DIY (No Sew) Cake Bunting Tutorial

Hello! In this post I’m going to show you how to make this delightful cake bunting you see here, with an easy to follow tutorial. If you have a special occasion coming up such as a birthday, wedding, christening, anniversary etc then this is perfect for you!

As you may have guessed from the above photographs, my Mother-in-law held a 60th birthday party over the weekend and I offered to bake her a cake. I was so happy when she accepted my offer, even more so when she told me she didn’t have anything specific in mind. This allowed me to have complete creative control which is perfect for me.

After spending weeks on Pinterest, I was feeling completely inspired (if not a little overwhelmed at the options) and I finally drew up a plan of what I wanted to do. As you can see from the pictures, I chose a simple vanilla layer cake with buttercream. I used a Primrose Bakery recipe from their first book, ‘Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery’ and can thoroughly recommend all of their books for reliable recipes. I also made some vanilla biscuits from ‘The Biscuiteers, Book of Iced Biscuits’ recipe book, which I can also thoroughly recommend if like myself, you have limited experience of making biscuits.

I decided to get creative with the biscuit recipe and add a fondant topping which the Biscuiteers recipe book does not cover. I purchased a set of inexpensive letter/number biscuit stamps from Amazon alongside some complimenting sugarcraft decorations for the cake and the biscuits.

Due to the amount of detail in the cake and biscuits, I opted for some simple fabric cake bunting in complimentary colours, which I am going to show you how to make here. I have a sewing machine, but I will openly admit I am not a huge fan of sewing. If you feel the same (I hear you), then this no sew fabric cake bunting is perfect for you.

To make this DIY No Sew Cake Bunting you’ll need the following materials:

• Fabric of your choice (I used patterned cotton from a Hobbycraft fat quarter bundle)
• Bondaweb (This is a web adhesive on paper, usually sold by the metre – widely available online or from most craft shops)
• An Iron and Ironing Board
• Fabric and Paper Scissors
• Twine or Sewing Thread
• 2 x White Cake Pop Sticks (you can also use bamboo skewers or paper drinking straws)
• Pencil, Ruler and Eraser
• 1 x Piece of Paper or Card

To begin with, turn your iron on and decide which fabrics you intend on using. I opted for 7 triangles in 5 different colourways but you may decide to do this differently.

Turn your fabric onto the wrong side (the side not containing the pattern) and with your ruler and pencil, you’ll measure and mark off your first strip of fabric. Mine measured (Length) 18 centimetres x (Width) 10 centimetres. (As opposed to using a pencil, you can purchase a specific pen for drawing on fabric which allows any marks made to vanish. However, as the side we are drawing on is not visible, this isn’t necessary).

Once you’ve finished measuring your strips, take your fabric scissors and cut them out so you have something which resembles the pink piece of fabric shown below.

Now the iron should be hot, take your ironing board, fold the strip in half lengthways and iron, until you have something which resembles the pink strip of fabric below. If you have multiple strips, repeat this process for all of them.

Open each strip of fabric. You now need to measure and cut the bondaweb, positioning it textured side down on one side of the fold. You will need one piece of bondaweb per strip of fabric. If you have cut your fabric strips in accordance with the measurements specified above, each strip of bondaweb should measure (Length) 18 centimetres x (Width) 5 centimetres.

Once the bondaweb is positioned, take your iron and iron this onto the fabric. You must ensure you have measured the bondaweb to the exact size and there are no overlaps, otherwise this may leave a sticky residue on your iron, fabric and ironing board etc which will transfer.

Your strips should now resemble the ones shown in the above photograph. Take your paper scissors and cut out a triangular shape out of paper or card. This will be your template for each flag. My triangle measured 4 centimetres (at the widest part) and 4.5 centimetres in length, but they can be cut to any measurement within the size of the fabric strips.

Place the paper triangle template on your first strip of fabric and lightly draw around it. You can use a light coloured pencil to do this or a vanishing/air soluble fabric pen. Repeat the process until you have marked out all of your triangles on each strip of fabric. You can then begin cutting out your triangles which should resemble the ones shown above. (p.s the bunting is easier to assemble if the widest part of the triangle is positioned and cut on the fold of the fabric).

Once you’ve cut out all of your triangles, position them into the order you’d like them to be. Take your twine or string and cut to the width you’d like your bunting to be, ensuring you’ve left approximately 10 centimetres on each side for tying the bunting on to the sticks.

Once you’ve cut your thread or twine to size, take a darning needle and thread the twine/thread through each triangle one at a time. You can easily reposition the triangles during this stage if they are a little close together, so don’t worry. Once they are positioned how you’d like them, tie each end of the bunting onto your sticks – you can just tie a small knot around the end of each cake pop stick and this will be substantial. Any excess thread/twine can be cut off. I like to have some hanging down at each end but this is personal preference.

Voila! You’re now done and you can proudly position it on your cake! I hope your cake bunting looks beautiful. I’d love to see your creation, so feel free to post it here as a comment or hit the ‘hello’ button above to send me a photograph of it via email. Happy baking/crafting!

Lemon Layer Cake

Happy Thursday all! Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time will know how much I love baking. Are you one of those bakers who has a certain speciality in the kitchen? My speciality used to be cupcakes, but nowadays I seem to get so much more excited from layer cakes (terrible for my waistline, I know!) I first tried my first slice of lemon cake last year in a local cafe. It was truly delicious and I kept going back for more. Fast forward a few months later and they stopped baking it. I thought I’d try baking it myself at home as I was hosting a small party. It was such a success and it was truly enjoyed by all. I’ve been making it ever since and it’s become a regular in this household! Would you like to know the recipe? Read on!

Firstly, I have two variations depending on how I’m feeling. Both versions are layer cakes made using the same sponge recipe but I alternate the icing technique.

One version is a lemon drizzle topping with small individual swirls of buttercream and sprinkles for decoration, alongside a few tablespoons of lemon curd and full layer of buttercream in between the sponge layers. (shown in the first photo above)

If I’m feeling like making the other version, I replace the lemon drizzle topping with a full layer of buttercream. I place a few tablespoons of lemon curd in between the sponge layers, alongside a second layer of buttercream. I finish this off with some sugarpaste flowers and sprinkles to give it a bit of colour. (shown in the first two photo’s below)

Feeling inspired? Here’s the recipe…..

Ingredients

For the Cake:

Butter 250g, plus a little extra for greasing the tin

Golden Caster Sugar, sifted 250g

Self-Raising Flour, sifted 250g

Baking Powder, sifted 1 tsp

Organic Free Range Eggs 4 large

Lemons 2, zested

Semi Skimmed or Whole Milk, 1 tbsp

Choose either of the following:

For the Filling and Topping of the Lemon Drizzle/Buttercream Swirls Version:

Lemons 4 (2 for the buttercream icing, 2 for the lemon drizzle)

Caster Sugar 85g

Butter 125g

Icing Sugar, sifted 250g

Lemon Curd 4 tbsp

Cake Sprinkles

For the Filling and Topping of the Buttercream/Sugarcraft Flowers Version:

Butter 250g

Icing Sugar, sifted 500g

Lemons 3, zested and juiced

Lemon Curd 4 tbsp

Sugarcraft Flowers and/or Cake Sprinkles

Piping Bag and Star Nozzle

Method

Step 1

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter, line and flour the bases of 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Beat the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and lemon zest together until your batter is of a smooth consistency. Add the milk slowly until the cake batter glides off of a spoon.

Step 2 

Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20-25 minutes. When they’re ready, a skewer or cake tester poked in should come out clean. Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes.

Step 3

Choose either of the following:

For the Filling and Topping of the Lemon Drizzle/Buttercream Swirls Version:

Make the icing by beating the soft butter with the icing sugar, lemon zest and juice from 2 lemons until light and fluffy. Spread half of this mixture over the top of the cake. Spread the lemon curd on top of this.

Take your second layer and place this on top. Gently prick this top layer all over with a skewer or fork.

Make the lemon drizzle topping by mixing together the lemon juice of 2 remaining lemons, alongside the caster sugar. Pour the drizzle over the cake, the juice will sink into it and the sugar will form a sweet, crisp topping.

Once the lemon drizzle topping has set, insert the star nozzle into the piping bag and fill this with the remaining buttercream icing. Make a series of small buttercream swirls around the outside of the cake. Add sprinkle/s to each swirl if you wish.

For the Filling and Topping of the Buttercream/Sugarcraft Flowers Version:

Make the icing by beating the soft butter with the icing sugar, lemon zest and juice until light and fluffy.

Divide the buttercream icing into half. Spread one half of it over the bottom layer of the cake. Spread the lemon curd on top of this.

Take the other layer and place it on top of the layer you’ve just finished. Gently spread the remaining buttercream on top of this layer. Decorate with sprinkles and/or sugarcraft flowers.

Voila! Enjoy. If you’ve made this cake, do let me know as I’d love to see it and hear your feedback. You can share photographs of your creation on my Facebook page if you like. Happy baking and see you soon!

 

 

 

How to make the perfect Victoria sponge cake

Andrew, my husband recently celebrated his birthday and requested his favourite cake. He absolutely adores Victoria sponge cake and so do I for that matter. I’ve made many Victoria sponge cakes over the past few years and I’ve built up a certain technique due to all of that practice! You know what they say about practice making perfect! The last one I made was actually the best one in a long time, so I just had to share the results with you.

If you’re planning an afternoon tea party, yummy dessert table or just wanting to bake for a special someone, then this cake is a very good option. It’s very simple to make using my method and it’s a versatile bake. You can add fresh strawberries to it for extra deliciousness and also add flowers for decoration. You can also pipe some buttercream swirls on the top of the cake if you’re feeling in a decorative mood. You can add different flavours of jam or replace the jam with lemon curd. Why not? For this blog post though, I’ll be giving you my recipe for the classic version.

Ingredients

200g caster sugar

200g softened butter, at room temperature

4 eggs, beaten

200g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

For the filling

100g butter, softened

140g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

4 tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam

icing sugar, to decorate

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Grease and line two 20 centimetre sandwich tins. Soften the butter and sugar until the mixture is of a creamy, pale consistency. Slowly add the beaten eggs and milk. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture. Gently mix until all of the ingredients together until fully combined. If using a mixer, don’t mix for longer than 2 minutes to avoid over mixing.
2. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for 20 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Leave the cakes in their tins for 5 minutes, before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth and creamy and slowly sift the icing sugar into the mixture. Beat in the vanilla extract if you’re using it. Spread the jam over the bottom layer of the cake using a palette knife. Take a piping back and large star nozzle and pipe stars/shells on top of the jam across the entire bottom layer of the cake, leaving a bit of room around the outside. Carefully place the top layer of the cake on top of this layer. If you don’t have the piping tools, you can use your palette knife to spread the buttercream on the underside of the remaining layer, before sandwiching both layers together. Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar. Your cake will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

Enjoy and do let me know if you decide to use my recipe. I’d love to hear your thoughts and see your pictures.

Mini Glazed Ring Doughnuts Recipe

After spending hours on Pinterest drooling over mini glazed ring doughnuts, it only felt right to buy a doughnut mould and get straight into the kitchen. With my best baking materials and apron at the ready, I began the bake. I was a little nervous at first, as I think doughnuts can look like a tricky, fiddly bake. Let me tell you that this isn’t true in the slightest. The doughnut mould makes the process incredibly easy and I think the outcome looks very impressive if I do say so myself. They are definitely fit for a special party, or even as cute little wedding favours placed in mini glassine bags. If only I had thought about that for my own wedding!

Anyway, if they look like your kind of thing and I’ve inspired you to have a go, please follow my recipe below. I would love, love, love to hear from you if you baked them using this recipe. This is the perfect recipe for a lazy Saturday. It’s also very well suited to those who have a moment of last minute panic when realising that there are no sugary treats in the house!

To make these little bites of deliciousness, you’ll need:

Ingredients

150ml (5 fl oz) milk

1 large egg (US – extra large)

30g unsalted butter (1oz)

1 tsp vanilla extract

175g plain flour (6oz/ 1 1/2 cups)

75g caster sugar (superfine) (2 1/2 oz/ 1/3 cup)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

For the glaze:

225g icing sugar (8oz/ 1½ cups) (confectioners sugar)

A small selection of food colourings and sprinkles

2 – 3 1/2 tbs water

This recipe makes 48 mini doughnuts.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C and lightly spray or butter a 12 hole mini doughnut mould. Beat the egg, butter, milk and vanilla extract until fully combined.

2. Sift the sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and cinnamon into another bowl and mix to combine.

3. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and briefly whisk until combined.

4. Unless you have multiple doughnut moulds, you’ll need to make 12 doughnuts at a time. Just simply clean the mould after each batch is finished and re grease it with the butter or spray.

5. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until light brown.

6. Remove the doughnuts from the mould and allow to cool on a cooling rack. You may need to gently use a small pallet knife before turning out.

7. To make the glaze, whisk the icing sugar and water together. Choose your food colouring and divide your icing mixture into multiple bowls, dependent on how many colours you decide. Take a cocktail stick and dip this into the food colouring, before placing it into each bowl and stirring the colouring with a spoon.

8. Before moving onto the next stage, place a large piece of foil or baking parchment under the wire rack, to capture excess drips/icing/sprinkles.

9. Once icing has been fully mixed and coloured, dip one side of each doughnut into the glaze. Shake off any excess icing.

10. Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!

A polite reminder: Images ©Paper Doily Party Shop and should not be reproduced or used without credit.

How to Make the Perfect Cupcakes

I’ve been baking for a good number of years now, and my love for cake decorating is still very strong. Whenever I have friends or family visiting or a party to prepare for, I always turn to my cupcake recipes for some inspiration. With so many recipes, tips and ideas out there, it’s very easy to get lost whilst planning. To help you to avoid this, I’ve put together my top ten baking tips, alongside some adorable styling ideas and a tried and tested vanilla cupcake recipe, so you can enjoy a stress free baking session in the kitchen. If the cupcakes pictured below look like just your cup of tea, then read on!

1. Use the best ingredients you can afford

2. Bring the ingredients to room temperature before using them

3. Don’t over mix the batter

4. Try to be as precise as possible with weighing or measuring

5. Always sift the flour and baking powder to avoid lumps

6. Use an electric hand mixer where possible, mainly for consistency and time

7. Use the appropriate sized cases for your muffin tray and recipe

8. Ensure the oven temperature and cooking times are accurate

9. Do not open the oven door whilst baking. Even a small amount of cold air will cause the sponge to sink

10. Before icing, allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and do not refrigerate them

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe:

Makes 12 regular cupcakes

Ingredients:

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature

225g golden caster sugar

2 large free range or organic eggs

150g self raising flour, sifted

125g plain flour, sifted

120ml semi skimmed milk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160c (fan)/180c/350F/Gas mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.

Cream the sugar and butter to a pale consistency. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix for a minute or so after each one is added.

Combine the sifted flowers into the same bowl. Measure the milk and add the vanilla extract to it.

Gradually fold the flours into the creamed mixture, using a large metal spoon. Add the milk.

Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases. An ice cream scoop or measuring scales will help you to achieve an even amount of batter into each case, meaning the cupcakes should be of equal size and baked consistently.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until fully cooked. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cupcakes when baked. If they are cooked through, it should come out clean.

Leave them in the tin for about 10 minutes before placing on a wire rack to fully cool. Once they are completely cooled, you can ice them using my delicious vanilla buttercream recipe below.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

110g unsalted butter at room temperature

60ml semi skimmed milk at room temperature

1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

500g icing sugar, sifted

Method:

Beat the butter, vanilla extract, milk and half of the icing sugar until smooth. This can take up to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining icing sugar until your buttercream is smooth and creamy. There are several ways to decorate cupcakes with buttercream icing. To achieve a finish similar to the cupcakes pictured above, you will need to invest in a piping bag and large nozzle. If you don’t have those tools, you can alternatively spread the icing on top of the cupcakes with a pallet knife. Top with cake decorations of your choice and serve with pride! Enjoy!

A polite reminder: This tutorial is for personal use only and should not be reproduced or sold. 

Malteser Chocolate Cake Recipe

We welcomed family into our home for dinner today, and I decided that it was the perfect opportunity for some chocolate cake recipe testing! I absolutely love chocolate cake, and think it’s the perfect kind of cake for any special social gathering or party. It’s simple to make, it’s a crowd pleaser and it is super versatile in the way that it can be modified or decorated to suit different tastes and requirements. Place it on top of a beautiful cake stand, polkadot doily and tablecloth, and you have yourself something absolutely delightful!

Obviously it’s fairly clear that chocolate cake is not groundbreaking stuff, and certainly hasn’t been invented by me (sadly), but there are so many variations of it and so many different recipes out there. My bookshelf is overflowing with baking books, so I’m guessing I probably have about 30 different chocolate cake recipes. Over time, I’ve tried and tested many of them, often sprawling hand drawn notes all over the pages. This recipe has derived from all of those little notes, alongside all of the baking mishaps I’ve suffered along the way to get to this point! (I’ll spare you the details!) If you feel like having a try, or you are baking for a special occasion, pop some music on, grab an apron and some pretty spatulas and have some fun with my recipe.

Ingredients

For the Cake

230g soft butter, plus extra for greasing

230g caster sugar

3 large eggs

180g self raising flour

60g cocoa powder

1 level teaspoon baking powder

For the Filling and Topping

350g icing sugar

80g cocoa powder

100g soft butter

4 tablespoons milk, to mix

To Decorate

Chocolate balls such as maltesers, if you’re looking for something similar to my cake. If not, you can use simple sprinkles or other cake decoration.

You will need:

Two 20cm round sandwich cake tins, greased with butter and lined with baking parchment

Makes 1 medium-large cake (serves 8-10)

Method

1) Pre heat the oven to 180c (gas mark 4)

2) Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. With an electric mix or a wooden spoon, cream them together until they are fluffy and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Do not mix for anything over 2 minutes, as the sponge needs to be airy when baked.

3) Measure the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder and sift into the bowl. Fold this in gently, preferably with a large metal spoon, until all of the ingredients are evenly combined.

4) Divide the mixture between your 2 prepared tins. At this point, you may want to use some weighing scales to ensure even dividing. Bake in a pre heated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until fully cooked through. (Inserting a cake tester or knife into the centre of the cake is a good indication on whether it is cooked through. The cake tester/knife should come out completely clean if it is cooked)

5) Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes. After this time, turn them out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely for approximately 30 minutes or longer. Do not ice the cake until fully cooled, or a baking disaster may strike!

6) Mix all of the filling and topping ingredients (apart from the milk) together in a large bowl and mix until smooth. The milk should be added 1 tablespoon at a time, should the icing need loosening.

7) Spread half of the icing on one layer of the cake, which will make the buttercream centre. Take the remaining cake and place on top of this layer. Carefully spread the remaining icing on the top of the cake. Decorate with maltesers, or other chocolate/sprinkles of your choice.

The cake can be made the day before and will still taste delightful if stored in airtight containers or tins, but if possible, ice on the day of the event for added freshness.

Enjoy!

Sugar Hearts

Today at Paper Doily it is all about quintessentially English tea parties. Before I elaborate, you will notice the emptiness of the beautiful cake stand. I’ve been browsing through my cookery books planning special tea party bakes and will be posting more about that shortly, so do keep your eyes peeled for more tea party related posts.

For now, this post is all about the cheerful sugar hearts, pictured above. I think they are a wonderful addition to the table and definitely add a rather unique touch. With Valentines Day approaching they also offer plenty of inspiration.

These sugar shapes are a creative twist on standard sugar lumps, which can sometimes look a little plain. They are extremely easy to make, take very little effort and can be made in advance of any occasion. They can be used in a variety of ways. If you aren’t hosting a tea party, they will be wonderful as small wedding favours with ‘love is sweet’ stickers, placed in little jars or clear wrappers. They also make lovely gifts and can be packaged creatively in a variety of ways to make them look even more special.

If this is something you would like to try, do feel free to use the recipe below. I would love to hear from you if you are intending to or have made them.

You will need:

250g of Granulated Sugar

1 tsp of Water

Small drops of Food Colouring in your desired colours

A silicone chocolate mould or ice cube tray

Instructions:

1. If you are intending to have multiple coloured sugar cubes, take some clean bowls and measure out equal amounts of sugar.

2. Add a few tiny drops of water into each bowl of sugar and mix thoroughly. The mixture should not be too wet, neither should it be too dry. The sugar should form small lumps.

3. Dip a cocktail stick or other small instrument into your desired food colouring pots and mix a small amount of food colouring in with the sugar, stirring thoroughly until each sugar bowl contains your desired colour.

4. Take your mould and fill each shape with sugar. Pat each shape down with a clean spoon to ensure you have an adequate amount of sugar.

5. Leave to set overnight.

6. Carefully place a plate under the mould and press out each sugar heart. They should come out easily.

7. Enjoy!

Valentines Day Strawberry Milkshake

It’s that time of year when many of you are thinking about the little tokens of love and appreciation you can share with your loved ones this Valentines Day. I have never thrown any huge Valentines Day celebrations but I do use any excuse to be creative and if my husband benefits from my efforts, then I’m sure he would agree that thats even better!

This Valentines Day Strawberry Milkshake is a wonderful idea if you are looking for something impressive, inexpensive, delicious and easy. It can be styled beautifully in a variety of ways. I have styled it with crocheted hearts and wooden pegs, but the possibilities really are endless. I crafted a heart paper straw in a few seconds to add that extra special touch. Red glitter paper is readily available in many craft stores, along with heart paper cutters. Paper straws are everywhere at the moment and the paper hearts can easily be attached with a small piece of clear sellotape or a small amount of UHU glue. if you aren’t feeling particularly crafty then similar straws are available here at Paper Doily Party Shop.

If I have inspired you to have a try then please do use the recipe below. I would love to hear from you if you decide to make it for yourself as a treat or for a loved one. Here goes..

Valentines Day Strawberry Milkshake Recipe

Makes 2 medium sized milkshakes. Can easily be halved/doubled.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

4 Scoops of Vanilla Ice cream

200g Strawberries roughly sliced

50-100 ml Milk

Whipped Cream

Sprinkles

Method

1. Place the ice cream and strawberries in a blender with half of the milk and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Keep adding milk until you have reached your desired thickness.

2. Pour the milkshake into a medium/tall glass. Leave an adequate gap at the top of the glass for the cream.

3. Squirt some whipped cream on the top, followed by your favourite sprinkles. You could also add fresh strawberries or a chocolate flake. The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Doughnut Muffins

I decided to make chocolate doughnut muffins this weekend and I cannot stop thinking about how perfect they would be for an American themed party. After browsing the web for American themed parties I am blown away by the creativity and imagination by party organisers across the globe. It would appear many other people have had similar ideas and have thrown the most incredible parties and weddings under this theme, some of which are handpicked below.

The blues, bright reds and hints of white are the perfect colours for the American theme and are all used in the most effective way possible. The bunting, bakers twine and retro labels, all featured on the Hostess with the Mostess blog add so much to the overall party theme and just look simply perfect. If you are regular reader, you would have already seen my movie party popcorn pops recipe shown above, but I thought they were very appropriate to this post too!

With much excitement, let me share the delectable doughnut muffin recipe with you, pictured above. I think these doughnut muffins would be the perfect addition to any American themed party dessert table.

Chocolate Doughnut Muffin Recipe

Makes 12

Ingredients:

125ml Milk (I used skimmed)

85ml Vegetable Oil

1 Large Egg

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

200g Self Raising Flour

100g Caster Sugar

12 small squares of Dark Belgian Cooking Chocolate

100g Unsalted Butter

150g Granulated Sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 190c (375F, gas mark 5), and oil a muffin tin. You will need a reasonable amount of oil as this will prevent the muffins from sticking to the tin.

Beat together the oil, milk, vanilla extract and egg. Fold this into the flour and caster sugar mixture. This must be done gently to achieve soft muffins and any lumps can be ignored.

Melt the chocolate in a microwavable bowl or in a pan over the hob.

Place a spoonful of the doughnut mixture into each cup, followed by a spoonful of melted chocolate and then another spoonful of the doughnut mixture.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Melt the butter and place the granulated sugar on a large plate.

Turn the muffins out of the tin and dip each entire muffin into the butter followed by a good roll in the granulated sugar.

Leave to cool and enjoy!

The muffins will be fairly greasy from the butter, so you can place them in muffin or large cupcake cases. Not only does it make them prettier, it may save a lot of sticky fingers.

I would love to hear from you if I have inspired you to make them or you are thinking of hosting an American inspired party or wedding!

Caramel Popcorn Pops

My husband and I decided to throw our own mini new years eve party this year. It consisted of homemade tapas, fruity cocktails and some extremely sweet but truly delicious caramel popcorn pops. Yes you heard it right, caramel popcorn pops! I wanted to make something quick, easy and tasty which was a little out of the norm. As I was photographing them I realised how perfect they would be for a movie party, similar to the fabulous one pictured above. The paper straws I used added such a lovely touch and they were also perfectly adequate for the weight of the popcorn. They would be fabulous served with american style milkshakes and chocolate.

I thought it would be lovely to share the process with you below. If you love the idea and would like to have a try then I do hope you have lots of fun. I would love to see the results if you feel like sharing! Children would absolutely love preparing the ingredients and helping to make this recipe. Please do bear in mind though that the mixture does become very hot and sticky, so parts of it are best left for adults only. Here goes..

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp (42.5g/1/5oz) butter

2 Tbsp (27g/0/97 fl. oz) Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

50g Light Brown Sugar

100g Popcorn Kernels

30g Small White Marshmallows

For Assembling:

6 Paper Straws or Cake Pop Sticks

Caramel Sauce:

Take a large pan and place it on the hob on a medium heat. Melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and light brown sugar. Continuously stir the mixture until it becomes bubbly and smooth. Remove it from the heat.

Popcorn:

Take another pan and heat the vegetable oil on a medium heat. Add the popcorn kernels and place the lid on the pan. Repeatedly shake the pan until all of the popcorn kernels have popped. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with salt. Carefully spoon the popcorn into a large mixing bowl leaving any un popped popcorn kernels. Take the caramel sauce and pour it over the popcorn. Take a spoon and mix it to combine. A metal spoon is best as the mixture will be very sticky. It’s best to work as quickly as possible during this stage before the caramel sets! Allow the mixture to cool for 3 minutes. You can then form the caramel popcorn into balls and insert the straws/cake pop sticks. I made 6 medium sized pops, but you can alter the recipe/size to suit.

You can then sit back and enjoy them!