Just 3 weeks ago I warned about the dangers of this crazy weather turning stunning cakes into, well, puddles. I blamed the fact we're never really very well equipped in this country to deal with a heatwave and saluted the USA for its knowledge and understanding in such cake matters. How wrong I was! A lovely lady in America just sent me this before and after photo of an amazing cake creation (turned puddle) after a customer ignored instructions about leaving it out in the hot

It's so hot outside I'm surprised my tea hasn't evaporated. Goodness knows what a buttercream cake must be feeling. That said, there are always ways to ensure your cake doesn't become some dribbling pool in the centre of your outdoor celebration. The biggest problem is adapting to weather we're not used to. In America, the clever so-and-sos have got themselves air conditioning installed in practically every place possible, so baking's less of a scream and more the dream it ou

So yesterday this happened. Yep. Six perfectly innocent chocolate cupcakes leapt out of their cases and I have no idea why. So, like the wonderful cake detectives you are, I'd love to know your thoughts on the matter. I can give you the following clues: The cakes were baked in a small conventional oven at 190 degrees Celsius. It was not a fan oven (the obvious culprit). Other cakes from the same mixture were baked in another oven at the same time and came out perfectly. And j

So this appeared on my Twitter feed after An Extra Slice aired on Thursday and it's the best save of a baking fail I've ever seen. You may remember I did a rescue video a while back (ahem, 2 years ago to be exact). In it I explained how you could rescue a burnt cake by covering it with melted chocolate. But never did it occur to me to turn a cake disaster into a building site with a few choice children's toys. So if you're not the best cook in the world, Lucy from Prestwick i

Firstly, an apology. The image above has probably put you off your cornflakes. If you're wondering, I promise it's sanitary. To put you out of your misery, this is what happens when you try a new ganache recipe and overheat the chocolate. Basically, I've been doing some experimenting in the kitchen. Thankfully, nothing is being tested or eaten by anyone but me, so the wet turd above didn't go any further than me and the bin. Actually, I tell a lie: I didn't even try it. That