Kelly’s dad is a serious digest biscuit addict (there are worse vices). It was his birthday this week and Kelly asked me to bake a batch of squidgy chocolate cupcakes each topped with a sugar (not real) digestive biscuit. Not that easy but after some playing around with sugar paste and colours I was quite pleased with the finished result. Not a real biscuit in sight!
It is a significant birthday for Derek today and as it has fallen during another’s period of lockdown, a box of cupcakes to share with friends on the doorstep seems the best solution. Derek loves his golf and has just bought a magnificent new BMW which is his pride and joy (after his wife of course). So I have personalised six squidgy chocolate and six zingy lemon cakes for the big day. Have fun Derek.
These little chaps are fun and make an ideal Christmas cheer up gift. Underneath the icing, half of these cupcakes are chocolate with ganache filling and half are lemon with zingy lemon curd, but they can be any flavour you like.
Little Ralph I saw one today. He has an allergy to eggs so we made this three layer egg free vanilla sponge, filled it with jam and buttercream and covered it in vegan friendly fondant. Add a bunting topper and hey presto. Due to lockdown he is having a very small celebration, but at least he has a showy cake for his photos. Hope Ralph enjoys his first birthday and the cake goes down well.
Mike has a big birthday today but we are in Lockdown again. No party allowed so Val wanted to surprise him with a box of cup cakes that could be left for his friends who would be dropping off cards and presents. They have just bought a motor home and Val wanted to theme the cakes accordingly. So here are a dozen elderflower and lemon cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, each topped with a hand made sugar camper-van, complete with Mike’s initial and the registration plate. I left them outside for Mike to find this morning. Have a very happy day.
Val very kindly sent me this email almost before I had got home
Job done!
Helen’s mum’s birthday celebration had to be hastily brought forward to avoid the second Covid lockdown. Luckily I had made the pretty pink sugar roses already and the little vanilla sponge filled with jam and buttercream didn’t take too long to sort out. A quick wizzle with the piping bag and all was ready in time.
This vanilla sponge layered with jam and covered in cream cheese frosting is a family favourite. This time, the recipient is 100 years old and spent much of her life in Switzerland, hence the garland of sugar edelweiss and gentians. Her family added sparklers for a glittering celebration. Very many congratulations Joan.
Christina is a big TikTok fan. For her 10th birthday she could only have a very small party, so this was a little rainbow sponge with 5 multicoloured layers inside. Bright pink buttercream covered in sugar hearts and musical notes. Hope you had fun Christina
Edna and Norman have a very special anniversary this week. They have a weekend in Oxfordshire with their family and wanted a cake to go with their celebratory glass of champagne. Edna carried a bouquet of yellow roses on her wedding day 60 years ago and wanted them represented on this traditional rich fruit cake. We added a piped message and then finished it off with a pale green sugar ribbon and bow. I piped some tiny yellow flowers around the sides to tie the colours in and added a little sprinkling of glitter. Very many congratulations to a lovely couple.
Rachel contacted me from afar. Her mum lives locally and the extended family planned a celebratory Sunday lunch at a well known brasserie in Highcliffe.
She sent me a picture of something she liked and I think we managed to pretty well copy the original. This is a five layer sponge cake (pink and white stripes inside but you will have to take my word on that) sandwiched and covered in pink and white vanilla buttercream. It is topped with white chocolate ganache drip icing and then lots and lots of pink and white chocolates and sweets. The whole thing was finished off with a golden cake topper message.
I delivered the cake cake to the restaurant in time for the party. Rachel was kind enough to message me the next day “ I just wanted to say thank you for the amazing cake. It was perfect and my mum loved it!”
My pleasure Rachel. Glad it was a success.
Cakes on Sea 