Ten

On Tuesday of this week Lily turned 10. A whole decade. To celebrate reaching double-figures I laid on an after-school afternoon tea for her and six close friends. It was relaxed, fun and I hope memorable. Celebrating such moments in life is time well spent in my book.

So I set to work making tiny cheese & cucumber rolls, filling pretty striped paper cups with chipsticks, baking sausage rolls and filling cocktail sized vol au vents. Then there were mini strawberry & cream meringues, individual coconut & cherry loaf cakes, mini chocolate cakes, mini orange & almond cakes and paper cups filled with lemon cupcake popcorn, berries and chocolate discs and to top it all off a 'fox' birthday cake.

It's the decorations and tableware that also make a gathering an occasion and, in this case, turn one of the most special days of the year into one of the prettiest. All the decorations and tableware in this shoot are from My Little Day, a French online boutique that sell all the kit required to host the most beautiful children's birthday parties. From bunting, confetti-filled balloons and tassel garlands to paper plates, cups, straws and napkins in contemporary patterns. I even made party bags using the paper bags and mini paper rosettes  - they were the icing on the cake.

Red Grapefruit-Syrup Loaf Cake

Today I am sharing this recipe for a Red Grapefruit-Syrup Loaf Cake. Although a visually plain cake, it hits-the-spot on the flavour front perfectly: buttery, melt-in-the-mouth sponge with a fresh citrus zing. Perfect when enjoyed with a warming mug of tea.

Red Grapefruit-Syrup Loaf Cake

Serves 8 - 10

125g soft unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

2 large eggs

zest of 1/2 a red grapefruit

175g self-raising flour

Pinch of salt

4 tbsp milk

juice of 1 red grapefruit

100g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4, and butter and line a 450g loaf tin well, ensuring that the lining comes up a good centimetre or so above the top of the tin.

Cream together the butter and sugar, and add the eggs and grapefruit zest, beating them in well. Add the flour and salt, folding in gently but thoroughly, and then the milk. Spoon into the prepared tin and put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until golden, risen in the middle and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, get on with the syrup. Put the grapefruit juice and icing sugar into a small pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Once the cake is done, remove from the oven and puncture the top all over with the cake tester. Pour over the syrup, trying to let the middle absorb it as well as the sides. Leave the cake to soak up the syrup and cool completely before removing from the tin.

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's lemon-syrup loaf cake.

My Pop Up Tearoom for Macmillan Cancer Care {Year Three}

 

On Friday morning I held my annual 'cake spread' for Macmillan Cancer Care. It was my third year and looks set to be the biggest one yet, with £360 raised so far (a few more donations are still to come). As with every year, I had no time to photograph everything properly. These snaps were taken without much care five minutes before my first customer arrived, but it serves as a record of sorts.

This year the offerings were as follows: Lemon Meringue Roulade with Fruits of the Forest Coulis; Blueberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting; Lavender & Apricot Biscuits; Orange & Almond Cake; Chocolate Stout Cake with Whisky Frosting and Figs; Blackberry, Almond & Cardamom Cake and Chocolate Brownies.

a BIG thank you to all of you who came. X

The Simple Things

We've just come back from the most amazing family holiday in Finland. I've lots to share with you about our time there, so watch this space.

In the meantime, I wanted to share my first official / credible / national piece of Buttercup Days press. My Blackberry, Almond & Cardamon Cake photograph is featured in the new (September) issue of The Simple Things magazine. The Simple Things is one of my favourite monthly reads. It never finds its way to my recycling bins; back issues live on my bookshelf as I like to dip into them from time to time.

I was bowled over when they contacted me to ask if they could use one of my food photographs from this blog to illustrate a recipe and as if that wasn't a big enough scoop for me they also asked if I would like to feature in their regular 'My day in cups of tea' feature - the pictures used in that article are mine too. 

Seeing this new issue the day I reluctantly flew back from our holiday certainly made returning home a little easier.

Thanks, The Simple Things - you've made my month.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake | Finland

We are currently in the middle of a courgette glut. They've been roasted, grilled, stir fried and grated into salads. The kids are on summer holidays and that means that I am constantly being asked for food, so I baked (not for the first time) this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake. I like it served as a pudding too; perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some strawberries. I like to think, that for a cake, it's a little bit virtuous.

The recipe comes from my now sticky and page-splattered copy of The Kinfolk Table: Recipes for Small Gatherings. Below is the original recipes, which I have followed with much success, however I have more recently made the tiniest of tweaks by grating the courgette rather than chopping it. It disguises the healthy bit from little eyes. If you do go down this road, grate the courgette into a clean tea towel and ring out any water before adding. The recipe makes a big cake - perfect for a crowd. But if you have no crowd to feed, just split the mixture between two tins and make two smaller cakes. On this occasion, I wrapped up the second one for my cake-loving neighbour and made his day, but it can also be frozen.

We're off on our summer holidays at the weekend. Our destination of choice this year, Finland, may not be the most typical place for a summer break, but we can't wait! We're going to be staying in a friend's family summer house just outside Helsinki. With pine trees and a lake as neighbours it should be the restful break we all need. When we want to see a bit of life, just 30 mins in the car takes us to Helsinki - we have loads of places we want to visit and things we want to experience and, of course, there could well be a couple of blog posts born there too. 

Chocolate Chip Zuchini Cake

355g plain flour

20g natural cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ ground cinnamon

½ ground clove

115g butter or margarine, at room temperature

120ml vegetable oil

12 oz caster sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

120ml buttermilk

1tsp vanilla extract

340g zucchini / courgette finely diced (or grated)

170g chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 160℃ / 325℉. Grease the inside of a 33 x 23 cm baking pan and line the base with baking paper.

Combine the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter or margarine, oil and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on a medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until just combined.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, add half of the flour mixture, and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat for 5 more seconds.

Stir in the zucchini and half the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Serve will a dollop of good vanilla ice cream.

A Blueberry Cake {and some new napkins}

I made this Blueberry Cake for the little local cafe that I supply on an adhoc basis. They requested
something summery and fruity, which is exactly what this cake is. You could easily replace the blueberries with other berries of your choice; raspberries would be a nice alternative.

You see those napkins in I used in the shot? Well, they were the result of a sewing challenge I recently undertook for Ikea. They sent me a sewing machine with all the basic kit and challenged me to produce a set of napkins using one of their new (free) in-store craft patterns. Once I'd selected my fabric (also Ikea), I set to work and just under 90 minutes later I had a brand spanking new set of six napkins. You can follow my challenge and read more about Ikea's free craft patterns over at Heart Home.

Blueberry Cake

175g soft butter

175g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

142ml carton soured cream

3 x 125g punnet of blueberries

200g tub Philadelphia cheese

100g icing sugar 

Preheat the oven to fan160C/ conventional 180C/GM 4 and butter and line the base of a loose-based 22cm round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Put the butter, sugar, eggs,flour, baking powder and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, or with a hand electric beater for 1-2 minutes, until lighter in colour and well mixed. Beat in 4 tbsp soured cream, then stir in half the blueberries with a large spoon.

Tip the mixture into the tin and spread it level. Bake for 50 minutes until it is risen, feels firm to the touch and springs back when lightly pressed. Cool for 10 minutes, then take out of the tin and peel off the paper or lining. Leave to finish cooling on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, beat the soft cheese with the icing sugar and the remaining soured cream in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Spread over the top of the cooled cake (don’t be impatient as the frosting will melt if the cake is too warm) and scatter with the remaining blueberries or a mix of blueberries and other seasonal berries. Tip: If you want the icing a little thicker, let the frosting in the fridge for a while.

Orange & Almond Cake {again}

Yesterday evening I baked a couple of Orange & Almond cakes for The Hive, and taking advantage of the early morning light, I took a few pre-breakfast shots before delivering the cakes. I can almost make this cake with my eyes shut, I've made it so often. I actually featured it here on the blog three years ago (three years!!!). With a new image and the fact that this recipe really has withstood the test of time, I am cheekily (or lazingly) repeating it for those who it may have bypassed the first time around.

Orange & Almond Cake.

Makes 12 slices

6 medium free-range eggs

300g golden caster sugar

200g ground almonds 

1 large orange

2 tbs water

Grease and line a 25cm loose-bottomed cake tin. Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas2.

Separate 3 of the eggs, putting the whites aside in a mixing bowl. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining whole eggs in a large bowl.

Add 200g of the caster sugar and all of the ground almonds and mix thoroughly. Grate the zest of the orange and add this too, keeping the rest of the orange for later.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Using a slotted metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the thick cake mix, a spoonful at a time. Be careful not to knock the air out of the whites.

Now pour this foamy cake mix into the lined tin and place in the oven for 35 - 60 minutes. The cake is ready when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Keep your eye on it and if it starts to brown to much, cover the top with foil.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin and make the syrup. Put the remaining 100g of sugar in small saucepan and add the juice from the orange and a few tablespoons of water. Place this on a really low heat in order to dissolve the sugar and slightly reduce the syrup. Using a toothpick, plant holes all over the cake and pour over the syrup. Allow the cake to cool and absorb the syrup before removing it from the tin.

Delicious served with a dollop of Crème fraîche and eaten in the sunshine.

Carrot, Pistachio & Coconut Cake

A while ago now I decided to dispose of my towering pile of cookery magazine. It was getting out of hand. I did however go through them before putting them out for recycling to tear out any recipe that were favourites or ones I had never made, yet still wanted to. I now have a small box of these random recipes of which this one falls into the category of 'never made but wanted to'. 

On Sunday we had a family lunch to celebrate Arthur's birthday and I made this cake for pudding. In fact I made it last week and popped it in the freezer, defrosting it the day before I needed it. It was delicious and I will be making it again very soon. It lends itself to summer really well and it light, tasty and with the specks of pistachio, carrot and dried rose petals, very pretty too. 

Carrot, Pistachio & Coconut Cake

Serves 8 - 10

3 large eggs

200g golden caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

200g ground almonds

100g desiccated coconut

2 tsp ground cinnamon

140g unsalted butter, melted

2 large carrots, coarsely grated

100g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

icing sugar, for dusting

dried rose petals and ground pistachios (optional)

To Serve:

300ml double cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

a few drops of rose water

Heat oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas 3. Line the base and sides of a 24cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together. Add the ground almonds, coconut and cinnamon, and stir before adding the butter. Mix throughly, add the grated carrots and pistachios, then mix again until all ingredients are evenly combined. Pour the mixture into your cake tin and bake for 1 hr, checking at 40 mins to ensure it's cooking evenly.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 4 hrs (or overnight) before turning out the cake onto a plate. 

Dust with a little icing sugar, then scatter with dried rose petals and pistachios, if desired. Just before serving, tip the cream, icing sugar and rose water into a bowl and whisk to soft peaks. Serve a dollop of cream alongside each slice of cake.

This cake will keep for up to one week, if covered with cling film - though the chances of it still being around for that long are slim.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

When I was a child my uncle and aunt ran a guest house in Margate. The family would convene there a couple of times a year: with thirteen bedrooms there was room for everyone. I have lots of memories; the (always) blustery wind, the great expanse of beach that we'd cross the road to be on, the polka-dot melamine beakers in by the washbasin in each room, the Spanish flamenco dolls on the dressing tables (it was the 1970's), the chaise lounge in the hallway and the smell of salty air. My cousin and I spend our time putting on plays for our families, using our younger siblings as stooges (the ugly sisters in Cinderella springs to mind) and there would be games of rounders on the beach (never my forte).

Through my child eyes it was a super colossal abode, but looking back I've no idea how my aunt prepared all those meals for her guests in what was a tiny kitchen in comparison to the rest of the house. But she of course managed. My one outstanding memory of what came out of that kitchen was a batch of Chocolate Caramel Shortbread. I'm not sure but it could have been the first time I had eaten them. These days it seems to be called Millionaires Shortbread: a name given to it for the rich ingredients I suspect rather than the decadence lifestyle of those who eat it. Though to my younger self I would have no doubt believed that this chocolatey, caramelly, buttery treat was the food of people who lived in 13 bedroomed houses.

It was to this recipe, which hails from an old cookbook of my mums, that I turned to recently when looking for indulgent treats to bake for Lily's birthday. It's an original recipe of its time - no updating with salted caramel - just a nostalgic sugary treat that has an air of opulence.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Makes 16 squares

125g butter

50g sugar

175g plain flour, sifted

Caramel Filling:

125g butter

50g caster sugar

2 tbsp golden syrup

150ml condensed milk

Chocolate Topping:

125g plain chocolate

15g butter

Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉, Gas Mark 4 and grease a shallow 20cm square tin, lining the base with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour and stir until the mixture binds together. Knead until smooth. Roll out to a square and press evenly into the tin and prick well. Bake for 25 - 30 mins and cool in the tin.

Place the filling ingredients in a saucepan and stir until dissolved. Bring slowly to the boil, then cook stirring, for 5 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly, then spread over the biscuit mixture and leave to set.

For the topping, melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Spread over the caramel and leave to set before cutting into 16 squares with a sharp knife.

A Weekly Bake + English Apple & Cinnamon Cake

 

I'm rather chuffed at the moment. I've been contacted by a new cafe that is to open in a local park here in Hove and they've asked me to make some cakes for them. Now, people often ask why I don't sell my cakes. The initial idea brings about all kinds of romantic notions, but having given it some realistic thought I'm not sure I would just want to produce sponges day in, day out - that could become dull. I love baking when I'm preparing something for my family or friends - that is something altogether different.

However, I went along and meet one of the cafe owners for a chat with an open mind, and I'm glad I did. Knowing my other commitments they have asked if maybe a couple of cakes a week would be manageable. Yes, I believe it would. But the best bit is that they have given me complete creative freedom to bake whatever cakes I like. I can bake my favourite tried and tested recipes as well as delving into my stockpile of new recipes I'm longing to try. Far to good an opportunity to turn down. What's more with regular baking comes regular blog posts. A win-win situation.

The cafe is due to open sometime in a few weeks time, but the owners are doing a promotional prelaunch pop-up this weekend. Due to the basic set up of the pop-up, my first couple of bakes had to be a cake with a bit of stability, the kind of thing you can eat holding in a napkin, rather than on a plate with a fork. You can't launch a cafe without a good chocolate cake so I made this Easy Chocolate Cake and as an alternative, this Apple & Cinnamon Cake.

English Apple & Cinnamon Cake (pictured with the pink rose decorations)

300g self-raising flour

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

250g demerara sugar

125g butter, melted

2 large eggs, beaten

175ml milk

250g English apples, peeled, cored and chopped

icing sugar for dredging

Preheat the oven to 180℃ / 350℉ / Gas Mark 4

Grease and line the base of a 23cm circular cake tin. 

Sift the flour, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Mix in the melted butter, eggs and milk, followed by the apple. Beat until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 mins, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and it is golden.

Place on a wire rack to cool, before removing the cake and dredging with icing sugar.

My Pop-up Tearoom for Macmillan Cancer Support

On Friday morning I transformed my living room into a pop-up tearoom for two hours to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. I was slightly nervous as to if many people would turn up, but I needn't of worried. I don't think my living room has ever had so many people in it at once. Neighbours, friends, parents from Lily's old school and parents from Lily and Arthur's new school all came and enjoyed homemade cake and tea, and best of all, they all donated so very generously. 

It is hard work preparing and holding this little event; I make all the cakes myself (I even made the tablecloth!), but the support from everyone makes it so worth the effort. This year I made £355.00 (£120 more than last year). The power of cake eh!

Photos: Buttercup Days

Those Chocolate Swirl Meringues That We Ate On The Beach.

It now seems an age away, but less than a month ago, some friends came to visit for the day. It was their annual summer trip down to seaside: they still live where we used to live in Middlesex. With five children between us we headed to the beach in the afternoon. I bought each of our child guests buckets and spades and made an afternoon tea picnic to enjoy before paddling in the sea. I took along a Blackberry, Almond & Cardamom Cake and these Chocolate Swirl Meringues, for which my friend Reena requested the recipe. So Reena, here as promised is that recipe. It's one to do of an evening when your gorgeous children are tucked up snuggly in bed and you feel like a bit of pottering about in the kitchen. 

Chocolate Swirl Meringues

100g good quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped or broken

3 large egg whites

150g caster sugar

cocoa powder, to serve

Makes approx 12

Preheat the oven to 150℃ / 130℃ fan / gas mark 2 and line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment.

Heat the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously, until all the sugar has been incorporated and the mixture is very stiff and glossy. Drizzle the cooled melted chocolate over the meringue and use a metal spoon to fold it gently through to create a marbled effect with bold chocolate streaks running through the mix.

Carefully place spoonfuls of meringue in 12 large dollops on the baking trays, making billowing peaks on each one with the back of a spoon.

Put the tray in the oven and cook the meringues for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave them to cool and dry in the oven overnight.

To serve, pile haphazardly on a large plate or decorative dish and dust with a little cocoa powder.

Recipe: Bill's Cookbook: Cook Eat Smile.
Photography: Buttercup Days

That Week in September + Naked Cakes

September is a crazy month for us. It starts with a new school year (or in this years' case - new schools), it's the busiest month of our business year and at the end of the month I will be hosting a pop-up tearoom at home as part of Macmillan Cancer Support's 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning'.

The kid's have been settling in well at school, particularly Lily. Arthur is mostly taking it in his stride, but is coming home (at lunchtime!) exhausted. He is due to start full-days after next week - I'm unsure if he is ready for it. We have the option to keep him part-time till after Christmas, so we'll see how he goes next week and decide.

Next week David and I are off to London to play our part in the London Design Festival. As last year, we will relocate our press office to Tent London. This years show, along with its sister show Super Brands London, looks set to be an must-see design event. My three-part review from last year can be found here, here and here, if you want to get a flavour of it. It's well worth a visit.

My parents will be coming to stay and look after the kids, ferrying them to and from school and taking in swimming lessons and cinema trips already scheduled for next weekend. I couldn't think of anyone better to leave the kids with, but despite them being 8 and 4 and doing this 'September thing' for several years now, I still hate leaving them and seem to spend my time in London with a permanent knot in my stomach, which won't subside until I return home.

Once back from London, I have under a week to prepare for my pop-up tearoom, so I've been trying to bake a few sponges this week - the ones that freeze really well - in order to get ahead. Naked, they look very plain, but once filled, iced and decorate they should look irresistible. So far there is a Honey & Poppyseed sponge and a Lemon & Almond Sponge - by the end of the weekend there will also be a Courgette sponge.

This will be my second year as part of the World's Biggest Coffee Morning. Last year was a huge success; exhaustingly busy, but well worth it. You can read about it here. Macmillan's are a worthy charity who I like to support. My original reason for getting involved with Macmillan was in memory of my father-in-law who we lost to cancer 10 years ago, but in the last year two friends of mine have been diagnosed with cancer - these are women who are in my age group with young children. The help that Macmillan's provide when your world is turned upside-down is priceless. In my mind holding this annual event is really a no brainer. Fingers-crossed, in two weeks from now, I'll have a heavy donation box and just crumbs left on the table ..... and normality will return as we move from a busy September into (a hopefully less hectic) October.

Photographs: Buttercup Days

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

Last week, the children and I went to a (4th) birthday party at the beach. The little gathering took place at one of the beach huts and adults and kids alike enjoyed this cake that I bought along.

I've mentioned before my love of the food blog Green Kitchen Stories. The Banana Granola recipe that a featured not so long ago is one of theirs. So is this one. I'm a fan of using vegetables in cakes: not because I'm some kind of health freak, but because I love the way their addition makes for such delicious moist cakes and it is a pretty good way to use any vegetable gluts we may reap from our allotment. I've paired chocolate and beetroots together in the past, and have always been pleased with the outcome, so I was keen to try out this recipe. The beetroot gives the chocolate a depth, meaning it is not too sweet and the texture is good and fudgy. 

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

100 g sunflower oil (coconut oil or olive oil)
125 ml maple syrup (or honey)
50 g dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces
250 g (approx 3 - 4 medium) raw beetroots, grated
3 eggs
375 ml spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
a little melted butter and a dusting of flour for preparing your tin.

Preheat the oven to 350F/175°C. Using a pastry brush painted your cake tin with a thin coating of butter. If you are using a fancy shaped tin as I did, ensure you butter all the fluted parts to enable your cake to come out the tin cleanly and easily. Finally give your tin a light dusting of flour and set aside.

Warm the oil in a medium size saucepan on very low heat. Add the maple syrup and chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat. 

Add the grated beets. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and then add them to the pan. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt together and stir into the beet mixture. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin. 

Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly dark and crackelated on top and still a little sticky inside. Enjoy!

It is utterly perfect served on its own with a cup of coffee or dress it up with seasonal berries and serve with mascarpone.

Recipe: Green Kitchen Stories
Photography: Buttercup Days

My World's Biggest Coffee Morning

On Friday I took part in the World's Biggest Coffee Morning to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. It was the first year I had ever done it. In previous years the date, 28th September, often fell during our time at Tent London. But this year it didn't so I had no excuse and signed up for it. Macmillan's is a worthy charity so close to many people's hearts. I did my part in memory of my father-in-law who we lost to cancer nine years ago. He loved cake, so it seemed very fitting indeed.

I held the coffee morning in my home and invited a real mix of people; friends, school mum's, neighbours, even our company accountant. The turn out was amazing and everyone was so very supportive. A local catering hire company provided me with china cups and saucers, cake forks and plates free of charge and my local florist made up three beautiful jugs of fresh flowers for the table. So very lovely.

Of course I did all the baking: Chocolate & Beetroot, Orange & Almond, Courgette Cake, Lemon Drizzle, Toffee Apple Cake and Chocolate Brownies. Thanks to everyone's generosity and appetite for cake I raised £235.00, and that isn't including a few yet-to-come text donations.

Thank you to everyone who supported me - I'll be doing it again I'm sure.

Easter

Well, Easter is done. All that remains is a fridge full of chocolate eggs. We're not quite back to our normal routine; we're still in school holiday mode for the next week and a half.

Easter was lovely though; relaxing together time that is all to rare. We had a day with David's family at his sister's house on Sunday. It was the perfect place to be: good company, good food and good conversation in a relaxed home dotted with family photo's past and present. It's how such holidays should be spent.

By the way, the cake in the picture above was made by my sister-in-law. She could give Nigella Lawson a run for her money. It was chocolate heaven.

Two Cakes

The email account that I use for images has been temporarily out of order. Apparently an attempt was made to hack into it. The upshot is that I've not been able to post anything for the last week. So now, with the email account resumed I'm playing catch up.

It was Lily's birthday some ten days ago now, so I wondered if this post is still really relevant ... but hey, why not. It's a shame to let good cake go to waste.

I made Lily two cakes this year. The first was for her 'actual' birthday; a triple-layer dark chocolate cake filled and covered with a white chocolate ganache. The second cake was for for Lily to take into school for her class and teachers on her birthday-eve. This was a lemon and poppy seed cake with cream cheese frosting. Needless to say everyone in year two enjoyed morning snack on that day. 

That evening, Lily read her school story book to me. She does this a few times a week in addition to reading it in class with the teacher. Afterwards we have to write a line or two in her accompanying 'comment book'. As I opened her book to write my line in, I saw that she had been reading the book that morning with her teacher. The teachers comment read as so: 'good reading and fantastic cake!'.

An Overlooked Recipe

I met up with my friends the yoga ladies last week and baked a cake for the occasion. I wanted to make a fairly plain cake; no icing or chocolate, something more 'January'. I sought inspiration through the pages of some old cookery magazines that lay neglected on a kitchen shelf and in them I came across a recipe for Apple Cake. It's name didn't really sell it at first glance, but on reading through the recipe I discovered that it was in fact an apple, date, cinnamon and hazelnut cake. I was sold. It was made. It was eaten.