Icing Bliss

Baking highlights - 2011

2011-12-29T15:42:00.000Z

Wishing everyone a very happy 2012 - looking forward to lots of exciting baking adventures with you xx

Guest Post

2011-11-26T10:02:00.001Z

I'm so thrilled to have been invited to do a guest post on Best Friends for Frosting. I absolutely love this blog - it's packed with gorgeous baking projects for all occasions.

In my guest post you'll find the recipe and some tips on how to make a Shabby Chic christmas cookie tree...

I had so much fun making this project. Click here for intructions on how to make one too.

Stay tuned for more Christmas treats soon!

Happy baking xx

Cake International

2011-11-07T08:48:00.001Z

Over the weekend I had the most amazing time at Cake International at the NEC in Birmingham. It was a full weekend of justing talking cake with my cakey friends. The entries in the competition categories this year were mind blowing, here are just a few of the amazing creations on display:

The photo of this tiger doesn't do it justice. Each strand of fur was individually created by hand.....amazing

Each strand of fur on the cat was hand piped - the attention to detail on the cakes was incredible. Some of them must have taken months to complete.

This is just a section of a gorgeous fairy-themed cake.

This mermaid cake was one of my favourites - the beautiful coral and shells under the cake was so detailed, you could spend hours looking at it. Here's a bit of a close up....

Here's a section of another sea-inspired cake - love the little sea creatures

In the doll section -this entry blew me away. Everything you see has been made in sugar - even the crocheted table cloth was piped in royal icing. The miniature cakes on the doll's table were so detailed - I just loved this.

My mate Laura from Cakeology made this amazing sushi cake - it made it all the way in the car with us from London. She was awarded silver - I'm so happy for her.

As well as cakes, there were amazing floral entries. Some of these flowers look so real ....

I was a finalist in the live cupcake challenge - I had to decorate 13 cupcakes in 2 hours along with 8 other competitors. It was a lot of fun and I managed to finish in time. I decorated in my signature shabby chic style.....

and came 2nd place! I was so thrilled. Here's the winner's entry - her monkey cupcakes were so adorable.

Can't wait until the next show.....

Hope you all have a lovely week xx

Playing around with flowers

2011-10-17T08:33:00.001+01:00

Last week, I spent quite a bit of time practicing different cupcake designs in preparation for the Live PME cupcake finals which will be held at the Cake International exhibition on 4th November. I'll be there along with 8 other contestants decorating 13 cupcakes in 2 hours in front of everyone. If you're at the exhibition that day be sure to pop over and say hi.

Here are some of the cupcakes to come out of the kitchen recently....

Hope you all have a lovely week.

Happy baking xx

Cakelets

2011-10-07T12:08:00.000+01:00

This week I've been making cakelets (mini cakes). Here's what has come out of the kitchen.....

Candy-striped bow cakelet

Gardenia cakelet

Calla lily cakelet

and last but not least - ribbon roses cakelet.

Although mini cakes take a lot longer to make than cupcakes, they are definitely worth the effort, and make beautiful gifts. I'll be making a series of christmas cakelets soon to share with you all. Stay tuned.

Happy baking xx

This week in the kitchen.....

2011-09-18T10:22:00.002+01:00

I've been busy baking this week for National Cupcake Week. Here are a few more creations from the kitchen.....

Gardenia cupcake. You can learn how to make these at my Garden Party Cupcake class at Cakeology.

Shabby chic kitchen tea cupcakes. So girly and pretty.....

White ribbon rose cupcake with glitter.....

Hope you have all enjoyed National Cupcake Week xx

Shabby Chic Couture

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

Here are a few more cupcakes that have come out of my kitchen this week to celebrate National Cupcake Week. I've been playing around with fabric-inspired effects....

What have you all been baking this week?

xx

Lemon Meringue Cupcake Bliss

2011-09-14T09:26:00.000+01:00

For national cupcake week, I've been trying out different recipes and this lemon meringue cupcake is definitely up there as one of the loveliest flavours I've done so far. I just have to share the recipe with you so everyone can make these. Here's what you need:

Ingredients

Cupcakes

250g self raising flour
250g unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
5 eggs
Jar of lemon curd (or you can make your own if you have time!)

Meringue Topping

2 eggwhites
220g caster sugar
80ml cold water

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced). Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes on high speed until the mixture is pale and moussy in texture. Next, gradually add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing them in well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence and the lemon zest and mix well. Fold in the flour with a spoon or spatula until it is well combined then spoon the mixture into your cupcake cases (in your cupcake or muffin baking tray). Bake for 18-20 mins until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. Once the cupcakes are ready, remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in their tin for about 5 mins before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once they are cool, core them using a knife or a cupcake corer (don't cut all the way through the cupcake, just half way) and fill with lemon curd.

To make the meringue topping, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir it over a medium heat, without boiling, until the sugar is dissolved (if you put some mixture between your fingers it should be silky smooth). Next, bring the sugar mixture to the boil, without stirring, for about 5 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer you are aiming for 116C). The syrup should be thick but not coloured. Remove from the heat and allow the bubbles to subside. Beat the eggwhites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. While they are still beating, add the hot syrup in a thin stream to the eggwhites. Continue to beat for a further 10 minutes on high speed until the mixture is thick. Pipe the meringue mixture using a star tip nozzle onto the cupcakes. If you want to be extra fancy, you can toast the meringue with a gas blow torch - but be careful not to set the cupcake cases on fire!

Hope you have fun making these cupcakes - they are so delicious x

National Cupcake Week and Cupcake Kit Giveaway

2011-09-12T13:09:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

Happy national cupcake week!! To celebrate this exciting week of baking, I'll be posting different pictures of some of my latest cupcake creations as inspiration for your own bakes. To start with, here's a selection of pink frilly cupcakes:

All of the decorations are made with modelling paste and are edible.

As another exciting part of National Cupcake Week, I am also giving away one of my "Fashionista cupcake kits" on Friday to a randomly selected follower of my facebook page. The competition is open to everyone (worldwide) so be sure to follow my facebook page by the end of the week (see facebook tab on the left of this page or go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Icing-Bliss/128307480559950#!/pages/Icing-Bliss/128307480559950) to be in the running to win all of this stuff:

The kit contains 24 baking cases and 24 plastic fashion-themed decorations which you can wash and reuse!

Stay tuned for more cupcake inspiration this week.

Happy baking xx

Ribbon Rose Tutorial

2011-09-11T19:30:00.001+01:00

I love ribbon roses. You can make them with any type of edible paste (sugarpaste, modelling paste, flowerpaste, marzipan etc), and they are really simple to put together. I often spend a lazy afternoon making a whole batch of them, then leave them to dry in a container so they are on hand as decorations for any last minute cupcakes I need to make.

If you want to make some ribbon roses as well, here's a simple tutorial to help you along the way.

1. Roll out some paste on a non-stick board with a non-stick rolling pin. If the paste is quite sticky, put a little bit of icing sugar on your board. Roll the paste out into a thin ribbon.

2. Fold the ribbon of paste in half.

3. Start at one end of the ribbon and begin rolling it (like a snail shell).

4. Next take the long end of the ribbon and start to wrap it around the centre of the rose.

5. Pinch the paste as you wrap it around to give it a ruffle effect.

6. Once the rose is the size you desire it will have quite a long tail.

7. Snip off the excess paste with scissors.

Your ribbon roses are then ready to use and enjoy.

Happy baking xx

Cupcake Month

2011-09-07T17:11:00.004+01:00

It's cupcake month on food network uk. Each day you can find a new cupcake recipe on the calendar and enter in a daily prize draw to win exciting cupcake-related prizes. You can also go in the running to win a Kenwood Chef Titanium! So what are you waiting for?

Cupcake Corer

2011-09-06T14:07:00.001+01:00

I wanted to do a quick post to share with you my new favourite kitchen toy - the Cuisipro cupcake corer.

I've always used a knife to scoop out the centre of my cupcakes before filling them and was a little skeptical about this corer, however it is so easy to use and ensures that the same amount of cake is taken out of each cupcake. All you do is twist it into the centre of a cooled cupcake, then pull it out - simple!

Eating my way around the Lake District

2011-08-22T20:11:00.000+01:00

I spent last week in the beautiful Lake District, going on walks, taking in the breath-taking scenary, and most importantly, sampling the local cakes and bakes. Here are a few of the delicious treats I got to try.....

These chocolate cakes were 12 inches in diameter and filled with layers of cream.....so delicious.

Next up are lovely little fruit scones slathered with jam and cream - yum!

Pretty flower chocolate pops decorated with smarties in 'Relish' in Hawkeshead.

Deliciously moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from the Wild Strawberry Cafe in Keswick.

More scones - these beauties were huge and filled with cream and raspberry jam

Here are some of the delicious slices for sale at the farmer's market in Keswick

I couldn't resist trying the local specialty - gingerbread cake

It was so moist - I can't wait to try and make it.

This was the most divine eton mess - I just had to share it with you - from Cuckoo Brow in Sawry.....loaded with light meringue and blackberries.

Last is the Kendal mint cake. This treat was carried to the top of Mount Everest in May 1953, on the first successful expedition to the summit.This is the chocolate covered version - yum. If you want to make a Kendal mint cake for yourself here's the recipe:

Ingredients

500g white granulated sugar
150ml milk
1/2 tsp of peppermint essence
100g milk or dark chocolate (melted)

Method

Put sugar and milk into a saucepan and bring it slowly to the boil. Stir until the mixture becomes thick. You can test if it is ready by dropping a small amount into a glass of cold water and see if it forms into a soft ball when rolled between finger and thumb.

Remove from the heat and add the peppermint essence, then beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and slightly setting but still pliable. Pour mixture into a buttered shallow tin and leave it to set in the fridge. Once set, pour melted chocolate over it and leave mint cake to set in the fridge again before turning it out of the tin and cutting into thin bars. Store mint cake in an air-tight container.

Happy baking x

Beetroot Brownies

2011-08-12T18:18:00.000+01:00

I decided to take a break from cupcakes today and have ventured into the unknown world of brownies....I had some spare beetroots that I needed to use up so thought that a chocolate beetroot brownie would be a perfect solution to use up left over ingredients. I cannot get over how simple brownies are to make. If I had known this before I definitely would have tried to make them sooner. Here's how they turned out.....so moist and chocolatey.......

If you want to make these here's what you will need:

Ingredients

4 medium beetroots
100g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa dark chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla essence
250g golden caster sugar
3 medium eggs
110g plain flour
25g cocoa powder

Method

Peel the beetroot and roughly chop it into pieces. Place it into a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of water before covering it with cling film and microwaving it on high for 15 minutes or until tender. Note that the beetroot is likely to stain your fingers and cutting boards etc at this stage. Wear gloves to avoid pink fingers!

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan). While the beetroot cooks, grease then line the base of a 20 x 30cm baking tin or small roasting pan. Once the beetroot is cooked, tip it into a sieve to drain off any excess liquid, then put it into a food processor with the chocolate, butter and vanilla essence. Whizz until the mix is as smooth as you can get it. The chocolate and butter will melt as you do this. It's ok if your beetroot isn't pureed at ths stage. I personally like a few pieces of beetroot in the mix to give it a more rustic texture.

Put the caster sugar and eggs into a large bowl, then beat using an electric whisk until thick and foamy (normally about 2 mins on a high speed). Spoon the beetroot mix into the bowl then fold it into the whisked eggs with a spoon. Lastly sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then gently fold these in to make a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25 mins or until risen all over. The top of the brownie will have a nice crust and the centre will be moist and gooey. Cool the brownie in the tin, then cut into squares and serve with creme fraiche. Delicious!

Happy baking xx

Lucky Girl

2011-08-08T12:09:00.000+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I entered a competition on Torie Jayne's beautiful blog to win a voucher to spend at Anusha ......and I won! I'm so thrilled - all of the items for sale at Anusha are gorgeous, it was so tricky working out what to buy, but here's what I chose:

A pretty black polka dot umbrella. Love the girly frill around the edges!

A floral wrap-around top - perfect for summer days

And these gorgeous sparkling earrings

For anyone looking for something pretty for themselves or as a gift - you should definitely check out the Anusha website. They are having a sale on at the moment as well - so get in quick to grab a pretty bargain.

This week in the kitchen.....

2011-07-28T07:26:00.001+01:00

Hi All,

I've been having so much fun this week decorating cupcakes and miniature cakes in my favourite shabby chic style. Here's a selection of what has come out of the kitchen......

Sugarpaste cupcakes with ribbon roses

Playing around with white

More rose cupcakes - you can never have too many right?

Miniature cakes

There's that ribbon rose again....as you can tell I'm enjoying making them at the moment

Lastly, a little flower cluster....

Hope you are all having as much fun in the kitchen as I am this week!

Happy baking xx

Tall Cupcake

2011-07-20T21:47:00.001+01:00

I've seen quite a few youtube videos recently about 'Tall Cupcakes' - made by stacking 3 cupcakes on top of each other then covering them with sugarpaste. I had a few spare cupcakes in the kitchen this morning so decided to give it a try. Here's how it turned out:

It's actually quite easy to put together - probably easier than miniature cakes. If you want to try to make them yourself, there is a lovely step by step tutorial available by Sugarbloom cupcakes.

And of course, once you have covered your tall cupcake in sugarpaste, you are free to decorate it however you like. I made some ribbon roses and pearl strands out of flower paste. How will you decorate yours?

Happy baking x

Playing with pastels

2011-07-20T08:44:00.000+01:00

Today I'm in the kitchen decorating cupcakes in pastel hues. Here are some of the creations so far......

Cabbage rose cupcake - simple but pretty

Cluster of ribbon roses and blossoms

Shabby chic bliss - with pale pink and white flowers

Now it's back to the kitchen to make some more.

Happy baking xx

Cookie Stacks

2011-07-11T11:03:00.004+01:00

I've been making quite a few cookie stacks recently. They make sweet gifts for friends or are perfect little wedding favours. Each one is made up of 6 round cookies - two small, two medium and two large.

Once your cookies have cooled, stick them together with royal icing as shown below. The cookies will look like a mini 3-tiered cake.....so sweet!

You can then decorate them using royal icing, sugarpaste decorations, glitter etc. Whatever takes your fancy. I made a few blossoms out of sugarpaste then glued them cascading down the front of the cookie stack with royal icing.

Here are some other examples:

This one has sugarpaste inbetween each cookie which makes the stack taller.

This one is decorated in a country garden theme. You can add as much or little decoration as you like!

Hope you enjoy making cookie stacks.

Happy baking x

Vintage Roses and Bows

2011-07-10T13:39:00.001+01:00

Hi All,

Here is a selection of sweet vintage-inspired cupcakes I have made this week - they are perfect little treats for an afternoon tea party.

The cupcakes are covered in sugarpaste and then decorated with roses, bows and blossoms I made with flowerpaste. To finish them off I added accents of royal icing dots and edible pearls.

Hope you are all having a nice week.

Happy baking x

Babyshower cupcakes

2011-06-29T12:39:00.003+01:00

Hi All,

Sorry I've been neglecting the blog quite a bit recently and only including regular posts on my facebook page. I have a few tutorials planned which I will upload from tomorrow, but to start with, here is a selection of some sweet babyshower cupcakes I made this week.

These cupcakes are decorated with sugarpaste baby-themed toppers, which I shaped by hand. The teddy bear in the centre is made using modelling paste in a Karen Davies teddy silicon mould. The little baby footprints are made using royal icing on a stencil.

I am running a few babyshower cupcake classes over summer in London so if you would like to come along and learn how to make these cupcakes and more, check out the website for course dates and details.

Happy baking x

Latest creations

2011-05-16T07:01:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone,
Apologies for the lack of postings recently. I have been busy baking but haven't set aside any time to upload photos. Here's a selection of what's coming out of my kitchen these days...

First up are some shabby chic cupcakes decorated with handmade flowers and bows......so girly

I love playing around with duck egg (bluey-green) sugarpaste at the moment - such a pretty colour.

Next up are some mini cakes covered in sugarpaste......

and then another mini cake with a handmade sugar rose.......so pretty for a wedding

and here's another sugar rose I made......I'm finally getting the hang of how to make these.....

Next are a selection of flower cupcakes. I put these together as a sample for a class that I will be running from June to September at Cakeology called 'Garden Party Cupcakes'.

Last of all is another vintage inspired cupcake - I love making these

Hope you all have a lovely week.

Happy baking xx

Sweet Mini Bunnies

2011-04-20T14:35:00.000+01:00

For Easter this year I have been baking batches of mini bunny vanilla biscuits to give as gifts. The biscuits are really easy to make and can either be left plain, or decorated with royal icing.

The recipe I always use for my vanilla biscuits is here.

You can package the biscuits in cellophane bags or store them in a jar or container for at least 3 weeks, however don't expect them to be stored for a long time because they are so delicious, everyone is likely to eat them quickly.

You can also use the biscuits as cupcake decorations.......so cute.........

I hope you all have fun baking Easter treats xx

Vintage Chic Cupcakes

2011-04-20T13:43:00.000+01:00

Here are some of the cupcakes I have been making this week for some lovely clients. I was really pleased to get an order for vintage-inspired creations as I love making roses and adorning cupcakes with lots of sugarpaste decorations. These cupcakes were filled with lemon curd and had a thin layer of lemon buttercream on top before the sugarpaste covering and decorations were added. I used royal icing to pipe some dots and stripes to add a bit more texture to the cakes.

And here are the cupcakes together on my new chandelier cake stand from the US. I just love this cake stand.....it took a few months to arrive in the UK, but for anyone who is interested in purchasing one, you can find them on Amazon here.

Hope you are all having a lovely week.

Happy baking xx

Busy in the Kitchen

2011-04-11T15:53:00.000+01:00

Over the last week I have been busy making different sets of biscuits all using my favourite sugar cookie recipe. It's completely fail-proof and always retains its shape during baking. You can find it here.

Here are some of the biscuits I made:

The first set is my 'Fashionista biscuit' range which includes handbags, dresses and shoes, perfect for a girly afternoon tea.....

Next is my 'French chic' range - pink poodles and Eiffel towers - so adorable.

These sets and others will be available soon at 'Not on the High Street' and can be shipped across the UK. Stay tuned for more biscuits soon.

Happy baking xxx