A good chocolate cake is one of lifes little pleasures that nobody should go without. This is one of the reasons I really wanted to have a go at making one that tastes delicious but is also gluten free. I have some great recipes for moist and fudgy chocolate cakes but instead of using one of these and trying to make it gluten free I decided...
It's that time of year again and I've been looking forward to getting in the kitchen and baking some halloween themed goodies. I haven't made cupcakes in a while so I decided on baking these, plus some tombstone shaped shortbread. Earlier on in the year I bought a book called Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas, owners of the...
I have always loved the smell of fresh coffee and coffee flavoured things but it wasn't until I was 18 that I actually started drinking the stuff. A iced vanilla latte from starbucks at university was my first coffee experience and the beginning of my love for it! I'm not a fan of tea so for me, coffee and cake is a perfect combination. My mum often...
One of my work collegues asked me if I could make a cake for her partner's birthday this year and of course I very happily accepted. My first step to designing the cake is to find out the interests of the person who will be receiving it. So...I asked... "Kelly, what kind of things does your partner like?" "He likes going to the...
I have a great recipe for an american carrot cake from Leith's Baking Bible which I have made a few times and always goes down well. However, I thought I'd experiment a little this time and make a gluten free version. From what I have read about gluten free baking, cakes made without wheat need a little more liquid in the mixture and...
For the past couple of months I have been watching The Great British Bake Off, a series by the BBC which tested the baking skills of ten home bakers from around the UK to see who would win the title of the best amateur baker. The competition was judged by Paul Hollywood, a famous baker, and Mary Berry, a well known baking writer. The contestents travelled...
I can't say I've never attempted making gluten free products, as I have made florentines and macaroons before which both naturally contain no gluten. However, I have never actually had a go at baking with gluten free flour. This all changed when me and my mum were chatting over coffee about the increasing market for 'free from' products made for special diets. My...
Chocolate marshmallow teacakes have been on my baking wishlist for a while now. I guess I have unconsciously been putting off making them because I thought it would be quite tricky, especially as I've never made marshmallow before. Me and my sister Helen love the Tunnocks teacakes you can buy in the supermarkets and they are something my mum often ate throughout her childhood so...
My Dad is has always quite liked the Flintstones, especially Fred, and I guess they are kind of similar in a funny and immature way! He even once dressed up as Fred for a fancy dress party and my mum joined him as Wilma- they certainly looked the part! To celebrate his birthday this year, I made a Fred Flinstone plaque out of icing to go on his cake. I...
I've made banoffee pie, banoffee cheesecake and banoffee ice cream before so I thought, why not try making a banoffee cake? I actually made this for a friends birthday, as she once told me how much she likes banana cake. Banana cake on its own would have been a bit boring for a birthday cake, so I filled it with cream cheese icing...
I love it when someones birthday comes around. It's so lovely to give somebody you love a gift that you have made and decorated yourself, especially when you see the delight and surprise on their face. This month, it was my boss's birthday, and as I have made her a cake for both her two previous birthdays, I thought I better live up to...
Brioche is one of my favourite enriched breads. I never realised how good it is until I actually tasted some real french brioche myself in France. I have not delved much into the world of bread making- my last attempt was back at Easter time when I tried to have a go at making my own hot cross buns. Unfortunately, due to the cold weather, the dough failed to...
Whenever we have a box of cornflakes in the cereal cupboard, I always get a strange urge to bake something using them. I guess I do have a very fond liking of homemade cornflake cakes so I am always tempted to make a batch of these. However, they tend to go stale after a day which would mean I would have to eat...
Superman Vanilla Cupcakes & Victoria Sandwich My sister Helen planned an amazing surprise party for her boyfriend's 21st this year and I offered to take care of the desserts and of course, his cake. He is a huge fan of superman (mainly the whole 'look' not the actual television programme!) so she decided to have this as a theme. After discussing plans with...
