Tuesday 3 September 2013

Tea Party Tuesday

Tea Party Tuesday was not strictly on a Tuesday this week. We were all invited to my friends 40th birthday picnic on Sunday. It was in the park playing rounders and I had to make cake for 40 people (I volunteered!) I used to play in a rounders league with Angela and we also played hockey together when we were young, fit and free to do what we wanted at a weekend! We had a wonderful time but I was very competitive and I could hardly moved my legs the next day...

So here is our contribution - Blackberry Tray Bake.

 
It is massive. It serves 24 people and used 5 eggs. The children helped out...
 
 
You know, as helpful as dropping a cracked egg into the mixture whole really is!

 
Blackberry Tray bake
 
 5oz margarine
5oz caster sugar
5 eggs
14oz SR flour
9oz blackberries
1tbsp vanilla extract
zest of one orange
4-5 tbsp of milk
 
Cream marg and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs and flour and beat to make a stiff cake batter. Add vanilla extract and milk (enough to loosen the mixture) add orange zest. Beat again to keep it fluffy. Lastly fold in the blackberries carefully (save some)
 
Spoon into a tin and dot the top with the last blackberries, pushing them in a bit and sprinkle the top with almonds.
 
Bake for 45 mins on Gas 5
 
The icing for the top is 50z icing sugar and the juice from the orange mixed together to drizzle on the top.

So to do the maths - a cake for 24 is not 40 is it? So we made, what is affectionately known is our house as, Sam's flapjack. It has a tin of condensed milk in so it sticks together and does not go either rock hard or crumbly. When it is completely cool it is easy to cut into squares. It uses a pound of oats so that turned out pretty massive too.

 
Little M and I picked 3lb more blackberries today on the way home from school so we are building up to a wine brew. Yay!
 
What are you folks harvesting? Jo x
 
 
 

12 comments:

  1. Oh gorgeous looking cake! I love blackberries, although we call them brambles here.
    M x

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  2. Yum! It looks delicious. Glad it went over well and you had fun.

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  3. Ooh, yummy! Looks truly delicious - thanks for sharing the recipe too :-)
    xx

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  4. Mmmm mmmmm! Looks fab! I've done baking for the masses before, challenging but fun! Chrissie x

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  5. Oh my Jo!!!! Does this ever look amazing!!!! Thank you for sharing this yummy cake! Have a lovely week!!!!

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  6. Oh my goodness, that looks (and sounds) positively delicious!!! I've never baked a cake huge enough to serve 24. Jo, it turned out just beautiful! xo

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  7. That looks absolutely delish and I am sure it was a massive hit (:-)). What a lovely way to celebrate a 40th, I know there is no way I would be able to do that anymore. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I will most certainly give it a try. Wishing you a lovely and happy week xoxo

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  8. Wow what a fabulous cake Jo - you are so multitalented - I wish I could bake like this, it looks so delicious. I love your posts Jo as you are always doing something so interesting. Have a great day tomorrow
    Lots of love as always
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  9. Such a lovely looking cake Jo - like M we call them brambles too, it's my Scottish heritage - and what energy you have - run, run, run!!!
    Joy xo

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  10. I have had fun visiting your posts today to see what you have been up to while I was away, Jo :) Sewing and cooking and gardening and mothering and celebrating your hubby's birthday...FUN! In answer to your question, my 4 yr. old Grand, Molly and I harvested about twenty little sun-gold cherry tomatoes this morning. Yum :)
    Gracie xx

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  11. Your cakes are always so yummy can I have Sam's flap jack recipe please x

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  12. Yum :) I want to bake now, your cakes look delicious! x

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