Birthday Extravaganza: Round-up of Baking for Bamp

Happy Birthday Bamp! Nan and I (but especially Nan) were very busy in the kitchen today, baking enough goodies for 12 hungry people. Well, after the amount of little cook's bites I've taken, I'm stuffed now! Methinks some exercise will be needed this week!

Um... anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?

(If you understand this you get cake. Promise.)

Chocolate Birthday Cake

I was responsible for the sponge using Nan's all-in food mixer method, but she decorated and filled it, and I must say it was divine! A standby that comes out very often.


Pear and Almond Cla-fake-tis


It's basically a sponge. With almond. Poured over tinned pears. With some icing sugar on top.

It's definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

I like it fresh from the oven, with custard, but Bamp says it has more flavour when cold. We'll agree to disagree.

Welsh Cakes ("Bakestones")


I learned to make these when I was 13 or 14, when Nan and Bamp got their new kitchen and thus a gas cooker that could cope with the bakestone (the huge cast iron thing you cook them on). We have a bakestone at home too but Mum and Dad say we can't use it on our halogen oven.

I do intend to try cooking them in a thick based frying pan at some point... more or less the same difference, right? There's something about using a 100 year old bakestone, though... all that heritage and one yummy cake that's lasted through the ages. Then the batch lasts all of 5 minutes.

Iced Custard Slice


I never realised, but this seems to be another Welsh staple, being popular with both sets of Great-Grandparents on my Welsh side, and now my Nan makes it too. I seem to recall that I didn't do so well when I tried to make it myself a few years ago... possibly lumpy custard. One to try again soon. Basically a shortcrust style pastry case, with a Bird's custard filling and a thin layer of glace icing on the top.

Rum Truffles


Darn, I forgot to get any pics! These were yummy too.