Basic Vanilla Sponge

There is something about a simple vanilla sponge cake that just goes so well with an afternoon cup of tea!  I baked this cake on the weekend, I was home for a visit, so I thought it would be nice to spoil the family with some sweet treats....Mum and Gran were stoked!

Fluffy and light with just the right amount of sweetness in the icing...delish!  Personally I think the best part was the piping design with the glitter and little pearl details...but that's just me :)

Bottled Biscuit Love

One of the worst things about moving towns is that when you have a friend who is having a bad day, there is nothing that you can do about it...because they aren't in your town anymore!  Fortunately for me, I'm heading to Cape Town this weekend and I'm taking these biscuits with me...a little bit of home baked goodness for a friend with a sore heart...little bits of my heart to fill the bits of hers that are hurting.  

Chin up my girl - things will get better eventually, and if you aren't feeling better by Friday, at least I will be there for a hug.

Lots of love

xx

I love Cape Town Cupcakes

I thought that my last weekend in Cape Town deserved something special - a little something to celebrate the good times in a great town with awesome mates - so in typical Niki style I organised a little themed dinner party...Le Dolce Vita - The Good Life .

Dinner was outside on the balcony at our old faithful, Rick's Cafe.  Everybody came in black and white, and upon arrival all the girls donned some pearls and red lipstick and the guys put on some very tasteful taches.  Good food, good friends, the perfect Cape Town summers evening....what a flipping great time!  

Thanks to all my bests that came and shared the good time - I'm gonna miss you moles madly next year!

xx

I Like Cupcakes

Today is my last day at Ogilvy and so I thought it would be nice to make some cupcakes for all those people who have made my time here so great...I have had some awesome times in this building and I am going to miss you guys madly!  Thanks for the laughs and learnings - I'm sure I will see you around though this word of advertising is nothing if not small! :)
xx

Wedding Cupcakes for Mr and Mrs Rock

This last weekend I was in Matuba...just near St Lucia (for those who don't know) for Britta and Tanner's wedding.  Britta, or Cookie as I more fondly know her as, went to school with my sister and so has been "in our family" for many years.  My whole family drove out to Zululand on Friday and spent the weekend in the sunshine icing cupcakes and sharing in the wedding celebrations...can't think of a better way to spend a sunny weekend in December!

Now I know that when it comes to weddings everyone wants to see the dress and the tables etc,so I have a attached a couple of pics of all of that....just to give you an idea of how magical the day really was.  (And let me just say...before you even look...the pics really aren't going to do it justice...was SO beautiful!)  I was lucky enough to be asked to make the cupcakes for the wedding, so there are a couple of pics of those as well.

Congrats Cooks and Tanner!  Wishing you many happy years together...so glad I was able to be there and share your special day :)

 The Chef hard at work before the wedding

The bridal party and some of the decor

More Decor

Bride and Groom

The Cupcakes

Their Love Is Here to Stay

Last Saturday I had the privilege of attending a pre-wedding breakfast at The Vineyard Hotel for my friends Jared and Hannah.  They are getting married in the UK in December, and as most of their South African friends will not be able to be there for the ceremony, they had a pre-wedding breakfast here in Cape Town.

Beautiful venue, beautiful table settings - really lovely words from the special people in their lives - all in all, a fantastic champagne filled morning!  After such an awesome pre-wedding celebration, I can only imagine what the real deal will be like....wishing you guys all the best with that one...you can be sure that I will be wearing my white wrist band and thinking of you on that magic day!

xx

Meg and James' Engagement Cupcakes

My little sister is engaged!  YAY!  After such fantastic new it is revolting that I am so late in putting this post up....she has been engaged for almost a month now...but better late than never!  

I baked these cakes for the impromptu engagement lunch that we had at home in PMB, my family, Jamo's family - beautiful day, lots of champagne...awesome!

Congratulations Jameson and Meg...wishing you many happy years together and lots of fantastic excuses for me to make you more cupcakes :)

Love you both lots

xxx

Birthday cupcakes for Miss Cupcake

I have to start off by being honest, and admit that as much as I would like to claim the cupcakes above as my own...sadly, I did not bake them!

My friend Lexi (with the help of Chelsy) made me these delicious treats for my birthday...cupcakes for Miss Cupcake...how rad!

Thanks Lex - you are great, and cupcakes were divine...I think you should come and work for me - your skills are being wasted in advertising! :)
x

Ribbon and Pearls

Pretty cupcakes for a pretty, girly cupcakes for a gorgeous girl :)
I made these for my friend Janey's birthday the other day.
Happy birthday friend
xx

Pearly Whites...the cupcakes that crashed

White chocolate and pearly ball goodness made up my very first batch up cupcakes. Sadly though, even though they looked so pretty, they were never destined to make it to their destination, instead they ended up all over my car when another crashed into the back of mine on my way to work! We managed to salvage some of these beauties from the floor of my car....and results were positive, so despite the mild concussion, I wasn't off to the worst start!

I learned my lesson though...

When transporting cupcakes, never put them on the seat next to you, put them in a tray on the floor - nothing can fall further than the floor! :-)