Cake Day!

We had a Cake Day at work, so it was the ideal opportunity to bake some cupcakes.
First batch was Rose flavoured cupcakes, this recipe is from the Primrose Bakery book.  It's one of my favourites, made them quite a few times now.  I just need to perfect my 'rose' piping technique!
Secondly, I made my firm favourites.....  Carrot Cupcakes.  Recipe is from Rachel Allen, Bake!  The recipe is to make a large carrot cake but works just as good as cupcakes.
Look forward to the next Cake Day!!

Christening Cake 2 - The Main Event

Well here is the Christening Cake my Mum and I made for Harrison's big day. Looks pretty much the same as the practice one.  It was a vanilla sponge filled with jam and butter icing and covered with sugar paste.
Gavin and Sharon were delighted with it and even gave me a beautiful bunch of flowers to say thank you.
I was a lot of work and I definitely still prefer making cupcakes.  But it was all worth it.
Made an extra cake as there were 80 guests!

Christening Cake - The Dry Run

When my friend Sharon asked me to make a christening cake for her little boy Harrison's party in September I was thrilled!  But then I panicked, I'm more of a cupcake afficionado I've never done a big fancy cake.  So I enlisted the help of my mother, she can turn her hand to anything, to produce a test cake.

This was my first time covering a cake with sugarpaste and first time making a tiered cake.  Here's the finished product, had some trouble getting a smooth finish with the icing, but managed to cover it with a ribbon!  Also the bear's a bit dodgy. 

I'll be posting the real deal in September, wish me luck!

Rustic Vanilla Cupcakes

These were made in a hurry to satisfiy Gary, my nephew, in case he didn't like carrot cake which he didn't!!  Just a simple vanilla cupcake recipe covered with left over cream cheese icing and filled with strawberry jam. 
Only critisism I received from Gary was that the mini cakes needed more balls!  Sorry I'll sort that for next time x

Carrot Cupcakes

These were made for my future sister in-law, she's a big carrot cake fan!  Recipe I used for the Carrot Cake was from Rachel Allen, Bake, got the cream cheese recipe from Eat!  Topped with sugarpaste carrots. 
Tried two icing techniques, think I prefer the zig zag one.

Birthday Cake for my Mum

 

For my mum's birthday this year I went for a vanilla sponge smothered with buttercream.  I'm a bit disappointed with the haphazard writing though, will have to keep practising.  Anyways my lovely mother liked it and it tasted a lot better than it looked.  Recipe was from Primrose Bakery.

Shortbread Mushrooms

Got this fantastic idea from Bake It Pretty.  As soon as I had the chance I had to make them. 
Basically you make a up simple shortbread/biscuit mix, I flavoured mine with coconut due to the fact I've had a bottle in my cupboard for ages, rolled into balls place on baking sheets then dip a beer bottle in water then cocoa and press into the balls then bake.  That's it!

World Cup / Birthday Cupcakes

Been a while since me last post, I was away sunning myself in the Caribbean.

As well as the World Cup starting on the 11 June it was also my father's birthday. 

So I celebrated by making World Cupcakes!  They're are 13 countries instead of 32, that would mean eating too many cakes especially after my holiday.  You'll notice I've included Scotland, my dad's birthday wish!

Devil's Food Cake sponge filled and topped with chocolate butter icing.