Coming soon…

Yes indeed, we are busily preparing for the next issue of The Cake Mall newsletter. It promises to be our most exciting yet, with loads of new recipes.
We’ve been trying out lots and lots of recipes for cakes, smoothies, frosting, breads, pancakes…PHEW!!…. like I said, exciting times. We’ll be putting together the best of the lot so be sure to look out for copies out in September.

If you would like to advertise on our rainbow pages please contact us via telephone on 08023121379 or email adverts@thecakemall.com. N5,000.00 only (kpere)

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It’s raining, let’s have some cake…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     It’s been raining almost nonstop since Friday! I don't know about you but I’ve had more than enough; if only it would rain something useful and yummy eh, cakes would be nice, dontcha think?

Anyway i was rooting around the internet for rain-themed cakes. Predictable , yes, bear with me because I DID find some…

good stuff -

 

cute stuff…

one er… not really sure…

Tell us something we don’t know

Whatever you do, don't forget the rain in the cake, or should it be the cake in the rain? you now what i mean…

Happy new month people, have fun with it!

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We Mourn.

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TGIF! Laugh your way into the weekend…

 

Hello folks, its the end of another eventful week. We are starting a new series called Funny Fridays showcasing random jokes and one liners, feel free to send us any jokes you have. Enjoy…

A great fruit cake recipe

You'll need the following: a cup of water, a cup of sugar, four large eggs, two cups of dried fruit, a teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of salt, a cup of brown sugar, lemon juice, nuts, and a bottle of whisky.

Sample the whisky to check for quality.
Take a large bowl. Check the whisky again. To be sure it is the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and beat again.

Make sure the whisky is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the whisky to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whisky. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something. Whatever you can find.
Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. 

Throw the bowl out of the window, check the whisky again and go to bed.

 

Wise cooking advice

This weekend, I discovered a cooking tip I haven't seen listed in any cookbooks.

While you are preparing the food, and after the guests have arrived, you contrive to fill the house up with smoke, preferably enough to get at least two smoke detectors going.

Then you go rushing about the house, opening all the windows, setting up fans, and generally doing everything short of calling the fire department.
Let the guests sit for about 1/2 hour at 50 degrees (as a result of opening the windows) and serve the food.

By this point, you have established expectations in your guests' minds that you can't fail to exceed!

 

A TOTALLY RANDOM JOKE

A retiring farmer in preparation for selling his land, needed to rid his farm of animals. So he went to every house in his town.

To the houses where the man is the boss, he gave a horse. To the houses where the woman is the boss, a chicken was given.

He got toward the end of the street and saw a couple outside gardening. "Who's the boss around here?" he asked.

"I am." said the man.

"I have a black horse and a brown horse," the farmer said, "which one would you like?"

The man thought for a minute and said, "The black one."

"No, no, no, get the brown one." the man's wife said.

"Here's your chicken." said the farmer.

Have a fantastic weekend… oh and don’t forget to click here

The Master Baker Show

“The Master Baker (TMB) Reality TV Series is the first ever "National Baking Competition" where the contestants compete to win the coveted title of "The Master Baker" every year in Nigeria. Season 2 of "The Master Baker - West Africa" will draw contestants from 8 West African countries.”


PRIZES
1st Prize N1,000,000.00
2nd Prize N500,000.00
3rd Prize N250,000.00
Who can enter TMB Reality TV show

1. Male or Female
2. Must be 18 years and above
3. Little basic baking skill

WOW! What are you waiting for? Get registered HERE today!

1.4 out on Tuesday

 

YAY!

It’s here, issue 4 in print….

Make sure you get a copy….

GREATNESS BECKONS

LEKKI-AJAH CAKE FAIR

WEST AFRICA’S PREMIER INTERNATIONAL CAKE FAIR

Its time for West Africa and indeed Africa's biggest cake and sugar craft fair.
The Lekki – Ajah International Cake Fair, West Africa’s first international cake fair holds on Tuesday 3^rd and Wednesday 4^th of April, 2012 at Protea Hotel (Oakwood Park) on Lekki – Epe Expressway, Lekki, Lagos - Nigeria

The fair which is celebrating its 5^th year anniversary will be a huge celebration of cakes and sugar craft and features a variety of events and activities which are meant to inform, educate and entertain. These include a massive exhibition of wedding and novelty cakes by renowned cake makers from Nigeria and other countries, free and paid demonstrations and hands-on-workshops facilitated by top sugar crafters like Chinezie Ibuoka (Honey Suckle Cakes), Ikeolu Biobaku ( Mix ‘n’ Bake), Kema Abuede (Conspicuous Cakes), Ayodeji Ajibade (Enchanting Cakes), Nnena Nkwocha (Ice ‘n’ Satin), Olanike Olaseinde (Unique Cakes), Olufunke Oke (Funtols Confectionery), Bidemi Bidokwu (Cake et al), Bolanle Malomo (Dreams Cake), Ameachi Aliogo (Liomaryn Cakes), Yemi Bamgboye (R ‘n’ Y), and several others.

Put together by Mel Cakes ‘n’ more and Just Cakes by Somchez, the fair is set to delight cakes making enthusiasts and lovers all over the country as they will be presented with the opportunity of seeing some of the most beautiful, captivating and enthralling cakes ever made in Nigeria and indeed West Africa. In addition to this, they will also get a chance to taste these sumptuous and delicious cakes as free cakes will be available all through-out the 2 day event.

Stories from the Honeysuckle Cakes & Sugar Art Show

It was a gathering of sugary proportions last week at the Honeysuckle Cakes & Sugar Art Show. Confectioners from all over Lagos and various parts of Nigeria were present to feast their eyes on the sumptuous displays and partake of the exciting activities.

View Full Album

And what a show it was; from marvellous cake displays showcasing the latest trends in sugar craft to delicious free cakes. Yes, you heard us! There was so much free cake, yours truly and her partner in crime Abibi Mi had to hold on to each other to keep from floating away on the sugar high :D.

Materials, tools and ingredients to make baking and decorating confections an even sweeter experience were available for sale at greatly discounted prices.

View Full Album

FAN INTERACTION
We met with one of our fans (YAY!) Glory Mojisola Omotosho, the sweet hands and bubbly personality behind Dara Kakes and here is what she had to say about the show –
“It’s very interesting with a lot of new tools. It’s great being able to buy some of the things I see online for modelling and accessorizing, so yes I would say it’s a successful show."

On her business, she has been baking for 2 years now and it has been a very wonderful and rewarding time for her. You can feel the joy emanating from this happy lady. In her own words “God has been faithful”. Can we get an Amen!

We asked for advice for newbies and she says “Always look for sales! And buy smart, it is very easy to fall into the cycle of buying everything and not needing it all. Stay true to yourself and be prayerful.”
Smart, talented and lovely; isn’t that a fantastic combination? Thank you Dara Kakes, we hope to meet up with you again.


WORKSHOPS, CLASSES AND FREE DEMONSTRATIONS
Aside from all the activities, there were free demonstrations on how to make donuts (the sweatless stressless Mix’N’Bake way), how to bake cakes and ideas on decorating. There were also hands on classes and demonstrations facilitated by some of the best names in the industry.




GIFTS! GIFTS!! GIFTS!!!
Ooooooh yes! The gifts and freebies started raining right from the door, the first visitors were greeted with a fabulous Honeysuckle jute shopping bag (be green with envy) containing goodies. There were other “on the spot” giveaways that had everyone scrambling happily. From dowel rods to measuring cups to accessory molds.
 
 


There was a raffle draw and a lot of entrants were made very happy winning from a selection of books, cartons of icing sugar, Wilton party stands and cupcake pans.











And the GRAND PRIZE WAAAAASSSSSS---- er well, you’ll have to hunt down a copy of issue 4 to find that out.

Talk about lucky winning eh? It really was a fun filled and jam packed 2 days with visitors trooping in to enjoy the show. Now don’t you wish you were there? Well just be sure to grab a copy of The Cake Mall magazine out on the 27^th of March for more lovely pictures as well as a few more interviews.





Congratulations to the hardworking crew of Honeysuckle Cakes for putting on such an interesting show and to Madam Honeysuckle herself on the launch of her own magazine – the Honeysuckle Cakes and Sugar Art Magazine.
 
 



Before we sign out though, let’s leave you with this thrilling bit of news – the 5^th Lekki-Ajah International Cake Fair will be taking place on the 21^st and 22^nd of March, that’s in another two weeks. You’ve been told, so, DO. NOT. MISS. IT!

Have fun and stay sweet.

The Honeysuckle Cakes & Sugar Art Show

OKAY fellow cake lovers, another sweet show is going live tomorrow, brought to you by the illustrious folks at Honeysuckle Cakes and Confectionary.

Details:
Date: Tuesday 28th & Wednesday 29th February, 2012
Time: 9am - 6pm
Venue: Ogudu GRA Recreational Centre, Ogudu, Ojota - Lagos.
Gate Fee: =N=1,000

Yours truly will be there to cover the event and bring you loads of pictures and gist so…WATCH THIS SPACE

The Spice Rack

The Mix & Bake Cake Festival was an extraordinary gathering of cake aficionados in the confection industry. The fair which was held at Yard 158, featured a display of amazing cake arts that left us drooling, an exhibition of baking tools, vocational books and various suppliers who gave discounted prices on their products.
Cake Celebs
Omolabake Abrigo of Cake Expression show cased her intricate design of her swan cake.

Tareela Okene of Dripples Limited all the way from Port-Harcourt showed her skills & passion for  cake art, walking us through the design and assembly of a topsy turvy wedding cake.

Ajadi Anne of Absolute Elegance showed us how to achieve amazing lace works on wedding cakes
Other celebs were Kemi Adesona, who took us through her world of intricate box designs  from Delitesome Manna Creative Concepts

Kema Abuede of conspicuous cakes lectured on making sugar silhouettes and art  nouveaue cakes.
 
More More and Still More Cake Displays

View Full Album

 
Also present was the senior pastor of the Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi motivated attendees on Redefining Success for Their Business
Nuggets of wisdom

1.Be great in your mind & thinking to be great on the outside

2.Maximize your opportunities

3.Identify people’s needs and create the services & products that meet those needs.

4.Provide your products & services with excellence. There are people willing to pay for it.

Dare Opadotun of Agora Capital shared tips on starting & moving your business from small to great.
Did you know you could buy readymade sugar silhouettes, custom made boxes & pastillage? YES you can!
It was a remarkable experience that left us with a sugar high!
 
If you want to be at a cake fair, make sure you attend Honeysuckle Cake & Sugar Art Show on the 28^th & 29^th of February. Be sure to look out for The Cake Mall Magazine & take a copy home for friends & family.

Happy Valentine's Day, Dear Reader

Finally, it's here, the much anticipated (gals) and dreaded (guys) Valentine's Day.

Without further ado, we'll jump right into the Cake Reel. Some lucky people were the giggly recipients of these lovely confections:

HSandI Cakes

Sheyi Oke Cakes

CupCake Couture

Audrey's Cakes and Bakes

Audrey's Cakes and Bakes

Cheesecake Express

HSandI Cakes

CupCake Couture

Cheesecake Express

And some irate persons will get these:

All's fair in love and war, eh? Still, play nice, fellas and have fun, everyone.

So what did YOU do today? Ladies, post us pictures of your cakes; those you got and those you gave. 

Cheers! :)

CHOCOLATE IS FOR LOVE

by Tope Tedela.

I didn’t get a lot of chocolate as a kid. Even though I grew up in a fairly comfortable family, the standard mantra was “it will spoil your teeth” whenever we asked for chocolate. For some kids, you rarely ever asked because you never chop belleful, you wan chop chocolate!  We’ve all heard a lot of things about chocolate, good and evil; regardless, chocolate can be like that lover whom you hate but love so dearly. Remember when the doctor, I mean dentist, advised you to abstain from chocolate but you couldn't? Well, that’s how the story goes for many a human being.
 
Anyway, it's that season when love is in the air as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. And guess which sweet takes the centre stage? Chocolates! These delicious darlings have become irreversibly linked to love, but what's so special about chocolate?  Why do lovers send a chocolate heart for Valentine's Day, instead of, say, vanilla cookies or strings of licorice?
Chocolate has been used as a gift from the time of the Aztecs. Today, a box of luxurious quality chocolate says a thousand things from "thank you", "good luck" and “congratulations”, from “welcome” to “goodbye” and on Valentine's Day chocolate clearly says "I LOVE YOU!" 

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
The amazing thing about chocolates is that they come in so many different forms, shapes, sizes, flavours, and quality. You can choose from a wide variety to suit your taste.  Ready-to-eat ones are milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, sweet dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and cocoa powder. We can go cosmo and mention the more exotic kinds from Belgium, France, Italy, Ecuador, and Venezuela. There’s even one kind called Gianduja chocolates! Na wa o. The most mind blowing chocolates are those with a high cocoa content (these are rarely found at the supermarkets), deeper flavour, smoother texture, and a lot less sugar! (Think Godiva!)

For use in confection, we have couverture chocolate, candy coating chocolate; I mean the list is quite seemingly endless and there are so many uses! You can make truffles, drops, cakes, biscuits, ice cream, milk shakes and any other creative idea that comes to you. 



CHOCOLATE AND HEALTH
Don't believe every bad thing you hear about chocolates. There are a lot of health benefits in healthy consumption of dark chocolates which are rich in antioxidants. Chocolates also contain compounds called flavanols (also found in apples, peanuts, onions, tea and red wine; no wonder chocolates and red wine are such a natural hit) known to aid heart health, though that is not an excuse for excessive consumption. Keep this in mind: the darker, the better. Lest I forget, don’t replace healthy foods with chocolates.






AND THAT OTHER SUMTHIN’SUMTHIN’
For ages, chocolates have been and are still considered an aphrodisiac. This association may go all the way back to the Aztecs who believed chocolate was a source of spiritual wisdom, incredible energy, and elevated sexual power. Chocolate was widely used as a nuptial aid and copiously served at wedding ceremonies.  How does it work, you may ask?  Chocolate affects the central nervous system, thanks to anandamine (a neurotransmitter or brain chemical), a chemical that increases relaxation and produces a feeling of euphoria.  In addition, other chemicals extend this high and also increase the levels of dopamine, another lovely little chemical that elevates the mood and increases sexual arousal and response. Ahem, moving swiftly along, we’ll throw out a few more scientific words for you to research and write us about: tryptophan, phenylethylamine and theobromine. 


IN CONCLUSION
Receiving a nicely wrapped box of chocolates causes a sense of anticipation. The pleasure of unwrapping the box, the sensual smell, lifting the soft seductive papers, the look of the smooth moist chocolates. 
When chocs finally pass your lips and instantly melt, they fill your mouth with exquisite pleasure. The taste and smell flood your senses with overwhelming ecstasy. Eating it slowly, taking time to enjoy and savour every bit. What better way to start off the season of love?
 


As we bask in the euphoria of the Valentine season and celebrate love, those boxes and bars of chocolates would surely come in handy to express, more than words can, what loving is all about!


Happy Valentine people!