A cup of tea and a slice of cake...: March 2017

Baking is a real passion of mine. I love finding a new recipe or piece of equipment to have a go with. I really enjoy going out and about sampling cakes and bakes in coffee shops close to home and in my favourite places in the North Cotswolds and more recently into Leamington Spa (Coffee Architects http://www.coffeearchitects.com ) and Wylde Green (The lovely Window Box https://www.facebook.com/windowboxcafe.co.uk/?ref=py_c where I had flavoured butter on toast. What a revelation - cinnamon and vanilla was divine!).

I read about baking and when I'm on the treadmill at the gym (needed to work off the sampling!), I'm always thinking of new ideas, inspired by what I have read and the wonderful Twitter baking family.

Baking for others and seeing their enjoyment (usually!) of what I have produced is really rewarding.

I am also part of Solihull Pop Chorus. My very good friend and baking buddy Amanda suggested we hold a charity bake sale (this then became three!) to help Pop Chorus' ongoing support for Help Harry Help Others a wonderful cause. It was a campaign started by the incredibly brave Harry Moseley.

Whilst battling an inoperable brain tumour, Harry was inspired to make a difference to all people with brain cancer when a friend of his who also had a brain tumour became very ill. Within the space of just over two years Harry had organised and attended nearly 100 events to raise money for and awareness of Brain Cancer. He touched the hearts of the nation with his efforts and helped change the lives of everyone he met.

Sadly Harry’s health took a sudden turn for the worse following brain surgery in August 2011. On 8th October 2011, and after 14 weeks in a coma, Harry passed away peacefully at home in his Mom’s arms.

So the past few weeks have seen me learning the art of bulk baking from Amanda, and whilst not trying new recipes, a cake freezer was purchased and is now full, ready for the sales at the end of the month. Here are some of the bakes we will be selling, hoping to make a good contribution to an inspiring cause.