Beautiful, Natural, and (Sometimes) Tricky Few things make a cake look as effortlessly elegant as fresh flowers. Whether it’s a simple buttercream cake with a few seasonal blooms or a full floral showstopper, fresh botanicals can turn your bake into a masterpiece. But here’s the catch — not every flower is safe to put on a cake. Some are toxic, some wilt quickly, and others can affect the flavour of your buttercream. So, if you’re planning to decorate with flowers, it’s important to do it safely and thoughtfully. Step 1: Choose the Right Flowers When decorating cakes with fresh blooms, always start by choosing non-toxic and pesticide-free flowers. Some popular safe choices include: Roses Peonies Dahlias Carnations Chrysanthemums Eucalyptus (for...
When a Good Idea Goes Wrong in the Oven At Jack and Beyond, we love experimenting in the kitchen. Baking is part science, part art, and sometimes our experiments don’t quite turn out the way we imagined. One of our biggest lessons? Low-sugar cakes sound great in theory, but in practice, they can be more “oops” than “yum.” The Role of Sugar in Cake Baking Most people think sugar’s only job in cake is to make it sweet — but it’s actually so much more than that. Sugar helps create a soft, fluffy sponge by trapping air when it’s beaten with butter and eggs. It also keeps cakes moist, gives them their golden colour, and balances flavours. Take too much...
A Slice of History Basque Burnt Cheesecake may look a little different from the neat and tidy cheesecakes you might be used to, but that’s exactly its charm. Born in the Basque Country of Northern Spain, this rustic dessert first appeared in the 1990s at La Viña, a small restaurant in San Sebastián. Instead of the smooth, pale top of a classic cheesecake, Chef Santiago Rivera deliberately baked his at a high temperature to create a beautifully caramelised, “burnt” crust with a soft, custard-like centre. The result was a cake that felt both comforting and sophisticated – and it quickly became a beloved local speciality. Basque Burnt Cheesecake: A Spanish Classic Loved in London For many years, Basque Burnt Cheesecake...
Few things in life pair as naturally as coffee and cake – but what if the coffee is in the cake? From the humble coffee and walnut sponge to rich espresso-infused brownies, coffee has long held its place as a beloved baking ingredient. In this post, we’ll explore the role of coffee in cakes, why it’s such a magical addition to sweet treats, and how you can incorporate it into your own bakes. A Perfect Match: Coffee and Cake Coffee-flavoured cakes have an enduring appeal. For many, they evoke nostalgic memories of teatime classics like coffee and walnut cake – a staple of British home baking and high street cafés. The deep, slightly bitter notes of coffee pair beautifully with sugar...
Welcome to our new series about the latest viral food crazes - as expert cake makers we are always following trends in food, and every now and then a delicious phenomenon comes along which takes the world by storm. One of the biggest recent sensations in the world of speciality food & drink has been, without a doubt, the famous "Dubai Chocolate". Keep reading to learn all about this luxurious treat, which had people queuing outside shops for hours! A Craving Turns Viral Sensation Dubai Chocolate first appeared in 2021, when Sarah Hamouda of Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai created a chocolate bar inspired by her pregnancy craving for knafeh. The treat blends milk chocolate with a rich pistachio-tahini cream...
