Wedding Cake Trio

This story started many years ago when I was a student at Kingston university working part time for Diesel jeans. I met Chloe who made me laugh every working day and both of us had a passion for MAC cosmetics. This was a time when my eyes were treated like blank canvases, each day I would paint them in a range of colours and patterns. Before Christmas I even painted a tree at the side of my right eye!

So there was this guy called Callum (you can see where this is sort of going) he really liked Chloe and kept on coming in for jeans. Once I saw him hiding behind one of the mannequins with flowers, I grabbed Chloe and said "mate this guy is hooked on you, he's also very cute!" They have been together for 8 years and last weekend they took a bite of their wedding cakes made by moi. 

An absolute privilege to contribute cake on their special day.

                        ♬ 'So Long See You Tomorrow' Bombay Bicycle Club

The largest was a Hummingbird sponge with pecan brittle, cream cheese frosting and edible flowers. With oil instead of butter this sponge was pretty delicate and a great addition to the trio.

Callum loves Snickers chocolate bars so I designed and made a triple layer caramel chocolate sponge cake (quite a mouthful) with peanut butter and chocolate buttercream and peanut brittle. An absolute delight.

The happy couple looking amazing. 

M.x

Tree Cakes

When my cousin asked me to design a creative and elaborate cake for her party following the theme of tree top climbing I wanted to step out of my comfort zone. We sat and googled and also doodled about how to turn the idea of 'Go Ape' into a cake. I then stumbled upon a blogger who made a tree with the help of a screwdriver and a structure made from wood. I thought to myself 'can I? and should I?'.

Yes. Yes. Yes...6 hours later.

Now at this point in the photography a few little hands had been picking at the ladder made from Mikado sticks.

♬ 'King' by Years & Years

A random bear looking monkey too fat to walk the strawberry laced bridge.

The treetop consisted of red velvet sponges and cream cheese...with a touch of green colouring.

The trunks were made from Rice Krispies and marshmallows. Then smothered with buttercream and given a tree look.

The base was designed by two little ladies who ran out of Mikado sticks on their pathway....

This is me and my sister decorating at 1am.

I transported the trunks then decorated on location - always the best way! The Rice Krispie mixture was very easily to handle and moulded beautifully to the structures.

Two thin cake boards held together with a wooden cake dowel drilled in each and superglued. Covered in foil to avoid any glue contact with ingredients.

Watch out for the next project.


M.x

Snickers Cupcakes with Peanut Brittle

♬ 'MTV Presents Unplugged: Florence and the Machine'

Three years ago I was baking nearly everyday, I didn't need an excuse to get the oven on and use edible glitter! Remember when I made Flourless Snickers Cupcakes in 2012? To be honest looking back on them now they didn't look appetising but thank goodness I've got better and smashed it this time with the cakes you are staring fiercely at.

My next wedding project is to make three cakes of different flavours with influences from Lily Vanilli and Annie Bell. Both these ladies have inspired me on my baking journey ever since I started whisking. I am so close to owning all of Annie's books and visit Lily Vanilli's when I can to see what she has created. Both are indisputably Jaguars in the cake industry.

Here's the recipe for Snickers style cupcakes.

Ingredients

Sponge

60g unsalted butter

 150g light brown sugar

1 medium egg

20g cocoa powder

150g Doves gluten free plain flour

140ml buttermilk

1 tsp caramel essence

Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp white wine vinegar

Salted caramel sauce

Frosting

60g unsalted butter

130g icing sugar

50g cocoa powder

2 tbsp semi skimmed milk

Brittle

150g caster sugar

1tbsp water

50g peanuts

Method

 ▶ Preheat oven 180°c

Make the brittle by adding the sugar and water to a non stick frying pan. This will take about 7 minutes on a medium heat. The bubbles will be getting larger and larger then suddenly turning brown. Once the sugar caramelises add the peanuts and stir by shaking the frying pan carefully. Tip on a greased tray and leave to cool.

Smash up with pestle and mortar or with hands to get shards of brittle.

Whisk butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined. 

Add egg, whisk for another two minutes.

Add flour, buttermilk, essence and cocoa - fold in.

Tip in bicarbonate of soda then vinegar - continue to fold in.

Divide mixture between 12 muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.

Leave to cool.

Using an apple corer, make holes in each cupcake and add a small spoon of salted caramel sauce.

Make the frosting by combing all the ingredients and pipe generously on each cupcake.

Drizzle more sauce on top.

Stick a shard of brittle in and then you are done!

Enjoy!

Lego Cake

♬ 'LP1' FKA Twigs

My brothers 40th birthday cake. A mammoth project consisting of an almond and vanilla sponge sandwiched with apricot jam and covered in chocolate hazelnut buttercream.

I was bricking the whole project last week because all these so called Lego cakes online looked like so much work. 

Now you know if you want to make a lego cake just concentrate on the blocks and build your design out of actual lego first!

M.x