Red, white and blue

Firstly I just want to apologise for my absence. I promised myself I would keep on top of this blog and post regularly. But I've been a bit rubbish (and a bit busy) and have let it slide a little. Anyway, I'm back and here to stay so on with the post...

A friend of ours, Robyn, headed off to Cranwell last month to begin her Initial Officer Training with the RAF. In true Robyn style she had a leaving party and asked me to bake some cupcakes for the evening. I did 3 different types of cupcakes (Vanilla, Chocolate and Red Velvet), and decorated them with piped swirly icing in 3 different colours (red, white and blue) to be arranged in the shape of the RAF roundel.

It took me a whole day to make them all. Baking in the morning and decorating in the evening. All was going swimmingly. I had the last batch of chocolate in the oven and Kipling was busy beating the butter and sugar for the vanilla when the phone went. It was G. He couldn't find his wallet and had I seen it. Nope. Was it one the table in the dining room. Nope, as I'd cleared it ready for cakes. Was it on the worktop in the kitchen. Nope, as I'd cleared the kitchen before I started baking. G's starting to get a bit worried as he can't find it in his work bag. We ended the call as he went off to check the car and I rushed to get the cakes out of the oven before they over cooked and then continued on with my baking.

With the next batch in the oven I went and had a search of the rest of the house for the lost wallet. No sign of it anywhere. Then I remember G had been for fuel on his way home. Has he left it at the petrol station??? A few more phone calls and batches of cupcakes later and the phone rings again. It's G. Wallet found. Phew! Where was it? In the bottom of his work bag that he'd apparently already checked!

Panic over...that is until I realise I'd missed the cornflour out of my vanilla cupcakes!  Oh no! As it turns out, all was well and they came out perfectly despite the missed ingredient. Phew, again!

And so onto a more relaxed afternoon decorating cakes. Rather than use a normal buttercream I decided to try a meringue buttercream, using Martha Stewart's recipe. And it was amazing! It's a bit of a faff but it's not as sweet and it is so smooth and lovely that it was definitely worth the effort. I will be using this recipe to decorate the wedding cupcakes I will be making in August.

All boxed up and ready to go

G and I had also organised a little bit of a surprise Robyn. We arrived at the venue and, with a little help from a friend, carried in the boxes and sneaked in the surprise. We made Robyn stay away whilst we set up the cakes so the surprise was still hidden...

Red, white and blue

So it wasn't until later in the evening, when the cakes got eaten, that all was revealed...

Surprise!

Good luck Robyn! We wish you well and hope your training isn't too hard!