With Vanilla being the words favourite flavour, Nielsen Massey is firm favourite. There’s a difference in taste between ‘essence’ and ‘flavour’, find out why Nielsen Massey is superior.
A Touch of Vanilla
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Nadiya Hussain
Nadiya Hussain, current title holder of the 2015 Great British Bake Off and the nation’s sweetheart will be headlining the Cake and Bake Show from 7-9 October at ExCeL London and 10-13 November at EventCity Manchester
We take time to ask her a few questions…
- How old were you when you first started to bake? And what inspires you?
I started to bake properly at the age of 21 when I bought my first house with my husband Abdal. He is obsessed with eating cake and turns out I’m obsessed with baking them. I take inspiration from most things around me when I’m baking. But my children and husband help me to create new flavours and help me test them too.
- What’s your go to bake?
It has to be carrot cake. It’s the one thing I can bake for everyone where nobody will complain. My kids are not usually fussy but it’s all the extended family that can be tricky to please.
- If you could only bake 1 thing what would it be?
Chocolate cake. It’s everyone’s favourite and so versatile. Paired with other flavours. Eaten with fruit, custard or ice cream. Eaten hot or cold.
What’s your favourite ingredient?
At the moment my favourite ingredient to bake with is matcha green tea powder. It’s earthy, vibrant and aromatic. It’s also versatile.
- After winning GBBO and all the media attention, do you still find passion in baking?
Absolutely it’s the one thing that helps me relax. Even though now I’m always making notes and typing in between it is given me a new appreciation for all the things I do and document in the kitchen.
- Do you have any advice for the GBBO finalists?
Have fun !!! It’s a tough being in that tent but once you walk out there’s no coming back for enjoy and revel in every second.
What do you find the most challenging baking technique?
I think meringues are very tricky as they can fail depend on external factors like weather and humidity. But practice makes perfect.
- What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learnt filming your new TV show?
I’ve learnt that I can travel alone even though it’s petrifying at times and that otters can be trained!
- Who would you invite to your ultimate dinner party and what would you make for dessert?
I would invite David Attenborough and make him a mango and parsley pavlova
- Out of Mary and Paul which one gives the most difficult challenges?
Who did you want to impress the most? The challenges were equally difficult but I think when Paul does a technical with bread making he is the one to impress. He only has to look at bread to know whether it’s good or an utter disaster.
- What you are most looking forward to about the Cake & Bake Show?
I was at the C&B after winning bake off and it’s safe to say I was nervous and not sure about what I was doing. I can’t wait to come back and do demos, something that I have really come to love. Looking forward to meeting all the cake mad bakers out there too.
We have 500 tickets for the Cake and Bake show to giveaway, head here to find out more: Cake and Bake Tickets Information
Hurry book claim your ticket to the opening of the Shows, or book for just £9 and SAVE £6**
Please quote BAKINGM and visit www.thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk or call the hotline on 0844 854 1364.
Plus kids aged 6 and under go FREE.
**£9 advanced booking offer valid until 8 October 2016. £1.75 transaction fee applies per order. Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.
Know your Unrefined Sugars with Billington’s
Knowing which sugar to use in your bakes can often be a mystery. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Billington’s to make it easy. This chart features the most used unrefined sugars and shows you which one to use and when.
How to Create the Perfect Afternoon Tea
What’s more perfect than spending an afternoon indulging in afternoon tea? This is perhaps classed as one of the most English traditions introduced in England by the seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840. Around 4 o’clock, the Duchess would ask for a tray of tea with sandwiches be brought up to her room during the later afternoon between 4 and 5 o’clock. She frequently invited friends to join her. This was the perfect solution to her long wait from lunch to dinner.
This occasion became a social event and during the late 19th century which saw the wealthy upper-class changing into suitable attire especially for their afternoon tea.
Although tradition has somewhat changed since the 19th century, even we, can appreciate something as small as a biscuit with a cup of tea around 4pm.
Try hosting your very own afternoon tea. Invite some friends and a nice big pot of tea. You’ll need some accompaniments:
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Swiss Roll only takes 8 minutes to bake. Simple yet so effective, this recipe will be fun to make and impress your friends.
https://www.bakingmad.com/nielsen-massey-vanilla-swiss-roll-recipe/
Sandwiches with a twist; the bread features a delicately infused Twining’s English Breakfast Tea to give it a light and delicious flavour.
Ever thought about combining afternoon tea scones with tea? We have. Try our easy to follow recipe:
Want to pull all the stops out and really have your friends talking? Try making our macaroons infused with Nielsen Massey’s lemon and vanilla extract. Not only do these have a 5 star rating, but the recipe was also featured in The Good Housekeeping Christmas Cookbook 2010.
To help celebrate Afternoon Tea Week this August 2016, we’re giving you the opportunity to win a voucher for afternoon tea for 2 people courtesy of ‘Afternoon Tea‘. To find out more about our competition, head to our ‘Featured Competition’ section in our ‘members area’. Terms and conditions apply:
https://www.bakingmad.com/luxury-afternoon-tea-voucher-2-worth-60/
How to Make Jams and Preserves
If you’re at home surrounded by a seasonal glut of fruit which will soon peak, you might want to start thinking about how to preserve the rich and sweet taste of your summer bounty. What better way is there than making your own delicious home made jams and preserves? We’ve got the know how, top tips and recipes to help you on your way.
First things first. Ever wondered why you’ve lost colour or flavour when making jam previously? It’s probably all down to your pectins. Depending the level of pectin in your fruits will depend on which sugar type is best to use to get the optimum flavour for your preserves. Sound confusing? Silver Spoon have taken the stress out and developed 2 key sugars especially.
Silver Spoon Preserving Sugar is perfect for making marmalade, jams and preserves using fruits that are naturally high in pectin.
The large sugar crystals dissolve slowly and reduce the risk of burning or the need for stirring and skimming. Silver Spoon Preserving Sugar also produces less froth, which helps create a clearer preserve.
Use with fruits such as plums, redcurrants, blackcurrants, gooseberries, greengages, damsons and Seville oranges.
For soft fruit containing lower levels of pectin, Silver Spoon Jam Sugar helps ensure these jams and jellies set successfully every time.
Containing the right amount of natural pectin that certain fruits lack, it helps ensure the jam or jelly sets quickly and retains its fresh fruity flavour and natural colour.
Use with fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apricots, blueberries, cherries, pears, peaches, rhubarb and loganberries.
Here are 3 of our most popular recipes, all rated 5 stars:
Raspberry jam. With raspberries in season from June to October. Get yourselves outside and foraging for big juicy berries.
Tinned fruit? This Crushed peach preserve recipe uses tinned peaches, which are available all year round and great value for money.
Blackcurrants are usually quite sharp in taste, making it the perfect base for a jam.
You’ve got your recipe, you have the ideal sugar, now for some top tips to guide you through the making process;
- If you’re wondering how to tell when your jam is close to it’s setting point; You can spot the change in the rolling boil (Rolling boil? check out out FAQs where we explain further: https://www.bakingmad.com/faqs/category/jam-2) The bubbles which will turn to a slower pace. The surface of the jam will look shiny and feel thicker when you stir it. The air bubbles will go as the jam thickens and forces the air out. The temperature should read 105’c. Be careful not to overdo it. If you over cook the jam, the process cannot be reversed.
- Choose your jar. If you’re going for something with a twist metal lid, you do not need to use waxed discs. Make sure you sterilize your jars to keep the contents as fresh as possible
- When you come to jarring your jam, make sure you fill to the brim when the temperature of the jam is still over 85’c.
Want to know more? Head to our Frequently Asked Questions where we have lots of jam related answers:
Our Top 10 Child Friendly Recipes
It’s the summer holidays and you’re at home entertaining the kids. The question is, how to keep them entertained without resorting to game consoles and TV?
Don’t worry, we have your back! We’ve tried and tested our recipes and have narrowed it down to our Top 10 Recipes you can involve the children with.
- Start with our easy Allinson Flour Pizza Dough recipe, this one takes the longest because of the proving time. What’s feels better than the squidge of dough between your hands? Make sure you apron the kids first! Flour will be guaranteed to get everywhere.
2. Rainbow meringues. Not as difficult as you think. These colourful individual meringues will ensure your children don’t over indulge. Try mixing colours together for a fun science experiment. Perfect for the up-and-coming scientists in the family.
3. Cake balls! These are easy to make. If your kids can’t agree which flavour to choose, not a problem, separate the ingredients and add whatever flavour you like before rolling into balls. We personally love the Nielson Massey Rose water extract.
4. One of our quickest and most popular recipe to make with children is pancakes! Try our chocolate pancakes with banana. These are delicious. Fussy eaters won’t eat bananas? Substitute with strawberries. These are sure to be a hit in the kitchen.
5. Fairy friendly cake recipe. We promise no fairies were harmed during the recipe creation! This simple batter recipe will bake in 15 minutes. Not too long to wait, but can they wait long enough to ice them? That’s the tricky bit!
6. Close the back door when you’re making this one, you don’t want the cookie monster to turn up. This recipe makes 16 cookies. Perfect for sleepovers!
7. There’s nothing better than the idea of a barbecue. These Allinson bread rolls are easy to make and are the perfect accompaniment to hot dogs. With a 20 minute baking time, it would be rude not to.
8. 
Chocolate dipped apples. One of your 5 a day! No ovens involved, these are a great idea for all ages. Really simple and quick to make
9. No bake chocolate cake. These bars are great. It’s easy to make substitutions if the fussy eaters don’t want things like glace cherries.
10. 
After all this hard work, you’ll all be quite thirsty. Just like the old days, you can reminisce with your children about how freshly homemade lemonade was the ultimate thirst quencher and how it still is now!
This will take no more than 10 minutes to make and involves no baking. Perfect for the younger ones who want to be involved.
Baked in the USA
Whichever side of the Atlantic you’re on, we can all appreciate what the USA has to offer us in terms of bakes. With a whole host of American cakes on our website, we’re counting down from 5 so join us for some lip smacking American favourites.
5- New York Baked Cheesecake
Recipes vary, but the key ingredient to this dessert is no surprise: cheese. Our New York version uses cream cheese with Allinson plain white flour, Billington’s Unrefined golden caster sugar and Nielsen Massey Vanilla bean paste amongst many other ingredients. Other types of cheesecake are topped with or contain fruits, chocolate, or pretty much any other decadent ingredient that you can imagine.
4- Chocolate cupcakes with pretzel decorations
If you’re looking for a dessert fix but don’t want an entire cake. This is the perfect solution. Thanks to the American love affair, the cupcake has grown in popularity both sides of the pond. Surprisingly, we found pretzels and cupcakes make a delicious marriage in crunch and sweetness. Try making our Chocolate cupcakes with pretzel decorations.
3- Simple Key Lime Pie
Head south to the Florida Keys. This is where the key lime pie originated. We’ve whipped up a miniature American classic using a much simpler recipe which only takes 20 minutes to prepare.
2-S’mores
The campfire hit! Don’t worry, you don’t need to wait for a campfire to make these little beauties. Wondering what a s’more is? Essentially a marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between 2 biscuits. What’s not to love?
1- Peanut butter and jelly cupcakes
Jelly or Jello? That is the question. Jelly in America refers to jam, and jello- is what us Brits call jelly. These cupcakes feature a spot of jam. If you’re feeling like an accomplished baker, why not make the jam as well?
For a tasty raspberry jam, try this:
How to plan a BIY (Bake it yourself) Wedding
There are many reasons you may opt to plan a BIY wedding. Perhaps you want to showcase your hobby and make truly delicious treats for all your guests. Maybe you want to keep yourself occupied and banish any over-thinking ‘did I sit my Aunty and her sister together? They really don’t get along!’
Here are some ideas and advice for you.
Keep it Simple:
Don’t think that just because it’s your wedding you need to create something elaborate. If you’re not an accomplished baker, sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. Maybe you want to go for a classic 3 tiered shape or a trendy naked cake – it’s easier that you think! Watch this step by step tutorial video by Juliet Sear for everything you need to know.
In Advance:
Don’t leave shopping for your ingredients to the day of the bake, have as much as possible prepped in advance. Even if your chosen recipe is tried and tested, if you’ve never made it in such a large quantity, make sure you do at least one trial run.
Decoration:
If you’re nervous that your cake (or anything else you’re planning on making) will look amateur, remember that the key is in the decoration. Once you’ve added your final touches, it will look the part. If you make a mistake, remember decoration can hide a multitude of sins! Try making these sugar roses, our simple video tutorial will help you create them.
Three tier sponge wedding cake recipe
Dessert:
What can you make to keep everyone happy? Something that doesn’t conflict with the cake they’ll have later? Why not try this?
Customise your own doughnuts with a variety of toppings, you can cater even for the fussy eaters.
Follow this simple salted caramel doughnut recipe for the ultimate tasty dessert.
Wedding Favours:
Go for something like fruit cakes, biscuits or fudge. These can often last longer so you can bake these several days before your wedding.
Why not try these delicious wedding biscuit favours
The most important piece of advice we could give to you, is don’t panic! Only take on as much as you realistically have time to accomplish – baking should be fun not a chore. Remember to take time to relax and enjoy the build up to your wedding.
How to throw the ultimate hen party
Having to plan a hen party is a personal and intimate experience. This may be something that the bride to be has dreamt of since she was a little girl, and if you’re the maid of honour, that’s quite some pressure on your shoulders to make sure you get it just right.
Fear not! Here is a list of tips from party games to guest favours to make sure the party is a success.
Break the ice 
You could be in a new place with new people, so it’s always good to have a welcome drink to introduce everyone and make people feel at ease. Why not welcome everyone in with a glass of bubbly and a naughty alcoholic cupcake? Our mojito cupcake recipe and Caipirinha Cocktail could do just the trick.
Games
Once everyone has arrived, your next step is to get everyone feeling in the party spirit. Here are some fun games you’d might like to try;
Dress the bride Split your team into equal groups (no smaller than 3s). Give each team a toilet roll. It is then their task to create a dress using the toilet roll on a member of the team in 8 minutes. This usually ends with some fabulous creations!
Hen Party Pinata: Perfect for any size of group. Fill the piñata with individually wrapped sweet treats so there’s a little prize for everyone once the piñata has been opened. If you are feeling particularly creative make your own sweets – our white chocolate mice filled with raspberry ganache are a delicious retro favourite.
Truth or dare 
This is perfect for letting your imagination run wild. Why not scrum up a few of these maple bacon cupcakes to pose as dares? These will be sure to challenge the fussy eaters.
Pace yourself
It’s especially important if you are out for the whole day or weekend, you don’t want the bride or anyone else feeling too tipsy and unable to enjoy the rest of the evening. Make sure you have frequent snacks and factor in some down time to eat and re-hydrate with soft drinks. What goes better with a group of lovely ladies than a slice of chocolate cake with a cup of tea?
When it’s all over
A little momentuo of the event?
Wedding themed biscuits. These are quick and easy to bake, and with a long shelf life, you can make these up to a week beforehand to give you lots of time to focus on the rest of your planning.
How to throw a beautiful baby shower
(Image courtesy of DrPrem.com)
Having a baby is one of the most special moments in a lifetime and should be celebrated in style. It’s is becoming increasingly popular for expectant Mummies to celebrate the pending arrival of their new bundle of joy with a baby shower hosted by their nearest and dearest. But don’t panic if you have offered to host the shower it doesn’t have to be as complicated as you think, we have put together a simple guide of great ways to pull off a beautiful and memorable shower.
Make your own food 
Ask the guests if they wouldn’t mind bringing along some nibbles for you all to enjoy to help with the catering. Perhaps find out what the mummy to be has been craving to make sure that her pregnant desires are being catered for (unless of course it is something obscure like coal!)
We have some great baby themed biscuit and cupcakes that are sure to impress the guests or alternatively would make lovely party favours for everyone to take home with them at the end of the party.
Cake glorious cake 
What is a party without cake? Why not try recreating our beautiful yet simple baby shower cake. A delicious sponge cake covered in blue sugar paste icing and decorated with white clouds and an adorable baby ornament which also acts as a lovely gift for Mum. (We purchased a pack of 5 fluffy cloud cutters from Hobbycraft and the ornament from The Craft Company online)
Don’t forget refreshments!
Whilst it is lovely to celebrate with bubbles, don’t forget that the star of the show will be steering clear of alcohol. Whip up a scumptious batch of refreshing cloudy lemonade and you will be on to a winner. These also look really cute served in mini milk bottles or jam jars with bright and colourful straws to tie in with the theme of the baby shower; i.e blue for boy, pink for girl or neutral.
Party games
After showering Mummy with gifts for the new arrival it is fun to get everyone involved with some quirky baby shower games. Collect baby photos in advance from your guests and get everyone to correctly identify who is who? This game is always guaranteed to bring lots of laugh and a few cringes too!
Why not blindfold Mummy for a baby food taste test to see how many she can identify? Or if you wanted to save a few pennies create your own baby food by blitzing various foods to a purée and serving in jam jars i.e apple, carrot etc.
But most of all…it’s important to relax and enjoy the shower. With many of these suggestions being able to be prepped in advance this will save you lots of time on the day and prevent you running around getting your nappy in a twist.
For our full baby shower recipe collection, click here.