Gotta love halloween!

Halloween is probably one of my favourite times of the year! I love dressing up , decorating the house and baking random cakes to decorate! Work was a bit mad so I only got to make one cake and it was the plainest cake possibly imaginable, so Im not even gonna write down the recipe! It was just a basic basic sponge with butter icing and a bit of jam and I covered it with ready to roll icing dyed orange*. I was impressed with how it turned out though after I drew a spider web on with Wilton Black Icing Pen ... niiiiice :)

* I used Colourflair dye in Melon find it here as I had it leftover from the Watchmen Cake and mixed it with a bit of regular red food colouring :)

Pams Birthday

The last couple of years birthdays have meant Marks and Spencer Chocolate Ganache Cake! But I'm so over buying cakes when they're easy enough to master at home with a bit of practice. Pam obviously wanted a death by chocolate cake and nothing else would do so i made a double layer chocolate cake sandwiched and fully covered with chocolate ganache. Then on top there was aero bubbles and chocolate sprinkles and it was surrounded by chocolate fingers.... served with whipped cream OH MY GOD could not eat for a day :)

Recipe

175g butter, 175g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 250g self raising flour, 1tbsp cocoa powder, 50g plain choc melted

Gas 4 or 180C

Line and grease 2x 20cm tins

• Cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat until soft light and fluffy
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well each time
• Fold in the flour and cocoa powder until mixed thoroughly and stir in the melted chocolate
• Fill tins and bake until sponge bounces back or a skewer comes out clean. 20 to 25 mins
• Leave to cool on a wire rack and cover with ganache and decorate

Simple Chocolate Ganache
450ml Double Cream ********IT HAS TO BE DOUBLE! i had serious issues when i used single cream
375g Plain Chocolate

Bring the cream to the boil and stir in the chocolate, keep simmering and stirring until the chocolate is melted.
Leave to cool and place in the fridge for 2 hours or until set and firm. Then whisk the mixture until light and fluffy.

****I made this ganache a couple of times and the 2nd out of a few times i had to use single cream. It didnt set at all in the fridge and therefore wasn't spreadable at all as it was still so runny! I beat in icing sugar 50 g a time until it firmed up to a piping consistency. It'll be a good bit sweeter but still tastes amazing.... chocolate cream and sugar like... what's not to love!!

Coffee Love

Aswell as cakes I have little obsession with coffee, having worked in coffee shops for the last 7 years it was impossible not to develop that obsession! But i've become somewhat of a snob, and I annoy everyone with my rants about the perfect milk and combination of tastes and service ( especially service!!) Here' s just a few pics of coffees I've made, lattes and white mochas, Ill get back to ranting some other time!