Cherry Ripe Mud Cake.

I am going to visit a friend tomorrow who has just moved into her new house and thought I would make a cake to take for coffee. Of course it was a great chance to make my favourite mud cake, Cherry Ripe!

The recipe originates from the Australian Women's Weekly, I came across it on the Cakes and More Forum a few years ago. It is a lovely combination of dark chocolate, cherry and coconut.


Cherry Ripe Mud Cake


Makes 1 8 inch round or 2 x 6 inch round


Ingredients


250g unsalted butter
1 tblspn instant coffee powder
1 & 2/3 cup coconut milk
200g dark chocolate
2 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I use dutch cocoa)
2 eggs
2 tspn vanilla extract
2 x 85g cherry ripe bars, chopped coarsely


Method


1. Preheat oven to 150C. Line tins with baking paper.
2. Combine butter, coffee powder, coconut milk, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan and stir until melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Sift dry ingredients in a bowl, add chocolate mixture, whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla, whisk. Stir in cherry ripe (set aside a small amount).
4. Pour into tins and scatter remaining cherry ripe over the top of batter.

5. Bake in slow oven for about 1hr and 45 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and cool in tin.


I chose to divide the cake in half and fill with dark chocolate ganache and then covered it in ganache too. As I made 2 six inch cakes I am keeping one at home, this is below and I didn't bother to fill it, just iced with the ganache.

This cake improves each day and is at it's peak on about day 3. It also freezes really well, although it never lasts long enough to make it into the freezer!!


Enjoy your weekend.


Mrs KT :)

Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes.

I am in the process of finding a coconut flavoured cupcake that would be suitable to use for wedding cupcakes, so began the recipe trialling at the weekend. My friend, Gail, was kind enough to share some recipes with me. The first one was "Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes" from the Indulgence book.


Fluffy Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients (Makes 36 patty pan sized cakes)

2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup castor sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon natural coconut extract
125g unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Line cupcake pan with papers.
3. Combine flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the combined buttermilk, eggs, coconut extract and butter into the well and mix until combined.
4. Divide mixture evenly between the cases. Bake for about 12 minutes until golden. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.


I used a simple buttercream icing on these cupcakes, but a coconut flavoured icing would compliment them nicely.

So the verdict on this recipe - the cupcakes had a nice, sponge like texture and were very tasty on the day they were made. I am a little fussy and didn't think they tasted as good the next day, but others who tried them really enjoyed them. I guess the recipe testing will have to continue, it is a hard job but someone has to do it!!!

Mrs KT :) 

Tracey Lau is hosting a Wonderful Giveaway!

I am here to tell you all about a wonderful giveaway that a fellow blogger, Tracey, over at Tracey Lau Art and Soul, is hosting at the moment. Please head over and check out all the gorgeous parties she creates and the fabulous photo's she takes. She is starting a little business and online store soon and is hosting this little giveaway to celebrate.

The prize is sensational and definately worth winning, a Silhouette SD. This machine is amazing.

I know I will be entering, how about you?


Mrs KT :)

Butterflies and Blossom Birthday Cake for Lana.

Today was spent putting together this pretty birthday cake for my cousin, Lana, who is turning 20 at the weekend. She requested a dark chocolate mudcake, colour theme white and purple, butterflies and flowers, but the design left up to me. I have done a wedding cake in a similar theme a while back, so used this as a guide.

The cake is filled and covered in dark chocolate ganache and covered in fondant. The butterflies and blossoms are made from modelling paste. I used three different sized blossoms and small butterflies and the design just evolved as I was decorating the cake. The writing is done with royal icing.

The butterflies on wires add some height to the cake and the rope border finishes the cake off nicely. I have the cake displayed on my gorgeous new black cake stand, that arrived in the post yesterday!

Happy 20th birthday Lana, enjoy your dinner and cake tonight.

Mrs KT :)

Sneek Peek : Claire's 1st Birthday

It is still a couple of months away, but things are coming along nicely for Claire's 1st birthday celebration. As mentioned in this post, it will be a pink, white and mauve affair, with lots of ruffles! I have chosen her cake:

{Image from here}

How could I go past the famous Martha Stewart Ruffle Tower Cake! I just hope I can do it justice. Once the cake was decided on the next thing was what to put on the top? I thought about making something out of modelling paste, but it just didn't seem right, so I checked out Etsy and Madeit to see what I could find. A clothespin doll topper was my choice.

I was lucky enough to come across a talented lady on Madeit, Sarah of Enchanted Belles, who managed to create exactly what I visioned. As I have purchased Claire's birthday outfit, Sarah made the dollie topper an outfit to match.

What do you think? Isn't she gorgeous! I think she will be the perfect finishing touch to the cake. Be sure to check out Sarah's blog, Enchanted Belles, and see the gorgeous wedding cake toppers, dollies and personalised door plaques.


Thankyou Sarah for creating this for Claire :)

Oh and another thing, I have reached 20 followers, HOORAY, thankyou all for supporting my little blog, I really appreciate it.


Enjoy your weekend.


Mrs KT :)

Digella Emporium is having a Fabulous Giveaway!!!

The blogging world is a wonderful place and I am so glad I found it and took the big leap into it. It puts you in touch with so many wonderful people and Danielle is one such person. At the moment Digella Emporium is having a fantastic giveaway, so to be in the running head over there and check out her wonderful blog :)

 I would love to be fluffing around my kitchen wearing one of these little numbers!!


Enjoy the rest of your week.


Mrs KT:)

I have a Cake Stand Obsession!!!!

This I believe is a natural thing seeing as I love anything cake. It is such a shame that here in Australia we don't have access to some of the wonderful products available in the UK or US. Actually we do, but the postage costs generally put a stop to anything I want to purchase, as most of the time the postage is more than the actual item :(

My current collection of cake stands is limited to white or glass. I love using these but often dream of adding a splash of colour every now and then. As I mentioned in my party planning post I have a gorgeous black stand coming from Sharnel, which will feature in my next party.

Today when the Etsy newsletter arrived in my inbox it was titled "The Sweet Life", which instantly caught my attention. I have just had a quick browse through it and came across this seller, vesselsandwares, who stock some fabulous cake stands.

{ Image from here }

There are many colours and patterns amongst this pottery, that is made by Jeanette. There are some gorgeous hanging bowls too!

{ Image from here }

 Some other gorgeous stands that are on my wish list include this pretty pink one from Donna Hay.

{ Image from here }

And this white and red spot one from Rosanna Inc.

{ Image from here }

Until I can add some of these little beauties to my collection I will have to be content with my set of white stands!

Enjoy your week.

Mrs KT :)

Milk and Cookies Anyone!

Easy chocolate chip cookies were on the baking list today. I have had the ingredients out of the pantry everyday this past week and haven't actually got to make them, so back in they went until today. I was determined to bake them as they are so quick and easy to do and taste wonderful.

I don't remember where the original recipe came from, I have scrawled it on a tiny piece of paper, so I am guessing it was off the television or out of a magazine.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

125g butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup self raising flour


Method


1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line baking trays with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter. Mix all dry ingredients together with a large spoon, add butter. Mix until well combined (I add a touch of milk if the dough is too crumbly).
3. Put rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking trays. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from trays onto cooling racks immediately (I use an egg lifter to remove them carefully).


The recipe makes about 40 cookies. I usually put them into snap lock bags and freeze. Once thawed they taste as if they were fresh out of the oven.

Serve with a large glass of icy cold milk or warm hot chocolate, and try to eat just 1, this is the difficult part!!!


Mrs KT :)

Party Planning has begun!

I am in party planning mode at the moment, I have Lachlan's 7th birthday coming up at the end of August and Claire's 1st birthday at the start of October. The birthday celebrations are always at the back of my mind, so if I see something that may fit the theme I purchase it and tuck it away, just in case I can't find it closer to the party.

The internet and blogging world provides new ideas and inspiration each day, so lots of ideas are put in the party planning folder as I come across them. I am loving the use of giant balloons as a feature on a candy table.

{Image courtesy of Bella Grace Party Designs}

The colour scheme for Lachlan's party will be yellow, green and red with a touch of black. The cake will be a Super Mario Bros theme, I am thinking a castle with the characters climbing the walls at the moment, but how it all comes together may change as I start to make it! So this has now changed since posting this afternoon, Lachlan has decided he wants a Lego themed party, so the colours will stay the same, the cake will now resemble lego in some form. Much easier than making Mario related figurines!! It will make the party favours fun now, I will be off to search for little boxes of lego. This is now locked in and there will be no changing of anyones mind, I have this in writing now, LOL!!! I have purchased some green and yellow M&M's and mentos (thankyou to the socceroo campaign at the supermarkets during the World Cup!!!) for the candy jars. Some jaffa's will also be on the list. 
 
I have a gorgeous black cake stand coming for the cake to be displayed on from Sharnel Dollar Designs. So am now on the hunt for some black serving plates and bowls.

 {Image from here}

It will be a pink, white and mauve birthday princess theme for Claire's birthday in October. I have purchased Claire's outfit and lot's of other supplies for the candy / dessert table.

These gorgeous items arrived in the post yesterday.

Ruffles will play a big role in the decorations and the cake. Thinking about it I have lots to do!! 

Off to search for more inspiration. Enjoy your weekend.

Mrs KT :)

There was no cake in the house.......

I realise this is hard to believe when I do so much baking, but it was true last night! I really felt like a nice big slice of mudcake with cream while I was snuggled up in front of the fire watching Masterchef. I searched the freezer thinking, there must be a slice in there somewhere, but to no avail.

The trouble is most of the baking I do is for someone else, very rarely do I bake especially for our household. So this morning I had to fix this problem. Into the oven went a milk chocolate mudcake and a couple of milk chocolate mud cupcakes.

Here is the finished cupcake, topped with smooth chocolate ganache and grated chocolate. 

The large cake is still cooling, this will be layered and covered in ganache. I will then slice it and hide some in the freezer for the next I decide I MUST have cake!!

Of course I had to taste test to ensure that they would be suitable for the rest of the household to eat when they arrive home from work and their sleepover at Nan and Pop's :)

Mrs KT :)

Maggie's Barbie Island Princess Themed 4th Birthday.

My youngest niece, Maggie, turns 4 this weekend so that means I have been busy creating her cake, cookies and cupcakes. She chose a Barbie Island Princess theme, so this determined the colour scheme for the baking.

I used her actual Barbie for the cake, so the only part of the cake that is not cake or fondant is the doll, crown and peacock fan. The cake is super easy chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and fondant covering. The piping is royal icing, which still needs a lot of practice, but I am happy with how she turned out.

The top part of the dress is fondant and I was a little worried about how it would look, but thankfully it is fairly close to the actual Barbie dress.

(Image from here)

The cookies I made to match the theme were flowers and elephant's to represent Tika from the movie. The only elephant cookie cutter I have looks like a cross between a hippo and a bull, so I traced an elephant image and cut the cookies out by hand. This is the first time I have attempted this and am pleased with the end result.

 

The finishing touch are the mini chocolate and vanilla sponge cupcakes with vanilla butter cream swirl and a smartie on top. These are a great size for the children as there is just enough cake and buttercream for a couple of bites, less wastage or they can have more than 1!!!

It was nice to work with a different colour scheme for this party, the girls tend to always have pink, mauve and white, so the aqua provided a nice pop of colour.

We are off to the birthday party later on today, it will be an afternoon of fun and laughter, oh and cake :)

Happy 4th birthday Maggie Jane :)

Mrs KT :)

Birthday Cupcakes.

I tend to have a bit of a run on baking, sometimes it is large cakes, other times cookies. This week has been cupcakes. My niece is turning 4 this weekend, so she wanted to celebrate her birthday with her preschool friends. These are the cupcakes she took with her, vanilla sponge with vanilla buttercream icing. I don't always do the "swirl" on the children's cupcakes as it is a lot icing for a little person!

Come back over the weekend to see her birthday cake, cupcakes and cookies. I won't give too much away, but the colour's are not mauve and pink for a change!!!

I had a call yesterday for some cupcakes for my post lady's birthday today. They are vanilla and chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream swirls and blossoms ( I am having a little bit of an obsession with this type of fondant flower at the moment!).

Happy birthday Mel, I hope you enjoyed your birthday cupcakes :)

Mrs KT :)

Enchanted Sponge Cake

I was reading one of my favourite cooking blogs the other day and EmmCee had posted about an "Enchanted Sponge Cake" and at the end of the post she asked that this recipe be kept going as it was an old recipe (originally from here , so I gave it a try today.

Enchanted Sponge Cake

Ingredients

2 eggs separated
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 extra tablespoons sugar
1 cup self raising flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla


Method


1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Grease and line 2 x 7 inch tins with baking paper.

3. Place a pot of water on the heat and boil, then turn down to simmer. Put egg yolks, water and sugar into a heat proof bowl and place on top of water. Using a handheld mixer beat until mixture is thick and creamy (this may take 10 - 15 minutes).

4. In another bowl beat the egg whites and extra sugar until it becomes a soft meringue type consistency.

5. In a third bowl sift the flour and cocoa together. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and fold gently.

6. Then add the meringue mixture and fold gently.

7. Pour batter evenly between the tins and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes.

8. When cooked, remove from tins and cool on a wire rack.

9. Serve with whipped sweetened cream and dust with icing sugar.

 It is a lovely sponge cake, it has a slightly chewy texture, which I think comes from the meringue part of the recipe. I will definately be making this one again. Please give it a go if you have a chance and keep this old recipe going.

Mrs KT :)

Sunshine Award

The lovely Trish over at A Dream House for Trish has been kind enough to pass on my first blog award which I am very excited about :) Pay Trish a visit as she has a fantastic blog and always has something wonderful to share.

I now have to share 7 things about myself!

1. I have a Bachelor of Business - Accounting degree, which I used before I had children.

2. I am one of 3 children, the baby of the family.


3. I have 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl, who are all gorgeous. They keep me on my toes, my life was never this busy when I worked full time.


4. I am an aunty to 3 beautiful girls and 3 beautiful boys. 


5. I have lived in the same town for my whole life (34 years!!), and all of my immediate family still lives in the same town as well.


6. I love baking (which I guess you already know), am always on the hunt for a new recipe to try out.


7. I can't sew, sing, draw, paint or play a musical instrument :)


Now to pass this award onto some fellow bloggers (I apologise in advance if I have doubled up) :

Mrs A in The Cove

A Room For Everyone

The Five Year Project

MooBearDesigns

Tracey Lau Art & Soul

Digella Emporium

Penny Way

So please pay each of these wonderful blogs a visit, you will enjoy what they have to offer.

Enjoy your weekend.

Mrs KT:)