A couple of weekends ago my parents came over for afternoon tea. Whenever they come over these days hubby and the kids always end up challenging my dad to a game of golf on the wii. Mum and I always end up being left on the sidelines to cheer BUT this time I asked my mum to help me set a table with some of my prettiest things for a special afternoon tea.
We used some of my vintage cups and saucers and a tablecloth that used to belong to my Dad's mother.
We found a lovely centrepiece-thank you sweet Hubby!
I used my Bohemia crystal sugar and creamer set. I love this set and use it regularly.
I served some cupcakes and sprinkled them with green sugar since St Patrick's day was approaching.
I also made Bill Granger's Apple Fruit Cake...another great recipe from my favourite cook book!
If you would like to try it you need 3 apples,peeled cored and diced.
85 grams of walnuts (I used pecans)
and you need
75g raisins
3 tablespoons of warm tea (or water)
250g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
180g brown sugar
60g caster sugar
250g butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
After pre-heating the oven to about 180C, soak the raisins until plump. Butter or line a tin. Bill Granger uses a bundt tin but I just used a round cake tin. A bundt tin would have been better but alas I don't have one...
Sift the flour, baking powder and spices and add to a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla and mix everything until pale and smooth. Spoon this mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake this for about 1 hour or until the cake shrinks from the side of the tin and the skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
Because I used a cake tin I had to cover the top with foil for a while as it was browning too quickly and not cooking properly in the centre.
The end result....pure deliciousness!!!
It was crispy on the outside and moist and rich on the inside.
It was perfect on its own but it would be extra indulgent if served with a big dollop of cream!
It also provided enough energy for 4 hungry golfers and 2 tablescapers!
It was a successful afternoon for all I would say!
Thank you friends for visiting me today. I am so grateful to be able to share some of my favourite photographs and memories of a special afternoon that I had with my family with my sweet bloggy friends!
Best wishes for a wonderful weekend,
How lovely! I love your table setting and love how you incorporate all the things that make you happy in it!
ReplyDeleteThe tea time looks just lovely & the cake incredible! What a nice idea while the fam is playing...Thanks for sharing...Jennifer aka Gigi
ReplyDeletemmmm lovely! the cake looks bloody beautiful darl! love ur tea cups so cute! Hope ur well!
ReplyDeleteI love apple cake and am going to try the recipe if I can convert measurements...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the recipe and not just the beautiful photo...
What pretty cups, Natasha! And the cake looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMy 4 little gkids are into wii...even the 2 year old! I haven't a clue!
Oh my! Does that cake look wonderful! What a sweet tablesetting and it looks like a fun family gathering.
ReplyDeleteGood for you and your mom!
ReplyDeleteYour cups and saucers are charming...
Cake---yummy looking.
Looks like everyone had a great time!
Family fun!!!!
xoxo~Kathy @ Sweet Up-North Mornings...
Wii or Tea?
ReplyDeleteI know which one I would choose, especially with apple cake and a table set with so much care and loveliness.
Debi
Your table looks lovely reminds us all to take time to spoil ourselves, cheers Katherine
ReplyDeleteLove your teacups and linens.. and I'm just telling you now that when I get out to visit I would also enjoy the Apple Fruit Cake. :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteand - your kitchen is gorgeous. Love the colors.. is that a white granite?
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely tea cups! I don't normally like fruit cake but that one you made makes me want to climb through the computer to get a piece. It looks like heaven.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Joanne
Oh great fun with treats with family! How I wish mine is living closer!
ReplyDeleteLooks great cute cups
ReplyDeleteOooh I love afternoon tea and that apple cake looks particularly delish... - had such a nice totally unexpected surprise in the mail today!! :-)- Will email you!!
ReplyDeleteS x
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed a white granite. It is called River White I think. We loved it because it has the look of marble but the slab we chose also has lots of darker markings to give it a bit of character and to tie in with our dark floorboards.
Best wishes,
Natasha.
Hi Natasha
ReplyDeleteThe tea table looks very inviting, I love the vintage cups and saucers. I have never played on a wii but I know my son and daughter have them for the children, well them as well!!
Lovely cake, I love nutty things so I will have to give it a try when we have visitors, ( otherwise I would eat it all)
Jackie in UK.
Such a lovely tea table you set Natasha. Your apples look so different than ours here in the US when cut! Funny. Thanks for stopping by my blog. -- Jane F.
ReplyDeleteHi Natasha! Fabulous post..beautifully inspiring table setting and tea sets..wow! and lovely sweets! A treat to visit your magical space!
ReplyDeleteKiki~
Lovely tea things, Natasha. How are you able to have dessert plates with each tea cup and saucer? Are they all from complete sets of dishes or are they sold as three pieces? Love the creamer and sugar. Do you take brown sugar in your tea? Lots of questions here!!
ReplyDeleteThe cake looks marvelous. I love anything with apples!
Looks like your company was having a ball!! :-)
xoxo
Jane
Natasha, love your tea cups, very pretty...but that beautiful tablecloth is what really caught my eye...did your grandmother do the handwork on it? Thanks for the cake recipe...I know the man in the house loves anything apple!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty and feminine table! And that cake looks and sounds divine! I'll bet it didn't last long!
ReplyDeleteThe table is beautiful and I love how sentimental it is...
ReplyDeleteLovely house, family and tea table darling. I am in love with your teacups. I will try the cake soon.
ReplyDeleteLove & Hugs
Duchess
Tea time is always a good time. Love all your beautfiful pictures. Great to see them all enjoying the Wi game. When the grandchildren arrive; that's where they head for.
ReplyDeleteRita
Your vintage cups and heirloom table cloth made all that so special. Oh, and the yummy goodies!! My kids/grandkids love the Wii.
ReplyDeleteYour apple cake looks wonderful. Love the heirloom tablecloth and the pretty mis-matched cups. Your cupcakes look very festive!
ReplyDeleteNatasha, Your teacups are lovely. So elegant. The cupcakes and apple cake are pretty and your table looks pretty too. Bon apetit!
ReplyDeleteI love all your heirloom teacups and the table cloth. I wish I was a better cook.......everybody who post food on their blog I am so envious of, if I had more time maybe I would take more effort to cook. But I rather spend my time junking and decorating.......LOL
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks scrumptious! I would definitely need the Wii after eating the "lumberjack cut" of cake that I want!
ReplyDeleteThanks for peaking at my blog today. I love your tea cups and the cake looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteJoyce
What a wonderfully happy post!!! Delicious looking cake...I love Bill's recipes too...Dzintra♥x
ReplyDeleteMmmm...I want one of those cupcakes and a piece of that apple cake!!! They looks so good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe, I'm actually going to give that a try, looks totally yummo!
ReplyDeletealicia
ps. sorry still cant get the typepad thingo to work for some reason, seems I can only leave name & web address but your blog doesnt have that option so am going via google account. see I am determined lol!!
Thanks Alicia! I restricted the options for identities of commentators as I was getting so much spam. I am really sorry if this has caused you problems-I really love hearing from you and all of my blogging friends!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
Natasha.
Hello there sweetie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful and heart warming post with your tea and yummy tea treats and goodies. It all looks so lovely and very, pretty Natasha, with your lovely china and gorgeous pink roses!~ What a fabulous family time!
Do pop by for another visit any time my dear! I always especially love to have you join me for my Tuesday tea parties! It was lovely as always my dear, to have you partake.
Cheers from Wanda Lee @ The Plumed Pen
Hi Natasha,
ReplyDeleteI visited your other blog. How fun is it that the 3 of you living in different countries can create such a cute blog. I bet they were just as hungry as me looking at the cupcakes as I was. Take care.
Anne-Marie
Hi Nitasha!
ReplyDeleteThere are SO many things in this post that I want to talk to you about.
First of all, give your hubby a big hug for those BEAUTIFUL roses! Gorgeous!
♥ those pretty teacups too. I'd give my right arm to be able to sit down to a cup of tea with my Mom. She's been gone over 15 yrs. & I still miss her daily.
I will most definitely be trying your apple cake recipe. The one I have uses a TON of oil so I have not made it in a long time. I have never seen a recipe call for "warm tea" as an ingredient, either. :)
Lastly, your heirloom tablecloth is lovely & reminded me that I have a very similar one that my sister-in-law cross stitched for me, along with a set of napkins. It has to be over 30 years old by now but is pristine because I never use it! I will iron it & put it into a tablescape very soon. Thanks for reminding me about it.
fondly,
Rett
I felt I was there with you :)
ReplyDeleteI loved five minutes with you but it turned out to be more because I started reading previous posts. Your photographs make me smell your tea and taste your cake and it was enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog so I would get to know you. At the moment I am so overwhelmed with learning all the computer skills to get my blog going I can't keep up with all the blogs I want to read.
You and your mama set a lovely table. I'm still trying to beat my 4-year old grandson at Mario cars on the Wii! Can't believe he is so good at it. I took a little mini-vacation this week with Hubby, but Crock Pot Wednesday will be back up this coming week. I hope you will join me.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using tea in a recipe. I've tried green tea before and it added a hint of flavor and depth to cupcakes. Just looking at yours sent me to the kitchen for a muffin! :-) Love your beautiful cups and saucers.
ReplyDeleteYour tea cups are lovely, the flowers beautiful and the food looks yummy. Most importantly, it looks as though you all had a wonderful afternoon together!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
Family time is the very best and it could have been made better by the addition on that amazing cake you made. Thank you for the photos and the recipe.
ReplyDeleteSonny
Natasha, what beautiful tea cups you have, and I love your heirloom table cloth. That apple cake sounds soooo good. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I think my family will love this cake. laurie
ReplyDeleteYour apple cake and cupcakes look so delicious and your table, beautiful! Love your tea cups. Wht a fun afternoon to spend with your family.
ReplyDeleteA long but pleasant day has come to a close and now I have a few moments to myself. I started to check up on the news I had missed today, but relized I was too tired for that. Instead, I decided to look in on your site. I thought that you would have lovely photographs to see. Just what I needed , a moment of rest and relaxation. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThat cake looks so good! I'll have to try your recipe!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures and all the food looks delicious! :O)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks beautiful and oh-so-scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love your china cups - gorgeous. And that apple and fruit cake looks pretty amazing too! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi. Stopping by from SITS. Great blog.
ReplyDeleteLove your elegant tablescape! The cake looks magnificent!
ReplyDeleteYour family afternoon tea looks extra special! It is always fun to use your beautiful china to make occasions more memorable. The apple cake looks delicious:-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun time and beautiful tablescape. The recipe sounds to die for, too!
ReplyDelete