Monday 15 December 2008

Rainy Manchester Market





Our second market in Manchester and it rained. I suppose we could have predicted that.


Anyway it didn't spoil the fun - my feet were a bit unhappy and cold but that was all sorted with some woolly socks (thank you Andy Jane).


We had some very generous swaps to take home - thank you the butcher stall for the pheasants and the florist for the flowers! Please come and get some free cakes next month x


And to the customer who left the sirloin steaks - we're so sorry you didn't come back! Really! Though they were delicious :)


My lovely flowers (and a non-cake picture just because)

Saturday 6 December 2008

Christmas at Knutsford Market








Brrrrr!! It was a cold start to the weekend for i love cake. Wrapped in as many layers as we could manage without disabling ourselves, we set off for Knutsford Farmers Market (in the dark - eek) . It was a chilly old day but the sun shone and after a good few cups of tea we were ready for action.

This months earnings went on tea, tea....a nice hot cup of tea, a delicious pain au raisin from the bread stall and a most delicious indeed steak and ale pie, which I have just polished off with a dollop of mash and a big glass of wine (to keep out the cold of course).

Anyway aren't we meant to be talking about cakes?
Don't forget we will be at Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester next Friday and Saturday. Please come and keep us busy or we might just freeze to death!

Wednesday 3 December 2008

Gift tags


Seeing as a lot of people seem to buy our cakes as presents we thought it'd be a nice touch to make some gift tags. We bought this really cool alphabet stamp set so we can write anything you fancy. Try and make it nice please - we like to think our cakes make people happy!

Wednesday 19 November 2008

December Diary

Knutsford Farmer's Market - 6th Dec
Picadilly Gardens, Manchester - 12th and 13th Dec

Take some cupcakes home this year! Who likes Christmas cake anyway?

i love cake loves Christmas!


Now we're not usually ones for celebrating Christmas in November but here in cakeland things are different. For one, a celebration of any kind is an excuse for new sprinkles. But more importantly you need to get your orders in before we run out of mini snowflakes.
i love cake have been experimenting with some new flavours to cheer you up this winter -
gingerbread, chocolate orange and mint choc chip. They're so tasty it seems a shame to say goodbye after Christmas!
On another note, we've had a change of heart when it comes to icing as you might have noticed. These yummy big fat swirls were made with our brand spanking new piping nozzle, and we think they look irresistable.

Saturday 15 November 2008

Promo cakes!



i love cake have been busy bees this week, whipping up boxes of tasty samplers for a select (and lucky might we add) few. Check out the cute heart tag!
Keep your eyes out for our next post - i love cake is about to get all Christmassy x

Saturday 8 November 2008

Piccadilly Gardens Farmer's Market






We really like the Manchester markets. Actually we really like all markets but Manchester's are nice and busy, fun and very friendly indeed. This was our first time at Piccadilly Gardens and it was really cool. Partly thanks to our good neighbours Duerdens Fudge and Toffee (going since 1922! Pretty cool. Even more so because they still have the origional toffee hammer. Amazing!), but mostly thanks to the good people of Manchester who bought lots of cakes and paid us lovely compliments that kept us going despite our tired up-all-night-baking heads.
See you there in a month, or if you can't possibly wait that long (birthday? party? bad day? munchies? addiction?) give us a ring and we'll see what we can russle up xxxx

Saturday 1 November 2008

Knutsford Famer's Market




This morning we were up bright and early for the Knutsford Farmers Market. Our first time there and what a great market! Unfortunatly we spent most of our earnings on the other stalls...but who could resist all that lovely fresh food?! Not us! You should go and check it out - the Cloverbank Organic Farm sausages are a winner.

Halloween Cupcakes



Boo! Here are some cakes we made for Halloween. The sprinkles are wicked - little black cats and ghosts and bats. I wish Halloween was longer!

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Where we are in November

I love cake will be at two markets in November -

1st Nov: set your alarm for an early start at Knutsford Farmer's Market, 8.30am until 1.30pm

7th/8th Nov: Manchester Farmer's Market, Picadilly Gardens, 10am until 6pm

Monday 13 October 2008

Manchester Fine Foods Market





This time last week we were baking the first batch of cupcakes for the Manchester Fine Foods Market. It's all over now but what a great week! We loved every minute (apart from the odd late night panic over sunken cherry cakes). We met some really nice people - especially our super helpful neighbours Friendly Food and Drink - and the stall was a great success. Thanks to everyone who bought our cakes and don't forget you don't have to wait until the next Farmer's Market to stock up - i love cake is ready to put it's pinny back on should you have a party to cater for or just fancy giving someone a sweet little box of cupcakes. See you next month in Piccadilly Gardens!

Tuesday 30 September 2008

The Bury Wedding Show




Last weekend we were at the Bury Wedding Show. Saturday was spent frantically baking and whisking and covering the kitchen in a cloud of icing sugar. Sunday was spent showing our wares and bobbing our heads to Dexy's Midnight Runners courtesy of Bury's local wedding dj.

Thursday 25 September 2008

A birthday gift


We just made these for birthday present.

Wednesday 17 September 2008

Where can you find us?

i love cake will be at the Farmer's Market in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, on the second weekend of every month, from November 7th/8th onwards. Come and support us and stock up on your sweet fix x

Whereabouts next month


i love cake will be at the Manchester Fine Foods Market from October 7th-12th so come and pay us a visit. We'll be selling individual cupcakes or boxes packed with your choice of flavours. Mmmmm.....

i love cake gets competitive!

It's time for i love cake to show we mean business. We're entering a competiton and we need your help. Cup cafe (of Mr Scruff fame) on Thomas St are running a competiton to find the best cupcake bakers in Manchester - how could we resist! So let us know your favourite flavours and we'll give em a bash.

New flavours and a slopey oven



Phew! Last week was move week for us. But now we're in! Admitedly there are still boxes of I'm not sure what everywhere but the worst is over. And I have a nice new kitchen to bake in. Unfortunatly the oven seems to be on a slope...? Small panic yesterday, but after some tinkering with the shelves the job's a goodun.
So these are the fruits of tonight's labour. And not a lop sided cake in sight.
The chocolate iced ones are chocolate and ginger (just an excuse to use the little gingerbread men sprinkles really) and the pink ones chocolate and raspberry. Made with melted chocolate and oodles of raspberry jam. I really wanted to use cherry jam but we only had raspberry so I made do. Pretty damn nice though I must say.

Thursday 11 September 2008

New sprinkles!

These wicked new sprinkles arrived yesterday. Yes these are snowflakes and it's not christmas but they're pretty cool I reckon. Actually, these ones below are easter rabbits and ducks and it's not easter either but look!


These are surely the best of all - little mini gingerbread men!


Sunday 7 September 2008

A new cake stand!




I seem to have developed a small addiction to buying cake stands and plates. Really flowery, granny-like ones. I think they look great with the cakes though.

Naked cakes



I think cupcakes look so tasty without frosting too. But then where would the sprinkles go?

Cherry and Coconut



These were today's flavour round 2. Cherry and coconut. A nice change to my usual flavours.

A touch of English fete


I made these today. It was an experiment to see how some more traditional english cakes would go down. They're a kind of butterfly fairy cake/victoria sponge mix! They turned out really good! Very sweet and indulgent and totally delicious.

What's inside



The most delicious carrot cake and a pretty nice double chocolate one x

Cakes




What is i love cake?

I love cake started on the back of my obsession for baking and my boyfriend (Chief Taster Andy)'s love of cupcakes. As the passion grew, so did our bellies and it became all too clear we needed to share the cakes around.
I love cake make delicious, sweet, charming, beautiful cupcakes, tailor made for all occasions.
Choose your cake, your frosting, your colours, your sprinkles....whatever the theme we'll fit.
Contact us for more details or find us at the Farmer's Market in Picaddilly Gardens, Manchester every month.