Happy Accident - Chocolate Orange Cake Bombs {Cake Truffles}

After my cake didn't come out as expected (see Cake Disaster) I physically stepped away from it; left it in a room and walked out. That is how mad I was at it. Ridiculous, I know. But it allowed me the time I needed to chill and approach it with a new look.

I first tried to get the top half of the cake out in one piece, but it kept crumbling. Which is when I thought what do you do with edible cake crumbs. Usually make cake pops. I didn't have any sticks so, I made Cake Bombs or Cake Truffles if you like.

So, to make these delicious cake bombs use the cake recipe in the previous post or any cake of your choice. If you are using the whole cake you will want to double this recipe of butter cream -

Cake Bombs

1/2 of chocolate orange marble cake
1 portion of butter cream (below)
 Dr. Oetker Easy Choc Milk or any chocolate melts in any color
sprinkles, optional

Beat together until just combined. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut. Put in the freezer, I left mine over night because of time reasons, but an hour should be enough time. Then melt your candy melts or Dr. Oetker Easy Choc according to the instructions given on the packaging. Dip each 'bomb' into the chocolate and leave to set, decorate quickly if using sprinkles or other decorations.
Once set you can enjoy at any time!

Vanilla/Orange Butter Cream

250g icing sugar, sifted
80g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange extract

Place everything into the bowl of a mixer or a medium bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.

Life doesn't always turn out how we expect it too, neither does cake. I could have easily thrown it in the trash, I wanted too, I was so annoyed. But I managed to turn my cake disaster into a happy accident, whoever says cake is just cake doesn't understand baking at all.

Cake Disaster - Chocolate Orange Marble Bundt

Bundt cakes are my favorite, when they actually come out of their tins properly. It's so annoying when you have taken the time and lovingly mixed a cake and greased the bundt pan and floured it like you always have only to have the cake stick.

In fact it's infuriating.

When I tell people this they act like it's the craziest reason to be annoyed and/or angry. According to them it's just a cake. In reality that's exactly what it is, cake. But yet it's not just a cake.

You know the saying "it's not the destination, it's the journey' and that's the same for baking. It's not just about the delicious treat at the end it's about the process.

To start with there is a craving or a need to use up an ingredient or two in your cupboard, so there is a need to bake. Then it's gathering, measuring, and mixing all the ingredients in a specific order to make a smooth batter that gets poured into a tin and baked to a perfectly risen golden cake that springs back when gently prodded.

So, after all that time and effort to have your cake ruined because it didn't come out of the tin as expected it's annoying. Then if you are a blogger and like to write about these things you have this pressure that it should be perfect.

Life isn't perfect, but on the internet we like to portray it as such.

Like life this cake isn't perfect either, but it was delicious. There is a perfect balance of orange and chocolate. Because it was a marble cake it pretty much came out in half as you can see below. One half I ate as cake and the other half I made Cake Bombs - want to know more check out the following post.

Chocolate Orange Marble Bundt Cake

228g butter
300g sugar
4 large eggs, separated
340g flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 salt
160ml milk
grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 tsp orange extract (optional)
60g cocoa powder
60ml of water

Heat the oven to 170C/350F - grease the bundt pan with butter or a tasteless oil (veggie/sunflower) and sift a little flour to cover it and gently tap it out, leave to the side.

Then beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs, trying to leave the egg yolks in tact and then beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, leave the egg whites to the side and add the egg yolks one at a time and beat until just combined between each one.  Mix the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt together - then add 1/3 of it to the butter mixture mixing until just combined, then add half of the milk again beating until combined, then the flour, milk and lastly the flour. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.

Split the batter into two - add the zest and extract to one batter and gently fold in and then mix the cocoa powder and water together before adding to the other half of the batter. Alternate adding to your well greased and floured bundt pan - resist the urge to mix them together.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, using the skewer test to make sure it's cooked through. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes before inverting the bundt pan on a wire rack to cool completely - if using a proper Nordic Ware bundt pan they can take a while to cool so just leave it until cool to the touch.

As mentioned above the cake is actually delicious and worth a go. I have not tested this cake in cake pans, but it is an option, I would stick to the same oven temperature, but would vary the baking time depending on what size cake pans you use. But if it all goes wrong you can make cake bombs! Post to follow on how to make them! Because even after a cake disaster, there is always a way to turn it into a happy accident.

Oange Major: orange, pineapple, banana, & yogurt smoothie

I made a smoothie! When one visits a juice and/or smoothie place they always have crazy names like Strawberry Dream or BananaRama or something. Generally I am not that creative when it comes to names.

As a kid I named all my stuffed animals what they were. Penguin (my favorite stuffed toy) was called Penguin and his best friend Walrus....yup was a walrus. They are still best friends. I also had a platypus (he was a beanie baby, before beanie babies were a thing) he came with a name, but I changed it to Platypus. Because he was the original color I had a lady offer me $500 for him back in the day and I said no. I was a kid, I didn't have bills to pay.

Anyhow, I was drinking this and googling cocktails and something was called Major something or another and I was like I should call this Major something or another and I did. But at the end of the day it's an orange, pineapple, banana, and yogurt smoothie and here is how I made it, it's super easy.

Orange Major

serves 2 
1-2 oranges
1/4 pineapple
1/2 banana
50g vanilla yogurt

Juice the orange and pineapple and then blend with the banana and yogurt. If you like it cold add a few ice cubes!

It's perfectly orangey with just the right amount of pineapple and banana! This would also make great ice lollies. Pour them in ice lolly moulds and freeze! Yum!

Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts

If you have read my previous post you will already know this, but if you have come here from another source then you should know that these tarts were inspired by a fictional King Edward VI from a booked titled Lady Jane: the not entirely true story. If you'd like to know a bit more about the story and my thoughts on the book click on the title above.

This post is to talk about these Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts...... which were super amazing! In the book the King loves his blackberries especially as pie. The thing is I am not a huge fan of fruit pie because cooked mushy fruit just doesn't appeal to me.

Brainstorming, isn't something you just learn at school, an idea other then pie was fairly simple. It went like this: use fresh blackberries, fresh berries taste great in tarts, tarts are similar to pie, custard goes well in tarts and done.

So, no these aren't exactly blackberry pie, but as the real fictional king loved blackberries in or out of pie I am positive he would have approved of these.

Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts

Shortcrust Pastry with orange zest

250g plain flour
100g icing sugar
pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter, cold grated or cubed
2 egg yolks
1 egg
zest of 1 orange

Sift the flour and icing sugar together in a large mixing bowl, add the pinch of salt and the cold grated butter. Rub gently between your finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs - try to handle it as little as possible. *I sometimes run my hands under cold water and pat dry before this last step as my hands are generally warm.
Gently whisk the egg yolks and yolk together, make a well in the bread crumbs and add the eggs as well as the orange zest. Using a spatula bring the dough together. It will be a bit crumbly, pour onto a sheet of clingfilm and gently pat down into a square and wrap in the clingfilm. Keep it in the fridge for a minimum of an hour, but is best if kept overnight.

Quick(ish) Custard

30g caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 egg yolks
260ml double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Using a glass or metal bowl whisk the sugar, cornflour, and egg yolks until lighter in color and you have incorporated a bit of air into them. Leave aside and heat the cream and vanilla together until it starts to produce little bubbles aka simmering. Gradually pour the now vanilla infused cream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the while.
Make a double boiler by placing your heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir the custard until thick and creamy. Can take about 7-10 minutes. To test it use a spatula or spoon by dipping it into the custard and when you pull it out it shouldn't drip off the spoon, run your finger through the middle and if the trail your finger makes stays it's done.
Take off the heat and continue whisking for a few minutes before leaving in the fridge to cool for a minimum of 4 hours.

To Assemble: 

225g blackberries
Oat Crumble (optional) recipe found here.
Egg wash: 1 small egg, lightly beaten

Pastry: Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, to about 3mm or .3cm and cut into rounds to fit your muffin tin make sure to leave a little over the top for shrinkage. Press carefully into the muffin cavities, no need to grease. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Take them out of the fridge and line with grease proof baking paper and line with baking beads or your choice of weight some people use rice. Blind bake for 10-15 minutes or until it starts to brown. Remove the baking beads and brush a very light layer of the egg wash over each pastry case and bake for an extra 2 minutes or so. Leave to cool completely before adding a blackberry or two depending how big they are to each case. Cover with the custard and oat crumble if using. Enjoy!

I shared these with my work colleagues and they had a deep discussion about how one of them didn't like blackberries, but were loving them with the custard and oat topping. Then I was asked what it was that was giving it that extra something and I said it was probably the orange zest in the pastry. With that revaluation it was readily agreed upon that that was what was giving it that something special. They are funny, I do love working with fellow foodies!

*recipe adapted from Sweet Tooth by Lily Vanilli

Orangey Orange Cupcakes with Raspberries

I baked in my new cooker! They (the mystical beings from wherever) say that all cookers temperatures can vary by 5 or 10 degrees one way or the other. The only way to find out how my new oven's tempted swayed was by baking in it!!

It sways on the side of being a bit hotter then the temperature says, but now that I know that I can either adjust the temperature or the cooking/baking time!

One never stops learning things. Like that your boiler needs to be switched on to work. That was a fun visit from the boiler man. He solved my problem with a sharpie marker. He wrote boiler on the plug base thing for me. Just to inform everyone that it's the boiler and it should be switched on.

(For my American friends and family and readers all the electric sockets have switches on them and can be switched off and on. Very useful if you ask me.)

Needless to say this last month has been a learning curve. Now that things are slowly settling it was good to get back to baking! I have a plan to share at least one bake a week. We will all see how that goes....

Anyhow to the cupcakes! These are very orangey with orange zest in the sponge and frosting and raspberries dotting around in the sponge and as decoration! So, I called them orangey orange cupcakes with raspberries!

My flat sits on top of a business and so when I took some of these beauties down to share with them and they all had nothing but praise for how good they were! I was even called to say that they were amazing! That made my day and a good testament that you should try them out!

Orangey Orange Cupcakes with Raspberries

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
a pinch of salt
2 oranges, zest of
4 medium eggs
225g self-rising flour
250g (about) raspberries

Heat the oven to 175C and line two 12 cup muffin tins with cupcake cases.
Beat the softened butter, sugar, salt and orange zest together until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl/jug gently beat the eggs together. Gradually add the beaten eggs to the butter mixture, scraping down the sides when necessary. If it starts to separate or curdle add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the flour (from the 225g) to bring the mixture back together and then continue to add the egg until it's completely combined. Sift in the flour and gently fold in until just combined. Place 1-2 dessert spoons into each case and place 1-2 raspberries on top of the batter! (Be sure to save some for decoration!) Bake for 20-22 minutes depending on your oven. After 10 minutes I rotated my pan to ensure a more even bake. They should be golden brown and springy to the touch, if not sure use the skewer test to ensure they are completely baked.

While they are baking make the cream cheese frosting

Orange & Cointreau Cream Cheese Frosting 

250g full fat cream cheese
250g unsalted butter
625g icing sugar
2 oranges, zest of
2-3 teaspoons of Cointreau, (orange liqueur) optional

Bring the cream cheese out of the fridge when you are ready to start making the frosting, I would suggest doing so while the sponge is baking.

Beat the butter and 200g of the icing sugar together until combined, then add another 200g and beat until smooth, repeat one last time with 225g sugar until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the slightly softened cream cheese, orange zest, and Cointreau if using to the mixture and beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Put in a piping bag if using and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until it's firm enough to pipe. If not piping I still suggest leaving it in the fridge for a while to firm up.

By this time the cakes should be out of the oven and cooling. Pipe on top of the cooled cakes and add a raspberry (from the cake ingredients) to complete the look!!

more fruity cupcakes:
Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
Diamond Jubilee Cupcakes from Fab Food 4 All
Dark Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cupcakes from Supper in the Suburbs
Orange & Beetroot Cupcakes from Tin and Thyme

notes: recipe was adapted from Peggy Porschen cupcakes - my review is here! FYI I do know that boilers need to be switched on, but I wasn't sure which switch was which and I didn't want to just start flipping switches everywhere and accidentally break something else in the process of trying to turn the boiler on! Just thought I should clarify that!

Olive Oil Orange Bundt Cake

Once in a while one creates something that you know will be re-created time and time again. In a book titled Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito there exists a cake titled Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt. It wasn’t originally Renato’s mom’s cake, but a French neighbor who passed along the recipe.

Then they put it in their book to share with the rest of the world or the parts of the world who read their book.

I myself was sitting around one Saturday and I decided I wanted a cake. More specifically an uncomplicated cake. Nothing fancy and show-offy just a deliciously plain cake. After looking through one of my many baking books I took this book off the shelf and found Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt.

It was a matter of two things that made me settle on this cake 1. I had oranges in my fridge that were looking a bit sad, plus other cakes required me to go to the store which I didn’t want to do, which bring us right to number 2. it suited my uncomplicated need. With minimum ingredients and little effort this is one of the best cakes I have ever made.

Going full circle, there is a reason this cake has been passed around from neighbor (who knows where the neighbor acquired it) to son to us, it’s that good. The passing around of the recipe is testimony enough for it, there are no other words. I hope one day my girls will call it Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt with the mom in reference to myself and then they make it and pass it along too.

Olive Oil Orange Bundt 

3 cups all purpose flour (plain flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plain buttermilk
3/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated zest of 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) for dusting

Heat the oven to 350F/180C - prep the bundt pan with a little of the oil spreading around with your hand and dust lightly with flour or use a cake spray.

First mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
Using a standing mixer (paddle attachment) beat the egg yolks until they are lighter and thicker, then slowly add the sugar, I did this one tablespoon at a time, until it’s completely combined. Add the buttermilk and olive oil and beat until combined. Mix in the orange zest and vanilla. Beat in half of the flour mixture, scrap down the sides and the bottom before beating in the rest until combined.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in one large spoon full of the egg whites into the batter. Gently and patiently! Continue to fold in the egg whites large spoon full by large spoon full. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the bundt pan halfway through. Use the skewer test to insure cake is baked through. Leave to cool in the pan until the bundt pan is cool enough to touch. Gently loosen the sides before placing a plate over the bundt and turn the cake out onto the plate. Leave to cool completely before sifting the icing sugar over the top! Enjoy!

notes: Cups are no longer hard to find in the UK and to keep the simplicity of the recipe I used cups! I bought my copy of Baked Explorations years ago - all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page above for more information!

August Break Day 5: Citrus/Citrus Water

Today’s August Break prompt is citrus so I am going to share with you my favorite flavored water. I find it refreshing and it always seems to help when dealing with a nasty cold.

Citrus Water
500ml water
1 satsuma or tangerine, juiced
1/2 of a small pineapple, juiced
1 lime, squeezed

Juice the satsuma and pineapple in a juicer before adding to the water, squeeze in the lime and shake or stir. Keeps for about a day or two, best served chilled.

Orange & Raspberry Muffins: Inspiration

When one ventures into a creative field, occupation, career, hobby or whatever you want to call it inspiration is pretty crucial to success. If creativity is forced it’s hardly ever good, sometimes it’s good if you know what inspires you. Some people have a “muse” that brings endless inspiration and others, like myself, have it smack them in the face from unexpected places.

Perhaps this wasn’t as unexpected as I perceived it to be at the time, however at the time it was a bit like a light bulb moment. First I should explain about this stuff called “squash” or “cordial” depending on what part of the UK you are from. Growing up in America the only thing I can compare it to is possibly Kool-Aid and that’s a bit of a stretch. Squash is a concentrated flavored liquid that is diluted by water.


It’s alright. I don’t personally rate squash as anything special. It is a suitable alternative to carbonated fizzy drinks and can be a change from water if needed. Anyway after trying a new flavor of orange and raspberry I had the light bulb moment! One word came to mind “muffins!” Orange and raspberry muffins to be exact.

Muffins are one of the easiest things to bake. It’s mostly a case of mixing dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ones in another before mixing together. No complicated instructions here! These turned out better then I expected and I already have added raspberries to my shopping list so I can make them again!!

It’s one thing to be inspired by something, but when it’s made into something all your own it’s even better!!

Orange & Raspberry Muffins

125g fresh raspberries
icing sugar, to coat raspberries
250g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
150g golden caster sugar
1 orange, zest & juice
1 large egg
250ml milk
50g unsalted butter, melted

Heat the oven to 200C and line a muffin tin. Coat the raspberries in a dash of icing sugar (you don’t need much to cover them.) Zest the orange, cut it in half and juice only half the orange.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and sugar together before folding in the zest and raspberries.
Mix the egg, milk, melted butter, and the orange juice.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg/milk/butter/juice mixture. Stir until just combined. Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the muffin cases.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes… it’s easy to know when they are done by the amazing smell that will fill the kitchen. Leave to cool slightly before sampling and finishing them off!

Tip: mix the dry ingredients the night before and then when you get up in the morning heat the oven add the wet ingredients and bake for a great breakfast treat!

Other Fruity Muffins: 

blueberry crumble muffins

blueberry muffins

strawberry & cream muffins

apple & cinnamon crumble muffins

notes: inspired by a recipe from 100 Magnificent Muffins & Scones by Felicity Barnum-Bob

Orange, Passion Fruit, & Champagne Jelly desserts {product review}

After being at home with my girls for the last 7 years, I have jumped back into the working world. At the moment I currently have 2 ½ jobs. It seems like I have found myself with a lot on my plate.

I am finding out what it really means to time manage. So, I was pretty proud of myself for making these jellies’s in the morning so they would be set for after dinner!

It’s pretty impressive if I even have dinner on the table on time these days!

Jelly is one of those things that everyone loves. It doesn't matter how old you are. As we get older our tastes buds change and sometimes our favorite childhood treats just don't taste the same. This Taste the Difference range of jellies from Sainsbury's is full of flavor and has fun flavor combinations! 

These jellies can be made according to the instructions and therefore will be suitable for the whole family, but making it with the suggestions I listed below make it a bit more adult.... then again maybe not?

I was sent Orange, Passion Fruit, and Champagne Jelly and Blackcurrant, Elderflower, and Cassis Jelly to try out.

First I made the Orange, Passion Fruit, and Champagne Jelly with half orange juice and half prosecco. I added in some canned mandarin’s for texture and topped with whipped cream and passion fruit seeds/juice.

Then I made the Blackcurrant one in champagne flutes to add a bit of festive fun and topped that one with some whipped cream as well.

There are so many ways to be creative with this range, such as:

• Use prosecco in place of water, as suggested on the bottle
• Use your favorite fizzy drink, lemonade or an orange soda
• Different juices to match the flavors of the chosen jelly (ex: elderflower juice in the blackcurrent or orange juice in the orange etc…) if you do use half water half juice sometimes it is a little too soft when setting if you use just juice.
• Add in matching fruits, canned usually works best because the fruit will be soft.
• Make it a jelly terrine!
• Make it in a flat baking tray and once it’s set use cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes
• Make it in a trifle (my husband wanted me to do this and I just don’t like trifles that much…. I know I know we’ll talk about this later!)
• Make it in fun shapes using jelly moulds
• Top with whipped cream or meringues or ice cream
• Drizzle with all sorts of fruit syrups

Jelly is fun for all ages and these Taste the Difference ones from Sainsbury’s were super easy to make and they make a great treat for any time of the day! Especially during the holiday season that is full of rich and heavy foods. Why not lighten the load a bit with a jelly dessert! My favorite part is that they are made in advance and takes some of the stress away from the big day! See my time management is already getting better! 

notes: in association with Sainsbury's they sent me the jelly to try all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy tab above. 

Ginormous Jaffa Cake Cake

Until I moved to the UK I had never heard of Jaffa Cakes.

I can’t recall the exact moment I tried a jaffa cake for the first time, but I do remember thinking they were a bit odd.

The thing was I couldn't quiet decide what it was.

We, us humans, like things to be defined. We feel safer when things make sense or fit into a category. That way we can say we understand it because it fits into something we already know.

Jaffa cakes didn't really make sense to me and I wasn't sure I liked them or not. Even though I have a love of orange and chocolate. 

Then there was a new tax on chocolate covered biscuits. Which then began the whole debate on if a jaffa cake was in fact a cake or was it a biscuit.

Finally we would know where the jaffa cake stood and by knowing that we could sleep better at night.

It was decided they were more cake like and therefore wouldn't be taxed. They proved their point by making a large jaffa cake and I would like to think it was a bit like this one.

Ginormous Jaffa Cake Cake

orange jelly

juice of 4 large oranges

100g golden caster sugar

6 gelatine leaves

Line a 8in/20cm round cake tin with clingfilm. Before juicing the oranges, zest them and save it for cake below. Once zested juice the oranges and place in a saucepan with the sugar. Gently stir to dissolve. While that’s doing that, place the gelatine leaves into cold water to soften. Once soft, squeeze any excess water out before placing in the warm orange juice/sugar mixture. Gently stir until the gelatine is completely melted, then pour into prepared pan and set for 4 hours or more in the fridge.

cake cake:

250g unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

300g golden caster sugar

4 large eggs

100g full fat natural yogurt

300g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

zest of 4 large oranges

Line a 10in/23cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper and grease with a little butter. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding mixture and beat until everything is combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes or until springy to the touch and a skewer test comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin until the tin is cool enough to handle. Finish cooling completely before placing the jelly circle in the middle of the cake.

chocolate ganache

284ml double cream

150g milk chocolate, broken up

150g dark chocolate, broken up

Place all the ingredients above in a heat proof bowl and set on top of a simmering pan of water. Once the chocolate starts to melt gently whisk in the middle of the bowl in tiny circles. It just slowly mixes the chocolate and the cream and it always gives a smooth silky ganche. Cool slightly before pouring on top of the jelly topped cake.

notes: For further information the jaffa cake tax decision look here and/or here. Recipe is adapted from BBC Bakes & Cakes Magazine Spring 2014 edition 

My Fav 5 United Cakedom Posts

These are my favorite posts from the last 2 years and 11 months! Each one was were I felt I did something different then I had ever done before and it turned out in a delicious treat!

Chocolate Orange Brownies: 

In America I remember only getting a Chocolate Orange at Christmas time. You couldn't get one any other time of year. When I moved to Great Britain and saw they had chocolate oranges out in the middle of summer I was appalled!! It was pure blasphemy! They were for Christmas like Cadbury Creme Eggs are for Easter...

Golden Snitch Bomb Cake {Happy Birthday Harry!}

For Harry's big day I made him a snitch cake, like Mrs Weasley does in book 7. I played around with different ideas. But finally decided I wanted to use sugar paste as I concluded it would give me the look I wanted. Then I used a gold spray to make it golden!... 

Forgotten Blackberry Pudding from the Hempstock Farm

However it was never my intention to review the book here, but to share with you a dessert inspired by the delicious sounding food from the Hempstock Farm. As this is a “forgotten” pudding it was fitting for our main character. Then on the day that changed everything he has homemade blackberry jam, so blackberries were a must. It was so easy to make and so absolutely delicious. I imagined I was using fresh eggs and cream from the Hempstock’s! 

Happy Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

June 12^th is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I love peanut butter and I love cookies.... Making them taste like, a childhood favorite, Nutter Butters is an ingenious idea! They are huge so it will probably be a better idea to make them smaller then I did, as I've ended up halving them. No way I can eat one on my own the size I've made them! The filling I could eat by itself. I love peanut butter. I've said that already. My fickle heart talking again…

Homemade Very Vanilla Ice Cream

b

The scent of vanilla is intoxicating. Whenever I make anything with vanilla you will find me wafting the scent towards me or continuously trying the batter/custard/frosting and so on.

notes: This post was written for day 2 of Blog Every Day in May #BEDM

Day 1: The Sweeter Side of Life: What my blog is all about

Killer Zebra Cake {Clandestine Cake Club}

This month’s Clandestine Cake Club theme was “A Novel Idea” where we could create a cake inspired by any book we wanted!

I have several novels and childhood books that I have been inspired by to create edible treats from. Two years ago I had a whole week dedicated to Harry Potter treats. I made a dessert inspired by Neil Gaiman’s An Ocean at the End of the Lane last spring. It’s something I enjoy doing!

Sunshine by Robin McKinley was where I decided to draw my inspiration from this time.

It is a book I have read more then once and have come to love. It sounds like a nice sunshine and roses book, but it's far from it! That's all I'm going to say about that! 

It was a bit of an easy one as the main character Rae aka Sunshine works in a bakery.

She creates all sorts of delicious sounding desserts like Cinnamon Buns as-big-as-your-head, Hell’s Angel’s Food, Killer Zebras, a 6 layer chocolate chip cake, Bitter Chocolate Death, Butter Bombs, Cherry Tarts, Lemon Lechery, and many more.

I've always admired Robin McKinley’s creativity when it came to naming the desserts. I also always wondered where her inspiration came from for the names? Did she have certain desserts in mind?

Originally I was going to make a Bitter Chocolate Death Cake, but someone was suppose to bring Bruce Bogtrotter’s cake from Matilda. So, I thought since there were to be two very chocolaty cakes I would make something else. I needn't have worried as they didn't show, but ah well.

I just liked the way Killer Zebra’s sounded so, I made a stripy cake and the tasty frosting makes it “killer!” Um..hum yeah. Anyway .... It was a pretty good cake, not as rich as expected, but a perfect sweetness to a soft crumb. Yum!

Killer Zebra Cake:

260g unsalted butter, room temperature

420g caster sugar

4 medium eggs

430g plain flour, sifted

1 tbsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

240ml whole milk

30g cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 180C conventional & fan assisted/gas mark 6. Prepare 2 15cm round cake tins, greased and lined.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until completely incorporated, scrap down after each egg. Remove half of the batter and set aside.

In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Half it. In one half sift in the cocoa powder. Set both bowls aside. Measure out the milk, set aside.

In one half of the butter mixture add a half of the half of flour (so you’re adding a quarter) mix well before adding the vanilla and half of the milk. Then add the rest of the flour (another quarter to make half) mix well. That is your vanilla batter.

In the other bowl of batter mix in half of the cocoa flour, mix well before adding the rest of the milk, make sure that is well incorporated before adding the rest of the flour and mix well, but don’t over beat.

To create the zebra stripes, spoon about 3 tbsp of the vanilla batter into the center of each prepared pans. Then add 3 tbsp of the chocolate and repeat until the batter is gone. It will spread out don’t worry! Do not level out the top! Whatever you do it will work out.

Bake for 25-45 minutes depending on your oven. I used a conventional oven and it took at least 45 minutes, but the recipe suggests a fan-assisted oven 25-30 minutes. Use the skewer test to make sure it’s completely cooked. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.

vanilla buttercream

100g unsalted butter, softened

300g icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

75ml double cream

Beat the butter for a few minutes before adding the sugar, vanilla, and cream. Beat on low, you don’t want icing sugar everywhere! Then once it comes together beat on high for a few minutes until it’s nice and smooth!

It was a very quiet night. I don’t know if it was due to the flooding around the Reading area, but there wasn’t the best turn out. Sometimes it is nice when it’s quieter as we get to chat and get to know each other a bit better! I always really look forward to "Cake Club night as my" girls call it. They also always remind me to save them some cake!

Louise made an amazing Lemon Sherbet Cake inspired by Dumbledore from Harry Potter. Clara and Fiona brought a delicious cherry cake in ode to Enid Blyton. Clare created an orangey loaf cake, that I can’t remember for the life of me what book it was suppose to be from! It was good though! I look forward to our next meet-up!

notes: Clandestine Cake Club: fine one near you! HarryPotter Week; Forgotten Blackbery Pudding inspired by Neil Gaiman, AmericanCupcake Life has a book club that is run by reading the book and creating something inspired by the book, I partake as often as I can! Recipe was taken from Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth.  

Let the sun in. {Twinnings Tea review}

Before I moved to England I was never really into hot drinks. The colder the better in my opinion! However after half a decade in the UK I have warmed to hot drinks. Pun intended.

I was given an opportunity to taste 3 fruity flavors of Twinnings Tea: Orange Crush, Apple Crunch, and Blackcurrant Burst!

"Let the sun in. Prepare for a burst of juicy sweetness" 

is what the side of the Orange Crush box promises. It's pretty close! It was the most refreshing of the 3 hot or cold. The day I was taste testing was a bit warm so after drinking a hot cup, I took the advice of the back of the box and made a chilled drink. Which my eldest daughter drank down when I wasn't looking!

All you do is make the cup of tea let it cool down. Then add it to a tall glass with ice and top up with lemonade, Lilt, or some other citrus soda and enjoy! 

"Mellow - Sweet apples ripe and ready for drinking" 

This was the least authentic tasting, it was good and it tasted like apples, but it reminded me of a candy/sweet flavor not a true apple. But I suppose apple flavor would be hard to replicate. Was a refreshing cup of tea none the less!

"Mmmm... the sweet tang of plump blackcurrants is just moments away" 

Blackcurrant isn't my favorite flavor, mainly because it always catches me out when I'm eating Skittles. They are not grape like they are in the USA! However the tea was light and refreshing and perfect for this gorgeous summer we are having! 

I tried this chilled as well! Instead of using lemonade or another citrus drink I used cranberry juice. It was good!

I gave a few tea bags to Mr Knightley to take to work for some of them to try too and his lovely co-worker Michelle tried them and rated them Orange, Blackcurrant, Apple. We were both on agreement that the orange was the best! She was also the one to put into words why I didn't fancy the apple one as much, which was the reason I stated above.

When it's warm out the last thing we need is are thinking of is a hot milky drink sometimes a nice fruity tea is what is needed! Twinnings have a whole range and most of them are only 4 calories so perfect for those who are watching that part of their life! 

notes: I was provided these teas for tasting. Please see the contact/policy page for further information.