High tea @ Q Tearoom, St Agnes

I recently phoned Q Tearoom looking to book an afternoon tea for that day. They said they usually need 24 hour notice but were very accommodating and could organise something. Later in the afternoon they put on this lovely spread.

Everything was so fresh and garnished with delicious fruit. The Baker Tom scones were huge and lovely too.
The tearoom was very quaint, as you would expect, but what really shone through was the staff. I couldn't fault the whole experience, this is great for a spot of lunch or sweet treat.

Get your orders in for Christmas bakes!!

If you fancy a traditional Christmas cake for this year's festivities, get in touch! I'm also offering mince pies, sausage rolls, gingerbread and biscotti. Any inquiries let me know, I'd be happy to work flavours and quantities to suit you. I look forward to hearing from you!

#fiveweekstogo

Very exciting times!!!

 

I am very proud and excited to announce my new logo! This also means exciting developments on the cake business front. I will now be taking orders for cakes and desserts and hopefully coming to a market near you soon!!!!

Plum Crumble Cake for Cake Club!

175g unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs

225g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

100g ground almonds

85g soured cream

 

Mix ingredients together well until fully combined then divide the mixture evenly between two sandwich tins. Half 6 plums and add cut side up to one of the tins. Bake at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the crumble, rub 50g ground almonds, 50g plain flour, 50g caster sugar and 50g unsalted butter together until it forms large crumbs. Then bake on a baking tray for 15 minutes in the same oven as above.

Leave all components to cool fully.

Spread 50g of plum jam onto one of the cakes then sandwich both together. Next whip 300ml of double cream to soft peaks then spread on the top of the cake.

Finally sprinkle over the crumble topping onto the cream and enjoy!

 

I took this cake to my Clandestine Cake Club event and it went down a treat. Check out your local group here: http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/



Bessie's Tea Parlour, Broadstairs. Kent

I had a beautiful afternoon tea yesterday with two of my best friends. Bessie's is a quaint, little tea parlour in the seaside town of Broadstairs. It offers an eclectic range of teas to go with the cakes and sandwiches available. I recommend the vanilla chai!
We paid £14 for endless tea and this beautiful spread. It consisted of finger sandwiches, cinnamon chai cake, bakewell tart, cheesecake brownies and scones with clotted cream and jam. The parlour had a lovely atmosphere created by the attention to detail, such as vintage china, bunting and nostalgic music.

Overall, great food in a lovely, little place by the sea. What's not to like!?

http://bessiesteaparlour.co.uk/

 

Picnic, Falmouth, Cornwall

I had this beautiful bakewell tart at Picnic recently. It was perfect, crispy pastry, sweet filling and soft icing. I washed it down with a manuka honey tea which was lush. They had a number of savoury bakes that I was also debating. The coffee shop is also a deli, offering various cheeses and meats.

I recommend choosing Picnic, over one of the chain coffee shops in Falmouth.

http://picniccornwall.co.uk/

Tea By The Sea, Falmouth, Cornwall

Great little cake shop in the beautiful Falmouth. As you can see they have some hearty cakes on offer. If you can't get a table inside, you can take the big, baked beauties away. Lovely place.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tea-By-The-Sea-Falmouth/413718258791029

Strong Adolfos near Wadebridge, Cornwall...again!

I tried this bustling café again recently. Having been slightly let down by the baked goods on offer before, this vanilla and yogurt cake with a layer of strawberry jam and cream cheese frosting made up for it. The cake was moist and really tasty without being too heavy. I also had an amazing chai latte, my favourite! They also have an array of daily breakfast and lunch specials if your looking for something savoury.

http://www.strongadolfos.com/

Lemon and Raspberry Cake

I made Chetnya's (The Great British Bake Off contestant) cake but left out white chocolate. 

It's a good spring recipe and very indulgent with all the cream! Lovely with the lemon curd too. 

http://youtu.be/EqQA_Di4tqU

Happy Birthday!

200g caster sugar

200g room temperature unsalted butter

4 eggs

200g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

 

150g raspberry jam

 

300g sieved icing sugar

150g room temperature unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale. Whisk in the eggs then fold in remaining ingredients. Pour into lined sandwich tins and bake for twenty minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool.

Spread the jam onto the top of one of the cakes then sandwich together.

For the butter icing, whisk the soft butter on a high speed for at least five minutes until fluffy. Add in the remaining ingredients and whisk for a further five minutes until almost white. Spread thoroughly over the sandwiched cakes then decorate with the birthday girls/boys favourite sweets and biscuits!

~ Hawaii Cake ~

110g butter

110g golden caster sugar

200g self raising flour

2 eggs

250ml almond milk

200g desiccated coconut

430g tin of pineapple

250g pistachios

 

200g icing sugar

 

Mix the flour, coconut and pistachios together well. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Chop the pineapple into small chunks and save the juice in the tin. Then add all the cake ingredients into one bowl. Mix this thoroughly until all ingredients are fully combined. Bake in a loaf tin at 180C/gas 4 for 45 minutes, you may need to cover the top with foil half way through the bake to prevent too much browning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

For the icing, add 3 tbsp of the tinned pineapple juice with the icing sugar and stir until smooth. Then drizzle onto the cake.

Cherry Trees, Padstow, Cornwall

If your ever in Padstow, you simply have to go here. It's a tiny café, making it hard to get a seat in Cornwall's peak summer season. However, their takeaway service covers this well. They do a range of huge cakes, cheesecakes and desserts. I had this coconut chai cake. It was divine, so moist with sweet, rich icing. They also do incredible hot chocolates which are overflowing with cream and marshmallows. Although these don't come cheap at £4.95. I've also heard great things about their breakfast and lunch food.

The overall experience in this harbour front venue was so lovely. I can't recommend it enough.

Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake

Really yummy and quick loaf cake.

160g self raising flour

160g butter

160g caster sugar

2 eggs

80g chocolate chips

Splash of vanilla extract

Splosh of milk

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar together until light a fluffy. Add a spoonful of flour, the eggs, milk and vanilla then whisk until aerated. Fold in the rest of the flour and the chocolate chips then pour into a loaf tin. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Chocolatey Chocolate Cake

I decorated this cake with as much chocolate as I could squeeze on! I went for white chocolate and milk chocolate buttons, chocolate orange, white chocolate and milk chocolate fingers and chocolate curls!

Surf Board Cake!

I made a simple chocolate sandwich cake for my brother and sister in law's birthday.

 

50g cocoa powder

6 tbsp boiling water

3 eggs

4 tbsp milk

175g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g butter

300g caster sugar

 

Make a paste with the cocoa powder and boiling water. Beat in with all the remaining ingredients.  Divide the cake mixture between two greased sandwich tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 180C/Gas 4.

I decorated the cake with caramel icing and a fondant surfboard, using my biscuit stamps for the lettering. 

Mama Feelgoods, Quex Park, Kent

My lovely friends and I went to this boutique cafe in the stunning grounds of Quex Park in Birchington, Kent. We paid £15 for afternoon tea, it was delicious. It included four different finger sandwiches, savoury pastries, mini meringues, macaroons, lemon possets and a big scone with cream and jam. There was also endless tea. I'd say it was worth the money, I was stuffed!

http://www.quexpark.co.uk/where-to-eat/mama-feelgoods-boutique-cafe.html

Chocolate Coconut Cake

I cheated slightly with this cake, using Betty Crocker's Devil Food Cake mix, and the Chocolate Fudge Icing for the middle of the cake. I've used the cake mix before and it is fail-safe for a tasty, moist  bake. 

I did make some coconut butter icing. Beating 170g of icing sugar together with 85g of unsalted butter, a splash of water and 50g of ground coconut until really fluffy. Finally, I decorated the top with chopped Bounty bars and chocolate drops.

Mary Berry's Chocolate Mousse Cake

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/celebration_chocolate_26103

 

Great recipe.

I swapped the brandy for amaretto and decorated with mini Terry's chocolate oranges and clementines.

 

Mini Victoria Sandwiches to celebrate Bake Off 2014!

100g butter

100g caster sugar

100g self raising flour

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Splash of milk

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Sift in the flour and mix until just combined. I greased and filled a mini cake tin but you could use a cupcake or fairy cake tin. Bake at 180C/gas 4 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. 
Leave to cool. To make the butter cream, whisk 100g butter with 200g icing sugar together with a splash of water. 
Sandwich two cakes together with strawberry jam and top with butter cream. 

Minion Cake!

I made this Minion Cake for my nephew's second birthday. It's a chocolate and vanilla marble sponge with chocolate fudge icing. I turned it into a minion by decorating it with yellow, black and some white fondant icing.