IF you’re currently on some kind of bikini diet then look away now! For Phil Elliott’s sinful six-tier rainbow cake will certainly have you salivating.
It’s all in a good cause however, as the Wylam cafe owner is selling slices of this delicious multi-coloured confection in aid of charity.
Phil kindly agreed to create this gorgeous gateau to officially launch the second Big Tynedale Bake, organised by Tynedale Hospice at Home.
Last summer’s inaugural Big Bake was such a soaraway success that the hospice has decided to do it all over again; this time with a much more ambitious target.
Scores of people rose to the challenge in 2016, donning their aprons and digging out their favourite recipes, raising £5,600 in the process – and this time they’re hoping to double the dough.
Cathy Bates, community fund-raiser for the hospice, said: “This year we’re hoping to smash that total and raise over £10,000.
“So whether you’re part of a community group, school, a local business like Elliott’s Kitchen, or an individual wanting to host something for friends and family, we’re appealing to everyone to get involved.”
Phil decided to bake his rainbow cake to highlight the work of the hospice’s Rainbow Project which provides bereavement support to children and young people.
He said: “It was the perfect inspiration to bake something a bit different and we hope it will be a hit with the customers too.”
All the funds raised by the big bake will go to support the work of the hospice, which provides palliative nursing care to people in their own homes, family support services and a hospital transport service to people living in Tynedale, West Northumberland, Ponteland and the surrounding areas.
Cathy added: “Demand for our services continues to grow. In the last year alone, our family support team has seen the number of children and adults they work with more than double.
“The number of people using our hospital transport service has also more than doubled to over 130 over the past year, compared to 58 the year before, and our in-home nursing service is always in high demand.”
It costs the hospice more than £800,000 to run these services each year and 90 per cent of that has to be raised through fund-raising activities and voluntary giving.
Ingredients:
100g butter
170g SR flour
4tsp milk
170g caster sugar
2 eggs
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 tsp icing sugar
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin.
Beat butter, flour, milk, caster sugar, eggs and lemon zest (keep the juice back for drizzle) until smooth and creamy.
Pour into prepared loaf tin and bake in oven for 35-40 mins until springy to the touch.
Ingredients:
6 tbs golden syrup
200g butter
50g cocoa
500g digestive biscuits
200g plain chocolate
Optional
50g mini marshmallows
50g maltesers
Makes 12-16 pieces; no baking required!
Method:
Line a swiss roll tin with cling film.
Place butter into a saucepan and gently heat with the golden syrup, stirring all the time until melted.
Take pan off the heat, add the cocoa, mix in and leave to cool for a few minutes.
Crush up the biscuits into small pieces (be careful not to crush them too small so they resemble powder).
Add the crushed biscuits to the syrup/butter/cocoa mix and stir, coating as much of the biscuit as you can. Stir in marshmallows and maltesers if using.
Put the mixture in the lined tin and place in fridge to set.
Melt chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of water.
Once melted, pour over the top of the rocky road, ensuring the top is covered with a thin layer. A spatula is good for this!
Once the chocolate is set, remove cling film and cut up rocky road into equal size pieces.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here