Eton Mess cupcakes

Lu's nan is finally home from hospital after being admitted during the hottest week of the year.  Everyone outside is sun-bathing and enjoying the weather, but she has been stuck inside on an unbearably hot ward.  She's been most upset about missing the start of the French Tennis Open, so I thought now she's home I'd make some cupcakes that celebrate the sunshine and the spirit of Wimbledon, for her to enjoy while catching up on the tennis and recovering from her first round of chemotherapy today.  These are inspired by Eton Mess and include diced strawberries, crushed meringue and a hint of rosewater in both the cake batter and the icing.

Blackcurrant and lemon marble cake

Lu's nan is very ill in hospital at the moment. We're all feeling pretty helpless and all I can think to do is bake - Avril isn't eating much of the hospital food, but I hoped a slice of cake would tempt her, and can feed all her visitors! 

Pecan, apple and cinnamon bread

Lots of American cookbooks I own talk about 'breakfast' muffins, bars and quick-breads.  I love the idea of cake being an acceptable, normal option for breakfast - rather than a guilty pleasure I sneakily enjoy when no-one's looking!  The thread running through most of these 'breakfast' recipes is the addition of porridge oats, apples, nuts - the sorts of things a healthy person might turn into muesli, but that a cake addict like me would far prefer to turn into cake!  So inspired by this idea, this morning I woke up wanting a baking fix (yesterday's cherry scones really did vanish like the joke suggests) and decided to alter my apple, carrot, ginger and walnut bread to create this recipe.  What better way to start your day?

Cherry scones

It must be the Royal Jubilee in the air or something, but I seem to be drawn to making some classic British cakes at the moment - last week it was mini Victoria sponge cakes, and today my Saturday morning baking session was to whip up some classic scones.  Except that instead of raisins I decided to use some delicious natural glacé cherries that I bought recently in the local farmers' market.  Eaten warm out of the oven, the joke is true: what do you call a cake that disappears super fast?  Scone! 

Mini Victoria sponge cakes

My friend Liz is getting married on Saturday, and tonight had a hen night for lots of friends and family back in Penarth from all over the world.  I made some little Victoria sponge cakes for the celebration - a festive welcome back to the UK and congratulations to Liz!

Oreo mini muffins

I made these for a girls night on Saturday and they were such a hit, they disappeared within minutes!  These are unbelievably moist, gooey, chocolatey and moreish!

ABC (apple blueberry cinnamon) cake

I made this cake up this evening as a quick recipe for pudding - after a long day I needed something sweet, quick and simple! This is as easy as ABC...