0 Clandestine Cake Club Cook Book

I may be biased as I have a recipe in this cook book, but I think that this an absolutely beautiful book and set to be one of this years best sellers, I am so glad that the publishers haven't gone in for over egging the pictures and lots of fancy decoration, as this is a book of honest to goodness homestyle cakes. 

                                                         

All Clandestine cake clubbers are avid home bakers and the recipes in the book reflect that, relatively easy recipes with creative thoughtful twists, you just know they are going to be a success and so far all the one's I have baked have been. The book has a practical wipe clean cover which is essential in my kitchen and is helpfully divided into the following sections

• Classic Cakes
• Victorian Cakes
• Fruity Cakes
• Global Cakes
• Zesty Cakes
• Chocolatey cakes
• Celebration Cakes
• Creative Cakes

There are hints and tips on icing and frostings and what to do if you have a cake wreck, all regular cake clubbers have experienced these, myself included when I dropped a cake on the way to a meeting ! the book also has the history of the cake club movement and tells you about Lynn Hill the founder.

Clandestine Cake clubs are now a world wide phenomenum, so I suggest you get out a buy yourself a copy pronto !

My recipe is featured on page 68/69 and is a Magic Bean Cake which I originally baked for a theme of "Full of Beans", in celebration of the launch of the cookbook I baked this recipe for cake club again plus a Lemon, lime and yoghurt cake as contributed by Kate Dickens on page 131.

Detail: Clandestine Cake Club Cook Book

0 CCC No 12 - We Heart Cake - Joint Clandestine Cake Club and WI Meeting

South Lancashire latest cake club meeting was a first (as far as we know) for the Clandestine Cake club movement, we held our Valentine's Day meeting as a joint meeting with Buckshaw Village Womens Institute, despite only 4 bakers from the cake club attending the meeting, it was a great success with the WI members rising to baking challenge and doing us proud by baking lots of lovely cakes.

The meeting started in the traditional manner with WI business and the traditional song of Jerusalem, we were then entertained by Sue from Heaven on a Plate and fellow cake club organiser to her talk on her "one women's battle with marmalade" and making marmalade to competition standards.

We then got on with the business of the cake club meeting, after a brief introduction on what Clandestine Cake clubs are all about and the social etiquette of such meetings, we also celebrated the publication of the Clandestine Cake club cookbook and two members who have recipes in the book, each signed each others copies.

Now on to the cakes, which included from a golden syrup heart, lemon curd cake, chocolate,rum and cola cake, double chocolate cake, lemon lime yoghurt bundt and magic bean cake  and many many others. All of which were very delicious, necessitating  lots of tea and coffee to be drunk to offset the inevitable sugar high. Baking secrets were swapped and much perusal went on of the cookery book.

Buckshaw Village WI is a relatively young group both in terms of formation, being only just over 1 year old but also in its membership and fortunate enough to meet in a state of the art school in the centre of a newly built village. Everyone had a great evening and lots of cake aways were taken home to share a great cakey evening with family and friends. If you are interested in joining the WI please contact your local federation.

                                                           

My bakes for the evening are both featured in the Clandestine Cake Club cook book, one is my "Magic Bean Cake" recipe and the other a recipe from another cake clubber. I will be making a seperate post as a review of the book, so check this out for the magic bean cake recipe and details of this great publication.

Detail: CCC No 12 - We Heart Cake - Joint Clandestine Cake Club and WI Meeting