Pimped Oreos :-)

When boredom strikes, what's the normal thing to do?

I'm sure it doesn't consist of carefully twisting Oreo's apart . . . remaking the filling and putting them back together,

However, when boredom kicks in, give this a go, this really did keep me entertained, they look fantastic and taste great too!!

Enjoy! xx

It's Been A While ........ :-)

Well this really has been too long!

In between changing jobs, starting a new management course and going on holiday, I decided in my infinite wisdom to become a bodybuilding baker!

If anyone decides they want to follow in these footsteps, heed my advice ... don't do it!! I never realised how much self control I had until I embarked on this crazy journey, now, I can keep myself from sneaking a peak at Christmas presents under the tree, I can even stop myself from buying new shoes every pay day . . . but steering away from a Mr. Whippy ice-cream cupcake . . . . I'd honestly kill for less.

It's a crime, I'm almost sure of it. Nothing short of a miracle is stopping me from breaking this zero-carb diet and cramming my mouth full of buttercream frosting and chocolate cake, however, end results  . . . . most definitely worth it, although I do admit the blogging and baking has suffered.

Now I have settled into routine and my self control has decided to man up, it's time to get back to what I enjoy the most :-)

I've missed that Saturday morning smell of hot baking vanilla cupcakes filling the house! I've missed the peace and tranquility of being alone in the kitchen with my thoughts and most of all . . .I've missed CAKE!!!!!!

I can't honestly say I dont enjoy it though, I enjoy the buzz and I love the end result . . . . but I really, really, REALLY just want to survive life in a onesie, watching questionable TV with a slice of cake and an electric blanket!!

For the meantime, I'll stop my complaining and come back soon with new cake pics :-)

Cakey Hugs and Kisses,

Vici xx

Plant Pot Cupcakes :-)

I would like to say a big hello to summer........

But it's Britain and apart from a week of sun last month, that's as close as England has had to summer this year. I don't think it's set to get any better, but there is a silver lining to every situation....... for example....

You get a vastly overpriced phonebill, sure, it's a shock but you've enjoyed the conversations. You break your ankle in ridiculously high heels, sure, it hurts but you looked hot doing it. See! Silver linings are all around!!

So, English 'summer' may be a no show, but I have a nice cool kitchen, perfect conditions for buttercream and I have a good excuse to stay inside and no-one can drag me out to burn to bacon in the 'English sun'.

This weekend has been another prime example of 'summer' (I use that word loosely).  The rain has meant outdoor activities are a no and the kitchen is most inviting!

The smiles were firmly plastered on whilst making these summery cupcakes and what better way to make summer inside than to make plant pot cupcakes?

These have been on my mind since seeing some creative posts online, but have I been able to find the silicone cups? Have I heck!

Imagine my delight when, due to the weather, I go to town (can't stay in all weekend!!) and come across exactly what i've been looking for! I'm delighted, that is until I get to the till.

60% off sale! Im no longer delighted, i'm euphoric!!

Few things make me as happy as a sale in a bake shop!

Having said that, hot chocolate in winter, snow gently falling outside, fire on and a good soppy romantic film will set that smile too! (apparently this lack of summer has got me thinking about winter!)

Back to where I should be thinking ....... summery plant pot cupcakes!

Chocolate sponge, and two varieties of buttercream - chocolate orange and mint chocolate. Im salivating and it takes all my restraint to stop me hiding away with the spatula and left over buttercream!!

The buttercream is the same standard recipe I always use except with cocoa and different flavourings

Buttercream:-

4oz Butter
8oz Icing Sugar
1tsp Milk
2-3 Drops Flavouring (in this case 1 was mint, 1 was orange)

Chocolate Sponge:-

4oz Self Raising Flour
4oz Caster Sugar
4oz Butter
2 Large Eggs
1 tbsp Pure Cocoa
1tsp Vanilla Extract

The flowers and butterflies were made using standard fondant icing, coloured using gel colours and cutters. Simple, beautiful and eye-catching.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Avid or Obsessive? :-)

I'm in a pondering kind of mood, is there a fine line between avid baker and obsessed with cakiness? If there is....... im definately the latter.

I want to up sticks and move to the spectacularly cakey America, open my own corner cakey shop and be told how awesome the shop is and how quirky that im British. This is of course, until I wake up and realise, this is Britain, it is raining and the only shop i'll get is Asda to buy my ingredients.

Is there a better place than America for cake? Debatable. It doesn't seem to have taken on so much here as it appears to on the better side of the Atlantic.

To live the American dream and knock around with the likes of Ina Garten, Cookbook Queen and Bakerella, obviously they all live near my house and they all come to dinner.

I have decided that the two people to have to dinner have to be Kristan (confessionsofacookbookqueen) and Bakerella. It's my dinner party, no-one else is invited and there is no savoury food allowed. This is my party and i'll have cake if I want to!

So .... back to the baking,

Bakerella has so many ideas and i'd also like to add the patience of a saint and a damn good photographer!!  I agree that there is definately an occasion for cakepops, but there is always an occasion for cake and I always get sidetracked from cakepops to make cake.

But I find my thoughts drifting into the cakepop side of things recently and feel that I should definately concentrate more effort into the lovely cakey popiness.

I've done my basic cakepops and im in love with Bakerella's cake  pop book so keep checking in for more soon :-)

The Return of the Mojo :-)

After sitting for a long while and debating the redecoration of my bedroom, I decided it must be done. However, what I hadnt thought about was the fact that this takes time .... and lots of it.

I work full time, don't get me wrong, I love it. But mid deceoration? Thats a no. I had paint coming from every angle, my bed was an island in the midst of an ocean of mess and there was no possible way I could cope with this, work and baking.

My baking has suffered, I can admit that. It has shaken me to the very core and my waivering faith in my awesome baked home goods has become a distant memory.

I needed sweets in my life, I needed to contain my sweet monster and I needed to do it now!!

Luckily for me, I was taught by the best and with my birthday on the way my beautiful mother sent me packing and made me a birthday cake, complete with cake truffles and white chocolate fingers. Luckily for everyone else, I cant eat a 20 portion cake on my own (even if I wanted to!!) so everyone else got to share the delights of my birthday cake!

Now the deceorating is a distant memory, my mojo has returned, the ideas for making cakes and baked goods is back and I want to get in the kitchen!

Oven watch out, here I come, I have ideas coming from all angles and cant think where to start! My sweet monster needs feeding..............more piccies coming soon!

Chocolate Cupcakes :-)

Chocolate, the way to my heart, the way to every womans heart!!

Along with shoes, handbags and diamonds! Although chocolate has a much nicer price tag!!

I adore chocolate, be it milk, dark or white! It can be hot, cold, freezing, piped, as a topping, a filling or on toast. In all its many shapes and forms, I love them all.

A dense sticky sponge with a super sweet swirl of chocolate buttercream ......... who could wish for more?!

Ingredients:-

Chocolate Sponge

* 4 medium eggs
* 7oz self raising flour
* 7oz caster sugar
* 1tsp vanilla essence
* 1tbsp cocoa powder

Chocolate Buttercream

* 2tbsp cocoa powder
* 4oz softened unsalted butter
* 4oz icing sugar

I'm a lazy baker, i'll admit that. I like the good old fashioned, stick it all in the mixer and let that do the hard work whilst I sit back and have a cup of tea method! I wont deny that, but I also wont deny that i'm a complete perfectionist when it comes to the food I am willing to put in front of someone to try!

I was petrified of making mint chocolate cupcakes after being told they'd be like toothpaste on top of chocolate cake!

The end result of making these? Im not happy with the photographic equipment! Thankfully for me, I have parental input in the form of my dad to supply the necessary goods which came in the form of a mini photo booth for my spectacular little cakies! Finally justice for the baked goods!! Thankyou Dad!! :-)

Much better photo's from this point forth!!

 

Christening Delights :-)

So being asked to do a christening cake and the only thing i'm asked is that its pink! Three tiers, vanilla and has to feed a lot of people!!

Thought process begins straight away and decisions that not only does pink have to feature, this has to be spectacular, this has to be huge and this has to be the biggest thing ive ever attempted!!

Back to the beginning .......

Two months before ..................... "i need a christening cake, we want you to make it, do you have ideas and can you do it"

After a secret jig to myself and a massive smile spreading across my face ....... "come round and we can discuss ideas"

I sat with the mummy of the beautiful christening baby and listened intently to ......... " i want it to be pink, i want three tiers and I want vanilla"

So, i designed a three tier, vanilla sponge and vanilla buttercream christening cake. This cake was to have a bubblegum pink base, a powder pink centre and an ivory upper tier. I wanted roses and plenty of them, the main feature to be roses and I had to find the time to do it!!

Cutting to cake day ....................... I finish work at half five and hit the worse traffic i can ever imagine and decide that this is a very bad start!! I have catching up to do and I have to start straight away, no tea break, no time to change ..... I HAVE A CAKE TO MAKE!!!!

Thank heavens for cold weather, i have a frosty chilly out-house and a lovely chilled environment for my cakes to cool down!! Lets get baking!!!

Several hours later, cakes are cooling, buttercream is mixing, i finally have time for a cuppa and im starting to go past tired and into the hyperactive stage!!

Buttercream in, layers assembled and time to cool and start mixing icing colours. All three icing colours were great straight away, im sure my arms will end up looking like Arnold Schwarezenegger if i carry on doing this!! Time to roll, time to ice and time to make roses!!

Its 1 a.m, ive decided that whatever i cant do now, isnt going on the cake!! Im preparing to fall into a coma, normal sleep will not suffice at this point!!

I think the final product speaks for itself......

This turned out so much better than I could have hoped for! The end result was the centre of attention and the day was absolutely gorgeous! :-)