This month Juliet has got her magic hat on as she provides us with astonishing illusion cakes. Fancy a tipple and a great-tasting cake? You've now got two-for-one!
Cakes & Bakes with
Happy 2023 Bake & Decorate friends, I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and New Year filled with loads of festive bakes and cakes! I spent most of my time with the family cooking for 17 on Christmas day, it really is my favourite pastime. January for me is all about cosying up, staying in as much as possible and embracing the cold. There’s nothing better than passing the time baking in the kitchen, and this issue is all about feel-good bakes.
For my feel-good bakes, I’ve gone with comfort food with two simple recipes that are guaranteed to warm the heart and the tummy!
First up, one of my top favourite savoury bakes, is my epic cheese and Marmite muffins! They are to die for and the smell when they bake is incredible. It’s a challenge to wait until they are cool enough to eat. They have a hidden melting cheese centre and bubbly cheesy topping. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I prefer a savoury muffin to a sweet kind, so I hope you’ll love them as much as I do! They are lovely at any time of the day; for a mid-morning breakfast or teatime treat. They also freeze well and can be reheated to revive them back to that fresh out-of-the-oven texture.
For my next recipe, try my classic cinnamon buns. They are a real treat to have on the weekend. They work really well if you want to get them ready in the tin and leave overnight in the fridge, so that when you wake up all you need to do is bake them. They are a great recipe to do if you have family or friends staying over, I hope you’ll give them a go! Do get in touch if you have any baking related questions or any photos of your bakes to share, you’ll find me on Instagram @julietsear and also on Youtube I have loads of in-depth recipes, baking and cake decorating videos.
Happy Baking!
Juliet xx
Cinnamon buns
MAKES 12 “These bouncy squishy cinnamon buns are the ultimate comfort feel good food! Get them nestled into the baking tin the night before you bake them, so all you need to do is pop them in the oven for a perfect weekend treat!”
For the dough
225ml (8fl oz) milk
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
7g dried yeast (I use quick yeast)
125g (4½oz) butter, melted
2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature
1tsp pure vanilla extract
600g (1lb 3oz) strong bread flour, plus extra for
kneading
1tsp sea salt
2tsp ground cinnamon
For the filling
125g (4½oz) softened unsalted butter
180g (6oz) light muscovado sugar
2tsp ground cinnamon
1 free-range egg, for brushing
A little extra golden caster or brown sugar, for
spr
