I like to revisit the archives occasionally and bring you useful content we’ve featured in previous magazines. I loved this feature from issue two; cake flavours by month depending on what’s in season. Trends come and go but what’s in season doesn’t change! Tess MacMahon’s business (Eastbourne-based Chatter Cakes) is no longer operating, she went onto become a chef. We can see why!

Over to Tess:

One of the first things couples ask me when I meet them is ‘do we have to have fruit cake?’ and I always have to restrain a giggle. I imagine some evil cake monster on their shoulder demanding fruitcake, or else. There is always a simple reply – no! ‘Wedding tradition’ shouldn’t make you feel pressured into any element of your wedding, and cake is included. Use your imagination (or the help of any enthusiastic baker!) to build an amazingly tasty, unique wedding cake menu, and have something to really remember. To help you, I’ve formed a cake calendar, with suggestions for each month as to what is in season…

January – Clementine cake with passion fruit jam and vanilla buttercream

February – Vanilla sponge with rose and rhubarb jam and vanilla buttercream.

March – Rich chocolate cake with Belgian chocolate ganache and orange marmalade

April – Zesty orange and chocolate marble cake with chocolate ganache

May – Lemon thyme cake with lemon curd and lemon buttercream

June – Chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and raspberry Chambord

July – Strawberry cake with elderflower buttercream

August – Raspberry cake with white chocolate ganache

September – Blackberry cake with lime buttercream

October – Apple and cinnamon cake, with salted caramel buttercream

November – Carrot cake with orange zest buttercream

December – Spiced ginger cake with butterscotch buttercream

(Above images from Southsea Bakes)

You can always mix and match cake and frostings to suit your taste buds!

Be daring…

Strawberry and basil cake

Chocolate and rosemary cake

Apple and lavender cake

Chocolate and chilli cake

By Tess MacMahon