Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

Food Writer

Jubilee

More Jubilee Baking – Union Jack Tray Bake and British Cupcakes

This is just a quick post as there is still lots to do before all the celebrations commence for the Jubilee weekend!

This morning we made this really easy Union Jack Tray Bake. The recipe is from a book called British Baking by Baking Mad and can be found here at BakingMad.com

I actually made these little cupcake last weekend for a family party, but was really taken by the cupcake cases and cake toppers, that I bought in Lakeland, Watford. They were the best I’ve come across. The cases stood up really well to baking and everyone loved the cake toppers! The set is by Meri Meri and it is also available at John Lewis.com and possibly in store. Call to check it is in stock before you go as supplies are getting low and I doubt it will arrive by post if ordered now. I also used some sugar paste decorations – flags, buses etc from Waitrose.

 

 

 

Don’t forget there are more recipes and ideas here, too –

Jubilee Trifle (for the Forman and Field Challenge)

Jubilee Cupcake decorating ideas

You could also have a look at the Foodies 100 Jubilee Bake Off link up for more ideas, too, though the actual competition is now closed.

That’s it from me – I have gone Baking Mad! Time for a glass of Pimms!

Enjoy!

 

Diamond Jubilee Cupcake Ideas

More Diamond Jubilee inspiration! Although this time in the form of cupcakes, rather than posh trifles.

I seem to have been very busy baking cupcakes lately, so far I have baked close to sixty British-themed cupcakes and it isn’t even the Jubilee weekend yet! I’ve had lots of fun experimenting with different toppings, decorations and accessories and there are more ideas to come, too.  

 

This post features a batch of strawberry cupcakes – a variation of my lemony cupcakes, using a good quality strawberry essence to flavour the cakes instead of vanilla essence and leaving out the lemon zest. I did also spot some freeze-dried strawberries in the baking section at the supermarket and they would work equally well sprinkled into the cake mixture.

I used a basic vanilla butter cream (beating together double the quantity of icing sugar to butter e.g 125g butter to 250g icing sugar and a tablespoon of milk) to pipe swirls of icing onto my cakes with …

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A Posh Jubilee Trifle (or two) for the Forman and Field Bake Off!

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend is getting closer and I’ve been getting creative in the kitchen with a lovely box of ingredients, sent to me by online British gourmet food specialists, Forman and Field . The chaps over at Forman and Field love a good party, so they challenged a fine group of bloggers to create “a fabulous, magical, celebratory and most importantly delicious cake or sweet treat in honour of Her Maj’s Jubilee.”

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Waitrose ‘Best of British’ Jubilee Street Party Hamper

Quick update! Thanks to your votes and RT’s the English Strawberries won against @BigSpud’s Asparagus and made it into the hamper! Even better, I had also chosen a Welsh Sparkling wine called Glyndwr, which went into battle against Katie’s  Pommery Pop Union Jack Champage and the Welsh bubbles won, too! So, both will feature in Waitrose Best of British hamper, which you have a chance of winning via the Waitrose social media pages. Thank you!

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend is getting nearer and I am starting to get excited. I didn’t think I would at first, but I have to say, the patriotic displays filling our shops and supermarkets is quite inspiring. I love seeing the rows and rowns of bunting and it makes me really happy to see British produce being celebrated and showcased on such a grand scale. I have also been lured in by one or two pretty plates and cakes stands and have already been practicing my jubilee bakes…

I was asked by the  British supermarket Waitrose – suppliers to the Royal Household “By Appointment” – to chose my ‘Best of British’ Jubilee street party item to be part of a Jubilee hamper. My selected item will go into battle against another street party item live this morning at 9.30am on Twitter. My battle will last for 8 hours and I am up against @BigSpud (Gary Fenn) who has chosen the mighty asparagus.

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