I've been back in the kitchen again (although did I ever leave?) baking some sweet goodies as one likes to do at this time of year. Last year I took some classic recipes and jazzed them up with a Halloween twist- remember my haunted gingerbread house? This year I began by trying something new and tried a new twist on the famous Battenberg cake by making a chocolate orange version.

I discovered how well chocolate and marzipan go together when I once covered a chocolate cake in marzipan rather than icing. I don't know what it is but I just love the combination of the two flavours. As a fan of chocolate orange (it's not Terry's, it's mine) I added orange zest to half of my cake mixture and melted dark chocolate to the other to create that two-toned chequered pattern that the Battenberg traditionally has. I thought the dark brown and orange colours would fit in quite nicely with my Halloween theme, but I also decorated my cake with mini pumpkin faces that I made from coloured sugar paste just to finish it off!


Although I'm sure many of you would rather just stick with the traditional pink 'n' yellow chequered cake, I love this version and I now have more ideas for other flavour combinations I can't wait to try!


Okay, so now back to some classic everyday bakes- cupcakes and biscuits. Both are very easy to make and the possibilities for different decorations one can do are endless! This makes them perfect for when you want to create something yummy for a particular occasion.

I made a batch of my all-butter vanilla biscuits, cut out in Halloween shapes, which I then iced with royal icing in appropriate colours and designs- simple but effective!


Now I made cupcakes last Halloween and I thought I better not do the same decoration (I wouldn't want to bore you all now) so I had a little think and came up with these!


They did involve little more work but I think I prefer this years cupcakes more than the last, although they may turn your tongue purpley green....nice!


Happy Halloween everybody!