Search

Restaurant charges diners $95 to slice up birthday cake

A restaurant in Italy has been slammed online after charging a group of diners a hefty cost to simply cut a birthday cake into slices. A family attended the high-end restaurant in the southern area of Arezzo to celebrate their mother's birthday, after they had asked the restaurant in advance if they could bring in an outside cake. After enjoying their meal, which came to a whopping €659 or $1,083 AUD, they were slapped with another fee of €58 or $95 to cut the cake and bring it to the table. Local news outlet <a href="https://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/notizie/24_agosto_26/arezzo-ristorante-chiede-58-euro-solo-per-tagliare-la-torta-lo-scontrino-diventa-virale-e-il-gestore-quasi-si-scusa-267975fd-2227-4beb-9621-3bffb3aa4xlk.shtml" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corriere Fiorentino</a> reported that the cost of slicing the cake was more than the cake itself. Two of the dinner guests shared the story of the expensive fee on a local Facebook page, claiming the restaurant said it is the rule of their establishment and they were required to pay it. The owner of the restaurant told the Italian media site, "We do not charge a cover charge and we mainly serve dishes of our own production, so we try to discourage those who bring things from outside." "If we consider that in Arezzo the average cover charge is 2.5 euros per person, there is not such a big difference," they said as they explained the group of diners was 13 people. "My restaurant has to pay for the waiter who serves at the table, the dishwasher and other related services. We have to recover them somehow." However, the owner did admit, "I wasn't there that evening and my employees were perhaps too fussy in managing the situation that had arisen, perhaps cutting the usual price a little or even not charging anything for the cake." "Better 50 euros less and people going home happy than this misunderstanding in which we are all damaged." Image credits: Corriere Fiorentino / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Tropical banana cake with salted peanut caramel sauce

If you’re really looking to go all out, this tropical banana cake with salted peanut caramel sauce is a striking dessert that tastes as good as it looks. If there are any leftovers of, they will keep for a few days in the fridge. Serves: Six to eight Ingredients: Banana cake <ul> <li>125g butter, softened</li> <li>1 cup brown sugar</li> <li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li> <li>2 tablespoons rum</li> <li>2 eggs</li> <li>3 ripe bananas, mashed</li> <li>1/4 cup coconut milk</li> <li>1/2 cup desiccated coconut</li> <li>1/2 cup chopped tropical dried fruits, plus extra for garnish</li> <li>2 cups self-raising flour</li> </ul> Salted peanut caramel sauce <ul> <li>200g caster sugar</li> <li>60ml (4 tablespoons) water</li> <li>60g butter, cut into small cubes</li> <li>1/2 cup cream</li> <li>1 teaspoon soy sauce</li> <li>80g salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped</li> </ul> Filling <ul> <li>300ml cream</li> <li>1 tablespoon icing sugar</li> <li>250g sour cream, whisked</li> <li>2 bananas, sliced, tossed in a little lemon or lime juice to prevent browning</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Heat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 22cm spring-form tin.</li> <li>Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add vanilla and rum, beating to combine. Beat in eggs, mashed bananas and coconut milk. Add desiccated coconut and dried fruits, sift the flour over and gently fold to combine. </li> <li>Spoon into prepared tin and bake 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool. The cake can be made the day before it is needed.</li> <li>For the sauce, place caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and swirl the pan over a medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.</li> <li>Bring to the boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until a rich caramel colour. Add butter carefully (mixture may spit) and whisk to combine.</li> <li>Add cream and soy sauce, whisking to combine.</li> <li>Add half the chopped peanuts. Serve immediately or leave covered on the bench (the sauce will become solid if refrigerated). </li> <li>For the filling, whip cream with icing sugar then mix into whisked sour cream.</li> <li>Keep chilled until needed. </li> <li>To assemble, split the cold cake and cover the bottom piece with a layer of sliced banana. Top with half the cream mixture then add the other layer of cake.</li> <li>Cover the top with remaining cream and garnish with remaining peanuts and extra dried tropical fruits. Pour over the caramel sauce and serve.</li> </ol> Written by Bernadette Hogg. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Super simple cake decorating ideas

Whether you’re making a cake for a special occasion or simply want to create something extra fancy for a family dinner, you’d be surprised how easy it can be to decorate a cake into something fit for a cooking show. Whether it’s using a few store-bought meringues, slicing up some strawberries or using your favourite biscuits to make a balloon feature, you’ll never make a plain old cake again after reading our super simple cake decorating ideas. Meringue on the mind For an effective alternative to piped-frosting rosettes or expensive store-bought edible roses, opt for some mini meringues from the supermarket. Use them around the edge of the cake for a simple yet stylish finish that packs a crunchy punch. Up, up and away with cookies Whether you want to make biscuits of your own or buy your favourite biccies from the shop, once you’ve iced your cake arrange a cluster of biscuits nearer to one end of the cake and use liquorice shoestrings (or another thin long lolly of your choosing) to form the balloon strings coming from the biscuits. You may want to knot the strings for extra detail. Another tip you may want to use is, if your biscuits are on the plan side, cover them in different colour frostings and then decorate them with colours sprinkles. Strawberry fields Sometimes things in your very own fridge make the perfect cake decorations. Strawberries not only taste delicious and fresh, their vibrant colour makes them an eye-catching decoration. Thinly slice one punnet of fresh strawberries. Starting from the outside perimeter, place a ring of strawberries around the cake, pointed facing out. Continue layering rings around the cake until you reach the centre. Shaved Chocolate For all the chocoholics out there, this one’s for you. A decadent way to decorate a cake is with shavings of chocolate. If you’re worried you won’t be so good at making your own shavings, some stores do sell them. You can mix and match milk, white and dark chocolate and even throw in a few different flavours – think orange, mint or chilli chocolate. While there are many ways you can arrange the shavings, the circular, ring-type layering described above in strawberry fields works well. Spotty dotty Polka dots are all the rage and white frosting dots on a cake that has been iced in a pale colour, will look extremely lovely. For neatly piped dots, you’ll want to use a pastry bag. Hold the pastry bag in both hands; keep the tip just above the cake's surface, at a slight angle. Gently squeeze out icing, release, and pull back. Frosting dots will also help to hide smudged edges or spotty icing. You can either use different size dots or big and small ones. But whatever you do, start with the large ones. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

“Grandma meant Elmo”: Cake-maker reveals hilarious baking blunder

An American baker has left the internet in stitches after misreading her customer’s custom cake request, instead delivering a baking blunder for the Sesame Street history books. In a video posted to her TikTok account, Brianna Romero - who is known professionally as Brinni Cakes - confessed her mistake to the world, recounting the story of how a recent order from a grandmother had led her to the creation of her new friend ‘Emo Elmo’. “So my worst nightmare happened,” she said, with audio playing over a timelapse of Brianne constructing another cake. “Last week a lady DMed me and asked me if I could make her an emo cake, and I was thinking ‘yes, of course, I love emo and I love goth, and I know I’ve been perfecting my black frosting so I’m ready for this’.” Brianna went on to explain that she’d gotten all of her customer’s information, and set to work. However, an hour before she was set to deliver the cake, she decided to offer the woman a number candle - an offer that was soon accepted. “She said ‘yes, the cake is for my granddaughter and she’s turning four’”, Brianna explained in the clip. “And I thought that that was a little bit weird, ‘cause I don’t know an emo four year old.” After trying to understand the weird request, Brianna figured that the little girl must just be a fan of something like Netflix’s Wednesday series. Unfortunately, this was not the case. “Something felt wrong,” she noted, before describing how she’d reach out again to ask what the theme of the party was, only to find out it was Sesame Street. “So my heart sinks a little bit because this is now making sense to me,” she said. It was then that Brianna returned to the original exchange between herself and her customer, and had her worst fears confirmed. “I misread emo,” Brianna admitted, “and it said an Elmo cake.” Luckily, Brianna was a quick thinker in her time of stress and rushed out to find an Elmo topper for her cake, before offering the cake for free. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610.266px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7212109376436391210&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40brinnicakes%2Fvideo%2F7212109376436391210&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Fe19d4562cc04495c8778154678f1d382_1679200086%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-useast5-i-0068-tx%2F1ad8d307d5f74948880bf2e0f91228f3.image%3Fx-expires%3D1683669600%26x-signature%3DCxdjPe36YRrx4SrRRwvAPwRsevY%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Brianna’s audience were obsessed with her tale, and the video shot to viral heights, with over 11.7 million views to its name. “As soon as you revealed it was for a 4yr old I was like ‘oh no, grandma meant Elmo’,” one follower wrote. “Praying it’s Elmo with a side bang,” said another. Her misfortune drew in over a thousand comments, but there was a recurring thought that stood out among the chorus, and that was a request to see the baked blunder. And while Brianna admitted in an update that she hadn’t had the time to snap pictures on the day of delivery, she did her best with her follow-up video, sharing photos of cakes that looked “almost exactly” like her own, to the delight of her worldwide audience. “This is so funny,” someone said. “Elmo with a side bang has me in tears.” Meanwhile, another commenter wanted to know what the recipients had thought about their unique goods. “She tried to pay still but I told her everything that happened and we just laughed it off,” Brianna said. “It was just for a small family party anyway.” Images: TikTok

Food & Wine

Lemon curd and cream sponge cake

Not only is this cake beautiful, but homemade lemon curd and cream sandwiched between lovely sponge cakes, it will exceed all expectations. Serves: 12 Ingredients: <ul> <li>350g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing <ul> <li>350g caster sugar</li> <li>4 lemons, zest only, plus juice of 2 lemons</li> <li>3 large pieces candied lemon peel, finely chopped</li> <li>6 free-range eggs</li> <li>3 teaspoon baking powder</li> <li>300g self-raising flour</li> <li>50g cornflour</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Lemon curd <ul> <li>60g butter</li> <li>225g caster sugar</li> <li>3 lemons, juice and zest</li> <li>2 free-range eggs</li> </ul> Cream <ul> <li>300ml double cream</li> <li>200g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line two cake tins. 2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice and candied peel. 3. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is well combined. 4. Sift the baking powder, self-raising flour and corn flour together in a bowl and fold into the cake mixture. 5. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two cake tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside edge of the tins to loosen the cakes. Remove the cakes from the tins and set aside to cool completely on a rack. 6. Meanwhile, to make the lemon curd heat the butter, sugar and lemon juice and zest in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Be sure not allow the base of the bowl to touch the surface of the water. Remove from the heat. 7. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk the melted butter mixture into the beaten eggs until well combined. 8. Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, for two to three minutes or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 9. Sieve the lemon curd into a clean bowl, then cover with cling film and set aside to cool. 10. For the cream, whip the cream and icing sugar together in a bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. 11. Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate and spread with the lemon curd. Spread over some of the whipped cream and sandwich with another cake. Drizzle the top of cake with lemon curd and let it run over the edges. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

One Coles shopper has taken the internet by storm, revealing a “snack hack” with just two ingredients. Aussie mum-of-three Claudia creates content on TikTok on cheap Kmart buys, a day in the life of her family, and her most popular videos, her “snack hacks”. For her most recent hack, only two ingredients are required. “Snack hack! Again!” she said in the video, which has attracted more than 70,000 views on TikTok. “So, this one, I’m looking forward to. “This is not healthy. This is two ingredients — Nutella and eggs — and it’s supposed to make the gooiest, chocolatiest, yummiest cake ever. “I have not tried this before so let’s get to it.” Claudia didn’t have Nutella in her pantry, but she bought the Coles version, which she claims tastes very similar. “I’m a big believer in using what you have, but a few people said ‘check this out, make this, it’s delicious’ so I just had to,” she continued. “I did go and buy the Coles one, and it was very cheap, and I’m sure a lot of people do have Nutella in their cupboard.” For the snack hack, Claudia used one cup of the chocolate spread and four eggs to create a gooey cake mix. “If ‘trust the process’ had a cover photo, it would be this,” she said, visibly grossed out by the gooey batter. “It is safe to say I won’t be trying any of this cake mix.” Claudia instructed viewers to put the cake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. “Do you know how good this smells?” she said as she took the cake tin out of the oven. She was even more excited by the time she tried it. “That is so good. So, so good. Like no exaggeration. So freaking good,” she said. People flooded the comments, applauding Claudia for another great “snack hack”. “I’m soooo trying this,” one person wrote. “Thank you, lunch-box-mum queen,” another added. “I honestly thought it was going to come out looking like chocolate scrambled eggs,” a third said. Claudia is renowned on TikTok for making snacks that are easy on household budgets, so people were grateful she used the cheaper Coles chocolate spread. “The Coles Nutella is just as good in my opinion,” one wrote. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

Irish apple cake

This delightfully old-fashioned Irish apple cake is not only easy to make but tastes delicious served with custard. Serves: 8 Ingredients: <ol> <li>1 ¼ cup plain flour</li> <li>1 teaspoon baking powder</li> <li>¾ cup caster sugar</li> <li>¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon</li> <li>75g butter, plus extra for greasing</li> <li>3 apples, peeled, cored, cut into slices </li> <li>1 egg</li> <li>¼ cup milk</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> <li>Custard, to serve</li> </ol> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 180°C Grease a 20cm round tin with melted butter.</li> <li>Place flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Cut the butter into flour and use fingers to mix into flour until it resembles fine crumbs. Add apples and toss to combine.</li> <li>In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add to the apples and flour mix, using a spatula to combine. Batter will be thick.</li> <li>Pour into cake tin. Flatten the top with back of spatula. Sprinkle extra sugar over the cake. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Serve with custard. </li> </ol> Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Lilibet's adorable first birthday cake revealed

The baker who made the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding cake has revealed a new snap of a 244 floral two-tier strawberry buttercream cake, which was baked fresh for Lilibet’s first birthday. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoyed the summer sunshine and hosted a “relaxed garden party” in June 2022 for their daughter's first birthday in the Windsor estate. The gathering included cake, balloons, party games and picnic snacks. Claire Ptak, the East London baker who made the couples wedding cake in 2018, created other baked goods for the low-key garden party including the cake that was a two tier seasonal strawberry buttercream. She shared a snap of the creation on Instagram, as a part of the 2022 highlights reel saying: “Our 2022 Greatest Hits. Thank you to all our customers and supporters over the last year for inspiring such beautiful work.” "Thank you to my incredible team for executing it all with so much fun, humour and passion." In the snap, she can be seen placing a pink peonie onto the cake, which featured the youngster's name. It was complete with an Amalfi lemon and elderflower filling and covered in a light buttercream. On the bakery's website, the cake is described as having "three layers of vanilla sponge drizzled with elderflower syrup and filled with Amalfi lemon curd." The top and sides of the cake are "iced with a buttercream scented with the juice and zest of lemons from the Amalfi coast, and decorated with chopped candied Amalfi lemon peel." At the time, Claire who owns the bakery and carefully designed the incredible cake - wrote on the brand's Instagram: "It was an absolute pleasure to make this special cake last week for Lilibet’s birthday. Wishing her a very happy year ahead!” Images: Instagram

Food & Wine

Salted caramel cake in a mug

If you love caramel and cake but don’t like to wait, you find this easy salted caramel mug cake irresistible. Ingredients: <ul> <li>3 tablespoons of butter</li> <li>1 egg</li> <li>3 tablespoons of milk</li> <li>4 tablespoons of flour</li> <li>3 tablespoons of brown sugar</li> <li>½ teaspoon of bi-carb soda</li> <li>½ teaspoon of salt</li> <li>2 tablespoons of salted caramel sauce</li> </ul> Method: 1. Add butter to mug and melt in microwave. 2. Add egg and milk and whisk together. 3. Add flour, sugar, bi-carb soda, and salt, stirring until mixed thoroughly. 4. Add one tablespoon of caramel sauce, without stirring. 5. Microwave for 1 minute or until cooked to your liking. 6. Top with remaining salted caramel. Image: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Nutella cake in a mug

Craving something sweet but short for time? This Nutella mug cake will leave you feeling satisfied. Whip up this delightful dessert in less than 10 minutes. Ingredients: <ul> <li>4 tablespoons of self-rising flour</li> <li>4 tablespoons of sugar</li> <li>1 egg</li> <li>3 tablespoons of cocoa powder</li> <li>3 tablespoons of Nutella spread</li> <li>3 tablespoons of milk</li> <li>3 tablespoons of vegetable/olive oil</li> </ul> Method: 1. In a large mug, mix all ingredients together, whisking until smooth. 2. Microwave for 1 and a half to two minutes or until cooked through. 3. Top with whipped cream and/or chocolate sauce. Image: Getty

Food & Wine

A red velvet twist on the classic marble cake

Perfect for a Sunday morning, or if you want to make a final impression at your next dinner party, the options are endless. Serves: 8 Prep and cooking time: 1 hour, 20 minutes INGREDIENTS Cake 320g plain flour 40g cornflour 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 225g butter, softened 500g caster sugar 100g Greek-style yoghurt 1 vanilla bean pod 5 large eggs 120ml milk Red velvet swirl 30g unsweetened cocoa powder 75g milk 1 tbsp red food colouring Lemon drizzle icing Juice of 1 lemon 225g icing sugar, sifted METHOD <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 26cm (10-cup capacity) Bundt tin. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a K beater attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and yoghurt until well combined. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Split the vanilla bean down its length with a paring knife. Scrape out the seeds and add to the stand mixer bowl. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Turn the speed to low and stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in milk until combined. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> In a separate large bowl, stir together 2½ cups of the batter, cocoa powder, milk, and red food colouring until well-combined. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Add 1/3 cup plain batter and then 1/3 cup red velvet batter on top. Continue alternating batters, working your way around the tin, until batter is finished. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, and cool completely. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> To make the lemon drizzle, mix the lemon juice with the icing sugar until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake. Slice and serve. </li> </ol> Image: Better homes & Gardens

Food & Wine

How to bake your pup a birthday cake

This recipe makes one dog cake and can be served as a full meal (based on a medium size dog 10-25 kg), however, we encourage sharing amongst other furry friends or cutting a slice as a treat only. <h4 dir="ltr">Dog cake recipe</h4> <h4 dir="ltr">What you'll need</h4> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Chopping board </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Knife </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Cake stand </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Bowls </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Spoon </li> </ul> <h4 dir="ltr">Ingredients</h4> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 300 g Glow Raw Adult Australian Kangaroo dog food (or any preferred flavour) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 4 salmon skin dog treats </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 9-12 mixed berries (mixture of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 10 strawberry yoghurt drops </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp melted coconut oil </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 1 tsp pumpkin seeds </li> </ul> <h4 dir="ltr">Method</h4> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Create three 1cm thick patty slices out of the Glow Raw Adult dog food. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Melt the strawberry yoghurt drops. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place one patty slice on a cake stand. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Top with two crumbled salmon skin dog treats. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place second patty slice on top. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Top with another two crumbled salmon skin dog treats. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Place third patty slice on top. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Drizzle the melted yoghurt drops over the top and sides of the cake. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Top with mixed berries. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Drizzle over melted coconut oil. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Sprinkle over pumpkin seeds. </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Serve. Enjoy! </li> </ol> Image: Better Homes & Gardens AU

Family & Pets

Mona Lisa gets caked in climate activist stunt

The Mona Lisa has been targeted by vandals, when a visitor at the Louvre museum in Paris smeared frosting all over the Renaissance-era painting’s protective glass. The man posed as an elderly visitor in a wheelchair and a wig as he approached the painting, before throwing a piece of cake at the famous artwork, according to a statement from the Louvre. The vandal then walked away from the scene before being approached by security. “A visitor simulated a disability in order to use a wheelchair to approach the work, which was installed in a secure display case,” the statement noted. “The Louvre applied its usual procedures for people with reduced mobility, allowing them to admire this major work of art." “While standing near the painting, this individual threw a pastry he had hidden in his personal belongings at the Mona Lisa’s glass case." “This act had no effect on the painting, which was not damaged in any way.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Can anybody translate what ole dude was saying as they where escorting him out?😂 <a href="https://t.co/Uy2taZ4ZMm">pic.twitter.com/Uy2taZ4ZMm</a> — Lukeee🧃 (@lukeXC2002) <a href="https://twitter.com/lukeXC2002/status/1530940469492035584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote> A spokesperson clarified that visitors in wheelchairs are allowed to move in front of other museum-goers to better see the artworks. The 36-year-old man was arrested and taken to a psychiatric infirmary in the police headquarters, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. An investigation has been opened by the prosecutor for “the attempt of damaging a cultural property”. In a video shared by a museum-goer to Twitter, the man is heard yelling in French, “Think of planet Earth, there are people destroying it” while security escorts the man, with rose petals scattered on the floor of the museum. Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, arguably the most famous painting in the world, draws millions of visitors each year to see her enigmatic smile. Image credits: Twitter @klevisl007

Legal

Man spends $7,000 on royal piece of cake

A man has spent almost $8,000 on a piece of cake from Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding. Avid royal fan Gerry Layton from Yorkshire in the UK purchased the 41-year-old large slice of cake which came from one of the 23 wedding cakes used at the couple’s wedding in 1981. The 62-year-old first bought the piece of cake for £2170 ($3840) at an auction last year in August before deciding to donate it to a local charity ball auction. It was only last week that the slice of memorabilia which has the royal coat of arms in gold, red, blue and silver went up for auction again and Gerry realised he hadn’t even tasted it. "After some free champagne, I suddenly got the urge and thought 'I haven't even had a bite of it yet'," he told The Yorkshire Post. This time round, Gerry paid £2100 ($3700) for the cake and said “I don't care if it kills me” but he will taste it. "It's 41 years old but I definitely am going to have a bite." Gerry has not ruled out donating the piece of cake again but only after he has tasted it. Dave Avery who was the head baker of the Royal Navy said he had met up with Princess Diana before her big day. "She said to me, 'I want a wedding cake and not a monument', so she was quite happy. "There was nothing much [known] about Diana, so it ended up being more of a naval type of cake – all I could do was the Spencer crest.” Images: Twitter

Money & Banking

Delicious and easy decadent double chocolate mousse cake

Image: Instagram The delicious. team have released a new range of baking mixes including Double Choc Mousse Cake, Cookies & Cream Cake, Salted Choc-Chip Cookie Pie and Upside Down Golden Syrup Banana Cake. For all the information about the new range of delicious. cake mixes you can visit <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.delicious.com.au/bakingrange" target="_blank" class="css-1h8ruiq-StyledTextLink ezegcyi0" data-link-type="article-inline">delicious.com.au/bakingrange</a> DOUBLE CHOC MOUSSE CAKE WITH WHIPPED VANILLA MASCARPONE AND COFFEE SYRUP Serves: 12 INGREDIENTS DOUBLE CHOC MOUSSE CAKE BASE RECIPE 1 x packet delicious. double choc mousse baking mix 80g unsalted butter, melted 2 large eggs 2 1/3 cups (580ml) cold full cream milk 150ml cold thickened cream CHOCOLATE SHARDS 100g dark chocolate, chopped WHIPPED VANILLA MASCARPONE 1/2 cup (125g) mascarpone 1/2 cup (80g) pure icing sugar, sifted 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 1 1/2 cup (375ml) thickened cream COFFEE SYRUP 3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar 3/4 cup (180ml) strong coffee 1 tsp vanilla bean paste METHOD 1. Prepare the double choc mousse cake base recipe according to packet instructions. Set aside. 2. Place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until melted, then remove from heat. Pour the chocolate over a large sheet of baking paper and, using a spatula, spread until very thin. Place another sheet of baking paper over the top and flatten. Starting at the short end of the paper, roll into a cylinder. Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes or until cold and set. Unroll by pulling the two sheets of paper apart to create chocolate shards. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 3. Meanwhile, for the coffee syrup, place sugar, coffee and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes until reduced and slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. 4. For the vanilla mascarpone, place mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla and cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until firm peaks begin to form. 5. To serve, remove mousse cake from the pan and place on a serving plate. Top with the vanilla mascarpone and drizzle over the cooled coffee syrup. Top with chocolate shards and serve immediately.

Food & Wine

Bride asks guest to pay for second piece of wedding cake

One newlywed couple have taken their wedding budget to an extreme length with an unusual request. A guest at the couple's wedding has an exchange with the couple to Reddit, in which the couple sent CCTV footage from their reception celebrations along with a request. "Hey, so we were looking at the CCTV and saw that you had two pieces of the wedding cake," the message reads. "We announced that each guest must pay per slice and noticed that you had only paid for the one. Can you please send the £3.66 (AUD $6.82) asap." The wedding guest shared a screenshot of the messages to Reddit, captioning the post, "I paid for the first slice after it was announced on the day we'd be helping to pay for their cake!!" "Apparently didn't count for the second." <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844554/wedding-cake.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/efe87f0608c949a1b9d44e33bc3ede18" /> Image credit: Reddit While many thought the request was a joke, the wedding guest took to Reddit's Wedding Shaming thread to confirm that the newlyweds were serious. The post has racked up almost 1,000 comments, with many agreeing it's very unusual for wedding guests to be charged for cake by the slice. "Tell them to take you to small claims court," suggests one. Others made the same joke, one responding, "Very, very small claims" and another adding, "Tiny claims court". "Dunno what the law is in the UK but in the US this amount is so small that it wouldn't even be granted a hearing," explains another Reddit user. Many commenters also pointed out that the couple would have taken time out of their honeymoon to realise the small sum was missing. "They reviewed the tape???" says one. Another jokes, "No, honey, we can't go down to the beach yet. We still have to watch the hours of cake footage and cross-reference each person's appearance with the contents of the payment box and all the Square app receipts. Do you have the spreadsheet open?" Another comments, "Love to spend my first precious days as a newlywed reviewing CCTV to see which of my loved ones I can shake down for £3.66." Image credits: Shutterstock / Reddit

Relationships

Healthy and easy recipe with the grandkids: Four-layered fruit cake

Feeds: 8–10 birthday buddies Ingredients <ul> <li>1 round seedless watermelon</li> <li>1 rockmelon</li> <li>1 honeydew melon</li> <li>Blueberries, strawberries and redcurrants for decoration (optional)</li> </ul> Tools <ul> <li>1 long cook’s knife</li> <li>1 chopping board</li> <li>1 x 16-cm round cake tin</li> <li>1 plate</li> <li>1 x 11-cm round cookie cutter</li> <li>1 x 9-cm round cookie cutter</li> <li>1 x 6-cm round cookie cutter</li> <li>birthday candles toothpicks (optional)</li> </ul> How to make 1. Ask Mum or Dad to cut off both ends of the watermelon with a long knife. Sit the watermelon flat on the chopping board and place the cake tin on top. Using the cake tin as a guide, ask Mum or Dad to help you cut a round shape from the watermelon, approximately 10 cm deep. Transfer the watermelon round to the plate and keep any leftover watermelon to eat later. 2. To make the second layer of the cake, ask Mum or Dad to cut the ends off the rockmelon and sit it flat on the chopping board. Use the 11-cm cookie cutter to cut out a circle, approximately 4 cm deep. Place the rockmelon round in the centre of the watermelon round. 3. Next, ask Mum or Dad to cut the ends off the honeydew melon. Sit it flat on the chopping board and use the 9-cm cookie cutter to cut out the third layer of the cake. Transfer the honeydew melon round to the top of the rockmelon. 4. Finally, use the 6-cm cookie cutter to cut out a small circle of rockmelon from the leftover rockmelon and then place this at the very top of your cake. 5. Add your candles and feel free to decorate the cake with blueberries, strawberries and redcurrants, using toothpicks if you’d like. Recipes &amp; Images taken from <a href="http://www.booktopia.com.au/kindy-kitchen-jessica-rosman/prod9780733334382.html">Kindy Kitchen by Jess Rossman &amp; Nettie Lodge</a>, ABC Books, RRP: $16.75 – <a href="http://www.booktopia.com.au/kindy-kitchen-jessica-rosman/prod9780733334382.html">GET 16% OFF* The RRP – Order your copy now.</a> Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/healthy-fun-with-kids-in-the-kitchen">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Try this healthy blueberry chocolate cake

A healthy diet does not have to be boring. This indulgent cake is paleo-friendly, meaning that it is free from refined sugar, grains and dairy products. Perfect for the whole family! Serves 10-12 Ingredients Base <ul> <li>1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut</li> <li>1 cup raw walnuts</li> <li>¼ raw cacao powder</li> <li>2 tbs. coconut oil</li> <li>1 tbs. raw honey (or rice malt syrup)</li> </ul> Filling <ul> <li>2 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight – if you don’t it will still work, just won’t be as smooth!)</li> <li>1 cup coconut milk</li> <li>1 cup blueberries (fresh or thawed frozen)</li> <li>1/3 cup coconut oil</li> <li>1 tbs. raw honey</li> <li>1 tsp. 100% vanilla extract</li> </ul> Topping <ul> <li>1 cup fresh blueberries</li> <li>¾ cup raw cashews crushed</li> <li>1 tbs. coconut sugar</li> <li>1 tbs. ghee or coconut oil</li> <li>½ a batch of paleo chocolate (recipe available here)</li> </ul> Method 1. Line the base of a 20 cm spring form cake tin with baking paper and grease the edges with a little coconut oil. 2. Start with the base. In a food processor (we use our Vitamix), place the walnuts, coconut and raw cacao powder. Whiz these ingredients until a fine meal forms. 3. Add the coconut oil and raw honey and whiz until it becomes a choc butter. 4. Once it’s all combined, press the base in to the cake tin, making sure you press it out evenly, covering the entire base. 5. Place in the freezer. 6. Now for the filling: Drain and rinse the cashews and place them in to the food processor along with the coconut milk, blueberries, coconut oil, raw honey and vanilla extract. 7. Whiz until completely smooth, this will take around 5 minutes. 8. Take the base out of the freezer and pour the filling on top of the base. 9. Shake the tin to even out the top and place the cake in to the freezer for around 1 ½ hours or until set. 10. Take the cake out of the freezer and let sit for 10 minutes. 11. Meanwhile, time for the toppings! You'll need to make a ½ batch of paleo chocolate the place the crushed cashews, coconut sugar and ghee in a medium saucepan on medium heat. 12. Stir continuously until the ghee is melted and the cashews have caramelised. Transfer these on to a plate and allow to cool. 13. Rub the outside of the cake tin with a hot cloth and release the spring form slowly (you may need to run a knife around the edge). 14. Top the cake with fresh blueberries, caramelised cashews and drizzle with paleo chocolate. Cut in to slices with a hot knife and store any left overs in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/recipes/choc-blueberry-cake" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Slice of Charles and Di's wedding cake goes under the hammer

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer wed in a globally broadcasted wedding 40 years ago. On July 29, 1981, the chosen guests of their special day were treated to an extravagant slice from a five-tier wedding fruit cake, which was made by Dave Avery, head baker with the Royal Navy. Along with their wedding cake, there were 22 others baked and sent out - including one that was made for Clarence House staff to enjoy. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842754/princess-diana-charles-wedding-cake-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/17b9450a439048149d03d4ff800619d3" /> Image: Supplied One leftover slice of cake is going under the hammer in the UK and is expected to sell for £500 ($950). The piece of cake, weighing in at 800g was given to Moyra Smith, a member of the Queen Mother's household at Clarence House. She used glad wrap to preserve the topping. Mrs Smith kept the piece of history wrapped and stored in a floral cake tin. She topped it with a handwritten label reminding anyone to "handle with care". <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842753/princess-diana-charles-wedding-cake-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7b08a293936241f8a17b18c5496c1096" /> The label was signed by Mrs Smith and dated 27 July, 1981. Her family sold the piece of cake to a collector in 2008 but it has now found its way back onto the auction block, on their 40th wedding anniversary. The cake features white icing, and a 3D sugared image of the royal coat-of-arms coloured in gold, red, blue, and silver. It also has a small silver horseshoe and leaf spray.. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842756/princess-diana-charles-wedding-cake.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c7977aa5e32846608bf7e531b8920038" /> "It appears to be in exactly the same good condition, but we advise against eating it," Chris Albury from Dominic Winter Auctioneers informed the BBC. Mr Albury expects the listing to get between £300 and £500 ($570-$950) It also includes an order of service, ceremonial details and a royal wedding breakfast programme. The auction will take place on August 11. Images: Getty Images

Money & Banking

“Prince Charles wasn’t happy”: Royal cake-maker spills on Charles and Diana’s wedding creation

Dave Avery, the man who designed and made Prince Charles and Diana's wedding cake for their big day, has revealed it was the prince who called him to make changes to the design – after Diana had approved it. The head baker of the Royal Naval Cookery School, Avery designed the couple's five-tier fruit cake which stood at 165cm for the July wedding 40 years ago in 1981. Avery, then 37, had been selected to bake the royal wedding cake – an auspicious task but one that he was more than capable of. Avery, now 78, told 9Honey via Zoom from the UK, he still clearly remembers walking into Buckingham Palace for his first meeting with Princess Diana – known at the time as ‘Lady Di.’ “I’ll never forget it," says Avery. "She was beautiful. She was very pleasant, very polite, we had a few little chats.” Avery had been given the task of designing the wedding cake and he’d gone to the palace to show his plans to Diana. She had approved the designs with no changes but when Avery arrived back at the Royal Navy Cookery School in Chatham, he received word from the palace that Prince Charles was not happy. "I got a phone call that Prince Charles wasn't happy," says Avery. But thankfully, it wasn't a criticism but rather – something the Prince wanted added. "We hadn't put on the Red Dragon," says Avery. Once we added the Red Dragon symbol of Wales, which was Prince Charles' call sign when he was flying helicopters with the Navy, the Prince was happy. The cake’s design included hand-painted symbols representing Prince Charles' military roles, the Prince of Wales emblem, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and Highgrove – one of which took eight hours to complete. How big was this Wedding Cake of the Century? The five-tier cake stood at 165cm and took some time to bake with the bottom tier alone taking Avery 12 hours. As well, Avery used a spirit level and set square to ensure the dimensions were perfect. He was sworn to secrecy during the 14-week process of designing and making the cake and says the pressure was on to get everything perfect: "If there was anything wrong, the whole world would have known about it, not just me," he says. When it came to the baking of the cake, Avery turned to a favourite recipe he had from his mother for a rich fruit cake. "But I had to take things out and add things in to improve it. I had worked on that recipe for up to five years until I got it absolutely perfect." As perfect as it is, Avery says he won’t be sharing this recipe: “I’ve been asked many times, but no,” he adds. The Wedding of the Century 2021 marks 40 years since Prince Charles married Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral on July 29th - a wedding which drew a global television audience of more than 750 million people. A new documentary has been made to mark the occasion which will screen on BritBox Australia, aptly titled Wedding of the Century. The original documentary includes remastered footage of the wedding plus never-before-seen interviews with those closely involved in the wedding planning, including the florist and one of the photographers. Was it all successful? After the wedding, Avery received a letter from the new Prince and Princess of Wales saying "how thrilled they were with the cake." They even saved the second tier to use at Prince William's christening on August 4th, 1982. Diana loved Avery's work so much she asked him to make William's first birthday cake, too, "a sponge with nursery rhymes around it.” These days Avery has retired from the Royal Navy after serving for 22 years. He went on to open a cake shop, baking wedding cakes (naturally) before going back into teaching. As Avery says: "It's the wedding of the century, it's the cake of the century.” Image: Getty Images

Food & Wine

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Restaurant charges diners $95 to slice up birthday cake

Tropical banana cake with salted peanut caramel sauce

Super simple cake decorating ideas

“Grandma meant Elmo”: Cake-maker reveals hilarious baking blunder

Lemon curd and cream sponge cake

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

Irish apple cake

Lilibet's adorable first birthday cake revealed

Salted caramel cake in a mug

Nutella cake in a mug

A red velvet twist on the classic marble cake

How to bake your pup a birthday cake

Mona Lisa gets caked in climate activist stunt

Man spends $7,000 on royal piece of cake

Delicious and easy decadent double chocolate mousse cake

Bride asks guest to pay for second piece of wedding cake

Healthy and easy recipe with the grandkids: Four-layered fruit cake

Try this healthy blueberry chocolate cake

Slice of Charles and Di's wedding cake goes under the hammer

“Prince Charles wasn’t happy”: Royal cake-maker spills on Charles and Diana’s wedding creation