a red velvet cake one.....
We stood outside on a beautiful spring day to eat them....

Cafeteria NYC

2010-04-08T15:37:00.001+01:00

oh oh oh - this was one of the best desserts I've ever had......great buzzy restaurant and we did share this between 5 of us....
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Oreo Cookie Crust and Caramel Bacon Popcorn.
Serious stuff.
I saw some deep fried Oreos leaving the kitchen too and the Red Velvet Cake looked fabulous......next time next time....

Cafe Reggio New York Trip 2010

2010-04-07T15:40:00.001+01:00

Cannoli!
It was perfect with a cappuccino dusted with cinnamon.....fabulous cafe on MacDougal Street NYC - walking back from supper in the village we discovered it at about 10.30pm and must go back there to discover it some more.

Bar Americain

2010-04-06T15:25:00.000+01:00

Not cake again I know - but such a fabulous apple tarte for dessert I just had to mention it.
Granny Smith Apple Tarte with Maple Walnut icecream.
Love it Bobby Flay!

The French Culinary Institute New York

2010-04-05T15:10:00.001+01:00

Not strictly cake but it got me thinking - these were three little pots of coffee, chocolate and caramel - dessert at the French Culinary Institute but the caramel one had a little sprinkling of salt on top and it brought out the flavour fantastically......
Would make a fabulous cupcake.....that salty caramel thing.....

Easter Cupcakes

2010-04-05T08:19:00.003+01:00

Easter Sunday Cupcakes, a good batch. Plenty left over for Easter Monday too.

Carnegie Deli New York City 2008

2010-04-04T10:50:00.007+01:00

The Carnegie Deli NYC on a trip to New York in November 2008. Fern's first experience of New York Cheesecake in New York - it was tremendous. Also a wonderful selection of mammoth cakes in there - didn't get chance or have the room to try any of them......

Long time Posting

2010-04-04T10:17:00.004+01:00

It's Easter Day 2010 and it's been far too long since I last posted - possibly because I haven't had a decent workable oven for months to actually bake in but I have still been taking photos......
However - cupcake baking on the cards for today so maybe later......
Happy Easter everyone xx

Alice Mason's Cake Paintings

2009-09-05T10:43:00.000+01:00

These lovely cheerful cake paintings were done by my friend Alice.
She has an open studio Sept 12th/13th and Sept 19th/20th at her home in Pett Level

http://alicejuliet.etsy.com
http://www.myspace.com/alicemasonstudio
http://alicejuliet.redbubble.com
http://redbubble.com/people/alicejuliet
http://mermaidartist.wordpress.com
http://www.coastalcurrents.org.uk/2009/open-studios/alice-mason/

Dessert Time Portminster Beach Cafe

2009-05-05T22:38:00.000+01:00

Another wonderful visit to The Portminster beach cafe in St Ives - although not at all cakey these 2 desserts need a mention
Rhubarb and ginger tart with almond icecream, vanilla cream and sugared almonds
and
White Chocolate and Amaretto Crème Brulee with Double chocolate brownie ice-cream and espresso

Ferrell's Bakery St Ives

2009-05-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

Hot cross Saffron Buns for Easter and some Easter style Geno-fancies Cornwall-style!

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns! If ye have no daughters,
Give them to your sons.
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns

Hot Cross buns have long been a symbol of Good Friday. Today they are sold in bake shops and supermarket bakeries throughout the Easter season. Each bun has an icing cross on top to signify the crucifixion.
Although they have been a Lenten and Good Friday tradition for centuries, Hot Cross Buns were not always associated with Christianity. Their origins lie in pagan traditions of ancient cultures, with the cross representing the four quarters of the moon. During early missionary efforts, the Christian church adopted the buns and re-interpreted the icing cross. In 1361, a monk named Father Thomas Rockcliffe began a tradition of giving Hot Cross Buns to the poor of St Albans on Good Friday.

In years that followed, many customs, traditions, superstitions, and claims of healing and protection from evil and were associated with the buns. In the 16th century, Roman Catholicism was banned in England, but the popularity of Hot Cross buns continued. Queen Elizabeth I passed a law banning the consumption of Hot Cross Buns except during festivals such as Easter, Christmas and funerals.

Easter Cupcakes Carnaby Street

2009-05-03T22:25:00.000+01:00

Candy Cakes is a wonderful bawdy cake shop in Kingly Court, Carnaby Street London - the photos above show their choice for Easter.
"Candy Cakes was established in 2006 with the express intention of bringing innovation to the cake world. By combining the freshest flavours to the best of cake design the Candy Cakes muffin style range was born. Their combinations are always intriguing, mixing vibrant colours with exotic candy toppings, some just should not work but they do!

Candy Cakes cater for a range of tastes, favourites include Spider Lovin, Strawberry Sundae, Techno Mouse, Alphabet City and the Chocolate Flyer. The flamboyant names reflecting the nature of the cakes."

More from Borough Market

2009-05-02T22:19:00.000+01:00

A fabulous potter round Borough Market always throws up the problem - what should I try next?
Beautiful breads, fabulous chocolate brownies, massive meringues and muffins and the best Portugese Custard tarts which was what we finally decided on!

Chinatown Cakes

2009-05-01T22:14:00.004+01:00

Spotted on a walk along the edge of Chinatown, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, over the Easter break - these amazing cakes which appear to have been airbrushed with pastel colours....and piled high with decoration and fruit.

....and while on the subject of pies.....

2009-04-30T11:11:00.000+01:00

These fabulous pies were spotted at The Union Square Green Market NYC.

More from the Empire Diner

2009-04-29T11:01:00.001+01:00

Not strictly cake but had to mention this fabulous cherry pie that they also do.......oh it was SO good!

Amy's Bread on Bleecker Street NYC

2009-04-28T22:49:00.000+01:00

Review from Amazon.....
In this terrific companion to 1996’s Amy’s Bread, bakery owner Scherber and longtime co–worker Dupree focus on the cakes, cookies, scones and bars that have gained their three New York locations rabidly loyal customers (some profiled here, along with notable employees). Sherber and Dupree give bakers plenty of tasty ideas, emphasizing comfort food classics like Pecan Sticky Buns (presented in two versions); Devil’s Food , Red Velvet and German Chocolate Cakes; Oatmeal Raisin Cookies; and a luscious, biscuit–like Strawberry Shortcake. Though some recipes can be involved, all are accompanied by thorough and encouraging directions, as well as foolproof tips on everything from dealing with temperamental ovens to the importance of cold butter in certain recipes. Success and failure are largely a matter of practicing and incorporating the techniques scattered throughout, and the authors make patient, skilled instructors. Further, every recipe provides measurements in grams, volume and ounces, helping ensure consistent results. Bakers will be hard–pressed to find a better compilation of fail–proof standards―practical bakers might want to buy two copies, as the first is sure to become dog–eared and butter–stained in short order. (Oct.) RED STAR REVIEW (Publishers Weekly, October 20, 2008)

Product Description
If you’re a fan of famed Manhattan bakery Amy’s Bread, you will love The Sweeter Side of Amy′s Bread, a beautiful cookbook that will show you how to re–create 71 of the bakery’s favorite sweet treats. Bake Amy’s signature scones, muffins, cookies, bars, biscotti, layer cakes, and other treats in the comfort of your own home! With recipes for tasty breakfast fare like Cherry Cream Scones and Pecan Sticky Buns to delectable sweets like Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and Amy′s famous "Pink Cake," this book has illustrated color photos to help you along.

Wonderful suitcase of rock cakes, hot cross buns scones and muffins from Amy's and a new cookbook to go on my wish list.

Thanksgiving at The Empire Diner

2009-04-28T12:32:00.000+01:00

Pumpkin Pie is a must on Thanksgiving, washed down with a chocolatey Abita Turbodog and coffee at The Empire Diner New York.

Cupcake Christmas

2009-04-27T12:28:00.000+01:00

Should have got these uploaded a bit quicker than this - but two wonderful gifts I got at Christmas from Anne and Carol-Anne.
Pretty cupcake candles that look like the real thing and a pretty cupcake themed bowl.

Juniors - in Grand Central Station

2009-04-26T12:20:00.000+01:00

Discovering cake shops in the depths of Grand Central Station.
Juniors - wonderful cheesecakes.
Grand Central Station
Main Concourse near Track 36
Telephone: (212) 692-9800

Lower Level Dining Concourse
Telephone: (212) 983-5257
Fax: (212) 972-4420

Hours: Monday-Saturday 6am-10pm, Sunday 8am-8pm

Zaro's Bakery

2009-04-25T12:12:00.000+01:00

In the depths of Grand Central Station New York we found a host of wonderful shops including Zaro's Bakery known as Zaro's Bread Basket
Just a few images from their window.....

French Fancies

2009-04-24T12:07:00.000+01:00

More from my friend Sharon in France who is on the point of making this a business venture.....
watch this space.

Bakery in Prague

2009-04-23T12:04:00.001+01:00

My friend Heather took this photo of a bakery in Prague....

BLUE cakes?
Look rather interesting....

Jane's Birthday haul from Judges Bakery Hastings

2009-04-22T12:09:00.000+01:00

What a wonderful selection of cakes from Judge's Bakery, Hastings.
Happy Belated Birthday Jane

Balthazar Bakery NYC

2009-04-22T11:41:00.000+01:00

As well as the restaurant Balthazar have a fabulous bakery attached! Now making their own donuts for breakfasts too.
Had to include these amazing profiteroles that Fern had after lunch - her absolute favourite dessert.
The waiter came out with a special jug of hot chocolate sauce which he poured for her...

Magnolia Bakery - 1240 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036

2009-02-19T12:32:00.003Z

It was a nice surprise to discover that Magnolia had opened a branch of their bakery near our hotel.
Magnolia Bakery - 1240 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Not as quaint and earthy as the Bleecker Street location but the cupcakes still as good!

Sharon is baking again!

2009-01-29T19:24:00.003Z

Here are some wonderful photos my friend Sharon took of her latest batch of cakes - she's thinking about the possibility of opening a cupcake shop in France where she now lives - fab idea Sharon - these are so pretty!

Konditor and Cook

2009-01-22T14:02:00.000Z

On the edge of Borough Market there was is branch of Konditor and Cook.
10 Stoney Street London SE1
Wonderful Valentine's display but I don't think that pointy pink cake was actually real!
Just a wonderful smell and display inside of all things yummy.

Borough Market - Ion Patisserie

2009-01-21T13:50:00.000Z

Last week a visit to Borough Market, London....great bakers and bread and several wonderful cake stalls one of which I managed to snap....

This was the Ion Patisserie I think....and look - there's the drummer from The Kaiser Chiefs in the background!

Products include lemon cheesecake, toffee and pecan cheesecake, raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, blueberry cheesecake, New York cheesecake, Greek yogurt and Greek honey cheesecake, caramelised apple cheesecake, chocolate and vanilla puzzle cake, chocolate cake, Baileys and chocolate mousse cake, banoffee pie, lemon tart, carrot cake, apple strudel, chocolate and vanilla éclair, vanilla pie, chocolate brownies, flourless baked chocolate truffles, raspberry cake, tiramisu.

Maison Bertaux

2009-01-20T13:40:00.000Z

On a recent visit to London we stopped for tea in Maison Bertaux, Greek Street.
I used to get a cheese croissant from here on my way to work some mornings.
Still as delightful as ever!

MoMa NYC

2009-01-19T13:23:00.003Z

Two great works that caught my eye on my last visit and really need to be seen!

Claes Oldenburg. (American, born Sweden, 1929). Floor Cake. 1962. Synthetic polymer paint and latex on canvas filled with foam rubber and cardboard boxes, 58 3/8" x 9' 6 1/4" x 58 3/8" (148.2 x 290.2 x 148.2 cm). Gift of Philip Johnson. © 2009 Claes Oldenburg

Claes Oldenburg. Pastry Case, I. 1961 62.
Enamel paint on nine plaster sculptures in glass showcase.
20 3/4 x 30 1/8 x 14 3/4". The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
The Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection. ©Claes Oldenburg

James' Birthday

2008-11-19T21:40:00.003Z

The delight of a nine year old with a double chocolate Birthday cake......
Looks delish! Happy Birthday James!

Bonfire Night Parkin

2008-11-06T11:47:00.002Z

Last night ( November 5th ) was Guy Fawkes Night.
Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night, Cracker Night, Fireworks Night, Bommy Night) is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th of November, 1605 in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, were alleged to be attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, England.
Festivities are centred on the use of fireworks and the lighting of bonfires, and Parkin is traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night.

Parkin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Parkin is a ginger cake, which originated in Northern England. Often associated with Yorkshire, particularly the Leeds area, its precise origins are unclear, and it is made and enjoyed in other areas, such as Lancashire. Parkin is generally moist and even sometimes sticky. In Hull and East Yorkshire, it has a drier, more biscuit-like texture than in other areas. Parkin is traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night, but is also enjoyed year-round. It is baked commercially throughout Yorkshire, but is a mainly domestic product in other areas.
The principal ingredients of parkin are flour, oatmeal, black treacle (molasses), fat (traditionally lard, but modern recipes use butter or margarine), and ginger. While it is possible to find recipes that omit oatmeal or treacle, or even both, these are generally considered distinctive features of parkin, and it is hard to see what would distinguish it from any other gingerbread without them. Both were important constituents of Northern, working-class diet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, so it is likely that parkin evolved in that period of Industrial Revolution.
Both ginger and treacle were imported from the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, where they were produced by slave labour in the 18th century, and generally imported as part of the Triangular Trade via Liverpool. Ginger was used traditionally in the form of powder (made by grinding the dried rhizome), but preserved stem ginger and grated fresh ginger are sometimes added today.
The flour used in parkin in England is self-raising, containing a small amount of chemical leavening agent. If this is not available, or if the proportion of oatmeal is high, it is essential to add a leavening agent, e.g. baking powder or a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar.
One of the key features of parkin is that it retains its texture well and can be kept for a week or two in a sealed tin or box. In fact, connoisseurs often prefer to eat it slightly aged. Fresh parkin is sometimes eaten as an accompaniment to a compote of tart fruit, like cooking apples or gooseberries. This would have made parkin particularly suitable as a working-class Sunday treat that could be eked out for packed meals on working days.

Yorkshire parkin
by James Martin

Serves 4

Preparation time 30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

A classic Yorkshire ginger cake - a perfect accompaniment with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
225g/8oz self raising flour
110g/4oz caster sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
200ml/7fl oz milk
55g/2oz butter
110g/4oz golden syrup

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Line a 22cm/8in tin.
2. Sieve the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
3. In a small pan gently heat the butter and syrup until melted.
4. Beat the egg into the milk.
5. Gradually pour the butter and syrup into the flour and stir. The mixture will be thick.
6. Pour in the egg and milk and stir until smooth and pour into the lined tin.
7. Bake for 1 hour

Smart Snacks Sorting Shapes Cupcakes

2008-11-05T14:55:00.000Z

Shape sorter Cupcake Style....I love these too!

Learning Resources - Smart Snacks Mix & Match Doughnuts

2008-11-04T14:53:00.000Z

Having a dig around on Amazon.com for Christmas presents I spied these rather yummy looking toy doughnuts!

Girl Gourmet

2008-11-03T15:02:00.001Z

I wish I'd had this when I was little.....!
Also from Amazon.com!

Cupcake Transportation

2008-11-03T14:39:00.005Z

There are many many way to transport a cupcake safely these days!
These products all do the job well- all available from Amazon.com

Oneida 24-Count Cupcake Carrying Case

and The Cup-A Cake single cupcake carrier

...and The Cupcake Courier.....

Anthropologie Christmas Ornaments

2008-11-01T09:00:00.002Z

It's only the 1st November and the shops are filling up with their Christmas ornaments.
Anthropologie have some more cupcake ones - I can't wait to add these to my collection.

A Dean and Deluca Halloween

2008-10-31T09:07:00.000Z

A beautiful and amazing selction of autumn and Halloween cakes at Dean and Deluca - one of my favourite New York stores
All info from the D&D website....

GHOST CAKE
ONLY AT DEAN & DELUCA. The baking wizards at Cakework have done it again, this time sculpting a ghost out of their signature Chocolate Killer Cake. Dense chocolate cake layers are cushioned with chocolate truffle decadence and chocolate mousse filling, then cloaked in white chocolate. Dare we say it's hauntingly good?

BAT CAKE ONLY AT DEAN & DELUCA. Who'd ever guess that this otherworldly creation is actually moist yellow cake layered with mocha mousse, and wrapped in black-and purple-tinted white chocolate? It's yet another amazing confection from the pastry geniuses at Cakework and we're sure you'll go positively batty for it.

FALL CUPCAKES
ONLY AT DEAN & DELUCA. Cupcakes are among today's biggest food trends. Each one is an individual serving. You get to choose the flavor you want. Ours are baked fresh in small batches from the Teacake Bake Shop and decorated by hand. Three each of Pumpkin with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Icing, Cinnamon with Mayan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Vanilla with Vanilla Frosting.

APPLE CRATE CAKE
ONLY AT DEAN & DELUCA. Our Bay Area pastry guru created this Cakework cake just for us and we loved the result. The chocolate cake looks like an apple crate brimming with apples molded from marzipan sitting on a bed of white chocolate straw. Entirely edible and perfect for fall entertaining.

PUMPKIN CAKE
ONLY AT DEAN & DELUCA. A sweet herald of fall. Six layers of vanilla spiced cake with praline butter cream and a center layer of rich chocolate fudge. Handmade by award-winning artisan baker Condra Easley of Pâtisserie Angelica who air brushes the cake for an edible decoration to bewitch your guests. A trick and a treat.

Konditor and Cook Halloween

2008-10-31T09:00:00.000Z

After looking at loads of Halloween cakes I think this selection is my favourite.....from Konditor and Cook.
http://www.konditorandcook.com/
Happy Halloween

Sidmouth Bakeries

2008-10-26T13:58:00.000Z

Just back from a weekend in Devon and not much to report on the cake front!
There were a lot of bakeries in Sidmouth but their cakes were all pretty hideous.....didn't spot a really good tea room there either.
Odd prices on cakes too!

Ace of Cakes

2008-10-24T09:11:00.000+01:00

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Duff Goldman

Born December 17, 1974 (age 33)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Cooking style Baker, Cake Decorator
Education Corcoran College of Art and Design, Culinary Institute of America
Jeffrey Adam "Duff" Goldman (born December 17, 1974) is the star of the Food Network reality television show Ace of Cakes. He is a baker and food artist who has been described as both audacious and creative. He owns a cake shop in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., known as Charm City Cakes. His work and talent have also been featured on the network television special Food Network Challenge competitions and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Goldman was born in Detroit, Michigan. When he was four, his mother caught him in her kitchen wielding a meat cleaver and watching food personality Chef Tell. After the divorce of his parents when he was ten, Goldman spent time living in both Northern Virginia and in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. From the age of fourteen, he began to work in kitchens, his first job being at a McDonald's[citation needed]. Years later, he attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Duff has said that when he was a sophomore in college, he went to what he considered the finest restaurant in Baltimore, Charleston, where he was inspired to apply as a cook there. The head chef, Cindy Wolf, looked at his résumé and noted that it consisted of irrelevant experience. However, Cindy did offer him a job to make cornbread and biscuits only, and this is what Duff cites as the turning point in his career. Following an undergraduate education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he graduated with a degree in East Asian History with a minor in ethics, he attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, California. Shortly after, he attended schools such as Corcoran College of Art and the Culinary Institute of America at the California campus. After working under acclaimed chefs in California, including a job at the French Laundry and the Vail Cascade Hotel in Colorado, he returned to Washington, D.C., to work at the Olives restaurant baking bread.

In 2000, Goldman opened his own business called Charm City Cakes. Initially, his cake sales began as he worked out of his house in Charles Village with the help of two assistants he employed. As the requests for his unusual cakes increased, he hired more employees – many of whom did not have any culinary experience as pastry chefs, but were instead experienced painters, architects, and sculptors. Today, Goldman's bakery shop is, indeed, very unusual in that blow torches, as well as power tools such as grinders and drills, are used to help form the underlying supports of the unique edible creations. With his crew, Goldman has done unusual cakes such as the likenesses of Elvis in the form of a 3-foot butter cream sculpture, an anatomically correct ear, a smoking volcano, a three-dimensional German Shepherd, as well as a replica of a CAT scan, a jeep, and an edible,Wrigley Field.

Duff has his own TV show on the Food Network entitled Ace of Cakes. Bob Tuschman, Senior Vice President of Food Network's programming, was quoted as describing the show Ace of Cakes as "Monster Garage meets cake shop…". Well into season two, Goldman has said that he sees his reality show as reflective of what happens at his shop. He was quoted as saying:
“ I think it's just going to be, like, more fun, funny stuff. They're just going for more of what life is like for us, what happens around here, as opposed to a strict how-to-decorate-a-cake kind of thing. ”
Celebrity cakes: He has made cakes for a number of celebrities including Daniel Radcliffe and Sir Roger Moore.

Duff lives in Baltimore, Maryland. He plays bass guitar in the instrumental indie rock band ...soihadto... (so i had to) - www.soihadto.com. He is also interested in art and history. He claims his alternate dream job would be to perform as bass player with the band Clutch. Goldman has made a wedding cake for Clutch's lead singer, Neil Fallon. In addition, Fallon's younger sister and Duff's friend from college, Mary Alice Fallon-Yeskey, works at Charm City Cakes as the office manager.

Quotes

"I never thought that was weird until I started meeting other bakers, and I was like, Whoa.... ".
"It's my bakery. If I want a bagpiper I'll have one."
"No one ever told me they made black fondant!"
"Make it bigger, Make it badder, Make it awesome!"
"I make the best damn bread you've ever tasted!"
"I love cake"

Ace of Cakes is a reality television show currently airing on the Food Network. The show focuses on the daily operations of Duff Goldman's custom cake shop, Charm City Cakes, in Baltimore, Maryland; including small-business ownership, working with various vendors, tasting with customers, constructing cakes, and delivering his products. The show is one of Food Network's first docu-soap reality series, paving the way for new outside the kitchen studio programs.

Ace of Cakes highlights the frantic activity surrounding production of a large number of custom cakes in a short period of time. The staff consists primarily of Goldman's personal friends. They are frequently shown working long hours to build and decorate the cakes. Staff members drive the cakes to their final destinations, which can require road trips of several hundred miles. Goldman has an informal approach to running Charm City Cakes. He is known for using non-traditional cooking utensils such as blow torches, belt sanders, and power saws to construct his designs.
Some of the notable cakes created by Charm City Cakes include cakes for the Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico in Maryland, Baltimore Zoo, the premiere of Hairspray, a replica of Radio City Music Hall for the Rockettes, a hatbox-shaped cake for an 80-year-old grandmother, the Hogwarts castle for the premiere of the fifth installment of Harry Potter at Los Angeles, an edible replica of Wrigley Field, a replica of the shark ray at the Newport Aquarium, a cake for the Paramount Pictures premiere of the DreamWorks Animation film Kung-Fu Panda, and more.

Charm City Cakes

Flavours

almond amaretto cream
almond
apples and cinnamon
banana caramel
bananas foster
black forest
blackberry sourcream
blueberry muffin
brownie
beurre noisette
butterscotch walnut
cardamom and pistachio
caribbean black cake
carrot
cherry and almond
chocolate
chocolate cherry
chocolate chip muffin
chocolate espresso
chocolate mint
chocolate orange
chocolate raspberry
dulce de leche
egg nog
ginger and green tea
italian orange and vanilla
lemon curd and berries
lemon poppyseed
lemon
marble
mudslide
orange and ginger
peaches and cream
peanut butter and jelly
peanut butter cup
pear compote and ginger
pear spice
pecan pie
pineapple coconut
pumpkin chocolate chip
pumpkin and cinnamon
red velvet
smores
strawberry shortcake
thai iced coffee
thai ice tea
tiramisu
white
white chocolate ganache
white chocolate raspberry
yellow
yellow w/ choc. buttercream

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Buttermilk Icing

2008-10-23T09:13:00.000+01:00

From CHOW
http://www.chow.com

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Buttermilk Icing A few bites of fall anytime you please. Adapted from Brigid Callinan All the spice and sweetness of pumpkin pie is wrapped up in these cupcakes. A tangy Buttermilk Icing gives them a grown-up touch, but they’d also be great with Cream Cheese Frosting if you’ve got a real sweet tooth. What to buy: Make sure to pick up puréed pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Game plan: These cupcakes are best the day they are made. This recipe was featured as part of our Fruits of Fall story. TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Active Time: 35 mins
Makes: 30 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups canned pumpkin purée
1 cup whole milk
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Buttermilk Icing INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Whisk together pumpkin and milk in a separate bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, beating and then scraping the bowl down after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with pumpkin-milk mixture, mixing on low speed, and scraping the bowl down between additions. When all ingredients have been added, mix batter 30 seconds on medium-high speed until uniformly combined.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake until a tester inserted in cupcake centers comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from the pans. Let cool completely on a rack, decorate with icing, and serve.
See more recipes at: http://www.chow.com Illustration by Christoph Niemann

The Jaffa Cake

2008-10-21T09:11:00.000+01:00

Jaffa Cakes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Jaffa Cake)

Jaffa Cakes are a popular type of biscuit-like cake in Ireland and the United Kingdom. They are sold under a number of different brands, the market leader being McVitie's (United Biscuits). They are named after the jaffa orange, a sweet variety of orange from Israel.
Similar products are available in many countries under different names, including Pim's orange by Kraft Foods' LU brand and Messino by Bahlsen in Germany.

Regular-sized Jaffa Cakes are circular, approximately 54 mm (2⅛ inches) in diameter. They comprise three layers; a sponge bread base, a layer of orange flavoured jelly of narrower diameter than the base (approximately 38 mm), and a layer of chocolate covering the jam and the margin of the sponge.
The first ever batch of Jaffa Cakes was cooked by Evelyn Olive Reading in Birmingham, England[citation needed].
In 2000, McVitie's signed a sponsorship deal with Chelsea F.C., making Jaffa Cakes one of the team's eleven 'platinum' sponsors. Sven-Göran Eriksson announced that Jaffa Cakes would join the England squad in Japan for the 2002 FIFA World Cup as part of their training diet.

There have been claims in the media that the orange centres in Jaffa Cakes are made from apricot and flavoured with tangerine oil. This urban legend may have originated in a 2002 article in The Daily Telegraph. The myth gained status when it was published as fact in QI: The Book of General Ignorance, a 2006 book based on the BBC television series QI. The book's claim was repeated in a 2006 article in The People.
According to the list of ingredients on the packs, Jaffa Cakes in fact contain no apricot, or tangerine, and are made with orange juice, an assertion protected by UK food labelling laws.
In the 1970s a series of television advertisements were produced for the product, featuring Welsh actor Victor Spinetti as "The Mad Jaffa Cake Eater", a Mexican bandit style character who sureptitiously stole and ate other people's Jaffa Cakes, prompting the catchprase "There's Orangey!"

Cake or biscuit?

Under UK law, no VAT is charged on biscuits and cakes — they are "zero rated". Chocolate covered biscuits, however, are subject to VAT at 17.5%. McVities classed its Jaffa Cakes as cakes, but in 1991, this was challenged by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the case ended up before the courts. This may have been because Jaffa Cakes are about the same size and shape as some types of biscuit. A question that the court asked itself was "what criteria should be used to class something as a cake?"
McVities defended its classification of Jaffa Cakes as cakes. In doing so it produced a giant Jaffa Cake to illustrate that its Jaffa Cakes were simply miniature cakes.
McVities argued that a distinction between cakes and biscuits is, inter alia, that biscuits would normally be expected to go soft when stale, whereas cakes would normally be expected to go hard. It was demonstrated to the Tribunal that Jaffa Cakes become hard when stale. Other factors taken into account by the Chairman, Mr Potter QC, included the name, ingredients, texture, size, packaging, marketing, presentation, appeal to children, and manufacturing process. Contrary to a commonly held belief, whether something is considered a 'luxury item' is not a test for VAT purposes.
Mr Potter ruled that the Jaffa Cake is a cake. McVities therefore won the case and VAT is not paid on Jaffa Cakes.

They even have their own Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jaffa-Cakes/8782930921

...and the famous 'full-moon' tv commerical.....

The Ultimate Cake Buffet

2008-10-16T07:28:00.000+01:00

The George Hotel in Rye recently held The Ultimate Cake Buffet, a "Taste of Rye" event, on Sunday 12th October
As part of the annual Taste of Rye festival, they hosted a one-off afternoon tea buffet.

The George website says -
"Take a pew in our regency ballroom and enjoy teas, infusions, and any cakes that take your fancy from the buffet. A sample of what to expect:
- Victoria Sponge with home-made Damson Jam
- Rosemary Polenta Cake
- Vanilla and Blackberry Roulade
- Rose Macaroons

The event comes to £9.50 per person which includes a pot of tea or coffee and unlimited cake."

I couldn't get to the event unfortunately but a friend, Jane Harvey, very kindly let me use her photos above for fullofcake and said

"The George do was good, there was plenty of cake! I was a little disappointed though. There were some obvious omissions, no battenburg, no ginger cake, no chocolate cupcakes or any chocolate sponge although there was a devilish chocolate armagnac cake."

" According to our table the best 2 were the lemon and mascarpone and the blackberry roulade which were delicious."

Magnolia Bakery NYC - Frosting and a few little movies about Magnolia

2008-10-15T07:20:00.000+01:00

Discovered on youtube - SO THAT'S HOW THEY DO IT!!!

There's also a new Magnolia Store on Columbus and 69th that I'll hopefully be visiting in November

Cakehole

2008-10-14T07:48:00.000+01:00

The definition of cake hole

- one's mouth.

Shut your cake-hole.
Meaning
Be quiet.

Origin

This slang expression is of UK origin, dating from the middle of the 20th century. It was widely used in the UK until about 1970s and, although somewhat archaic now, it is still used occasionally. Hunt and Pringle record it in their 1943 reference book Service Slang:

"Cake hole, the airman's name for his or anyone else's mouth."

The later equivalent term 'shut your pie-hole' began use in the USA in the 1980s. It isn't clear if that derives from the 'cake-hole' version or was coined independently.

A lughole is an ear, whereas a cakehole, meaning mouth, has been traced to the Norwegian word for jaw (kake).

Custard Tarts

2008-10-13T08:15:00.000+01:00

These came from a friend - Jane Harvey, who says...
"Portuguese custard tarts are so much nicer than English ones, and this are the best - from Belem, Lisbon.
Damian has researched supermarket custard tarts thoroughly and has found Tesco's to be the best in all criteria - taste, texture, pastry. Surprised to hear Tesco's beat Waitrose and Marks and Spencer's!"

Let Them Eat Cake

2008-10-12T07:30:00.000+01:00

A clip from the movie Marie Antoinette - full of gorgeous looking cakes, shoes and a cute pug!

From http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/227600.html

The origin of many phrases in English are unknown. Nevertheless, many people would say that they know the source of this one. It is widely attributed to Marie-Antoinette (1755-93), the Queen consort of Louis XVI. She is supposed to have said this when she was told that the French populace had no bread to eat.

The original French is Qu'ils mangent de la brioche. It has been suggested that the speaker's intention wasn't as cynical as is generally supposed. French law required bakers to sell loaves at fixed prices and fancy loaves had to be sold at the same price as basic breads. This was aimed at preventing bakers from selling just the more profitable expensive products. The let them eat brioche (a form of cake made of flour, butter and eggs) would have been a sensible suggestion in the face of a flour shortage as it would have allowed the poor to eat what would otherwise have been unaffordable. It's rather a mouthful, so to speak, but if the phrase had been reported as 'let them buy cake at the same price as bread' we might now think better of the French nobility.

Two notable contemporaries of Marie-Antoinette - Louis XVIII and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, attribute the phrase to another source. In Louis XVIII's memoir Relation d'un voyage a Bruxelles et d Coblentz (1791) he states that the phrase 'Que ne mangent-ils de la croûte de pâté?' (Why don't they eat pastry?) was used by Marie-Thérèse (1638-83), the wife of Louis XIV. That account was published almost a century after Marie-Thérèse's death though, so it must be treated with some caution.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 12-volume autobiographical work Confessions, was written in 1770. In Book 6, which was written around 1767, he recalls:

At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, "Then let them eat pastry!"

Marie-Antoinette arrived at Versailles from her native Austria in 1770, two or three years after Rousseau had written the above passage. Whoever the 'great princess' was - possibly Marie-Thérèse, it wasn't Marie-Antoinette.

Her reputation as an indulgent socialite is difficult to shake, but it appears to be unwarranted and is a reminder that history is written by the victors. She was known to have said "It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness". Nevertheless, the French revolutionaries thought even less of her than we do today and she was guillotined to death in 1793 for the crime of treason.

Knitted Cakes

2008-10-11T07:50:00.000+01:00

For bookgroup we read a book called " Divas Don't Knit" - it was set mainly in a wool shop by the sea where there was a 'stitch 'n' bitch' group who also liked cake! For our bookgroup meeting I tracked down these wonderful knitted cakes and bought each member one as a gift. Got them on ebay!

Colin's Cakes

2008-10-10T07:20:00.000+01:00

These cakes were made by Colin Corbett. I first met Colin in Cumbria in 1978 at Carlisle College of Art where I was doing my Foundation Course in Art & Design. I then went on to do my degree at Leicester Poly and Colin turned up there to do his MA in Graphic Design. He is an amazingly talented person and I've only just discovered he makes cakes. Here are some of his wonderful creations.
It's also his Birthday today - I hope he has a cake!

Another school fete, another cupcake

2008-10-09T07:07:00.001+01:00

Many many many little cupcakes frosted and sprinkled ready for the school summer fete - which was some time ago now - it'll be the Christmas Fayre before we know it!
Chocolate with chocolate fudge frosting pink sprinkles, vanilla with lemon frosting and 'egg' sprinkles and vanilla with vanilla frosting and orange sprinkles.

New York City Cupcake Tour

2008-10-08T07:31:00.000+01:00

Found this while rummaging through youtube
worth a look if you're heading to NYC in search of cupcakes

Richard's Birthday 11th September

2008-10-07T06:59:00.000+01:00

Richard's Birthday cake. I am such a bad person - I bought this one - a lemon drizzle cake - and we had it with creme fraiche and raspberries.

Thornton's Chocolate Dessert Selection

2008-10-06T07:07:00.000+01:00

The Dessert Gallery is a collection of dessert centres in milk, dark and white chocolate cups from recipes created by the Thorntons Master Chocolatier, Barry Colenso, who learned his craft as the chef patissier of some of the world’s finest hotels, including the Savoy Hotel in London.

The chocolates are:

Summer Fruit Pudding - a fruit layer of real strawberries on top of raspberry cream in a milk chocolate cup.

Toffee Mouse - bitter toffee sauce with thornton's toffee liqueur mousse finished with toffee on top.

Creme Brulee - golden demorara crunch topping above a rich creamy centre in a milk chocolate cup.

Kirsch Torte - Cherry sugar with a kirsche marzipan centre

Almond Torte - Shortcake and nutty chocolate praline topped with bitter chocolate and finished with a whole almond.

Double Chocolate Mouse - dark shell with chocolate truffle.

Lemon Meringue - tiny clouds of meringue on top of lemon layer with a lemony centre and white chocolate cup.

Tiramisu - fresh mascarpone with brandy and coffee with amaretto granules to finish.

Our Guinea pig, Chocolate, was also impressed....

The Ocean Grill, St Ives

2008-10-05T08:37:00.000+01:00

Again, not strictly cake - but two great desserts from this great restaurant in St Ives on The Wharf.
An individual tiramisu which was delish and a strawberry cheesecake.

Porthminster Beach Cafe - Desserts

2008-10-04T08:12:00.001+01:00

Desserts! Again - just a fabulous selection from The Porthminster cafe in St Ives that has to be one of my favourite places to eat ever.
Great for coffee and a slice of cake in the morning, but lunchtime is the best. Beautiful views over the bay and a great menu including a creamy clotted cream rice pudding, a fruit crumble with lavender icecream and a very rich chocolate mousse with a cookie and a vanilla panna cotta

Nina and Bill's Wedding Cakes

2008-10-03T08:54:00.000+01:00

Nina's wonderful cupcake tower at the reception and a very unusual Malteser Cake!

Mr Mitchell's Birthday Cake

2008-10-02T08:13:00.000+01:00

Very sad to find these photos of Mitchell's Birthday cake that he had on April 1st 2008. Mitchell was hit by a car and killed on August Bank Holiday this year.
He loved this cake - cheese was his favourite treat and just opening a can of tuna would get him in from the garden.
We miss you Mitchell xxx

Home Baking day with Fern

2008-10-01T08:11:00.000+01:00

Baking Day with Fern - using a Cadbury's cake mix which was actually delicious!

Mr Kipling Fondant Fancies

2008-09-30T07:18:00.000+01:00

On a long journey there is nothing like a Mr Kipling Fondant Fancy to keep you going.....I mean there is truly NOTHING like them!

Mr Kipling Flowers commercial

2008-09-29T07:20:00.000+01:00

Exceedingly Happy Cakes!

Tea Towels from Janet

2008-09-28T16:45:00.000+01:00

A gift from Janet - teatowels - Primark's best!

The Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Cupcakes

2008-09-28T16:41:00.000+01:00

These worked out well - delicious but very vanillary and sweet......
good for a kit cake though!
Barefoot Contessa mixes are not available here in the UK - I got this one at Crate and Barrel in Boston.

Deborah Wilson's Art Show Cup Cake Extravaganza

2008-09-28T16:22:00.002+01:00

Here are some fabulous looking cupcakes my friend Deborah Wilson made when she had a little art show at home and served tea and cakes.
Peanut butter and raspberry jam, passion fruit, almond and marzipan, chocolate and hazelnut, vanilla butterfly cakes and lavender
Also one of her tea and cake etchings/chine collee.

Gingerbread men, St Ives

2008-06-19T12:05:00.000+01:00

Gingerbread Men in a bakery window looking very pleased with themselves....

Bumbles Tea Room, St Ives

2008-06-17T08:28:00.000+01:00

A window display from Bumbles Tea Room in St Ives.

St Ives Bakery

2008-06-16T14:07:00.000+01:00

A wonderful Bakery at the end of the Digey on Fore Street, St Ives Cornwall - best pasties, pretty fruit tarts, great custard tarts, brownies and cupcakes.

Egg Custard at Porthmeor beach

2008-05-30T16:20:00.000+01:00

A little bit of Cornwall from Easter.

The best Egg Custard Tart on Porthmeor Beach, St Ives

The City Bakery

2008-05-18T23:22:00.000+01:00

3 West 18th Street Union Square NYC
Famous for the pretzel croissant which was very very good but I forgot to take a photo of it!
Here's some interior shots of the hot chocolate man and the girls choosing what to have.
Also take a look here
http://www.hot-chocolate-festival.com/

Jacques Torres Chocolate Shop

2008-04-17T13:07:00.000+01:00

Ok - once again - not strictly CAKE - but you could certainly call a cup of hot chocolate here " dessert" - so thick and chocolately we could almost stand our fork up in it.
This is the Water Street, Brooklyn branch of Jacques Torres and once again it was teaming with rain so we stayed almost an hour in this cosy delicious smelling chocolate shop. It was nearly easter and there were plenty of Easter treats on sale too.

Wholefoods Market Union Square

2008-04-16T16:06:00.000+01:00

Wholefoods Market was a wonderful place to shelter from the rain while we were in New York - healthy to completely indulgent it had a great cake display too - this is the only photo I managed to get of it though!

Follow this link for some wonderful cake recipes from their website
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/list_dessert.html

Balthazar Bakery

2008-04-02T11:29:00.001+01:00

Breakfast in Balthazar - once again - not strictly cake - but their bread basket is to die for - full of pastries, focaccia raisin bread, chocolate bread and sticky buns, they are also making doughnuts now too which were wonderful dipped in steaming bowls of latte and of course look below at Jill's waffles.....hmmmm!

Balthazar is at 80 Spring Street NYC

Vesuvio Bakery

2008-04-01T15:07:00.000+01:00

Vesuvio Bakery
160 Prince St
New York NY 10012
212-925-8248

We were too full up from a huge lunch to sample the cannoli here! Maybe next year!

Lupa

2008-03-31T10:22:00.000+01:00

Not strictly cake but very worth a mention for a wonderful dessert.
Lupa restaurant -
170 Thompson Street
New York

This is the Lupa Tartufo and the Apician Spiced Dates and Marscapone
Simply delicious!

Easter 2008

2008-03-30T17:07:00.000+01:00

Not much baking done at Easter except the inevitable Chocolate Krispie Nest cakes - also the tree with chocolate eggs beneath - guarded by the scary flocked bunnies....Happy Easter!

Chocolate Rice Krispie Easter egg nests
Ingredients
75g/3oz butter
100g/4oz golden syrup
60g/2½oz plain chocolate, broken in pieces
50g/2oz Rice Krispies
50g/2oz rolled oats
30 sugar-coated mini chocolate Easter eggs

Method
1. Put the butter, golden syrup and chocolate into a small saucepan and melt together over a low heat.
2. Mix together the Rice Krispies and rolled oats and stir in the golden syrup mixture.
3. Line a bun tray with ten paper cases.
4. Fill the paper cases with the chocolate rice krispie mixture and make a hollow in the centre of each and fill each one of the nests with three Easter eggs.
5. Place in the fridge to set.

The Cupcake Cafe

2008-03-29T15:53:00.004Z

New York - Sunday 9th March 2008
After a stroll round the flea market we came across this great cafe - I'd already visited the web site so knew it existed but was delighted to actually find it. We stopped for coffee and a cake or two - will highly recommend this cafe - great welcoming atmosphere - the best coffee I'd had all weekend and the most beautiful cupcakes ever.

Cake or Death - Eddie Izzard

2008-02-11T20:06:00.000Z

A few of you have mentioned I haven't posted in a while - I haven't baked in a while, I haven't eaten much cake in a while - I've been hugely busy - so I thought I'd post this for you all......

Evie's 14th

2008-01-06T14:19:00.000Z

Another Birthday and more cake!
Victoria sponge - blue buttercream and chocolate mouse droppings.....
Happy Birthday Evie!

Ella's Birthday

2007-09-26T16:46:00.000+01:00

Here's Ella at her 14th Birthday party blowing out her candles on what looks like a chocolate cake loaded with sprinkles.
That's her friend Dani on the left.
Happy Birthday Ella as it is, in fact, today!

Richard's Birthday 11th September

2007-09-15T21:58:00.000+01:00

A Waitrose Chocolate Cake filled with chocolate sauce and fresh cream bought in a rush as Fern was off school sick and I didn't have any eggs to make one either!
It was however delicious loaded with fresh blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.
Happy Birthday!

Ella's Strawberry Flan

2007-08-19T19:11:00.001+01:00

Ella made this flan and asked me to add it to the blog - it looks wonderful - There's a huge possibility that she might one day become a great dessert chef if she isn't one already!

Gift from Janet and Ella

2007-08-19T15:12:00.000+01:00

Wonderful gift of 4 mugs with cake images on from Ella and Janet - we drank hot tea from them and ate lemon icing topped cupcakes made by the Fabulous Bakin' Boys on what must have been the wettest day of summer so far!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2007-08-10T00:01:00.000+01:00

Well - what a day! A postal strike and food poisoning.....
Great cake - but after a disastrous breakfast and vomiting I really couldn't keep this down!
Still - I managed to blow out the candle and make a wish!
Happy Birthday to me - another year older....

Visitor Location Map

2007-07-17T16:52:00.000+01:00

A Cricket Tea

2007-07-09T10:23:00.000+01:00

A marvellous cricket tea from Margy at The Dinglesden 7 annual cricket match.
July 8th 2007

PLUM & ORANGE ALMOND CAKE

2007-07-06T12:07:00.000+01:00

from River Cafe Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Made for bookgroup Monday 4th June 2007

PLUMS
Ripe Plums 500g
Orange 1
Caster Sugar 50g
Vanilla Pod 1

CAKE
Unsalted Butter 150g
Caster Sugar 150g
Eggs 2
Self Raising Flour 85g
Baking Powder half tsp
Blanched Almonds 100g

TOPPING
Orange 1
Unsaltd Butter 30g
Muscovado Sugar 25g
Flaked Almonds 50g

Finely grate the rind and squeeze the jiuce of an ornage.
Grind the almonds in a food processor

Preheat the oven to 180/Gas 4

Halve and stone the plums and put in an ovenproof dish with the sugar. the orange juice and rind.
Add the split vanilla pod and bake for 20 minutes.
Cool. Scrape in the vanilla seeds.

Grease a 25cm round spring form tin, lined with baking parchment, with extra butter.

Soften the butter and beat with the sugar til light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one by one.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds.

Pour into the tin and push the plums and their juices into and over the cake.
Bake in the oven for half an hour.

For the topping, finely grate the orange rind. Melt the butter and stir in the sugar, zest and flaked almonds.
Spread this over the half baked cake, lower the heat to 160C/Gas 3 and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Cool the cake in the tin.

Tonio's 8th Birthday

2007-07-05T07:48:00.000+01:00

A fabulous train cake made by my friend Pammy for her son's 8th Birthday!
Happy Birthday Tonio.

The Barefoot Contessa

2007-07-04T08:12:00.000+01:00

Currently watching her tv show daily - and have just invested in a cookbook of hers - The Barefoot Contessa has notecards too.....

School Summer Fayre Cup Cake contribution

2007-07-03T10:57:00.000+01:00

Saturday 23rd June - no time to bake but bought and frosted and sprinkled.
20p each! I think there were 72.

Ingrid & Ton's Wedding

2007-07-02T13:11:00.000+01:00

Congratulations Ingrid and Ton!
Much love, luck and happiness to you both.
June 22nd 2007

A cake with fireworks!

Fern's 8th Birthday Cake

2007-06-11T14:02:00.000+01:00

Happy 8th Birthday Fern

This was a Magnolia Bakery Chocolate Buttermilk Cake - topped with butter icing and sugar sprinkles in pale blue and chocolate curl sprinkles.
Also made some cupcakes topped with the same butter cream - mini ones too....

This is the recipe for Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes, which are made from the same batter as the chocolate buttermilk cake.

I made my own buttermilk by adding 1.5 tsp of white vinegar to the milk and letting it sit for a while.

Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes about 23 muffin-tin-sized cupcakes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
2. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In a small bowl, sift together flour and baking soda. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, on medium speed of your mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add chocolate, mixing until well incorporated.
5. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
6. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter inthe bowl to make sure ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
7. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 fulls.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tester toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes before removing them from the tins and cool completely on cooling racks before frosting.

Cake Lanterns

2007-05-28T08:16:00.000+01:00

A present from my friend Muff - paper lanterns with cakes on!