Tried & Tested - Easiest Ever Chocolate Cake Recipe

As already noted, numerous times, I am a bonafied chocoholic, and the good thing about knowing how to bake is that you can self-satisfy those chocified urges, and some recipes don't need quite as much time or skill as you might think, or any outlandish ingredients that you have to search to the ends of the earth for.

I've made many a basic chocolate cake recipe, and this is the one I've stuck with. 

It's cheap to make, it's moist and light, and holds together well when stacked and iced. Perfect!

I use it in all shapes and sizes for cupcakes, chocolate fudge cakes, Mars Bar cakes, mousse cakes, gateaux... 

The possibilities are endless, and only in three steps!!! 

If you're stuck for inspiration, scroll down for my Chocolate Ganache recipe and add some booze if you're feeling naughty!

Loves, L

Chocolate Ganache Celebration Cupcakes & Cakes

A Big Chocolatey Happy Birthday to Emma & Kayleigh!!

I found the perfect ganache recipe just in time for two birthdays: My gorgeous friend Emma who just turned 24, and my not-so-ickle cousin, whose 18th birthday cake I made.

Both the cupcakes and cakes, were broadly from the same recipe: chocolate cake, homemade caramel, and chocolate ganache, with a few added extras along the way...

Emma's cupcakes were cored and filled with homemade caramel, and topped with chocolate and amaretto ganache! I then topped them with some fab "chocolate plastic" (recipe post to follow) roses that I made.


Kayleigh's main cake was a two-tiered labour of chocolatey love.

Layers of the same chocolate cake recipe, separated by layers of ganache, topped with chopped Mars Bars, covered in caramel. The whole cake was then covered in the smooth ganache, and more "chocolate plastic" decorations, wrapped in custom ribbon, and hand delivered by Dave and I, after a treacherous journey from Manchester through winding country lanes in the dead of night, and two very full bladders!

Along with her cupcakes, were the requested booze-filled variety of cakes: Pina Colada and Sex on the Beach Caketails.

The Pina Colada were filled with a shot of pineapple juice and Malibu jelly, and topped with Malibu buttercream, a glace cherry, and of course the obligatory cocktail umbrella.

The Sex on The Beach variety were filled with a cranberry and peach schnapps jelly shot, and peach schnapps cream, piped from a double piping bag, and topped with popping candy and chocolate hearts.

Although I do not take responsibility for any hangovers the next morning, watching granny, grandad and my cousin Jack's faces as they tasted the cakes (and dropped them all down themselves in grandad's case), was utterly hilarious.

I hope both girls had a lovely birthday, and I love you both loads. The cakes are only a small token of the enjoyment you give me every day!!! 

Loves, L

Tried & Tested - Chocolate Ganache Recipe

I am a chocoholic. That's no secret. But I've always struggled to find the perfect accompaniment to chocolate cake! Chocolate butter cream is too sickly, chocolate cream isn't sturdy enough, and I've just never found a recipe that's worth sticking to. Until now.

Google is my best friend. I google EVERYTHING. It's great for finding recipes instantly, and I scour through to find the best, with good reviews.

Alice Currah, on her website http://savorysweetlife.com/ has one of those recipes and I had to try it.

It's so quick, so easy, and so easily adaptable to different dishes and flavours, the possibilities really are endless!

This is a perfect recipe!!!!!! And one I now live by, so please try!