Great British Cake Off

Well, what a busy few weeks of cake baking and sugar crafting. My family seem to have birthdays very close together sometimes, but you cannot have a birthday without cake can you.  My first cake was to celebrate my mums birthday, a very tipsy fruit cake covered in marzipan and icing. She likes flowers and pink, so pink roses and white hydrangea flowers were what I chose to do.

 

Next it was my beautiful nieces 18th birthday party so two cakes had to be made super quick. I chose a four tiered velvet cake and vanilla sponge covered in jam and buttercream combo for one of the twins and then I baked another alcohol soaked fruit cake for the other one.

 

 

 

I dressed my fruit cake with a girl in pink ,but when I set up the cake for cutting, I placed mini champagne candles around the figure and in her arms, it was a celebration after all. I hear from my brother in law this morning that any left over sponge cake has been eaten for breakfast ! it sounds like the celebrations are carrying on for another day.

 

Mothering Sunday

The weather was gorgeous over the weekend and my garden is starting to blossom.

 

 

 

My husband knew I was upset my teenagers could not spend the day with me. One was working in a pub kitchen up to his elbows in greasy pots and pans. The other one was doing homework ? so he took me to Burford for a walk and a browse.

 

 

 

Oh how I would love to live here with its creamy coloured buildings and its pretty gift shops. Even the local Co-op had wicker baskets for sale outside on the pavement. My lovely fella then brought me some hyacinths and daffodils, which have now three days later fill my kitchen with a strong scent.

I got home and decided to bake a carrot cake to say thank you for my day out. It had nothing to do with wanting to use these cute chocolate carrots I brought from Sainsburys. These Easter bunnies I keep knitting seem to appear everywhere. I think that is why I launched an Etsy shop to clear up my house.

 

Weekend ramblings

What a busy weekend. Baking for the week ahead, Broad Bean Falafels, Filo Pastry Bacon and Pepper Flan ( The Hairy Bikers Cookbook) and Filo Jam tarts  Date night with my husband at a local country pub, Dahl and Merlot yum. Life does not get any better than this.

Oh and the most exciting thing gathering all the patterns together for a knitting book. 2017 you are a very good New Year already, just a bit more colour in the gardens, warm sunshine and it would have been a perfect weekend.