VALENTINE'S DAY CUPCAKES

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More Valentine's offerings, this time it is the turn of the cupcake, plus a cheeky little apron!

The cupcakes are a basic sponge mix of 125g each of butter, caster sugar, self raising flour, 1 tsp vanilla extract, two large eggs and a couple of tablespoons of milk added after the initial 'all in one' mixing of the ingredients. Twelve muffin cases are placed in a muffin tin and filled with the cake mixture. Bake at 200°C/Gas 6 for approximately 20 minutes.

As the cupcake tops need to be flat, if they peak, just cut some of the cake off. After cooling make up some royal icing to cover the tops, allow to set a little, and top with fondant shapes.

I decorated mine with red and white fondant icing, coloured sprinkles, gold disco dust and sugar roses. Let your imagination run wild to put the necessary Valentine's Day pizazz into them.


If you have time to make the Valentine's cupcakes.................you will definitely need one of these aprons!


To see fun ideas for Valentine's Day pop over to The Last Detail website who have wonderful table decorations, personalised chocolates and lots more.

Thank you to The Last Detail and Victoria.

Valentine's Day Gifts

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Not long until Valentine's Day now. Would you like to receive, flowers, chocolates or champagne?

Interflora have kindly sent me a wonderful Valentine's Gift Bag containing pink carnations, tulips, gypsophila, hypericum and green spray chrysanthemums, along with Heart Chocolates. The flowers are a wonderful alternative to the usual roses and the chocolates extremely yummy. For more Interflora Valentine's Flowers ideas, head over to the Interflora website where you will be spoilt for choice, and you can then drop a few hints to your loved one.

COOKING GIFTS

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Nick the Editor of VoucherCodes.co.uk asked if I would choose a cooking gift on a budget from Tesco.

I chose an almond KMix Premium Handmixer by Kenwood which also comes in red, black and white. It's robust, stylish and comes complete with it's own stand to hold the mixer, dough hooks and beaters. The mixer operates at 350 watts and making cakes is a doddle. It also has five speed settings plus a very useful pulse setting.


Meringues, lemon coconut drizzle cake and Yorkshire Puddings were put to the test this week and the mixer performed all of the tasks with ease.



This mixer would make a great present, also Kenwood have put the mixer in a wonderful black presentation box with a photograph of the K-Mix on the outside.

A few suggestions for cooking gifts, are the Salter Slimline Stainless Steel Digital Scales, Cast Iron Reversible Grill, Kenwood Chrome Food Processor and the Philips Handblender, and are all under £50.

Tesco voucher codes from VoucherCodes.co.uk can help you save on cooking gifts.

Thank you Nick for supplying the KMix Handmixer by Kenwood.

SPIDERMAN BIRTHDAY CAKE

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My grandson celebrated his 5th birthday a couple of months before Christmas, but somehow the cake didn't make it to the blog. I've rectified this now and here is Spiderman............

It had to be chocolate cake, I then brushed the cake with apricot jam and topped it with blue fondant icing. The Spiderman figure came complete with his own web and my husband made a cake band, cut carefully from Spiderman wrapping paper.

My grandson loved his cake and only this week proudly showed me his Spiderman figure. He even said I make lovely cakes - they learn very early in life!!!

If you need an idea for a boys birthday cake this is easy to make, colourful, and even comes with a toy...............a definite winner.