For The Super Princess

Read about Ava HERE

For Georgie

So today I am a cake maker to The Stars ... well a star's mother-in-law :O)

Three years ago when I started 'getting into cakes' I remember showing a photo of my latest (photos I have since hidden as they were soooo bad!) creation to my darling friend Georgie (we met through work). She made the usual ooooh's and aahhhh's that supportive friends do and then casually dropped it into the conversation that her soon-to-be daughter-in-law also 'did' cakes. She told me that she had a website and when she got back to her desk she sent me the link.

When I opened it up I nearly fainted on the floor.... there before me on the screen was the one and only Peggy Porschen

Quite funny when I look back on it now. When I went to the UK on holiday in 2007 Georgie organised for me to go and spend the morning with Peggy at her studio in London.... what a thrill!!!! I even got to eat one of her cupcakes.... secretly I wanted to put it in by bag and take it home and keep it in a locked cabinet LOL

Georgie to this day remains one of my biggest supporters and it still drives her a little insane that I don't and won't do this for a living. I am meeting up with her for lunch today to celebrate her birthday and these are made especially for her.

Happy birthday my gorgeous friend xxx

Red Velvet

I have seen and read so much about Red Velvet over the past couple of years but I've never tried it!

One of the things I love about the 'Cake World' is the fantastic bunch of friends I have made! One of those super talented people Louisa shared this recipe for Red Velvet.

I made a quarter of the recipe and made my own cake flour (1 3/4 cups flour & 1/4cup cornflour). I often cut a recipe in quarters if I want to make a small amount (like for after school treats) cupcakes work really well for this. Halving her recipe will give you 18-20 cupcakes and I baked at 180c for 20mins.

The texture was really lovely and perfect with cream cheese frosting. Can't say it will become my all time favourite cupcake flavour but I am glad I have now tried them and this recipe is a keeper!

Louisa's recipe....

Recipe:
200 g butter, soft
460g caster sugar (fine sugar)
4 55g eggs at room temp (In Aust they are sold as 700g cartons)
45 ml red liquid food colouring
400 ml luke warm butter milk (heat in microwave)
500g plain flour (I didnt use cake flour)
25g cocoa powder (I used 22% cocoa solids)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Pre heat oven to 160 degrees fan
Line base & sides of 7.5cm (3") high 22.5 (9") cm round cake tin with heavy duty greese proof paper. I used one layer of paper.
Mix red food colour, vinegar,& luke warm butter milk.
Cream the butter first for approx 1 min
Slowly add the sugar, cream for approx 5 min. Add vanilla essence.
Add eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition.
Sift flour, salt, bicarb soda, cocoa & baking powder
Add sifted flour mix to creamed mixture alternating with the warm butter milk. Have mixer on low speed.
Remove bowl from stand & with a spatular make sure its all combined.
Pour batter into lined cake pans
Bake at 160 degrees for approx 50 min or until skewer comes out clean, turn cakes half way through cooking.
Remove from oven, stand for 15 min then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Trim the layers, slice in half & fill with your fav icing.
Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Note: 1 tsp is 5ml
eggs are 55g out of the shell
liquid food colour was used not paste.