Monday Catch Up: So I Forgot How To Relax (What?!)

Its the start of the working week for some people, most people

in fact. Its odd because my weekend has suddenly got shifted and I've got a couple of days off. Which for me never happens. Ever. I never have a moment to relax. 

I'm not going to lie and announce I'm superwoman (because that would be epic). Its more about finding a moment to sit down and relax. But always (seriously, always) I'm on the move and busy, I've sort of forgotten how to relax....Work, classes, housework, or life in general, it can get on top of me. It happens to everyone of course and they say: "Right it's time for me now."

Even when attempting to relax I'm always up to something. Either, I'm doing a quick spruce up of the coffee table or making a to do list. This has always been overlooked by most people. Except a couple of nights ago when my boyfriend (who is the king of chilling out) noticed I when I was stressed out about the housework (the housework that didn't really need to be done... until the next day...). He said that I'm so wrapped up in my stress that its no wonder I find it hard to relax or sleep. Take a break, even if its 10 minutes.
I was very defensive about it, but reflecting on it. He has a point, so thats what I've decided to do. Everyday I'm taking 10 minutes to do something for myself. He made me realise that's if your not recharged mentally, how can you balance all the other aspects of life? Thats sort of the reason why this post is short this week.
How do you relax? Do you have trouble winding down? 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Formal Suit Birthday Cake

University is finished for me, and as from yesterday, I'm officially not a student anymore (No more student discounts nooo!!!).  Now its time to play the waiting game for results. 

Lets start with good news, including my first official job as a pastry chef in London (wooo! Yes you can applaud). I can't say where I'm working at this stage, but its super fantastic, but because I'm an enigma I keeping it quiet. However, I am sad to leave my current job. All the people I was working with made it feel like it wasn't work but it was a playground of chocolate and discussing odd customers. Thank you all for making the time more fun and special.

Also, I'm doing another patisserie course in September, so by a technicality, I'll be a student (again!!) and I'll be living the grand student life, with my other half. That's right totally living the dream. So now that university is over I can focus loads more on the blog. So watch this space baking lovers!

But enough about that, how are you? I hope that you've been enjoying the summer so far. This weeks cake is a gluten-free 2 tiered cake with decorated to look like a suit. Its kind of my second attempt ever on making a novelty cake and the first time making this cake design. The cake was designed for my friend Zoe, who requested it for her boyfriend Scott, who likes a little bit of luxury in life. A guy who is smartly dressed and has good taste (especially in cake). 

So here it is, Scott's Gluten Free Chocolate Birthday Cake. 

Scott, I hope you enjoyed your birthday and you had an excellent time. Hope you enjoyed the cake. You have a lovely girlfriend who deserves a great big hug and thank-you for all her effort for organising your birthday bash!

Recipe: Makes 2 gluten free cakes with  2 layers in each cake.

·       

        460g dark chocolate at least 70% cocoa solids

·       240g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       700g golden caster sugar

·       6 large eggs, separated

·       740g Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain flour, sifted

·       4 teaspoons gluten free baking power

·       3 teaspoons gluten free bicarbonate of soda

    1 teaspoons salt

·       1litre semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

·       4 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream

·       175g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

·       225g unsalted butter

·       1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, room temperature

·       1teaspoon vanilla extract

·       250g icing sugar, sifted

Decorating:

·       200g  Midnight blue sugar paste

·       Edible glue

·       500g white sugar paste

·       500g grey sugar paste

Equipment:

·       Electric hand-mixer
        Bowl x3

·       Mixer/wooden spoon

·       Measuring Jug

·       Sieve

·       Teaspoon

·       Tablespoon

·       20cm/ 8 inch square cake tin x 2

·       15cm/ 6 inch square cake tin x 2

·       Palette knife

·       Light oil spray/butter for greasing the tin

·       Silicone paper

·       Heatproof bowl

·       Saucepan filled with water

·       Metal spoon

·       Scissors

·       A4 paper

·       Pen

·       Ruler

·       Small sharp knife

·       Grey ribbon

·       Double sided tape

·       Silver board

·       Cake smoother
        Large serrated knife

For the Cake (Recipe adapted from Cupcakes from Primrose Bakery):

1.    Pre-heat the oven to 170c fan/190c/375f/Gas Mark 5 and grease the tins with the light oil spray/butter and line with silicone paper.

2.    Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until completely melted. Set aside to cool.

3.    In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, which should 3-5 minutes using an electric mixer. Put the egg yolks into the creamed mixture and beat well.

4.    Add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture and beat well.

5.    Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in separate bowl all sieved together. 

6.    Combine the milk, and vanilla extract in a jug.

7.    Add one-third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the milk mixture and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk has been added.

8.    Clean your whisk!

9.    In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites with a clean whisk, until soft peaks form.

10.Carefully fold the egg whites with a metal spoon into the cake batter.

11.Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and bake for 30 minutes. Insert a skewer in the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean it’s done.

12. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about an 1 hour  before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once completely cool, you can ice the cake.

13. If you need to trim the tops of the cakes to make them flat do so at this stage when completely cooled. 

For the Buttercream (Recipe adapted from Cupcakes from Primrose Bakery):

1.    To make the chocolate buttercream, melt the chocolate as in step 2 of the cake recipe. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and the icing sugar until smooth-this can take several minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the chocolate and beat until all of the chocolate has been incorporated. 

2.    To assemble use a palette knife to spread the icing into the middles of each cake and around the outside of the cakes.

To Decorate (Adapted from My Cake Decorating Magazine):

1.    Roll the white icing to cover the bigger cake, trim as needed and

place on the silver board. Then roll out the grey icing to cover the smaller cake. Set both cakes aside for now.

2.    Measure the height and width of the bottom tier of the cake and,

 using these measurements as a guide, draw a triangle on a sheet of A4 paper-So one side should be the height of the cake and the other should be the width of the cake. Cut out this triangle.

3.    Knead a section of the midnight blue paste and roll out thinly. Place the triangle on top of the paste and, using it as a template, cut around it with a small knife. Repeat this until you have 8 triangles. Set aside.

4.    Roll out the midnight blue paste again and cut out 2 circles for the buttons.

5.    Roll out the midnight blue paste again. Using a cake smoother, cut a strip of paste roughly 20cm long and 6cm wide. Fold the two ends of the strip over to meet in the middle and stick them down with edible glue. Pad out the loops with kitchen paper, then pinch the strip in the centre to make realistic-looking creases.

6.    Cut a second shorter (7cm long and 4cm wide) and wrap it around the front of the bow, using edible glue to stick two ends of together at back. Allow your bow to dry or it is going to melt!

7.    Attach the midnight blue triangles to the bottom tier using edible glue-This is of course is the jacket of the suit.

8.    Using the previous triangle temple make a lapel shape. Roll out the midnight blue taste (again!!) and cut out the lapel shape. Brush with edible glue and place onto the front of you cake.

9.    Stick on the buttons that you did in step 4.

10.  Take the grey ribbon and wrap around the base of the top tier and seal with double sided tape.

11.  Carefully place the top tier onto the bottom tier with edible glue (or any leftover buttercream).

12. Finally, brush the bow tie with edible glue and stick it to the front of the top tier. Hold in place for a couple of minutes. 
13. Optional, you can pipe a birthday message or the birthday boys initials, if you like by using vanilla buttercream icing or premade icing.  

I hope you've been enjoyed reading and what's your favourite gluten free recipe? Leave a comment to let us know!

10 Bits of Advice to Think About During Revison

I'm smack right in the middle of revising for my final ever exams and it sucks. 

I (hopefully), will never have to take an nail biting, sleep depriving and nerve racking exam again. Or at least I don't plan too after these final university exams! I was doodling on my revision book I was studying extremely hard, when I got to a point when I thought: 

"Sod it. I can't take in anymore rubbish about critiquing a 'Blue Ocean Strategy'. 

That's where the inspiration for this post popped up. Revision sucks. We all know it. It bloody well sucks! It can cause the most calmest to freak out, but sadly, it has to be done. In fact this post is dedicated to all those people who are revising and studying hard (or at least pretending to) with my own tips to getting through this stupidly hard and annoying time. 

1. Don't waste your time with revision timetables. You'll waste time making them and you'll feel bad for not following it. Don't waste precious study time on what you should be studying on Monday between 11am-1pm. Just get studying!

2. Eat and stay hydrated! I can't tell you how many times I've been in the 'study zone' and haven't had a drink for about 4 hours. DONT LET THIS HAPPEN! You need to eat. You need to drink. Your brain can't work if its not fuelled. So fuel it when needed.

3. Distractions will find you. Oh I've got to clean my room before I can start revision... I can't work without my highlighters being a straight line. We all have an excuse not to revise but try to push past it.

4. Worrying will not get you anywhere. It won't get you high marks, so try and stay calm and focused. 

5. Have a support network. If you've got friends who are willing to do a study session or revise together then use this opportunity. Your weaknesses in a subject might be a friends strength and visa versa. 

6. Give yourself a break. If your brain has stop taking information in then you are allowed a break. Might I suggest baking these amazing Salted Caramel Brownies for ideal snack during revision?

7. Set a stop time. Whether its after you've finished a topic or at a certain time make an agreement with yourself to stop. 

8. Make a check-list for exam day and pack the night before. So that you don't forget anything- That means your stationary, student I.D etc. With details where you need to be on the day and at the right time. Nothing worse then turning up on the wrong day. This will also put your mind at rest the night before.  

9. Don't bother comparing with others. You can only do the best you can do. When you start comparing with friends and classmates, it will add to the pressure of the exam and who needs that when your trying to figure out the difference between Discourse Lens and Experience Lens in that first exam you've got?

10. Aim for that goal. Having something to look forward to after the exam period is done and over-with. Whether it's a holiday or a meal with friends. 

I hope that this has helped dealing with exams. If this hasn't helped then just think in a month this will all be over and done with!

and remember:

Good luck to everyone doing exams! (including myself yikes!)

Happy Day Challenge Day 3: Covering Alice

Welcome to day 3 of the 100 happy days challenge! Today's picture comes from my diary, where I wrote that I've covering a  shift for work colleague Alice. 

I know she might not want the details published all over the internet but the short story is that her and boyfriend can't spend loads of time together because he has a job which takes him half away around the world and she is in the UK. When he comes back to the UK, they try to spend as much time as they can with each other. This is (10-12th January 2014) the last weekend before he leaves again and sadly, Alice works Saturdays. She texted and asked if it was alright if I could cover. 

Thinking about it, I've been in that situation before and I was let down by all the other staff members because they didn't want to give up their day off (different job and different area of the world. Don't ask!). So I know how that feels when you can't get the day off to see a loved one. Its not pleasant. So of course I said yes! It made her and her boyfriend happy and  it made me happy to do a good thing. That's the most important thing that a little action like this can make the world a little more brighter.

Happy Day Challenge Day 2-Abbie's Note

This is the second day of the 100 happy days challenge and it was this note that caused me to smile.
The note in question was left by a work college called Abbie left this note saying that anyone who was in the shop don't forget to reprice the stock and take down all the Christmas decorations but she wrote:

Please carry on repriceing!
Done loads today!
I'm frazzled hunnays
Keep it real like Ian beil and take down more Xmas decs if there are any lol!

love Bunny (Abbie) xxx loves ya!
If you knew how sweet and funny Abbie is, then you'd see how funny it is. Thanks for the day-brightening note Abbie! 

Honey and Banana Cake Revisited

I know I'm a little late with my this post but its been brought to my attention that I've got to do some university work during the summer. During the summer. It's a sin. It hurts my head thinking about it. 
I've been working at my new job and I saw some banana that weren't good enough to serve to customers. They were going to get thrown away! Now what do you do with really ripe bananas? You bake them into something fab! This cake is way better to serve to customers rather then a boring banana. 

Since moving from London I only packed a single suitcase. My whole life in one suitcase. Needless to say that I couldn't bring down a single recipe book so I wanted to revisit a recipe that had already been published on the blog. The Banana and Honey Cake
that my friend Louise had given the recipe to me is a cake that often gets baked when I've got some manky banana's that need to be used up. To make it even quicker, skip out the icing and just drizzle a little honey on top.  

Ingredients needed:

• 100g unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp honey
• 300g self-raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 150g brown sugar
• 2 ripe banana's 
• 250ml milk
• 2 eggs, beaten

Equipment needed:

• 450g loaf tin
• small saucepan
• tablespoon
• sieve
• 2 large bowls
• fork
• wooden spoon
• metal spoon
• skewer/knife
• foil

1.     Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4/180c/350f, and grease and line your loaf tin.

Step 2. Add t

2.     Melt butter with the honey in a small saucepan.

3.     Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a large bowl, add the sugar and stir.

This is my mashy face

Look at the intense concentration 

Step 4. Add the melted butter and honey. 

4.     Mash the bananas, mix them with the milk and eggs, and then add the melted butter and honey.

Step 5. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

5.     Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold it in with a metal spoon.

Step 6. Cover with foil and bake

6.     Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, cover loosely with tin foil and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.

Orange Cream Cheese Icing. 

As said before, if you haven't got time to make a frosting, just try heating some more honey and brush it on top. 

• 175g cream cheese
• 325g icing sugar
• 125g unsalted butter
• the zest of one orange

Equipment needed:

• Sift
• 2 bowls
• Hand mixer
• Knife

1.     Sift the icing sugar in one of the bowls

Step 2. Mix all the other ingredients together

2.     Mix all the other ingredients together in the other bowl.

Step 3. Combine all the ingredients together

3.     Once combined, mix the icing sugar a little at a time. 

4.     Spread the icing onto the cooled banana cake. 

5. Decorate with something nice such as sprinkles or fruit slices.

Have an excellent week! Also, don't forget to check me out on BlogLovin'

How to Win Work Colleagues (with Blondie recipe)

In my last post I was ranting and raving about motivation and inspiration and jobs and bits.

Well another good announcement about the job which I didn't really want. After a ridiculously busy shift I thought: 
My heart isn't in this job. I'm done with it.
So, I quit. Thats right. Done. Finished. You only live once so why be unhappy about it? 

After a week later, after CV-ing all over the place, I found another job and here I am. 

But with a new job comes new work colleagues. Brand new scary people that you have to work with who already know each others names, and have their own in jokes. It can be pretty daunting. 
So, I could do two things that would make me feel much better about a situation: Stuff my face with Nandos/chocolate/endless episodes of Supernatural or I BAKE!

I decided to make an impression with my baking skills. Nothing wins a group of females co-workers like chocolate cake. Especially if its a Chocolate Cola Cake. Now I've opened the door to getting to know my colleagues better. All done with cake, of course.

However, before I rejoice in my new job, there is a something I would like to say to my former office work colleagues:

•  Chris- You taught me to be firm with really annoying customers and to be experimental with the most strangest food. More importantly, Chris, I wish you all the best with your new husband! Your going to make a fab wife and an awesome mummy one day!
• Hannah- You are just adorable and I loved our little chats and you were seriously missed when you left!
• Lucy H- Lu-lu you are a wonderful cousin and you don't know it because I'm kinda shy about saying it (I don't do chick flick crap) but I have always looked up to you and you constantly inspire me. 
• Ben- What can say? Our 'witty' (used loosely) banter back and forth about 'Bakery Story' or general zombie related stuff. We are officially the most prepared people for a zombie apocalypse. 
• Lucy Madz- Our sneaky shopping trips and 'Fat Fridays' and the general chats about life in general. Its hard to find another kindred (crazy) spirit. Luc, your the sister I wish I had because you are just generally awesome and beautiful. For goodness sake don't change! 

I didn't really get to say a proper good-bye and thank-you for all the good times we shared. Thank-you Ladies! (and Ben)

So as promised I did some baking before I left my previous workplace I made some farewell Blondies and dished them out to my lovely work colleagues. 

Blondies are basicaly the 'anti Brownie' meaning that they are made with white chocolate rather milk or dark chocolate. 

 

Here's that recipe:

Recipe: Makes 18 squares (recipe adapted from Cookies Galore by Jacqueline Bellafontaine)

·       500g white chocolate

·       75g butter, at room temperature

·       3 eggs

·       180g caster sugar

·       180g self-raising flour

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       (180g macadamia nuts roughly chopped, optional)

Equipment:

·       Baking pan lined with silicone paper

·       Chopping board

·       Sharp knife

·       Heat proof bowl

·       Saucepan

·       Mixing bowl

1.    Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5/ 190c/375f. Grease and base line a baking pan.

2.    Roughly chop 400g of the chocolate and put aside.
I ran out of chocolate and had to use an easter egg that I received but never got around to eating. It was of a pretty 'Hello Kitty' which got smashed to pieces! 

Before

After-Oh the chocolate humanity! 

3.    Melt the remaining chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cool slightly.

4.    Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl and gradually beat in the melted chocolate.

5.    Sift the flour over the mixture and fold together with the reserved chocolate, vanilla extract and nuts if using.

6.    Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes until the centre is only just only just firm to touch. Cool in the tin. Cut into squares when cold.

Happy Saturday and Have a Good Weekend