Cake theme: the cake you always dream about...
Tonight there were no cake nightmares here, just plates & stands full of dreamy cake...
I was half expecting August to be a quiet CCC month, but oh no the cakes just came and came, 'a bakers dozen' to be exact!
Our venue was the sleek looking Central Bar (@The_Central_Bar) in Gateshead (Newcastle South, for CCC Newcastle members), and we were given free rein of a room on the top floor with a fabulous balcony/roof terrace. Dave Campbell and his team looked after us with teas & coffees, and the facilities were perfect for our needs, a secret little room, hidden in the top of the building, with a secret entrance for our cake bakers.
Since the massive refurbishment and rennovation of the bar, many cake bakers "knew of it" but hadn't been in. They were very pleased with the choice. Thank you Kate (@cakepoppins) for putting in a good word for us. The pub (downstairs) also sells a wide range of real ale, which I'm into, so I know I'll be venturing back for beer very soon.
After the July meet up I knew that 4 slices really was my limit, and I had to face hard facts, I wouldn't be able to have a piece of every cake, or could I?...
Cakes arrived in all shapes, sizes, colours and finishes and were set out on the bar, the cake register was taken, photos taken and the eating commenced!
The cakery consisted of:
No I didn't manage to eat a slice of every cake, but there was 'tactical' cake consuming* going on, which meant you could taste every cake without having 13 slices. I didn't have 13 slices of cake, but those I did eat were absolutely gorgeous and this 'fix' will keep me going until next month.
The cakes I ate:
Sweet & Salty chocolate cake, it sounds so wrong, but tasted so RIGHT. This was a rich moist chocolate cake with, covered in ganache and a hint of saltiness that really worked.
Gin & Tonic cake, a layered cake that looked spectacular (decorated in authentic cocktail tat) and had that unmistakable fizz of a nice fresh G&T
Pina Colada cake (yes, I was hitting the cocktails), I was expecting something really sweet, but this was not the case with this little diva, it was divine; fresh, light and moreish.
Almond, orange cake with dark chocolate ganache was loaded with flavour; the orange zest woke up your tastebuds with every bite and married perfectly with the moist almondy cake. The chocolate ganache finished it off perfectly.
Strawberry & cream victoria sponge might sound tame, but this was moist, light and the strawberries packed a real punch!
We were a sociable, chatty and cake hungry bunch, by 7.15pm we'd had a good share, but there was still plenty left.
The array of cakes, flavours, colours, sizes and textures was absolutely amazing (photos of individual cakes on flickr).
I thought I was in cake heaven last month, but this month was 'the icing on the cake.
Everyone seemed to take home plenty and a great time was had by everyone :)
*Tactical cake consuming: cake baker and friend choose a different selection of cakes then share a fork or 2 of each others. Thus enabling the cake consumer to taste twice as many cakes at one sitting without the fullness of actually eating a slice of every cake - thank you Alison for inventing this.
Thanks to....
And Lynn for setting up the original Clandestine Cake Club - the place to go to find out about the next CCC Newcastle Event!
 |
| Where are we today? |
 | |
| Central Bar, Gateshead |
I was half expecting August to be a quiet CCC month, but oh no the cakes just came and came, 'a bakers dozen' to be exact!
Our venue was the sleek looking Central Bar (@The_Central_Bar) in Gateshead (Newcastle South, for CCC Newcastle members), and we were given free rein of a room on the top floor with a fabulous balcony/roof terrace. Dave Campbell and his team looked after us with teas & coffees, and the facilities were perfect for our needs, a secret little room, hidden in the top of the building, with a secret entrance for our cake bakers.
Since the massive refurbishment and rennovation of the bar, many cake bakers "knew of it" but hadn't been in. They were very pleased with the choice. Thank you Kate (@cakepoppins) for putting in a good word for us. The pub (downstairs) also sells a wide range of real ale, which I'm into, so I know I'll be venturing back for beer very soon.
After the July meet up I knew that 4 slices really was my limit, and I had to face hard facts, I wouldn't be able to have a piece of every cake, or could I?...
Cakes arrived in all shapes, sizes, colours and finishes and were set out on the bar, the cake register was taken, photos taken and the eating commenced!
The cakery consisted of:
- Pina Colada cake
- Gateau Diane
- Raspberry Rhubarb and Custard Cake
- Zuccotto Cake
- Orange, Almond cake with dark chocolate ganache
- Sachertorte
- Sweet & Salty Chocolate cake
- Gin and Tonic Cake
- Sugar Plum Fairy Cake
- Cherry Coke Cake
- Carrot Cake
- Lemon and Lime cake with a Ginger cream cheese topping
- Bonus cake: strawberry & cream sandwich cake
No I didn't manage to eat a slice of every cake, but there was 'tactical' cake consuming* going on, which meant you could taste every cake without having 13 slices. I didn't have 13 slices of cake, but those I did eat were absolutely gorgeous and this 'fix' will keep me going until next month.The cakes I ate:
Sweet & Salty chocolate cake, it sounds so wrong, but tasted so RIGHT. This was a rich moist chocolate cake with, covered in ganache and a hint of saltiness that really worked.Gin & Tonic cake, a layered cake that looked spectacular (decorated in authentic cocktail tat) and had that unmistakable fizz of a nice fresh G&T
Pina Colada cake (yes, I was hitting the cocktails), I was expecting something really sweet, but this was not the case with this little diva, it was divine; fresh, light and moreish.
Almond, orange cake with dark chocolate ganache was loaded with flavour; the orange zest woke up your tastebuds with every bite and married perfectly with the moist almondy cake. The chocolate ganache finished it off perfectly.
Strawberry & cream victoria sponge might sound tame, but this was moist, light and the strawberries packed a real punch!
We were a sociable, chatty and cake hungry bunch, by 7.15pm we'd had a good share, but there was still plenty left.
The array of cakes, flavours, colours, sizes and textures was absolutely amazing (photos of individual cakes on flickr).
I thought I was in cake heaven last month, but this month was 'the icing on the cake.
Everyone seemed to take home plenty and a great time was had by everyone :)
*Tactical cake consuming: cake baker and friend choose a different selection of cakes then share a fork or 2 of each others. Thus enabling the cake consumer to taste twice as many cakes at one sitting without the fullness of actually eating a slice of every cake - thank you Alison for inventing this.
Thanks to....
Staff at @The_Central_Bar
Half Moon Lane, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE8 2AN
All of tonight's cake bakers (in no particular order): Clare, Kate, Hayley, Sarah, Liz, Val, Ros, Emily, Julia, Alison, Catherine, Suzanne and me.
All of tonight's cake bakers friends: we need you to help eat cakes :)
Jamie & Clare for helping me set up, everyone for tidying up & Catherine who stayed to the end.
lovely write up Lisa, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the middle of posting on my new blog if you want to have a quick look:
http://baking-beautiful.blogspot.com/
Hayley x