… or ‘escape from chocolate mountain‘ – as The Viking likes to call it!
never mind the Great British Bake Off, this weekend marks the return of the Aby Village Show and the annual baking, crafting and gardening shenanigans of the local hoodlums… oh they may look like ordinary, innocent village folk but they are fiercely competitive with an evil streak for not taking any prisoners when it comes to dishing out sympathy. You’re either a winner or you may as well climb back into your hole… Oh yes, it all has the dusted sheen of your average country village fete with the bunting and the little white-haired old ladies who wouldn’t harm a fly but believe me when i say that beneath the surface lies evil. True, proper, jam-covered evil…
I baked all day yesterday; this cake, a lemon curd swiss roll, a speciality bread with sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts and some orange blossom chocolate creams all of which I will share with you over the next few days… but as for now, i’m up early and off to lay out my entries in the village hall. I will update this post with the results later this afternoon…
beetroot and tumbling chocolate bundt – a showstopper cake for the chocoholic
as I outlined last month here on the blog, the categories for this years show have been changed to much chagrin amongst the baking cognoscente of Belleau and Aby but one of the bakes has the heading of ‘a showstopper cake for the chocoholic’ and I really couldn’t resist. Now, if you know me, I’m not really one for the stopping of the show and I prefer a plain, what-you-see-is-what-you-get the of cake but i’m always up for the competition so i’ve turned my hand to this little number. The basic bundt is a recipe i’ve made before here in the blog but I loved the idea
250g plain chocolate broken up
for the icing
100g icing sugar
100g cream cheese
beetroot juice (left over from above)
50g dark chocolate – melted
a selection of chocolates for tumbling
– once out of the oven and cooled you can ice to your fancy… i’ve simply used the beetroot juice beaten with some icing sugar and cream cheese to create this simple yet eye-popping icing… then i’ve taken advantage of the hole in the centre of the bundt to create a vessel for the mixed chocolates which i’ve let tumble gently down the sides of the bunt…
…well… it didn’t go quite according to plan. yes, I won first for my chocolate orange creams, yes I won second for my lemon curd cream Swiss Roll and yes I won third for my bread but this beetroot and chocolate beauty failed to even place anywhere… I am at a loss and in need of therapy. I may not speak for a month…
eat and of course, enjoy!
Good luck Dom! You'd win if I were judging 🙂
Well that explains your baking frenzy. Good luck! I'd like to tuck into that bread first off.
Oh my darling! All i can say is … those other contenders had better be over the top when it comes to that beet root confection! I knew when I saw the bread that it would place! The candies … the candies! Huzzah! XO for the cook !
You were robbed! It must have been the beetroot, the downfall of many a star baker and perhaps the 'effects' were not to the taste of your evil judges. Well done on the other prizes, all your goodies look divine to me.
Congratulations on all your other wins – everything looks fantastic and I can't believe that this showstopper of a cake didn't place anywhere. It looks like a first place cake to me!
I'm with Janice, you wuz robbed! It all looks amazing. Can we have the other recipes too please sir? Especially that bread, and the orange blossom creams!
Thanks. Wish you had been!
Thanks. The bread was so good. I made two loaves and had some. Toasted. So yummy!
Thanks Susan. That bread was phenominal!
Oh I just don't get it. I shouldn't have said there was beetroot in it. You can't taste it. I think it may have been a little to sophisticated for this lot!!
Thank you. The competition was tough!
Thanks Lucy. Yes. Recipes coming soon!
I can't believe it!! Jealousy is all I can think of. Congrats on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places – all showstoppers in their own right!
That cake looks insane! Look at that bright pink icing! Win or not, well done. Great flavours going there too. Such a revelation when I first ever combined beetroot and chocolate in baking… can hardly believe something so earthy and well, healthy, makes the cake so much more moist and…chocolatey. Can't wait to try your version out! x
I think you're right. Fearsomely competitive they may be but sophisticated they are obviously not! Otherwise your staggeringly fabulous cake would have sailed through to first place, no trouble.
I'm in shock at the lack of appreciation for this cake. It would stop my show any time.
The cakes looks awesome. What a good idea. All the best!
Looks delicious… Great wishes to you.
Beetroot and chocolate…wow what a combo! It looks delicious!
Congratulations! But commiserations too and a big slice of WTF? That cake looks incredible.
That's outrageous, how could you not have won with such a beauty as this Dom? Maybe it was all the talk of evil witches!!! Just LOVE this and am only wondering why it's not been added to WSC? Congratulations on your other wins. I'm a firm believer that you make the best rolls ever, so you really should have got a first for that too.
AND careful what you say. I was a judge in our very own Bake Off last week to find the Liskeard Bun 😉
Travesty!!! You were robbed!!! This cake is original, delicious and perfect…… I think the judge may have been bribed by an evil village baker too jealous to let this one through…. Do you have a good therapist?
Congratulations on your other prizes though….. all well deserved x