Once bitten forever smitten - Friendship Cakes

All cakes taste better if shared with friends so what about a cake made with a 'starter' gifted from a friend. Last week I was given a Herman the German starter mix and a website address so I could check how to look after the mix and then a recipe for a cake.

A stater mix is flour sugar and water that has been exposed to the air to pick up natural yeasts. These ferment and create a live culture so you have a starter mix for bread or cakes. A little bit more food in the form of sugar and flour is added with water to increase the amount of mix so you can use some and keep some or pass it on to a friend.

The starter mix acts in the same way as any other raising agent making air bubbles in the mixture as it cooks thus expanding the cake so its light and airy in texture. I notice that most of the recipes are for fruit cake mixes including fresh chopped apples- this is because yeast based cakes dry out quicker and the apples help to improve the shelf life of the cake.

These are not fancy cakes for celebration teas, these are satisfyingly filling chunks of cake to scoff with a cup of tea when your next meal is still a few hours away. Having a very sweet tooth myself I have adapted the Herman the German mix to make my version of Cinnabons - these are american yeast dough buns loaded with cinnamon and a creamy butter frosting. I think including the apple chunks makes them just about ok as a breakfast muffin!

Once bitten forever smitten - Delikones

Do these look yummy?

Delikones are a totally new concept in puddings, not cakes & not ice creams - these are the most luxurious creamy cheesecakes- traditional lemon flavour with the added zing of freeze dried raspberries and a crunchy waffle cone - what's not to like? and the best bit is you can eat them without a spoon!

Currently only available to order in the ME19 and SE3 postcodes but soon to be featured on Sky TV's new friday night cookery show Cooks to Market and at food & music festivals throughout Kent this summer. 

If you want some for a summer party or BBQ phone Janet on 01732 843518

Once bitten forever smitten - Ultimate cake range

For me the Ultimate cake is made with superior local ingredients, skillfully baked into a delicious cake and beautifully decorated. Sometimes that means less is more and therefore I am launching my Ultimate cake range.

These are simply beautiful cakes where the pleasure comes from the divine ingredients, intense flavours and mouthwatering texture and flavour combinations. For high days and holidays or a "because I'm worth it" treat - these are not just for weddings. Available from the West Malling shop soon but in the meantime just order from Janet.

Also in the range are the Red Velvet and Cream CheeseCupcakes which need no explanation and the Ultimate Birthday Cake - One for adults I think with its perfect Vanilla sponge, layered with a rich creamy buttercream and covered in a fruity raspberry jam. All protected by a delicious almond marzipan and fondant covering and decorated to your specification.
For lots of pictures of delicious Delicakes check out the website for Birthdays or Weddings

Order from Janet by phone 01732843518 by text 07714286911 or by email

Once bitten forever smitten - 3D or Carved Cakes

Have you ever seen Ace of Cakes on TV? Doug and the team often carve a cake into a particular shape so that a 3Dimensional cake is the result. Last month for the first time I was asked for a 3D wedding cake! It was a replica of the grooms motorcycle helmet and it featured neon edible cake colours. This is the happy couple featured in the Kent Messenger with their Helmet wedding cake.

This is the Helmet I copied.

This is the carved cake in the basic helmet shape with a buttercream covering. The cake was made of six layered victoria sponges with a central cake board and supports inside to keep it stable.

 The cake was then covered in green and orange fondant. All the fondant and royal icing embellishments were added separately to get as much realistic detail as possible. The visor is balck fondant, the numbers and name are fondant rimmed with royal icing and edible neon lustre dust was added at the end. The cake was presented on a 'tarmac' cake board. Here is the finished cake - the bride collected this cake and was so excited that she had chosen such a special cake for her husband to be.

Do you have an idea for a different wedding cake? Well if you do just contact Janet 01732843518 or email janet@weddingdelicakes.co.uk

Once bitten forever smitten - Alternative Christmas Cake

Free recipe card design customized with Smilebox

Once bitten forever smitten - Butter vs Virgin Rapeseed Oil

The nice people at Quex foods gave me some Virgin Rapeseed Oil to try in my cakes. So the first experiment was to make a Carrot cake - mainly because in this recipe you melt the butter so I figured I could just swop the oil for the butter and keep everything else the same. Recipe is posted right at the end of the blog if you want to try for yourself.

 After gathering together all ingredients, lining two identical cake pans and warming the oven I made the two mixtures simultaneously so they could be baked together. In all the pictures the Rapeseed cake is on the right and the Butter cake on the left.

 The oil mixture is slightly brighter orange!

Rapeseed oil is not a cheap alternative to butter but it has many advantages for your health as it contains no animal fats and it is rich in Omega 3. It comes in 250ml bottles and you need 120 ml for a full size family cake. Unsalted Butter is often on offer at around £1.20 for 250g and you need 120g to make the same size cake. However some websites say use less oil than you would butter as about 15-20% of butter is water. So maybe the next test should be to use only 100ml oil.

 They look the same before they go into the oven

The finished cakes really do look identical but the big question is texture and taste! My initial tasting was that the Rapeseed Oil cake had a stronger taste - and was slightly nutty but I knew which was which. Blind tastings over the next few days by builders, friends and familygave the following results :
apart from me noone could tell the difference in taste! I think this could have been the very strong flavour of orange and carrot masking any of the other ingredients. Regarding texture there were a couple of people who thought the Butter cake was lighter and a couple who said the Rapeseed Oil cake was more crumbly - but as the cakes were being literally scoffed as I watched I'm surprised they didn't choke when they tried to speak.

The real winner here is you - use Rapeseed Oil and be good to your body or use butter if you have it in the fridge - no one can tell the difference on taste; the big question now is what difference will it make to a sponge cake?
Best Wishes, Janet
If you want your Birthday Cake or Wedding Cake made free from butter email me.

Recipe for Simple Carrot Cake
120g grated raw carrot - peel top & tail before grating
120g sugar - can use your favouite - I use caster sugar as it gives a lighter finish
150ml orange juice and zest - or you can substitute premium OJ
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
100-120ml Virgin Rapeseed Oil - or 120g unsalted butter
Place all ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 5 mins till sugar melted and carrots soften. Cool for 5 mins till you can put your finger into mixture and it not be too hot.
2 large eggs beaten with fork in a jug
240g Self Raising flour sifted with
2 teaspoons baking powder
Stiring the cooled carrot mixture with a wooden spoon add the eggs in a thin stream beating at the same time - If you dont you will get lumps of scrambled eggs in your cake. When all the egg is beaten in add the sifted flour mixture - it will froth a bit from the heat acting on the baking powder - mix it quickly but well and pour into a prelined cake tin 20cm. If you use two cake tins it will cook faster and you dont have to split the cake to fill it with your chosen filling.
Bake for 40 minutes in a fan oven at 130 or 150 in a conventional oven - reduce time to 25 minutes if using 2 cake tins. Cake will bounce back to a finger push and it will smell cooked.

Once bitten forever smitten - Cake Toppers

Whats the best way to top off your cake - well its easy if its your birthday just add candles - light and get singing! But if its your wedding cake or your baby's christening then maybe what you want is something special to mark the occasion.
Toppers fall into categories I will label as Edible, Perishable and Keepable.

Edible toppers are made of sugar paste and can be made by your cakemaker into any shape or form you desire. From delicate peony petals to baby shoes they adorn your cake, look lovely and if you have a sweet tooth are just right for getting an extra sugar buzz. These baby pink converse trainers are made of sugar paste so they are definately Edible but you could put them in an airtight box with a sachet of silica jel and they would long enough for your baby to admire them.

Edible sugar roses have been the bridal topper of choice for many decades - and these two examples of claret roses in a posy and a single green rose show you how differnt styles can be achieved.

Keepable Toppers are not made of edible products - they can be made of porceline like the ones made by Kate at Atopofthetier. The beauty of commissioning a keepable topper from a porcelin artist or model maker is that they will make the figure look like you and make it really personal. I love these two guys I used to decorate my Chocolate Cake at The Leeds Castle Weddding Show. This cake prompted a couple to order a cake for next summer with themselves on the top tier and their children represented on each of the ledges of the other tiers. This is a lovely gesture as sometime children can feel a bit sidelined when parents get married.

Another popular choice for a topper are Diamante Initials which look fantastic with diamante edged white cakes - perfect for winter weddings.
Perishable cake toppers are flowers or fruit - so think strawberrys dipped in chocolate and piled high or a delicate posy to match the bridal bouquet. You can't keep them as a memento but if they create the look you want -  Go for it! This cake had flowers to match the table decorations and it was perfect.

All of the above designs can be made for you by Janet at Delicakes. Book a Design & Taste session by email today. Wedding cakes should be booked 6 months in advance to guarantee availability especially for Summer 2012  weddings as some dates have already gone in May & August.
Best wishes, Janet