Baking with Bump

So for those of you who don't know I work as a chef and baker, I like to think of myself more as a baker because that's what I do best. Ive been baking for years and absolutely love it! I Spent 3 years at catering college where I really came out of my shell and learnt how to cook like a pro. I've had numerous jobs over the years all in kitchens from washing up to making sandwiches to baking and doing fine dining food. I started years ago making celebration cakes for birthdays weddings ect. ( if you want to see my work then search What zoe bakes on facebook) I loved doing these cakes for people some of them took me hours but I loved every second, sadly having a full time job and other commitments meant I had to stop doing them for a while, my plan is to start this up again once on maternity leave so watch this space!

After this I got a job in a garden center and after a while I was put into the bakery YAY! My dream come true baking for a living! the amount of cakes I would smash out of that bakery was unreal. hundreds of scones a week numerous cakes and traybakes, I was loving life! I currently work in a small hotel in my local village, here I make fresh scones cakes desserts bread you name it I make it. I have abit of a reputation for making weird flavours of cakes, however they always seem to sell! I was lucky enough a few years ago to feature on the nightly show with Gordon Ramsay who is my absolute favourite chef! He likes my cake really despite what he said haha!


Watch what he thought of my cake here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z44CqpALi0


For those of you who haven't watched the video I made a cucumber cake for Gordon to try (I didn't actually make it I sent in my recipe and his chefs made it mine looks better!). Ive made and sold many slices of this at work and its actually quite nice and really refreshing. So I thought id share one of my favourite recipies with you to try! Give it a go and see what you think. its not as crazy as it sounds honest!



Cucumber and elderflower cake
makes 1 cake

you need-

1 cucumber (deseeded)
230g butter
300g sugar
4 eggs
300g self raising flour
200g icing sugar
1 bottle of elderflower cordial

1.) Preheat the oven to 160oc

2.) Deseed the cucumber and blend up to make a sort of cucumber juice,

3.) Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy

4.) Slowely add the egg whilst continigung to beat

5.) Once all the egg is mixed in add the flour and beat in.

6.) Slowley add the cucumber juice.

spread between 2 round cake pans and bake on 160 for approx. 30 min


For the filling make a buttercream out of 100g of the icing sugar and some butter this is for the middle of the cake.

To top the cake mix the remaining icing sugar and a few splashes of elderflower cordial and spread over the top of the cake. If you are feeling really adventurous you can make some cucumber crisps by thinly slicing some cucumber dusting with icing sugar and leave in the oven on a really low temperature to dry out.

and there you have it! one cucumber cake


Enjoy !!





Z




xxx