I LOVE Nutella. Give me a jar and a spoon and I’m happy. However, if you would like to do something a little more sophisticated with this marvellous chocolate hazelnut spread, I’ve put all of my Nutella recipes for you below, click on the pictures to get to them!

Give it a try and let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

Happy baking!

Britt xo

Oh wow. Four years! My little blog is now four years old! On this day back in 2013, I published my first ever baking blog post. It was about macarons (or macaroons as I called them then!) hundreds of posts and two websites later, my blog has grown into something wonderful. Not only did writing about my baking adventures help me out of a very dark time, it has progressed to become my full time job and more than that, very much a part of who I am.

Those who have followed me for a while may know my story. A mixing bowl and wooden spoon became my saviour. I often say I ‘baked my way out of depression‘ and it’s true. Teaching myself how to bake, creating cakes and writing about them got me out of such a bad time in my life and I’m so grateful for it. I can’t believe it’s four years down the line and just how much has changed.

I just wanted to personally extend a big, BIG thank you. Thank you to every one of you who reads my blogs, uses my recipes, watches my videos and likes what I do. Wether you have been following me for four years, four months or four days, I am so grateful to you all.

Here’s to more wonderful years of baking and blogging.

Happy baking,

All my love, Britt xo

This week, I attended the launch of a new online cooking school brought to life by a tasty partnership of SortedFood and Coop!

SortedFood started in 2009 in Hertfordshire, England by a group of old school friends who, upon realising they were surviving on mostly microwave ready meals, decided to start sharing recipe ideas with each other on the back of beer mats in the pub! Seven years and two million subscribers later they have got people talking about food in a whole new way in this digital age!

Now, partnering with the Coop, they bring you Now Cook It. The first step to help address the cooking skills gap. It’s aimed at those who didn’t really learn cooking at school, didn’t master much of it at home and want to know how to do all the cool stuff in the kitchens and those looking to brush up on their skills. 27% of millennials have never been interested in learning to cook and 28% of those who can’t cook don’t see the importance in being able to. Now Cook It looks to change that!

I went along to Google HQ in London on Friday afternoon and cooked up a mean sausage carbonara (if I say so myself!) with the SortedFood boys, Mike, Ben, Barry and Jamie.

Now Cook It takes you through the process of learning to cook from start to finish, from de-seeding a pepper and poaching an egg, to cooking a steak and making a tomato sauce, there are so many core techniques shown in an easy video format. There are also a ton of recipes available including the sausage carbonara I got to make and eat!

I’m a keen baker, that much is clear, but I’ve never been the best or most confident cook. I spent 90% of my day in a kitchen and there are so many things I don’t know how to do! I’ve already watched so many of the core technique videos! I think it’s fab and especially being of the generation who maybe didn’t get the most extensive food education, I think it’s something so many people (of all ages) can benefit from! You can find all the information about it on their website here.

Happy baking, and cooking!

Britt xo

I love peanut butter. It’s one of those things that I can have at any time of the day, in any season. Below, I’ve compiled my favourite peanut butter recipes, including three no-bake treats and a show stopping cake! Click on the pictures for the recipes! I’m planning a lot more recipes including peanut butter over the next few months so watch this space and sign up to my newsletter at the bottom of the page for updates!

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

Give it a try and let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Happy baking!

Britt xo

Amazing news! I am a finalist in the UK Blog Awards 2017 in the Food & Drink category! Thank you so so much to everyone who voted for me. The awards are in April so I best start shopping for a dress!

You can see my entry here. Wish me luck!

Happy baking,

Britt xo

Merry Christmas!!

Tis the season of festive bakes and you don’t get much more festive than an edible Christmas tree! This fun cake design is easy to make and sure to impress your guests this season.

I’ve based it on a Giant Cupcake but you could easily do this with two 7″ round cakes carved to make a similar shape.

For this cake, I recommend making the cake, decorations and covering the board on the first day, leaving everything to set and then coming back to stack and decorate the following day.

You’re going to need;

• Giant Cupcake (you can find my recipe here)
• Small cake board (I’m using a 6″ round)
• 250g sugarpaste in your chosen colour
• A pack of milk chocolate candy melts, candy buttons or 300g milk chocolate
• Ingredients to bake buttercream (see below)
• A large piping bag
• 2D nozzle
• Green buttercream (you can find my recipe here, I’ve coloured with Sugarflair Party Green)
• Christmas themed moulds/cutters for decorations/pre-made decorations or sweets
• A small bit of royal icing
• 15mm ribbon & double sided sticky tape OR washi tape

Equipment can be purchased from Iced Jems.

The first thing you’ll need is a Giant Cupcake, you can follow my step by step tutorial on how to make one here. I recommend making it the day before you want to decorate to give it time to firm up so it doesn’t fall apart when we are decorating. Make sure to leave it wrapped well in cling film in a cool dry room. I don’t advise decorating cakes the day you make them for this very reason. Read more about my cake timeline here.

Next, we’re going to make the star to top the tree as well as any other decorations you would like. To make the star you will need;

• Yellow modelling paste
• Large star cutter
• Cornflour
• Small rolling pin

Start by colouring modelling paste yellow (if starting with white), using a concentrated colouring. I’m using Sugarflair Melon. Then roll it out onto a surface dusted with cornflour and cut out a large star. Leave to dry overnight on foam.

Then, go on to make any other decorations you would like. Using flower paste and a plunger cutter I have made snowflakes and using modelling paste and silicone moulds I have made small stockings which I have painted with edible food paint and I’m using small store bought candy canes. You can make whatever you like or alternatively use pre-made edible Christmas decorations readily available in cake shops and supermarkets alike.

Next, we’re going to cover our board. I am a firm believer in covering cake boards with sugarpaste (read more about my crusade here) as I feel it adds a professional touch to your bakes and makes them look a bit more special. So for this you will need 100g sugarpaste (ready to roll icing) in whatever colour you like. I’m using a brown as I will be texturing the board to look like wood grain.

To do this, roll out your icing to 5mm thick on a corn floured surface, turning the sugarpaste as you roll to get an even shape and to stop it sticking. Spray your drum lightly with water and then using your rolling pin to lift your sugarpaste, lay it gently on the drum, securing it with your hand and cutting off the excess with a sharp knife. To see a video of me covering a board in sugarpaste, check out my post here.

Before I leave my board to set, I’m going to texture it with a textured mat. Starting at one end of the board, push the pattern onto the sugarpaste in an even fashion. Leave to set overnight.

Then, using either double sided tape and 15mm ribbon or washi tape (I’ve used sparkly silver washi), decorate the edge of your cake drum.

On to day 2!

The first thing we are going to do today is make the cupcake shell. I’m using milk chocolate candy buttons, to resemble the trunk of the tree but you can use whatever colour you like. You can also use candy melts or anything similar or milk chocolate instead. If using chocolate I recommend using good quality Belgian chocolate. I have found that if you use standard chocolate bars, it may crack when you are trying to get it out and it also sometimes melt when you are handling it. I also advise painting the inside of your mould or tin with a little cake release first before pouring in the chocolate to make it easier to come out.

1. Melt your candy melts/belgian chocolate.
2. Pour half of this into your giant cupcake base.
3. With a silicone brush, paint the candy/belgian chocolate up the sides of the case, being quite quick but firm.
4. Pop it in the fridge to set for twenty minutes or so then take it out and give it a second coat repeating the first few steps. You may need to remelt your candy/chocolate.
5. Put back in the fridge to set for a further twenty minutes.
6. Gently peel the top of the case away from the shell to check it has set.
7. Then go around the shell only releasing the top.
8. Then pull the sides of the base down away from the shell.

So now we have our shell and our board and decorations from the day before. Time to put it all together!

You will first need to level both cakes, using a cake leveller so they sit flat and then you will need to trim the base cake slightly as now the shell is a little thicker thanks to the candy buttons.

Then, split the base cake in two and fill with whatever filling you would like! I’m using a vanilla buttercream I’ve coloured green with Sugarflair Party Green, you can find my recipe here.

Crumb coat the base cake by spreading a thin layer of buttercream around the outside. Once set, gently put your base cake into it’s chocolate shell. Spread a little buttercream on top of the base cake.

Gently place on the cupcake top. Press down gently but firmly to ensure it is stuck down. Crumb coat the top of your cake by spreading on a thin layer of green buttercream, this will help your piping to stick and stop any cake from showing through.

Next, we’ll decorate the top with buttercream swirls. Fit a large piping bag with a nozzle of your choice, I’m using a 2D, and then fill the bag with green buttercream.

Starting around the base of your cupcake top, pipe swirls starting on the inside and working your way out gently but firmly, making sure to allow a little room between your nozzle and the cake for the design to come out. Go around the base of your cupcake top and then in between these on a second layer. Repeat until you are at the top and then pipe one large swirl on the very top of your cupcake. Pipe small stars in any gaps by squeezing firmly, stopping squeezing and then pulling away. You can find out more about piping on my online Cupcake Course.

Decorate as desired, placing the large star into the buttercream at the top of your cake and then any other shapes you like.

Once decorated, carefully fix your cake onto your iced board using a little buttercream.

Leave in a cool dry room until serving! This will last about a week if decorated fully (so no air can get to the sponge!) and then 3 days once cut into if wrapped well in cling film. Make sure to not leave it in a room that gets too warm for too long or the buttercream and chocolate casing may start to melt!

A perfect centrepiece for your Christmas table and a nice alternative to traditional desserts!

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

Give it a try and let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Merry Christmas and happy baking!

Britt xo

It’s feeling very festive in the She Who Bakes kitchen this week!

I’ve made these gorgeous white chocolate cupcakes with white vanilla buttercream and desiccated coconut, topped with an edible white chocolate Christmas tree, exclusively for Party Cakes & Bakes Cake Craft Guide; a magazine from Cake, Decoration & Sugarcraft Magazine!

Grab your copy either in your local supermarket or online here.

Merry Christmas and happy baking!

Britt xo

What’s better than a cupcake? A GIANT cupcake!

I love giant cupcakes and have made so many over the past few years, it’s one of my favourite baking moulds. This Giant Cupcake Silicone Mould was originally given to me as a Christmas present and it’s so easy to use. Many places sell them and they are easy to find with a quick google. This recipe and method also works with the metal giant cupcake tin.

I’ve adapted my popular Classic Maderia Birthday Cake Recipe to fit the mould.

To get your mould ready to bake in you will need;

• Giant Cupcake mould/tin
• Silicone pastry brush
• Cake Release (shop bought or homemade)
• Two oven trays (if using separate silicone sections like me)

Firstly make sure your giant cupcake mould or tin is nice and clean and grease free.

To grease the mould I highly recommend using cake release. It’s what I use every time I bake to either grease my tins or to stick down my greaseproof paper, you can read more about what it is and why I use it here. I much prefer using it to butter or oil as that can leave a greasy residue on the outside of cakes when used to grease a tin.

Paint cake release liberally over both sections of your giant cupcake and set aside.

Then, we move on to baking. For best results you want to make sure you have weighed out all of your ingredients carefully and that they are at room temperature.

Giant Cupcake Madeira Cake Recipe

• 300g self raising flour
• 300g caster sugar
• 300g Stork/butter
• 85g plain flour
• 5 medium eggs
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla

1. Cream together the Stork and caster sugar.
2. Add in your eggs.
3. Add in your flour.
4. Add the vanilla.
5. Mix for 4-6 minutes on a high speed.
6. Pour just over half of the mixture into the bottom mould and just under half into the top mould, the mixture should fill the mould ¾ full.
7. Put both halves of the mould onto baking trays and bake at 140C (fan assisted) for 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. (Check after 1 hour)
8. Once baked, leave to cool in the mould then, CAREFULLY turn the cake out onto a sheet of greaseproof paper by peeling the case back and leave to cool completely.
9. Once cooled, wrap in clingfilm overnight to ‘settle’.
10. Once split, filled and iced, this cake will last 5-7 days and will freeze well for 3 months.

For a chocolate giant cupcake;

Follow the recipe above and replace the plain flour for cocoa powder and add 100g melted dark chocolate. For chocolate buttercream, follow the recipe below and add two tablespoons cocoa powder and 50g melted dark chocolate.

For a lemon giant cupcake;

Follow the recipe above and add the zest of two lemons and 2 teaspoons lemon extract. For lemon buttercream, follow the recipe below and add two teaspoons of lemon extract and the zest of one lemon.

Once cooled, there are a number of ways you can decorate your giant cupcake. You can split, fill and ice it as per any other cake, taking care to use the parts separately. You can also create a chocolate or candy shell for the base of your cupcake, you can check out my tutorial for this here. You can pipe roses, swirls, stars or any other pattern onto the top. You can mix and match designs, the choice is yours! For a festive cupcake, check out my tutorial on how to make a Giant Cupcake Christmas Tree.

My favourite way to decorate a giant cupcake is to create a candy shell, pipe roses onto the top (you can find my buttercream recipe here), add a few decorations and sit it proudly on a covered board with ribbon.

Equipment can be purchased from Iced Jems.

For more information on how to decorate your cake and go from home bake to showstopper, check out my list of latest online cake decorating courses here.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on, either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

Happy baking!

Britt xo

All of my online cake decorating courses are currently HALF PRICE! Grab a bargain here

How to make brownies more Christmassy? Turn them into Christmas Trees!

I’ve made this tutorial for the Lidl Christmas Magazine! Pick up your copy in store today!

Merry Christmas and happy baking!

Britt xo

All of my online cake decorating courses are currently HALF PRICE! Grab a bargain here.