Luke Skywalker angry birds cake

Once again another challenge from my nephew. He asked me for an Angry birds star wars cake. At first I was going to make lots of small angry birds and some sort of structure to put them on but that meant there wasn't much actual cake involved. Instead I decided to make one big angry bird. I went for Brandon's favourite Luke Skywalker. Again I had to use my hemisphere cake tin and I made chocolate cake as that always goes down well at kids parties. I pasted the two halves together with chocolate fudge buttercream and placed it in the fridge to set. After a few hours I brought it out and iced the whole thing then covered it with red fondant. It didn't quite cover the whole thing but I was going to put white around the bottom half anyway. I trimmed off the excess and then measured out with a piece of string (I couldn't find my tape measure) the amount of white icing I'd need to cover the bottom half. Then it came to the beak. I struggled for a while trying to find the right way to get the beak to be 3D. In the end I used a piece of left over red icing to make a pyramid shape and stuck it to the face. I then cut out two triangles one for the top half or the beak and one for the bottom. Using some water I attached them to the pyramid. The eyes were fairly easy once I worked out the correct shape which was like a triangle with the end cut off. For the black pupils I used a food pen and simply draw them on. Then the eyebrow were the same shape as the eyes but slightly big and longer. The hair was strips of light brown which I just layered all the way around and then the last two strips at the very front which I bent back slightly. I also used my ball tool to make a parting at the front and small lines around the rest of the hair to give it some texture. The belt was simply a strip of dark brown fondant wrapped around the bottom half. Then the lightsaber was a cake pop stick cut down and covered it silver and blue fondant. Once again I gave it a bit of texture with my ball tool. Lastly was the "Happy Birthday Brandon" plaque at the front. For that I simply rolled out blue fondant and with my icing pen wrote Happy Birthday in white and Brandon in yellow with a line all the way round the top. This was the final result:

   

A Golden Snitch Cake

It has been a while since I wrote a post. I have not been baking a lot recently but started up again with my nephew's birthday cake. Every year he let's his imagination run wild and he challenges me to make a bigger and better cake than the previous year. This year was no exception, he asked me to make him a golden snitch cake with harry potter sitting on top. I always make a chocolate cake for him so after purchasing a new hemisphere cake tin I made up one lot of cake mix and separated it into what I thought was half. When I had baked both halves I put them together and realised that they were completely different sizes. I had to start again this time making one batch of batter for each. It worked out much better the second time and after some carefully carving I sandwiched the two together. I also cut each half into two and put butter cream in the middle.
I left the cake in the fridge to set for a while and then covered it with yellow sugar paste. In order to get the gold shine that I wanted I used gold lustre dust. I mixed the dust with water and painted it on. I then used more yellow sugar paste to make the lines on the snitch and again painted them. For the writing on the snitch I used my new edible ink pen.
The only problem that I had with the cake were the wings. I bought flower wires , cut out a triangle of sugar paste then wrapped around the wires. It was too heavy for the wire to hold it's shape. After a quick chat with my Mum she gave me the idea of using my lollipop sticks (or cake pop sticks). They worked much better as they were a lot stronger. So the last touch was the Harry Potter on top. This time I used wire and shaped it into the character and then put the icing around it. It was much easier except that the body turned out to be a bit long. I'll know for next time though.
So the cake is done, we are getting ready and the wing breaks off! I had to rush around getting my cake stuff out again in order to make a new wing.  It didn't take that long and I kept it on a plate and decided to attach it when I got there. If only I had taken the other wing out! On the way  to my brother's house we went over a speed bump (not hubby's fault) and the second wing broke. We had to quickly get back home so I could rush out and make another. Obviously I left it on the plate and attached it once we got there.
So here It is the final finished cake:  

       

Victoria sponge Cake

Hi all.
just a short one today and a bit late actually, it was a long weekend. It was Martin's 30th birthday and the only thing I baked was a Victoria sponge cake. It was going to be chocolate but after a conversation with Martin the night before I made it I realised that he doesn't like chocolate cake. I subtly tried to ask him what cake he does like but I make so much that I don't think he even thought I'd be making him one. He said plain  so it was fine. So I bought a new hemisphere cake tin and made a plain sponge. I only bought one tin so had to bake the first half and then the second.  
Now I apologise for the content of the cake I know some of you hate Arsenal.

      We surprised Martin's with a caribean meal, record player, comedy club and of course the cake. It was a great night. Sitting in the front row of the comedy club meant we got picked on but we absolutely love it.
Well that's all for this week but next week is jam packed with cupcakes, strawberry parcels and Easter treats. See you next week.

Pizza, Chocolate lollies and Tarte au citron

Hi to all,
I am a bit late this week due to not feeling great. I've caught my son's virus. Poor Frankie had it last week and was coughing with a high temperature. I gave him some paracetamol on Saturday and left the bottle on the side where George got hold of it. He managed to drink some without us knowing so we were rushing to the hospital at 6.30pm. George and I waited there while Daddy took Frankie home and put him to bed. Daddy then came back to the hospital and  Nanny stayed to look after Frankie. We had to wait four hours until they could do a blood test for poor George and see how much he swallowed. The nurse said the cap was really easy to get off and asked George if he could do it again but he was a bit shy. He was really good and very hyper until it came to the blood test which he hated. I had to hold and cuddle him while they did it. He just kept shouting for Frankie bless him. After about five hours of running around the ward George finally crashed on the floor. I moved him the bed but he only got fifteen minutes before almost falling out of bed which woke him up. We began walking around the ward again when the doctor told us his results were back and they were fine. We could go home! So at one in the morning we rang Daddy and asked him to come and get us. (I had sent him home after the blood test to get some sleep.)
After such a long night both the kids ended up falling asleep on Grandma's sofa the next day. They were both shattered bless them!
Anyway that was the story of our weekend but now to the baking part! So during the week we made the pizzas. Normally I would do the same as my mum and make shortcrust pastry and just top it with tomato puree and what ever else was in the fridge/cupboards. However this time I followed and recipe from Tiff's Great British Bake Off cookbook. I don't know what I'll do when she gets back. I'll have to buy myself a copy because I use that book all the time. Anyway I started to make the recipe but didn't realise it was for four pizzas! I left a quarter on the mix in the fridge to have the next day and made three pizzas for me and the boys. They were simply ham and cheese but were lovely. I didn't realise they were going to puff up quite so much but I don't think I had rolled them out enough. On the second day though I tried to roll it out more and make it bigger. It was much nicer because it seemed like there was less dough.
Next we made Chocolate lollies which was just galaxy chocolate melted and piped into circles. As always when I'm melting chocolate I can never seem to melt all of it properly and when I put it into a piping bag the unmelted pieces get stuck in the nozzle. Still I manged to make about 14 lollies which was great practise for easter. I have a lot of Nephews and a Neice as well as my own children to buy for so I thought I'd make lollies with their names on that way it's something special and a bit cheaper.
Lastly on Sunday morning and still half asleep I manged to make my tarte au citron which is my mum's favourite dish that I make. It is another one from the Great British Bake Off cookbook and it taste amazing. It is creamy but with a lot of flavour. It was not my best attempt as the bottom creaked and the zest wasn't fine enough but it still tasted nice.

My pizza

Chocolate Lollies

Frankie and George asleep on Grandma's  sofa

Frankie's pizza

I would also like to mention my sister's yummy bake, during the week she (and Freya) made brownies with cherries and brought them over on Sunday. They were scummy! I had forgotten they contained so when I bit into one I was pleasantly surprised. Lovely.
Well it's taken me nearly all week to write this but that's enough for now. I'll write aagin next week        
    

Natalie Bakes... Strawberry,white chocolate and cream cake and a chocolate cribbage board cake

Hi all,
I have plenty to write about this week what with it being mother's day and my wonderful hubby Andy's birthday. I'll begin with mother's day as that was the reason for most of my baking this week. I made my own mum a strawberry, white chocolate and cream sponge. I decorated it with strawberries and spelled out mum on the top. The sponge had white chocolate melted into it but it was still nice and light. I do not think I could use this type of sponge for an iced and decorated cake because it would crumble but for a simple cake it was perfect.
The second cake I made was for my mother-in-law. I made a chocolate cake and decorated it to look like a cribbage board. It was the first time I had used a paintbrush to decorate a cake. I bought craft brushes from a cake shop and this was the perfect opportunity to try them out. It was difficult at first because using a ruler to get straight lines made the lines too thick. I had to draw the lines free hand so they were a bit wonky but it was my first attempt so I was happy and more importantly so was my mother-in-law.
The other thing I made this week was a PB Bear costume. It was world book day on Thursday and Frankie had to dress up for nursery. At first he choose Dumbledore so we looked at costumes however as soon as he realised that he would have to wear a beard he quickly changed his mind to PB Bear. In order to make the costume I took the kids to the charity shop where we bought a giant teddy bear. I cut him open and took out the stuffing leaving a shell for Frankie to put his face into. The teddy wasn't quite big enough to cover his head so had to be cut in half and then an extra piece of fluffy material from the stomach sowed in between the ears and under his chin. I also cut off the arms and legs of the teddy which made gloves and slippers for Frankie's hands and feet. Then he simply put on his stripy pj's. All of his teachers loved it and Frankie was very proud of it, he would tell Mrs Attrell (his teacher) all about the costume from buying the bear to cutting it, sewing it etc. She got the whole account and couldn't believe that it only cost us £2.95 for the whole thing.
Lastly it is my husbands birthday today, the kids and I bought him prison break series three and mum got him series four. I had a cake course to do today so Andy looked after the boys while I went a did that. I learnt a few extra things but would really like to do a more advanced course.
Well I'll leave you with the photos as it's getting late and I'll write again next week.

Strawberry, white chocolate and cream cake 

Chocolate cribbage board cake

Frankie dressed as PB Bear

      

Natalie Bakes... Cupcakes and strawberry parcels

Hi all,
This week has been a busy one though sadly not for baking. We took the boys swimming on Sunday morning so there was not enough time for a big bake however we did take over some cupcakes decorated with help from Frankie and George. This week we have already made strawberry parcels which are Frankie's favourite. He asks me every week if we can make them or ginger bread men. So I've added a picture of both the cupcakes and the parcels.
We had a great dinner on Saturday, it was a new recipe, Cajun pork with green beans. The chops were rubbed in chilli powder, sage, cumin, paprika and pepper then fried on a high heat. The were delicious and surprising filling. Tonight I am trying something new again we are having beef stroganoff. I have only ever tried my Dad's so it will be interesting to see if I like my own version. I don't think I have made a meal yet that it nicer than my Dad's. Cakes and sweet treats I can make but dinner has never been my strong point. When it comes to dinners I did not get off to the best start. The first example of this was the Chilli cook off that my family did. We all made a chilli and took it over to my Uncles, he laid them out on the table so we could all taste them and rate them. Mine obviously came last! I was devestated! And have since always bought jars.
The second example was the first and last curry I ever made my Hubby. I have been measuring out the ingredients for my Dad's curry since I knew the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. I loved making them with my Dad and figured how hard could the actual cooking be. I made Chicken Chat for us when we were house sitting for my parents. I served it to Andy, finished the washing up and sat down to eat mine but saw Andy's face. He was disgusted but clearly trying to hide it lol. He asked me how much salt I had put in. I said a tablespoon and tried mine. Too much salt. I checked the cookbook and realised that I had put a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon! It was then thrown in the bin and we had omelettes (I've always been good at making those). I also use jars for currys now too. One day I will attempt them both again as it seems slightly ridicluous that I use jars for dinner but won't even contemplate using shop bought puff pastry.

Strawberry Parcels 

Cupcakes

Well until next week!          

Natalie Bakes...

It has been almost a year since the last time I wrote a blog. However I have a new reason to write it now. I've started baking! Last year I wrote about my children and trying new things. This year I plan to write about the things I bake, make and/or decorate. My fasination for all things baked began when I made cakes for my mum on  mother's day then my children's birthday cakes. From there I've made cakes for my nephews, friends and family.

The Blossom cake

At the moment I am working on a two tier blossom cake. I have baked two plain sponges, filled them with butter cream icing, stack them and covered them with blue fondant. Once the kids are in bed tonight I'll be making the blossoms and if I get time I'll put a few on the cake. I except I won't finish it til tomorrow night so at that point I will take a picture and post it.