You cannae beat the combination of cake and fruit. Like chocolate and mint, another favourite of mine, it’s a marriage that gives the illusion of health. Thus I was excited that “Getting Fruity” was the theme of the Edinburgh Cake Ladies’ summer gathering at Craigie’s Farm.
These gatherings are crazy popular, so when I managed to score a spot from the waiting list I felt a rush that reminded me of the late-90s thrill of nabbing a Radiohead ticket after endless F5ing of the Ticketek website. But instead of drooling over Ed O’Brien this time it was cake glorious cake, and you can actually take some home!
It was a gloomy summer’s evening but the dull grey light served as a helpful contrast to make the fruity cakes look even more colorful and delicious. That’s how I rationalised the 57th shitty rainy day in a row, anyway.
Craigie’s Farm was a top venue – there’s a farm shop, cafe and pick-your-own fruit. For seven years I’ve passed the signs while bussing it to Edinburgh and said, must visit someday but it took cake to lure me in at last!
After getting some brilliant ideas from my Facebook pals I ended up going with this Summer Celebration Cake since I had everything on hand already. It’s a delicious vanilla cake with fresh berries stirred into the batter, then decorated with crème fraîche and more fresh berries (I used blackberries, raspberries and blueberries).
There were no baking horrors this time round; the only hitch was the hand mixer dying just as I went to cream the butter and sugar, prompting an emergency trip to Argos.
While Summer Celebration Cake is a great name as it makes the cake sound fancier than it is, in this house it’s been dubbed Unintentional Willy Cake. I was browsing Instagram and saw Lea had snapped this picture of my cake.
“Doesn’t it look ace?” I said to Gareth.
“That blackberry at the front there looks like a little willy!”
“What? Where?”
“The one between the two blueberries. Did you do that on purpose?”
No, I did not. You can always count on Gareth to be classy.
Anyway, it was another fab night and I met some lovely new cake folks. Cake people are good people; it’s a fact.
summer willy cake.
*sniggers*
😀
The most popular entry on my old blog by far is the one about the muffins I made for The Vagina Monologues. Seriously, it has more than 4 times as many hits as the second most popular entry. Maybe there’s something to this erotic baking idea… 🙂
Ahh I remember that one well! Mwahahah 🙂
I spot blackcurrant streusel cake. I want. And well done on the no-disaster accidentally erotic cake. Hope the sun shines in Scotland at some point.
The streusel cake was LOVELY! It was made by Lucy, who made my favourite cake last time, I hope she doesn’t think that’s creepy.
Hope you’re getting some sun, we live in hope here 😉
Mmm…cake and fruit make the best combo! Even better with cream to hold them together.
If it’s any consolation the weather has been shit here too…and I live on the SUNSHINE Coast. False advertising this last couple of weeks.
Ripped off! I hope normal service is resumed soon!
It does too look like a little willy! Can’t believe you didn’t do that on purpose – I so would have!
I’m thinking of adding a secret willy to all cakes from now on! Like a signature!
It looks delicious. And I’m giggling over here in Michigan about the little willy. 🙂
I totally want to come to one of the cake ladies’ parties!
It is such a fun thing to do Tamara… maybe you could start the first one in your neck of the woods? 🙂
They look gorgeous, and thank you for the recipe for yours. I’m reminded of bringing back a cheese from Krakow a few years ago, which sent my granddaughter, then aged about 3, into fits of giggles. “It looks like a willy!” she chortled.
Willy cheese! Oh dear 😀
hi, how are you doing with your diet? I have to lose 20 kg, I lost 8 than gain 6 :(.
How do you do it?
I am just taking it meal by meal, Maria! It’s bloody hard. I choose my cake rations with great care! I’m still writing about this stuff on dietgirl. Hang in there comrade!
And now I can’t unsee it. Thanks a lot, Gareth.