Let them eat cake!

If you search for cake on this blog, it comes up with 4 pages of results; it's pretty clear that cake is a necessity when you are an impoverished university student living away from Momma's home cooked food! Today, after watching another 4 hour epic for my dissertation, I decided to bake some cakes to aid me with the writing of my second chapter. As with many brilliant ideas, not everything went to plan but I have ended up with 24 reasons to keep on workin'...


I used a recipe which we have used at home for as long as I can remember, I think it was originally in one of Marguerite Patten's recipe books but I couldn't tell you which one!


Ingredients:

* 8oz butter
* 8oz self-raising flour
* 8oz caster sugar
* 4 eggs, whisked (the ones I had today were teeny tiny so I used 4 but normally I would use 2)
* Fillings (to taste)


Cream the butter and the sugar together until it is smooth and pale. Add flour and the whisked eggs alternately, ensuring that plenty of air gets into the mixture. 
Add the flavours you have chosen. This is always my favourite part and I love experimenting with different ingredients to find the ultimate flavour, usually when I have something sitting in the cupboard that needs using! 

Spoon the mixture into the cake cases and cook in a pre-heated oven at 170°C for approx. 15 minutes.
 Take out of oven and enjoy in front of the telly your work!


I had a couple of oranges in the fridge, so I chopped those up and added some dark chocolate chips and some cocoa to make some rather scrummy chocolate orange cakes, worthy of Terry himself!


My personal favourites; cherry, sultana, almonds and my magic ingredient, Amaretto! I seriously don't know what it is but the addition of Amaretto makes everything just that little bit more special...




Why not try date and walnut?


Or marshmallow and chocolate chip? This always goes down a treat with my friends! :)

Do you have a favourite cake flavour? How do you reward yourself when you are working?

12 comments

Penny Dreadful Vintage said...

All those combinations sound amazing. I haven't done any baking in years (though I used to bake a cake almost every second day!), this might get me inspired to start again x

Sherin said...

Ooo, delicious! The cupcakes look delicious and so does the marshmellow/choc chip combination.

daisychain said...

chocolate + dates. do itttttt.

I made chilli chocolate cookies today, the house smells amazing!

Maria Fallon said...

Penny Dreadful- Definitely start again, it has made me so happy having scrummy cakes to eat :)

Sherin- DO IT! You definitely need to try the 'Maria marshmallowchoc special' ;)

Laura- That will be my next attempt :) And chilli chocolate cookies?! I am super jealous! :)

Maria xxx

Unknown said...

Mmmm looks delicious! I'd probably have eaten most of the sweets before they made it into the mixture though!

Susie said...

OMG--This looks amazing!!! I might try this over the weekend! Seriously craving cake now--haha!

Sarah - essbeevee said...

Oh good lord, I need all of these. Amaretto! WOW! And with all those other things too! And marshmallows and chocolate! YUUUUM. I need cake now. NOW.

Maria Fallon said...

Harriet- Don't worry, I had to 'check' the ingredients ;)

Susie- Definitely do, they were SO yummy!

Sarah- DO IT! Have a baking day tomorrow :)

Maria xxx

Winnie said...

You guys are amazing! Can you bake for me please?!

Everything looks delish! You're so right about Amaretto though...haha!

Unknown said...

Wow these look great and I'm glad there's so much cake on your blog! I will be attempting some red velvet cupcakes for the first time ever, very excited!

PinkBow said...

mmm. these look so yummy. and chocolate & marshmallow! i just baked this morning...currently in the fridge cooling!

Maria Fallon said...

Winnie if we ever manage to organise this meet up, I will bring cake! XD

Kristabel- I think it sums up what this blog is all about ;)

Paula- I love baking but unfortunately all the cakes have gone, I may have to make some more...

Maria xxx