Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
cooking up a storm at the edge of the world
This dark rainbow unicorn birthday cake is the perfect centrepiece for a unicorn-themed party. Three layers of vanilla buttermilk cake are frosted with purple-tinted white chocolate buttercream and decorated with Midnight Magic Sprinkles. Shards of unicorn candy bark and a purple candy melt drip finish it off perfectly. Prep Time: 1 hours Cooking Time: 30 …
Well the wee man is another year older. Five years old means “big boy” and much closer to the wise old age of his big sister than the age of four was. She is seven and is held in great esteem with regards to her vast knowledge of the world.
My daughter has inherited my tastes for all things quirky and odd. She’s as fond of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002) (made into a film by Henry Selick in 2009) as I am, so when I asked if she might like a Coraline themed birthday cake this year I was delighted when she said yes.
Our eldest turned thirteen the other day. I am officially the mother of a teenager – how did that happen? I’m not old enough to have a teenage child!
It’s hard to believe that our youngest has turned four. How the time has flown by!
Step-by-step photo instructions on how to create a pirate ship birthday cake from two 9-inch round chocolate sponge cakes. Prep Time: 2 hours Cooking Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Easy A pirate party! Not every day one’s child turns three; a celebration is required! What better cake for a swash-buckling, pirate-obsessed three-year-old than this pirate ship …
In this eggless birthday cake, three layers of vanilla sponge cake are infused with thyme syrup before being sandwiched together with a decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting. A not-too-sweet, visually striking birthday cake for a 70th birthday celebration. A 70th birthday cake for a man The challenge: to create a visually impressive, tasty, subtly indulgent …
In collaboration with We Bake, the community that rewards you for baking. When it comes to birthday parties it has been known for me, on occasion, to go completely over the top. I absolutely love baking birthday cakes and will spend days carefully crafting sugar paste decorations for my own children’s celebration cakes. Regular readers …
Unleash your creativity with this versatile ultimate cupcake recipe! Start with a basic batter and transform each cupcake into a unique flavour sensation. Each cupcake is a delightful surprise, from zesty lemon to gin and tonic to rich chocolate. Perfect for parties or just because you deserve a treat! Decorating Time: 1 hour Cooking Time: …
This week saw another birthday come and go. It was also my blog’s 4th birthday. I haven’t quite reached the big 4-0 yet, but 39 is too darn close for comfort. I don’t know how this has turned into A Thing for me, but it has. It’s been playing on my mind for awhile, so …
aka how to salvage a failed attempt at making chocolate hazelnut spread. I like experimenting in my kitchen, I really do. Sometimes (quite a lot of the time, if I am to be honest!) it doesn’t quite go according to plan. I had a notion to make some homemade chocolate hazelnut spread recently. Ok, if …
A Scandinavian celebration cake with layers of sponge, cream and fruit. I feel I must apologize for the recipe blogging silence of late. Regular readers will be aware that back in February I took on a part time job in our local village shop – a little something to get me out of the house …
Rosemary-infused olive oil lends a savory note to this Mediterranean inspired bundt cake. A few months ago I mentioned on Facebook that I needed to get out of the house more. Full time blogging can be a lonely occupation with hours and hours spent by oneself experimenting with food in the kitchen, and even more …
Fresh lime juice takes these cupcakes to a whole new level. My husband came home from work the other day to find four strangers sitting at our kitchen table eating their lunch. When he told me this after I returned home after my day out, I belly laughed, and then, as the realization slowly dawned …
In collaboration with Dr. Oetker Baking. I absolutely love organizing and throwing birthday parties for my children. It’s one of those things I can get completely immersed in what with all the planning and creativity. I also might be overcompensating for the fact I’ve never had a birthday party of my own! They don’t get …
Impress your guests before they even get to the party with these DIY Super Mario Birthday Party invitations! Pull the tab at the bottom of this fun, double-slider birthday party invitation and a 1UP pops out of the top! Prep Time: 1 hour Makes: 4 invitations Difficulty: Easy A Super Mario Bros Birthday Party I …
“This was the best birthday party I’ve ever been to!” – 8 year old party guest. This month saw my beautiful, clever and incredibly talented daughter turn eight years old. She doesn’t get a big birthday party celebration every year, but when she does I like to try and make it a little bit extra …
My regular readers might have noticed my blogging silence over the last fortnight – that’s because as a family we’ve been away adventuring! We spent 12 days away; covering 1500 miles and camping in the Lake District in England and in the heart of the Cairngorms in Scotland. I’ve plenty of adventure stories to share …
The fantastic chocolatey food blogging challenge, We Should Cocoa, hosted by Choclette over at Chocolate Log Blog and co-created by Chele from The Chocolate Teapot (who has sadly retired from blogging) is three years old this month!
I spent a most wonderful child-free weekend in town. I don’t go into town very often, let alone for an overnight trip, but this weekend past I made an exception.
