Flowers and Bugs

So, this is what I was doing last Saturday afternoon. Making marzipan decorations to sit atop  cupcakes I had made that morning, ready for the family Easter Sunday afternoon tea. 

I can't say that I have often had much call to make decorations, but this time I was inspired by three things:

1. I had met Frances Quinn, the winner of the Great British Bake Off 2013, at an in-store appearance, where she made her signature marzipan bees.

2. I had recently attended a cake show (post to follow) and bought various bits and bobs that I was desperate to use, and,

3. It was Easter, and honestly, anything goes when it comes to baking. The more fun and colourful, the better.

Flowers and bugs. That was the theme. With a cup of tea, and Radio 2 for company I began. Colouring, shaping, rolling, sticking, stamping, painting, that was me for a good few hours. There is something quite therapeutic in repetition, particularly when you can see what that repetition achieves in front of your eyes. And I love to have something that I can completely immerse myself in and shut out the outside world.

If you would like to try something similar, this is what I used: 

• White marzipan (any brand from a good supermarket is perfect)
• Wilton gel colours (I bought mine in store from Lakeland, but they are also available online, here)
• White pearl sugar balls (mine were from Sainsburys, but you should be available to find them in any good supermarket)
• Small flower cutters (buy online, here)
• Edible glue (however, a little bit of icing sugar and water mixed together works just as well)
• Edible glitter (again, available from Lakeland, here)
• Flaked almonds
• Copious quantities of vinyl gloves to prevent your hands from staining when colouring the marzipan. Believe me, you will need them.
• Fine paint brushes, and finally,
• My imagination! 

I have not included any recipes in this post as the search is on for the perfect cupcake recipe that I am happy to share with you all. Nothing fancy, just a good vanilla and chocolate cupcake, along with a good vanilla and chocolate buttercream (plus, cupcakes are a whole other topic!). When that day comes, I will let you know, but in the meantime here are a couple of pictures of the finished result.

Spring has Sprung

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris,

I wonder where the birdies is?

Some say the bird is on the wing,

But that's absurd
The wing is on the bird. 

(anon, or Spike Milligan, depending on which Google entry you want to believe)

This little piece of nonsense was taught to me by my father when I was a child, and I have remembered ever since at the onset of Spring. To get the full effect of its silliness though, you have to say it in a faux 'noo yoik' accent. Funny, the things that make you smile.

I digress.

Spring has arrived, and to that, I say, Hurrah! The cold dark days of winter are behind us, there is a warmth in the air, flowers are emerging from their winter hibernation, and Summer is not so far away. And, of course, there is Easter, which is just around the corner.  

To celebrate, why not mix up a Simnel Cake for your tea time table? This is the fruit cake which is traditionally eaten at Easter in England and Ireland, and is often likened to Christmas Cake simply because it contains fruit, and involves marzipan. That, for me, though, is where the similarity ends.





It is lighter than Christmas cake. It doesn't have to be made weeks in advance nor does it have to be doused in alcohol. And, if you are short on time, the recipe below uses the all-in-one method, although at least two hours are needed to bake it.

The cake is made with two layers of marzipan. One is baked into the middle (which gives a gorgeous almondy dampness) and one is placed on the top, and toasted. To decorate, eleven marzipan balls (which represent the twelve apostles of Jesus, excluding Judas) are placed around the top edge of the cake. 
Simnel cake has been around since at least medieval times, and it was made for the middle Sunday of Lent, when on this day the Lenten fast was relaxed. In more recent times however, it became the tradition for young girls in service to make a Simnel cake for their mothers when they visited on Mothering Sunday.
The name 'simnel' possibly comes from the Latin word 'simila', meaning fine, wheaten flour.

I hope that you give this cake a try. I think there is something special about eating food that 
has a history and is tied into the feast for which it is made. Try to make and eat it at any other time of year, and it doesn't quite taste the same!

For the cake

(from Mary Berry)

100g glacé cherries
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
225g self-raising flour, sifted
225g sultanas
100g currants
50g chopped candied peel
2 lemons, grated zest only
2 tsp ground mixed spice

For the filling and topping

450g marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved 

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 150C / 280F / Gas 2. Grease and line a 20cm/ 8in cake tin with baking paper.

1.Cut the cherries into quarters, and rinse under running water in a sieve. Drain well, and dry thoroughly on kitchen paper.

2. Put the cherries in a large bowl with remaining cake ingredients and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the prepared tin.

3. With one-third of the marzipan, roll it out to a circle the size of the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top and level the surface with the back of a spoon.

4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2½ hours, or until well risen, evenly brown and firm to the touch. (If you think the top is browning too quickly, cover with a layer of foil or baking paper after one hour). Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

5.When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little of the apricot jam and roll out half of the remaining marzipan to fit the top. Press firmly on the top and using a fork, crimp around the edges.

6. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 balls.

7. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake. I like to press down lightly on them with a fork. This not only ensures that the balls are stuck down properly, but I think it adds a nice touch.
8. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg and then place the cake under a hot grill until the top is lightly toasted. I would recommend that you watch the cake like a hawk, because this doesn't take long, and lightly toasted can easily become burnt!

How much Chocolate is too much?

In my previous post I extolled the virtues of a plain chocolate cake which was to be transformed into a celebration cake.

Well, below, is said cake. It is, without doubt, a symphony of chocolate. Chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, chocolate fingers, and just in case that was not enough chocolate, a scattering of smarties over the top!
The brief was for a fun and colourful number cake, intended to be the surprise final flourish to the birthday celebration.
It was super simple to make, but often, simplicity is the key to achieving an impressive result. The method went like this:

1. Hire the cake tins (the easiest way to make numbers, although it is possible to cut numbers out of cake)
2. Make the cakes
3. Make the chocolate ganache (I have put the recipe below) and cover the cakes
4. Stick the chocolate fingers around the sides
5. Pour on enough smarties to cover the top
6. Sprinkle on edible glitter
7. Put the cakes on the cake board
8. Decorate the board with fondant shapes
9. Add candles, sparklers, whatever you fancy as a finishing touch

You see, simple.
 

 

Chocolate Ganache (enough to cover a deep 20 cm cake)

250ml double cream

250g chocolate

 

Try this icing to cover a rich chocolate cake. I love it and it is my go to icing. It is the same quantity of cream and chocolate melted together, and that is it. Use a combination of dark and milk chocolate in any proportion that you like. I tend to use 60/40 dark to milk, because all dark chocolate would make it the icing very bitter.

You can make this icing and cover the cake the morning, or even the day before you need it. Indeed, In fact, it tastes better having been left overnight. The ganache will set to a beautiful rich dark brown shine, which is rather sophisticated, I think.

 

1. Heat the cream to boiling point, but don't let it boil.

2. Chop the chocolate into small chunks. Put it into a bowl and pour the cream on top.

3. After about 5 minutes the chocolate should be soft enough to be able to combine with the cream. Whisk the two together for a couple of minutes until well mixed and glossy.

4. Leave the icing to cool for about 5 - 10 minutes, or until it is thick enough to spread on the top and sides of the cake but is not runny.

5. An alternative use of chocolate ganache is to make truffles. When the ganache gets cold it becomes very thick and can be rolled into balls ready to be covered in icing sugar, cocoa powder, or nuts.