Hello there! It’s me again, Lass!
So it’s that time of year again when Macmillan are promoting their “World’s Biggest Coffee Morning”, and people everywhere are organising events, inviting people along, asking folks to bring along baked goods, and planning what they themselves are going to bake.
Now of course, there’s the old tried and tested favourites like: crispie cakes, butterfly buns, cookies, Victoria sponges, and top hat marshmallows. Easy to throw together and pretty much fool proof right? But also, a little boring in my own opinion. The number of coffee mornings I’ve been to, or baked goods stalls at fairs, and seen the same things over and over – it’s a little disheartening. So this year, I would like to challenge people to perhaps step out of their comfort zone if they are able to.
For example, the other year I had said that I would make a cake for a theatre cast who wanted a little something to snack on in between acts. I felt like being a little adventurous, and thought that I would use them as Guinea Pigs for a recipe I’d wanted to try for a while! I’m sure by now most people are aware that you can put vegetables in cakes, beetroot in a chocolate cake is probably the one most people have heard of. However, this time, I put BROCCOLI into the chocolate cake! And you know what? It actually worked really well. I asked everyone in the cast who had a piece what they thought the flavour of the cake was, and none of them guessed at broccoli, and most of them didn’t believe me when I told them! I’ve repeated it a couple of times since, and it’s the same reaction every time. So just think, that child who loves a piece of cake – just ate a portion of veg by eating a slice of cake! Win win all around!
So to make it…
Ingredients
Recipe
Now, I quite liked it without any icing, as it was a nice delicate cake that had a not too sweet flavour to it. However, people like to eat with their eyes so if you’re trying to sell it by the slice, then a thin layer of icing and through the middle won’t go amiss. I’d recommend a chocolate fudge icing for this I think, and you can make that as follows:
For the icing
Carefully melt the chocolate so you don’t burn it. If you do it in the microwave or over a pan of boiling water is totally up to you. Personally, I use the microwave as it’s less mess and easier. But do watch it, so the middle doesn’t burn! Let it cool a little while you beat together the butter and the icing sugar until nice and pale and fluffy. Then mix in the chocolate and vanilla, to make a lovely glossy icing.
So, there you go. A really easy cake to push boundaries, get people talking, and have your event remembered. Here’s a couple of the ones I made! The ‘boards’ are just pieces of cardboard that I’ve wrapped in foil – saves you a few pennies, washing up, and means if someone wants to a buy a whole cake…. THEY CAN!
Now, that might be a little too ‘out there’ for you, and I get that totally! So, what else could you make? Well, you know what always goes REALLY well with a cup of tea or coffee – or so I’ve been told, as I drink neither Lol – Scones! I’ve shared this recipe on one of the Baking Tips threads I have going, but there’s no harm in sharing it again in case anyone missed it!
Ingredients
Recipe
Munch!
Tips - You're better off using plain flour and baking powder, because then you know you will get the same lift every time. Where with the self-raising, there's slight variations in the mix, which can have quite a big impact on your bake.
Just a thought, where I’ve said butter or shortening, I usually use Stork. You want unsalted of whatever you’re going to use, but for this sort of thing fat is fat. So just use whatever is in your fridge and you’ll be laughing.
Now, I’m going to stop boring you to tears because I could talk about recipes and techniques for hours and hours – and you’d all probably refuse to ever step foot into a kitchen again! Lol. However, if there’s a recipe you just can’t get right, or something you’d like a recipe for, or any question regarding baking, patisserie, or chocolates – then you can find me here. Please do pop in and ask any questions you might have, share your successes, share your failures, and share whatever you like. I look forward to hearing all about your baking adventures and if anyone takes up my challenge to push the ingredient boundaries!
Lass
Xx
Why not have a go? And let us know about your favourite recipes by commenting below.
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