A Matter of Choice

Have I ever mentioned how much I love cake? Admittedly the best bit is eating the cakes but over the last few years I've been slowly improving on my cake creating skills, usually with the help of my more creative and patient husband but we are getting there.  I am always so in awe of professional cake makers who these days seem to create such amazing masterpieces and until now wouldn't have thought of even attempting to emulate them.   Last year, 'Ladies That Cake' created a masterpiece - a Creme Egg Cake.  This year they are sharing the secret! For £10 (about €12)  you can now purchase the 'Creme Egg Cake' tutorial, and make your own in time for Easter.  Due to a major lack of time setting up and promoting my new website and being so close to my Slimming World target, unfortunately I've yet to try to make my own Creme Egg cake but it's on my wish list!  I just thought it was so cool that I had to share it with you! You can...

My Dad has always been a big fan of Turkish delight, (although you can only buy 'Cyprus Delights' here!) so when I saw these Turkish Delight Cupcakes over at Cakes Photos Life I thought I'd make him some.  6oz self raising flour 6oz butter 6oz sugar 3 medium eggs Drop of vanilla essence Rose water - about 3 drops but according to taste Thinly sliced Cyprus (or Turkish) Delight Mix the cake batter as you normally would. Place a third of the mixture into the cake cases and add a slice of 'Delight' Cover with the remaining batter and cook as you would for a normal sponge cake.  (usually about 180deg for approx 20 minutes) Although it didn't show up well on the photo I piped pink butter cream flavoured with  little rose water onto the cooled cakes. You could also if you wish decorate with an extra piece of 'Delight' I was really pleased with the finished cakes, although they weren't quite a pretty looking as the ones I originally got...

I haven't done so well with regards to Slimming World this week, I knew I hadn't been following the plan 100% but I wasn't THAT bad and I hoped to get away with it. Unfortunately I put on 2lb, serves me right for picking at the goodies at the picnic we had in the park and the sneaky McDonalds I had the other day! After sulking about it for a bit this morning I've attempted to get back on track today, big jacket potato for lunch and huge homemade chilli cooking for dinner as I write. I also made one of my old SW favourites today.... Weetabix Cake. If you're a fan of fruity malt loaf, you'll love this terrific recipe Serves: 12 Syns per serving: 3½ Syns ANY DAY Ingredients 2 Weetabix 113g/4oz sultanas 142ml/5floz skimmed milk 142ml 5floz water 113g/4oz self-raising flour 1 teaspoon mixed spice 14g/½ oz artificial sweetener (optional) 1 egg, beaten Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, 350ºF or Gas Mark 4 2. Put the Weetabix and sultana...

Due to a run of birthday's in our family the last month or so has been very full of cake, this is obviously no bad thing (especially as I'm pregnant and not yet thinking about dropping a couple of pounds!) It all started in  May with a Cars cake for Leo's friend and   Leo's two birthday cakes and last week we finished off with a cake for my friend Sam's birthday. I don't claim to be a very good cake decorator, the actual making of the cake is fine but I have no patience, not a lot of imagination and a very unsteady hand so usually I bake and Aaron decorates when it comes to 'novelty cakes'  However as he's been working so much I've been giving it a go! I was most worried about the No.6 Cars cake as it was a present but it seemed to go down very well, I got very stressed whilst rolling out the icing as its so warm that I find it hard to handle, Aaron actually rescued me with this one as it was so big that every time I picked up the icing to...

Regular readers will have gathered by now that my Mum is a bit of a teddy bear fan, so what better way to celebrate her birthday than with an Teddy Bear's picnic! Leo was involved in much of the preparations despite not being a fan of the theme at first, trains are more his thing and had to be persuaded that Nana prefers bears! In the week leading up to her birthday we made Teddy Bear holders for the cutlery...Bear shaped cut outs with paws and feet stuck on, then glued to empty toilet roll holders which we painted brown.  We also decorated cut out teddy bears to make a banner for the window. The cake was a teddy, baked by Leo and I but decorated by me... the first 'novelty' cake I've done. (Usually I bake and Aaron decorates!)  Party food was a selection of sandwiches, salad and homemade onion dip (first time I'd made that and it was yummy!) crisps, and bear shaped cheese pastry bites.  I also made 'paw print cupcakes to go with the mai...