This is becoming a yearly tradition...

It's the 29th June again which means tomorrow is my birthday. Not just any birthday- the big 21. 

I read over my blog post from this time last year, covering my achievements of that year. It's fair to say that I've come so far since then. I don't think I could have predicted how my year in Paris was going to turn out but when people told me it would be the best year of my life so far, I didn't believe them for a long time. Now I realise how true that is. Here's what I did this year: I went completely and utterly alone to live and work in Paris; I built a life for myself out there from nothing. 

I look over my diary entries from those first couple of days which were filled with nerves, fear and uncertainty and I am so proud of myself because I've just come such a long, long way. I'm still me, I'm still Rachel but I'm a better version of myself, and that version thrived in Paris. I am already starting to find that I'm slipping all too easily back into my old, easy life. Paris was so far out of my comfort zone when I moved there and I dreaded everything that I had to do because of that. But by the end of the year, being out of my comfort zone was exciting. That's a feeling I don't want to lose, but being back home makes it easy to slip back into a comfortable lifestyle again. I love home but I need to keep challenging myself, and I do believe that the older I become, and over the next years, I will welcome those challenges and know with confidence that I can face them.

Having left Paris now, I know it will always hold a place in my heart, and will always be a part of my life. Never did I think I would be able to love a city so much since I am a real country girl. But I'm going to have to find the perfect balance of both because I can already see myself booking a weekend away back to Paris before the year is up.

Being abroad gave me a confidence which I never thought I'd find and has made me feel like a young woman ready to take on the world. That is something I'll never lose. So when I look back at my life in 10, 20 or even 50 years time, I'll remember that when I was 20, I had the most incredible year living in Paris which helped me develop into the person I want to be.

I took advantage of every opportunity thrown my way this year and have loved every minute of it. I've said yes when all I wanted to do was say no, and I've jumped when I've wanted to stop. That's a fantastic feeling and that's how I know I've made the most of this year.

I am so lucky to have had such an incredible year, and even luckier to have my lovely home and family waiting for me when I returned. So here's to another wonderful year... I'm going to make sure it's a good'un.

Light Chocolate Cake

Thought I’d do the second cake as a separate post to enable easier searches. Making my brother’s cake may have contributed to the highest stress levels I have ever experienced when baking. I was so nervous about the outcome. He’s fussy; as in likes-chocolate-cake-but-only-one-type-of-chocolate-cake fussy. This one type of chocolate cake seemed utterly impossible to recreate. It’s from our local bakery but is the richest, most sickly chocolate fudge cake ever and after numerous searches on-line for something similar, I had to compile my own ideas into a new recipe. But do you know what his verdict was? HE PREFERRED IT! I don’t think I’ve ever heard words so golden! 

The sponge itself was perfectly chocolately, and definitely not in a sickly way which was perfect for everyone else who wanted a slice and didn't want to feel queasy. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not find the kind of fudgey, gooey icing I was searching for without the use of cream (which he was quite adament he didn't want- difficult customer). This turned out to be a good thing because it stopped the cake from being too sickly. So, if you're looking for cake that's moist and chocolately, but still light enough to eat a whole slice, here's the recipe: 
(find the original here, thanks Mary Berry! Here video tutorial is especially useful)

Ingredients-

2 oz (50g) cocoa
6 tablespoons boiling water
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
175g self raising flour
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
100g baking spread, I used Stork
250g caster sugar
50g dark chocolate, melted
30g milk chocolate, melted

(For the icing and filling)
Batch of buttercream (enough to fill, and cover an 8" cake)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
30g milk chocolate, melted
30g dark chocolate, melted

Method-

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160 fan/Gas 4 and prepare two 20cm (8") cake tins.
2. Measure the cocoa and boiling water into a large bowl. Mix together until it reaches a smooth paste-like consistancy.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until combined. After melting your two chocolates, either over a pan of simmering water (without the bottom of the bowl touching the water!) or with intermittent bursts in the microwave, leave to cool slightly. When the chocolate has cooled, stir it through the mixture until combined.
4. Divide the cake mixture between the two tins. Put in the oven for about 30 minutes until well risen and you see it pulling away from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool.
5. After making your batch of buttercream, melt the dark and milk chocolate separately and leave both to cool slightly. Add cocoa powder to buttercream and stir through. Then add the two chocolates and beat until all combined. Spread over the first sponge, put together and then ice the top. Enjoy! 

Let them eat cake

Easter weekend was pretty inconveniently timed this year and was over my mum’s and my brother’s birthday so not only were we busy present-buying and celebrating but it meant that my desire to back an Easter cake this year was met by two family members who were also hungry for their own birthday cakes too. But instead of going overboard and doing three cakes over one weekend, I settled for two and my mum’s doubled up as the Easter cake too. So first up the Lemon Drizzle, minus the loaf tin, plus some buttercream. Find the original recipe here, and my altered recipe below…

Ingredients-

Zest of 1 lemon, plus half the lemon for juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

225g baking margarine (I used Stork)

225g caster sugar

4 free range eggs, beaten

225g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp milk

Bag of mini eggs, or other decoration of your fancy

(For the lemon buttercream, to sandwich)

Batch of plain vanilla buttercream- enough to fill one cake

Half of the lemon for juice (plus extra if you feel it necessary)

(For the lemon syrup, quantities for covering just one half- obviously double up if you want to do both)

2 tbsp demerara sugar

Juice of one lemon

Method-

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4 and prepare two 20cm sandwich cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.   
2. Put the lemon zest, vanilla, baking margarine and sugar into a large bowl and beat until pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the beaten eggs with a little of the flour, mix and then repeat until all the egg is gone. Fold in the rest of the flour and the baking powder, make sure not to overbeat! Finally add the milk and then spoon equally into the two tins.
4. Bake for 25 minutes. This is approximate because I waited until it had risen and was coming away from the sides of the tin. I also turned up the oven an extra 10 degrees towards the end for a few minutes to produce the gorgeous golden-brown colour on top. 

5. While the cake is still warm, poke holes in the cake with cocktail sticks. Mix together the demerara sugar and lemon juice until the sugar looks as though it's beginning to disssolve. Pour over the cake (one or both, depending on what you fancy- I did both and it gave it a wonderful texture), aiming it around the holes so that it sinks in.

6. Leave to cool and remove them from the tins. When completely cool, peel off the baking paper from the bottom.

5. Make your batch of buttercream (sorry for not putting something more detailed here- I don't think I have ever measured quantities of buttercream, I just add and taste until it's tasty and I have the right amount!) and mix in the lemon juice. I went for quite a weak taste here because of the already lemony sponge and syrup. When the cakes are cool, spread the buttercream onto one of the cakes, placing the other one on top when you've finished. Use any leftover to blob on the top with a piping bag and top with your decorations of choice.