I do love a loaf cake...easy to make and requiring little decoration, they are a perfect weekend teatime treat. I devised this recipe for a feature in the November 2018 edition of Irish Country Magazine and hence had the pleasure of having talented photographer Ramona Farrelly follow me in its making in my kitchen...thank you for these lovely photos Ramon!

It is always a delight to receive wedding photos from clients! So many months are spent working closely on their wedding cake design, it is always exciting to finally not only see those plans come to fruition but also to see the cake in the context of the overall wedding styling. Today I am sharing three of many favourite real weddings from 2018!

I had the pleasure of being invited to collaborate on a photo shoot last July designed and planned by the talented Grace and Saviour Styling and photographed by Paula O'Hara Photography.  I am in love with this one and thrilled to see the full shoot now published on prestigious wedding blog Green Wedding Shoes.  In this blog post I wanted to give a little insight into the inspiration for the shoot and corresponding brief for the cakes...with a sneak peak of the result!

Much attention has been focussed of late on the scourge of plastics in our oceans and environment, with dire consequences for future generations unless we take action. Living beside the sea, we see at first hand the waste that is routinely washed up on our little stretch of coast. Since last year my family has worked to take one small step at a time to reduce plastic use, and waste in general, in our home, each thing we eliminate is one less piece of plastic or waste in our environment. But what about my business?

I recently received the most amazingly fragrant organic edible roses from Bumblebee Flower Farm in West Cork. The scent was something that you would never get from a standard shop-bought rose...these roses were those that you just wish to close your eyes and breathe for. My purpose was to try out some of the beautiful summer blooms from Bumblebee Farm for use as decoration in some of my cake designs, but I couldn't pass the smell of these roses without thinking that I had to incorporate that scent into a cake too!

I recently came across dried Hibiscus flowers on one of my many compulsive deli wanderings. Ruby red in colour, it is consumed as a tea, with a tart berry-like flavour, often requiring the addition of sugar to counteract this. I love using teas to flavour cakes and decided to try Hibiscus in a loaf cake, paired with the classic combination of lemon and raspberry.

I made these macarons as my edible Christmas gifts last year. The combination of chocolate and hazelnut is a well renowned match made famous of course by Nutella! The addition of orange zest adds a fresh twist and the decoration of dipped chocolate coated in crunchy hazelnut praline adds an additional layer of flavour and luxury....the perfect gift and indeed luxurious teatime treat! Enjoy!

Banana bread is a firm favourite in our house, delicious for a lunchbox or teatime treat and also a great way to use up those overripe bananas! For everyday family baking I prefer to opt for this healthier version over traditional banana bread recipes, which are often laden with sugar. Made with spelt flour, vegan and free from refined sugar, it is not too sweet and comes with a little less guilt....just what is needed in January!

As many know I am a huge fan of mini bundt cakes. Often requiring little in the way of adornment they are the perfect individual treat for guests. I wanted to make a festive version and this Chocolate Gingerbread cake recipe is deliciously light and fluffy so not too heavy for a Christmas dessert. Adapted from a recipe by Supergolden Bakes, I have paired it with an Irish Whiskey Orange Caramel glaze for a little extra indulgence!