Knock, Knock at the Blue Door Bakery

A month ago now I found myself taking a deep breath before I knocked on the dark blue door of a house in Hagley, just outside Birmingham. Inside, I was sure that there would be several friendly faces waiting for me, but I was nervous nonetheless.
You have to understand that I am quite shy and rarely venture out alone. This was going to be different though. I knew that everyone I met here today was going to share one of my passions and that we would at least have something to talk about. Phew. I find uncomfortable silences so, well, uncomfortable.


A smiling woman opened the door
"You must be Alice, you're the last to arrive" (I wasn't late - everyone else was early.)
"What a fantastic jumper!" I had worn one of my favourites and it was highly topical.
"Do you want some tea or coffee? There are some biscuits on the table too if you're peckish."
I instantly relaxed and realised I was going to be okay and that I was probably going to have a lot of fun.


I had arrived at the home of Sarah Barnes, owner of the Blue Door Bakery and I was going to spend the next few hours learning about decorating cupcakes!
All seven of us students sat down around a table and examined the mountain of equipment in front of us -cutters, plungers, foam mats, rolling pins and not forgetting a large selection of gel colours.
We spent the day learning about how to make different swirls from the fluffiest vanilla buttercream and how to make sugar roses and all about the proper use of florist paste.

I was back again a couple of weeks later to learn some more tricks too. It's highly addictive stuff, sitting around, practically relaxing, while you learn all these skills from someone with as much enthusiasm for her work as Sarah. It has ignited a pre-existing passion in me for sugarcraft and cake decoration much more than I could have imagined that it would have done; and since then, well, let's just say I've made a lot of cupcakes and invested a lot of time into decorating them!

If you're happy to sit and look at photos of gorgeous cupcakes, take a trip to the blue door bakery's website here or check out their facebook page. Click on the 'parties and classes' cucpake icon to see if there are any courses you'd like to go on too - but book quickly, these spaces sell like hot cakes!



My finished box of cupcakes, and that jumper.



Orange and Kumquat Cupcakes

It's a universal fact that we Britons love our tea. If there's ever a problem, no matter how big or small, a cup of tea will surely solve it. I won't get into the nitty-gritty of all of it - should the milk be put in first or last? A slice of lemon in place of the milk? Should there be one teabag in the pot per person and then one for the pot too?
Essentially, it's all down to preference. I will drink any type of tea apart from the regular ones, prefering a slightly floral note as opposed to a greener or smokier one . No milk, no lemon and certainly no sugar. I get my sugar fix from whatever I decide to take with my tea.

Last week, after I had made the candied kumquats, I could resist putting them into some orange cupcakes and sharing them with everyone at work. I am on a bit of a cupcake high - this week I am off on a days cupcake baking course and I could not be more excited. With any luck, I'll be able to post some pictures of what I learn in the next few weeks.


Orange and candied kumquat cupakes (adapted from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery, makes 12 cupcakes)


Ingredients
For the cupcakes
110g unsalted butter
225g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
150g self raising flour
125g plain flour
90ml milk
grated zest 1 orange
2tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 batch candied kumquats
For the icing
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
500g icing sugar


Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/ gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole cupcake try with paper cases.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a free standing mixer until pale and smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, with a tbsp of the flour and beat well.
Add a third of the flours and beat again. Pour in half of the milk, mix well and add another third of the flour and beat well. Add the remainder of the milk, beat and the remainder of the flour, the orange zest and beat well a final time.
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, placing a kumquat slice in the centre as a surprise filling if you wish.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
For the icing
Sift half of the icing sugar into a large bowl and beat together with the butter and orange juice until smooth. Gradually sift the rest of the icing sugar over the buttercream and beat again until smooth and creamy. 
Once the cakes are cool, ice with the orange buttercream and decorate with the remaining candied kumquats.