Welcome to Wilfred

Well, here it is... (if you know me well, you will have read that in the voice of King Curtis)

This is the lovely Polly Morgan piece I bought in Venice, 'Small Still Birth.' I've called it Wilfred, so I stop referring to it as "my dead chick" which is more than a little morbid. I'm not sure it's supposed to be at the jaunty, squiffy angle it is at the moment, but I quite enjoy that.

Meadow Walk

Fan-fricking-choco-tastic

The 17th birthday chocolate cake extravaganza. Honestly, it would have blown your mind. 

the cake...
200g/7oz good-quality plain chocolate, chopped
200g/7oz butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
100ml/3½fl oz milk
250g/4½oz self-raising flour
25g/1oz cocoa powder
200g/7oz light muscovado sugar
200g/7oz golden caster sugar
3 free-range eggs
75ml/2½fl oz crème fraîche or greek yoghurt

the chocolate buttercream icing...
50g/1¾oz good-quality plain chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
200g/7oz icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
milk, to loosen

the chocolate ganache...
150ml/5¼oz double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp unsalted butter
150g/5¼oz plain chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 170Cc / 335f / Gas 3.
2. Melt the chocolate, butter and milk together in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Sift the flours and cocoa powder into a bowl and mix in the muscovado and caster sugar. Beat the eggs and crème fraîche/greek yoghurt together in a separate bowl, then beat in the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour mixture until smooth. Divide the cake batter between the tins and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch. Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
3. For the chocolate buttercream icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Beat the butter in a bowl until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and fold in the melted chocolate until smooth (add a few drops of milk if the mixture is a little stiff).
4. For the chocolate ganache, heat the cream, vanilla extract, butter and chocolate in a heavy-based pan. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth and thickened.
5. Spread the chocolate buttercream over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then carefully top with the other cake. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and spoon the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drizzle over the edge.

yum

Sweet Seventeen

I am the best sister anyone could possibly imagine. NJs. The little brother turned 17 at the beginning of this month and for his present, I slaved over the stove creating the most chocolatey chocolate cake you can imagine (in depth post to come) then I slaved for hours and hours in his bedroom creating a reproduction of the Pulp Fiction Banksy. I made the stencil and EVERYTHING. For want of a better phrase, I properly pissed it up the wall. Poor Vince looked a little worse for wear for quite a while before I could figure out the best way of making him look human.

the banksy...

Literally covered in irremovable white acrylic spray paint.

Vince before.... (yes, i know)

Vince after (much better!)

A Lemony Grinch Masterpiece

I made this for my friend who is feeling more than a little blue at the moment. We're all feeling a little blue post Glastonbury...

the cake...

350g/12oz caster sugar
350g/12oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

6 free-range eggs

4 lemons, zest only, plus juice of 2 lemons
3 tsp baking powder
300g/10½oz self-raising flour
50g/2oz cornflour

the lemon curd...

60g/2¼oz butter
225g/8oz caster sugar
3 lemons, juice and zest
2 free-range eggs

the filling...

300ml/12fl oz double cream

the topping...

2tbs lemon juice

Enough icing sugar to make a thick paste

1. Preheat the oven to 180c / 350f / Gas 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice. Slowly beat in the eggs. Sift the baking powder, self raising flour and cornflour together in a bowl and fold into the cake mixture. Divide the cake batter among two or three sandwich tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden-brown. Remove the cakes from the tins and set aside to cool completely on a rack.
3. For the lemon curd, heat the butter, sugar and lemon juice and zest, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk the melted butter mixture into the beaten eggs until well combined. Put the mixture in a saucepan over a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Sieve the lemon curd into a clean bowl, then cover with cling film and set aside to cool.
4. For the filling, whip the cream until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.
5. Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate and spread with the whipped cream. Spread over some of the lemon curd and sandwich with another cake. Repeat the process with the remaining lemon curd, whipped cream and cake tiers.
6. Drizzle the lemony icing sugar paste over the top and decorate with as much glitter as you can.