Pistachio & Cashew Summer Fete Cake

baking
Bake off is back on our tellies this week, to celebrate I've made a summer fete inspired cake.
It's perfect to have a slice with a cuppa whilst you watch the show. It's really easy to make but needs a little patience as you essentially make two tiers and sandwich them together. 

Why not top with fresh flowers, make sure they are edible ones like Roses, Pansies, Marigolds, Hollyhocks and Daisies. Or alternatively you can top with Pistachio nuts if you prefer, just pile a cluster in the middle of the cake and ta da!


You'll need...
For one cake tier....
115g self raising flour
140g muscovado sugar
75ml sunflower oil
1 large beaten egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 grated carrot
1 mashed banana
25g pistachio & cashew nuts

For the topping...
170g icing sugar
200g soft cheese
85g melted butter 
Pistachio nuts or fresh flowers to decorate


To make...
Mix all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl until well combined and smooth.
Break up the nuts and stir into the bowl.
Turn into a greased 18cm cake tin and shake to level the surface.
Pre-heat the oven to 180oc, bake for 30 mins
Leave to cool, turn out onto a wire rack and repeat to make the second tier.

Sift in the icing sugar into a bowl, add the soft cheese and butter mix together until smooth.
Spread the icing onto the top of one tier.
Then put the second tier on top of this.
Spread icing on the top and decorate with nuts or fresh flowers.
Serves 6-8 people.

Photographed using my Country Ducks collection exclusively from Debenhams

Preview: Into The Woods Collection

Ashley Thomas at home

My Autumn/Winter collection for Debenhams is inspired by the beautiful British woodland. Leafy, botanical prints are a modern take on traditional florals inspired by turn of the century prints from the 1900's. The range is full of entangled foliage, wonderful woodland creatures and atmospheric autumnal colours. This season rambling florals sit on dark grounds, replacing twee palettes for sophisticated colours. Mix and match patterns add an element of playfulness to your home. Charming woodland animals feature throughout the range and create a conversational element to your home. Some of our favourite products are featured below, look out for the hedgehog salt and peeper shakers.


Debenhams A/W16

Events

A few months ago I went to the Debenhams Autumn/Winter press show to celebrate the launch of my new collection with them (which is starting to appear online now).
My collection is called "Into the Woods" and is inspired by the beautiful British woodland. 
Leafy, botanical prints sit on dark grounds this season. I was hugely inspired by turn of the century wallpapers and prints, which is reflected in the collections main pattern.
The range is full of intricate mix and match patterns, moody autumnal colours and charming quirky woodland creatures which add a playful touch to the designs. You'll find Hedgehog salt and pepper pots, an super sweet owl trivet, beautiful tea sets, dinnerware and an adorable measuring cup set featuring an owl handle.

The products were displayed on tree trunks and crispy leaves and tree branches. Which set off the designs beautifully and set the tone for the collection.




Hedgehog Salt and pepper set, coming soon. Click here to shop my collection.




Above is one of my favourite products, Set of four measuring cups, £14 Exclusively at Debenhams


The products have started to appear online and in stores now, but should be fully available in September. Exclusively at Debenhams.

Christmas in July 2016

Events



Last week was the Debenhams Christmas in July press show. It was held in the beautiful Fritzroy Square in a gorgeous Georgian town house. I was asked to host a cupcake decorating workshop with the visitors in the stunning kitchen on the ground floor, which was nearly as big as the whole downstairs of my house! It was an invite only event and visitors were journalists and researchers from short lead magazines, newspapers, TV shows and independent writers and bloggers. Debenhams presented products launching in store soon within the house. Including my new Christmas homeware collection which will be out in September.



The event workshop was so much fun, I do lots of baking at home and it was a lovely opportunity to talk to everyone about my new range whilst teaching a simple buttercream icing recipe which I use for my cupcakes.




Here's some of my workshop victims having a go at pipping their own icing onto the cupcakes.
If you want to have a go at home here is the recipe we used...

For the cupcakes...
100g Butter, 100g Caster sugar, 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder, 1 Orange, 2 Eggs,
50g Dark Chocolate, 125g Self-Raising Flour

For the icing...
350g icing sugar, 150g butter, Orange food colouring
Edible silver balls, Edible glitter, A piping bag & nozzle

To Make...
Preheat the oven to 170oC
Beat the sugar and butter together, add the cocoa powder,
grate in half of the zest of the orange and squeeze in 2 tablespoons of the juice.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and then add to the mixture.
Whisk the eggs together and mix into the mixture well.
Then fold in the flour.

Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases, they should be 3/4 full.
Bake in the oven for 20mins, allow to cool completely.

Make your buttercream icing in the meantime, 
weigh out 120g/4oz of icing sugar and 50g/2oz of butter.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl.
Chop the butter into small cubes and mix in to the sugar using the back of a spoon.

Add a few drops of food colouring to add colour to your icing.
Grate in some of the orange zest or add a few drops of vanilla extract
or caramel flavouring to add flavor to your icing.

Cut the piping bag to fit the nozzle. (about ¾ of the way down)
Insert your nozzle inside and push into the hole to fit snuggly.
Holding onto the end of the nozzle, turn the bag inside out and spoon in your icing.
Shake the icing to the bottom of the bag and twist the end.
Squeeze the bag to decorate your cupcakes.

Use the large open nozzles to create the classic blob or the large star nozzle to create rose and ruffle shapes or use the smaller nozzle for spikes and mini roses.

Top with a variety of decorations such as silver balls,
chocolate stars, twirls, mini jazzies or cherries.