What's The Story - post 1

It was Harry's first birthday, just 2 months ago. I had this lovely garden party planned for a Saturday afternoon. Lots of room for him and his little friends to run around.
I spent the whole morning in the kitchen. Instead of spending the Friday night baking his very first birthday cake as I planned, I decided to head off to Greenwich Park with him, daddy and aunt A. who was visiting. We met up with his aunt R. and uncle S,. for some lovely Pie n Mash then headed over to the park for some running around. After a whole day out I was exhausted and knew no baking would be done that evening.
We had it all thought out and my sister was over to help, only the weather forecast was inconclusive and I waited until the last minute to know if we could be outdoors. Half an hour before the guests were due to arrive the rain came down, that meant setting up the party indoors and prepare to have a small flat packed with about 7 toddlers and over 20 adults.
In the end everything worked out, unfortunately with the rush happy birthday was sang over our computer desk with a hideous looking calendar on the background so that isn't an image I will treasure. I do, however, like this shot because it gives you a big time after party feeling, also with the rush of moving our plans from been an outdoors party with plenty of room to an indoors one where everyone became rather close, the cake was the only bit of decoration I actually managed to do as planned.

This post is linked up to What's The Story Linky hosted by the lovely Charly from PODcast

back to baking

After a good while with no posts here and a whole month holiday in Brasil (my dear dear home) I come back with some really good gluten free cake recipes. 

After a whole week suffering from a terrible jet lag, at this time of year there is a 4 hours difference between here and Brasil, I have finally had a good night sleep and woke up in the mood for some baking and although what's in the oven at the moment are the chocolate chips cupcakes (that I've posted here before, only this time they have white chocolate chips and I'll be eating them as muffins, so no icing) today's post if of an amazing butternut squash chocolate cake with icing an all that I first made in June this year and had to repeat the recipe every single  weekend until we went on holiday in the beginning of July...yap...it is that good!!!

I would recommend to replace aaaaaaaany chocolate cake you are addicted to AND have doubled the recipe for a very very large birthday cake on for mum’s surprise party!!!

Light Chocolate Cake 

(from Harry Eastwood’s Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache)

You will need

3 medium free-range eggs

160g caster sugar

200g peeled and grated butternut squash

120g white rice flour

3 tbsp good-quality cocoa powder

80g ground almonds

1tsp baking powder

1tsb bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

125ml buttermilk

for icing

50g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar, sieved

50g mascarpone

4tsp cocoa powder

small pinch of salt

preheat the oven to 180 Celsius, line two 18cm diameter x 5cm-deep loose bottomed tins (I only used round tins on the first time, after that I used a regular rectangular one and cut the cake in half to make a square one, I liked better that way) with parchment and brush a little vegetable oil over the base and sides.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl for a full 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the grated butternut squash, followed by the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt. Add the buttermilk before beating again one last time to make sure all the ingredients are well introduced to one another!!!

Pour the mixture evenly into the tins (if using 2 tins) and bake it for 30min.

Once cooked remove the cake from the oven, unmould and peel of the parchment, leave it to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the icing, using the back of a wooden spoon beat the butter with 100g of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. It will look wrong at the beginning but trust us, it does work!! Once your mix becomes a paste beat vigorously for 10 seconds to loosen the butter even further. Add the mascarpone, cocoa powder, salt and remaining sugar, beat again to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before using for better texture, then spread in the middle and top of the cake. Do not use the icing while the cake still warm or it will run.

Well…that is it!!! Amazing cake and super healthy! To make it 100% gluten free just change your baking powder for a no gluten one!!!

After baking 12 muffins and 1 large carrot cake in less than an hour I have to say, I missed my kitchen!!