Back on the blogging wagon.

It's been a while hasn't it? Looking back, my last post wasn't thattttt long ago.. think we are talking April some time, which isn't all that bad (making myself feel better). 

So what brings me back to this blog then? Baking. I have decide to scrap job applications and work on my passion therefore every day I have off work, I bake and develop new recipes and creations.

Here are my most recent bakes :) I promise to get back onto the scene soon. 

Strawberry & Vanilla Cupcakes 

Cookie Dough Cupcakes 

Homemade Jammy Dodgers

Eton Mess Inspired Cupcakes

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you" Oprah Winfrey 

Today's post is all about these beautiful Strawberry & Meringue cupcakes, I suppose we could call them Eton Mess?

These have a strawberry sponge with a hint of pink food colouring then a sprinkling of mini marshmallows in the mixture to add a chewy meringue feel to the cakes. Yum.


Strawberry & Marshmallow Sponge
What you will need:

• 3 Eggs
• 180 g of Caster Sugar 
• 180 g Pure Margarine 
• 180 g of Self Raising Flour
• 100 g of Mini Marshmallows
• Cap full of Strawberry Essence
• Dash of Vanilla Essence
• Pink food colouring 

1. Pre Heat oven at 180 degrees and line 12 cupcakes 
2. Cream in the margarine and sugar until smooth
3. Once well mixed add an egg one by one and whisk, add drops of strawberry & vanilla essence
4. Sift in the flour and beat with a wooden until smooth
5. Add the marshmallows and a very small amount of food colouring and gently mix (but not too much)
6. Place in cupcake cases 
7. Cook for 20-22 minutes or until the top is spongy or golden brown & leave to cool

Strawberry  Buttercream

What you will need:

• 250g Stork Butter Block
• 250-350g Icing Sugar 
• Few drops of Strawberry Essence and Vanilla
• Pink Gel Food Colouring
• Pipping Bags
• Piping nozzle
• Dr Oetker Eton Mess Sprinkles

1. To decorate, cut the butter into small cubes and whisk until soft and pale. Gradually beat in the icing sugar using a wooden spoon until creamy and soft.
2. Add the strawberry and vanilla essence.
3. Add a tiny amount of Pink Gel Food Colour and mix until a pastel pink shade.
4. Fill a pipping bag with a 2D Wilton Flower Nozzle (or whichever you wish to use) and pipe a rose or swirl.
5. Decorate with Eton Mess Sprinkles!

If you really wanted to push the boat out why not cut out the center of the cupcake and fill with your favourite strawberry jam! 

P.s. This song deserves a place here as I listened to it on repeat writing this! Years and Years hands up to you guys!

Signed, Kathryn x

Bake Off Part 1!

Omg I am exhausted! I have literally had no time to myself these past few weeks but hopefully this weekend I will be able to put my feet up, enjoy some TV and chill out! 

As you may be aware I am taking part in The Great Pink Bake Off tomorrow! I have been baking for 2 days straight and thought I would share to you the cakes I chose to bake. Things were kept minimal to keep the cost down but hopefully they still taste just as good. Baking is a little hard in a small uni house kitchen especially when the oven isn't a fan oven so I can only put one tray in at a time otherwise one tray cooks and the other just burns. In addition, flour/sugar/glitter gets absolutely everywhere! The room was covered, but luckily my house mates were all out so I was left to make the mess and then clean it up as if nothing had happened!

So I chose to bake a few varieties. Firstly the plain old vanilla cupcakes. These are just classics and for people who don't like to venture out or like things to be simple. Chocolate were a must! I baked plain with chocolate butter cream, as well as mint chocolate and then some chocolate sponge with chocolate fudge icing. 

 Sainsbury's baking range is amazing at the moment and I hope it plans to increase. I was able to purchase some dried raspberries pieces so made some vanilla sponge filled with raspberry jam topped with vanilla butter cream and sprinkled of raspberries!

I admit, they aren't my favourite batches of cupcakes but bearing in mind I have baked over 96 I feel quite proud of myself :) 

Other than baking, I also went to see Bastille the other night! I am not a huge fan so I won't rave about it, they are very good musicians though. 

I am not sure if I mentioned my radio broadcast yet but I was basically have a slot as a news presenter on my uni radio every Friday at midday. So my first broadcast went... okay.. I mean as a first attempt I think I must of done okay, a few technical difficulties here and there and I must learn not to talk so fast ha blame the nerves! 

I have already wrote my first few news stories for Friday because after this bake sale I have to be ready for 7 pm for the Bar Social! Apparently it is one of the messiest uni socials so no joke, I am pretty worried how I am going to turn out especially as 3 Malibu and lemonades hit me pretty bad let alone starting drinking at 7 pm and it'll be attack on the newbies! 

I will do a Part 2 to let you all know how I get on... both with the uni social but more importantly the Bake Sale!

Keep calm and eat a cupcake!!

Lots of love, Kathryn xxx