Golden Wedding Anniversary Cake Part 3: Zing! Lemon time...

Write-up to follow soon!

Golden Wedding Anniversary Cake Part 2: Chocolate Overload

Write-up to follow soon!

Golden Wedding Anniversary Cake Part 1: Fruity!

Write-up to follow!

A Prim, Proper, Traditional Slice of Earl Grey Cake

I'm starting to feel a bit silly saying "I'm back!" because it never seems to last. Maybe this whole "being back" business will really kick in once I get back to university. I'm making cakes at home - probably too many, actually! - but I've found a little nest of recipes that I know and love. Trying new stuff? Meh. Why should I when I have these brownies? And this cheesecake?

But sometimes the 'new stuff' bug bites (I think it loiters around in the especially nasty gangs of midges we've had this year) and suddenly I am back to my old self, trawling blogs and going through the recipe books. Birthdays currently seem to be the main time the 'new stuff' bug takes a nibble...

So this time it was Mum's birthday and I threw recipes at her until she was covered in batter. No, wait. Um, I threw recipes at her until she made her mind up. Luckily, most of these recipes were on the internet. You don't throw recipe books at your mother. Especially on her birthday.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yes, Earl Grey cake. 

This was what stuck. The Maple Pecan cake didn't make the grade because my brother doesn't like nuts. I'd made Chocolate Guinness cake before, though I hadn't blogged it... but brother didn't fancy that either. Boyfriend didn't fancy dulce de leche cake and cupcakes somehow fell by the wayside...

When he tried it, brother didn't like this cake either, but we gave him leftover brownie and all was good in the world (well, his world).

Right, the recipe is here (it is a Gizzi Erskine recipe from here but I preferred the blog). Go and read it, then come back for my review of each component.

You're back? Good. 

Overall, I enjoyed making this! The cake part, however, came out dry and crumbly. I know someone else mentioned this problem, although I don't know if the fact that Mum accidentally bought fat free greek yoghurt may have compounded it somewhat... either way, in future I'd probably just use a reliable chocolate fudge cake recipe, preferably one that calls for some boiling water so you could make a strong earl grey infusion.

The cream is where things take off. Mum licked a little bit after I'd finished with what I needed to sandwich the cakes, and then came back with a spoon to clean out the bowl. It was delicious and simple. A real hit! It would probably work as a cupcake icing, actually, or a cream cheese icing on a vanilla or chocolate loaf...

The chocolate ganache/icing. Pretty standard, yummy, stuck to the cake well. Pretty classic and I might use it  again when I need a chocolate cream.

The toffee/'gold dust'? A bit of a faff, in my opinion, but I know my boyfriend really loved it (though he said it had definite hints of toffee apple with only a slight earl grey hit afterwards). I am not used to making caramel so got a bit worried at how long it took for the sugar to caramelise. I also don't have a mortar and pestle, and attacking hard caramel/toffee with a foot long wooden rolling pin until it becomes dust-like is a bit of a faff. Get me a mortar and pestle, and I might try again. 

Would I make this again? For myself, in its current form, no. The dryness of the cake was a real dissapointment to me - I like my cakes moist! But everyone else who tried it really enjoyed it. Some could taste earl grey, others tasted orange or just a strangeness, though pleasant. If I could overcome the dryness of the cake I'd definitely be willing to give this taste another go. 

Hmm... maybe lady grey cupcakes...

Quick stone fruit upside down cake

Wow! I'm on my phone!

Hence, this will be very very short.

My boyfriends mum had some very ripe nectarines. I was about to roast them, top them with granola and serve with ice cream (trust me, amazing), but then I had a sudden urge to see how they'd turn out in an upside down cake.

Quite well, in fact.

I only had a 7 inch sandwich tin to work with so made a 2/2/2 Victoria sponge , which was just enough for a quick dessert sized sponge for 4 people with no leftovers. However, in most situations I'd say you'd be looking at. A 4/4/4 sponge minimum - thick is nice!

For whatever fruit you are using, grease your tin, line it, grease again, then cover your buttered tin in brown sugar. An alternative that I used as I had no grease proof paper is to melt a little butter, mix in brown sugar, and brush this over the tin. Artfully arrange your fruit, top with a standard Victoria sponge mix, then bake at 180C/mark 4 for about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Back for real? With a "Waffley" Good Baked Alaska. They're "Waffley" versatile...

Oh dear!

I've been busy. I really have, I'm sorry. I've started my full time job, I'm travelling up to 6 hours a week to visit my boyfriend (and living out of a rucksack while doing that), and in the meantime I'm trying to cram in catching up with friends, catching up with family, and trying to not gain too much weight by baking (failing so far, much to my chagrin and my family's delight...). However, the biking (both mountain and, to a lesser extent, motor) keeps me in shape. The motorbiking may just provide willpower because if I gain even a few pounds I will not fit in my leathers.

Getting up at 6.30 to get to work on the train is sort of worth it for views like this, though. I do get to go on one of the best train journeys in the country, I think.

So, anyway, waffles. Erm, yeah, they're not good for the diet.

But, against all my expectations, they make an AWESOME base for a baked alaska!

It wasn't my idea. The credit goes entirely to my boyfriend, who mentioned it several times over, and I repeatedly sort of shrugged and went "meh, maybe".

I will trust your baking instincts more now, my dear, I swear!

Waffle Based Baked Alaska

For the waffle base:
1 waffle made with your favourite recipe. Our best recipe is this one.

For the meringue


2oz of sugar to 1 egg white

We usually use 2-3 eggs, so 4-6oz of caster sugar respectively (granulated sugar also works in a pinch)

To assemble


Fresh fruit (strawberries are the classic)
Ice cream (vanilla is classic, but whatever takes your fancy and goes with the fruit you choose!)

1. Make your waffle as per your normal method. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7/220C+... basically, as hot as it will go!

2. To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites, preferably with an electric whisk unless you want a good workout, until stiff. Gradually beat in the sugar until smooth and glossy.

3. Place the waffle on a baking sheet/tray and assemble the fruit on top. Place scoops or chunks of ice cream on top of the fruit, with more in the centre so you end up with a dome shape. The ratio of fruit to ice cream is personal preference!

4. Cover your concoction with the meringue mixture. You can make the little peaks using the spoon and pulling it away from the meringue. Make sure it is fairly thick and work quickly - AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO GAPS or you will have an ice cream crisis!

5. Cook in the very hot oven for 4-6 minutes, until the meringue is browned (we slightly overdid ours...)

Herman the German Friendship Cake & His Friend the MUTANT STRAWBERRY

My Mum received a Herman!

Herman is a sourdough starter. You feed him for several days, until he's ready to raise a moist and delicious cake for you. 

But not just for you. Oh no. You see, you divide your ready-to-bake Herman into 4 and send 3 parts on to your friends!

(Easier said than done. Have you got multiple friends who will accept a bubbling pot of yeasty goo from you?)

Anyway, there are millions of Herman variations out there to keep you occupied should you decide to be greedy (or lonely) and keep Herman all to yourself. Or give 2 away, keep 1 to recultivate, bake 1, et voila! Infinite Herman?

Anyway, I went for a chocolate Herman with white chocolate chips and strawberries. But not just any strawberries...

I couldn't believe my good fortune. A mutant strawberry! Surely that must be good luck?

He didn't get chopped up and baked in a cake. He got nommed and lived happily ever after.

Yeah, he's dead.

And sadly, Herman is now dead too. Mum kept him alive for a while, intending to make a carrot cake out of him, but the regular feeding of ingredients he required became too much. But we can make our own little Herman's out of those piles of yeast we have in the cupboard! Herman shall rise again when we need him.

There's no point in me putting a Herman recipe on here when, really, the place to go for all your Herman-ing needs is here! Herman central! Herman-ville!

The one I made, as I sort of said, was a variation of the raspberry and chocolate cake, as after an unfortunate accident which led to the raspberries somehow going mouldy overnight in the back of my Dad's van, strawberries had to step up to the bowl. I also chose white chocolate chips instead of plain. You can find millions of recipes on this page, within the Herman website.

It was a bit too moist. I loved it; the yeasty flavour is incomparable and delicious, almost beery. In a good way. Mum's was less moist, with nuts and chocolate chips, and better for being a little less gooey. However, Herman actually improves with a few days rest! He cuts better. I swear the beery yeasty flavour increased too, but I may have been imagining that...

So whether you've received a Herman, or want to set a Herman on his journey, Herman cakes are the way to go!