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a June 1st, 2013

  1. Coconut Kitsch! Coconut Cake

    June 1, 2013 by sarah

    I finally get time to bake a cake again – I needed the therapy. I found a bag of dessicated coconut in my baking ingredients drawer and decide to make a coconut cake. The recipe called for Malibu but I hate the stuff (smells of cheap tanning oil) so substituted rum which works nicely. The recipe is courtesy of Nigella’s Domestic Goddess – I think I must be making my way through the book! Lilac and clematis flowers from the garden.

    2 x 21cm sandwich tins, lined and buttered

    225g unsalted butter, softened, 225g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 25g cornflour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 50g dessicated coconut soaked in 125ml boiling water.

    Filling – 25g dessicated coconut, toasted in dry pan, 75g soft unslated butter, 150g icing sugar, 1 tbsp rum/Malibu

    Make the sponge by the all in on method and cook for 25mins at 180 degrees until cake tester comes out clean.

    Make the buttercream by softening butter then sifting over icing sugar, beat until smooth then add the toasted coconut.

    Iced with glace icing made from icing sugar and rum, topped with some more toasted coconut.

    Enjoy your slice of coconut heaven!

    coconut (10 of 8) coconut (9 of 8) coconut (8 of 8)


  2. A Vintage Find!

    June 1, 2013 by sarah

    At the weekend, we took a short break in the Peak District. On a trip to Calke Abbey (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/calke-abbey/ , well worth a visit), I found this pile of old magazines from 1950 in the second hand bookshop. I just love the adverts so couldn’t resist buying a pile. They look like they belong in their own museum. I need to think of how I’ll use them now…

    coconut (7 of 8) coconut (6 of 8)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    coconut (5 of 8) coconut (4 of 8) coconut (3 of 8)