Good old James Martin to the rescue - I went shopping yesterday for a "star wars" cake for my (almost) 8 year old and we're in the shop looking at all the cakes and he says... "but Mammy why are we buying a cake when you're cakes are the best"... so we came home and I made the trusty chocolate cake from James Martin Deserts book (one of the best desert cookbooks around)... and a chocolate buttercream frosting....

Topped with Black sugar fondant and some space dust.  Let the lego Star Wars battle commence....

AND the 8 year olds party!!!

Medovnik (honey cake) or sometimes called the Royal cake in Prague....

Blimey, this was a tricky cake.... I've been waiting for a reason/excuse to make this cake since I tasted it almost 10 years ago in Prague.  It's an absolutely unique taste, not to sweet, not too cakey, not too anything... just about a perfect cake - every mouthful is a dream on your tastebuds...

OK, so a friend of mine keeps bees and makes honey and is entering the beekeepers association competition with her honey this weekend in Rathgar.  There is a honey cake section so she suggested I make a honey cake with her honey and we could enter it into the competition.... so as it takes almost 3 days to make... here it is, all ready for it's debut on Saturday.... fingers crossed for it!

my Brother's 40th birthday cake

So I hadn't made this Chocolate Orange Truffle cake since my brother got married 8 years ago... eh, WHY not, it's bloody gorgeous... anyway I thought his 40th would be an ideal time to dust off the recipe again....

Being around in the 80's I thought he might like the pac-man theme....

Lemon buns with truffle frosting very fancy for kiddies party!

LEMON buns with Truffle frosting for my nieces birthday party..... YUMMY

So nice to make sweet girly cakes !

Best Granola EVER

Makes about 1.5kg.

125g butter 

150ml honey

1tsp vanilla extract

500g rolled oats

50g pecans chopped

150g hazelnuts chopped

75g pumpkin seeds, 75g sunflower seeds, 50g golden linseeds (there is a 4 seed mix in tesco, I use half a bag), 

100g desiccated coconut

300g mixed dried fruit ( dates, figs, raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries, chop the larger fruit).

Preheat oven to 170. 

Put butter, honey and vanilla into small saucepan and melt gently. Mix the oats, nuts, seeds and desiccated coconut together in a large bowl. Pour over the melted butter mix and stir really well to make sure all the dry ingredients are evenly coated.

Divide the mixture between 2 large baking trays and spread in an even layer. Bake in the oven for half an hour turning every 5 mins, watch it doesn't burn around the edges.

Remove from oven and leave to cool on trays stirring them every few minutes as it cools.

Once totally cool, transfer into large bowl and stir in choice of dried fruits. Put into airtight container and it will last at room temp for about two months. (it won't last that long 

girly zebra cake

So my niece was 6 yesterday and here is her "girly zebra cake"......

Zebra Cake.....

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar (use American cup sizes)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100ml club soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
{2 tblsp cocoa powder & 1 tblsp hot water}

• whisk 2 eggs in a bowl.  Add in cup of sugar and whisk until smooth and pale in colour.  Whisk in vanilla extract and then the vegetable oil.  Add baking powder into the flour and sieve into egg mixture alternately with the club soda until all whisked in. 
• In separate bowl mix cocoa powder and water to a paste.
• Half the egg mixture and mix the cocoa paste into one half.
• Using disposable piping bags (mix is quite runny) pipe alternately into an 8" oiled lined springform sandwich tin - see photos.
• bake in 170 degree oven for 35 mins, reduce heat to 150 for another 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire tray.

Piping bags at the ready !