GleeeeeeeK!!! My Confession

I know, I know.

I have been bad. I have baked. Just not a lot over the last six or so months. and when I have, I just wasn't motivated enough to blog about it. Well I promise that I will get back into the baking. I've missed it. I just didn't have the test tasters I need to feel inspired to bake. But I do now. Well they don't know it yet bahahahaha

I do have a confession though.

I am a Gleek. Love love love Glee. No husbands on the show but it has consistently cracked my ass up. I just can't get over the new life they are giving to some old classic songs. Par example -Loved the duet with Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth of Alone by Heart. Totally worked. And what about Can't fight this feeling by REO Speedwagon and I wanna sex you up by Color me badd??

But the It's my life/Confessions mash up. AMAZING. This needs to be on the soundtrack. Must. Must. Must. Or there will be trouble.

That is all.

Oh yeah. Baking this weekend. Larder Gleeks.

Contender for best carrot cake recipe ever

I can not recommend this carrot cake recipe that I stumbled upon in this issue of Coles Magazine enough. Everyone I know who has tasted it has helped themselves to at least 2 slice whenever I have baked it.

Here is the recipe from the mag.




Carrot Cake

2 carrots
1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup golden syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

Icing
250g spreadable cream cheese
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method
Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm (base) round cake pan lightly with oil, and line with non-stick baking paper. Peel and grate the carrots, and set aside. Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into a large bowl.
Put the brown sugar, oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix until combined.
Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot.
Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 1 hour. Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.
Spread the icing over the cake

Cupcake give away (sort of)

I know, I know.

I have been a slack tart - I haven't been baking and I have been slow to update the blog. Please don't hold it against me.

A lot has happened in the last month or so which has motivated me again to bake (you know I got to be in the mood to bake).

Anycupcake, I saw the lastest issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller this morning with cupcakes on the cover so I got it. There is a great cupcake spread in it with some cupcake recipes. It is actually a good mag with some fabulous non cupcake recipes in it as well.

When it comes to cupcakes, I love to share so I have two copies of the magazine to give away to two people who aren't in my part of the world.

I will randomly choose two people to send the mag to - so .... leave me a comment and make sure you leave your email address so that if I randomly select you I can contact you easily.

You have until 19 April to leave a comment.

Goodluck and hopefully happy cupcake baking!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Pomegranate Buttercream

The things I do for my friends!




I was on the phone to with a girlfriend the other night and she was trying to get her mum to give her a massage (her back was sore). So I said if her mum gave her a massage I would bake her some cupcakes.

She got her massage so her mum got her cupcakes. I always keep my word.





Chocolate raspberry cupcakes with chocolate pomegranate buttercream. The pomegranate added a little zing to the chocolate buttercream. Oh yeah

Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Coconut Ganache

Chocolate cupcakes. Nuff said.

Gluten White Chocolate Rosewater Cupcakes with White Chocolate Coconut Ganache

I always like to make sure I cater for everyone so made gluten free white chocolate rosewater cupcakes. Amazing how many people have a gluten intolerance.

White Chocolate Lemon Cupcake with White Chocolate Coconut Ganache

These are White Chocolate Lemon Cupcakes.

Caramel Lychee Cupcake with White Chocolate Coconut Ganache

I offered to make cupcakes for to be served as dessert for a friend's wedding today. I made 4 different flavours but being lazy I frosted them all with white chocolate coconut ganache that had just a hint of lemon in it.

These cupcakes are caramel lychee.

Don't you love singpore orchids? As you can tell I went all out withe decoration as well.

Caramel Banana Mud Cake with goey chocolate caramel ganache

Caramel Banana mud cake with ooey gooey ganache. The ganache was an accident - it just didn't want to set for me. Not that it was a bad thing.

The cake was moist and dense and so tasty. I limited myself to two small slithers but I saw people have up to 3 slice of it.

Peach Tea Cupcakes

Next time I won't use tea leaves in the actual cupcake. Other than that it was a nice cupcake. I added some mint to the peach tea for the buttercream.

Not forthcoming with words am I?

Hairspray - with better hair

Hairspray was on Foxtel this afternoon. I forgot how much I loved this movie.

Seriously I think Zac Efron wears more makeup than I do.

Anyway, I started thinking how different Hairspray would have been if Robert Pattinson and his Magical Hair had been in it instead of Zac Efron.

We know he can sing and his hair is AMAAAAAAAAAAAAZING. We've seen him waltz so he can sort of dance yeah??

Just putting it out there.

Cherry Blossom Chocolate Cupcakes

A friend at work asked if I would bake her some cupcakes for a meeting today. I happily obliged - anything to get me cupcakin' again.

My sister's friend brought back this cherry blossom salt from Japan for me.



So I made a chocolate mud cupcake added some cherry salt to the batter, popped a morello cherry in the middle of the batter for a nice cherry surprise. Ganache also has cherry blossom salt.

The cupcakes were velvety and the cherry in the middle a nice surprise. I will try and come up with a cupcake that allows you the taste the cherry blossom salt - perhaps a white cupcake batter. Have to this about it.

Anyway I hope this will be the first of many cupcakes to come over the next month or so at least.

First Cake Slice with the Cake Slice bakers

I was pretty excited to join The Cake Slice bakers - I figured that it might motivate me to start baking again. I feel like it has been years since I've cracked an egg, creamed some butter and folded in flour.

The Cake Slice bakers are baking from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layers Books. This book has been a fave with bakers all over the interweb and it certainly made it on to my must buy list given some of the cakes that bakers have raved about.




So this mess of a cake is my first with The Cake Slice bakers. It's the Southern Coconut Cake.

I love coconut so it was a must to bake this cake. Bit a different of a method - I was a little apprehensive. I'm really not back in the baking zone so shouldn't be baking when I feel so 'meh'. That said, it is a fabulous tasting cake. I will def make it again when I am back in the baking zone.

You can get the recipe from Gigi Cakes. Or better yet, get the book. I am sure this the first of many fabulous cakes we will be making.

Golden Rough - shoulda woulda coulda

This was meant to be my entry into this month's Iron Cupcake: Earth challenge but it was such a half a**ed effort I couldn't be bothered ... I have become so lazeeeeeeeeeeeeee during this baking hiatus. I really don't know if I will get the motivation and enthusiasm to bake in the near future.




This cupcake apparently got better with with age. I will have another crack at it when I am cupcakin' again. Cross your fingers that it is soon soon soon.




I based this cupcake on the chocolate treat - Golden Rough. Delicious chocolate with coconut bits. Chocolate cupcake with a hint of coffee (Iron Cupcake: Earth theme is coffee). Centre is white chocolate coconut ganache with shredded coconut. Nutella and chocolate ganache on top.