Old School Education Cake

The busiest time of the year for cake orders brought me a very exciting challenge as far as my decorating skills are concerned. For a retired teacher, I was asked to make a cake resembling an old school desk with typical old school equipment. I researched a bit into old school desks to make sure that I was getting the brief right and found that the desk would look even more authentic if I made it so that it was on a slant, which I had been asked to try and do anyway. I also found that an ink pot and fountain pen would look very "old school" and would run excellently with the theme. I would also include an exercise book to extenuate the school theme.
To make the actual cake I used a recipe that I have always and will always use as a base recipe as you may have noticed after reading other blog posts of mine. Ironically, the recipe itself is very old school as it is all measured in oz. I knew I had to make quite a large cake so I upped the quantity of cake batter by simply measuring 12oz rather than 4/6oz. I baked the cake in two identical rectangle cake tins as I was to sandwich the two halves together as the whole cake. I sandwiched them together using buttercream which I made using 100g butter and 300g icing sugar along with 2tbsp of cocoa powder. I spread half of the buttercream on top of one half of the cake before sandwiching the other half on top. Now, since this was to be an old school desk I used a bread knife to cut away at the cake so that it slanted slightly downwards towards the front of the desk. I then used the other half of the buttercream to cover the whole cake. Next, I coloured fondant icing dark brown and rolled it out carefully so that it was big enough to cover the cake. I placed the fondant on top of the cake and used my hands to manipulate it carefully, smoothing the top and smoothing it down the edges of the cake. I then used a smoothing tool to smooth down the icing as much as possible. The biggest challenge I faced was trying to get an authentic wood effect. I tried to make a woodgrain effect by rolling together a lighter and darker long strip of fondant with a method of folding and rolling, however I discovered that this only really worked authentically when making individual planks of wood, not when covering a whole cake...plan B. I went out on a limb and tried something of which I had no idea what the result would be, but it was all I had left time, idea and ability wise. So, after I had covered the cake in the dark brown fondant I got a bowl and put a lump of dark brown food dye paste into it along with a bit of water so that I had a runny paint consistency. I then got a brush and simply brushed the whole cake horizontally with the brown paint which gave a varnished wood effect. This was what I was looking for. I decorated the cake with an ink pot, an exercise book and a fountain pen, that I had previously made out of fondant icing,in running with the theme of old school education. This cake is a cake I will always remember.

Being a cake decorating enthusiast, I jumped at the opportunity to make my boyfriend a birthday cake that had a part of him within it...not literally...I don't think people would have been quite as impressed if I'd added a tsp of his very own blood to flavour the cake. No. I wanted to capture part of his life in the cake. As a black belt in karate, and a very good one I might add, it was only natural for me to recreate this in the form of a cake.
I will post one time about how I make sugar paste figures but I won't go into detail now. I will simply tell you that all you need to make anything of the sort is fondant icing, icing sugar and food colouring.
Where the ingredients for the outside and decoration of the cake were few, what lay within brought a tad more ingredients to the table. I often find, and I'm sure that many others will agree, that fondant icing is just too sweet and sickly and I find myself peeling off most of it when enjoying a slice of cake. therefore the idea came to me to do a lemon cake. This would provide balance and acidity to the cake and make the icing a bit more bearable for those who aren't fans of the sugary topping. Using the Victoria sponge recipe that I have blogged about before, I merely added the juice and zest of some lemons for the quiet, innocent bake to come alive and vibrant with exotic flavour. If like me, you would like something that can provide acidity against the sweetness, I would urge you to opt for the lemon cake over anything else.

Recipe for the lemon cake:
6oz butter
6oz caster sugar
6oz self raising flour
3 eggs
1tsp baking powder
Zest of 2 lemons
5tbsp lemon juice

Recipe for the lemon drizzle:
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
85g caster sugar

Recipe for the lemon buttercream:
50g butter
150g icing sugar
2tbsp lemon juice

Method:
Using the easy all in one method, measure out your ingredients and put them all in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mix, beat the ingredients together to form a creamy, acidic batter. Make sure you beat lots of air into it, but don't overbeat it otherwise your cakes will rise in the oven...and then sink in the middle.
Grease and line two cake tins and divide the mixture equally between them. Bake in a 180 degree oven for 15-20 mins or until the cakes start to come away from the edge of the tins and feel springy to the touch. 
Leave them to cool for a short while whilst you make the lemon drizzle. To do this simple put the lemon and sugar in a bowl until the sugar dissolves and you're left with an acidic syrupy drizzle. Using a tsp, drizzle the mixture all over the top of the two cakes whilst they're still warm.
Once they have cooled, turn them out of their tins and begin to make the buttercream.
Fetch yourself a large bowl and beat the butter in the bowl for a few seconds to loosen it up before adding the icing sugar. Beat the two together until pale and fluffy. This buttercream working with the balancing of sweet and acid, has a small icing sugar ratio to butter because I don't want too much sweetness. Add the lemon juice and give it one last beat before spreading generously onto one of the cakes and sandwiching the other on top.
Eat the cake just like this or decorate away. Either way, I can guarantee a great explosion of sweet and acidic in your mouth. Enjoy!

Victoria Sponge Cake

Classic and original has, I think, only one true representative in the world of cakes. Victoria Sponge Cake. It is possibly the most popular named cake in England and is made by beginners, enthusiasts and professionals all over the country. Whether you're a Brit yourself, or you settle further afield, this recipe can lead to you 100% success every time if you just follow the simple method and ingredients. Get baking, and as your beautiful sandwiches rise gloriously under the glaring heat of the oven, sit back and dream of the spongey layers sandwiched together with jewelled raspberry or strawberry jam along with a generous spread of seriously sweet and buttery butter icing. What could go all that wrong? 

Recipe: (cakes)

6oz butter

6oz caster sugar 

6oz self raising flour 

3 eggs

1tsp baking powder (heaped) 

Recipe: (filling)

2oz butter

5tbsp icing sugar 

3tbsp strawberry/raspberry jam 

Method:

All in one, of course. Simply put all of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl before using an electric whisk to combine them all into a thick, smooth cake batter. If you feel that your batter is slightly too thick then feel free to add a tbsp of milk to loosen it up a bit.

Divide your mixture evenly into two equally sized cake tins and bake for 20mins or until they start to come away from the sides. Your cakes should feel springy to the touch. 

Once the cakes are cooled, mix together 2oz of butter and 5tbsp of icing sugar before lathering onto one of the sandwiches. 

Spread the ruby jam over the other sandwich and stick the two together forming a brilliant marriage of two elegant yet simple layers of spongey, airy cake. Dust with icing sugar and serve for afternoon tea, dessert, or just a cheeky snack for midday when all else seems lost.

Afternoon Tea

Before playing host to this majestic sounding event with my Mam, I couldn't help myself imagining the occasion being very elegant and swell. I envisioned china plates piled high with golden, airy scones and silver mouthfuls of sweet, rich goodness. I saw the foods as precious gems and the tea and coffee as liquid gold. Everything was fit for the queen in my pre-hosting head. I was ready to throw a ball. As me and my mam formed a list of foods and bakes we would serve, ideas danced across my forehead and with every pulse of excited blood that flowed through my body, a pulse of royalty would be sent with it.
Now after a full morning of being in my element, or in other words, in the kitchen, it was finally time for guests to be arriving at the house for tea, cakes and all manner of bakes. As the afternoon grew, I realised that my imagination of physicality wasn't quite as I had hoped and dreamed; the tea and coffee were as brown and steaming as ever, the scones were a pale brown and all the little treats were decorated in their own expected appearance. However, I was not completely wrong. The appearance of the bakes were, admittedly, not gold and silver and outstanding in their richness, but their tastes were. You would pick up what you thought to be a scone, and swallow a mouthful of gold. You would take a sip of the deeply brown stained liquid, and only the finest liquid gold slid down your throat, warming your insides like a light from within you. So I was not disappointed, if anything I was thrilled to have served up only some of the finest ingredients to my beautiful family and friends. Chocolate cake, Victoria sponge cake, millionaire shortbread, chocolate buns...need I say more?

The simplicity of a scone

As I sat in blue boredom, wondering what I could possibly do to get myself through a few hours of nothingness, I was hit with the completely and utterly obvious idea of whipping up a glorious batch of something...but what? What could I make that would be easy, quick and enjoyable? Cakes...possibly. But no. I always make cakes. Pastry...possibly. But no. That's too much trouble and effort to go through. What could I make that is different to what I usually do? I needed to drag myself away from the standard, decorative, typically impressive bakes. I needed something rustic, something English. I needed scones!
Beautiful, risen buns of treasure encased in a shell of gold. Light and airy on the inside, gold and crunchy on the outside. Possible to be made, baked and ready for serving within a matter of only 40 minutes, if that.
Scones originate well back into British history and made it through times of scarce ingredients and equipment. It is this that proves their quick and easy nature of which delivers beautifully rich results. Scones are rich from poor, gold from wood, wine from water. The ingredients of this particular scone that I have made are easily found in the cupboards and fridges of most kitchens, but if not, they are widely available all over the world in supermarkets and shops. Not only are ingredients easy to find, but the simplicity of a scone also comes from its amazingly quick and easy recipe. Take a look at the recipe I used and try it out for yourself:
Ingredients
225g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
25g caster sugar
50g unsalted butter
140ml milk
1 egg beaten (for glazing)

Method
The first step on your way to serving up buns in batches of gold is to turn on the oven to 220 degrees.
Then, in a large mixing bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and combine. Then add the sugar and butter and quickly rub into the flour mixture using your finger tips and thumb. Once all of the butter is rubbed into the flour it should look like an extremely fine bread crumb consistency.
Using your hands, make a dip (a well) in the middle of the "bread crumb" mixture and slowly add the milk while incorporating the flour into the well to form a soft dough.
Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes before rolling out quite thick (depending on your desired size) and cut into circles using a cutter of your size choice. When sending the cutter through the dough, send it straight through at once, don't twist or shuffle the cutter, the cut should be clean.
Bake in the oven for 9 minutes or until golden brown on top and sounding hollow when tapped.
Leave to cool slightly and dust with icing sugar for a snowy, fairy-like effect upon the rich treats. Serve warm or cold with whatever you may desire. Me? I keep it English with jam and cream, there's no better way.

Starbucks Inspired: Mocha Cookie Crumble Cake

As far as baking is concerned, it can often be risky relying on sheer imagination, creativity and motivation...there can be something missing...something from deep within. Inspiration. The success of a baked product is fuelled by inspiration. Without that hint of something special your cakes won't rise to the occasion, they'll fall flat and go stale. So go out and be inspired, look around you, look at the world and everything within it. Explore!
My spark for this cake from a very simple occurrence. A coffee shop, a cup and an icy lava flow of cream and coffee. It could only be one thing. Starbucks Frappuccino; Mocha Cookie Crumble. The bitter, smoky coffee, the milky, creamy chocolate and the crumbly, crunchy cookie were all it took for my mind clogs to turn and make my creative juices flow. I was to make a Mocha Cookie Crumble Cake! It would have a chocolate coffee sponge cake filled and topped with a coffee hinted, sweet cream with cookie crumbles running all the way through it.
Now, after receiving a cook book for my birthday, full of Mary Berry's (my one and only true role model) beautiful cakes and bakes, I came across a recipe for a Cappuccino Cake. This would be the main recipe for my cake of which I would adapt and work around to turn it into my own creation. I feel a hint of guilt for feeling the need to change one of Mary Berry's recipes, but at the same time I feel that if you're going to experiment, do it using a recipe base by someone who you can truly trust to give you outstanding results. If this was to be a success, I wanted it to be down to Mary. Who could you trust more?
This cake is one of the easiest show stoppers you could come across. A simple recipe and simple, easy to find ingredients hide behind it's show stopping name. She appears to be a rich, sophisticated creature, when in fact she's always been good at drama. She's perfect for an afternoon tea event, a celebration party, a sophisticated dessert, a midday snack...her versatility goes on and on. You could look at her and almost see her say 'Try me'. She's up for anything. See what she's made of using this recipe and method:
Recipe (for the cake)
50g cocoa powder
2tbsp granulated instant coffee
6tbsp boiling water
3 eggs
60ml milk
100g unsalted butter
275g caster sugar
175g self-raising flour
6 Oreo cookies (with the cream removed from the inside but kept)
1tsp baking powder


Recipe (for the cream)
300ml double cream
1tsp granulated instant coffee
2tsp hot water
4tbsp icing sugar
Dusting of cocoa powder
4 Oreo cookies (with the cream removed from the inside but kept)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins using butter and non stick baking paper.
Begin making the cake mixture by dissolving the cocoa powder and coffee in the boiling water to make a paste consistency. Simply add all of the other ingredients other than the flour and Oreos. Using an electric mixer combine the ingredients to make a very wet batter. Don't panic!
In another bowl add the flour and crushed Oreos with the cream filling removed. Make sure the Oreos are crushed so that there are still some large bits among the smaller bits and fine sand-like bits. Using a wooden spoon stir these until every bit of Oreo is covered in flour. This helps them stay suspended in the mixture and prevents them from falling to the bottom of the cake when baking.
Add the flour and Oreos to the mixture and fold in. It may be easier for you to add the flour in thirds so that you can fold it in much more easily. Once all of the flour is fully combined and the Oreo pieces are evenly distributed spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tins and bake for 20-25minutes or until fully cooked and coming away from the side of the tins.
Leave the cakes to cool out of their tins on a cooing rack while you make the cream filling and topping. Simply whip the double cream using and electric mixer until it just holds it's shape before quickly whipping in the coffee dissolved in the hot water. Then fold in the icing sugar until fully combined.
Once the cakes are cooled, spoon one third of the cream mixture onto the cake that is to be your bottom half of the sandwich-like structure and spread almost to the edges using a pallet knife. You should have kept the cream filling of the Oreos that you used earlier and the Oreos that will be used to decorate the top of the cake. Use these to create a layer on top of the cream before placing the second cake on top. Spoon the remainder of the cream on top of the cake and use the pallet knife to spread out evenly. Lightly dust with icing sugar and then pile some larger pieces of cookie crumble in the middle before dropping the occasional large piece around further towards the edge and sprinkling some of the fine Oreo dustings over the cream (idea given by Ciaran Day). And with that, you are finished. One Mocha Cookie Crumble Cake ready to be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Eat up!

Elmo Cake

During the summer term of last year I was asked by a close family friend to create a birthday cake for her turning-two year old son. After changing his mind of what cake he wanted from a monster cake to a space cake to an animal cake, he finally decided that he wanted an Elmo cake. You're probably thinking what on earth caused a 2 year old boy to want an Elmo birthday cake, am I right? Well, near to where I live there are two stores, one in the Metro Centre and one in Eldon Square, called Johnny's Cupcakes. They are small stores situated all over the country that make and sell wonderful cupcake creations as well as giant cupcakes too. Now, my family friend's little boy was passing one of these stores when a giant cupcake in the form if Elmo's head caught his attention and so his Mam said that he could have that for his birthday cake. Obviously looking for the cheaper option, I was asked to make the exact same cake...well...as well as I could.
Luckily, for my previous birthday I had been given a giant cupcake mould from my best friend as a present and saw the situation as a great opportunity to use the mould. To make the giant cupcake itself I simply whipped up a normal cake mixture but doubled the ingredients as the moulds were much bigger than normal cake tins. However, the cake itself was the least of my worries, it was decoration that really got butterflies fluttering in my stomach and brain cells dancing frantically at the prospect of creating such a masterpiece with such little practice of experience. I can remember having a lot of trouble with the actual baking of the cake mixture because the moulds were so big meaning there was a lot of mixture, making baking time much longer than I expected it to be. Finally I managed to bake the cake the whole way through and cool it ready to decorate. Before I could do anything else though, I had to cut out Elmo's mouth, however murderous that might sound. I used a knife to cut away at the cake to make a hole in the shape of his mouth, in which I went on to line with black sugar paste to exaggerate the dark hole.
I have no idea how much buttercream I must have made that afternoon but I remember it being rather a lot. To create the 'fur' if you like I piped hundreds of buttercream stars, using a large star shaped nozzle, all over the top of the cake, then for the bottom half I simply used a pallet knife to spread the buttercream around the base. It was then time to make and stick on the eyes of Elmo. To do this I simply rolled two balls of white sugar paste and stuck two small black circles on the front of them to act as the pupils. I then stuck two cocktail sticks in the cake where I was to put the eyes, before then sliding on the eyes onto the end of the sticks. The sticks and the buttercream did a tremendous job of holding the eyes in place and disallowed any disasters of eyes loss or damage.
At this the Elmo cake was practically finished and I was ready to reveal my masterpiece. I somehow did all of this on a Friday night after school in the space of about 4 hours. After a hard school week and welcoming bed upstairs I was extremely relieved to finished after the tears, stress and complications. But I did it, and I won. As much as I love baking and the kitchen, it doesn't half put up a fight when it wants to. Victorious.
Happy belated birthday Joe, though I'm sure I wished it at the time!