Chocolate Sponge

Ingredients Cake: 225g plain flour 50g cocoa powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 eggs, large 100g softened butter 1 tblsp lemon juice 250g castor sugar 250 ml milk

Butter Icing Filling: 215g icing sugar 100g soft butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC. Grease and line a round cake tin, 22 cm, deep, cake tin.
2. Stir the lemon juice into the milk. Put the butter and half the sugar in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the rest of the sugar. SIft the flour, soda and cocoa powder together.
4. Beat in half the milk and fold in half the flour. Add the rest of the milk and then the rest of the flour. Mix until smooth.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake tina nd bake for one hour. Remove fromt he oven and cool completely.
6. Cream together the icing sugar and butter. If you want you can add vanilla essence or another flavouring to the icing.
7. When the cake is cool cut in half and spread the icing over one half. Replace the top. Sprinkle some ising sugar over the cake to decorate.

We actually found that this particular cake tasted better the second day, it seemed to appreciate some breathing time. But it was great on the day, I cheated a wee bit and put the icing on before the cake had completely cooled so we had a nice warm chocolate cake...

yum yum!!

Hey! I'd love to know if people are using my recipes!! If you are leave a wee comment on the recipes post! Also, why not head back and let me know how you got on!!?

Birthday Bonanza!!! Time to XScape!!

It was David's birthday on Saturday so we had an exciting birthday weekend!! Saturday saw us heading to XScape in Glasgow (XScape). It is an indoor activity centre but we are talking all manner of activities!! From an aerial assault course, high up in the roof above the heads of the crowds, to the largest indoor mini golf course in the world!! We headed to the resturant area where, after the cry of

"RIBS"

went up from the only person I know who bases he meal choices on how much mess he can make, we settled on a Mexican resturant called Chiquito. Even though it was packed out it was only a 20 minute wait so we settled ourselves in the little bar area, with one of those crazy vibrating things.... the ones that tell you when your table is ready!!

We pigged out, Majorly!! Three courses. We had a really nice waitress who overheard that it was David's birthday so stuck a candle in his dessert!!

We then headed to the mini golf, which was a good laugh, and seemed to be a popular choice for people. We were going to go bowling but it was now 10.30 and there was a two hour waiting time for a lane so we changed our minds!! Heading to the arcade we went for a go on the dodgems, alright two gos!! But we were the only ones on there, crazyness ensues...

There was also the choice of the cinema, dry ski slope, climbing wall, Robocoaster (a programmable roller-coaster) and many shops!!

Sunday saw my parents coming down for a barbeque, yep that's right, in September!! It was cold but a lot of fun!! Then inside for a birthday cake I had made (see my next post for that little gem *cough*) and then a challenge of poker for us!! Indeed a fun old weekend for us.

Plus the arrival of the PSP that he bought for himself as a birthday present! Which I have made more use of!!! LOL

Calmest In The Face Of Danger Award Goes To....

Hi,
Off to a friend's house for dinner last night! She's got herself a wee flat in Edinburgh so we all invaded to have a nose about. The living room was huge and took up, no joke, half the flat. The other half was a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. It was a pretty good night from a food preparation point of view, the other three were making all the food, a course each, and us two just turned up, waited, ate and then left again!!

The food was great and also became the best entertainment for the evening! After much cajoling about the cooking skills of others, our dessert maker got his comeuppance! In the form of fire! But to his credit he took it all calmly, the presence of smoke billowing from the kitchen, the eyes stinging and the coughing of his fellow diners he still remained seated until he had finished what he had to say. Then sauntering casually into the kitchen, swooshing away the smoke in his path, he opens the oven to a cloud of grey, and with a voice full of utter surprise says:
'Oh'

Job Lot

Well, Dave got offered a new job!! Awesome!! It appears to be the kind of job that we all aspire to get moved to, more money, better prospects and more holidays! The possibility of 50, yes, count 'em, 50 days off a year!! Looks like, so far, touch wood, everything is going well for us. We are still waiting for the official, 'once your name is on it its legal' bit of paper but he has been offered via phone and email (which is apparently as good as legal but we aren't taking any chances). This means a lot to both of us, for one thing a lot more stability and so a more relaxed Dave, phew!!

We were out celebrating tonight, we headed to the Wheelhouse in Falkirk, and very tasty it was too. If you haven't been and dont live a million miles away, head over, good for a feed and very nice! Although they seem to have a bit of an obsession with fish...

We are off out again tomorrow as a friend of ours is heading to Ireland for a while so it is goodbye dinner night. I will take my camera but not sure what the photo opportunities are going to be, seeing as she hates her photo taken!!!

Anime and Answers - A Lunchtime Musing

Just had a bit of fun this lunchtime, tried out one of those online quiz things! Find the real you in 10 questions.. you know the kind of thing!! Well, this is apparently me:

Your element is earth: Wise, solitary, mysterious and loving. You are very wise. Your wise as in you know things others do not. You can see past the stereotypes and see the real people behind their facades, people will often come to you for help and advice. Quite solitary and somewhat shy around people because you prefer animals and plants. Animals aren't afraid to show themselves or what they are feeling and plants are fun to nurture. You are very strong in your silence, if you set your mind on something you will often times pursue it to the end. Sometimes you just want to get away, so you seek refuge in the forest where you can have time to think and try to sort out your emotions. The sound of the wind usually calms you, especially moving through the trees. Life to you is something precious and should not be taken for granted.


Hmmm, I think I like that description of me...


Anime Quiz