A Weekend of Baking...A Trio of cakes

I was asked to make a trio of cakes for a Birthday, and odly I was looking forward to making something familiar and not decorated and designed to the nines for a change! Sometimes it's nice to strip a cake back to what's underneatch and produce something simple and rustic, but still gorgeous and delicious.

 

Victoria Sponge Cake - Filled with vanilla buttercream and fresh strawberries and finished with a fresh strawberry and a dusting of icing sugar

The brief was for a Victoria sponge and two loaf cakes, one of which had to be lemon and poppyseed and the other was left to my decision! I decided to go for a Mocha marble loaf cake that I made for my dad's birthday one year. It has a mixture of vanilla and coffee chocolate sponge mixtures with chocolate chunks, and a white chooclate ganache topping. I had never made a lemon and poppyseed cake before but Nigella offered the answer. To a basic Madeira cake mixture I added extra lemon zest and two tablespoons of poppyseeds. I wasn't sure what they would add to the taste of the cake, but from trying  little bit of the batter, it seemed to give a nutty flavour to the cake. Once it had cooled I made a basic lemon icing and drizzled it over the top, which I thought was a nice contrast to the tempting long crack accross the top.

Front: Lemon and poppyseed loaf cake with lemon icing

Back: Mocha marble loaf cake with white chocolate ganache icing and cocoa powder

A tip when making white chocolate ganache is to mix some butter in with the chocolate and cream, as this will help it to set. White chocolate ganach takes a long time to set in comparison with it's milk and dark chocoalte versions. Ideally make it the day before you need it and put it in the fridge to harden, otherwise you will have a very runny liquid that is impossible to pipe or spread and will not stay on anything! Mine had reached a thick pouring consistency, and although the cake was completely cool the ganache still dripped down the sides (Which I quite liked!) I put the cake somewhere cool overnight and by the morning the dribbles had hardenend up sufficeintly to be able to transport. A light dusting of cocoa powder was all it needed to finish it off.

Craft goodies!

Just after Christmas I treated myself in the sales to a selection of crafty bits to get me motivated and inspired in the new year. Today the last of my purchases arrived, so I can finally start on my various projects, some brand new, and some that have been a little while in the making and planning.

My craft shopping list included:

• Pompom makers (4 sizes)
• Wool in various colours to make the pompoms with
• Gold bells
• Cream bows
• Bias binding in various colours
• Heart shaped wooden buttons

I have lots and lots of ideas buzzing round my head, so watch this space for updates on how my projects are coming along. 

Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel

As a 'twixmas' meet-up, my friends and I decided to go out for afternoon tea. I had done lots of research on the best afternoon teas in London (I had no idea there were so many!) and found a fantastic sounding Mad Hatter's Afternoon tea at the Sanderson hotel, just off Oxford Street. I booked a table and was glad that I did, as the traditional time of around 4 o'clock was completely booked up. I would definitely recommend booking if you are planning on attending afternoon tea anywhere, as this gives you the opportunity to let them know if you have any special requirements, like a birthday or a particular celebration.

When we arrived we were seated on a high table on stools with a view into the courtyard with a large fountain. Some people were sat outside in marquees with patio heaters having their afternoon tea, however I think being inside definitely had its benefits, as it wasn't long after Christmas! Once we were seated, the waiter arrived with a selection of teas to cheese from. The loose leaves were contained in small glass bottles with labels, and you were asked to smell them to make your tea choice. I chose peppermint and dark chocolate, however the other flavours sounded equally delicious with strawberry and cream and rhubarb and custard. 

Playful and beautiful crockery

The menu for the tea was displayed in a vintage book, and the sugar cubes were kept in a music box with a rotating ballerina that tinkled and played a song when it was opened. The tea arrived in a large teapot with a paper crown, and the beautiful crockery set it off perfectly. Next, the sandwiches and three tier cake stand arrived filled with all sorts of delicious goodies, and we spent a fantastic couple of hours exploring all of the different layers and devouring all of the delicious items.

The menu hidden in a vintage book

The 'Drink me' Potion: A mixture of passion fruit, mango and tropical flavours

Bottom Tier: The 'Drink 'Me' potion, dark chocolate edible cups with white chocolate and green tea mousse, savoury olive scones with herb butter and sweet scones with a hint of cinnamon with clotted cream and strawberry jam

Middle Tier: Victoria Sponge 'Clock' cakes and mango cheesecake served in a white chocolate curve

Top Tier: Marshmallow mushrooms and meringue carrots hidden in a teacup amongst green shoots

Savoury: Sandwiches and quiche of the day. My favourite was the smoked salmon and cream cheese on lime bread, absolutely delicious!

This was a fantastic place to go and experience afternoon tea. Not only was it an unusual and stunning concept, but you never felt rushed or uncomfortable. You were allowed to order unlimited tea, sandwiches and sweet scones, and nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff. The dress code was smart casual with groups of girls like us, families and even big birthdays catered for. The atmosphere was lovely and I would highly recommend it for any occasion you could think of. I'm already thinking of planning another trip...!