Shopping Around

 
Last week we wrote a message on Twitter which certainly got you all talking.

We explained that we were feeling a little bit cross about a large multi-national fast food chain opening a branch in Whitchurch in Cardiff, because we would also like to open there but despite shopping around for properties, we have found the rent and rates in the area too high.

Our mini rant led lots of you to tell us that you also wish more could be done to help independent retailers like us, because you would like your villages and towns to keep their local feel.

While we totally understand that landlords also need to make money, and that prices are set by the basic economic principle of supply and demand, we do find it frustrating that we have put offers on several shops, only to be beaten on price by larger firms. But we are The cakehouse aren't bitter (in fact we like to think we're as sweet as the delicious cakes we serve!), we know all good things come to those who wait, and we've been waiting a while, so our customers will be in for a real treat when we finally open! 

 

 

Cinnamon & Snow

On Friday morning we all woke to a wintry wonderland outside our windows.

As children threw snowballs, made snowmen and went sledging, there was only one thing we wanted to do and that was bake.

 

The cold weather made us long for something comforting. Our first thought, Cinnamon hearts. The smell of the spice as it wafted through the kitchen reminded us of Christmas. Then the sound as we bit into them echoed the crunchy snow outside.


But cinnamon hearts alone weren't enough to sustain us! Next up, warm Nutella brownies, delicious served with thick clotted cream. The gooey mixture, baked to perfection, was just what we needed on a freezing cold day.

And of course our treats wouldn't have been complete without a hot pot of tea, to make them the ultimate winter warmer.

Diet Detox

After the excesses of Christmas, January is traditionally a time when people start a new diet after vowing that this is the year they will get slimmer, fitter and healthier.

We at The Cakehouse are no strangers to yo-yo dieting. We've tried slimming classes, the cabbage soup diet, detox plans where you can only have mushed up vegetables and water, as well as calorie counting and even the latest fad of feast and famine where you eat practically nothing for 2 days and whatever you fancy for the rest of the week. But in they end they all have the same result, after loosing weight initially we eventually fall into our old bad habits.

But maybe the reason we are so bad at dieting is the way we go about it.

Here in Britain we seem to think that the only way we can be slim is if we deny ourselves everything we fancy - "oh no I can't have a biscuit, I'm dieting". But in the end our cravings get so bad that we gorge on fresh cream cakes and chocolate cookies or buttered bara brith and cupcakes covered with icing.

So perhaps it's our approach to diets that needs a detox, rather than the diets themselves.

We think it's OK to eat a biscuit with a cup of tea, just don't eat a packet. And a slice of cake is fine, as long as it's a small one.

That's why this January we're ditching the diet - and vowing to eat sensibly instead.

New Beginnings!

There are few things better at signalling new beginnings than a celebration welcoming a baby into the world. It’s one of those rare occasions where family and friends come together to toast the future.

So you can imagine our delight at The Cakehouse when the last thing we were asked to cater in 2012 was a Christening! What better way to mark the New Year that lay ahead than providing 4 dozen cupcakes for a party in honour of a very little girl named Matilda Perry.

As her guests discussed what may lie ahead for the infant over chocolate, fudge, vanilla and lemon & poppy seed delights, our thoughts turned to what might be in store for The Cakehouse.

In some ways 2012 was a frustrating year for us. Despite putting in offers on 2 different properties we still don’t have a shop, which means our dream hasn’t yet been fully realised. But rather than end the year feeling deflated, Matilda’s christening reminded us to look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

That’s why this year we plan to be busier than ever before! As well as collaborating with Oh Sugar Cake Company on big events, we also hope to work with Crafty Cakes and Slightly Wobbly Designs, as well fulfilling individual orders online (and there should be plenty of those if your comments on Twitter are anything to go by! We can’t name everyone here, but Kelley Byrne says our coffee & walnut cupcakes are her favourite, Rose Fulgoni likes our chocolate sponge and John Lane wants us to branch out into cheese cake!).

Of course we are still looking for a shop, but we have a good feeling that 2013 will be the year we find it. We know 13 is thought unlucky by some, but we believe a baker’s dozen is a pretty good omen for us!

So here’s to the future – for Matilda, for us and for all our customers!