cake Archives - Lily Doughball

All posts tagged “cake”

September 24, 2015

World’s Biggest Coffee Morning with Macmillan and M&S

Who doesn’t love a cheeky slab of cake washed down with a steaming hot brew?! NO-ONE. Don’t trust anyone who tells you otherwise; they are fibbing, and don’t deserve your time, cake, or coffee making skills. They are brew-deniers!

For those of us who do like to partake in a spot of sugar indulgence, it’s that time of year again where those fantastic folk Macmillan are hosting their World’s Biggest Coffee Morning tomorrow, Friday 25th September, to raise awareness and vital funds for their worthy cause.

Macmillan World's Biggest coffee morning 2015 - tea and cake

Not one to pass up the opportunity to eat a lot of cake, I jumped at the offer to get involved with all the action when those kind folks over at M&S sent me some cake treats to host my own little get-together.
If there’s one shop who knows how to make cake well, it’s M&S. Even their packet sponges taste absolutely blimmin’ delicious, and are delightfully home-made enough for you to pass them off as your own (it’s ok, I won’t tell).

tea and cake macmillan coffee morning
lily doughball in apron for macmillan biggest coffee morning
lily doughball in apron for coffee morning with marks and spencer

Also, can we talk about how adorable this apron is please?! You can get your mitts on one from M&S and know that you’re doing your bit to help out Macmillan -these ruffles are perfect for dishing up a bit of cake and supping a cheeky brew.

To find out more about the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning and how you can get involved, take a look at the Macmillan website here.

A massive thanks to Marks and Spencers for my cake and apron!

January 20, 2015

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Bristol’s Best Bits: Tart

Tart Patisserie Gloucester Road Bristol

Ahh, tea and cake. It’s like a fundamental right of British people to stop whatever they are doing at around 3pm and placate themselves and their dwindling sugar levels with a slab of cake or a nice biccy and wash it down with a nice hot brew. Such is our collective love of the good stuff that it’s almost become part of our national identity, with winners of everyone’s first love The Great British Bake Off being practically heralded as royalty as soon as they win the top prize.

Tart Patisserie Gloucester Road Bristol bakewell tart

There are many amazing cake establishments in Bristol, but the one I find myself going back to is Tart, slap bang in the middle of the longest stretch of independent shops in the UK, Gloucester Road. It’s like a mecca of tea and cake, and always my first port of call if it’s a nice cup of Rosy I’m after. What I like about it is its ability to appeal to all groups – it’s the type of place you could take your mum, meet a friend for a catch up, or while away a few sunny hours sitting outside by yourself, watching the world go by.

We headed up on a busy Sunday afternoon to just get out of the house, really, on one of those occasions where you need to treat yo’self for no reason whatsoever. I don’t think you ever need an excuse to eat cake. For me, my treat was a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of Victoria Sponge (classic!), for Tom it was a single espresso and a generous slice of chocolate torte.

Tart Patisserie Gloucester Road Bristol

It goes without saying that the cakes are absolutely amazing. My usual favourite is their orange polenta cake but sadly on this occassion they had run out 🙁 next time, it will be mine! All of their teas are loose leaf and freshly brewed before your very eyes, plus they do a brilliant every day offer of tea and cake for just a fiver, meaning our little outing cost us no more than £10!

Next time you’re up Gloucester Road and have been shopping your heart out at Repsycho and Fox & Feather, take a little rest, put your feet up and enjoy a lovely hot cuppa and slice of homemade cake from Tart. You won’t be disappointed.

December 14, 2013

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Bath Xmas Meet!

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Bath Christmas meet up hosted by the lovely Megan over at Briar Rose Blog.

I was particularly excited at the prospect of going to a meet up in Bath because, despite spending nearly a year working just down the road, I had never seen Bath from a tourists perspective. It was nice just walking down the little streets and appreciating just how beautiful it is.

We met in the (fairly new, very nicely designed) SouthGate shopping centre, where we met all the other friendly blogger faces and each got a Christmas card and a present! I had a rather lovely Santa printed scarf from a place called Spoiled Brat; there were so many other treats that everyone was gifted, and I felt very lucky to receive mine – I’m all set for Christmas now!

From here we battled the rain and the crowds in the centre of Bath to make our way to the Fashion Museum. Much like everything else in Bath, this was housed in a very grand looking building, the Assembly Rooms. I was surprised to discover that the Museum had been open since 1963, it was celebrating its 50th year! It contained some of the most beautiful and fascinating pieces I had ever seen, from classic designers like Chanel and Dior to more contemporary names such as Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.

After having a little tour we congregated outside, and a group of us decided to pop round the corner to Bea’s Vintage Tea Rooms for a slice of cake and a cuppa. It did not disappoint! I had a pot of Earl Grey and a slice of Vicky sponge, which had fresh cream and strawberries in the middle. Lush. It was a very cute little tearooms, like stepping back to the 40s with its vintage crockery and waitress ladies in pinnies and headscarves.

On our way to the station myself and Miriam from English Mademoiselle Diaries spotted a rather stunning carousel, but unfortunately we did not have the time for a ride!

All that remains is to thank Megan for organising such a wonderful day, I had such a good time and met so many lovely bloggers.