Monday, 12 April 2010

cake club

Once upon a time, I entered a cake competition at No.1 The Royal Crescent, judged by Mary Berry, and although I didn't win, I took the cake into work that day for my fellow booksellers to finish up. Then I was asked to bake a cake for the staff-room table, and promised tips to contribute towards the cost. The victoria sponge with strawberries and cream was a success, and I got so many tips I had enough to bake another cake. And so began Cake Club.

The rules are simple, you can have as much cake as you want, for free. But should you appreciate the cake, and want to leave a tip in the cake club box, and if enough people tip enough money, then there'll be another cake. So far this has worked really well, I get enough anonymous tips to cover the cost of another cake, and a few pounds left over. And of course I'm being funded to bake to my heart's content.


So far the favourites have included carrot and orange cake with orange icing, and galaxy chocolate cake with pink icing. I have 6 or 7 requested cakes in the queue, a facebook group, 'the rules' written up (a rip-off of fight club and monty python), and totally inappropriate and pretentious but very funny reviews of each cake.

I don't know how long this will all last, surely at some point they will all get sick and tired of 'that dratted cake', but in the meantime I've decided to create a database of desserts tried & tested, or on my 'must bake' list. Lets get some bureaucracy going here! And here are my top 3, most used, dessert cookbooks, though I also use recipes from some other great general cookbooks, including 'At My French Table', 'the vegetarian student cookbook', and the indispensable 'The Cook's Scrapbook'.



And my wishlist:

6 comments:

juicyknits said...

Yummy! What's your all-time favourite cake? Would you mind sharing the recipe? I love baking as well.

A Homely Heroine said...

Ohh, that's a tough one! I most frequently bake simple cakes with whatever I have in the cupboards, to fulfil the cravings. But if I could have a choice of any cake, it would probably be a coconut and cherry cake. I'll do a post with the recipe soonish!

amy said...

mmm...this sounds delicious! I am sad I am not one of your co-workers. But being funded to bake! what nice perk at work!

coconut cherry cake sounds delightful. I would love a recipe too!

Felted House said...

I love baking when I have time, but HAVE to stop eating cake temporarily because I can only get into my biggest pair of jeans. I used to make my dad a different chocolate cake from a chocolate book every year when he was alive. What a great idea Cake Club is - I can't believe anybody will get tired of home-made cake! xx

Steffi said...

Mmmmmm, now I'm going to be craving cake all day. That's awesome that your baking is funded, though!

tammykingdon said...

I think that's a really great idea; how clever to turn it into an institution!