Can't stop baking.....

We have cake coming out of our ears! I just cannot stop myself from baking at the moment. I know once baby August comes along I won't feel like it, so I am making the most of it now.

Here are a few I made earlier........( my excuse as to why I've not been on here again...for ages)......

Enchanted garden cupcakes....

 

 

A little felt bunting...



 

 

 

 

Cupcakes for nanny.....

Little flowers......

 



 

 

Little hearts.......

 

 



 

 

 

And we are still wondering...Is it a girl....

 

 

Or a boy......

Just under 6 weeks and we will know!

I can't wait, neither can Harrison ( unless it's a girl, he doesn't want one of those)!!

Well enjoy the sunshine, whilst it's here........xx

On a lighter note....

Here we go...pics and sentances......

Some cupcakes I made for my mums birthday, They were a month late...luckily, she's very forgiving!

All boxed up and ready to go....

There is something about a pretty little cupcakes that makes me feel happy inside, small things please me...

and there is something about finding a certain little boy's toes peeking out of the bottom of my wardrobe whilst he is hiding from me, that makes me even happier...

What fun it is being little!

I hope your all enjoying the sunshine...long may it stay!

Chick chick chick chick chicken.........

No it's not an early easter post. My little harrison has Chickenpox bless him. The fever came on yesterday followed by the rash and now he is slowly being covered in little red spots.
The itching hasn't started yet and i am not looking forward to it. It is so hard as a parent to watch your baby suffer. You wish you could take the pain away, but sometimes you just can't!
i'm not sure how long this will last but I just want it to be over for his sake :(

Apart from dealing with that I have been a busy girl this morning ( after no sleep....sniff sniff) making cupcakes for my nephew (in law). Little Leo turned 3 today and eventhough we couldn't go to the party, as we'd be spreading the cp love!we did send cupcakes.
Here they are..........

I was very happy with the design, but I made a mistake that made me so mad with myself. I decided to try a new recipe and had not tried one before I sent them. Note to self...DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN!

After sitting down tonight with a nice cuppa, I bit into my cake........I was not a happy bunny! I felt embarrassed that I had sent them! They were not up to scratch. Never again will I do that. Always test a recipe before hand. Is that obvious?....sounds it, as I read it back to myself. Oh well I'm sure the kids enjoyed them, no doubt they only licked the cream off!!

Here's to a good week and here's hoping the chickenpox aren't too mean to my baby!xx

Busy bee.......

Hello there. It's sunday night and no I am not relaxing on the sofa with my feet up watching the ol' box, I am updating my blog!! I'm trying, I'm trying!
This week has been another busy one. Infact with a fifteen month old it's always a busy week. Sometimes being an at home mum looking after Harrison leaves me feeling lazy. I feel I should be out there working...earning the green. In my spare time I am creating my wedding head pieces and cake designs and yet I still have to reassure myself that it's ok not to have a job at the moment.
Since the age of 16 I have worked. My first job was washing hair at a local hairdressers on a saturday(this is why my hands are still so dry). I kept that job throughout college and as soon as college was finished I found another job. I continued in that same job until I was made redundant last year.
I don't stop from when I get up until I go to bed and caring for a little one is the hardest job I have had, also the most rewarding.
so why can't I except that being an at home mum is a full time job? Does/did anyone else feel that way?

Enough of my ramblings, here's what's been happening this week........

These are chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate frosting. I wanted to make some fondant flowers with a vintage feel and this was the outcome.

They tasted rather good too!

The frosting made me very happy because it was a perfect concistency to pipe onto the sponge.Happy days!

I have also been trying to update my other blog 'prettylittleheadshandmade' if you have a chance, please have a look. I am hoping that one day this will become my 'job'!

I have a few more designs to add to my blog, but they are already on my FB page.

I can also be found on Facebook. If you felt so inclind, you could press on the 'like' button on the facebook page and become a friend of my site . So far I only have ten likes ( sniff sniff ).

Here's hoping you have agreat week, even if it's a little chilly!x

 

 

Moving on....

Well, once again it's been a while! The move went well as far as moving in and moving out, however the little fella wasn't so happy about it!
It's been Very tough for our little H. I think it was all too much for his little head to take, firstly he see's everything disappearing from his home and then the next minute he's somewhere else every day and everything that he knew has gone. His sleeping pattern went up the wall, he got rashes, he just found it all too much and so did I seeing my little baby suffering.
It felt like we put him through so much and yet it couldn't be helped.
He's a happy chappy now though, running around, in and out of his new room! We are all much happier here and now nicely settled in.
Although I almost thought we wouldn't be. We had been here only a week and I fell ill and felt rather poorly for over a week. It felt like I was just getting somewhere with the flat and then bam my body just went 'nah you can't do anymore..lay there and feel sorry for yourself' (which I would have done, had I not had to look after my little H).

So anyway the jewellery has been put to one side for now although I have a facebook page for my 'PrettyLittleHeads' that I would love for you to 'Like' if your a facebooker ( is anyone not nowadays?) or even just have a peek!
I have been making a few cakes lately...quite a few of which I can share with you now....... (most get made and eaten not photographed!)

This was an order for a vespa cake....

It was quite a challenge and for some reason I find it harder to design something for a man.I guess it's easier designing something girlie. Men are more difficult. However I ended up really enjoying making this one. I'm also finding each one less stressful because I am learning something new every time.

Next on the agender were these Valentines cupcakes....I was getting in early with these ones..........

lovecakes

Bee Mine.

These were very fun to make and very fun to eat!

So I am not going to make any promises about keeping up with my blogging because I will just mentally punish myself if I don't stick with it, so i will try to keep posting when time allows.

Just so you know, even when I am not posting I am nosing at your blogs...that I can promise!!

I hope you have a great week and the sun comes out to smile at us all :)

Little iced trees....

Having leftover frosting from my mince pies I thought I would put it to good use.I can't bare throwing it away. The trouble is I can never juddge how much to put on each cake/pie. I either have loads left over or some cakes are frostingless :(
 As I am not very skilled with the ol piping bag I discovered by accident on my last lot of cakes that if I use the star nozzle and just push down and not around the icing looked liked little christmas trees, so today I thought-why not make little cupcakes topped with frosted christmas trees.
So here they are.......

I used sugarpaste to make the hearts ....

The butterflies and baubles are from the dr oetkers range....

I added a little sparkle with some pearl lastre dust....

They were fun to make and eat!

Wednesday tomorrow.....only 4 more days and nights and then santa will be here!!

There's a chill in the air.......

Where does the time go? I last posted at the begining of November. I am officially a poor blogger..any such award out there?....if so it's mine :)

I moan when it's too hot, I moan when it's too cold. But I am happy with cold and sunny.
Time to envelope ourselves in warm snuggly clothes, sipping hot drinks and curling up on the sofa with the cold dark nights creeping behind the curtains......
  what more to do than bake in a kitchen heated by a warm glowing oven with sweet aromas filling the room.......

I purchased some little rubber letter stamps that are quite easy to use on fondant. I then sprinkled the imprinted letters with icing sugar....

This week was Harrison's christmas party at his playgroup.

I made cupcakes for the mum's...

and ickle cakes for the kiddies.....

I used a star nozzle to make my icing look like little christmas trees.....

and I used a ready to use chocolate icing powder from silver spoon for the little cakes....a little sweet for my liking, but I am sure it was ok with the little ones!

Harrison ready for his party food and cake.

 He doesn't look too amused being photographed!

I have been very busy with another project which is why I haven't been blogging much over the last few months.I have been making and designing special occasion head pieces which I will blog about soon.

I hope you are all wrapped up warm and cosy and getting organised for christmas...I am trying! But at a very slow pace!

will blog sooner, rather than later next time..........

Anyone for a coffee....

 Frothy coffee...or is it?

No siree, it's a cappuccino cupcake......

Cake:

125g self-raising flour
125g soft unsalted butter
125g golden caster sugar (I only had regular and they came out ok)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped tablespoon instant expresso

2-3 tablespoons milk

Icing:160g white chocolate
60g butter
120g sour cream
260g icing sugar, sieved

cocoa powder, to dust

1. Preheat oven to 200c

2. Put all the cake ingredients (except the milk) into a bowl and combine.

3. mix again adding the milk to form a batter.

4.spoon into the paper cases in the muffin tin and cook for about 20 minutes.

5.once the sponge is springing back leave in the tin for 5 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

6. for the icing, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave or bain marie.

7. after it cools slightly, stir in the sour cream.

8. gradually beat in the icing sugar.

9. if the consistancy isn't right add either hot water to thin or more icing sugar to thicken.

10. once the topping is ready spoon over your cupcakes and dust over a little cocoa powder

volia

note to bakers...

my chocolate and butter curdled and I thought I was doomed so I angrily threw the mixture away, went back out to the shops to replace the ingredients (cursing Nigella along the way...well it is her recipe). I repeated the process adding a little sour cream at a time and the same thing happened, after lots more cursing and almost crying, I kept beating it and eventually it was ok.so beware and don't give up!

also I spooned the frosting  on a little at a time, until it looked like a little cup of coffee.

Can anyone help? I am trying to post comments on peoples blogs but the system will not let me! it links me back to signing in and then just will not let me do it! frustrated to say the least!!!! arggggggggggggggg....

Thanking you all!

Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to all the lovely mummy's for making me feel so much better about the situation that I found myself in. It really helped to hear your stories,which made me realise that I was not alone.
I am able to enjoy my little son and know that I am still a good mum booby feeding or not!!

My mum always told me that I would not understand the love that a mum has for her child until I had one myself and by jove she was right! I just want to eat him up!!


Enough baby chat ( for now anyway)!! A while back I mentioned my vintage tea party and I said I would post the recipes for anyone who was interested in having a naughty treat!....so here goes.........

'Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes'- Recipe taken from 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook'.

Sponge Ingredients:

120 g plain flour

140 g caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
A pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120 ml whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
12 large strawberries, chopped into small pieces
200 g digestive biscuits

Frosting ingredients:

300 g icing sugar, sifted

50 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125 g cream cheese, cold

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and 40g of the unsalted butter in a free-standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
2. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Add the egg and beat well for a few minutes to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
3. Divide the chopped strawberries between the paper cases. Spoon the cupcake mixture on top until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting by beating the icing sugar the remaining 20g of the unsalted butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat it until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least five minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

5. Roughly break up the digestive biscuits and put them in a food processor. Process until finely ground. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top and finish with a sprinkling of finely ground biscuits.
I also plonked a juicy strawberry ontop!

pink spotty paper cases are from cakescookiesandcraftsshop.com

 For some reason my cakes shrank away from some of the papers, much to my disgust!! However they tasted lovely.