Fantasy Cakes: Magical recipes for fanciful bakes by Angela Romeo {book review}

When I had my copy of Fantasy Cakes arrived on my door stop my girls took it from me and were immediately book marking recipes. Recipes for their birthday's and not being able to decide on just one were booking for birthday's 2 or 3 years from now.

There was a familiar feel to the style of the book and it came as no surprise that I have one of Angela Romeo's other books that she wrote for Sainsbury's. I am happy to see she has a book that has her name on the cover!

There are the great first chapters that cover an introduction - it's always nice to know a little about the author and their work. A chapter covering equipment, then techniques & finishing touches and then as this is mostly about decorating cakes we get a chapter on the basic recipes needed.

The following chapters are divided by Fruits & Flowers where we see cakes shaped and made to look like a watermelon and beautifully decorated cakes topped with blueberries and lemons and more. Spectacular Celebrations covers all the holiday's which is when the most cake is consumed. I have no data to back up that statement, it is just an observation I have made.

Candy Land, the following chapter, is the most bookmarked with cakes that are covered in candy, chocolates, and doughnuts. The following chapter is all rainbows, mirror glazes, and fantasy cakes and it is aptly titled Psychedelic Treats.

Inspired by days going to the movies, seaside, theatre, or fair these cakes really make you feel like you are on a Magical Day Out. The last chapter is the second most book marked chapter by my girls and is titled Decadent Divas. It includes a gorgeous Sultry salted caramel cake, Pink fizz Cake, and a cake called All that shimmers.... and you would be right to guess that it is covered in gold.

This book would be great for any level of cake decorators! There are some very basic ideas that work well for beginners and some recipes that might take a bit more of experienced skill. Overall it's a beautiful and informative book.

* I was provided a copy of Fantasy Cakes: Magical recipes for fanciful bakes by Angela Romeo to review by the publisher, Ryland Peters & Small, retails at £16.99 and available now from your local book retailers or online! All opinions are my own, I was not given any other compensation nor was I asked to give a positive review, please see my contact/policy page above for more information.
* Sainsbury's Cake book review can be found here.
* Check out Angela Romeo's website!

Gravity Cakes! by Jakki Friedman & Francesca Librae

I was sent Gravity Cakes! to review! It's a book for beginners and master bakers and cake decorators alike! There is literally something for everyone! Each project has step-by-step instructions and photos to guide you through! Gravity cakes are fun and give the wow factor to any cake!

It gives you everything you need to make these amazing cakes! It tells you the types of equipment and ingredients you will need as well as the recipes to make the base cakes and frosting and/or icings for said cakes. 

Then it's broken down into easy, medium, and advanced level of cakes so you can work your way through! Building your way up or give yourself a challenge either way the book has so much for you to choose from! 

Here is an inside look: 

*I was given a copy of Gravity Cakes! by Jakki Friedman & Francesca Librae to review by the publisher, Robert Rose. Retails at £18.95 and available now from your local book retailers or online! All opinions are my own, I was not given any other compensation nor was I asked to give a positive review, please see my contact/policy page for more information.

Red Velvet Ancient Egyptian Mummy Cake {Halloween}

Halloween is almost upon us! Tis the season of ghosts and goblins and candy! This was the inspiration for this month’s Clandestine Cake Club. Having recently taken over the organisation of the Reading group I was happy that a few old faces showed up! Just because I love Halloween doesn't mean everyone else does so I made the theme Halloween/Bonfire Night/Autumn.

I stuck with Halloween, because as I mentioned I love it. A red velvet cake seemed approiate. The only question was how to decorate it? After the debate vampire or ghost I went with a mummy. Not a mother mummy, but an ancient Egyptian dead one.

Also the reason I went with a mummy as it was going to be super easy. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I’m no cake decorator so keeping it easy is how I roll. Took out my piping bag and had a look through my nozzles took the one that looked most flat like and used it to pipe bandages across the cake in all different directions.

Please don’t ask me which nozzle I used because I couldn’t tell you! I can tell you that I used a tried and tested over and over again red velvet cupcake recipe. Straight from the original the hummingbird bakery cookbook. It’s one of those books that’s super reliable and would recommend to anyone.

This cake is great for any Halloween celebration! Or a monster movie marathon!

Red Velvet Ancient Egyptian Mummy Cake

60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 egg
10g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp red food coloring gel
½ tsp vanilla extract
120ml buttermilk
150g plain flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tsp cider vinegar

Heat the oven to 170°C before buttering a 7 inch round cake pan and leaving to the side. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until it’s fully mixed in. Add the cocoa powder, gel color, and vanilla extract and give it another good mix. First add half of the buttermilk, mix until just combined then add half the flour mixing, again until just combined. Repeat adding the remaining buttermilk, then mix. Add the last of the flour and mix. Add the salt, bicarb, and vinegar and beat until well mixed. Scrap down the sides of the bowl into the prepared cake pan and place in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Cake sound spring back when gently pressed and skewer test should come out clean. Leave to cool for a few minutes before removing from the tin and leaving to cool completely before icing.

vanilla “bandage” frosting
250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter, room temperature
1-2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 googly eyes

Beat the icing sugar and butter together first before adding 1 tablespoon of milk and the vanilla extract. If it’s too thick then add the other tablespoon of milk, if it’s too soft add more icing sugar until you get the consistency you need to be able to pipe it. Fill the piping bag that has a flat like nozzle with the frosting and pipe a triangle in the middle of the cake wherever you want. Then continue to pipe “bandages” everywhere but inside the triangle. Add too googly eyes by adding a dot of frosting to the backs of each and stick on the cake left bare. Or you could pipe your eyes on. Whatever suits your skill level!

We had some other great cakes: 



Toffee Apple Cake

Chocolate Orange Spider Cake

Spiced Apple Cake

Gingerbread Grave Cake

We met up at the amazing Alto Lounge in Caversham, just outside Reading town centre. It has a homey atmosphere that was perfect for out gathering and the staff were super friendly!

Alto Lounge: 32 Church Street, Caversham, Reading RG4 8AU, England

Giving and Receiving

You know when you say you're going to do something, but then you go and do something else?

Sainsbury’s gave me a copy of their latest book titled Cake to give away to one of my readers.

Well, I’m not going to host a giveaway.

However, I did give it away.

I gave it to my friend Sharon, she is a reader of my blog!

She is also my friend who has guest posted a few times here on United Cakedom. She’s shared her Spider-Man Cake that still gets loads of views.

She has also shared the Lion Cake she made from Sainsbury’s book titled Baking. Which is the number one viewed post on my blog this week!

When we were talking one day she asked if I had seen that Sainsbury’s had just come out with a new cake book. Of course I had and it was because of her excitement that I decided I was going to give her my giveaway copy. 

I really think she deserves it.

I mean look at the Loveable Lion Cake it's amazing! 

Plus she promised she’d share any and all her creations from the book with us!

If you have any doubt that she deserved a copy of this book please feel free to leave a comment!

The book has a lot of inspiration for the beginner and the more advanced cake decorator!

It has animals like a pig and a bunny! No lion in this one though, for that you’ll have to check out the Baking book. But there are fun holiday cakes for Halloween and Bonfire Night. Cakes for all occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, mother and father’s day and many more!

 At 5 pounds it’s a real bargain!

Sainsbury’s have a whole range of books so if cakes aren't your thing they have other titles at that price! There is one for Quick Recipes another with Winter Warmers those two stick out in my mind at the moment. If you watch out sometimes they even go down to 3 pounds 50 pence!

notes: in association with Sainsbury’s, for further information please see my contact/policy page. 

Biscuits for Mum!! {Guest Post}

Mother's Day is only a week away! It's another holiday where everyone is told to buy their mother this or that, but sometimes making a gift is even more special. Holly Arnold, recipe editor @ goodtoknow has contacted me again to share with you her fun and flavourful biscuits she's created for Mother's Day!! 

Biscuits are a perfect way to show your mother you care! Just make sure you or someone else is willing to clean up the mess in the kitchen after you're done! Down below are some amazing ideas for different flavours, shapes, and decorations! 

Before you go... if you have a family recipe that has been passed down to you, from your mother and you think it's amazing- why not send goodtoknow Recipes your mum's best dish & win!! You have until 12th of March to send it in!! Can't wait to see all the entries!! ~Lisa 

Biscuits for Mum 
By Holly Arnold, Recipes Editor, www.goodtoknow.co.uk

I never fully appreciated just how versatile biscuits are until we spent a day creating  new Mother's Day biscuits for goodtoknow.

A simple, vanilla biscuit recipe can be decorated, shaped and flavoured in so many different ways - the only thing holding you back is your imagination!

Flavours

A basic biscuit dough (flour, egg, butter and sugar) can withstand extra flavours. Chunks of chocolate, fudge, even popcorn (trust me, it works!) add a extra burst of flavour to the mixture. Try hiding a raspberry inside some cookie dough for a delicious hidden centre.

Shapes

We asked ourselves what do you give your mum on Mother's Day that would be much better as a biscuit - and voila, the Mother's Day biscuit card was born! If you give your biscuit dough about 20 mins in the fridge to cool, it can be kneaded and shaped into almost any creation you can think of.

Decorations

We have our good friends at Dr Oetker and Lakeland to thank here! Sprinkles, food gels and gold shimmer spray, there is a product to turn every crazy idea you have into a reality. Our flower pot plants were dreamt up when we saw these incredible muffin pots.

So why got give a go yourself? You'll be surprised how much fun you can have with plain old biscuits!! See all 17 of our new Mother's Daybiscuit creations.

note: Happy Mother's Day!! Treat your mom to something nice on Sunday ... like biscuits! ;0) 

Pizza Sugar Cookies!!

My daughter turned 5 on Friday! I can't believe how fast it's gone! I know all parents say that. When I was pregnant I used to get annoyed by all the people who would tell me that it would go fast. Now I'm saying it myself, because it's so true.

To celebrate we let her have her first party. With her birthday so close to Christmas we tended to only have small family parties. People are so busy this time of year I didn't want to add one more thing others lists! First I wanted to throw her a My Little Pony Party or a Winter Princess Party, but most of her friends are boys and we were having it in the house. We are limited to space, so 5 of her friends were invited for a Pizza Party!!

I had all sorts of fantastical ideas of it being the best party ever with the kids making their own pizzas and having hand made aprons to take home as their party gift... I'm glad I chucked those ideas right out of my head!! In the end I bought pizzas and made these delicious vanilla cookies for them to take home in their party bags.

to make: use your favorite sugar cookie recipe!! I used Shauna Sever's Big, Soft Frosted Vanilla Sugar Cookies from her book Pure Vanilla. I wanted them to look like mini pizzas so, I dyed 1/3 of the frosting red. Spread that on first for the 'tomato sauce', then the white on top of that for 'cheese' then used different sprinkles for the 'toppings'!

I asked the kids if they thought they looked like mini pizzas, all of them, but one polite little girl, said no! Ah well, they were still delicious!! Now I have about 7 weeks to decide what to make for the littlest ones birthday! They really do grow up fast!!

note to self: 4/5 year-old's aren't really all that interested in games they were way more happier just playing then when I was trying to coax them into Pizza Bingo or Pizza Darts and Hot Tomato. note to other parents: I hate party bags. They end up in the trash the second they leave your party. Pure Vanilla is available on Amazon UK or US. My views on the book and the Lemon Dream Bars I made from it.

Treasure Chest Cake for Kids!!

from Cakes for Kids by Matthew Mead

Serves 12-16 (makes one 5-by-9-by-6 inch cake).Equipment

• 9x13 in cake pan
• Waxed or parchment paper
• Toothpick
• Wire cooling racks
• Glass measuring cup
• Cutting board
• Ruler
• Long serrated knife
• Platter or 10x10in cardboard base for serving
• Small offset spatula
• Deco bag & #47 weave tip

• A 9x13 cake of your choice
• 3 cups of white frosting (choose a thicker frosting)
• Yellow food coloring
• Brown food coloring
• 20 small yellow candies (skittles)

Loot:

• Ring Pops
• Gold foil covered chocolate coins
• 5 foil wrapped mini Chocolate bars
• 5 strings clear rock candy
• Chocolate golden nugget candy

Bake cake according to directions.  While cake is cooling, tint 1/2 C frosting yellow. Tint remainder of frosting brown.

Place the cooled cake on cutting board.  Using a ruler and serrated knife, cut across the cake using the diagram.

Cut the middle piece diagonally to create two eight inch long wedges. Diagram 1 &2. Level the top of one 5x9 in pieces, but leave the other curved to help shape the dome of the chest. Diagram 3.

Transfer the bottom of the trunk to the platter. Center one of the wedges on top of it, aligning the tapered edge with the back 9 in edge. Using an offset spatula, bond the wedge to the bottom with a thin layer of brown frosting. Spread more brown frosting on top of the wedge and then center the trunk top on the assembled pieces, aligning the back edges as shown in step 2 of the assembly diagram.

Decorate chest with long uneven strokes of brown frosting to make it look like rustic wood. Use yellow fondant or frosting, as I did, to make the lock and handles. Arrange the candies around and in the chest like pirates booty!

Have a great weekend!! ~ Janet

Diamond Jubilee Sugar Cookies!!

The Queen (ELC happyland people)

How did you spend your 4-day bank holiday weekend?!?!

I had bought fun crown and flag cookie cutters from Lakelands in preparation for the Jubilee, but as always I make them on the day so I was unable to share with you ahead of time. I didn’t make any fancy cookies with flooding etc… I want to do that one-day, but one day when I am kid free and I don’t have to worry about the impatience of children!

So, we used Dr. Oetker colour gels! We still had fun decorating them! My oldest Mini-Baker was very impressed with the Queen as we watched the coverage on TV. I’m not going to lie I was pretty impressed with the Queen too! Think of all the things she’s seen and done in her lifetime? She also looks extremely well for her age! I hope we get to see a Platinum Jubilee!!

This makes a lot of dough and we made some Mickey Mouse ones and butterflies too!

If you are looking for an easy simple sugar cookie recipe to use for decorating cookies look no further! Enjoy!!

Simple Sugar Cookies from Sprinklebakes: Dessert Recipes to Inspire Your Inner Artist

½ pound (2 sticks or 228) butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour, more for rolling

pinch of salt

With a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar together until just incorporated. Heather from Sprinklebakes says not to over mix or the cookies could spread while baking.

Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed.

Add the flour and salt, mix on low until dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl. Heather also says that if the dough clumps around your paddle attachment then it’s a good sign your dough is the right consistency.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a ball (the dough will not be sticky) wrap tight and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On a well-floured work surface knead the dough slightly making it into a disc before rolling out. Roll to a ¼ -inch thickness. To get perfectly even dough use guide bands or two flat ¼ inch dowels as guides.

Cut out desired shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Heather says to be careful not to stretch the cutout, as it will warp when baking.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes this will help the cookies keep a crisp shape!

Preheat oven 350F/180C. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden around the edges. My baking sheet wasn’t big enough for all my cookies so I baked in batches I found the second and third batch only took 15 minutes where the first batch took the full 20 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes transfer to a wire rack and then decorate as you please when they are completely cooled.

I like simple easy decorations too!

Check out what I thought of Heather's book here!!