HOW TO: Easy Decoration Ideas for a DIY Frozen Cake

There is no denying the popularity of Frozen; the characters, story lines, spin offs and endless merchandise are loved by children of all ages. My two daughters are big fans, so when Poppy turned three years old this year she requested a Frozen inspired day and cake. Embracing the challenge I started to look into Frozen cake designs on Pinterest, but was a bit overwhelmed at the idea of having to roll out fondant icing and cover a cake myself. Poppy's birthday was back at the start of summer, so we were still in lockdown and it wasn't very easy to just nip to a shop. I knew the cake needed to 'wow', yet be easy to put together and relatively quick too because lockdown life meant making a cake secretly was a real challenge!

RECIPE: Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter Cake

Lotus Biscoff Spread is a thing of beauty, isn't it? The caramelised, slightly spiced, flavours have the power to make anything it comes into contact with undeniable moreish. The combination of Lotus Biscoff Spread with a caramelised sponge and sweet buttercream is truly heavenly, which is why this cake has to be one of my favourites. It's perfect for afternoon tea, celebrations, play dates or for baking with your children. My daughter's absolutely love the flavour of Biscoff, which all started with my Lotus Biscoff Loaded Caramel Swirl Ice-Cream. By using light brown sugar in the sponge you create an almost caramelised flavour, which compliments the Biscoff favour perfectly.

RECIPE: Rapunzel Pink & Purple Swirl Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

When the world went into lockdown we knew that Isabella would be spending her birthday at home with us, instead of on holiday as originally planned. Although initially a bit sad Isabella handled the idea of having her birthday in lockdown really well and we tried our best to make it as special as possible. When it came to the birthday cake Isabella had one wish...to have a Rapunzel cake, so a Rapunzel cake is what she got. I love baking and was lucky enough to still have flour and eggs, despite the empty shelves in the supermarkets.

RECIPE: Quick and Easy Dirt Bike/Motorbike Chocolate Cake

Do you know someone who loves motorbikes? Then this is the cake for them and best of all it is really easy and quick to make too (with the help of a few hacks along the way!). As a busy parent myself I don't always have time to bake from complete scratch, so I love to utilise the home baking kits supermarkets have. I don't want to call this a 'cheat' because in my eyes you are still home baking a cake, but a few of the 'making' steps are cut out so it is simple, quick and easy to do. The ideal solution for anyone with a busy lifestyle that still wants to make the birthday boy/girl a special cake that they'll love.

HOW TO: Transform a Shop Bought Cake into a Showstopper for a Birthday or Wedding

Birthdays are all about presents, cake and celebrating with friends/family, so getting the right birthday cake can make all the difference. I know that on the run up to my daughter's third birthday party recently all she spoke about what her birthday cake and the desire for it to be an ice-cream (she had an ice-cream themed birthday party). After looking around at the major supermarkets, as well as Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Ocado it became evident that there just weren't any ice-cream cakes out there. The other issue I came across was that Isabella doesn't have chocolate, which made about 80% of the cakes unsuitable. In an attempt not to let her down in the cake department I set about thinking of ways to create my own 'masterpiece'. 

RECIPE: Nutella & Roasted Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

Nutella. We know it isn't the best for us, but it is so good. On toast, with croissants, stirred into porridge...however you enjoy Nutella you will love this showstopper of a cake. Layers of rich chocolate sponge paired with a light Nutella buttercream and crunchy roasted hazelnuts all make for a delicious cake for special occasions. To give this cake a bit of height I decided to cook the sponge in these small cake tins I picked up from The Range, however as I only had two of them it did mean cooking the cakes in two batches. You could always use regular sized cake tins and skip the part in the instructions about repeating the cooking process again, just depends on your desired outcome. Also, if you have any leftover Nutella buttercream (that you can resist eating straight from the mixer!) you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

RECIPE: Spiced Caramel Feather Cake

I first came across the Feather Cake phenomenon while browsing Pinterest and fell in love with how effective something so simple could be. Essentially, you make 'feathers' out of Candy Melts or coloured white chocolate and then attach them to a cake of your choice. It seemed a pretty quick way to create a showstopper cake, so I couldn't resist having a go for my husband's birthday. I ordered a range of Candy Melts from Hobbycraft, as well as some new paintbrushes and was ready to get started! 

RECIPE: White Chocolate Eton Mess Cake

Summer is well and truly here, so what better way to celebrate than with a White Chocolate Eton Mess Cake? I don't know about in your house, but Eton Mess is a summer essential in ours. The combination of fresh berries, cream and sweet meringue makes for the perfect dessert sitting in the garden. The idea for this cake came from when I started maternity leave - I had taken a strawberry and white chocolate cake into work and didn't manage to have a slice before it was all gone. Leaving cake in a work place is a dangerous business! I decided to have a go at making my own version for when I was next together with friends (as much as I'd like to bake a whole cake and eat it I think that would do nothing for the waistline). The addition of strawberry meringues and a variety of fresh berries makes for a deliciously luxurious cake and quite the centrepiece without a lot of hassle or time.

ONE MUFFIN MIX: Two Flavours - Banana and Peanut Butter/Lemon Drizzle

One very blustery, miserable day recently Isabella and I turned our hands to a spot of baking. The problem was I couldn't decide what to bake, so headed to our village shop for inspiration. We came away with a bag of lemons, reduced overripe bananas, carton of eggs and caster sugar. This eventually led to us taking a simple muffin mix and creating two different flavours of muffin. Both are classics, there's certainly nothing ground breaking here, but it's a fun activity to do with children and a great way to experiment.

RECIPE: Chocolate and Oreo Cakenie

Firstly, let's address the word 'Cakenie' - I made it up. It's not a real word - yet - but I think it should be, as it perfectly describes the chocolate creation I made the other day. It's a bit like cake, a bit like brownie (that's where the 'nie' comes from) and is filled to the brim with chocolate. Yes, I've just described a chocolate lovers heaven. This is such a good recipe for using up any chocolate you have, it's so versatile and deliciously treaty.

What you'll need:

Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cupcake Mix

Eggs, Oil and Water in accordance with the packet instructions

The following ingredients are optional - just use whatever chocolate you have in. This is what I used:

1/2 packet of Oreo's

Handful of Cadbury Pebbles

Handful of White Chocolate Chips

Handful of Giant Chocolate Buttons

150g Galaxy chocolate, roughly chopped

What to do:

1) Make the chocolate cupcake mix up as instructed on the packet.

2) Grease and line a large, flat ovenproof dish - I used one we would usually cook lasagne in - you know the kind? Then pour in the cupcake mixture.

3) I then mixed in the Galaxy chocolate into the chocolate cupcake mix so that you couldn't see it anymore. Next I sprinkled over the other delicious, chocolatey treats all over the mixture. It's a good idea to slightly press some of the items down, just so that they are fixed into the sponge mixture.

4) Bake in a preheated oven (180'C) for around 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from cake batter. There will probably some melted chocolate on the skewer, so try to distinguish between the two when checking if it's cooked.

5) Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then carefully remove the whole cakenie from the container, using the sides of greaseproof paper. Place on a wire rack to cool. After its cooled for around 20 minutes cut it into squares and allow to cool completely. At this point it will be evident as to why I've called this a cakenie -  there is so much chocolate that it gives the gooey consistency of a brownie, yet it's a cake mixture.

Do you love all things chocolate related?


Feel free to leave me a comment :)

RECIPE: Easy Mini Victoria Sponges

Sometimes you just can't beat a good old classic Victoria sponge! So when it came to thinking of something to bake for Tom's uncles birthday get together at the beach I wanted to keep it simple but I still wanted it to look pretty. I decided on trying to make mini Victoria sponges, my first time attempting mini cakes. I bought a Betty Crocker Victoria Sponge box - one because it's easier and time was against us and two because the Betty Crocker boxes always taste so yummy and require a lot less washing up! For the filling I bought some top quality strawberry jam, it's worth it in a Victoria sponge, and some cream to whip and have oozing out of the sides.

What you'll need:

Betty Crocker Victoria Sponge Box (Eggs, Vegetable Oil and Water in line with the instructions)

Double Cream

Strawberry Jam

What to do:

1) Follow the instructions on the back of the box, it's basically mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. So easy.

2) Evenly distribute between cupcake cakes, I used an ice-cream scoop to help me get them even. Then bake for approximately 15 minutes on about 180'C. The instructions on the box for cooking aren't correct when you're using the mix for cupcakes, as cupcakes cook a lot quicker. They are ready when they are golden and a knife comes out clean when poked in the middle of a cupcake.

3) Allow the cupcakes to completely cool on a wire rack, then carefully peel off the cupcake cases and discard. Carefully, cut each cupcake in half.

4) Spread strawberry jam and cream on the bottom half and then sandwich together with the top half. Sprinkle with icing sugar and they're ready to enjoy! Serve with fresh strawberries for an extra dose of summer.

^We made some little F1 cars out of icing because Tom's uncle loves F1.^

Are you looking forward to summer baking?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

WEDDING: Cake Toppers from Etsy

We had a very exciting meeting with our lovely wedding cake designer recently, she was so helpful and full of ideas. I did go with a variety of different images of how we want our cake to be, I would recommend this if you have a clear image of what you'd like just because it helps prevent any confusion. We're having a very simply cake and decoration around it to make it look extra special. We're contemplating on whether or not to have a cake topper, and if so what kind of cake topper. To be honest a cake topper was a relatively new concept to me when I started wedding planning but it's been one of my latest projects. I've enjoyed browsing Etsy seeing the huge variety of cake toppers available, I couldn't believe the range! We were going to order one while I was in America, as a lot of the suppliers are based out there, but were we organised enough? Nope.

Some of my favourite cake toppers from Etsy.... 

^Best Day Ever Wedding Cake Topper - Gold (also available in silver, navy, slate grey and black) £21.21^

^Rustic WE DO Cake Topper Banner - Rustic Wedding Cake Topper £16.36^

^Custom Surname mr & mrs Wedding Cake Topper, custom color glitter hearts £17.58^

^Wedding cake topper and L O V E banner...package deal ... i do, me too love birds and fabric banner included £26.67^

^Wedding Cake Topper - Happily Ever After - Birch £21.21^

^Wedding Cake Topper Set - Common Phrases Banner / Bride and/or Groom Cake Toppers £16.36^

^Wedding cake topper and L O V E banner...package deal ... PERSONALIZED love birds and fabric banner included £30.91^

^Wedding Cake Topper - Mr and Mrs - Birch £21.21^

^Wedding Cake Topper - Always and Forever - Mahogany £21.21^

Which is your favourite?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)

RECIPE: Lemon Sponge Cake

It was my Dad's birthday back in March, so I decided to make a cake. But no ordinary cake. A sheep cake! I had seen one in Waitrose and decided to set myself the challenge of recreating it, which was surprisingly easy. I wanted the sponge to be a light colour, so that the white chocolate curls would really look like wool. I settled on a lemon sponge, with lemon curd and lemon buttercream - lemon heaven!

What you'll need:

175g Self Raising Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

175g Unsalted Butter

175g Golden Caster Sugar

3 Large Eggs

Grated Zest of 1 Lemon

1 tbsp. Lemon Juice

For the Filling and Covering:

3 to 4 tbsp. Lemon Curd

150g Unsalted Butter

300g Icing Sugar

Juice of 1 Lemon

100g White Chocolate Curls

Chocolate Flavoured Icing (you buy it in a tube, ready to ice with)

What to do:

1) Preheat the oven at 190'C. Grease and line two 18cm by 4cm cake tins. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add all the other ingredients. Using an electric whisk combine for about 1 minute until you have a smooth creamy consistency.

2) Next divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, level off using the back of a tablespoon and bake on the centre shelf of the oven for about 25 minutes.

3) When a skewer comes out clean when pushed into the centre of the sponge, remove from the oven. Let the sponge cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.

4) To make the lemon buttercream, beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth and to your preferred sweetness. Stir in the lemon juice.

5) On the top of one of the sponges, spread the lemon curd generously. Then put the other sponge on top. This is when I started to 'carve' the sheep. Using a bread knife, I cut at an angle around the top of the cake. The bottom sponge was no cut at all. This creates an upside bowl kind of shape.

6) Cover the 'sheep' shaped cake with lemon buttercream. This can be challenging as the crumbs of the cake will combine with the buttercream but it doesn't need to look perfect as you'll cover it with white chocolate curls.

7) Sprinkle the white chocolate curls all over the cake, until it is completely covered. Pipe on a sheep face using the chocolate flavoured icing and 4 little hooves.

Have you ever made a 'shaped' cake?

Feel free to leave me a comment :)