Baking up a storm

I was brought up with Bero book cakes made by my Mum and my Nanna, (no wonder I struggle with a sweet tooth and healthy eating!) and so I have continued the tradition, as it really helps when I want to make someone a special Birthday or Christmas present and money is tight! I assumed everyone can bake a cake but my friends are always impressed with their sweet treats!

I'm going to try some of these healthy recipes I keep seeing all over the internet and Instagram to curb my sweet tooth, more blogs on them later, but I think if you can't have a cake on your birthday or at Christmas just when can you!? I imagine fitness enthusiasts would say 'never, don't do it', but, at risk of being a slave to a cliché, you really do only live once!

Clockwise from top Left: Raspberry Flapjack | My Sisters' summer inspired birthday cake | bubbling fudge in pan | Experimental '2- tier' baby shower cake | 'Dentist' inspired cupcakes | Celebration strawberry cake for theatre production | Hen party cupcake with mint butter cream | Fresh cream cake with berries | Sponges fresh from the oven | My attempt at 'Lego' cake | Chocolate parcel, fudge & brownie, same above | Chocolate buns & 'Christmas tree' cupcakes | white choc drizzled brownie & Easter nest buns

















Above are some of my prouder baking moments but I have had my fair share of mishaps. My most recent cake for a friends birthday I thought had gone well, one of my best yet. It was a simple design with two 'bears' made out of the icing, and I didn't put it in the fridge because that dries the sponge out and I was taking it to her the next day, but when I went to check it in its Tupperware box I was gutted to find that the bears and half the icing were falling off the cake! I possibly used too much jam as a way to bond the icing to the sponge and I worried the cake was soggy inside, but luckily it was well received and my dear friend Terri said it was a perfect cream/ sponge/ jam ratio!

A few times now people have said I should sell my cakes, I've always been apprehensive as I am my own biggest critic and I've seen lots of accounts on Facebook of some really impressive cake making & decorating, but, when I have had amazingly structured and designed cakes in the past they haven't always been as impressive in taste, or the texture of the sponge has been far too heavy. I'm inclined to bite the bullet and make a little page with a portfolio of my past master pieces and just start off by charging people ten pounds for my labour plus whatever the cost of the ingredients for their desired product. I've never been much of an entrepreneur and I'm worried that there is some business 'rules' I'm unaware of when starting a small venture so I'm going to investigate.

More baking mishaps and conquests will be shared soon I'm sure!