Hope you’re all having a wonderful start to 2017! We can be nostalgic looking back at last year, excited thinking of new experiences to come and hopeful for greater peace, love and understanding. And of course I’m not obsessed with cakes, perish the thought (lol), […]
All posts filed under: Cake news and fun
The mojito lemon drizzle loaf, how to paint on a cake and the May cake collection!
Once you start making lemon cakes it’s hard to stop. When people ask what my favourite cake is I say lemon tart, well tarte au citron which is so tangy and fresh you hardly notice the sugar. But lemon drizzle cakes are sublime too and […]
Introducing: a baking picture dictionary!
Preparing for my first baking workshop last weekend in Barcelona gave me the impetus to create a baking dictionary helpful for following recipes in English, especially if you’re not a native speaker. You can of course teach kids with these drawings but adults love doodles […]
Week 55 of cakes and how to make a beach cake – easy! :)
Beach cakes are such happy creations, fun and easier than you’d think using your favourite sponge cake and frosting. Cream cheese frosting works perfectly and there’s a recipe for this and the decor below. Though considering the decorations involve digestive biscuits (aka Graham crackers), blue […]
Weeks 50 – 52 of cakes and a Guinness red velvet cake with maple frosting recipe
Saint Patrick’s Day is around the corner and you don’t want a green cake so you think Guinness. Now you haven’t used it in a cake before but why not? And it’s absolutely amazing … wow! And good for you? More about that later. I’m […]
Week 48 and 49 of cakes, a matcha and vanilla angel cake recipe and pineapple tart taste test!
There’s been a lot to celebrate the last few weeks with pancake day, Chinese lunar new year, Valentine’s day and my first angel food cake with its wonderful texture! Now for a quick run-down of homemade goodies to hopefully inspire you in some way. Chinese […]
Weeks 44 and 45 of cake, healthy stuff and meat! And what’s up with xylitol?!
The new year ushered in a healthier period and a savoury Chinese treat. There were a multitude of buckwheat and nut superfood biscuits (cookies) for me and mum to nibble on between all the naughty Christmas edibles still hanging around. The biscuits were surprisingly tasty […]
Week 43 of cakes, ‘best’ of 2015 and a cake interview – plus happy new year 2016! :)
The festive season’s a great excuse to make cakes with the family and the Passionfruit mousse and pomegranate pavlova with raspberries disappeared in 20 minutes flat. My tentative remarks ‘Shall we save some for later?’ were swept aside with the last crumbs of meringue. Lol. It […]
Week 42 of cakes – a comedy of errors at the Cordon Bleu, the final vote and Xmas recipes
Learning from my baking mishaps during the last week of the Cordon Bleu pâtisserie course, we’ll be looking at what not to do with a croquembouche but first can you spot what’s wrong with my Triomphe de noix? The walnut caramel mousse cake hiccup If […]
Week 41 of cakes with some savoury petits fours – at the Cordon Bleu Paris
Yes, we had a savoury break and discovered the wonder of inverted puff pastry. You make it by hanging it out of the window upside-down. Sorry, I meant by having the butter on the outside of the dough instead of inside as in classic puff […]
Week 40 of cakes and chocolates – at the Cordon Bleu, Paris
A run-down of last week’s cakes and chocolate you can vote for if you’d like to see them up on the blog with adapted and simplified recipes! 🙂 There’s the delicious multi-layered Opera cake with joconde sponge, coffee buttercream and syrup then chocolate ganache and […]
Week 39 of cakes from le Cordon Bleu pâtisserie course in Paris! Please vote! :)
Last week’s cake production was a little crazy, even by my standards! I gave some away to my landlord for his family and friends and to the homeless in the street, who looked happy to be given cake. One started eating a macaron immediately. This […]
Week 37 of cakes and experiments!
Oops, I was so busy in the kitchen I forgot to do this weekly update so it’s a bit late and bursting at the seams with cakes! A bit like me. lol. There were the Chocolate, chestnut mousse and spiced apple verrines. Lovely elements layered […]
Week 36 of cakes plus la Castanyada chestnut plans and Halloween recipe ideas!
First the cake roundup. I’d been deprived of cake-making while my French visitors were here so of course I went crazy in the kitchen after they left. I wonder if I have cakeitis or compulsive bakingitis. Cheesy grin. Ooh and talking about cheese my Goats’ […]
Week 35 of cakes, some apple recipes and ‘wild’ boars in the mountains!
Last week Halloween and Christmas collided in the kitchen. Preparing for my French cousin’s visit I rustled up spelt croissants, superfood bread, a torta di verdura and a second batch of sweet potato, cranberry and walnut cupcakes. The adults and children who’ve helped test them […]
