For any of you who have seen me demonstrate at Foodies Festival, or read my Victoria Sponge recipe you will know of my slight mania around crystallised flowers, specifically rose petals.  I love roses in all their many forms and crystallising them just adds a whole new dimension to these beautiful blooms.

After every single one of my demos, I was asked the same question; "how do I make the crystallised rose petals?".  Well, my dears, I am here to tell you how!

This technique can be used on any edible flower or herb.  Mint leaves are especially fantastic crystallised and popped on top of desserts, though I am not sure I would suggest trying it with parsley or coriander, though I am sort of tempted to try sage!

NB: I do use supermarket roses, which are more designed for looking at rather than eating and can have been sprayed with pesticides and insecticides.  As I use so few on my cakes I am not worried about this, but if you have any concerns whatsoever, I suggest buying them from a reputable supplier of which there are many online.  I would recommend Jan Billington, who you can find here: http://maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk or indeed, you can grow your own!

Anyway, without further ado, here is how to do it...

You will need:
Rose petals
Egg white (1 egg white per 40 rose petals)
Caster sugar (a good few tablespoons)
A clean paintbrush
A baking tray lined with parchment or baking paper

It really is that simple.  I really love making these petals, I find the repetitiveness of it quite meditative, plus it can be done whilst watching your favourite film or TV show.  Game of Thrones anyone?

As always, if you have any questions or queries please get in touch I would love to hear from you!

It was great to meet so many people and I hope I managed to answer all of your questions, I am always available to answer any queries you may have about baking or a gluten-free diet in general, so please don't hesitate to drop me an email or contact me via the website or any of my social media pages.  I want to make baking inclusive to everyone, why else do you think I chose the tagline "Let Them All Eat Cake"!?

I am also so excited to confirm that I will be back at Foodies Festival doing more demonstrations which is truly and honour and a thrill.  You can catch me in Newcastle on the 3rd and 4th June.  You can book tickets here if you would like to attend.  Foodies is such a fun day out, it's family friendly and dogs on short leads are welcome too - great for us as we aren't allowed to turn up now without Butch!

A few people have asked me if they could access my recipes on the website, and eventually I promise I will have a recipe section on the site, but for now, if you don't mind, I will share them here on the blog.

The Victoria Sponge was one of the first recipes I mastered before going gluten free and it was super important to me to ensure I created a gluten free version that was as special as the wheaten version that become my speciality.  As a retro girl, the Vicky sponge is incredibly close to my heart as something vintage and also as something that is incredibly versatile, it can be changed up in an instant with various flavours or different toppings, it really is my favourite cake.

​So without further ado, here is my recipe for a gloriously glam gluten-free Victoria Sponge

INGREDIENTS:
For the cake
200g gluten free self raising flour
25g cornflour
225g soft unsalted butter
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp whole milk (or milk substitute)


For the jam
150g fresh raspberries
1 tsp caster sugar (use more if you like a sweeter jam)
1 tbs fresh orange juice


For the American buttercream
150g soft unsalted butter
300g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 - 40 ml whole milk (or milk substitute)


METHOD:​

• Preheat the oven to 180c / 160c fan /gas 4
• Start with the jam; put all the ingredients into a small saucepan or frying pan on a medium heat, stir together then leave to bubble and break down stirring occasionally to ensure the raspberries and sugar don't stick to the pan or over caramelise.  After you've cooked them down for about 5-15 minutes (depending on the heat of your pan etc) they should be jammy.  Place into a bowl and allow to cool before use.  If you want to sieve out the seeds, please feel free.
• Next, make the cake.  Grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins (I like to use high sided tins as they seem to prevent the cakes from spilling over to one side - especially good if you are using a fan oven) and set to one side
• In a bowl or the bowl of a freestanding mixer add your butter and sugar, cream together using an electric hand whisk or the paddle attachment of the freestanding mixer for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy (almost white in colour).
• Next add your vanilla extract and mix a little to combine
• Add the eggs one at a time with a spoonful of flour in between each egg, ensuring everything is well combined.  This should help to prevent curdling.  Please also ensure that all your ingredients are at room temperature as if anything is too hot or too cold it will prevent the cake from rising.
• Add the rest of the flour and mix to combine.  You may need to scrape down the bowl periodically to ensure everything is fully combined.
• Add milk to loosen if you feel it needs it - it's not always essential, but if you're unsure I would recommend adding just a tablespoon.
• Divide the batter between your two prepared tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes until they are coming away from the sides, a cake tester or skewer comes out clean, and they are springy to the touch.  If at any point you are worried they might be catching but not cooked all the way through, place some tin foil over the top and this will prevent them from burning.
• Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream; put the butter and sugar into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a bowl and an electric handwhisk and mix together until they are light and creamy - but beware of the icing sugar cloud, so go slow to begin with then speed up as they start to adhere.  Add in your vanilla extract and loosen with the milk of your choice.  You want a nice spreadable consistency.
• Place one of the layers of sponge topside down onto a plate or cake stand, add half the butter cream and spread out - don't spread all the way to the edges as you will find it seeps out when you add the top layer - then add the jam.
• Place the other layer on top (the right way round), press down slightly, then spread the remaining butter cream on the top.
• Decorate with fresh raspberries.  I also use crystallised rose petals and raspberry powder for a bit of extra glam!

I hope you have a go at this cake and please do give me your comments!  If you have any questions about the recipe, please don't hesitate to ask!