Wednesday 29 August 2012

Giant cupcakes!

Recently giant cupcakes have been very popular for parties and they are great fun!  


A lot of people have normal sized cupcakes on a stand with a giant cupcake on the top and it looks great.  Because they are so much fun, I was really excited when I started getting orders for these.  I have had a few practices now, and here is what I have learnt so far!...

I bought the silicon giant cupcake mould.  I was a bit worried, because they were a lot cheaper than the alluminium ones that you can find.  I didn't think the mould itself was very attractive, but what matters the most is what's on the inside, right?  :)  The silicon moulds themselves seem good quality.  They come with a filling insert, which you can see in the image.  As far as I can work out you put slightly less mix in the bottom mould than you normally would and sit the filling on the top to create a dip in the cake, which you can put filling into.  I have been using this every time because it doesn't make such a big dip as I first thought it would - infact, it helped to keep the bottom cake nice a flat, so I didn't have to cut the any off the top!


I was surprised to find out how much ingredients you need in these beasts!  In the vanilla recipe below I use 8 eggs!  EIGHT!!!  And in the banana one I did I used 7 bananas!  Because of this the cakes usually come out really light, which is a good thing because the slices are massive!

I was very happy with the final result each time tho.  The moulds have to be really well greased (You can use oils...I just used flora!) and the cakes come out of the moulds really easily.  They take a long time to cool down and they must be really cool before you start to decorate them.  The top of the cupcake didn't take on the patterns from the mould as well as I would have liked, but that doesn't really matter because when you decorate them you can't see the sponge anyway!


Once they are cooled then you must level the cakes off, and make sure that they fit nicely flat on top of each other.
To decorate I have been icing the bottom with regal icing and then covering the top with buttercream.  (Take a look at my best ever buttercream blog!)
Here is my vanilla giant cupcake recipe.  I based it on the Victoria sponge recipe that I normally use for smaller cakes....

Ingredients:

450g unsalted butter (softened/room temperature)
450g caster sugar
8 large eggs (free-range ofcourse!)
450g self raising flour
4 level tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla (as usual, a good quality extract)
3 tbsp milk (at room temperature)

- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4 and grease the moulds.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk and add the vanilla.  Mix for 5 minutes.
- Add one egg at a time and mix on a slow speed.  After a couple have been added I usually start to add a bit of the flour, about a tablespoon full at a time, between adding eggs.  This helps to stop it from curdling.  Use a spatula to scrape the sides, so that the mixture is really well blended together.  Don't over mix.


- At this point I suggest that you only use a large metal spoon.  I got this tip from one of Mary Berry's books.  After working so hard to mix the air into the mixture, folding gently with a metal spoon will help to keep the air in.  So step away from the electric mixer or the blender, or whatever you are using and pick up a large metal spoon!  Fold in the rest of the flour, the milk and the baking powder.
- Place the mixture into the moulds.  Most recipes I have found have said to only fill it to 3/4 but I did this on my first attempt and the sponge didn't rise to the top of the mould, so now I fill it right to the top or almost to the top (depending on the mixture!).  I place the moulds onto a baking tray, so that they are easy to move in and out of the oven.  


My oven is fan assisted and it took my cakes 40 minutes to bake through.  So it will probably take longer in other ovens.  I started checking the sponge after about 30 minutes - obviously only open the oven when you think it is absolutely necessary, you don't want to lose the heat and make the sponge sink -try to observe through the oven window where possible.
- The sponge is baked through when it is springy to the touch and the skewer comes out clean.
- Leave it in the moulds for about 15 minutes before tipping it out.  If the cake has overflowed or it is too high, don't worry because when it is cool you can level it off with a sharp knife or a cake leveller.  (When you come to doing this you can place the cake back into the moulds to get it level.)
- When it is thoroughly cooled then decorate it how you please!  Enjoy!

Doddington Hall Sculpture Park

Number 149: "Chair" by David Freedman
He does some amazing sculptures! http://www.davidfreedmansculpture.co.uk

This August, the gardens of Doddington Hall are the setting for an amazing Sculpture Exhibition of over 350 works from over 60 national and international sculptors from all over the UK. 
It is an absolute must-see!  
I have always loved the wild, Elizabethan, romantic, walled gardens there and the sculptures are placed throughout them in a way that creates a mystical wonderland of discovery!  


From one turn to the next you don't know what you are going to find and you have to look everywhere or you'll miss some... in the trees, under hedges, in hedges!, in the ponds...  it is just wonderful! 

Number 218: "Briome Groups" by Elaine Lim-Newton

The pieces have been carefully selected and are in all mediums, from bronze to Aluminium, ceramics to wood, marble to stone, wind and kinetic pieces to water and glass.  They are created by Sculptors chosen from as far away as Troon and Perth in Scotland, Devon and Cornwall, as well as Brighton, London, Northumberland, The Cotswolds and the North West, as well as Northern Spain, Germany and The Netherlands. 


These spinning wooden sculptures are made by Lincolnshire Artist Mark Clarke.


Number 123: "Lily Sisters Trio" by Karen Edwards
I absolutely love her work!  http://www.karenedwardsceramics.co.uk/

These are great!  I love his ducks too, a few images below.  Number 93 : "Sitting fox x 3" by Carlos Dare

Number 270:  "Dandelion Clock" by Jenny Pickford

 Me and my Mum went with my niece, Faith... and as you can see, 
she enjoyed it just as much as we did!

I love these!  haha!  Number 95: "Indian Runner Duck x 3" by Carlos Dare.

Number 168:  "Cactus" by Katie Green.  See more of her mosaic sculptures on her website http://www.ktgreenmosaics.com/

Number 107 : "Hounds" by Melaine Deegan

See more of her beautiful sculptures on her website http://www.melaniedeegan.com/


Number 35:  "Alligator" coming out of the pond!  By Donna Bramall from Nottinghamshire.
http://www.donnabramall.co.uk/



Number 147 : "Angel Wing VII" by Mel Fraser

Number 260: "Agate Gate" by Bob Oakes


Number 3: "Swan" by Laura Antebi

Number 275: "Circles of Life" by Jenny Pickford






Number 322: "Orb" by Micheal Thacker

I like this picture mostly because of the beautiful arch, surrounded by the plants flowers!  But the piece of work next to it is very nice too!

Numbers 121 and 122: "Gourd (large and medium)" by Karen Edwards

Number 246: "Tangutica" by Jonathon Newdick

Number 106: "Princess" by Melaine Deegan



Number 72:  "Lily" by Ellen Christianson

Number 181: "Perenial" by Karen Hillard

Number 344: "Warrior" by Patricia Volk

Number 210: "Fallen Angel" by Rick Kirby
Number 177: "Mantle" by David Harber


Just go and see it for yourself!  You only have until the weekend!!!

The exhibition is open daily from 11a.m. to 4p.m and finishes on the 2nd September.
£5 for adults
£2.75 for Children


Sunday 19 August 2012

The BEST buttercream that I have ever tasted!

This is an amazing buttercream frosting recipe.  Unlike most buttercream frosting recipes, this calls for caster sugar instead of icing sugar - I discovered it one day when I realised that I didn't have any icing sugar in the house!  I was a bit worried at first, I thought it might be crunchy because of the caster sugar and I had no idea how it would taste with the flour... but it is gorgeous!  It is so creamy that you would think it actually has cream in it and it comes out so smooth.  It is great for almost any cake out there.  

Monday 25 June 2012

Earth and Fire Ceramics Fair

I had an incredible weekend visiting the Earth and Fire International Ceramics Fair at Rufford!  I have been once before and loved it and I would encourage anyone who is interested in pottery or ceramic sculpture... or any form of art... or just fancies looking... to go!  It is a wonderful exhibition of international potters and sculptures in the beautiful surroundings at Rufford.  There are demonstrations pretty much all day from various potters and it is great to get to know them a little, because that is when their work starts to mean a bit more to you.  It is also fabulous to learn about different techniques.  There are also a few stalls there selling materials and tools, so it is a great way to buy things without having to pay for expensive postage (me and my mum picked up about 5 bags of clay last time we went there and saved me loads on postage!).  You can phone th companies in advance to make an order then they bring it to the show for you... or you can just have a look at the wide range of tools, materials and equipment that they have there already.

Below is a photo of me assisting Stefan Bang in the handle-pulling competition!  This happens daily and different potters take part.  They have 10 minutes and all get the same amount of clay to pull the longest handle that they can!  The one I assisted Stefan to make was just over 3 metres long and he won because his was the only one that hadn't broken... the others made ones that were 6 feet or so but they had broken along the way :)  The next day when I saw the competition again there was one that was about 17 metres long!  I felt very proud to be assisting Stefan, even if it was in a silly competition.  He is a very talented and successful potter and I have some admiration for him...  wouldn't it be awesome if one day Stefan would say
" that amazing and talented Carrie-Anne assisted me during the handle-pulling competition in 2012 "!!!  haha! 
One day...In my dreams  :)

it was great fun... but a little messy!
After the handle-pulling me and Bobby looked round that last of the exhibitors' stalls and that is when we came cross the sculptural work of Ostinelli & Priest... WOW!  I was hooked instantly and we were both stood in amazement at the beautiful sculptures!  Have a look at their website on the link.  And if you know my work at all then you must watch out for their warthog!  :)

We listened to the explaination of how these fantastic pieces were created and got very excited when we heard that there would be a demonstration of how to do it the following day!  So... the net day we came back to Rufford and got there early to ensure front row seats!  haha!  This photo below is a picture of the bull 'Winston' who we were being shown how to build.

'Mooooooo!'

Me and Winston


I'm not going to go into massive etails about the technique, but
basically he first made a template and attached it securely to a stick...

... and after wrapping it and shaping it with bubble wrap and used wooden dowel for the legs... he starting covering it with thin layers of clay...


... making creases and textures as he went along ...




... the horns were fired seperately...

... the eyes were detailed with a bendy straw!  ...


... the almost finished bull!
Once the bull is finished he leaves it to dry thoroughly and then takes it off the wodden base and puts the whole thing in the kiln.  The plastic and wood will burn away and leave behind the ceramics!  whoop whoop!  ...AMAZING!