Eesh!

Well its been a busy few weeks, had a custom order for a first birthday party, plenty of essays and a broken laptop!

For the 1st birthday party cupcakes i went with a wild theme..
Lions, Tigers, Monkeys, Zebras and Pandas... Oh my!
Apparently they went down a treat and all the children ended up with blue hands and faces (glad i wasn't cleaning up!) I think the Tigers are my favourite however everyone that saw them like something different haha.

I havent really had time to bake until today... I decided to make 3 cakes from my new cake book...
1. Devonshire Honey Cake (Excuse the horrible photography)

Im not a huge fan of honey but have never tried it in cake form... Its okay.. I'm not bowled over by it to be honest, it might be nicer with a cup of tea but all in all im not a fan. However if you want to try it.. the recipe is here:

• 225g Unsalted Butter
• 250g Clear honey, plus 2tbsp to glaze
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 300g Self raising flour

1. Heat oven to 160C/140Cfan/gas. Butter and line a 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tin.
2. Cut the butter into pieces and place in a medium pan with the honey and the sugar, Melt slowly over a low heat. When the mixture looks quite liquid, increase the heat and boil for 1minute. Leave to cool for 15-20minutes.
3. Beat the eggs into the honey mixture using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour into a large bowl and pour into the honey mixture. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50mins-1hr (until a skewer or fork comes out clean)
5. Turn the cake out onto a cooling rack, warm the 2tbsp of honey and spread over the top of the cake... leave to cool.

2. Lemon Drizzle Squares

Lemon-y cake never fails to impress me, i adore it! The lemon topping kind of sets a bit?! i think its all the sugar.. Ive followed a different recipe before that called for the lemon juice pouring on top and then being sprinkled with sugar as aposed to the mixture in this recipe..

• 100g butter, softened
• 175g Self Raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6tbsp milk
• Zest 1 large lemon

(For the icing..)

• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 100g golden caster sugar

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Butter and line the base of an 18x28cm tin with parchment.
2.Put all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat for 2-3minutes, until smooth and the mixture drops of the spoon easily.
3. Spoon into the tin and smooth out, bake for 30-40mins until firm to the touch.
4. For the icing: beat together the sugar and around 3tbsp of the lemon juice, pour over the cake whilst still hot and leave to cool.

3. Cappuccino Bars (although mine are more like squares)
Im not a coffee drinker, but i love coffee flavoured things.. and these are actually delicious!

• 1tsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
• 2 rounded tbsp coffee granules
• 225g butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225g Self Raising flour
• 1tsp Baking powder

(for the topping)

• 100g White chocolate
• 50g butter, softened
• 3 tbsp milk
• 175g Icing sugar

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line a shallow swiss roll tin.
2. Mix the Cocoa and the coffee granules with 2tbsp of warm water, put in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients and beat with an electric whisk for 2mins.
3. Tip the mixture into the tin and level out. Bake for 35-40mins until risen and firm to touch. Cool for 10mins in the tin before turning out, peel of the parchment and cool on a rack.
4. Melt the chocolate, butter and milk over a pan of water. Remove from the heat and sift in the icing sugar, beat until smooth and spread over the cake. Finish with a dusting of cocoa and cut into slices or squares.

(I personally think that the topping needs more icing sugar as it was very runny... perhaps a little experimentation next time..)

Please let me know if you try any of these out for yourself! id love to know how they turn out for you!