Extreme baking - special party cakes

In my recent Lakeland confession, I owned up to blatant manipulation. Growler's impending half century caused me to lead Mrs Growler right down the Lakeland path resulting in my ownership of the Lakeland bad boy. I suggested a selection of I'm a giant cakes, plus a celebratory Victoria Sponge for the bash which resulted in a bakeathon of extreme proportions, for me anyway. Friday night was spent with the bad boy tin, the Kitchen Aid on full whack, a brand new pinny and a few modest Sipsmiths to help me along the way. I finished the 3 batches of tiny sponges at...actually I dont know what time it was. I lost track what with the gin and Absolute Radio Classic Rock. So, thanks to Steven Tyler and David Coverdale (who looks like Lily Savage now, I'm reliably informed), it was a late finish. Perhaps I need to order more than one tin...

I was a bit nervous about the Victoria Sponge. A poxy 8" version would look a bit mean-spirited, but I have never made a larger one. So on Saturday morning, I did what any sane baker would do and trusted in my lucky spatula. I weighed seven eggs, and used the same amount of butter, sugar and flour, bit of baking powder and vanilla extract and bunged the mix in two 9" rascals. It was a fraught time once they were in the oven but the lucky spatula trick worked and the sponges turned out fine, much to my relief and surprise. I also decided to do an additional cake. A moment of madness, but it was Mrs Growlers birthday just a week or so ago and her beloved hamster expired on the very day. So I also did a lemon buttermilk bundt cake with the amazing icing that Milli used on her sour cream cake last week at cake club. Cheers Milli! And RIP Hamlet.

Filling and decorating the I'm a giant cakes took a while. I was disappointed with the blueberry ones - they didn't look as good as I wanted because the icing didn't behave and I didn't have time to rectify it. But the others, I was pretty happy with. And I thought Growlers birthday Victoria Sponge looked a treat.

The upshot was I spent all day Saturday in the kitchen baking, and I LOVED it, which probably says more about my social life than I'd like to reveal.

Despite a late, surly taxi driver, I got myself and the cakes to the party on time. The Growlers were on top form and their house looked  beautiful - candles and fairy lights everywhere. I took a camera, intending to take pictures of the food and the cakes in situ. Dream on. I was too busy shoving the most amazing food into my gob, courtesy of Annabel and her team at Green Fig. Seriously, if you need caterers, get these people in. I want them to cater my life. I was tempted to wrestle people to the ground to get a second helping of the scallops wrapped in prosciutto.  There was also a bar where Oscar conjured up mojitos, margeritas and martinis to order. If you're partial to a martini, get yourself a martini vespa pronto. It has changed my life. After a couple of these, I like to think I was being all sophisticated when I was talking to Tiff and her husband who sell clothes worth getting pregnant for. In reality, I was probably slurring like a good un but they were both far too polite to show their horror. Anyway Tiffany said she's developing a non-maternity clothing line too. I can't wait.

And so ends a blog post with no charts, no ratings (altho Annabel did say that her and her staff sampled a lemon I'm a giant cake and liked it a lot. Or did I dream that in a martini haze?) but a very biased comment or two from the Growlers:

"And goodness me what cakes they were. Eleanor also enjoyed a slice for breakfast this morning. Sarah is truly the queen of baking."

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for such wonderful cakes. You made it such a great night. love you Slice. Xxx"

I'll leave it to Frank to sum up the evening.

PS. There will be no official cake tasting this week due to the call of the North again. Normal service resumes next week.