Musings on Red Velvet - published 4 months later!

So I've had the urge to blog over the past few weeks - probably now that I have a lot more free time since handing in my final project. I just uncovered this post that I never got round to finishing or publishing. It's still not finished, but seeing as I plan on returning to Red Velvet very shortly, I thought I would post this as a precursor: 

Happy weekend foodies. So, I've had a very strange and hectic January, both filled with great news and some not so great news. Safe to say, 2016 definitely didn't start out as I thought it would. If you're looking for the red velvet talk, skip ahead a few paragraphs as I'm going to start off with a ramble!

I think after a few weeks of feeling both stressed and under the weather, I'm gradually starting to get things back on track. Which, I hope, also means that I will get back on track with all the plans that made for this year as well (hello blogging!). 

Last year was filled with a lot of studying and not-so-fun evenings sat at my desk trying to cram as much as I could before various exams and interviews. 2016 started off with achieving my biggest goal, so for the rest of the academic year, I feel like I will have a lot more spare time than I've ever had (and I probably will have for the next three years at least!). 

For someone who is so often bogged down in studies, it's a strange feeling having spare time and deciding how to spend it. It's also quite scary and I have to admit, I've felt lacking purpose for a short while now. However, I'm determined to make the most of this time as it is a genuine luxury and will be a rarity for me. So - and yes, we are finally getting to the bit about red velvet cakes - I spent this afternoon chilling in the kitchen and baking with my flat mate. I have no doubt that this sounds totally mundane to most people my age but when you're a workaholic, taking an afternoon to do something in complete leisure, is a significant event. 

Now... the cake!!

In my *cake-eating life* red velvet was a late-arrival. I think I only really noticed it one it started becoming the in thing. However, I've always been drawn towards it and would instinctively choose to bake it for a party or pick it out from a cupcake bakery.

I think it's the combination of a mellow chocolate hit and the tangy yet sweet cream cheese that just sings the most balanced harmony of flavours and keeps me coming back for more. Red Velvet is mysterious. There is no flavour implicit in its naming. It conjures images of something divinely smooth and luxurious yet warming. 

Admittedly, when a few years ago I was totally reliant on cake mixes from packets (and I still have a soft spot for Betty  Crocker's Supermoist collection) but I am really trying to cook more from scratch now... the only problem is.... when there are so many recipes online claiming to be *the best* which one do you pick?

Today I tried this recipe... adapted from a Hummingbird Bakery recipe. The cupcakes themselves turned out well. For cupcakes, the red velvet should be more moist and dense than the cake recipe as there won't be layers of icing running through. The hummingbird recipe allows for this so that the cupcake is wholeheartedly satisfying without being overly light and fluffy so that the it takes away from the flavour of the cake itself.  The frosting was less successful. We hesitated from adding in the total amount of icing called for in the recipe as it would have made it too sweet but this meant that the mixture was not firm enough. Icing is always the hardest part! Cream cheese being especially difficult. 

Finding the perfect balance for a red velvet cake also comes down to personal taste. I'm still not convinced I've found the *perfect* recipe. Alas, I think a lot more experimentation and testing is in order! And I'm also keen to try using beetroot in the recipe as some believe that that is where the red colour originated from.

There is more on the elusive Red Velvet to come very shortly...

Review: Modern Art Oxford Cafe, Oxford, UK

I so badly wanted to like this cafe.

Salad bar? Check. Wide range of veggie options? Check. Good prices? Check. 

However, there were a number of things which really disappointed me with the cafe at Modern Art Oxford. 

Walking into the cafe early on a Sunday morning, we were the first customers. We walked up to the counter and asked about what is included in the 'meal deal' (salad plate, dessert and hot drink) - the staff didn't really seem too sure. So they called over another staff member who I can only assume was higher up on the ladder. However, he didn't seem to know either. Not off to a great start.

Next we asked what was in the various baked goods. They were serving frittatas and slices of pizza - all looked great but none were labelled and the staff were obviously clueless as to what they were. 

After being told that the pizza was vegetarian, I was pretty annoyed (understatement) to bite into it and find it contained salami under the tomato.

They replaced it quickly, nevertheless, the damage had been done. The actual salad components were tasty enough and if you are looking for a cold plate, it's a good enough cafe to stop by.

However, there are better places to go for lunch in Oxford. And more interesting selections of salad available.

If visiting, I would stick to the salad bar section and avoid the cakes. We ordered the coffee cake and it was certainly not freshly baked. It was sickly sweet, over creamy and did not taste remotely of coffee. Any redeeming qualities of the salad selection were quickly overpowered by the taste that this cake left in my mouth.

Overall, I was disappointed with the cafe here and, with so many great eateries in Oxford, I doubt I will be returning.

✭

Review: Lily Vanilli Bakery, London, UK

I first heard of Lily Vanilli when my Mum bought me 'A Zombie Ate My Cupcake" many, many years ago.

I have since been intrigued by this baker and keen to sample her food. Upon researching her bakery, I was slightly disappointed to discover that she was not serving bleeding heart cupcakes year-round but perhaps I was being slightly unreasonable... (what can I say... I am a total horror fiend...)

Despite this discovery, the constant feed of pictures of sweet treats on Lily Vanilli's instagram page convinced me that the bakery was worth visiting and so, upon making a trip into London, it was the first place that I put on my list to visit.

The cafe opens only on Sundays and is located off Colombia Road in Shoreditch. For a tourist, it is out of the way and really not ideal. This was the major clinch for me. Unless you happen to live in Shoreditch or Bethnal Green, It's certainly not a convenient place to pop for coffee and cake.

Nevertheless, I went... I sampled... and I left - very satisfied.

Although, I do m think after traveling for so long to get there my expectations were a little too high.

However, the friand was yummy. It was really, really, good. Sticky, savory and sweet, gluten free and vegan. It was definitely good. Good enough that it made me start googling similar recipes as soon as I got home. The coffee was good as well.

Pear, parsnip, ginger and chilli cake

It was a little pricey... three and a half pounds for a cake is just about reasonable... bump it up to four pound twenty just to sit on the bakery bench for fifteen minutes and it was enough to raise my eyebrows. I ordered a friand and a coffee and it came to almost seven pounds.

By all means, if you live within a reasonable travel distance, I would go and try it out. If I am in the area again, I will most certainly return. However, if, like me, the yearning for sweet friands, brownies and cupcakes involved taking a tube ride and a tedious bus journey, maybe just purchase Lily's Sweet Tooth book instead.

✭✭✭✭1/2