Sarah's Cupcake

Its was my colleague Sarah's 30th birthday last monday so i made her this girly giant cupcake. The colour hasn't come out so well on these photos but the buttercream lcing was a nice pale lilac colour with some lilac pearlescent sprinkles over it. I also used pastel sprinkle and silver dragees.

More Cupcakes

Phew, I made three more batches of the golden syrup cupcakes last night, as they got a very good reception when i took some to work last week. I've decorated this lot slightly differently:

With some silver balls and pink, orange and white stars. I didn't learn from last time and ended up finishing off the buttercream then feeling a wee bit sickly afterwards. I took a batch into the salon when i got my nails done, where my cupcakes are always highly appreciated, and the consensus there seemed to be that these were my best yet out of the selection I've brought them in the past.

Golden Delicious

I do love golden syrup- it looks like its made out of sunshine and it appears to obey its own laws of physics. So what better than Golden Syrup cupcakes?

I came across this recipe on facebook- its on the Tate and Lyle website and you can find it here. I had one of those wonderful moments in baking- The moment i took the cupcakes out of the oven i knew i had timed it just right and they were spot on, so i was feeling quite smug.

They had risen nicely, were a lovely golden brown, and they all seemed to be a nice size. So i added the buttercream (which was absolutely delicious - i made myself feel quite ill by eating the leftovers) and a couple of sprinkles and they look absolutely fab i think, although the colour scheme of the yellow buttercream and white, blue, and green sprinkles doesn't really go with the cases. I haven't actually tried one yet as they are all waiting to be taken to work where they will no doubt undergo rigorous testing by my colleagues- I'll let you know the responses, and in the meantime, why not give them a go?

 

a not-very-carroty birthday carrot cake

So its my birthday tomorrow. (21st birthday of course) so I have spent the day baking and bentoing. My carrot cakes are assuming legendary status so I thought I'd make a couple so I can take one into work tomorrow and the Hubs can take one into his work. But didn't I have to forget the shopping list when we went shopping last night? I managed to remember everything I needed, except for yellow sugarpaste, so I have been unable to make little carrots to put on the top. I don't think a carrot cake is a carrot cake without little sugarpaste carrots, so I'm calling this a not-so-carroty carrot cake.

blingbling cake

I was asked by a family member who had seen the Flower bouquet cake that I had made to bake a cake for her daughter's 40th birthday. She thought she'd like something 'blingy' with her name on, so i thought, what is more blingy than sparkly jewellery?

I decided to do a 'Carrie' style name necklace with other bits of jewellery. And I've draped some emerald green sugarpaste on the cake as well,  as that is her favourite colour. I used some fab little sugar diamonds that I have been dying to buy from the cake shop- this gave me the perfect excuse.

Lets hope she likes it. I have reservations about it as it was a hot day today and the buttercream in the middle melted a bit so i couldn't get a nice smooth finish on the sugarpaste :( hopefully the shiny silver bits will do enough to distract from the lopsided nature of it.

Cupcakes!

I was going to get my nails done yesterday, and as my appointment was in the afternoon I whipped up a batch of cupcakes to take into the salon for the staff. I didn't have many ingredients left in the house so i made it up as i went along, but i think they turned out quite nice and spring like. anyway, there was only one left by the time my nails were finished so they must have gone down well

Bouquet Cake

Presenting the bouquet cake I've been working for a few days for my Grandma's 80th birthday. We're going up to Dene House Farm, in the wilds of Northumbria for a lovely meal and a game of pitch and putt, although i'm not so sure my grandma will be impressed by that bit.

Dene House Farm is owned by my friend Monica's family- they have holiday cottages, a gym, swimming pool, and now a lovely little restaurant that does the most amazing food- highly recommended to anyone from the area, and fully worth going a bit out of the way for. Another star attraction is Nellie, the gorgeous old sheepdog who wanders about the farm and has the most beautiful calm nature.

Here's hoping its going to be a nice day!

Honeybee Cake

I've made this honey cake today as I was feeling quite spring-like. I've never quite got the hang of glace icing though- I either make it too runny or too thick. I rather like when the icing is just artily dripping down the sides of the cake but i never quite manage it:( I think my little bees are quite cute though