It is a basic Victoria sponge sandwiched with raspberry jam and then iced with a vanilla buttercream tinted pink with food colouring using this rose effect
Showing posts with label wilton 2D. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wilton 2D. Show all posts
Friday, 27 July 2012
1000th Tweet: Grandma's Birthday Cake
This will be my 1000th tweet so I thought it should be a special post. It was my Grandma's birthday this week so my sister and I made her a cake to help her celebrate. She's in a home now but she's always enjoyed homemade cake so we thought she'd like to have one to share with the other residents. When we went to see her her mind still seemed so young and it reminded me of this lovely story I read earlier in the week.
It is a basic Victoria sponge sandwiched with raspberry jam and then iced with a vanilla buttercream tinted pink with food colouring using this rose effect
It is a basic Victoria sponge sandwiched with raspberry jam and then iced with a vanilla buttercream tinted pink with food colouring using this rose effect
Friday, 16 December 2011
Free Cakes For Kids - Ealing Young Carers Project Christmas Party
There is a fabulous network called Free Cakes For Kids. As with a lot of great things the idea is very simple. It's a network of people who love baking who offer to make birthday cakes for children who otherwise wouldn't get a cake. It's so sad to think some children might not have the simple joy of getting a birthday cake and so simple to fix! Details can be found on the Free Cakes for Kids website
http://www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/
There wasn't already a group in existence in West London so my sister and I have been busy setting one up over the last few months. Today some children who are young carers from the Ealing Young Carers Project will be enjoying our cakes as part of their Christmas party.
My sister made the cakes. The recipe is a basic chocolate cake with chocolate chips topped with dark chocolate icing piped with a Wilton 2D nozzle with a few topped with holly leaves made from fondant icing, red and green food colouring and a holly leaf shaped cutter.
Here they are boxes up and ready to go
This fits in quite well with both #letsmakechristmas and Random Bakes of Kindness #RBOKindness.
Recipe
100g margarine or butter (I use Stork)
100g caster sugar
75g self raising flour (I use supreme sponge flour)
25g cocoa powder
1/2tsp baking powder
2 eggs
Beat all the ingredients together. Once fully incorporated carefully spoon the mixture to half fill muffin cases placed into muffin tins. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on the top of each.
For the icing just add some slightly cooled melted dark chocolate. I use about 100g to regular buttercream. Have a look at my previous posts or let me know if you want the detailed recipe for buttercream.
http://www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/
There wasn't already a group in existence in West London so my sister and I have been busy setting one up over the last few months. Today some children who are young carers from the Ealing Young Carers Project will be enjoying our cakes as part of their Christmas party.
My sister made the cakes. The recipe is a basic chocolate cake with chocolate chips topped with dark chocolate icing piped with a Wilton 2D nozzle with a few topped with holly leaves made from fondant icing, red and green food colouring and a holly leaf shaped cutter.
Here they are boxes up and ready to go
This fits in quite well with both #letsmakechristmas and Random Bakes of Kindness #RBOKindness.
Recipe
100g margarine or butter (I use Stork)
100g caster sugar
75g self raising flour (I use supreme sponge flour)
25g cocoa powder
1/2tsp baking powder
2 eggs
Beat all the ingredients together. Once fully incorporated carefully spoon the mixture to half fill muffin cases placed into muffin tins. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on the top of each.
For the icing just add some slightly cooled melted dark chocolate. I use about 100g to regular buttercream. Have a look at my previous posts or let me know if you want the detailed recipe for buttercream.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
My Nan
This is a very difficult post to write. I've been a bit quiet over the past two weeks as my lovely nan unfortunately passed away. She was 90 years old and had enjoyed a very good life but it was still a shock and from a selfish point of view We would've all liked to have her around for a bit longer.
Here is a photo of her when she was younger.
Her funeral was yesterday so mum and I got cooking and baking so we could put on a little afternoon tea for everyone to come back to. We tried to pick some of nan's favourite things.
Unfortunately in all the hurry I forgot to take a photo of everything laid out on the table but we made the following:
Savoury Morsels
- tuna mayonnaise and cucumber finger sandwiches
- open mini ham and tomato sandwiches
- open mini chicken pesto sandwiches (dice some roasted chicken and mix with a little mayonnaise, pesto, diced red pepper, lemon juice and salt and pepper and place a spoonful on a small disc of baguette)
- Mini cheese and tomato quiches (see recipe below)
- Olives
- Vegetable crisps
- Cheese board, crackers and grapes
Sweet Treats
- Victoria Sponge (see this post for the recipe I use for vanilla sponge and then sandwich with a good raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream and finish with a dusting of icing sugar)
- Marble cake cupcakes with white chocolate icing (made by my fabulous friend @hollyking84 using this recipe but topped with white chocolate butter cream coloured with a little food colouring instead of dark chocolate buttercream)
- Mini lemon meringue pies (see recipe below)
Photos
The finished cheese and tomato quiches
The Victoria sponge sliced ready for eating
@hollyking84's beautiful cupcakes
Mini lemon meringue pies
Recipes
Cheese and Tomato Mini Quiches
One packet of puff pastry
18 Cherry Tomatoes
300g grated cheese (I use half mature cheddar cheese and half Lancashire cheese)
3 eggs
4 tbsps Crème Fraiche
½ tsp each of salt, pepper and dried oregano
A few sprigs of basil
Makes 12 quiches
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7
1. Set aside 6 cherry tomatoes and 12 small basil leaves.
2. Place the remaining cherry tomatoes in a bowl or jug, prick each one with a knife and cover in boiling water. This will loosen the skins. After a few mins pour away the water and peel all of the skins off the tomatoes. Cut them all into quarters.
3. Chop the remaining basil into fine slithers and the remaining tomatoes in half.
4. Beat the eggs, stir in the grated cheese, crème fraiche, salt, pepper, oregano and remaining basil.
5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is quite thin. Cut 12 circles out and place each into a greased muffin tin, pressing it into the sides (I always use a pint glass to cut out the circles).
6. Place 4 quarters of tomatoes into each pastry case and then pour the mixture on top onto each one.
7. Place half a tomato onto each and a basil leaf.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 5 mins. Then reduce the temperature to 200C and bake for a further 10-15 mins until golden.
9. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove each of them from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Meringue Pies
For the pastry:
260g plain flour
40g icing sugar
185g cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons of cold water
For the meringue:
3 egg whites
165g caster sugar
For the lemon curd:
3 egg yolks
110g caster sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon
90g cold unsalted butter
1. Start by making the lemon curd by whisking the egg yolks with the caster sugar in a heatproof bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (approx 12 mins).
3. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cold butter.
4. Whilst the lemon curd cools make the pastry. I used the crumb method, but you can also do it by pulsing the butter, flour and icing sugar in a food processor until crumbly and then whilst the motor is still running add the egg yolk and enough water to make the pastry come together. Chill the pastry in the fridge for about 30 mins. Preheat the oven to 200C
5. Roll out the pastry and cut out 12 rounds into a greased muffin tin. Blind bake for about 12 minutes.
6. Remove the pastry cases from the tin and leave to cool for 5 mins.
7. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, add the caster sugar one teaspoon ensuring it is fully incorporated in between each addition.
8. Increase the oven temperature to 220C
9. Divide the lemon curd between the cases and pipe with a swirl of meringue. Bake for 2 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
In memory of my wonderful nan who had given me so many times to remember. Ada Buxton 16.12.1920 - 25.10.2011
Here is a photo of her when she was younger.
Her funeral was yesterday so mum and I got cooking and baking so we could put on a little afternoon tea for everyone to come back to. We tried to pick some of nan's favourite things.
Unfortunately in all the hurry I forgot to take a photo of everything laid out on the table but we made the following:
Savoury Morsels
- tuna mayonnaise and cucumber finger sandwiches
- open mini ham and tomato sandwiches
- open mini chicken pesto sandwiches (dice some roasted chicken and mix with a little mayonnaise, pesto, diced red pepper, lemon juice and salt and pepper and place a spoonful on a small disc of baguette)
- Mini cheese and tomato quiches (see recipe below)
- Olives
- Vegetable crisps
- Cheese board, crackers and grapes
Sweet Treats
- Victoria Sponge (see this post for the recipe I use for vanilla sponge and then sandwich with a good raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream and finish with a dusting of icing sugar)
- Marble cake cupcakes with white chocolate icing (made by my fabulous friend @hollyking84 using this recipe but topped with white chocolate butter cream coloured with a little food colouring instead of dark chocolate buttercream)
- Mini lemon meringue pies (see recipe below)
Photos
The finished cheese and tomato quiches
The Victoria sponge sliced ready for eating
@hollyking84's beautiful cupcakes
Mini lemon meringue pies
Recipes
Cheese and Tomato Mini Quiches
One packet of puff pastry
18 Cherry Tomatoes
300g grated cheese (I use half mature cheddar cheese and half Lancashire cheese)
3 eggs
4 tbsps Crème Fraiche
½ tsp each of salt, pepper and dried oregano
A few sprigs of basil
Makes 12 quiches
Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7
1. Set aside 6 cherry tomatoes and 12 small basil leaves.
2. Place the remaining cherry tomatoes in a bowl or jug, prick each one with a knife and cover in boiling water. This will loosen the skins. After a few mins pour away the water and peel all of the skins off the tomatoes. Cut them all into quarters.
3. Chop the remaining basil into fine slithers and the remaining tomatoes in half.
4. Beat the eggs, stir in the grated cheese, crème fraiche, salt, pepper, oregano and remaining basil.
5. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is quite thin. Cut 12 circles out and place each into a greased muffin tin, pressing it into the sides (I always use a pint glass to cut out the circles).
6. Place 4 quarters of tomatoes into each pastry case and then pour the mixture on top onto each one.
7. Place half a tomato onto each and a basil leaf.
8. Place in the oven and bake for 5 mins. Then reduce the temperature to 200C and bake for a further 10-15 mins until golden.
9. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove each of them from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Lemon Meringue Pies
For the pastry:
260g plain flour
40g icing sugar
185g cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons of cold water
For the meringue:
3 egg whites
165g caster sugar
For the lemon curd:
3 egg yolks
110g caster sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon
90g cold unsalted butter
1. Start by making the lemon curd by whisking the egg yolks with the caster sugar in a heatproof bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice.
2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (approx 12 mins).
3. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cold butter.
4. Whilst the lemon curd cools make the pastry. I used the crumb method, but you can also do it by pulsing the butter, flour and icing sugar in a food processor until crumbly and then whilst the motor is still running add the egg yolk and enough water to make the pastry come together. Chill the pastry in the fridge for about 30 mins. Preheat the oven to 200C
5. Roll out the pastry and cut out 12 rounds into a greased muffin tin. Blind bake for about 12 minutes.
6. Remove the pastry cases from the tin and leave to cool for 5 mins.
7. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, add the caster sugar one teaspoon ensuring it is fully incorporated in between each addition.
8. Increase the oven temperature to 220C
9. Divide the lemon curd between the cases and pipe with a swirl of meringue. Bake for 2 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
In memory of my wonderful nan who had given me so many times to remember. Ada Buxton 16.12.1920 - 25.10.2011
Saturday, 22 October 2011
Chocolate Rose Cake
I've not been able to bake a lot over the past couple of weeks as I've been working away a lot. I've really been missing my kitchen, especially as it's National Baking Week, so a friends birthday party was a great excuse to get back!
She's a total chocoholic so I decided to make a marble cake with chocolate icing.
For the marble cake I made 10oz of batter in total, 6oz of chocolate and 6oz of vanilla and put white chocolate chunks in the vanilla and dark chocolate chunks in the chocolate. I also added a little soured cream to ensure the sponge was lovely and moist. I baked it in two 8" cake tins. I'm so pleased with my new Kitchen Aid and the texture of the batter really is better.
For the icing I made a basic butter cream and added plenty of melted dark chocolate and another spoonful of soured cream. I sandwiched about 4 tablespoons between the two layers and then smoothed a crumb layer over the whole cake (a thin layer of icing to keep any crumbs in) and then used the palette knife to put plenty of icing around the sides. For the top I used a star nozzle to pipe circles (as though I was topping a cupcake) to resemble roses. I did the ones around the outside first, using a small blob of icing to fill in the gaps and then finished with one in the centre. Finally I sprinkled a little gold glitter all over the top and pressed chocolate shavings all over the sides.
The cake looked especially lovely when the candles were lit as they made the glitter look even more sparkly!
Chocolate Rose Cake
For the cake:
8.5oz self raising flour (I always use supreme sponge flour)
1.5oz cocoa powder
10oz margarine or unsalted butter
10oz caster sugar (I always use unrefined golden caster sugar)
5 eggs
2tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tablespoons of soured cream
100g white chocolate chunks
100g dark chocolate chunks
For the icing:
250g unsalted butter
350g icing sugar
200g melted dark chocolate
1 tbsp of soured cream
1. Preheat the oven to 170C
2. Start by making the vanilla sponge (that way you don't need to wash the bowl in between mixtures).
3. Cream 4oz of butter with 4oz of caster sugar until very light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and beat them in
4. Add 4oz flour, the vanilla paste, 1 tbsp of sourced cream and just under 1 tsp of baking powder. Fold in the white chocolate chips
5. Place one blob of mixture in the centre of each cake tin and then four blobs around leaving a gap between each for some chocolate mixture.
6. In the same bowl cream 6oz butter with 6oz caster sugar until fluffy. Add the 3 remaining eggs one at a time.
7. Add 4.5oz of flour, 1.5oz cocoa powder, just over 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tbsp of soured cream and mix well. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks
8. Blob the chocolate batter between the vanilla and smooth the top as much as you can without mixing the batters together too much
9. Bake for 35-45mins until a skewer comes out clean.
10. While the cake cooks make the icing. Start by beating the butter until smooth and the gradually add the icing sugar. Finally stir in the soured cream and slightly cooled melted chocolate.
11. Once totally cool ice the cake as detailed above.
She's a total chocoholic so I decided to make a marble cake with chocolate icing.
For the marble cake I made 10oz of batter in total, 6oz of chocolate and 6oz of vanilla and put white chocolate chunks in the vanilla and dark chocolate chunks in the chocolate. I also added a little soured cream to ensure the sponge was lovely and moist. I baked it in two 8" cake tins. I'm so pleased with my new Kitchen Aid and the texture of the batter really is better.
For the icing I made a basic butter cream and added plenty of melted dark chocolate and another spoonful of soured cream. I sandwiched about 4 tablespoons between the two layers and then smoothed a crumb layer over the whole cake (a thin layer of icing to keep any crumbs in) and then used the palette knife to put plenty of icing around the sides. For the top I used a star nozzle to pipe circles (as though I was topping a cupcake) to resemble roses. I did the ones around the outside first, using a small blob of icing to fill in the gaps and then finished with one in the centre. Finally I sprinkled a little gold glitter all over the top and pressed chocolate shavings all over the sides.
The cake looked especially lovely when the candles were lit as they made the glitter look even more sparkly!
Chocolate Rose Cake
For the cake:
8.5oz self raising flour (I always use supreme sponge flour)
1.5oz cocoa powder
10oz margarine or unsalted butter
10oz caster sugar (I always use unrefined golden caster sugar)
5 eggs
2tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla paste
2 tablespoons of soured cream
100g white chocolate chunks
100g dark chocolate chunks
For the icing:
250g unsalted butter
350g icing sugar
200g melted dark chocolate
1 tbsp of soured cream
1. Preheat the oven to 170C
2. Start by making the vanilla sponge (that way you don't need to wash the bowl in between mixtures).
3. Cream 4oz of butter with 4oz of caster sugar until very light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and beat them in
4. Add 4oz flour, the vanilla paste, 1 tbsp of sourced cream and just under 1 tsp of baking powder. Fold in the white chocolate chips
5. Place one blob of mixture in the centre of each cake tin and then four blobs around leaving a gap between each for some chocolate mixture.
6. In the same bowl cream 6oz butter with 6oz caster sugar until fluffy. Add the 3 remaining eggs one at a time.
7. Add 4.5oz of flour, 1.5oz cocoa powder, just over 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tbsp of soured cream and mix well. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks
8. Blob the chocolate batter between the vanilla and smooth the top as much as you can without mixing the batters together too much
9. Bake for 35-45mins until a skewer comes out clean.
10. While the cake cooks make the icing. Start by beating the butter until smooth and the gradually add the icing sugar. Finally stir in the soured cream and slightly cooled melted chocolate.
11. Once totally cool ice the cake as detailed above.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Bridesmaids cupcakes
One of my best friends in getting married next May and organised a get together this weekend for her bridesmaids (plus one of the flower girls) to go with her to the wedding fair at Earls Court and various other wedding planning things.
On Saturday evening she planned a girly night and I took some cupcakes over. In keeping with the girly theme I decided to go all floral and pink with a touch of glitter! I used some lovely floral cases and displayed them on a floral card base. The cupcake is a vanilla sponge but I followed the advice in Oliver Peyton's British Baking book and weighed the eggs (with the shells on) and used the same volume of flour, butter and sugar. I used two medium eggs so this was 39g eggs, butter, self raising flour and sugar and I added 1/4 tsp baking powder and vanilla paste. It wasn't a bother weighing the eggs and I do think it resulted in a slightly better texture. I would like to try it when I'm next making a Victoria sponge.
Once baked and cooled I cut a small hole from each and filled with a hulled strawberry and topped with a mixture of pink and white vanilla buttercream and a touch of glitter. For pictures of the strawberry in the centre please see my previous blog post 'cupcake heaven'.
On Saturday evening she planned a girly night and I took some cupcakes over. In keeping with the girly theme I decided to go all floral and pink with a touch of glitter! I used some lovely floral cases and displayed them on a floral card base. The cupcake is a vanilla sponge but I followed the advice in Oliver Peyton's British Baking book and weighed the eggs (with the shells on) and used the same volume of flour, butter and sugar. I used two medium eggs so this was 39g eggs, butter, self raising flour and sugar and I added 1/4 tsp baking powder and vanilla paste. It wasn't a bother weighing the eggs and I do think it resulted in a slightly better texture. I would like to try it when I'm next making a Victoria sponge.
Once baked and cooled I cut a small hole from each and filled with a hulled strawberry and topped with a mixture of pink and white vanilla buttercream and a touch of glitter. For pictures of the strawberry in the centre please see my previous blog post 'cupcake heaven'.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Guest baker - Cupcake Heaven!
For my 10th ever post I thought I would write about a guest baker to Sarah's kitchen. My sister Helen took over the kitchen to make some cupcakes and I might be a little bias but I think they are pretty amazing.
The first cupcakes she made were for a friends birthday. They vanilla cupcakes but decorated in the style of ombré using plenty of red food dye, the theme of the party (for anyone who doesn't know ombré hair is very fashionable at the moment and basically means a graduation of colour so perhaps dark roots fading to blonde ends). The icing was piped using a Wilton 2D nozzle from the centre outward. For anyone who wants icing tips You Tube has loads of how to videos.
The recipe was just a simple sponge and butter icing but if anyone wants it let me know.
She then moved on to make two sets of cupcakes for an afternoon tea and to take to work with her.
The first was again a vanilla cupcake but this time she removed some of the centre of the sponge and hid a whole strawberry under the icing and decorated it with edible glitter and edible lustre.
Finally she made a dense chocolate sponge using hound almonds for extra moisture and decorated them with chocolate ganache.
Again both of these were piped using the Wilton 2D nozzle.
All in all pretty successful I would say :)
The first cupcakes she made were for a friends birthday. They vanilla cupcakes but decorated in the style of ombré using plenty of red food dye, the theme of the party (for anyone who doesn't know ombré hair is very fashionable at the moment and basically means a graduation of colour so perhaps dark roots fading to blonde ends). The icing was piped using a Wilton 2D nozzle from the centre outward. For anyone who wants icing tips You Tube has loads of how to videos.
The recipe was just a simple sponge and butter icing but if anyone wants it let me know.
She then moved on to make two sets of cupcakes for an afternoon tea and to take to work with her.
The first was again a vanilla cupcake but this time she removed some of the centre of the sponge and hid a whole strawberry under the icing and decorated it with edible glitter and edible lustre.
Finally she made a dense chocolate sponge using hound almonds for extra moisture and decorated them with chocolate ganache.
Again both of these were piped using the Wilton 2D nozzle.
All in all pretty successful I would say :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)