View Full Version : The Hairy Bakers
nicecupoftea
27-08-2008, 06:48 AM
Inspired by the Hairy Bakers I made my first Victoria Sponge cake yesterday. I usually make fruit cakes and cup cakes so this was a bit of a departure for me. I knew I had a set of sponge baking tins in the back of the cupboard and dug them out. I measured them and found them to be 8in. Started to go through my recipe books and found they all wanted 7in tins. Finally found one recipe for 8in tins got the caster sugar out and noticed that the recipe on the side was for 8in Victoria Sponge cake :rolleyes:. It came out looking pretty good so I texted hubby to ask him if he wanted caster sugar or icing sugar on top. He was on the phone to me in seconds saying he thought I was joking the night before when I said I was going to to make one. So excited was he that when he came home he sanded down the bedroom door that has needed doing for six years. After consuming the cake he painted it straight way.
Anyway next week it's pies, so at this rate I may have a new kitchen in two weeks. ;)
Rentochops
27-08-2008, 07:06 AM
I loe the hairy's - they did make baking look fund again - I never enjoyed rubbing in though!
Sounds like they work magic though ncot!
I watched them too - good fun. lol
I haven't made a cake (of any kind) for over two years (since we moved), used to bake regularly but my cooker is carp so don't bother at the moment. lol
Talking about baking lol has anyone ever made a cake/buns in one of those table top cookers (Prima Superchef type)? I find it very good for meat/pies (after having many disasters in the carp cooker lol) but wondered aboubaking cakes in it.
Excellent result, NCOT! I love baking but it is a skill that is sadly declining. At our recent village Scarecrow weekend, they sell tea/coffee plus donated cakes in the village hall as part of the fund-raising. On the plus side, lots of cakes are donated by kind people but I have to say that they quality of the baking is not good! To bake well, you need to prepared to take time and effort, these days people just seem to want short-cuts.
Wellington
28-08-2008, 12:45 PM
LOL NCOT - hope you get your new kitchen soon! If only you'd known before that hubby would do anything for a nicely baked cake :)
I haven't seen this week's Hairy Bakers yet - Sky +'d it. Hubby's interested in how you make a 'real' Bakewell tart, which I think they did in this week's? We watched the one on bread last week & couldn't help but laugh at how long it takes to make a decent loaf! Specially the wholemeal one that had to be left for hours on end to proove
Rainbowwand
28-08-2008, 01:56 PM
Oooh dont Bakewell tart from Bakewell, yummy, but not so good when you are trying to cut down lol
Phree
28-08-2008, 01:58 PM
OK when and what channel is this on........ sounds like fun to watch?
Rainbowwand
28-08-2008, 02:07 PM
BBC 2 and i think Weds
Wellington
28-08-2008, 02:55 PM
Don't believe a word RW says Phree LOL ;) Well, apart from the bit about BBC2 - 'tis on Mondays at 8:30pm
Rainbowwand
28-08-2008, 05:10 PM
Don't believe a word RW says Phree LOL ;) Well, apart from the bit about BBC2 - 'tis on Mondays at 8:30pm
lol oops, :D
Phree
28-08-2008, 05:27 PM
Aw, thank you ladies, RW for the channel and welly for the day and time :)
craftycat
16-09-2009, 07:16 AM
flippin' elves and their safety rules. Sadly home made cakes and preserves stalls have suffered badly in recent years because of them! I remember reading somewhere that the Women's Institute has had trouble running the market stalls they used to do.
Another silly is the soft toy ruling. Makers who sell soft toys have to be registered, buy a licence, label the toys they have mad correctly!!!! I used to make a lot of knitted dolls ( you know the scarecrow types etc) which were sold or raffled at Christmas fairs and the like. Many charities won't even accept them now.
Little Jan
17-09-2009, 10:37 AM
oh don't get me started.I offered to make some card for Claire to take in to raise money for the school she works at, the old head at the time said oh no we can't do that just incase who makes them has a cold, and paper and card holds germs. What about all those man handled cards in shops,are they made from germ proof card LOL
Good job the new head has come in with a new sweepy thing (not saying the other word in case Fab is reading lol). She has sent out notes for cakes and anything hand made for the Christmas fete, first one school has had in donkeys years.:up:
Alice3_2009
17-09-2009, 10:46 AM
Oh dear, what if the cake has a cold and holds germs?? :dull:
LoobyLou
18-09-2009, 06:52 AM
I agree these jobsworths sound a right PIA and it must be frustrating to be defied a means of making some well needed funds, but sadly we are in a 'sue the pants off them' society these days. Perhaps these folks have had experience of someone trying to sue them for something that was common sense to the rest of us but a good excuse to make money to the person persuing the claim.
I have heard of people suing for the stupidest of things that you would think was all their own fault and why would they be stupid enough to do what most of us think of as dangerous anyway, and actually winning!
This is a sad trait we have imported from the God Almighty dollar worshiping Americans who it seems would sue themselves if they could make a fast buck.
Looby