Chocolate Overload!

A work colleague recently asked if I would bake him a cake for his 40th Birthday as he was having a bit of a shin dig.  The brief?  A chocolate cake but with no milk.  My reply?  No problemo!

And here is the chocolate lovers dream...

Anyone for more chocolate?

Birthday's, Cake, BBQ's and Dresses

This weekend I was luckily enough to have my parents over from Lincoln and my Bridesmaids over from London and Dublin so we could go wedding dress shopping.  It's all very excinting and feels like I'm watching someone else try dresses on.  Perhaps because shopping for a dress for your big day is something you only plan to do once and don't do until you are actually planning your wedding it all feels quite surreal.

So after a long day putting dresses on and taking them off countless times we went back to my house and stood in the cold breeze of my garden and had a little BBQ.

We also wished my mum a happy Birthday for next week and had a great time eating the cake I made for her.

Making this cake was exciting for me as for her last Birthday I baked and decorated my very first cake.  It was the cake that got me hooked on baking and my 17th in a year.

Happy Birthday mum xx

90th Birthday Cakes

Kelly, one of my closest friends, turned 30 a few weeks ago and was having a joint party with her dad who will be 60 later in the year.

Kelly loves pink, pink and more pink and her dad loves nothing more than to spend his free time camping, so with this in mind I promised to make them both cakes to celebrate their 90th Birthday!

Friends turning 30

My gorgeous friend Jen turned 30 yesterday so to help her celebrate I made her some Jar Cakes and a cute vanilla sponge birthday cake.  Jen loves all things vintage so I tried to capture a little of that style in her cake.

Happy Birthday Jen! x

Jar Cakes

I can't remember how or where I heard about Jar cakes, but when I did I was itching to make some of my own.  Of course I had to wait until I had some empty jars (thanks for those mum!), but once I had some, I set to and made some for my friend Jenny's 30th Birthday. 

Jen and the rest of my friends loved them and I loved making and decorating them.  It's something a little different to the ever popular cupcake!

De-flippin'-lish!

Fondant Friends... Continued

A friend from work asked if I could make her sister and brother in-law out of fondant icing so she could give them as Christmas gifts.  When I took them in and handed them over she was over the moon...

I could tell that she was desperate for a model herself but could see that she didn't want to ask, so as a little Christmas suprise from me to her, I made a little model of her too!

Pop-tash-tic!

It's time for more Cake Pops made by yours truly!

Nom nom nom...

Milk Chocolate Coated Chocolate Truffle Moustache Cake Pop

Milk Chocolate Coated Chocolate Truffle Cake Pop

White Chocolate Coated Chocolate Truffle with Edible Rose Petals

White Chocolate Coated Chocolate Truffle with Breton Pancake Flakes

 White Chocolate Coated Chocolate Truffle with Edible Rose Petals 

 White Chocolate Coated Chocolate Truffle with Edible Lavender Petals

Fondant Friends

After seeing my little fondant people on my Christmas cake this year, a friend from work asked if I could make her sister and brother in law for her to give as Christmas gifts. 

So here are Lorna and Dave...

Festive Fun Christmas Cake 2011

After modelling myself and my man, tonight I completed our model family by making our beautiful Miniature Schnauzer Dusty out of fondant.

Add a few trees and penguins playing in the snow...

... and 'voila'... one fun and festive Christmas cake

 

Perfect for Christmas day!

Eskimo? ...Eskime!

I'm currently working on my Christmas cake and I'm really excited about it!

As part of the decoration I've myself and my man into fondant eskimo's!

I think someone should put their hood up before they get cold!

Dummy Cake Icing Fun

Dove of Peace

Creating icing run outs can be a challenge. 

Contending with a wobbly hand or table, taking great care not to knock or touch it while it's setting and then having to wait days to see if it will dry out fully is frustrating but when it works, the results can be lovely and are perfect for putting on a cake...

...or your Christmas tree...

Christmas Cakes Are Coming

Christmas is just around the corner now (hasn't it come around quickly?!) and I've made two cakes so far with one more to squeeze in before the big guy comes-a-knocking... or sliding down the chimney.

For the first cake I made a spray of sugar paste flowers and leaves and for the second some pretty poinsettia flowers.

Happy Christmas Cupcakes Everyone!

I plan (as always) to be organised and prepare for Christmas early this year.  So far it's all going well...

August... Started Christmas Shopping
September... Added a few Christmas songs to my MP3 Player
October... Baked the Christmas Cake

Too early?  NEVER!

With the shops starting to stock crackers, mince pies and decorations, I figure, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

So yesterday, after soaking my fruit for 24 hours in Brandy, I set to and made my Christmas cake using a recipe I was given by my mum's friend Peggy.

The Christmas songs and the sweet smell of fruit cake and spices filled the air yesterday as I mixed and baked with a jolly big smile on my face.  (As always I should have been doing housework, but a cake's just not going to bake itself right?!)

So as I filled my tin with the gorgeous mixture, I ran into a problem.... There was too much for the tin to take.  What's a girl to do?!  Well I'll tell you.  I whipped out my cupcake tin, lined it with cases and filled.

After baking, I pricked them all with a toothpick and fed them more Brandy till I thought they would stagger away in a drunken mess!

Just like any good Christmas cake, I topped them all with circles od marzipan and then covered in white, green and red fondant icing.

So while my main Christmas cake cooked away in the oven, filling the house with even more Christmas cheer, I decorated my new little Christmas fruit cupakes.

Merry Cupcakes Everyone!!