Cakes ...

This month I'm taking part in #commonthreadedstitcher on Instagram ... a month of daily postings about various things but mainly my stitching. You don't often see my crafts on here as I have a separate blog  - Aimetu's Stitching. 

Anyway yesterday's post was about our favourite recipe, mine is cake ... I love baking especially for others. 

Mine is for a simple sponge. My grandmother taught me this when I was very young and I proudly passed it on to our daughter. Many people I know use this basic recipe, it works every time. It's a recipe that can be easily scaled to any size, works well as a large cake or as cupcakes and can be made in any flavour 😋

My Sponge Recipe

2oz/50g butter

2oz/50g sugar

1 egg

2oz/50g self raising flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy, beat in egg, sift in flour and baking powder. Fold everything together.

Increase these amounts depending on how many eggs you want. A 2lb loaf tin takes a 3 egg mix.

Bake at 180C or 160C fan - for a 3 egg I allow about 45/50 mins but in reality if I can smell the cake it's cooked.

Don't open the oven door if the cake still looks wet in the middle or it will sink. If you think it's done check with a skewer which should come out clean .... yum yum

I have hosted, and donated to, many fundraising cake days. I usually make a large cake, here's a collage of my favourites, some were for birthdays or occasions, they are not all sponge cakes.

Top: Chocolate Guinness 

Middle: Victoria Sponge, Creme Egg Cheesecake, Simnel

Bottom: Blackforest Gateaux, Gugelhupf, Coffee and Walnut

I also love making small cakes, especially on a theme. I have made many different cakes for the stitching meet ups with my friends. The raspberry cakes were mini red wine cakes made for a Hen Party: Boo cakes for Halloween: mini Carrot Cakes and Movie themed cupcakes. 

I have made a birthday cake every year for our childrens' birthday, although now they are 30 and 27 I no longer have a late night decorating a train or castle. I did however make a specially decorated cake for when I completed Clare's Challenge 50 - walking the route of the London Marathon in eight stages. 

Combining my stitching hobby and my love of baking we have a snowman Christmas Cake every year. A rich fruit cake decorated with my hand stitched cake band and a set of snowmen candles that I don't think will ever be actually lit. 

My favourite recent decorating was for the Jubilee in 2012. I made a crown cake to take to our friends party. With it being another Jubilee next year I might make another one as I did enjoy the challenge. 

I haven't been baking as much over the last eighteen months, looking at my photos I think I need to get back to it. There's a big Macmillan Coffee morning at the end of September so maybe I'll start by baking a few things for then.