Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies (with vegan option)

It's the WEEKEND and nearly DECEMBER CAN YOU BELIEVE! And we are celebrating with these fluffy and moist Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies. Carrot cake has always been one of my favourite go-to cakes to make (and eat obviously) but I kinda fancied something a bit different for a change and so why not combine a cookie with a cake spin on things, sandwiching them between deliciously light and creamy, festive spiced buttercream. 

London Fog Cake

I bet that unless you've come across it in your coffee shop you're probably think what on earth is London Fog!? A London Fog traditionally is a flavored tea latte combo, made with sweetened earl grey tea, some steamed milk and vanilla syrup. So, in cake form... that equates to one coated in a delicately flavored earl grey and vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream. 

Strawberry, White Chocolate and Pistachio Tier Cake

This one is gonna be a bit of a quick post because even though I've finsihed college, I've found myself so busy these past two weeks and with the bulk of birthday season behind me now, I just had this one last cake to make...as requested by my friend Ellen.

Instarecipe! Toffee Cake

I've been making loads of cakes recently, everyone's birthday appears to be at this time of year and I know what you're thinking - duh, surely this happens every year so you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but turns out no! It somehow always ends up creeping up on me and then all of sudden I'm whipping up cakes in a frenzy. Then to add to that I've got others panicking about their friends/family birthday and at last minute I've got cake orders coming out of my ears. (I've never quite got that metaphor but I'll go with it anyway!) While I bake my way through this cake marathon I try to keep things interesting and make something new (when allowed)....like this toffee cake. It makes an awesome birthday cake, or equally good at any old time with a cuppa of course. 

Raspberry, Poppy Seed and Elderflower Cake

Happy Bank Holiday for all you UK readers! I wasn't planning on making this recipe for a post. It was a cake I created for a friend of a friend's birthday this weekend, but I thought you know what...this cake looks so beautiful (as you can probably tell, I'm very pleased with it!!) so I'll share the recipe anyway - even though I can't cut into it myself and show you the finished inside. 

Earl Grey, Orange and Elderflower Cake (My Birthday Cake!)

In case you haven't gathered from the title of this post - it was my birthday recently! One week ago to be precise... the biggie - 18!! This was my birthday cake which I requested my friend Ellen to make for me, because let's be honest, who wants to make their own birthday cake?! (it's a bit on the sad side if you ask me, I know, I know, I've made it in the past for myself but this year I just wasn't feeling it.) Anyway, me and Ellen have this deal where she makes mine if I'll make hers, and she's also 18 in June so I think we're on even par when it comes to making an equally impressive cake for a rather momentous celebration. 

Chai Latte Creams

Drink your chai latte and eat it too with these rich, melt-in-the mouth sandwich cookies...

From when I first put vanilla chai into my cake I knew me and this spiced tea were going to be good friends for life!

Roll up...roll up: Mango and Passion Fruit Swiss Roll

There's something so tempting about a swiss roll. What you see is not what you get until you are ready to break them and uncase all their hidden treasures within. That's what I like. 

Cranberry, White Chocolate and Orange Cake

Oven update: still no closer to getting one :(

My 17th Birthday! Strawberry and White Chocolate Cake

In case you didn't pay much attention to the title of today's post...it was my birthday this week. And as per usual - time to make myself a big old cake (well sometimes my friend has made it in the past) That's just not how I roll, so I went with 2 of my favourite things - white chocolate and strawberries. 

Edd Kimber's Custard Creams

I seem to be going down a nostalgic baking route just lately, and so making custard creams is no exception. There is something just so simple but yet totally satisfyingly good about these classic biscuits. I can always remember that at Christmas time, when I was little,  my mum would always buy that certain biscuit selection box named 'Family Circle'... I know cringe right - do you remember that certain box too? 

Coffee, Cinnamon and Walnut Cake

Hey there! If feels a good while ago since I last did a blog post, the main reason for this is that I’ve been rather busy lately, with weekends usually spare for blog baking – taken up by cake orders for friends and family. So I have still been baking- you just didn’t know it! (I’m talking about a mahOOsive cake to feed 80 people in the shape of Elizabeth Gaskells’s house!!) Pictures of this can be seen on my facebook and twitter page.

Rhubarb Tarts

First off, I'd like to start by saying that this week was my first time back at school (well sixth form now actually)...after what felt like a forever lasting summer holiday! Probably I would say 12 ish weeks! (OF COURSE I'M NOT COMPLAINING- I mean who doesn't love a holiday?!) But it's taking me a little while to adjust and juggle my work around baking, blogging, food styling...well you get my point!  So anyway, what I'm trying to say is that posts may be a bit more irregular until I get into the swing of things. 

Tea + Cake = Vanilla Chai Cake!

It wasn't until very recently that I discovered this tea blend called vanilla chai when I decided to be adventurous for once and ordered it in a coffee shop. (Ironic really...say tea shop and cake always springs to mind!)

Maple and Walnut Cupcakes

Well this past week and a bit has been a pretty quiet one for blogging...sorry guys! But after a holiday in Wales I'm ready and raring to go again (now equipped with my vintage & eclectic mix of Welsh charity shop finds- plates...plates and more plates for food styling!)

Lavender and Raspberry Cupcakes

I thought that this weekend was the perfect opportunity to bake my favourite thing- cupcakes! Sometimes it's the simplest things in life, sharing them out to friends and family over a pot of tea which can make the weekend so much more enjoyable.

I don't know what it is about lavender and raspberries...but they just match together so well with their summer aura which make them perfect companions smothered in rich buttercream icing. These cupcakes not only relaxes for its traditional comforting qualities, but also because it is lavender infused, to ensure complete calm. So if your having a pretty hectic weekend, maybe it's time that you put all that aside, get your bowl and wooden spoon out and knock up a batch of these bad boys!! 

I used freshly picked lavender flowers from my garden (oh and make sure they're edible) but if you can't get hold of any... you could buy some lavender extract from specialist stores like here, add a teaspoon to the cake batter (but don't forget to add a dash of milk to loosen up the mixture too) and do the same with the buttercream. I thought that I might as well sprinkle on a few lavender flowers for decoration too, just for the heck of it...but the flowers don't actually taste that good to eat, so it's up to you.

When getting to the section of the recipe where it says "fill the centre with raspberry jam" - don't feel obligated to do that! If you feel they will be sweet enough for you as they are (and you don't happen to have as much of a sweet tooth as me) then don't put it in. Soooo many decisions!!

Oh and for leftovers (ha, probably no chance of that happening but...), make sure to keep them stored away in the fridge because of the raspberries. So on with the recipe I hear you say...well here it is!

Lavender and Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients (makes 12)

130ml milk

1 tsp edible lavender flowers

225g salted butter, at room temperature

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

250g self-raising flour

For the buttercream

160g salted butter, at room temperature

500g icing sugar

50ml lavender milk (see above)

To finish

24 fresh raspberries

2 tbsp raspberry jam to glaze

+ 12 tsp raspberry jam to fill (optional)

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C/ Gas 4/ 350°F

To make the cake batter, first infuse the milk by pouring it into a small saucepan with the lavender flowers and heating over a low heat for about 10 mins. Leave to cool completely, then strain into a bowl to remove the flowers.


Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or electric beaters, or using the paddle attachment in a free standing mixer, until paler in colour, smooth and creamy. Then add the eggs one at a time and beat until you have a smooth mixture. Finally, fold in the flour and 80ml of the lavender milk.

Scoop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into a cupcake tray lined with cases. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until nicely golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. If inserting raspberry jam in the centre, core out the middle of the cupcakes whilst still warm (you can buy specialist cupcake corers/plungers that do this, but just use a knife if you don't have one). Leave the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.


Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Beat the butter until very soft, then add the icing sugar and mix together. When the butter is well incorporated into the icing sugar, pour in the remaining 50ml of the lavender milk and beat until smooth. You can then spoon this into a piping bag with desired nozzle (I used a star nozzle) if you don't want to spread onto the cake using a palette knife.

Spoon a teaspoon of raspberry jam into the middle of each cupcake, or leave plain if you wish not too.


Pipe swirls of buttercream onto your cupcakes and then place 2 raspberries on the top. Next to make the glaze, put the 2 tbsp of jam into a saucepan with 1 tbsp of water, place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Pass through a sieve (if not seedless) then, while the jam is still warm, use it to glaze the raspberries, painting it on with a pastry brush.