Happy Halloween, and Happy Birthday Derek!

Firstly my apologies. I'm blogging in the wrong order here. I have cookies to add, and a Victoria sponge. For the first time in a while I've baked more than I've blogged.

Still, as it's Halloween I thought I'd blog the Halloween cakes now and catch up with everything else during the week.....

Scary Stuff

These were a birthday present for my mum's husband (65 today!) I had planned to opt for something 'birthdayish' but as he has a birthday on Halloween, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make these.

The topping is simply Green and Blacks chocolate. 70% Dark (you don't need the 85%) and White.

Jeff very kindly and cleverly made the making of these into a little film. You can blatantly see that I made them in my dressing gown with a towel on my just washed hair but oh well!!!!!

I'm not sure this will upload here. It seems to be taking too long. Enjoy if it works, if not I'll try it again later  ....

Night Vision Anybody?

Carrots are rumoured to help you see in the dark. I don't know about that but they make nice cake.

These are something of an experiment as the recipe was for a whole cake and so I've faffed about with it somewhat to make cupcakes.

Yes, I know... Carrot leaves look NOTHING like that! Artistic License
I think they call it!

Finally, a use for the fabulous orange disco glitter!
That's one way to get kids to eat veg I guess!

A new take on grow your own

My husband assures me that he likes carrot cake, as long as it's "done right!" He's not home yet - I'll let you know! I ate one and it tasted alright to me...

Laura x

P.s They are in gold foil cases btw. Must work on my photography skills!

Use Your Loaf ...Tin

Last week I decided to deviate from buns, muffins and cup cakes and rustle up a nice sticky ginger cake with lemon icing.

It was delicious and was well received at work and so I rustled up a second and took my convalescent dad a slice.

What it lacks in prettiness, it makes up for in taste!

Mmmm

If anybody wants to have a go, let me know and I'll post the recipe.

Laura x

Cakey Birthday to You...

It's my sisters birthday today (36!!!) and I wanted to try something new for her to take to work. I settled on Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes.  I didn't  taste one (unusual - if I'm baking for public consumption I usually eat one un iced to be sure!) but apparently they were well received.

Buns in Transit

Pretty cakes all in a row

To decorate -  I cut what should've been flowers, but look more like fried eggs thanks to the cutter I used, out of white fondant icing, put a circle of edible glue onto the centres and stuck assorted sprinkles on. The cupcakes were iced in lemon butter cream tinted slightly yellow and a flower was glued to each.

Et voila! If you give these a try, the mixture doesn't look promising but they came out fine - or so the taste panel at Christ Church Primary tell me.

Pat a Cake Video as promised...

Jeff just showed me how to do this so here it is ... Birthday buns for Aunty Pat!

Better late than Never

Sorry for the lack of blog action but I have a good excuse. I've been away to get married which was fantastic and then I started my new job so the cakes have been a little thin on the ground. I do have two lots to show though...

The first I made for my Aunties Sixtieth birthday. I wasn't totally happy with them but will blog them anyway.. Jeff made a video of the making of them but as yet I have no idea how to post that on here. If I ever work that out I'll let you see it!

The second were Jeff's wedding present. Unfortunately they got slightly damaged in transit! I do have boxes to carry them safely but they don't keep them fresh so I risked them in a tin and they got slightly squished.

A work in progress...

I'm such a messy cook!

I can ice 'I love you' no problem at all. It turns out though, I can't ice 'Jeff'!  Oops!!!