Blueberry and Nut Cake

One of my favourite reasons for being in this business is so that I can help people who are far away connect with those people in SA that are close to them on their special days!  This particular cake was a good example of one of these stories...

A couple of weeks ago, a girl by the name of Nervanya got hold of me to order a cake for her mum's birthday.....Nevanya does not live in SA, but her Mum does.  We got into the planning of the cake...what it should look like, how it should taste etc....and then she got her sister Verusha involved and between the three of us we decided on a vanilla sponge with white chocolate icing topped with blueberries and nuts....decedent and delish! 

I delivered the cake today to a very surprised "squirrel" at the school that she works at - she was so touched by the lovely gesture that her daughters had made.....they sent through a beautiful message which I wrote out in a card.....the whole thing just made my day! Nothing quite like getting a surprise from your family on your birthday....especially when that surprise is a cake that you can enjoy with the whole office!

Happy Birthday Mala, I hope you were as delighted by the cake as your daughters were by sending it to you! :)

Taking Bets with Boys

This is what award winning cheese cake looks like

Taking bets with boys - this is what I have learned:

1. If you threaten them with a challenge, even when they know they are going to lose, and they still always take the bet
2. When they realise that they are going to lose, they bail before it has to be proven to them in person
3. They will do almost anything for baked goods!

Last week I took two bets with a guy....after he lost the first bet (to do with beer and awards and boy stuff), he was silly enough to suggest that instead of him actually conceding defeat, we would instead have a bake off....little did he know that I was actually a chef! 

Suffice to say I won the bet by making the cheese cakes in the pic above....no surprises there seeing as though he bailed on baking anything and opted out of the bake off before it began!  What was my prize you ask....roast chicken dinner cooked for me in person by said guy....it was delicious....well worth the 45 minutes it took me to make the cheese cakes! 

Bets with boys....I will take one any day! :)

Blueberry and Lemon Drizzle Cake

Tea and cake was the reason behind this blueberry delight.  My cousin (Barker) and his friend (Ricky Bobby) came over for a visit, so I thought I would make a cake for tea.

To my mind, tea and cake were a bit of an unconventional choice for two male, rugby-playing giants....how wrong I was....that cake didn't stand a chance!  Ha ha.  What started off as a begrudging "just one slice please" (as though they were doing me a favour) ended with them eating THE WHOLE CAKE in one sitting!

Inbox me if you guys want the recipe....this one is a keeper!

All-Star Cupcakes

My Dad bought me these star-shaped cupcake pans a little while ago, so I thought it was about time that I gave them a try...I made blueberry cupcakes and dusted them with icing sugar.  Along with the pans came this awesome little star stencil - so that you can make shapes on the top of the cupcakes once they are baked - how cool!

Thanks Farms for the prezzie

xx

Mixed Berry Tarts

This year I spent Christmas in the Karkloof at my uncle and aunt's place in Mbona - a nature reserve just outside of Howick.  We got to some fishing, some walking, some watching movies with my twin cousins and a lot of eating and drinking....it was totally my kind of weekend away!  It is such a chilled setting - the buck and zebra come right up to the house - you can see from the pic above - beautiful.  

We had the most delicious Christmas lunch, and my contribution was the dessert (of course), and I made white chocolate custard tarts with a mixed berry topping...nice and lite after a big Christmas lunch!

(Just a side note to all you foodies - how awesome is summer - so many berried to choose from!)

Blueberry Cupcakes

Because Lexi is one of My Favourite Cupcake's biggest fans, she got cupcakes on her birthday yesterday and again for work today....lucky girl!

At least the second time round she got a more "healthy" option with these blueberry cupcakes .