Sweet Tooth

Can you believe it’s friday already? And february, 2011! Honestly, life is passing by quicker that I ever expected. So many things that I want to do in what seems like very little time (hence the tattoo dudettes, remember to live!) But hey… if in doubt, keep calm and BAKE 🙂

So last night I was booked in again for my Cupcake class at the Cupcake shop in Glasgow. I had to cancel once before because of work, and when I was on the way into town yesterday morning super early (to spend some of my Next vouchers, thanks to you guys) I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognise. I changed my number a year or so ago, so only a small amount of people who I really know or who need it, have it. So I hate when an unknown number calls me. I answered with my polite phone voice (just in case, y’know?) and it was the girl from the cupcake shop, cancelling the class because her colleague has the flu. Pretty gutting, it’s a shame that the girl aint well… but now I have no idea when I’m going to rebook because of work and what time I finish at night. My wonderful girl Leah was coming over to the flat to visit me yesterday, so once we went for lunch we decided to get our bake on and stock up on some basic cupcake making goodies! So, not a total loss on the cake front yesterday anyways 🙂

Leah got me this book for christmas, from which we used the basic fairy cake recipe. We also cheated a bit and used Betty Crockers pre made buttercream icing, but I know once I get to my cupcake class I will be a PRO at making my very own icing! I am at the very furthest end of the spectrum away from ‘domestic goddess’, so while I get my baking/cooking act together, I don’t want to run before I can walk.

If you want to know what the ingredients were then drop me a comment below, but all fairy cake sponges are pretty generic from what I’ve gathered so far (literally, the 3 cupcake recipe books I’ve gathered at christmas from different people… are they trying to tell me something?!) Haha kidding on. I am very grateful, as well as (potentially) knowledgeable 😉

The above mix makes 12 cupcakes. Also noticed some recipes use muffin cases, which are slightly bigger. I am all for bigger cupcakes!

Fail on my part – not having a baking tray with all the little sections for cakes. It’s all in the learning experience eh… Or maybe that’s just my serious lack of common sense in the kitchen.

Leah piping her icing 🙂

The final result! Leah got much more adventurous than me and used a couple of different piping nozzles. I just stuck to the star shaped one, but I still need lots more practice at this. Again, hope to learn proper decoration skillz at my class, when I finally get to do it. Can you tell she lost steam by her last cake? Haha.

My cake stand finally enjoying some cupcake action. The sponge on a few of them was a bit brown at the sides, but it was lovely and fluffy inside, so I blame that on my lack of a proper baking tray and the poor cupcakes being unsupported and kinda falling over more than they should have. It cost about £20 to get all the stuff from the first picture, but now I have a start on a proper little baking inventory these ingredients can go towards other recipies. From the Nigella book I already have a list of sweet goodies I would really like to try over the next few months:

Chocolate Macaroons
Snickerdoodles
American Breakfast Pancakes
Chocolate Cheesecake
Peanut Butter Squares

Is there any of these in particular y’all would be interested in seeing me attempting first? Attempt being the key word here! And also, if you bake, where do you stock up on your baking supplies/decorations from? Sainsbury’s had a pretty good collection, but I’d like to know what my options are and where is best for what, before I begin on this epic baking crusade!

UPDATE! I made more today 🙂 got a proper baking tray, piping nozzles and some other goodies from lakeland. I’m so impulsive, hate it at times. I’m defo hoping to get better with practice, they were much easier to do second time round.

I also have my eye on quite a few more recipes from my other baking books, and a nice little pasta book Davids parents got him for christmas, and the Wagamama cookbook which I got him! I really need to get my act together when it comes to cooking, David is actually better than me at the moment. I’m saying at the moment because I hope 2011 will be the year I can look back on and say I was en route to becoming my own little domestic goddess. I’m telling you, that boy won’t know how lucky he is! 😉

Before I go, I just want to say hello to the new readers who have popped up in that little box over there, thank you for stopping by and having a nosy 🙂 I was worried for a while that my blog had stopped growing, but I’m not even going to think silly stuff like that again because I am so happy for all the wonderful folks I have here right now. And thank you for everyones feedback on the new layout. It hurt my brain a bit bit its fresher and cleaner and defo more ‘me’. For the moment, anyways 😉