Project 132: Cakes and Cocktails

It was my birthday this weekend and I wanted to do something a bit festive as we've finally unpacked (most of) the flat from moving before Christmas and nobody has been able to come see it yet. So I decided to throw a cake and cocktail party as a housewarming/birthday bash.

I try to live life by the famous Julia Child quotation: a party without cake is just a meeting!

So what did I make?

SO MANY THINGS!

First was a little lemon drizzle cake shaped like an owl. My friend Paloma bought me an owl cake pan and so I had to give him a debut for the party: 

 

I iced him with a lemon glaze and then topped him with some cherries, orange and lemon candies to add ears and a bowtie. Because of course an owl needs a bowtie. 

Next I made filo pastry baskets by layering filo in muffin tins and then once they'd cooled, I filled them with  creme fraiche and vanilla with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. 

The little candy display was a gift from our friend Beth (she knows we have a sweet tooth problem in our house) and so I made little paper wallets out of craft paper to go with the retro sweet-stall vibe:

Then I needed some cupcakes - yes needed as who doesn't love cupcakes - so I made these blackberry jam-filled cupcakes from Good Housekeeping. "They are the best cupcakes you have ever made" said Olly. High praise indeed.

Finally I needed something chocolatey so I made two types of chocolate truffles: rum and peanut butter. Both were delicious though I had a real soft spot for the peanut ones.

Now to the cocktails! I copied a drink I had over Christmas at our family friends' party which was prosecco, pomegranate juice and pomegranate seeds. Super classy and almost healthy. I put out blackberries and raspberries for garnish as well.

The second was a tropical rum punch of my own creation, featuring a caramel coconut rum, pineapple juice and soda water with some fresh pineapple garnish. Fantastic.

Someone brought creme de casis for Kir Royals as well so we had almost as many cocktail offerings as we did cakes.

That's me in my party dress that I treated myself to the day before the party!

It was a great party and a great day and I was lucky to spend it with a dozen lovely friends - missing all of those too far away to see on the day!