I want candy...

Candy Cakes make some of the cutest colourful cakes I've ever seen. I don't really class them as cupcakes (as mentioned in my other post about them), they are more like v.big muffins but whatever you want to call them they are absolutely gorgeous. I popped there on Saturday to get a friend one for her birthday and was determined to resist until I got to the shop...its just so damn CUTE and the cakes just entice you into buying them..they should rename themselves crack cakes I tell you!!!

Although walking into Candy Cakes make me revert back to childhood, (which generally happens round anything cupcake I have to admit!!), its creator, Michael Thomas, sees the company in altogether more adult terms. Its inspiration, he says, is derived from the revival of ��old-fashioned sexiness, nostalgia for wholesome curves, red lips and 1950s clothing��. I suppose they're saying they're the Dita Von Tesse of cakes :)

I bought myself a lemon, white chocolate meringue cake and Manny a double chocolate with a Union Jack chocolate on top (which costs extra but he's worth it!). My meringue one was to die for!! Utterly gorgeous, the cake was lovely and soft, filled with a lemon curd in the middle..and the icing was utterly lovely too. Manny adored his too - he really likes these as he thinks they are giant muffins and the only thing he likes better than cake is BIG cake! There isn't a pic of Manny's cake without the wrapping as he was too busy shovelling it into his mouth to pause for photos!!!Definitely worth checking out or buying on line.

And as mentioned before they do lovely fair trade organic coffee from Puro and the other food and cakes look really tasty too!! Their cakes are available in gluten free, sugar free and reduced fat as well so there's no excuse not to visit!!

Weekend cupcake extravaganza

Well not really an extravaganza but LOTS of cupcake shopping :)

First Friday - PAYDAY!!!! I headed to Oxford Circus, and Selfridges to try and get my mother some cupcakes for Mothers Day today - however they only had the special "I heart mum" ones with a use by date of 29 Feb or 1 Mar which was no use as they had to be sent to Scotland. However I did manage to get a couple of cupcakes for myself and Manny - I just couldn't resist! Manny had a rocky road one - which had a really nice coconut base and I had a banana one with pink vanilla frosting which was lovely! Lola's (http://www.lolas-kitchen.co.uk/) are definitely in my top 3 cupcake places in the UK!!

Also on Friday I visited Primark (http://www.primark.com/) and got the two tea towels pictured above for a very reasonable �2!! Not only have they got cupcakes, they have pink pompoms too!!

Then a trip to Debenhams http://www.debenhams.co.uk/) where I finally gave in and got the mini-cupcake cookie jar for �10. I would've gotten the giant one but theres no room in my kitchen as cupcake memorabilia slowly takes over! They still have quite a range of cupcake items for the kitchen in Debenhams, including a lovely "tea for one" set that I think may be my next purchase there :)

Then is was a walk to Covent Garden to Candy Cakes (http://www.candycakes.eu/) - OH.MY.GOD - it was ADORABLE!!!!! The shop window was a sea of glorious, neon bright cupcakes and then I realised...I'd forgotten my camera, I took a few with my phone but as usual I can't find the lead to transfer them, so will go back this week and take some more pics! The shop itself was really small and cute, and all the staff were friendly and were wearing pink Candy Cakes aprons and baseball caps - I want one of each!!!! I had a coffee (v.nice and Fairtrade too!) and got 2 "cupcakes" to take away - a double chocolate for Manny and a banana toffee for me. I say "cupcakes" as when we had them although they were absolutely divine, they were more like muffins than cupcakes. Mine had chocolate covered honeycomb on top (like a scrummy big chunk of crunchie!) and Mannys had a very appropriate humbug! They were really nicely flavoured cakes and the icing was yummy!! Although not a cupcake they were still gorgeous and I shall definitely be going back!

Just for the record - we didn't scoff all the cupcakes in one day - Friday we ate the candy cakes ones (they were too beautiful looking to resist!) and Saturday after a long walk I had my Lolas cupcakes - Manny had walked nowhere but had worked up an appetite sitting on his butt!

Also why does Bloggers spellchecker suggest farted as an alternative for Fairtrade?? Bizarre!

I owe Kirsty a cupcake...

for sending me http://www.candycakes.eu/pages/homeframe.html today :)

I spotted the cakes in the window of this store a few weeks ago and but was in a total rush and couldn't stop and haven't had a chance to go back...until now!!!

This Friday I shall be popping in to try some of their incredible looking cakes! I'm loving the blue icing!!!

Expect some pictures of cupcakes this weekend :)