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Monday 9 March 2009

cake,cake and more cake


When I was a small boy I used to go to visit my granny and she always brought out the cake selection around tea time. We used to get all sorts and I guess that meringues and chocolate eclairs and battenburg cake were typical of the family 'treats' of the 1960s. These were usually accompanied with a cup of hot tea - even in the heat of summer - and heaps of sugar. It is a wonder I have any teeth left! This is just a short blog to inspire people to share their memories of cakes and pastries.

Bring on the cakes!









9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember going to Grandma's for tea. We used to go most weeks after going swimming. Grandma was fond of making buns (also known as cupcakes), iced ones or butterfly ones, and there'd often be silver balls on the top, those hard sugar things which Mum always winced over, thinking the sound of us crunching them might be the sound of shattering teeth I think.

On my fifth birthday, Mum made me a cake in the shape of a rocket. Chocolate Victoria sandwich for the most part, it was smothered in thick chocolate buttercream and decorated with several Flakes. I remember it fondly, and still have a picture of it somewhere.

Last summer, I made a chocolate sponge cake which I filled with chocolate and mint buttercream - made minty by the simple process of putting finely chopped mint leaves from the garden in it. Surprising, but delicious.

Still got all my teeth... no fillings.

kate said...

mattW-that chocolate cake sounds lovely

my nan (84) still produces a plate of french fancies, plus doily when ever i visit. my grandma used to make what we all called imaginatively 'grandma cake' which was a chocolate and vanilla marble cake-sadly she doesn't bake anymore due a mix-up between salt and sugar.....

French Fancy... said...

(rushes in because the word *cake* has been mentioned)

Oh look, you've got French Fancies. I actually don't like the taste of them at all - I can't bear that gloopy fondant icing. I like cheesecake, but it has to have a biscuit base - not the soft sponge one.

That's a cute boyhood photo.

French Fancy... said...

oh dear, I misunderstood the post, didn't I?. I should have talked about cakes of my youth. Do you know I can't recall my mother baking - she was a fabulous cooker of meals, as it were, but I can't recall any home made cakes. How sad is that. Nor at my grandparents. Blimey - no wonder I've got such a sweet tooth now - I was deprived.

Amy said...

Now I'm jealous. I didn't grow up with any of that. Sounds really yummy though.

Janette said...

My Granny used to make me sponge cakes, covered with jam and then coconut with a cherry on the top. PS I heart battenburg!

The Courteous Chihuahua said...

My grandmother was a self-taught cake decorator who made THE most beautiful roses. A package of her Christmas cookies was a wonderful gift, and she actually made fruitcake you didn't use as a doorstop.

Unknown said...

My Grandad Harry used to be a baker first training with Mr Horspool and then moving to work for himself.

I remember with great fondness the boxes of cakes he would bring up every week. I used to love spending the summer holidays my Nana and Grandads learning to bake and having such a great time.

Battenberg, coconet tarts, macaroons, fruit cake, french fancies..... the list goes on but my all time fave are egg custards...... oooh I can taste the cinnamon now.

I still love baking to this day and love to share the skill with my little ones, the kids love it. It is a really good skill for kids to learn as young as possible and helps them learn about food and where it comes from, being healthy etc.

Phil Lowe said...

Some great comments on this blog - MattW that mint buttercream sounds delicious.

Interesting to read that these cakes and pastries have a comforting and nostalgic element to them universially loved by all us Brits.