A low calorie look at life, writing and cake.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Kate Middleton's Hen Night Fairy Cakes

Is it true that Kate Middleton is planning a final night of freedom with the girls on Thursday?
If one spots her on Kensington High Street in a pink feather boa and cowboy hat with ‘Girls on Tour,’ across it – take the picture – one will never have to work again! Sources close to KM tell me that what the princess-in-waiting may do to calm the nerves is invite some of the ladies over for champagne and fairy cakes. Now you don’t need to be royal or marry a Prince to enjoy a fairy cake or a little fizz - Krug (Kate - Princess) or cava (me – wannabe princess - peasant).
So in honour of the fragrant bride  – I’ve created a special fairy cake. If you’re thinking of having the girls round this week for a royal hen night (you too Kate!) please try out my recipe and let me know what you think...
This chocolate cake recipe makes about 12 large fairies or 30 baby fairies, depending on the size of your paper cases. If you make too much batter and don’t have enough cases - just eat it straight from the bowl and call it lunch...



Kate’s Chocolate Fairy Cakes


Ms Middleton is no Disney Princess, she is not pink or girly... but she’s feminine. I see her as a combination of English Rose with a dark and smouldering undercurrent... hence the deep chocolate cake.

• 110 g or 1/2 cup self-raising flour

• 1 teaspoon (5ml) baking powder

• 110g or 4oz or 1 stick softened, organic butter (I think Kate would eat organic)

• 110g or 1/2 cup caster sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (or more if you are a chocolate queen, looking at Kate’s hips I doubt she’d have more than two tablespoons)
Paper cases (black please - think sophisticated evening wear and that little black dress!)
Chocolate Icing

• 200g icing sugar sifted

• 1-2 dessert spoons of cocoa powder dissolved in hot water

• A small chunk of pink or red fondant icing from a bought pack rolled into a small tube shape.

• I reckon Kate has a great sense of humour (she might need it!) so I have added a little sparkle with edible glitter for that Kate Middleton twinkle! If one scatters this vivaciously one’s face and cleavage become complete bling which is utterly fabulous and as it’s a fairy cake hen night – you go for it girl!

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas 4 and fill a cake pan with 12 large paper cases (black for the little black dress she wore last week). Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl. When sifting, lift the sieve high to incorporate as much air as possible to make the lightest chocolate sponge. Add the eggs (lightly beaten), the caster sugar and the softened butter. Now put the mixture into the paper cases (remember they will rise so don’t fill to the top) always remember to leave some in the bowl so you can taste this once the cases are filled. If you’ve made too much batter then lucky you push it into your mouth quick before the kids come in. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until risen and springy to the touch (try not to keep opening the oven door until they’re ready as this can cause sinking).

2. Once out of the oven and slightly cooled take the cakes from the tin and cool on a wire rack and open a bottle of Cava to celebrate the happy couple.

3. Once Kate’s Fairies are cool, sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl and mix with hot water until the mixture forms a soft, thick paste. Taste the icing and if you want a stronger chocolate flavour (for more smouldering) add a dissolved teaspoon of granules, if you want the taste to be less strong, simply add more icing sugar and a little hot water.

4. Now top the cooled cakes with this delicious, fudgy icing using the back of a teaspoon or a knife. If the icing thickens too much while you ice, put the spoon or knife in hot water and continue while singing hen night songs round your handbag.

5. Now for the clever bit. You can buy a sugar paste flower and bling it yourself or you can impress the girls and roll some shop bought icing into a tube shape (about the size of a small Galaxy Ripple or Cadbury’s Flake) and cut slices like you would with swiss roll). Take each small round and press it into your thumb and fingertips gently – this is now petal shaped...isn’t it? Just keep going until it is – trust me this works. Once you have about six petals, wrap them round each other and create an English Rose. Top with edible bling, open another bottle of Cava and call the girls round for some ‘Royal Hen Night Fairy Cake Action.’










2 comments:

  1. Yummy - Look good. Are there recipes in your novel? Do you do mail orders? Having lost all this weight I'd better not be tempted. Pity :-( Mx

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  2. Hi Morton, Thank you. Yes there are some lovely recipes in my novel and it's been tough testing them - but trying not to eat them. Of course I have had to do some sampling in the name of research, but my family tend to be very keen to help out on that front!

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