Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes - Tea Time Treats July Challenge

The Tea Time Treats Challenge is brought to us by Kate of What Kate Baked and Karen of Lavender and Lovage. This month's theme is being hosted by Karen of Lavender and Lovage the theme is Cake Stall Cakes & Bakes 

My favourite spring/summer past-time is scoping out the cake stalls and competitions at Fetes and Fairs. To be honest I like comparing mine to theirs ~ in my mind, I always win!! :-)

What comes to mind when I think about these events are all the layer cakes with thick butter-cream centres. The most famous and traditional of which being the Victoria Sponge. I haven't made one of these before so I thought I'd give it a go. As you know I like small cakes, hence the name of my blog, so I made minis! 

Here's the recipe....

Recipe

150g self raising flour

150g butter - @ room temp

150g sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

1. Pre-heat oven to 170 deg/gas mark 4
2. Cream sugar & butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time to stop separation.
4. Add vanilla extract.
5. Gently fold in half the flour & baking powder in until combined.
6. Fold in half the milk.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you get a smooth batter.

I used 3 baking tins to bake my cakes (I haven't got a swiss roll pan) make sure you spread the mixture about 1cm thick.

Bake for 20-25mins

Buttercream

100g butter - unsalted @ room temp

200g icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash of milk

1. Whisk the butter until very light in colour.
2. Add the icing sugar in small batches until fully incorporated. 
3. Add vanilla extract and stir in slowly.
4. Mix in milk to loosen until you have your desired consistency.  

When the cakes are baked take them out of the oven and leave to cool for 5mins in the tin. When cooled slightly take cakes out of the tin and place on cooling rack to cool completely. 

When totally cooled pop your cakes on a chopping board, use a round cutter, of your choice, to cut out the sponges. When you cut make sure you wiggle the cutter around (if you just push down you won't get a clean edge). Take a look at my pic :-)

Assembly

I used raspberry jam for this recipe, just take it out of the fridge, spoon out the amount you want and mix it to loosen it for easy spreading.

1. Blob a teaspoon of jam onto your bottom sponge.
2. Refrigerate for 20-30mins.
3. I pipe on my buttercream to make a nice smooth finish. 
4. Pop on your cake top.
5. Dust with icing sugar.
6. Decorate with mini fondant flowers. 

My boys came home to a kitchen counter covered in cakes and loved it!! Even my 17 month old knew what they were and was very happy about the yummy cakes he could see from his high-chair. 

I hope you enjoy these as much as the boys did!

xx Kat xx

Tea Anyone?

I've had my Tea Cupcakes moulds since Christmas. My dad and his girlfriend loaded me up with loads of cakey stuff, was fab!!!

I was thinking of doing a slightly different drink flavoured cupcake in the cup but I decided on green tea as I've never made a tea infused cake before. I've seen lots of them, but never done my own.

As you know I haven't baked for quite a few months so today has been a little tense for me, not sure exactly why ~ my kids aren't here and the OCD hubby is working. Returning to baking nerves methinks.

To make these YUMMY cakes is very simple!! All I did was use my Vanilla Cupcake recipe, but instead of using normal semi-skimmed milk I used green tea infused milk on both the sponge and icing :-)

I guess you want to know how I infused the milk.......

Well ok then!

Infusing milk, this is how I did it......

1. Pour 1/2 cup of semi-skimmed milk into a microwaveable jug, pop in 2 green teabags. Cook on full power in the microwave for 2 mins or until bubbling hot!
2. Leave to cool.
3. When cool enough to touch take out both teabags, cut the top off one of them and spoon out about 1/2 the tea leaves and stir into the milk. 
4. When completely cool use the milk as you would normally. 

Also I used a little bit of green colour paste, in both the sponge and icing, to enhance the green. Check it out....

I have to say I was a bit worried about the taste as I HATE GREEN TEA!!!! But.... these taste fantastic!! I was really surprised at how much I like them.

You must make them!

That's an order!

ENJOY

xx Kat xx

My Cookbooks - Random Recipe #18 from Belleau Kitchen

Well hellooooo!

I've seen a couple of my blogger buddies taking part in the Belleau Kitchen Challenge, this month it's Random Recipe Challenge #18 which consists of showing off your cookbooks!! What a fab and easy peasy idea!! 

Sooo......... as I am a blogger-phobe at present, due to this and that, I decided this is a brilliant challenge to get me back on track. 

Would you like to see my cookey inspiration?

WOULD YOU?

Well here t'is.....

My faves on show in my kitchen, the pink labels mark the pages with the best recipes, or ones I wanna try !

The cupboard above my oven, lots of different and random books in 'ere.

OMG!! I cannot live without my monthly Essentials magazine (complete with "cut out & keep" cooking sections) and my cake decorating mags, much love each month.

So there you have it, my cookbooks, not very fancy but lots of yummy inspiration :-)

I hope this has given you the will to rummage through your cookbooks to see what treasures you have.

ENJOY RUMMAGING!!

xx Kat xx