{How To Make an 'Easter Egg Hunt' Surprise Cake}

Last year I made the teachers at pre-school Easter Egg Cake Pops (see here).
This year I wanted to do something fun and different.

Introducing the Easter Egg Hunt Cake! 

Start with the Cake:Basically you require a round cake with a whole in the middle. There are two main ways you could do this.
1. Use a ring tin. I didn't have a regular ring tin, so I used a bundt tin that I had on hand anyway. You also need to put some batter in a small cake tin/ ramekin to use as a topper.  
2. You could even bake a regular round cake and cut a hole in the middle afterwards with a cup or something else round. If you've cut a hole out of the middle, set aside.

Fill The Cake:
Buy a packet of candy covered Easter eggs (the ones without foil) and fill the hole with them. Place the extra cake circle on top of the Easter eggs.

Finish The Cake:
Use a vanilla butter cream (or similar - choices are endless) and frost the entire cake using a swirled kind of texture. This is so that you can't see the extra circle hiding the hole.

Serve:
As this was a gift I didn't get a photo of the finished product when cut. However, if you were serving this for a family Easter dinner, there would be such WOW factor at discovering the hidden Easter eggs inside as you cut it at the table!

How much fun is that! I hope that however you and your family celebrate, you have a great Easter!


Lauren x

Craft meets Food - Just Delicious!!!!

Well, I have been so captured by this amazing talented and local lady who MANIFICINTLY combines two of my favourite things food/ baking and craftiness.

The amazing picture above are yes, you guessed it cupcakes! Hard to believe I know. But The Cupcake Gallery have an incredible talent for making some gorgeous creations! Hop over to their website or their facebook page and be in awe at their creations!!! I will stop typing now and leave you to have a look, cause you'll be amazed!

Enjoy;
Lauren x

What to do with the prunes in the pantry???

I had a packet of prunes in the pantry about to expire in a few weeks and I am not a 'prune from the packet' kinda person, but I don't like waste. The search continued to find a recipe that would use them up in a delicious dish. I searched books and websites and the old faithful taste came through AGAIN (love this site).

So here is the recipe for the 'Spiced Prune Buttermilk Loaf'.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 3/4 cup (150g) pitted prunes, finely chopped
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 125g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• whipped thickened cream, to serve

• Crumble topping (this MAKES it)

• 1/3 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 50g butter, chopped

Method

1. Combine prunes and 1/2 cup buttermilk in a bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to soak.

2. Make crumble topping: Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line base and sides of a 7cm-deep, 10.5cm x 20.5cm (base) loaf pan with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.

4. Using electric beaters, cream butter, caster sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice over butter mixture. Using a large metal spoon, fold in flour mixture, remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk and prune mixture, 1 at a time. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle crumble over loaf. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with cream.

NOTE:

I decided to make this an hour before I had our life group arrive (ambitious I know), so I couldnt soak the prunes for an hour as it says in step one. Instead I blitzed up the prunes and the buttermilk in the food processor for a minute. When I make this again, I would probably blitz them up even if I had soaked them, I think it makes it smoother.

I also added a generous amount (maybe 1/2 cup of brown sugar to the mix before ppouring into the tin to add a subtle caramel touch.

Enjoy;
Lauren x