Burnt Jelly

Don't worry, it's not a cake and it's not jelly. It’s me! I’m feeling all kinds of burnt and wobbly after this morning’s trip to the gym. My legs are like jelly, my bum is like jelly and my abs are like really sore, painful jelly. I’m in this bizarre, burnt jelly place right now.

Luckily, I’ve learnt to love this ‘after exercise’ jelly-ness. Exercise lets my sensitive, anxious parts seem misty and faraway. Those utterly self conscious days are soul destroying. And they have made me fall so often. And I remind myself of all that falling as I work out. When those squats are about to get the better of me, I remember how strong I can be...

When you break a bone, there’s a good chance that once it’s healed, it’s stronger than it was before. I think those broken thoughts of ours heal similarly. Once you find the strength to overcome some of your natural, but bloody annoying, instincts, you can become a whole lot stronger up there.

And now I exercise because I’d like to be that. I’d like to be stronger mentally and physically. I don’t want to exercise just to feel better about the way I look … mostly I just want to be healthy and happy.

And how can we expect to be healthy and happy without any naughtiness at all? Impromptu trips to GBK and a birthday cake dripping in deliciousness, now that’ll make me happy any day!

Today I’ve been making a giant cupcake. They are quirky, creative and scream “Eat Me!” … what’s not to love? They’re the perfect bake to try and work on some key cake making skills. Piping buttercream, melting chocolate, steady hands and your eye for design.

Start by baking your sponge and here’s a vanilla recipe:

8oz self raising flour

8oz caster sugar

8oz butter

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

Bake at 180 degrees and just keep an eye on it all, as each sponge has a different baking time (yay!) This mixture will make both giant cupcake parts (the peak on top and sponge underneath) plus one cupcake, and 6 bitesize lovelies. All cases you bake in should be the silicone type and lightly greased.

Then melt your chocolate. It’s gotta be cooking chocolate and preferably candy melts. Once spread all inside your silicone case moulds, they will hold their shape perfectly. Once set, take out of their moulds. And assemble your sponge, in the appropriate cupcake way, with a filling of your choice. Now that your giant cupcake is in it’s giant chocolate case, it’s all about the crumb coat on top. Smother it in buttercream, all ready for some prettifying.

I have made some lovely giant cupcakes in the past. I hope the photos below bring you a little inspiration. They can be coated in fondant or made beautiful with buttercream. Just see where your imagination takes you.

Being creative comes with some baggage I guess, like an over thinking mind and a whole lot of sensitive goo. But it lets you be kinda quirky and the owner of a pretty magical imagination...

creativeness might as well be gold dust, love every bit of it.

Bridie x

I mixed some blue and white candy melts today ... to get the light blue shade I wanted.

This is the 'cupcake case' part of your silicone mould, along with some mini ones. These are the ones I use to make my chocolate cases. I have a separate set of moulds for baking the sponges. The two processes should be kept apart!