Vacherin glacé is a classic French frozen entremets traditionally combining layers of meringue, vanilla ice-cream and strawberry or raspberry sorbet, all covered in whipped cream. Later I’ll tell you more about vacherins, the pâtisserie where we first tried one and how I almost became an […]
Earl Grey tangy travelling loaf (Earl grey tea and lemon loaf cake recipe) and who is Earl Grey?
The magic flavour in Earl Grey tea is bergamot, a citrus fruit with a delicate aroma. Earl Grey’s identity and the origins of the tea will be revealed later but first the cake. Having used bergamot in baking before I was curious to try Earl […]
Easy raspberry sorbet recipe and the importance of frozen desserts in France and the USA!
It’s hot and humid here in Barcelona. Really it’s a wonder anyone can bake so it’s time to make delicious ice-cold sorbets. Hurray! And it’s all in preparation for a traditional French mystery frozen cake, which I’ll reveal to you in a few days depending […]
Dreams of Florence, caramel-raspberry dome cakes recipe
These domes of creamy caramel mousse are filled with fresh raspberry jelly inserts and covered in a light caramel glaze. They float on bases of crumbly sablé breton, Brittany salted butter shortbread. Fragments of homemade pralines, caramelized almonds, stud the sides like crunchy jewels. My […]
Healthier sablés or palets bretons recipe (Brittany salted butter shortbread biscuits/cookies)
You can use plain white flour and sugar but the versions with spelt or buckwheat flour, sweetened with light brown sugar or panela (rapadura) unrefined whole cane sugar are also delicious. These are the typical crumbly biscuits from Brittany made with salted butter. They can […]
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 […]
Lemon drizzle and raspberry layer cake with easy marshmallow fondant and lemon curd – for a birthday! :)
It’s that time of year when I make my own birthday cake and the inspiration was Nadiya’s lemon drizzle cake, the one that helped her win the Great British Bake Off final. It was totally worth making. My birthday fell on a Monday this year […]
Easy nutella cheesecake recipe – nutellicious! :)
It’s Nigella’s recipe and I’m sharing this amazing discovery with you because it’s so delicious I think everyone should try it once in their lifetime. Lol. Seriously, I was talking with some work colleagues and they professed such love for this cheesecake I felt I […]
Easy almond pralines, pralín and praliné recipe, the top 10 and a feedback request
I used to be scared of pralines or anything caramel. In Paris I wanted to buy jars of praliné paste to take home to Barcelona. But I couldn’t – the suitcase was too full of other baking stuff. And that’s how I learnt it’s surprisingly […]
Ginger and lime marshmallow cloud tarts recipe for Spring and the April cake collection
These tarts look and taste like Spring. There’s a lovely balance of flavours between the ginger, lime and mint encased in beautifully tasty gluten-free buckwheat pastry. Even traditionalists might not miss the meringue topping once they enjoy that unmistakeable soft springy texture of fluffy marshmallows. […]
Torta pasqualina, Italian Easter pie recipe with quark and quail’s eggs!
The first time I spotted a version of this Italian savoury treat was around 20 years ago in Peru, strangely enough. Mum and myself, we were spending a few days in Lima before going on to Machupicchu. Anyway we found this delightful spinach and chard […]
Red bean dumplings in ginger broth – an easy gluten-free recipe!
Do you love fresh ginger and light refreshing desserts? Can you get your hands on a can of sweetened red bean paste and some glutinous rice flour from the local Chinese store? That’s all you need to make these amazingly delicious gluten-free red bean dumplings […]
Masala chai, raspberry and pistachio layer cake recipe, the history of a cup of chai and why it’s good for you! :)
First of all don’t ask for Chai Tea Latte because you’ll be saying Tea Tea Latte so people could think you’ve already had too much caffeine and refuse to serve you. Ho ho. Yes, Chai means ‘tea’, originating from the Chinese word for it 茶 chá […]
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 […]
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 […]
lili's cakes 