Oh My, It's July!

Can you believe it?!
Where have the last 4 months gone?

Don't you just love July? - supposedly the warmest month in the Northern Hemisphere (Really?!)

July's birth flower is the water lily & birthstone is ruby which symbolises contentment.






 Let me introduce you to my very own Ruby...

Here she is! Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!

(How many of you sang  Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah then?!)

It is the start of the school holidays (do I hear all you parents groan?) & excitement prevails for all 4-16 year olds.
It is a strange time of the year when the promise of time-off struggles with boredom & 6 weeks loom ahead waiting to be filled with fun.

When the sun is shining all is well, but when the heavens open, as they often do, what can be done?

BAKING, OF COURSE!!

So, pop the oven on to 180 Degrees Centigrade, raid your cupboards & try this....

As 29th July is Dulcie Blue Bakery's 1st Birthday - Yippee!!- we are going to make Rainbow Birthday Cupcakes!

Get prepared - sort out your cupcake cases & place in a muffin tin ready.

In a bowl measure out 110g Gluten Free Flour, 110g Caster Sugar & 110g room temperature Butter, 3 tablespoons room temperature Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract & 2 large Eggs. Beat together to form a smooth batter.
Spoon into cases.

Place in centre of oven & bake for approx 20 minutes until golden brown & springy.
Leave in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling rack.

Meanwhile prepare your buttercream.

Put 125g room temperature Butter in a bowl, add 250g Icing Sugar & 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract.
Beat until smooth or until your arm aches soooooo much you just can't mix anymore.
Using a spatula put butter cream into a plain nozzled piping bag.

Once the cakes are cooled pipe a huge splodge (very technical term) on top of each & every one of them.

Top with Gluten Free Jelly Beans.

Stop & have a well deserved cup of tea while the kids do the washing up - remember you must teach them that the important part of baking is NOT licking the spoon or making as much mess as possible or eating all the jelly beans before they even get on the cakes, but the clearing up. (Yeah, right, as if that'll ever happen!)


Happy Baking,

Chris xxx