Weekly bake off - Apple and cinnamon cake.

Sunday is a good day for baking and that was my plan,  that was my first mistake .... making a plan.    I forgot about the clock thing and was up at 5.30!  Once daylight arrived and and everyone else emerged,  it was looking like a lovely day so I spent the morning gardening.   I came in at lunchtime to drop hubby at the station and get going with my cake.  hubby dropped and cooking apples purchased i headed home to do the cake.  son was waiting on the doorstep to turn me back round ... there was a problem with the train and back I went to drive hubby to glasgow airport - 2 hours later I was able to finally get going on the cake,  at this stage I was quite tired but there was no turning back, my brood had been promised Mary Berry's apple and cinnamon cake.  You can get the recipe on  Amy's blog (and  while you're there take a look at what the weekly bake off is all about).

Heres the first layer with the grated apple,

All in the tin!

And in the oven .... I put it in the oven and then remembered I was supposed to sprinkle nuts and sugar.....oopsy

The finished cake, partially cooled because middle daughter couldn't wait

and sliced 

It does taste very yummy, but then you can't really go wrong with apple and cinnamon, it's such a perfect combination.

Cake decoration class 2

I'm a bit behind with the class posts.  We are already approaching week 4!

On the agenda this week were cupcakes and fondant icing.  We were given a standard recipe, as follows

150g butter
150g caster sugar
150g self raising flour
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
2 tblsp milk

This is my preferred recipe, I've tried many from the new cupcake bakery books that have appeared in recent years.  Not sure why there is a need to continually reinvent a recipe that has worked for decades! and I don't know about you but I find them very wet!  They rise up and then flatten, running over the top of the case.  I'm maybe doing something wrong but have reverted to the traditional recipe which always works for me..  If you have any tips, I'd love to know what I'm doing wrong with these new recipes.

Whilst our cakes were in the oven we made buttercream.  I made 2 batches, 1 chocolate and 1 coloured pink,  so I could practice piping the 2 colours together.  This is no great british bake off! there are no kitchen aids, not even and electric whisk ... we are having to beat everything by hand.  I've pondered on the idea of taking my own one in, but there don't appear to be any sockets anywhere!

Piping done and we moved on to decoration.  I was hoping we would be making fondant icing and then using it to make flowers.  Unfortunately the teacher had made it himself and gave a short demonstration before we were sent off to practice.  The icing all got snapped up as did the cutters leaving nothing to play with.  I should learn to complain!   Towards the end of the session, I managed to get hold of some leftovers and cut out a few,  which you'll see sitting on the finished product ......

Nothing to be impressed with,  but there's a lesson learned, I need to take my own equipment.

Making fondant flowers looks fairly simple, (yes I know ....heading for a fall!) when there is time to practice this week, I'll update with a few pictures ....again,  any tips gratefully received!

For this weeks lesson I stood next to Bindu, she had wanted to do the advanced decorating class but it didn't run so she's doing this one instead.  She makes cakes for family and friends and is lovely.  She also does cooking lessons from home, I'm assuming Indian but need to clarify!

Next week we'll be piping and have been asked to bring our own nozzles, I've bought a set of wilton nozzles on amazon and will be taking them along.

London, vintage, markets and food

During the summer we went to London for a few weeks house swapping with a lovely family in East dulwich.  While we were enjoying the delights of city life with our 3 children,  they were by the seaside with their 3 small children.

The kids enjoyed visiting friends and family .... especially the lovely food we were dished up! There was also the sightseeing and shopping,  but for different reasons we've all enjoyed the markets.

We went to Greenwich market

Food,  crafts and clever people making lovely and unusual things.  If I lived close I would try to sell Moyo things ....I'm sure they would go down a storm. 

East dulwich has lots of lovely shops to linger in and a market on saturday morning.  Lovely cake, bread, savoury bakes and even a hog roast ... a big hit with our son.

Having moved only a few year ago back from Tanzania to a small corner of Scotland, I hadn't quite realised,  just how popular vintage is at the moment.  I'm  looking at things with a new light on my weekly visits to our local auction!  and have slowly been building up an assortment of goodies ....can't keep them all myself, so I'm hoping Etsy will come to my rescue.  

Last week I bought a tray of things which included a lovely carving/wall hanging of an indian goddess - that will be for my husbands birthday.  It also included a vintage glass salt and pepper set, immediately commandeered by my mum and these these lovely cups and Saucers. 

Columbia road and Brick lane markets were the highlight of my trip, we enjoyed 

The world food

The cake and biscuits

smoothies ..... on a production line!

and more vintage 

We also enjoyed this wall of greenery in trafalgar square!

We'll be looking for another house swap in London again next year.  We don't have tickets, but still, during the olympics would be nice.

Homebake Heaven

I have always cooked, particuarly cake!   but since having children I have been particuarly keen, wanting them to learn and appreciate that the homemade way is not only the healthiest but the yummiest way.   I've been lucky enough to be able to stay at home with them.  This has been partly due to circumstance - a husband who works in overseas development and frequently travels, but also, the desire to do so.

Now as they get older and become more independent ... the pressure is on to get a job!.  The trouble is  I've got used to staying at home,  doing my own thing -  and want to continue to do so.   I'm trying, therefore to make a go of selling the thing that I am best at - cake!  I don't say this often about myself, but I am good at baking and I hope others will think so to.

I took the Hygiene course and had environmental heath round to check me out.  That was the easy bit, now I need to do the marketing ...my weakness!   I may be good at making cakes but am hopeless at selling myself.   I've used one of the free templates to set up a website  www.homebakeheaven.co.uk/
and made a facebook page Homebake Heaven, Ayr    Take a look and let me know what you think.  Any constructive criticism and help appreciated!

I pretty much like all cake! .... but am rather partial to cheesecake ... of the baked variety!  How about you?