I suppose this post could have been saved until St Patrick’s Day given that the key ingredient here is Guinness. However, I think we all appreciate a few more cake pictures in our lives. The creamy mascapone icing on this cake is a dream and makes the uncut version of this cake actually look like a pint of stout. I made this cake one Sunday … Continue reading Chocolate and Guinness cake
Sometimes I think with baking its nice to revisit something you loved as a child. Everyone remembers having these beauties at birthday parties or when your mum or grandma fancied doing a spot of baking. Sometimes going back to old school baking is best (and makes you very popular with all involved). As a coincidence this is also one of those recipes that is ingrained … Continue reading Butterfly cakes
I had a piece of red velvet cake at work this week that had me dreaming of making it all week. Enter Sunday, the day of the week when I usually bake. Unfortunately the red velvet cake wasn’t to be – the recipe I followed for the sponge had far too much cocoa in it for the red colour in it to show up (I … Continue reading Rich chocolate cake with mascarpone frosting
Sometimes you find a little place that you adore so much you almost don’t want to tell people about because you love it that much you want to keep it to yourself so that you can still get a seat without waiting too long or your favourite cake running out. Well for me Baltzersens is that place, great atmosphere, fantastic cake and good coffee. I … Continue reading Baltzersens, Harrogate
Autumn is one of my favourite times for cooking. I have really started to enjoy making the most of all of the seasonal produce, especially since moving to Yorkshire where local produce is fantastic. Even beetroot haters (of which I am one) will adore this cake. The cake is lovely and soft, the beetroot adding a richness – it adds an extra dimension and the … Continue reading Chocolate beetroot cake
Since making pizza (and therefore having dried yeast in my cupboard) I have become more enthusiastic about breadmaking and using yeast as a raising agent. These cinnamon buns are made using what I believe is an enriched dough and are absolutely lovely still warm from the oven with a cup of tea. These would also be a fantastic breakfast or brunchtime treat – leave out … Continue reading Cinnamon Buns (sticky buns)
This chocolate cake recipe is adapted from a recipe that the chocolatier Paul Young developed. I say adapted – I followed his sponge recipe but didn’t make the Mayan spiced syrup. Now, to set the scene I love to bake, and I especially love producing homemade cakes for my friends on their birthdays if the opportunity arises. My good friend Miss B had a birthday … Continue reading Chocolate cakes with cookie and cream icing
So Bettys is something of an institution in Harrogate (and, well the rest of Yorkshire). What can I say? Since moving to Harrogate I have become immensely fond of the place. It does help that one of my flatmates works for Bettys and on occasion brings home free cake. No cake is lovelier than a free Bettys cake. Anyway, last week I went with some … Continue reading A little trip to Bettys
J’s birthday was at the beginning of this month and I am finally getting around to writing about the restaurant we visited, Lust Liquor and Burn. Now, I heard great things about this place from various sources and when I suggested places J might like to eat I was secretly hoping he’d pick this place. Now, I have fairly limited experience of eating Mexican food … Continue reading Lust Liquor and Burn – Manchester
I don’t know why but lemons really make me thing of summer. Maybe its the yellow colour and because they taste so fresh. Either way I have always been made on lemons, when my parents cooked with lemons my brother and I used to ask for the remaining lemons to suck; something I didn’t realise not many people did until adulthood. Anyway, this makes an … Continue reading Lemonly loveliness – lemon drizzle cake
The Bunfight 