Boys, Buttercream and Blogettes get ready for a Baketastic and Boobylicious New Year!

Picture courtesy of the fabulous http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com   

Well Blogettes, I have been terrible at blogging this year.

A new job, a new home, a new car and a new attitude have taken up all my energy and time.

I have baked oh so many cakes, but neglected my blog.

Some of my favourite cakes of the year...

Mr Powderpuff's Birthday Cupcake Platter

30th Birthday Cakes for Frauline Aphrodita

Will's and Kate Celebration Cakes

... and my favourite by far .. Naughty Cupcakes

So .... this new year, my resolution is to share more of my baking and Burlesque escapades.

I have signed up to a new Burlesque course, am getting more adventurous with my baking and may even take to the stage with a cake based routine later this year.

The course is taught by Ruby Deshabille .. Check her out on You Tube below. 

So in 2012 watch this space ... Betty will be mixing up a storm.

Dressing the Part for Burlesque Baking

What a lovely sunny afternoon it is today in London town.

Perfect Tea Party weather!

Sunshine calls for lovely summer dresses, so I thought I'd share the latest edition's to the Vivien of Holloway's collection with you. 

 

Their classic circle dress (which I have in 3 colours now!) is now available in ... wait for it ... cupcake fabric!  

http://www.vivienofholloway.com/en/ 

The dress is well cut and the bust so well structured, undergarments are optional. It also spins fabulously, when pretending to be Maria in the Sound of Music.

 

I chose to wear my blue floral one today for a frolic in the sunshine.

I often wear my Vivien dresses to bake, as well, why wouldn't I want to look fabulous whilst slaving over the stove.

All the more reason now you can get one adorned with fabulous little cupcakes.

The Cherry's and Plain Red versions are also firm favourites.

Dresses start at £69, so not bank breaking.

But shhhhush, keep this little gem of a shop to yourself as we don't want other people looking as fabulous as us do we!

Breaking News Blogettes: I am a Cupcake Explorer

Check out http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/07/quest-for-ultimate-vanilla-cupcake-call.html#more for more info on the Worldwide internet experiment to find the Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake.

Happy Canada Day

                                    

Canada is often forgotten as a country that brings fabulous things to the world.

They made Kiefer Sutherland ....

Yum!

Michael J Fox

Double Yum

And lets not forget the Mounties!

Just too much yum for one blog! 

Alas, these fine male specimens are not my favourite Canadian creations. Where would the world been without good old fashion, sweet and delicious Canadian Maple Syrup! Without question the best syrup in the World! 

So to celebrate Canada day, I decided to use their best export and make Canadian Maple Cake. 

My inspiration for this cake came from my Mum’s Ginger Cake recipe. I substituted the Golden Syrup for Maple Syrup and topped with a Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, which just included adding a ¼ cup of Maple Syrup to my favourite Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. 

The spiciness of the cake really brings out the flavour of the Maple syrup. 

The recipe makes enough for 2 loaf cakes. On this occasion I made one loaf cake and 2x11cm Mini Cakes. You could halve the recipe to make just one cake, but its so popular with my friends and family I always make the full quantity.  

Maple Cake - Ingredients

- 1 cup of Maple Syrup

- 1 cup of water

- 2/3 cup of soft brown sugar (packed tightly into the cup)

- 250g (or a std pack) of butter

- 31/2 cups of plain flour

- 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

- 2 tbsp of ground ginger

- 1 tsp ground nutmeg 

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Maple Frosting - Ingredients

- 100g butter

- 1/4 cup of Maple Syrup

- 150g of cream cheese

- 500g Icing (Confectioners) sugar

1. Put butter, syrup, sugar and water in
a saucepan and heat until the butter is
melted through

3. While the mix is cooling, preheat the
oven to 180 degrees and grease and line
 your baking tins, or grease and flour
if your using spring
release tins. 

4. Sift dry ingredients together

 

5. Combine syrup mix and dry ingredients
with a metal spoon until smooth. 

6. Fill tins to about 2/3 full and bake for
approx 40 mins. Could be shorter or longer
depending on the strength of your oven.
Skewer test it from about 35mins gone, every
10mins until the skewer comes out clean.

7. Leave cakes to cool on wire rack.

                                                                                         

AND FOR THE FROSTING ...

8.Whisk the butter, maple syrup and creamcheese for 1 min until smooth, before sifting in the icing sugar and mixing for 2mins.  The right temperature is the key getting the best texture of frosting , so the butter should be at room temperature and the cream cheese cold and straight from the fridge. 

9. Cut the cakes in half and generously fill the middle with the frosting,  then top the cakes with even more frosting. 

 The cakes came out really well, quite crispy on the outside, but this added a nice bite to the rest of the cake which was delightfully soft. The Maple Syrup really improved the texture of the frosting so is something I would use again, perhaps on a Carrot or Coffee and Walnut Cake.

I know this recipe is good, really good. How you ask? Nanna Burlesque said so, so there! 

Would you believe Nana Burlesque is 91 this year! Now thats how you rock glamour in your 90s! 

Go Canada! 

FOUND: Marshmallow Fluff in the UK

Super excited! 

Was having lunch at Selfridge's in Birmingham and what did I come across?

OK, so it was expensive at £4.95, but with so many marvellous recipes calling for it as an ingredient, I was delighted to finally find somewhere that sold it.  

Can't wait to tackle some Cupcake recipes with it this weekend. 

Will's and Kate's Royal Wedding Cake (s)

Ok, so I'm still completely mesmerised by all things to do with the Royal Wedding.

I have now bought my commemorative Will and Kate Royal Mug, and am holding out for a beautiful tea towel.

I have still have most of the papers from the weekend still to read - having bought them all, and I still haven't quite made it through the special Royal Wedding additions of the glossys.

My first point of call magazine wise was, as always Hello!.

It was there that I stumbbled on the first picture of the Royal Wedding Cake made by Fiona Cairns.

All I can say is WOW!

Fiona Cairns started out just like you and me, baking in her kitchen. She now employs 50 people and  supplies Harrods, Selfridges, Waitrose and evidently the Royal Family!

The cake perfectly compliments the floral theme of the wedding, with hidden messages in 'the Language of Flowers' just like her dress and bouquet.

THE FLOWERS ON THE CAKE INCLUDED:

Rose (white) - national symbol of England

Daffodil - national symbol of Wales, new beginnings

Shamrock - national symbol of Ireland

Thistle - national symbol of Scotland

Acorns, oak leaf - strength, endurance

Myrtle - love

Ivy - wedded love, marriage

Lily of the valley - sweetness, humility

Rose (bridal) - happiness, love

Sweet William - For guess who?!

Honeysuckle - the bond of love

Apple blossom - preference, good fortune

White heather - protection, wishes will come true

Jasmine (white) - amiability

Daisy - innocence, beauty, simplicity

Orange blossom - marriage, eternal love, fruitfulness

Lavender - ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck.

I think it is an absolute master piece and just demonstrates what a beautiful (and tasty) art-form cake baking has become.

The cake took 5 weeks to complete, and decorations were being added until the very last minute. 

My favourite part of the cake was where Will and Kate's initials were intertwined with each other. So romantic!

Most of the magazines chose not to cover the chocolate refrigerator cake (a speciality of my Mum's) that Will had requested specially from McVities (unfortunately not my Mum). The Groom's cake, looked a lot fancier than my Mum's version, but just like traditional American Groom's cakes clearly demonstrates the fun and playful side of Will's character.

 Unlike Fiona's cake, which might be a little bit difficult for a regular baking enthusiast (understatement of the century), you can make your very own Will's Chocolate Refrigerator Cake. 

You'll need:

100g butter

300g milk chocolate

400g condensed milk

Large packet of Digestives or Rich Tea biscuits

Handful of glace cherries

Handful of raisins

Variety of chopped nuts

What to do:

Crush the biscuits in a bag or large bowl.

Stir in the raisins, nuts and cherries.

Melt the condensed milk, butter and chocolate in a pan.

Mix everything together in the bowl.

Pour into a tin lined with greaseproof paper.

Put in the fridge until set, or freeze.

Break off a piece and enjoy

Ok, it won;t look as fancy as the actual one he had, but I bet it tastes bloody great!

Rule Britannia and all the Jazz!

Burlesque Bombshell - Quote of the day

" I don't believe in low fat cooking" 

- Nigella Lawson

A Burlesque Siren of sorts and a girl after my own heart