So – It’s Sunday… THE Sunday… the Sunday of the Great Blogger’s Bake Off !! 🙂
Crushed Caramel and Bereavedandbeingasingleparent organised the G B B-O along with special guest judge, A Jeanne in the Kitchen and invited all to join in for some fun, regardless of the level prior baking skills (From non-existent to Master Chef).
We had some freedom of choice for our sandwich sponge; I went for my own creation of a Mandarin Mocha Chocolate Sponge Cake. Having NEVER baked ‘from scratch’ before i was curious how well i could do. Judge for yourselves:
I started from this:

Which, with a little effort and a Kenwood hand mixer , along with 20 minutes in a 400F oven, produced these:

A little icing sugar, double cream, a tablespoon of coffee powder and a dash of Kahlua and lots more whisking along with a mandarin segments for decoration produced this:
And if i do say so myself… it tastes pretty darn good – for a first time effort. 🙂
Recipe: 3 Eggs,
180g unsalted butter,
180g caster sugar,
180g S/R flour,
2 Tbsp Cocoa powder (I used Cadbury Drinking Chocolate !)
Pinch of Baking Powder.
Mandarin segments for decoration.
For cream icing: 150g icing sugar,
300ml Double cream.
1 Tbsp Nescafe Gold coffee powder.
Dash of Kahlua (optional)
I double sifted the flour, cocoa and baking powder, which i then added slowly while mixing on low speed with my previously whisked butter and caster sugar in a big bowl. I put the mixture into 2 8 inch greased and lined with greaseproof paper baking tins and cooked them @ 400F for 20 mins. (Probably need less with a fan-forced oven!).
The icing i just bunged all into a cold bowl and mixed on high speed until nice and thick. Put half on lower sponge, then put the other sponge on top and the other half of the icing on top of that, throw a few mandarin segments on top and “Voila!”
love.
Buona domenica 😉 Farei volentieri un assaggio 😉
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How do i send a piece to you via e-mail?? 🙂
Grazie cara! 🙂
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😀
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Forse hai bisogno di venire qui per un assaggio?
Sono sicuro che ti piacerà! Yummm. 🙂
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I am so so impressed 🙂
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You are too kind. 🙂
(I’d send you a piece if i could! – I don’t think it would stand the journey to England though)
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Fabulous! Bob, you have a knack for baking. You made it look easy. The cake looks so delicious!
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Thank you! 🙂
Have to admit i was surprised how easy it was… i’ve heard of many baking disasters, but the cake came out unscathed, and delicious! 🙂
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Sounds like what a person with a knack would say 🙂
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🙂 It does… doesn’t it? 🙂
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Looks great! Definite A+ for presentation!
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Thank you, Amanda. 🙂 I was pleasantly surprised with the result – at all levels.
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It looks FABULOUS! YUM!!!!!!
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Thank You Jeanne.
For a first time effort it did come up pretty good. 🙂 Pity you can’t taste it from there. 😦
YUM! is the Word. 🙂
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I know. I wish we had smell and taste abilities on our computers. But it’s probably for the best though, otherwise I would be weighing 600 lbs right now. 🙂
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Hahahahahahaha!
Probably best we just imagine and take each other’s word for how yummy they taste then! 🙂
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Wow, what a great first time experience! You made it look like it wasn’t messy at all. 🙂
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That is because of the carefully edited camera work!! 😉 – covers a multitude of ‘sins’ 🙂
I was cleaning up as i went though – the whole thing was over and done with, including baking and cleaning up in a little over 2 hours. Which just left the eating part…. the best bit!! 🙂
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Mmm..I can just imagine. I love mandarin oranges and chocolate!
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It’s a really fine combination! Doubly so for a cake!! 🙂
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Chocolate and coffee – two favorite flavors combined! Cool cake, wish I could taste it : )
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Think you’d definitely like it…. you should try the recipe out (bottom of post) 🙂
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Your about page makes me think of how people across the pond- I’m in Wyoming, USA, greet everyone with hullo lov, or so it seems and I love that! So hello, love : ) nice page.
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Thank you!
The ‘love’ was more as my abbreviated nickname from my blog title. It was easier (and nicer) than going by LWBUT or Lovewillbringustogether. 😉
I still sign off my posts with ‘love’ but now equally for the action as much as my description. ❤
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What??? You BAKE too??? The cake looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I will have to give it a try.
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I took up the Great Blogger’s Bake-Off challenge and had my first go at baking a cake from scratch – not using packet mixes as i normally do! 😉
It did come out much better than i was expecting… and was delicious! ( If you like sweet, chocolatey things??) 😉
Hope you like it! 🙂
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Whoah!!!! I have an insane fear of kitchen utensils and appliances…and look what you did!!! I am duly impressed (and just a bit jealous that you got to taste it and we didn’t)!
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Fear of kitchen utensils?? ( i am NOT going to ask!)
I promise to save you all a slice of the next one i bake! :-)… just not sure how long that might be and how i’m going to get it to you?? 🙂
But it was dee-lishus – if i do say so myself!
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Looks yummy. Have you contacted Amazon for a possible deal?
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Thank you! I can assure you it was as tasty as it looks!
No, not as yet! 😉
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🙂
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