Sausage Rolls and Mince Pies

It is the Thursday before Christmas (which is approaching fast) and there is still a lot to do, much of which is baking for gifts and cannot be done too far ahead of time. Having said that the baking is a day early as Nigel and I will be hosting the first of two full Christmas dinners tomorrow and therefore need plenty of time to prepare.

Traditionally the last baking before the holiday at this time of year is Sausage Rolls and Mince Pies and I understand that everyone is looking forward to these.  Hopefully they will not disappoint, except in the limited quantity of two dozen of each.

Happy Holidays to everyone reading this post.

Normal service will be resumed in the New Year.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas is fast approaching and it has become a tradition that I make these cookies, not only for the office but as gifts.

Thank you for the card and have a hope everyone has an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas and New Year.

Enjoy!

Coral

Coconut Cake with Coconut Drizzle

The recipe this week is one that I am baking for the first time, not only that but I have changed the shape of the pan as it is meant to be a bundt and that does not work well for the office.  I came across this recipe in the latest issue of Ricardo Magazine and it intrigued me as Nigel likes coconut.  One of the main ingredients is coconut milk.

In the recipe this cake is dusted with icing sugar but as I changed the shape I decided to make a coconut drizzle.

Enjoy!

Coral

 

Chocolate Gingerbread with a Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

According to my records I make this recipe once a year for the office, usually at the beginning of December when we start with gingerbread cakes.  I have made a Chocolate Gingerbread which is usually dusted with icing sugar but this time I have topped it with a Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Should there be  anyone have any special requests let me know and I will see whether I can accommodate them.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

Now is the time of year that I take a look and replenish my baking ingredients, both fresh and dry (it would not do for me to run out of anything).  The flavour of the cake this week, Glazed Lemon Cake, was dictated by the fact that I had lemons.  It is also a favourite, not only at the office.

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Covered Malt Balls

This week I decided to keep it simple with a Vanilla Sheet Cake.  This cake is topped with a Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Covered Malt Balls.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

This week there was a small quantity of pureed pumpkin, carrots and cream cheese in the fridge begging to be used.  I start thinking about which cake to bake for Friday early in the week (often reviewing the blog) and decided upon Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

Soon the baking starts, using festive ingredients, for bazaars and gifts.

I have made a number of cakes in the past month or so using pumpkin, either testing recipes for wedding cake or muffins, so this week we have returned to a tried and true recipe, Glazed Lemon Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake

This week I have made a cake which, looking back over the blog, has not been made since 2016, Pumpkin Gingerbread Snacking Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Cake

Our son's wedding is now behind us and things are getting back to normal.  Last week there was no cake, or at least not baked by myself, for the office as Nigel was on "vacation" for the week.  It was rather busy around here starting with Thanksgiving and going straight into wedding cake mode.  I was rather pleased with the results, especially the decoration which was made and done by Nigel with an assist on the placement of the leaves by my sister, who flew in from England with husband and family.

All that being said normal Friday cake service has resumed, with today's cake being a Pumpkin Cake, usually baked in a tube pan, with a streusel topping.  I have replaced the nuts in the cake with chocolate chips and left them out of the streusel.


Enjoy!


Coral

Honey Apple Cake

This week the cake is a Honey Apple Cake.  As apple cakes are usually rather moist I have brushed on honey over the cake and not baked it into the cake.

The wedding is now only a week away and things are becoming rather busy.  On top of preparing to make the wedding cake, Thanksgiving is this weekend and so there will be pumpkin pie to make, along with various other goodies.  We are also in the midst of getting ready to receive family from overseas.

Enjoy!

Applesauce Snacking Cake

Nigel came home this week with some apples he had been given, we also had some Ginger Gold and Pink Lady apples. I used a mix of these apples to make applesauce.  Using this homemade applesauce I decided to make an Applesauce Snacking Cake, a cake that, looking back at the blog, has not been made for the office since 6th February 2015.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Snack Cake

With the wedding fast approaching a decision has been made on the flavours for the 3 tiers.  That being said we can get back to regular scheduled baking.

The weather is changing and with it the cake flavours.  It is not quite pumpkin season (give it a few weeks) so I have made the Chocolate Cherry Snack Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Cake with Banana Icing

/although I am still baking test cakes for the wedding cake as there were a number of fragrant bananas hanging out in the fruit bowl, just right for baking, I have made one of the favorite cakes, Banana Cake with Banana Icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Pumpkin Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

The cake this week is Pumpkin Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.  Usually, the use of pumpkin for baking does not start until October.  As mentioned in the last post I am testing recipes for the wedding cake, with each tier being a different flavour.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Cake with Banana Icing

In the fruit bowl this week I had some fragrant bananas just right for baking.  With this in mind I set about making the Banana Cake with Banana Icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Almond Cake

Our son's wedding is fast approaching and Nigel and I are making the cake.  Each layer will be a different flavour and although we have two of the flavours decided upon other flavours are now being tested.  With this in mind it would be very helpful to have plenty of feedback on this particular cake.

This cake has been topped with some Malted-Chocolate Icing as used on the cake last week and not decorated as it would be for a wedding cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Sheet Cake with Malted-Chocolate Frosting

I will make this post extremely short as I am expecting the technician to finally, after six weeks, repair the dishwasher.

This week I chose to make Vanilla Sheet Cake with Malted-Chocolate Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake

This week, for your enjoyment, I have made a Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake.  I did not have any oranges so instead substituted lemons.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Orange Cake

Absence from the office due to work related travel made July a poor month for cake, although, on Tuesday. I did send in a Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake.  Things are somewhat back to normal.

To start of August I have made a Glazed Orange Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

So far this month there has been no cake due to travel and more to come.  This would mean that the month of July would be without cake.  A request was made and I have, therefore, made a cake for today (a day early) so at least there will be one cake before the month is out.  Fortunately, the weather was a little cooler yesterday (a little more conducive to turning on the oven).

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

This week I thought that I would make Glazed Lemon Cake, last made six weeks ago (for the office).  Glazed Lemon Cake seems to be a particular favourite, although last week's Chocolate Guinness
Cake went down really well, both at the office and church.

Enjoy!

Coral

Guinness (Stout) Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This Sunday is Father's Day and I decided to try a recipe I have not made before, Guinness (stout) chocolate with Cream Cheese Frosting.  I have, in the past, made both chocolate cake and cream cheese frosting, but not a chocolate cake containing Guinness.  Only one problem, there was no Guinness in the house which meant I had to wait until Nigel could go to the store.

The cakes were, therefore, baked late and were still warm when it was time to turn in for the night and did not get their frosting.  For some inexplicable reason I was awake early and decided on an early start (around 5.15 a.m.) preparing the cream cheese frosting and spreading it.

Enjoy!

Coral

Bumbleberry

Although there was some Bumbleberry Cake sent in on Monday, I decided to make it again for today.  It would appear that this recipe last made an appearance in the rotation  more than a year ago.

Usually, in the form of a bundt cake (as are a lot of the recipes I use) it would not serve as many people, which is why I usually choose to bake most of the time using the 9" x 13" format.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Cake

This week I have made Banana Cake, using a different recipe, which I tried for the first time on Sunday.  It is baked in the usual format and split in half lengthwise, sandwich with buttercream and toffee bits.  I have dusted it with icing sugar, although by the time it is at the office this will have absorbed into the cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

As there is work going on in the house.  Yesterday was the kitchen and family room which meant cramped conditions and timing had to be just right (meaning an early start) in order to avoid any plaster dust or paint in the batter.

The decision for the flavour of the cake was made early in the week.  I decided on a Chocolate Cake and topped it with Chocolate Buttercream.

Enjoy!


Coral

Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Icing

This week I am using simple recipes with few ingredients.  Sometimes the more simple, the better.  Having said that this week I have made a Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Icing for today.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

Again this week excess cake from the weekend was sent to the office on Monday (a taste of things to come).  The cake this week is Glazed Lemon Cake, however, buttermilk was used instead of milk.

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Tray Bake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Last week there was no cake due to travel.  However, on Monday there was a taster of what was to come today.  I have made a Vanilla Tray Bake and topped it with a Spiced Cream Cheese/Buttercream Frosting.

Enjoy!

Coral

Coconut Chiffon Cake

Coconut is a favourite of Nigel's and as today is his birthday I have made a Coconut Chiffon Cake filled with a layer of homemade Lemon Curd. I did have a a little bit of a challenge with this cake as it is supposed to be baked in a tube pan but, for ease of cutting and to allow more servings, I  have made it in the usual 9 x 13 format.

Enjoy!

Coral

Maple Glazed Doughnut Cake

When baking the cake last week I had already decided to make Maple Glazed Doughnut Cake for this week, both for church on Sunday and for the office today.  The baking for church was in the form of miniature cupcakes.  There was an excess of these and so the office benefitted.

I have baked the cake in the usual format for the office is 9" x 13".

Enjoy!

Coral

Hot Cross Bun Cake

Last week, due to it being a holiday (Good Friday), there was no baking.  For this reason I would usually bake a day earlier but this year it did not happen.  With this in mind, for today,  I have made a Hot Cross Bun Cake with a Spice Cream Cheese Icing (in the form of a grid so when cut into squares it forms a cross on each piece).

The usual cakes for Easter baking are Simnel Muffins but this year I am trying something new.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chocolate Cake

I am writing this post a little late today as I was doing other things.  Having said that, the cake this week a chocolate cake, to which I have added a butter icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chocolate Cherry Cake and Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake

Due to an excess of cake in the house there was a Chocolate Cherry Cake, a little smaller than usual.

For Friday's cake I have made a Blueberry Yogurt Pound Cake, which has been baked in the usual format of 9" x 13".

Enjoy!

Coral

Vanilla Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Covered Malt Balls

Today I am a little late posting due to some extra baking that I am doing.

For the this week I have made a Vanilla Sheet Cake and topped it with a Cream Cheese Frosting and chopped Malt Balls.

Enjoy!

Coral

Chocolate (Orange) Marble Cake

This week I have baked a Chocolate (Orange) Marble Cake.  As usual I have changed the shape of the pan.

Enjoy!

Banana Loaf

The week has been much quieter in the baking department.  This week I have made Banana Loaf.  Obviously one loaf is not enough so I have made two.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

As well as baking, as usual, for Friday, I also received a request for a cake to celebrate Chinese New Year.  With this in mind I made Glazed Lemon Cake as this is a favourite.  I still have two more cakes to make for this weekend.

Enjoy!

Coral

Carrot Cake

Last week was a very quiet week in the baking department due to travel (I felt a little redundant).  This week I have made Carrot Cake for your enjoyment.

Today I will spend a majority of my time in the kitchen as I have a Cherry Bakewell cake to prepare and Perogies (as usually requested by our son for his birthday dinner).

Enjoy!

Coral

Orange Drizzle Cake

For this week's cake I was inspired by the clementines hanging out in the fruit bowl. Therefore, I have made an Orange Drizzle Cake.

Enjoy!

Coral

Banana Cake with Banana Icing

After the Christmas period things have returned to normal and I am definitely back into the swing of things.  This week I have baked, hopefully for your enjoyment, Banana Cake with Banana Icing.

Enjoy!

Coral

Glazed Lemon Cake

Here's hoping that everyone had a good Christmas break.  Although I did not bake for the office I was still very busy in the kitchen with baking Christmas presents and plenty of baking for family and friends for Christmas and New Year.

I intended to start the year off last week with the Glazed Lemon Cake.  However, Nigel extended his Christmas vacation and was not back in the office until this past Monday.  As this cake is a particular favourite I slipped it to this week.

Enjoy!

Coral