Today’s guest post is a little something sweet for you. Our lovely member Julia of A Wannabe Foodie has been attending a secret cakey rendezvous. In her lovely unique style Julia shares her experience ….
The morning had arrived of the much anticipated Loughborough Clandestine Cake Club ! My first foray into Secret Cake Clubs and the pre cursor to my own event in October (Derby’s First ever Clandestine Cake event!!) ! The theme for the event was ” Once Upon a Cake …” and the venue ??? A small hideaway in the woods !!! I was amazingly excited … I knew exactly what I was baking and how I was going to do it !! I just hoped I’d got up early enough to bake the fairytale extravaganza I had planned !!
It was 7.45 am … I had shopping bags strewn across the kitchen full of exciting ingredients and promises of splendour … I donned my ” Celebrity Chef” apron ( a joke gift from a friend after my family appeared on a BBC TV show ) and set to creating this masterpiece of confection !!!! YIKES !!! I weighed and I whisked and I stirred and I whizzed and I poured .. and I flavoured and I baked ! And I hoped for the best ….! I cooled and I stacked and I spread and I bashed and I chopped and I melted ( chocolate .. not me physically though it was a close call) I prayed and prayed to The God of Cakeyness for success ! Was I rewarded handsomely ?? I like to think so …..
” The Magic Faraway Tree Toffee Shock Cake ” was born ……!!! (4 layers of vanilla , caramel , chocolate caramel & chocolate layered with caramel and smothered in a double chocolate ganache and festooned with fudge , toffee and popping candy …)
So we intrepid explorers th’usband and I laden with cake and kagouls and the twins ! Hopped in the car and started off on our fairytale adventure in the woods ! Who knew what to expect ? We had our clandestine directions and headed for the M1 ! It was very exciting and a little bit nervewracking …. and of course we took a wrong turn … and of course it was my map reading skills that caused such a catastrophe (Harumph) but at last we found the ballooned entrance to the woodlands .. and headed on down to the strawberry beds … 30 minutes early !!! Ooops !!! We continued on foot and followed the balloon trail through cabins and trees and paths to a marvellous little caravan in the woods … !
Greeted by Pete, Anne and Janet (our organisers for the day) we got stuck in, adorning plates with little fruit patterned napkins and awaiting the arrival of everyone else ! Kettles were boiling , tables were set … the kids were up and away playing in the fabulous tree house .. the sun was shining !!! I felt so at ease and relaxed .. standing in a truly peaceful , gorgeous location …. happiness and a sense of calm engulfed me !
One by one troops of people arrived carrying such marvellous cakes ….. Plum & Cardamom , chocolate & hazelnut , Black forest gateaux , pine nut adorned baked cheesecake , Chocolate malteser cake , Apple & berry crumble cake , a fresh cream apple sponge (with fudgey goodness) and my mammoth cake .. and Janets Disgusting Mountain of Snakes…… ! (See Picture …)
Everyone’s own interpretation of the theme …. a lovely late summer , woodland , fairytale theme to the day ! Janet gave a short introduction and we were away ….. slices and slices of cake were consumed …. I loved Anne’s Chocolate & hazelnut .. so moist and nutty ! Perfect ! (looking forward to that being blogged .. hint hint!) and then it came … We had obviously angered the Rain Gods with our flamboyant eating of cake in such wanton abandonment … The heavens opened .. we all dived for cover , the gazebo , the treehouse , the caravan … hoods up .. smiles still planted firmly on our faces …. cake eating commenced ! Ha .. rain would not deter us ….!! And so the Gods thought better and the sun shone once more ! Easy conservations carried on , new friendships formed .. a sharing of like minded people from different corners of the Midlands.. chatting and laughing like old friends … all with a story to tell and a cake to share!
As the early evening sun shone we all swapped slices of cake ready for our return home …. we all said our cheery goodbyes and headed off smiling … sated with cake and with an inner sense of peace !
A truly wonderful experience … and a huge Thank you to Janet and Anne for an amazing afternoon !!! We loved it .. the boys loved it … and we can’t wait to do it all again !!!!!!!!
For more information about Clandestine Cakes go to www.clandestinecake.co.uk
Thanks to Julia for letting us know about her first CCC experience. She has organised the next Midlands event in a secret location in Derby on October 23rd 2011 which has now sold out – luckily I got my place so can let you know what fun we get up to. For future events in Derby email Julia for more information.
Midlands Food Bloggers 
It sounds like a brilliant day and that cake – what a triumph. Heading to Shropshire soon I hope….
Thanks Julia, great article & it was great to meet you! Your readers may be interested to know that our write up of the undercover woodland event and date of our next one will be on the CCC site early next week. Follow us on twitter for more info @secretcakes
Looking forward to your event in October, mulling over what to bake…..
What a wonderful cake and location, so glad you enjoyed yourselves as CCC in Loughborough.
Great write-up, Julia and your cake was fabulous! I’ve finally written up the recipe for the Chocolate Hazelnut cake you were so nice about in your post, so if anyone wants to give it a try, have a look at my blog.