A Year of Everyday Bakes - An Instagram Series

A Year of Easy Tasty Bakes to Fill Your Days with Joy and Comfort

In late 2020 I released my first self published book ‘Everyday Bakes’ (now only available as an ebook). It was filled with recipes that fit the following criteria - that when I felt like something nice to eat (i.e. a slice of cake or a biscuit), that I could make something relatively easily and without too much time. That the recipes could be accessible to almost everyone, and that the act of baking didn’t have to be overly complex or intimidating. Baking could be something that is incorporated into everyday life, so that small pockets of joy and comfort could be found whenever they might be needed.

More than two years from the release of ‘Everyday Bakes’ I am still finding that my way of baking is the same. I am looking for bakes that are relatively easy, and that don’t take up too much time or energy, but also also worth it in terms for flavour. 

I love a complicated more time consuming bake too, but in reality I don’t often have the time or energy levels to make something like that. I also don’t have enough people to feed to make big layer cakes and grand desserts to justify making them very often. I also understand that bigger more complicated bakes can be quite intimidating and may put of those less confident in their baking skills from attempting baking altogether. 

Recipes like those I shared in my book, can not only fit into your everyday life, but can act as a no pressure way of improving your baking skills and gaining more confidence in your abilities. Starting with more simple recipes will help you learn the foundations of baking, but will also show how accessible it can be to incorporate baking into your everyday life and how relaxing and enjoyable it can be to eat that really tasty slice of cake or biscuit after only a small amount of time in the kitchen - and that you made it yourself!

There are many reasons why baking more simply can be a good way to go. For me it’s a way of keeping something that I really like doing as part of my life at all times, even when I am unwell. Living with chronic illness is utterly debilitating at times and in those moments of extreme pain and when I am unable to do anything, I often get most upset or disappointed that I feel unable to bake anything. If I don’t bake I get restless and agitated, it’s something I need to do. And sometimes when you’re sick, doing something that is just for you, just something you want to do because you want to do it becomes really important. 

Often living with chronic illness means prioritising the things in life that have to be done - like trying to ensure I am well enough to work each week or attend an appointment. Often things I want to be doing have to get pushed to the side to ensure those other things happen. But there comes a point where the things I want to do have to fit into my life too. With baking, I maintain this by focusing on less involved recipes that are worth the time and effort to make because they taste great and will act as a nice and comforting moment on the days where literally nothing else but sitting still is able to happen. 

This is still a work in progress for me, I still overdo it in the kitchen sometimes (I have a habit of making more than one recipe per kitchen session, so even if the recipes are quick and simple I’ve times it by three and exhausted myself anyway!), but it’s important to me to be able to bake and to be able to eat something nice. Sometimes a nice biscuit and one of my favourite teas is the only positive thing in a day filled with pain, medication side effects and the profound disappointment that plans have again been thwarted by my chronic illness.

For others, finding the time, energy or motivation to bake may be similar to mine, come from other things or lack of time due to raising children, demanding jobs, lots of time commuting to said jobs, lack of baking confidence as I mentioned before, or not feeling like baking is accessible to you for whatever reason resonates with your life and circumstance the most. I’m not here to say that if I can do it anyone can, but rather if you like the idea of incorporating baking into your life more, I’d love to show you how. 

So with all that in mind, as part of this series I will aim to share a recipe a week on Instagram throughout 2023 that fits the everyday baking bill, in the hope that it provides accessible inspiration for you to spend a small amount of calm time in the kitchen and enjoy the small moments of joy and comfort that homemade treats can bring. By the end of the 2023 I hope you will have found a few recipes you can turn to over and over again when you just feel like something nice to eat and only have a small amount of time (or energy) to make it happen.

I will still share recipes that are more complicated and time consuming, and of course share when I’ve created fun recipes for clients too. But when it comes to my baking just for me, simple and everyday bakes are where its at, and I hope you enjoy this year of everyday baking with me.

Find me on Instagram @kulinaryadventuresofkath

Spiced Christmas Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Buttercream

Since I already have quite a few festive recipes on my blog, I decided this year something simple was in order. 

Basic cupcakes like these are great to make when you don’t have time for more complex baking, and they would be a good thing to make with kids as well since the cook time is short (and the decoration options are endless!).

These cupcakes are spiced with the Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice which I was gifted in November when I went to visit the new Gewürzhaus store in Sydney’s QVB. It elevates these cupcakes from basic to festive, and provides all the Christmas-y flavour you could need (with very little effort). Other festive spice mixes can be used - a gingerbread style spice mix would also work really well, or a combination of spices such as cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.

The vanilla buttercream is a favourite of mine and has a great vanilla flavour thanks to both vanilla extract and paste. The recipe makes a generous amount so you will have a decent amount of icing on each cupcake, ready to decorate whichever way you please.

Spiced Christmas Cupcakes with Very Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients: 

125g unsalted butter, at room temp

95g caster sugar 

70g vanilla bean sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs 

250g self raising flour

3 tsp Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice*

105ml buttermilk

Ingredients for Vanilla Buttercream: 

200g unsalted butter, at room temp 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

240g icing sugar, sifted

festive sprinkles, to decorate (optional)

festive cupcake toppers, to decorate (optional)

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius, and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time and mix well. 

Then add half the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the milk and mix on low speed until combined. Then add the remaining flour and Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice and gently mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps.

Spoon the mixture evenly amongst the cupcake cases, filling so the cases are about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean and the cakes spring back to the touch. Remove the cupcakes from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.

To make the icing, beat the butter and vanillas in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for at least 1 minute, or until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and beat for a further minute or two, or until the icing sugar is well combined and the icing is light and fluffy. 

Spread or pipe icing onto the top of each cupcake, and decorate as desired.

Makes 12 cupcakes, will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

*This spice mix is a mixture of cassia, coriander, ginger, clove, nutmeg, so a similar mix of spices could be used in its place. 

Gewürzhaus Christmas Cake and Pudding Spice was gifted by Gewürzhaus.

Christmas Gift Guide (for Foodies) 2022

Whether you are looking for presents for others, or are just looking for something a bit different for yourself, I hope you find some gift giving ideas below.

These picks are mostly aimed at the food lovers in your life, however I have also added a gift idea that does some good (outside of bringing your recipient joy), that will help others in need. I know this time of year can feel like its all about spending and buying things, but really it can also be about helping others and giving thoughtful gifts to those you love.

1. I have bought a few of these tea towels by artist Whitney Spicer and Bespoke Letterpress, I think they would be a lovely gift for any foodie. They are available from both Bespoke Letterpress and Whitney Spicer.

2. I also have my eye on many a thing in Marley and Lockyer’s online store which is filled with beautiful handmade ceramics. They would be a great gift for anyone who loves handmade things and kitchen pieces in particular.

3. In terms of cookbooks I recently bought a copy of Knead Peace and I think it would make a great gift. A portion of the price of the book goes to help a charity assisting people in Ukraine, and the based on the contributors to the book, I think the recipes will be good! 

   For those who like Christmas baking specifically Advent by Anja Dunk is an excellent choice. I have also heard great things about First, Cream the Butter and Sugar by Emilia Jackson when it comes to cookbooks about baking specifically, so that could be a good one for the bakers in your life.

   I have Salamati by Hamed Allahyari and Dani Valent on my wish list, and I think Mabu Mabu by Nornie Bero would make a great gift and should have a place in every Australian kitchen.

4. For other gifts, I thought buying a gift subscription to a Substack newsletter or Patreon would be a great idea (maybe the new magazine subscription of our increasingly online world?). In terms of food related subscriptions, I really enjoy the paid Substack newsletters from Something to Eat and Something to Read, The Jewish Table and Emiko Davies’ Newsletter. 

5. For edible gifts nothing can go past a jar of delicious savoury spread Tumami by Alice or any brand of crema di pistacchio for a really indulgent treat. For the chocolate lover I would recommend the drinking chocolates from Grounded Pleasures - there’s no risk of them melting in transit and they can be enjoyed all year round! 

6. Finally, for a gift with an impact I would recommend the empowering gifts from Australia for UNHCR. You can purchase gifts that give assistance to refugees around the world with things such as clean water, vaccinations, shelter, thermal blankets, school supplies and much more. There are a variety of options and price points and you can nominate a gift recipient to be notified of your gift to them via email or you can chose to print out a pdf card for them yourself.

Vanilla Sprinkle Melting Moments

I was inspired to make these simple vanilla sprinkle melting moments after eating some delicious biscuits made by The Flour Millers Wife. Em of The Flour Millers Wife is based in Manildra NSW and bakes delicious biscuits that are sold in a few stores across the Central West of NSW. 

I have been following Em on Instagram for a little while, and always thought the biscuits she makes look so good. I managed to find some when I was in Orange recently and they tasted as good as they looked! 

I especially enjoyed Em’s Sprinkle Yo-Yos, which are what gave me the inspiration to make these melting moments. I’m not sure exactly what the difference between melting moments and yo-yos are, or even if there is much of a difference. But since I have adapted my original melting moment recipe to make these, I haven’t altered the name. 

Biscuits by The Flour Millers Wife I bought in Orange - Two packets of honey jumbles, white chocolate and cranberry biscuits and the Sprinkle Yo-Yo Biscuits.

My version are very different from Em’s which are much smaller and have a softer crumblier style biscuit, but I think that’s the joy of finding inspiration in what other people bake. It’s not about replicating it exactly, but using it as inspiration to create a new recipe. 

And this way I can enjoy my own melting moments, and still look forward to having some of The Flour Miller’s Wife’s creation next time I am in the Central West! Thank you for the inspiration Em! And keep any eye out for her biscuits if you are around Orange, Molong or Carcoar - and in the mean time, have a go at the recipe below!

Vanilla Sprinkle Melting Moments

Ingredients:                                       

300g unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g icing sugar/mixture

420g plain flour

50g custard powder

Ingredients for the filling:

80g unsalted butter, softened

200g icing sugar/mixture

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Sprinkles/100s and 1000s, to decorate

Method: 

Preheat oven to 145 degrees Celsius, and line three large baking trays with baking paper. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanillas until creamy.

Add the flour and custard powder to the creamed butter, and mix on the lowest speed until a dough forms. 

Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the prepared trays (you should end up with 40-44 individual dough balls/biscuits) leaving a little space in between each (they won’t spread much when baking). Then lightly press down each ball with the back of a fork so they flatten out a little. Dip your fork in flour if it is sticking to the dough.

Bake for 25 minutes. They will be cooked when the undersides of the biscuits are lightly golden. To ensure a even bake, rotate the baking trays in the oven around half way through. 

Allow to cool on their trays.

Once the biscuits have cooled make the filling by beating all the ingredients except the sprinkles in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or by using a hand held mixer. Mix until light and fluffy and everything is well combined. 

Pair up the cooked biscuits, and turn one from each pair over so the underside is facing up. Spread or pipe the filling on to the underside of one biscuit in each biscuit pair, then gently sandwich the paired biscuits together. 

Pour some sprinkles into a bowl and dip the edges of each sandwiched biscuit into it, pushing the sprinkles into the sides of the filling.

Leave the biscuits for half an hour or so for the filling to firm up a bit (you can do this in the fridge in warmer weather). Biscuits will store well in an airtight container for a few days. 

Makes 40-44 individual biscuits and 20-22 sandwiched biscuits. 

A Collection of Plates and Cups aka Photography Props

As you can see in the images above and below, my photography props have formed a serious collection. 

Some things came from my Grandma’s kitchen, and others I have accumulated over the years both second hand and new.

I have been lucky to find many very creative makers whilst searching for props, and I thought I’d share a few here. 

Whether you are into food photography or not, most of these suggestions are just lovely things to have or use in your home, or give as a really thoughtful gift.

1. Easy portable backgrounds from Capture by Lucy - This is the only photography specific suggestion! These photography backgrounds from the UK are the best I’ve used, and the last really well (I’m still using the first two I bought in 2017!). They are a great investment if you want a variety of backgrounds to use in your photography.

2. LouiseM Studio - I came across Louise’s work as she is the ceramicist who makes the butter keepers for Pepe Saya. Louise makes many lovely things, and I particularly like her use of colour. I recently bought a few plates from her - dinner plates that are actually the perfect size to serve a cake on - and I am getting a lot of use out if them.

3. Daisie Mae - I have been following Meg on Instagram for a while, and recently she opened her online store selling her handmade cushions and lampshades and also some really fun cups and vases. I have two of the pastel cup and saucer sets, and I think they’d be lovely as a daily tea cup and not just a photography prop!

4. Bridget Bodenham - Bridget probably needs little introduction, she’s been making her ceramics for a while now and if you’ve ever been to a Finders Keepers Market you might have seen her wares there. I really like the individuality of Bridget’s work, but also how every piece is also very functional if you were going to use it day to day.

5. Bec Fing Designs - I’ve mentioned Bec before I think, but I will again as I really like her bright colourful designs. Bec produces table linen and tea towels from her own hand painted designs, and the tea towels in particular I have found useful for a pop of colourful fabric in my photos.

Let Them Eat Cake - A Marie Antoinette Inspired Layer Cake

Let them eat cake, is a phrase we all associate with Marie Antoinette, despite the fact that she probably never actually said it.

The phrase and the opulence that can also be associated with the French Royal family which Marie Antoinette married into, has inspired many an artist, film maker and cake decorator over the years. 

This history and opulence was in part the inspiration for this cake, which I recently developed for The Healthy Baker. The brief was that the cake must have pink icing, and use flowers to decorate. 

While maybe not as opulent as some ‘let them eat cake’ inspired cakes, I think this cake presents well but is also quite easy to achieve. 

You will see that the buttercream icing is not perfectly smooth, this is not only as I felt it unnecessary as the whole cake will be covered with decoration, but it also avoided the cake having too thick a layer of buttercream. Since the cake is filled with passionfruit curd, that is where the cake is getting a lot of its flavour, and too much buttercream may detract from that. 

Too make the cake even easier I used bought passionfruit curd, and in terms of the decoration I can assure you that very little skill is involved when it comes to placing the flowers (both fresh and freeze dried) all over the cake! I also used some edible gold leaf which was easy to buy online from Woolworths.

You can find the recipe via The Healthy Baker’s website - it would make a great celebration cake or just a fun weekend baking project!

Recipe development projects like this one, are my favourite part of my job. Creating a recipe with businesses products means I get to think of new ideas, be creative and also try new things. I also get to eat the cake after, which is a pretty good job perk if you ask me!

If you have a product you’d love me to create some recipes with, just contact me and we can chat about what your business needs. Recipes for your website or blog are great ways to show your customers how to use your products, and the images are great for social media and other marketing content too!

Click here to find out a little bit more about working with me.