#CookBlogShare Week 11 2017 - Plus 4 Showstopper Cakes

Welcome to week 11 of #CookBlogShare.

Now that March has arrived there is a definite feel of spring in the air. The seasonal change is also reflected in many of the recipes that were shared in last weeks CookBlogShare. But last week it was definitely the cakes that stood out. The recipes that I have chosen today are all showstopping cakes. Unfortunately cakes will not be on my meal plan for a while. I bravely signed up to complete Race for Life in June so as of this week I am in training. At the moment I really cannot run, but I am going to the gym and am building up my fitness! But that does not stop me reading about luscious cakes and wanting them!

Here are my 4 favourite showstopping cakes from week 10 of #CookBlogShare...

International Chocolate Cake Day

As it is International Chocolate Cake Day I thought it would be fitting to share with you my favourite chocolate cake bakes. All of these will leave you craving some chocolate cake, you have been warned!

My Well Done Celebration Chocolate Cake was a huge success and certainly helped to cheer J up after he had finished a stressful week at school doing his SATS. The sponges contain golden syrup which gives the cake some extra richness. The cakes have then been sandwiched together using chocolate butter icing and finally the top has been covered in marshmallows and chocolate stars.

My White Chocolate and Lime Cake is a decadent combination of Madagascan vanilla chocolate and sharp lime which leaves you wanting more. Sometimes white chocolate gets overlooked but it is a delicious alternative to traditional milk or dark chocolate and one that we love!

If you are looking for a birthday cake for a chocolate lover then you need to check out this Tunnock's Teacake Birthday Cake. This traditional chocolate cake bake has been revamped into this chocoholic delight, it has been drizzled with chocolate sauce that has been sprinkled with Flakes then topped with the ultimate marshmallow treat, Tunnock's Teacakes!

The next chocolate cakes contain a sneaky vegetable extra! My Chocolate, Lime and Courgette Cakes will leave you astounded, you simply would not know that they contain courgette, but you are getting all of the goodness that they provide. Again, the lime and chocolate are a perfect combination.

Ruby Wedding Anniversary Cake - Great Bloggers Bake Off Final

That is it. The Great British Bake Off is over for another year, and sadly over for the way we know and love it. This year I was not surprised that Candice won, she always seemed to go the extra mile despite it costing her bakes along the way. But her final bake was outstanding. I have loved watching Great British Bake Off grow from a little show on BBC2 featuring an unknown baker and a legendary cook to moving to BBC1 and making Paul Hollywood the celebrity he is now and rekindling our love for Mary Berry. But for me the two people who transformed the show from just a baking show to a comical, entertaining baking show has to be Mel and Sue. They are hilarious with their quips and baking innuendo. I simply cannot imagine Bake Off without them! But I understand why each have done what they have. Mary, Mel and Sue have remained loyal to the BBC while Paul has remained loyal to the team and show which made him. What the show will be like on Channel 4 is yet to be seen!

Anyway, now onto my final bake.

This weeks bake came along at a perfect time. My parents celebrated their ruby wedding anniversary last weekend and an occasion like that certainly deserves a show stopper of a cake. They deserved a cake fit for a Queen and her King.

This is what I did...

Tunnock's Tea Cake Birthday Cake with Aldi

For this weeks Aldi baking post I am going back to cake week. Yesterday was J's 12th birthday. As his birthday was on a Monday we decided to make it into a birthday weekend for him. We had a family meal out for him and birthday cake on Saturday, followed by another meal out with family on the Sunday, followed by a treat dinner last night and yet another birthday cake!

This year I managed to make two birthday cakes. Both cakes were made using ingredients and equipment from Aldi. At the moment Aldi have a wide range of baking equipment special buys on. I have seen utensils, cake tins, baking books and even electric mixers and all at the great price that you expect from Aldi.

Today I am going to share with you my recipe for the Tunnock's Tea Cake Birthday Cake that J had yesterday. All of the kids, especially J, and the hubby love Tunnock's Tea Cakes which are sold in Aldi so I knew that they would make an easy yet effective cake topping. This cake was a huge success with everyone!

This is what I did.....

#CookBlogShare Week 26 - The Cake Round Up

Welcome to another scrumptious CookBlogShare round up. This weeks round up will leave you begging for cake. Last weeks linky was, as always, full of delicious recipes but it really was the cakes that screamed out to me! 

Thank you to Mandy from Sneaky Veg for hosting last week. Soon, CookBlogShare will be changing slightly. We will be having a new face joining us for hosting. We are delighted to have Eb from Easy Peasy Foodie joining us. I know that Eb is really looking forward to joining us and it is great to have her on board. 

Now back to this weeks round up. Here are my four favourite cakes from week 26 of CookBlogShare...

Her Majesty's Birthday Cake with Lyle's

As the big day for Her Majesty draws closer people all over the country are preparing to celebrate her 90th birthday.

No birthday is complete without a cake so Lyle's Golden Syrup have challenged me to make the Queen a birthday cake using their recipe. Today I am going to share with you their recipe. But as my cake is still cooling and I want you to be able to also make this delicious cake I am sharing the recipe with you today. But keep an eye out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see the final product!

Cake Fit for a Queen!

Yesterday I gave you my top ideas for hosting a street party to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday this weekend. Today I am sharing with you a cake which is fit for a Queen!

You cannot beat the simplicity of a Victoria Sponge, it is a cake that everybody loves. For today's cake I have changed one ingredients from the traditional Victoria Sponge. I have not used caster sugar in today's recipe. Instead I have used light brown muscovado sugar. Adding the light brown sugar gives the cake a deeper, richer flavour which goes perfectly with the cream and fruit.

This is what I did...

Well Done Celebration Chocolate Cake

Like all year 6 children J sat his SATS last week. The week started off well, he seemed to be calm but toward the end of the week the stress started to show. This got me thinking how to cheer him up? What better way to cheer up an 11 year old boy than chocolate cake.

When I say chocolate cake, I mean the king of chocolate cakes!

This cake was a huge success and is perfect for any celebration cake for any chocolate lover!

This is what I did...