Afternoon Tea...

Hey everyone...

Thank you for welcoming me back to blogging! I have really missed it! So remember all that baking equipment I showed you? Well it was for a special occasion.

A few months ago I decided I wanted to hold and afternoon tea party for all my friends! The fiance designed some pretty invitations and I started planning what I would make. I wanted to use a book I had bought called Pretty Party Cakes by Peggy Porschen to make some really special cakes. It would be my hardest baking challenge yet!


These were the cakes I decided to attempt - so I bought some leaf and flower cutters...




I used pre-bought icing but coloured it myself and made little pink roses, which I have never done before!




Then I made two large vanilla sponges, which I soaked with vanilla sugar syrup over night...


I also decided to make my infamous three tiered carrot cake with cream cheese icing...


I started baking on Thursday evening, making all of the above. On Friday evening I made rose macaroons and chocolate whoopie pies. Then early on Saturday I made scones, sandwiches and iced and filled all of the cakes.

My feet were killing me after standing for 5 hours each evening after work. Then on Saturday my poor cheap hand held mixer gave up the ghost and I had to whisk the cream cheese icing for the carrot cake by hand - giving me horrible blisters.

But finally the afternoon tea was served...













All accompanied by clotted cream, homemade jam and lots of freshly brewed Afternoon leaf tea.

It was a lovely afternoon, despite most of my friends canceling at the the last minute, which really upset me. 

A friend from work and two friends from uni made the effort and it was lovely to spend time with them, as I don't know two of them that well and rarely get to see the third. Thank you! You know who you are and you made my day!

Plus I took the leftovers to work and had rave reviews for the carrot cake.

Now I am all baked out - but this Sunday I am baking some bakewell tarts for another work colleagues leaving do (I may cry) so I need to work out if I can make them without a mixer!

The afternoon tea was also a perfect opportunity to take some more pictures of my baking - which were urgently needed as I.... have just.... applied for the great british bake off!

Yep I finally sent my application (well two actually, the above mentioned colleague wrote me a beautiful version all in rhyme which I also sent) along with lots of pictures of my baking.

So... fingers crossed I get a telephone interview! It would be such an amazing experience! Right stop getting my hopes up.... back soon!

Jewel x

Comments

  1. Everything looks so yummy. Good luck for the bakeoff.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just let me know next time you have carrot cake and I'll be round like a shot! ;-)

    Good luck with the application.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Juli your afternoon tea looks delicious. The little roses are brilliant and the carrot cake is huge!
    Good luck for the bakeoff. I just noticed they are advertising a childrens version on CBBC starting soon.Can I get away with saying my little boy wanted to watch it? hehe
    Dx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am so impressed by your tea party. You did really well. Your friends who cried off don't know what they missed! Good luck with The Great British Bake-Off, I'm really jealous, wish I had the bottle to go for it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That is really impressive!!! Shame on your lightweight friends! I have my fingers crossed for the interview for you.xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow your cakes look lovely, well done you for applying for the Great British Bake Off - I love that programme !!
    twiggy x

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please leave me a message, I'd love to hear from you!

Popular Posts