Prepare yourself for a shock. This is a no-recipe post (oh no!) but here’s a photo of a delicious British classic: the Coffee and Walnut Sponge. I love it and so does most of my family, especially my sister-in-law, who will invariably put in a request for this cake when I visit them in Birmingham. Happy to oblige (and eat).

But why just a photo? Where’s the recipe, you ask? Very sorry, will post it soon. Special circumstances I’m afraid. No, I’m not on a top secret mission for the government,  I’m on a blogging course (hello fellow 101 bloggers!) and my first assignment is an intro. So here goes:

Lili’s cakes is about sharing a passion for making, eating and looking at cakes. I hope to include recipes, tips, cake stories, reviews and some pretty photos to make your mouth water. Even if you don’t plan to make cakes you might enjoy this blog! 🙂

I’m British, though I’ve lived all over the world, currently in Barcelona. I love French patisserie (and my French mum) but I also enjoy discovering and trying cakes from all around the world. And mixing it up to develop some fusion cakes, which is why I like the idea of ‘World Patisserie’ or ‘cakes sans frontières´.

I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘professional baker’ but I’m trying to create professional-looking, classic or interesting stuff.  Not with all the sculpted fondant icing, but with different textures and layers.  I’ve done the basic course with the Cordon Bleu in Paris and spent many years making and eating cakes (it’s a dirty job but someone has to do it) but there’s still so much to learn and perfect. I share my cakes and some are loved more than others – who hasn’t had a baking disaster?  Reaching out with a blog beyond a circle of family and friends is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Posting recipes opens you up to more objective criticism, which is good. Patisserie is about passion and the constant desire to explore and improve on your creations.

So I could call this blog Lili’s Cake Adventures. It’s an adventure not only into the world of cakes, but also into blogging, food photography and healthy living, three things I started working on in December 2014.   Food doesn’t usually move, but it’s hard to photograph well!  As for healthy living, well you might need a sugar-free cake now and then.

Your body will thank you and feel better but then you’ll be dying for some really rich and decadent cake, so why not enjoy an occasional slice of heaven?

Yes, I’m trying to balance this blog like my cakes, alternating healthy and naughty stuff. And slowly joining an online community, to share recipes and experiences.

So welcome to this space! Let me know what your favourite cake in the world is. Is there a special cake from your country that I should try?