Rachel Bustin

Microwave Chocolate Cake Recipe

As a busy mum who works full-time I have been reading up on how to quickly bake up cakes. I honestly didn’t know you can utilise your microwave to cook up many different things. I’ve only ever used mine for warming up beans or the odd microwave meal. I love the idea of a microwave chocolate cake!

I made a gluten free chocolate cake a while back for a birthday but that was in a normal oven.

But after looking at recipes on Pinterest many people do use the microwave for baking cakes. So I decided to give it a whirl!

I chose to start with a full size cake, duh! Not a mug cake, which I want to try next time.

Chocolate cake is a huge favourite in our house so that was the one to start with. I have listed the ingredients and method so you can try it at home as well if you wish.

Microwave Chocolate Cake

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The Ultimate Christmas Cake Recipe

Over the past few years I have gotten into making my very own Christmas cakes. Last year I made one. This year I’m attempting two! I always use the same easy Christmas cake recipe. I’m not sure how I came about it. I think over the years I have added my own bits to it. Now it really is the ultimate easy cake recipe. I think the most effort needed is to weigh out all the ingredients.

The Ultimate Christmas cake recipe

Easy Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients for your Ultimate Christmas Cake

  • 525g Currents
  • 225g Sultanas
  • 225g Raisins
  • 110g Mixed Candied peel finely chopped
  • 165g Glace Cherries halved
  • 300g Plain Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Mixed Spice
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 300g Butter
  • 300g Soft Brown Sugar
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • 6 Large eggs
  • 3 tbsp Brandy

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Making My Christmas Cake

These are the photos I took while making my Christmas Cake. Cannot wait to tuck into it tomorrow! 
I wish all my fantastic readers a very Merry Christmas! 
Rachel xxx

Happy Chocolate Day!

Well I have just discovered that today is Chocolate Day! One of my new favourite days, I think. This is a picture of some gorgeous chocolate cupcakes that I made yesterday. I can’t wait to tuck into them! 
I have always been a huge chocolate lover ( which you can probably tell by now! ) My favourite chocolate bar is a dark chocolate Bounty, which are actually hard to come by here in Cornwall. The best chance of finding one is normally at petrol stations. 
I would love to hear about all your favourite chocolate bars, are you a milk or dark chocolate lover?
Rachel xx

More Cake Please!

First of all I would like to say Happy Easter to you all! I hope you all got lots of wonderful chocolate Easter eggs and are scoffing lots of cakes!
During the Easter period I have been entering lots of competitions (especially for Easter eggs!) I have yet to win an Easter egg yet but my fingers and toes are still crossed! However I did win a twitter competition with Mr Kipling Cakes and what a cakealicious surprise I had through the post! Thanks Mr Kipling!
The brightly coloured orange box contained Lemon Whirls, St Clements Slices, Lemon Fancies and Lemon Bakewells. 
As you can tell from the picture above I love the Lemon Bakewells best! They are crumbly, sweet and just scrumptious! 

Mr Kipling’s current promotion on Twitter is #BetterWithCake and I have to agree with them! Life is better with Cake! 

So why does cake make you feel better? 

Baking all sorts of cakes, brownies and scones is very therapeutic and can help stimulate the mind. It gives you a sense of achievement when you look back at what you have created. 
I love this quote from Mary Berry the ultimate Queen of Cakes: “If you’re feeling a little bit down, a bit of kneading helps,”
I would like to hear what you love to bake, and does it make you feel better?
Rachel xx