Cup Cake Classes

We do get asked a lot about whether we do cup cake classes and the answer is "yes!". We are sorry that there isn't a section on our website as yet where you can book yours but just drop us and email and we will get you booked in. The most popular class we do is for children, minimum age is 5 but we will happily come and show them what to do so they can make their own party cakes! We do also run adult classes too, just ask.

Simply email Abi with your requirements and she will organise everything for you.

Peppermint Chilli Chocolate Cake

Before you pull a face you should try it. The chocolate we use is from South Devon Chilli Farm and is one of the nicest I've ever had. Hot and cold at the same time (if that's possible). None of our cakes are designed to blow your head off and there is something slightly addictive about this. So for National Chocolate Week we thought we would send you a firm favourite. Happy Cake Club everyone!

National Poetry Day

Last Thursday was National Poetry Day, I love poetry and have enjoyed reading through the winners of this years Foyle Young Poets award. I thought I would share this with you as I feel the simple language is evocative of many childhoods. It has an underlying sadness to it mixed with nostalgia and love, amazing. 

Baking by Phoebe Boswall

Smells of baking remind me of you.

Your red apron, my small striped one with the torn pocket.
Your soft stretched skin, fingers kneading dough
into a ball. My fat floury hands
grasped for your amber necklace,
Quick, Phoebe, the oven!

You played with flavours,
made little blobs of buttery dough on the tray
Your warm kitchen, my safe haven.

You taught me your language:
bicarbonate of soda, self-raising flour, vanilla extract,
millilitres of milk, grams of sugar:
caster, muscovado, granulated.

Now your apron hangs empty on the peg.
I wear it from time to time; mine with the torn pocket
doesn't fit anymore.

If you would like to win a copy of 101 Poems for Children by Carol Ann Duffy you can enter the competition here

Raspberry Blondie

Hope you are all looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Our Cake Club will be enjoying our Raspberry Blondie this week. A scrumptious caramel taste with bursts of fresh raspberries to tickle the taste buds. If you fancy a slice yourself you should join our club, something different every week. We like to play with new flavours and use seasonal products so come and grab a slice, your first month is free!

Happy Friday everyone.

The Cake and Bake Show

What can I say? What an amazing weekend! For those of you that didn't make it to Earls Court this weekend for The Cake and Bake Show I can tell you, you missed a treat. For the very first show, it was a huge success. People taking seats an hour before Mary Berry started her demonstration tells you how popular she was and it was lovely to see so many from the Great British Bake Off past and present.

It was great see so many new and familiar faces too in you guys. Catching up with people from Twitter and Facebook that we have known for a long time was really lovely, thanks for introducing yourselves. Our stall was very popular and our new "Say it with Cake" seemed to be ticking all the right boxes for you so as promised you can buy it now from our site. All you have to do is click below. Tell us what flavour cake and the message to go on top and we will hand make and post it for you as promised.

Flavour

Lemon Chocolate Vanilla

Message (15 characters)

We were lucky enough to have our stall right next to the demonstration area so got to glimpse the celebrity chefs as they passed by. Fab to find there were no divas amongst them! I believe that poor Mary was a bit swamped with appreciation although she tried to sign as many books as possible. 

It was lovely to see Edd Kimber too, we have met previously and so it was lovely to catch up. Funnily enough his new book has the same name as our new cake, a popular choice, obviously we all want to "Say it with Cake"

Almost feel sad that it's all over but then there's always Manchester at Easter.... details to be released shortly!

Time Out

Every once in a while we all need some time out. A time put aside just to unwind? Maybe. Or maybe just time to escape. Personally I always feel that getting out of the kitchen and taking a long walk with the dog clears the mind. Sometimes when it feels like everything is getting too much it can be just the ticket. Working from home can create a little cabin fever. The pressures of the day are harder to leave at the office door when you are live in it. They can even make me feel trapped and force me to keep working well past a sensible time. Do people really care if I answer an email at midnight?

We all have our own version of time out, it could just be sitting in front of the TV in the evening or reading a book. Whatever it is we should all do it. Life can be very hectic and without looking after ourselves, we are pretty useless to anyone else.

So grab yourself a cuppa, a slice of cake and a good book and give yourself a break. Feeling energised is a great start but perhaps you'll feel inspired too.

Kitchen Magic

Many of you will already be aware but where once I was one, now we are two in the kitchen. The Cake Nest is an entirely family run business, with all baking done in house and so when I needed extra help it was only right that my husband came and joined me. So I have set him to bake and, just in case you were worrying, he comes from a strong line himself, with his gran being a professional cake maker. 

Now you may be wondering what he is getting up to. Within minutes of joining us he shot off to Slattery's to do their chocolate course. Oh the joy of him coming home with bags of chocolate that he had made but we knew it wasn't meant to be for us and so I put him in the kitchen and let him work his magic the results have been amazing.

Mr Cake

Our next big thing is the Earls Court, Cake and Bake Show in September. Steve is busy creating some wonderful goodies to wow you on the day that will be available on our website afterwards. Try our cake balls today to test his skills and then control your drooling and come and visit us. Grab your tickets now and you'll even get a discount by quoting "FLYERIHS".

Please offer a warm welcome to Mr Cake, the man himself, Steve Phillips our Creative Baker.

Chocolate Dipped Cake Balls