New tins, be still my beating heart

New tin 1 - mini loaf tin

My cake brain is in full swing today - which is not great as I'm at work and supposed to be thinking about engineering-y things.  All I can think of is a) playing with my new cake tins from Lakeland (www.lakeland.co.uk) and b) what flavour of cake to do next.  I'm currently debating the various merits of a chocolate cake, lemon poppy seed or a good old Victoria sandwich...

These new tins are fantastic (Lakeland scores again!) - each 'pocket' in the tin has a loose base so getting the cakes out is easy as anything. Plus they are heavy-duty and non-stick, so you feel like the heat is going to transfer well.  They offer a perfect alternative to the cupcake - which let's face it, whilst lovely, is rather overdone these days.  These tins make cakes which are probably a bit of a generous cupcake size but still not so large that you can't reasonably have a whole cake to yourself without looking completely greedy! The cakes come out nice and deep as well, which means plenty scope for slicing and filling.  I'm also thinking that I might have to try doing some 'hidden surprise' cakes in these tins as I think they'd be perfect...watch this space!

New tin 2 - mini sandwich tin

So, what flavour cake to bake?
Mr Ellie, I know, will be entirely biased on this matter and will call for a Victoria Sandwich - with jam only in the middle and a scattering of caster sugar on the top (he's every WI lady's dream) but I have to admit that my fingers are always twitching to add some buttercream or whipped cream to the filling - not a traditional Victoria sandwich then, I know, but just so tasty!  Mr Ellie is partial to my Victoria Sandwich, mainly due to my heavy-handed use of vanilla bean paste.

If we're talking my bias - then it has to be the good ol' carrot cake. Would you believe, I have never made one myself!?! I've always been so fearful of making a rubbish carrot cake and ruining my favourite cakey treat for ever more that I've refused to bake them.  However, tonight could be the night where all that changes...if I'm brave....and assuming Mr Ellie doesn't read this and immediately text me to give me one of his 101 reasons why carrots should never be put in cakes (Mr Ellie doesn't 'do' rabbit food!).

If I'm entirely honest, what I'd like to do is go home and make all the above cakes - one of those days where a good bout of baking is what's needed.  Mr Ellie is out at a corporate do (sounds posh, really isn't!) so I have the house to myself tonight. I also have a packed weekend ahead of ferret rescue activities so a spot of baking might be useful to take along to keep the troops going!

Miss E xxx