The Great British Bake Off - Time to Bake a Cake!

Yes, it's back!  The Great British Bake Off.  That wonderful series of marquees, ovens and soggy bottoms!  Time for me to put my pinny on and grab my rolling pin and spring bottomed sandwich tins. 

In episode one there was one cake that stood out to me.  Frosted Walnut Layer Cake (the recipe and instructions are here.  I am rather partial to a large slab of coffee and walnut I have to say, so the concept of no coffee intrigued me along with the boiled icing?!!  So, do you want to see me attempt one?  It's been a while since I have done a cookery post, but I just keep thinking of the rewards (hopefully) at the end of this post!

With all ingredients set out, the science begins.  Mixing the flour, butter, sugar, walnuts until deliciously creamy.

Then separated into three sandwich tins that had been carefully greased and then put into the oven to hopefully rise!

Meanwhile, it was time for the caramel for the caramelised walnuts.  Now, here things went pear shaped!  I tried twice to get this to work - it didn't - enough said!

So, we will gloss over that part and pretend it never happened!  Instead, it was buttercream time.  Now this went much better and the wonderful flavour of vanilla shone through.

The sponges are ready!  Risen and a lovely golden brown (and no soggy bottoms!).

After cooling, it was time to assemble.  First sponge and first dollop of buttercream...

Then the second...

And lastly the third...

Looking good so far!  Now for the boiled icing... nervous as this was my first attempt.

I thought it was too wet and would not work well when coming to ice the cake, but I was really surprised at how strong this stuff is!

There we go, not a soggy bottom in sight and delicious.  I don't think this will be hanging around for long.

I wonder what will 'float my boat' in the next episode!

The cake is very sweet!  Be warned, so a lovely strong cup of tea is needed to accompany this.

Have a great baking week!

      

 

I am sharing with:

The Night Before Christmas

Last week was a whirlwind of frenzied madness.  With work being particularly busy at this time of year, the tiredness and sore feet were coupled with the sudden panic that I was no where near ready for my own Christmas.  Hence no blog post last weekend - panic knocked at my door and stirred up all sorts with my mind and body and I just couldn't put fingers to keys, let alone eye to lens.  However, time to think positive now the day has come - Christmas Eve!!  All the weeks of planning are finished and now it is time to put those plans into action.  Decorations adorn the home, cards have been posted, food is filling the shelves of the fridge and cupboards and the parcels are waiting patiently to be opened tomorrow morning.  Yes, the mind became focussed and the body was determined.  All the little boxes in my mind started to light up and shine their way.

Nigella's book has come off the shelf and her gammon and chipolata recipes are now being cooked in the kitchen and giving a wonderful Christmas smell (I can't recommend these enough).  These two recipes are now favourites for my home and other family members and as soon as they are being cooked everyone flocks to the kitchen just hoping for a taste before they are wrapped up to be eaten on Boxing Day, especially the Teens!

Now, on the subject of Teenagers I have found that there is absolutely no hiding place for presents and so they have been placed under the tree.  BIG MISTAKE, HUGE as the wonderful Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman!  My two teens are very curious, as most are, and I found out the other day that Mr Teen has an app that can work out if there is an electrical item beneath the neat wrapping of a present.  Yes, he worked out he has a new phone just by hovering his old phone over it.  He couldn't tell which one, so my harsh words to him were "don't get your hopes up as I can guarantee you will be disappointed!"  (He doesn't read my blog so I can safely say he will be delighted!!), but this surprise has been discovered.  Kids hey!

With work now finished for a couple of weeks, my last hour in Peterborough before I set off home was to take a couple of photos for you.  Of course the front of the Cathedral had to be captured, with its Christmas Tree by the newly designed path to the entrance.

And the view from the Norman Arch towards Cathedral Square and the small temporary market.

Only a couple of photos out and about as I just didn't have any time, but you know me by now and I will take you out and about again soon.  

So, now for a brief sit down and a cup of coffee as I look around to see what else needs to be done.  The chestnuts are not on an open fire but in the oven getting ready to be peeled and married with the brussels sprouts and bacon tomorrow...

... the fragrant pot pourri bought from Sandringham a few weeks ago is now dotted around the house...

... the timeless Jester is smiling on the tree...

... the Christmas corner is looking very festive both in the mornings and afternoons...

... and the glasses are now all ready for tomorrow's feast!

Time now to wish you all a very Merry Christmas/Hannukah and a Happy New Year.  I hope all your well laid out plans come to fruition, and hopefully some of you will have a wonderful white Christmas!!

Thank you so much for reading and following my little corner of Blogland this year.  You have all made it so special.

Take care.

      

Christmas Cake + BBQ = Random

No I haven't gone completely mad!  The first official day of Autumn to me means time to prepare.  Not cosying up the home, I've already done this.  Not putting warm snuggly throws everywhere, I've already done that.  Not pruning and digging in compost and bulbs, I'm nearly done.  No, it's time to calculate and prepare my Christmas cake!  Yes, I've said the C word, I am so sorry, but I always find that as soon as I hit this time of September, in a blink of an eye it is panic time with a week to go to the big day and I am NEVER ready!  So, at the beginning of the year my first blog post was saying it was time to be organised.  I have nearly achieved this, but I am determined that this year's festivities are going to be stress free and relaxed (urm, yes, that's the plan!).  So with watching the Great British Bake Off each week and being a huge fan along with visiting the local garden centre who are now all geared up for Christmas (photo above - and more photos at a more appropriate time), it was time to get out my cake tin, my favourite bowl, my Great Grandma's measuring jug, a wooden spoon and lots of booze! 

Can you see the Tala Cooks Measure?  Have you seen these in the shops? - well my one is the original and was used by my Great Grandma and passed to my Grandma.  This design hasn't changed through the years apart from the units of measurement.

So with everything prepared, it was time to put on my new pinny, isn't it just gorgeous!  Again I have been shopping at My Blethering Blog, I love the fabric designs Anne uses.  I had been looking for an appropriate pinny for so long and just thought I'd take look in her Etsy shop and there it was, a delicious patisserie to wear and very appropriate.

So, shall we start on this little kitchen journey?  Here we go then.  First of all for me to start on these cooking journeys it has to be a grey, dark, damp day outside so that the kitchen looks all cosy with the lights on.  With the first part of the cake making being the evening before, it was dark and cold outside, so perfect conditions to start soaking the fruit in some warming booze (and a little snifter for me to soak myself into too!).  The smells in the kitchen were already sending out the Christmas cheer.

(1lb currants, 6 oz sultanas, 6 oz raisins, 2oz glace cherries (chopped), 2 oz mixed candied peel (chopped) and 4tbsp Brandy and 4tbsp Rum - but this is purely my own taste).

Remember I said that the day has to be grey, dark, damp?  Well, it turned out that it was hot and humid, urgh!  The sun rose up and the heat was building.

After my drunken slumber peaceful sleep and now disappointed mood, it was time to start the main event.  I can't describe how heart warming the smells were that surrounded that well loved room.  It was time to set the temperature for my oven and set to work. (Gas mark 1, 257F) or 140C).  First in was the dry ingredients (8oz plain flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice)

In they go, one at a time, each element bringing the cake together...and in another bowl the 8oz butter and 8oz of soft brown sugar were creamed together.  

Making a cake like this is certainly good for the 'bingo wings'!  But the sugar and butter mix had to be beautifully creamy.

Now the four eggs.  Beat them up and then added to the creamy butter mixture a spoonful at a time and mixed in.  Towards the end it may start to curdle so I added a little flour to stop this happening.

Then it was time to get my metal spoon and fold in the flour mixture, then the very drunk fruit mixture some chopped nuts (I always chop up 3oz of brazil nuts), a dessert spoon of black treacle and the grated rind of one lemon and one orange.

The smells of the kitchen start to fill the air with the anticipation of the rich food and treats of Christmas as I start to fill the carriage that this mixture is travelling in.  The 8 inch tin was greased and lined with greaseproof paper and then a double piece of greaseproof paper around the sides.

So, with a little dip in the middle of the cake so that when it rises it will all be the same height, it was time to put the final disc of greaseproof paper on the top with a little hole in the centre for the steam.  In it went to warmer climates on the bottom shelf for four hours and the smells start to get stronger.

All done and time to cool down! 

 Well, that was the plan, however outside it was time for the last BBQ of the summer in this unusual heat.

Yes, just felt a little random...Christmas cake and BBQ in one day!

The journey is at its half way stage.  Time for it to rest for a couple of months, with occasional drinks along the way of warming brandy and rum - just a little Christmas spirit to help it on its way.

I will pop in to the cake tin and unwrap the cake occasionally for an extra tipple of brandy and then see it properly again in a couple of months to start the next leg of its journey.

Who would have thought it.  Such a random day!

Take care.

 ♥ Chel ♥