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Tutorial

Weekend baking – birthday piñata cake!

I saw this wonderful piñata cake on domestic sluttery a little while back. As the husband is a sweet fanatic, I just had to try and make it!

I went for half the quantities they did, as, actually, there weren’t going to be that many cake eaters – this was mainly to see my husbands face light up when he cut open the cake and saw all the sweeties. This seemed like a great plan at the time.

Basic sponge cake recipe:
6 oz caster sugar
6 oz unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 eggs (beaten, room temperature)
6 oz self raising flour

Line two 20cm tins and preheat the oven to 180ºC
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. And the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the flour. If the mixture is a little thick, add a small amount of milk until it reaches a dropping consistency.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 mins.

Ta da!

Oh. Hm. My cakes never did rise very well!
The idea was to hollow out a bit of each cake and fill with sweets. But if, like me, your cake didn’t turn out quite right, there is a solution:

Cut up the cake and use jam and butter icing or frosting to build cake walls in which to put the sweets:


Then use the rest of the butter icing or frosting to cover up anything that needs covering up:

I made cake balls from the left over bits of cake, coated them in chocolate, and used them to try and make it look a bit more exciting on the outside:

Piñata time!

Categories
Craft Notebooks Paper

Street Party!

The Craft Fantastic have not one but two stalls at this! One selling delicious cakes, chocolates and cookies and the other selling a whole heap of paper goodies. It’s all for a good cause so if you’re around Northampton August 31st then please stop by and see us.

Spread the word people 🙂

Categories
Craft Inspiration Notebooks Paper

Paper adventures on the Amalfi coast

On a day trip to Amalfi from Positano, we walked out of the town and up the hill to the paper mill museum. If you’re interested in paper, paper making, books etc. then it’s well worth it. I was in my element! Paper making equipment and presses dating back hundreds of years.


I even got to help!


Surely I could fit one of these in my house somewhere?

I think one of the most exciting things was that everything there was basically a much bigger version of my paper making set up at home. I must be doing something right! I got some good tips from the guide on doing hand made paper with flowers in. Can’t wait to try it!

Categories
General

It was the cover that caught my eye… #15

I was lost in Forbidden Planet, searching for a new comic book. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted, but boy did I know it when I saw it! Pink, skulls, eye patch, roller skates and guns? Yes please!

I haven’t actually read Carpe Diem, which is what this cover’s taken from (there are three stories in there), but visually it looks good and I’m looking forward to it.
Now, the first thing you come to is The Weirding Willows, which I instantly fell in love with! It’s a complete mash up of well known, well loved stories and tales. Centred on Alice- you know, The Alice. I will definitely continue buying this series.

Categories
Craft Notebooks Paper Stationery

Wearable mini journal

This is my favourite mini so far! A book necklace and a wearable journal. I love the elastic holding it together.
I will definitely be making more but this one is MINE.