The Highs and Lows Of Making a Hidden Surprise Rainbow Cake!

Today being Sunday was the usual, church, roast dinner, Scrabble with Grandma etc.

We did also have our preacher come for tea...so I made the extra effort and had it up to the table, with a cloth, napkins and proper tea set!

But today, I thought I would share with the how I made the rainbow cake for Teen One's birthday.

 

 

 

Before I do, I just thought I would let you know about this great ebayer I found for the cake topper.

There are various styles and colours, I really like this style and there is no other colour for Teen One but pink.

The order came in two days...I was very impressed indeed.

It's a shame it wont be reused of course, but its a lovely momento of her day for her to keep anyway.

At £15 I didn't think that was too bad for a quality bespoke item.

I would definitely buy from this person again and love the uniqueness of the topper.

 

 

So, onto the cake...it  was certainly  a colourful affair!

I have tried to make brightly coloured cakes before for the Teens...but they have lacked the brilliance that I managed to achieve this time round and I think I have discovered what I was doing wrong!

I need to confess at this point, that it was infact a packet mix....and I NEVER used packet mixes!

I by far prefer the taste and texture of home made cakes, but we had bought this in the States and it was made by Ace of Cakes, which we enjoy watching on the TV.

I didn't buy it for Teen One's birthday, but as the day approached I thought it would be good use of it.

So, this is where I think I was always going wrong.

The instructions said to add the "white cake mix" I didn't think too much of it at the time...but then when it said to add egg whites...I thought...what about the yolks??

Then the penny dropped....having a white cake batter meant the food colouring really came out bold.

Usually the cake mixture is creamy yellow...so no wonder I was never managing to achieve that lovely brightness.

 

 

 

With the bowls of various colours all lined up ( the purple didn't look too hopeful but turned out ok!)

it was time to put it in the pans....

 

 

 

 

...as I was making this three layered ( for the hidden surprise factor) I guesstimated a third of each colour each time spooned it out.

I started with the order of the rainbow in the first tin...

...in goes a third of the red...leave it to settle, then add a third of the orange right on top of the red...leave to settle, add a third of the yellow right on top of the orange...and so it goes on.

For tin number two and three I used a different order so as to give the cake a real multi coloured effect when it was cut into.

The secret is NOT to smooth out the batter in between colours...just let them find their natural level and then add the next one straight on top.

 

 

 

Don't smooth the last layer either...if its really uneven just give the tin a little jiggle.

 

 

 

Now came the problem....I am not used to using packet mixes...so hadn't anticipated how weak the structure of the sponge would be.

For making the hidden surprise (jelly beans) I cut out too circles from two of the layers....put them on the cake board...which in a mad moment I had decided would look better covered in fondant ( more of that bad decision later!)

The problem was...as I added the jelly beans...the sponge started to break in half with the weight !

Well a bit of buttercream and a liberal spreading for the final layer sorted the problem out...but did of course make for a rather crumbly slice when it was eventually cut!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The reason I regretted using white fondant on the board was, when covering the cake, it was impossible to keep my hands from touching the sponge and then the strong colours transferred onto my hands and onto the white fondant!

Then when trimming the fondant at the base of the cake, as the excess came away, no matter how careful I was, brightly coloured crumbs attached themselves on the icing and then dropped off onto the iced board!

The whole thing was a messy nightmare!!

I managed to cover most of it up with strategically placed ribbon and cascading flowers!!

I guess it was too much of an ask to do three new things in one cake (packet, rainbow and hidden surprise) and not expect some hiccups along the way.

But thankfully...no one seemed to notice...so if you don't tell anyone, neither will I!

 

 

Sunday June 5, 2016

Today's Proverb:
   Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5,6 / KJV
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A Family Walk Along Chichester Canal

 

 

Saturday morning wouldn't be Saturday without a slow start to the day, beginning of course with a cuppa a biccie in bed!

 

 

 

Once up I felt full of energy ( unusual!) and set too making a lemon and sultana cake for tomorrow's tea.

 

 

 

Teen Two then helped me try and bag up the seemingly never ending amount of soil at the back of our garage.

Not all of it belongs to us, but we seem to be the only people interested in clearing it up!

We started doing this last year and still haven't got to the end of the job....although of course we haven't been doing it regularly.

I am hoping to get it sorted soon though as the weeds seem to grow very quickly in this area and if we don't keep on top of removing the soil, we end up having to get rid of the weeds all over again!

 

 

 

I hadn't realised how humid it was out, and after half an hour both Teen Two and I were all done in...we managed to bag up about twice the amount here....but I forgot to take a picture...this was half way through our slog!

 

 

After a quick lunch, we made a brief stop off at the tip to get rid of some of the bags of soil (we are only allowed to take six bags a month...not sure how they police it, but if we go in bits and pieces maybe they wont notice!)

We then set off for a walk along Chichester Canal.

 

 

We parked our car in a tiny village car park, next to a car that was covered in mould INSIDE!! This pic doesn't really show it up...but the steering wheel should have been black and you can see its clearly not! It was horrendous, goodness knows how long its been there!

 

 

 

 

 

 Once on the walk, there was plenty of wildlife to see...

 

 

 

...and this butterfly followed us for quite some way...stopping just ahead of us each time!

 

 

 

The flowers along the canal were beautiful, I wish I was a better photographer...there were flowers of every colour, pink, purple, white, yellow etc...

 

 

 

...and the beautiful red of the poppies, which of course always remind us of the fields of poppies so many lost their lives in during the World Wars, and remembered especially around this time of year.

 

 

The walk was very pleasant...and being a rather nosey sort of person, I particularly enjoyed the first part of the walk, which backed on to some very lovely houses...

 

 

Whilst this wasn't a classic thatched roof, I did love the fact it had rooms either side of the front door...and of course roses around the door...

 

 

...and I don't know if this was their  granny annexe or summer house, but it looked very splendid!

 

 

And how's this for the kids to play in....a real little castle!

 

 

This was a very splendid home and beautifully kept.

 

 

 

After an hour and a half of walking, we were delighted to discover this café at the Marina...and quite empty inside too.

It would have been ideal to sit outside, and many people were, but the the flora and fauna had set off Teen Two's hayfever big time and he was really suffering poor lad, so we opted to stay inside and minimise his sneezing!

 

 

A pot of tea and carrot cake was ideal pick me up for me!

 

 

The view of the harbour would have been lovely, but we will save that for another time...and make sure we dose up Teen Two first.

 

 

The map for this walk is available here...and whilst it is very informative, it didn't really prepare us for the rather boring part of the public footpath to access the marina.

After the peace and tranquility of the canal, being back on tarmac and cars passing was not so much fun at all, and was probably about 15-20 minutes long.

The return journey was brightened up by a deer running back and forth ahead of us...but it was all so quick I didn't manage to capture it on the camera.

 

 

 

It was lovely to be back on the canal path, and with the sun behind us was very pleasant indeed.

(Although poor Teen Two was REALLY suffering at this point!)

 

Turner painted his famous picture of Chichester Cathedral from along this path, but we didn't manage to find the spot today...we will save that for another time.

 

It's been lovely to get out in the fresh air together and we have promised ourselves we will research some more local walks for the coming months.

 

 

Saturday June 4, 2016

Today's Verse:
   I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

3rd John 1:4 / KJV
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Going The Extra Mile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning was spent catching up on one or two bits....grocery shopping, putting washing away etc.

The weather wasn't particularly warm again, and the day overcast, but it was soon brightened up when next door's son brought me in this lovely bunch of tulips.

After the last experiment, when they all drooped...I have decided to just prick the top of the yellow ones and see how they do. I did also trim the ends so we will have to wait and see how things go this time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hubby finishes early on Fridays, so with no Friday club this week we decided to make the most of the time.

A retro gaming exhibition has opened at our local museum, so I thought Hubby and Teen Two could enjoy some father son bonding time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ...whilst Teen One and I went shopping at the local Outlet centre.

In particular, she was looking for a new watch.

Having looked online we had a fair idea of what was around and what price, and she was delighted when she saw this Rose Gold watch in Radley's

The picture doesn't do the pretty colour justice, but I am sure you all know what Rose Gold looks like!

She had received a cheque from her uncle yesterday, exactly the same price as the watch...so we will send him a picture so he can see what his money went on!

 

 

We popped into Claire's and saw this pretty daisy bracelet going for a song...not quite Radley quality, but pretty none the less.

 

 

 

Shopping is always hard work isn't it, so we called into Costa for a break.

The lovely Chilean lady got our order completely wrong....having spent ages trying to say what we wanted I thought we had cracked it ( I guess, small skinny decaf almond latte is rather a mouthful!)

but when I was waiting for the coffee to be made up I realised she had charged me for a medium...only when I started drinking did I realise that meant two shots...I only like one...and she didn't order the toasted teacake Teen One and I were going to share.

The barista overheard me say "oh, no teacake" and soon after brought one over... "its on me!" he said!

Needless to say, I put the cost of it and some more, into the tip jar.

Its little things like that which make such a difference isn't it.

We all make mistakes, its how we deal with them that sets us apart from others, and as far as customer service is concerned, that sort of attitude will keep me coming back.

I guess what really impressed me was the fact the barista hadn't made the mistake...but for the honour of the company he went the extra mile....if only his bosses knew!

Shame it wasn't an episode of Undercover Boss!

 

Friday June 3, 2016

Today's Verse:
   Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 / KJV

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appreciating Someone Else's Labour Of Love

 

This morning started with an early appointment for Teen Two's check up.

He has a lovely Community Dentist, a really lovely team and I always wish they were my dentist!

Over the years with council cut backs their surgeries have been relocated several times and hours shortened...but I am thankful they are still around for us.

 

 

Teen One had a lie in, but once up set to and decorated a cake she had made  on Monday, for a friends birthday.

The friend loves Smarties and lemon curd, so we made up a butter icing using lemon curd to flavour it...scraping the bowl was very yum!

 

 

 

 

After a quick trip to Tesco, the Teens and I played Uno...always good family fun and always has us in hysterics!

 

 

 

 

 

We are all terrible at shuffling cards and our late neighbours had loaned us this card shuffler.

It's really good fun to use and does an excellent job....I have reminded the son we still have it and am secretly hoping he doesn't want it!

 

 

This afternoon next door's son came in, as usual, bearing gifts!

His aunt had made this for his mum and he wondered if I would like it...well I couldn't say no could I!

It looks a real labour of love and I can really appreciate all those ends that would have needed sewing in!

It has been given a quick wash and is on the line drying out. I think its made with wool rather than acrylic...wet wool has a very distinctive smell doesn't it...will have to make sure the moths don't get near it!!

I thought it would be nice to use in the garden when the evenings get chilly and we are still out enjoying the longer evenings...not that we are in danger of using it any time soon, its been freezing all week!

Thursday June 2, 2016

Today's Promise:
   For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38,39 / KJV
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Happy 18th Birthday Teen One!

 

Well like any mother, I am finding it hard to come to terms with the fact, that much longed for baby is now an adult!

Teen Two had revision all day, which meant Teen One and could do all sorts of girly things without him having to tag along like a spare part!

 

 

 

The morning started with the present unwrapping of course.

Her main present from us was a Pandora bracelet.

She has long admired these beauties, but the price seemed too prohibitive to be honest...well for a youngster anyway.

I really didn't know what to get her to be honest and she said there wasn't anything she actually wanted or needed...but you can't  let a milestone birthday like this pass by can you!

So, after a lot of thought I decided it would an appropriate gift for her 18th and one that can be added to over the years.

I am delighted to say she was thrilled, and of course it was most unexpected.

 

 

 

 

With the presents unwrapped it was time for a birthday brunch treat.

We went to a tea shop near the seafront with lovely views.

Teen One chose a small full English....

 

 

...and I chose my all time favourite salad, called a Jayne Salad.

It has everything imaginable, as usual I was unable to finish it, but doggy bags (boxes actually) are provided for left overs.

 

 

 

I don't usually go round taking pictures of public toilets...but the ones in the tea shop are so beautifully kept I couldn't resist showing you!

 

 

We then called into town to visit Pandora's as Teen One had been given a gift voucher by a church friend who was in on the secret.

She chose a treble clef and tiara.

We also bought a safety chain.

I can see that whilst in Greek Myth Pandora had a box that opened, this modern day Pandora has opened up another world to us....one that Teen One is going to love!

 

 

 

 

 

After a quick trip to Grandma, to show her the Pandora charm she had chosen, and of course thank her, we collected Teen Two from school and headed off to see Alice Through the Looking Glass.

Disney will always be my favourite version, but this was much better than I expected...its true to say I actually enjoyed it!

 

 

It was then time to meet Hubby at Prezzo for dinner.

This is the first time we have visited this chain, and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Made all the better by getting 25% off with our Gourmet card!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teen Two ordered white hot chocolate...how lovely it looked when it arrived!

A jug of steaming frothy milk, ready to be poured over white chocolate buttons!

No imitation, flavoured syrup here, the real mcoy!

 

 

 

 

And of course the final job of the day was singing happy birthday!

I made a "Hidden Surprise" cake...filled with jelly beans....but more of that tomorrow!

Its been a lovely day with my grown up baby and we feel so blessed to have her.

 

Wednesday June 1, 2016

Today's Psalm:
   This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 / KJV
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