CPB. Event 1.

So kids! Last week was the first Chimney Pot Bake event! And i must say, it went rather swimmingly :)
Both myself and Becca both made a carrot cake and chocolate cake each. That was the only stipulation, one had to contain carrot, the other chocolate. Whatever else was to go in the cakes, was purely from our inspiration.

I knew that I wanted to do one of my cakes as large cupcake, I just thought it would set me apart from the crowd having something smaller. After figuring out that my chocolate cake was more of a show stopper as whole and not to be divided up into smaller cakes, the decision was final. Carrot cake was to become, carrot CUPcakes.

It was a fairly bog standard recipe. I used olive oil instead of the recommended vegetable as i think it makes a lighter cake, mine also included crushed walnuts. No raisons please. (I still can't stomach them anywhere else apart from granola/muesli). They were topped with a deliciously light orange cream cheese icing and an caramelised carrot wafer.

FUNNY STORY ACTUALLY.

There was quite a nice sense of healthy competition between the two of us competing in the blind bake off. Becca and i helped each other out while baking, comparing recipes and whatnot. BUT, when it came to our 'finishing touches' for our cakes, we realised we had the exact same recipe for caramelising carrots. Ever since becoming obsessed with Ina Garten in my early years of baking, i've been a fan of decorating things of what is in the actually food. So i chose to slice wafer thin slices of carrots and cook them in caramel and leave them to air dry so that they became carrot shards. Perfect for topping a carrot cupcake. Guess what kids, BECCA DID THE SAME. It was quite a LOL moment actually, we had the exactly same recipe, whereas i left mine to dry into shards... Becca curled hers into spirals around a wooden spoon.

So, after the votes were tallied. Mine and Becca's Carrot Cakes tied, 2:2. She had opted for a traditional double layer cake with a white chocolate ganache centre, covered in cream cheese icing. HOLY HELL, it was MOIST and YUMMY.

Next up was our chocolate cakes.

Again, i decided to think outside the box and do a flour-less cake, partly to show off and partly because after the pure amount of cake.. i thought it might be nice to have something a little lighter.

The chocolate cakes divided much opinion. My Cloud Cake was amazingly light but at the same time, dense with deep dark chocolate flavour, topped with soft chocolate flecked whipped cream. Becca's was dense, moist and covered with an delectable rich chocolate ganache.

I won 3:1 :)

So, after all that we learnt that we need to advertise the event more. Although the cakes were a triumph, we really didn't get the opportunity to talk about the degree show.

Ah well, we will be doing this soon again, i think with cheesecake and tarts.

Both of our chocolate cakes in the centre. The carrot cakes on the side :)

The Chimney Pot Bake.

I know that the sound of a Chimney Pot Bake evokes the notion of a charred bake.. in some small tagine style cookware., but what i'm talking about is something quite new and, for me, rather exciting.

Over the past few weeks, i'm positive that we've all been fully engrossed in watching The Great British Bake Off, and i know that for the likes of those CDWM and GBBO fans, we've all joked around with our friends and peers about a cook/bake off style event. Well fellow bloggers.. It's happening to me, this Sunday. 

It started off as a light-hearted conversation between me and my friend, Rickie.. He was adamant his housemate, Becca, was a better baker and could "do really good cakes". 

Pffffffffffftttttttt. I say! Those who have been reading this blog for a while, know i'm a good baker. So after meeting Becca it became apparent that the only way to truly settle this would be in a Bake-Off, a Blind Bake-Off. 

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

It's here, that the seemingly easy task of baking a cake becomes a little more interesting. Becca and Rickie are both final year Graphic Illustrators, looking to put on quite the show to showcase their work. After one too many Tiki-Style cocktails and whiskeys & cokes (i'm drinking 10year Yamazaki, and suggest you all do the same), the three of us became inspired to create a fundraising event for R&B's Degree Show*. 

So, we'll be doing a baking event. That will include the most amazing cakes, cooked by myself and Becca, a blind bake-off event, art, coffee, music and wine (there's always wine). The only thing that i need to contribute are my mad skillz and my mad coffee appliances. Sunday is more of a trial style event. None of us are really sure how it's all going to piece ('scuse the pun :p) together in the end, so that's why were doing on Sunday at R&B's amazing house in Chimney Pot Park, Salford. I will update with news as and when, but i think it would be cool to use PicnicPostcards as one of our media forums :)

This is logo piece that we'll be using, pretty cool, huh?

ALSO, GOOD NEWS: the first bake will be The Carrot Cake and Chocolate Cake. Yummy!

*Don't worry kids, i'm going to cut back on the art talk, i'm out of depth and will just be talking about cakes.