Our Love Of Teacups...

Tea Is A Cup Of Life

EAT MORE CAKE ... 

Feeling Fruity?

These are our new summer berry tarts! You must try these simple and delicious tarts yourself - perfect for a light summer pud or even a garden party canapé. 

The beauty about our summer berry tarts is that they are SO SIMPLE & quick to make - perfect if you need a last minute dessert to take to your friends BBQ. 

What you will need...

• Deep 12 case muffin tray 
• 3 sheets of Filo Pastry 
• 1 pot of Clotted Cream 
• 100ml Milk 
• Punnet of blueberries
• Punnet of raspberries 
• Handful of cranberries 
• Handful of blackberries 
• Strawberry Jam (or raspberry) 
• Icing sugar for dusting

Cut your filo pastry sheets into 12 equal squares. You should now have 1 square of pastry per muffin case. 

Peel away each layer and place into muffin tray layering them at different angles so they stand tall/spiked. 

Glaze with milk and place in oven @ 180'c for exactly 10 minutes - it's important not to go over this time as they burn very easily. 

While your cases are in the oven you can make your summer berry mixture (again very simple!) 

Place all your different berries into a heat proof bowl leaving a handful of whole berries to one side - microwave for 30 seconds until fruit is easy to mix together into a sort of paste. 

Place two spoons of good quality jam into the fruit mixture and stir well. 

Add your whole berries and mix them in. 

Your cases should now be cooked - leave them to cool for 15 minutes. 

Once cool, spoon your berry mixture equally into each case 

Once you're happy with that - get your clotted cream and place a generous spoonful on top of each tart and dust with icing sugar. 

Chill once they are done or serve straight away (preferably with a glass of prosecco) 

Beautifully simple & sweet - we hope you enjoy them :) 

When Life Gives You Lemons....

After a wonderful sunny weekend we are looking forward to another glorious week! The road works are no longer here causing mayhem, the sun is shining - life is pretty good in Farnham. 

We are always trying new things here at the cake house; recently we have perfected our Home-made Lemonade recipe to something of an art.. you wont taste lemonade like it anywhere else. 

Home-made Lemonade is a perfect British Summertime drink to enjoy with a BBQ or take on a picnic so we would love to share our extremely simple, easy and effective recipe with you so you can try yourselves at home and enjoy a glass in the sunshine this week! 

Vintage Lemonade 

• Ingredients 
• 6 (unwaxed) Lemons 
• 150g caster sugar 
• 150 ml boiled water 
• Crushed ice 
• 1 cup of cold water 

Method 

Grate 6 lemons into a bowl put to one side

Slice your grated lemons in half and place in a microwave proof bowl 

Place in the microwave for about 1 minute - this will make ALL the juice come out in one squeeze. (Dont worry about pips etc going into the bowl you will sieve later) 

Once all the juice is squeezed over the grated zest, mix together and leave to one side while you make the sugar syrup

Pour 150ml boiled water over 150g caster sugar - mix until all sugar is dissolved

Pour your sugar syrup over your lemon juice and mix together - test the taste & add more sugar to sweeten

Once mixed - using a sieve pour mixture into a jug discarding all the zest/pips

Place jug in the freezer for 45mins 

While your mixture is cooling place a tray of ice into a blender and whizz until you have a nice amount of crushed ice.

Once your mix is cooled you can dilute with a cup of cold water

Pour over crushed ice and enjoy on a hot summers day! 

Handy Tip

The trick to a good lemonade is to get the sugar/lemon ratio just right - you don't want it sickly sweet nor do you want it too sour! Make sure you taste as you go and also that all your sugar is dissolved before adding to the lemon juice. You can always add a little bit of sparkling water to give it a little fizz... or a drop of gin if you're feeling cheeky ;) 

Enjoy 

WHERE THERE'S TEA, THERE'S HOPE ...

We apologise for being so quiet but now we can safely say we are back on the old blog! It has been a hectic few months to say the least...

The new road works in Farnham are not fun! It must be frustrating for all the drivers in and out of the town - but even more so for all the traders on Downing Street. It has been badly organised (I feel a strong worded letter to Waverley Council coming on..) to the point where traffic is gridlocked for hours & large lorries are nearly reversing through our window! A lot of businesses are being affected as footfall is becoming less and the traffic becoming worse... With no support or compensation from the councils we have been left in the lurch as it were. 

I find this quote very appealing and true ... 

SO remember - if you are stuck in the traffic on Downing Street - pop in and grab a take away slice of cake to eat in your car or a cup of tea to calm your weary nerves, because 'Where there's tea, there's hope'! 

On the plus side,  Downing Street is becoming a great little collection of local independent businesses  - the beauty of Downing Street is every shop is different and if you take a wander down this old, Victorian street you will see and abundance of quirky, unique shops from your local green grocer to butchers, mens clothes shops, gift shops and of course... the only vintage tearoom in Farnham ;) 

The Wagon car park on Downing Street is open and so are all your local businesses... 

What are your views on the local roadworks? We would love to hear your opinions and if you have found it difficult getting into town? 

Blast From The Past

This February we are holding one of our biggest events! Obviously Valentines Day is going to be fab - but why just celebrate one occasion in this glorious month?

Each Saturday in the month of Feb you will be transported through four fantastic era's which we feel need celebrating! 

Saturday 2nd February - 1920's 

Time for our Speakeasy styled Tearoom in the Roaring Twenties -  Jazz music, the Charleston (non alcoholic) Cocktails and much more!

Saturday 9th February - 1940's

Travel back to the time of 'mend and make do' with the land-girls who run the tearoom ;) Food ration books & classic British dishes all round! 

Saturday 16th February - 1950's 

Visit our classic 50's style American diner - giant milkshakes, vinyl records & Elvis Presley! 

Saturday 23rd February - 1960's 

Join us in the Swinging Sixties - a time of peace, love and some seriously good music! 

We hope you can join us for our fun February event! 

Spiced Pear & Sultana Muffins

These sweet, filling healthy muffins are perfect for a breakfast bite or just a light snack in the afternoon!

Here is our tried and tested recipe (they are truly scrumptious)! 

For the dry mixture: 

100g self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

30g oats 

1tsp baking powder

50g caster sugar 

2 pears 

25g sultanas 

For the wet mixture: 

1 egg

5 tbl milk 

50g melted butter 

Makes 12

Bake 20 mins @ 180c  (fan oven) 

Sift the flour into a bowl, add the spices and mix together. Stir in the sugar, oats and baking powder. Add your diced pears and sultanas & mix together. You should now have a bowl of dry mixture. 

Hand whisk your single egg in a bowl, add 5 table spoons of milk as you go. Melt 50g of butter in a small bowl and add this to the wet mixture. 

Pour wet mix over your dry mix and fold together. The key to a light muffin mixture is to mix them together with only a few folds to keep as much air in the mixture as possible. Using a large metal spoon helps - don't worry if the mixture hasn't fully blended together! 

Pour mixture into 12 muffin cases (If you have silicon muffin cases these work best as they peel away easily and leave you with a free standing muffin - normal muffin cases are fine as well). 

Bake for 20 mins @ 180C 

Very quick and easy recipe to follow - try mixing & matching your ingridients - cranberry's/blueberry's/apple/almonds/walnuts etc! 

You can also make these muffins gluten free by substituting the flour for ground almonds or rice flour.

You can find a picture of our home-made muffins on our Facebook page :) 

We hope you enjoy these tasty treats! 

Christmas Is Coming...

Christmas is coming and we are getting very excited.  We have had lots of questions about what our winter window display will be ... it will be up next week - so you will have to drop by for a sneaky peak! 

Winter Warmers... 

From the start of December we will be serving home-made mince pies, freshly baked using Strawberry Fields Foods handmade mince meat! 

We will also be selling their gorgeous gift boxes - perfect as a Christmas gift or to include as part of a Christmas hamper.  If you haven't already seen their produce be sure to check out their Facebook, Twitter or blog to browse their award winning jams ... they really do fly off the shelf so pop in soon to grab a jar or two!  (Oh and the lovely Lime marmalade will be back soon by popular demand) 

Strawberry Field Foods award winning jams & gift boxes. 

We're going gingerbread mad!...

The taste and smell of gingerbread definitely stirs memories of Christmas... Our special gingerbread latte is going down rather nicely - it's such a warming winter drink (just wish we had a log fire to go with it)!  We will also have home-made gingerbread men (and women) under the counter from tomorrow. 

Our delicious bottles of non alcoholic Belvoir Mulled Winter Punch are a gorgeous blend of elderberries, blackcurrants, apples & spices, best served warm they are perfect for expectant mothers... or you can just add to your own mulled wine for an extra special flavour! 

Home-made soup is now on the menu - using fresh, local veg from our green grocer the flavours are ever changing,  from spicy butternut squash to green pea and pancetta, served with warm crusty bread & butter. Yum. 

More little bits and bobs to follow soon... we still have a while to go! 

Important Dates...

We will be closing at early on Christmas Eve and will open again as normal on the 2nd of January. 

The shop will be open late on the specific 'late night shopping' days in Farnham - dates to be confirmed.

We are really looking forward to our first Christmas at the shop so hope you can join us! Let the festivities begin! Do not panic... will hold off Christmas music until the 1st of December :)  

Mulled Wine & Toffee Apples

We are definitely getting into the Halloween spirit...we have pumpkins ready to be carved, however we are waiting for our 'creative director' Lou Cooper to return to help us out!  

Our window display is surprisingly spooky and was very simple to create - we went for a 'Miss Havisham' theme.  If you can get your hands on some fake cobwebs ('pound land' is a great place for random decorations....trust us) they are affordable & very effective! Try adding a few spiders for even more creepiness.. 

Halloween Cupcakes ... 

I made these cupcakes a while ago for a 'Zombie' themed party... however they are a great design for this Halloween.  The cupcake flavour is chocolate sponge with a rich chocolate butter-cream topping. 

For the eyeball design - roll white fondant icing into a small ball - press out a tiny black circle for the pupil, (attach to the white eyeball using a touch of water acting as a glue)... taking a clean/fine paintbrush use red coloured paste to paint veins onto your eyeball! Place onto cupcake. It is simple, effective and horrifying!! 

WEDNESDAY 31st OCTOBER 

For a little Halloween treat we will be open until 7pm - serving hot mulled wine and toffee apples (other hot drinks will of course be available) yum. 

We will also be holding a costume competition - so for anyone wanting an excuse to dress up for Halloween, there you go. If you have come to any of our previous events, you will know we mean business when it comes to fancy dress... so if you don't dress up you're not allowed in .. just kidding ... but you might have to do a forfeit!  :)

Hope to see you all there!

Mad Hatters Tea Party & more!

Our Mad Hatters Tea Party was a great success! Some customers got a slight shock when they turned up for their morning coffee but so many people came to join in the fun. We created Wonderland inside the tearoom - it looked marvellous (thank you Lou & Maria!)

Being so busy we sold out of EVERYTHING by 4:30pm - it was a hectic, (stressful?) but ultimately fun filled day with lots of laughs. Everyone's costumes looked amazing (the Cheshire cat did make a small child cry though).

The highlight of the day for me was definitely when the Mad Hatter unexpectedly turned up to enjoyed some tea & cake! It went very quickly and was great fun, we will be planning some more fun themed days soon!

Cheshire Cat 

Mad Hatter decided to pop in! 

HALLOWEEN ... 

After creating a very 'Miss Havisham' style window display we are getting set for Halloween (where has the time gone?) - pumpkins at the ready - we will be open until 7:00pm on the 31st for all the Trick or Treater's and will be giving a prize for the most scary/imaginative costume. So join us in the evening for some hot mulled wine (hot chocolate for the kids) to get ready for your night of Trick or Treating in Farnham!

A very important date ...

“Yes, that's it! Said the Hatter with a sigh, it's always tea time.”

Join us for our Mad Hatters Tea Party on Saturday the 13th of October! 
 Don't Be Late 



 

https://www.facebook.com/TheVintageCakeHouse 

Autumn Has Arrived

Once again - an unexpected, brief moment to write in 'The Blog'!

Autumn has arrived in full force, days are getting shorter (not to mention colder) and leaves are beginning to fall from the trees (which makes me excited for our new Autumn display!). The shop looks delightful when its horrid and rainy outside, it looks very inviting to the soaked passerby!

We had a great end of summer - especially our Victorian Week (if you haven't seen our Facebook page - be sure to check it out) it was so funny to dress up in the old fashioned costumes - our lovely guests got a surprise when they walked through the door. Brilliant.

We have a lot of new adventures to look forward to ...

Our Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatters Teaparty is in planning at the moment, so stay tuned for details - it will be great fun and if you havent met us yet, trust me it will be mad!

Halloween is coming up, pumpkin soup & toffee apples will be on the menu and you know how we like to dress up - so make sure you come check out our scary costumes (warning...we will be looking truly scary)  

We are very much looking forward to Christmas aswell - (Mulled Wine & Mince Pies are on the menu without a doubt!) We will even be open if it snows and may even hold a snowman building competition if it does :) 

The days are getting shorter but we are always warm and welcoming, so pop in after work or school for some scrummy goodies or a nice hot drink (who doesnt like a toasted teacake or hot chocolate on a chilly Autumn day?)

I will leave you with some pictures from Victorian Week - see how hard it was for us to keep a straight face! 

This photo was taken by the lovely Saskia at Lula-Belle Boutique!  (She very kindly lent  us the table you can see) 

Outrageous Behaviour! 

(The A Team... trying to keep a straight face!) 

Ladies of the Tearoom 

Old Singer sewing machine - matches our singer table! 

Summer So Far...

Ah - finally an evening where I can sit and quickly write a blog post! 

We have had a great summer so far - lots of busy days and lots of lovely people wandering through our door. What with all the Olympics and other events going on, as well as some fabulous weather - we haven't really had a chance to catch up with ourselves.  The shop has come together beautifully and is looking fab!  Lots of scrumptious new additions to the menu as well as under the counter and TVCH team are great too! Couldn't be happier with how the business is going. 

Just a quick update of what we have coming up: 

VICTORIAN WEEK 

1st-9th September 

A chance to travel back in time to a bygone era. Set in our lovely tearoom, we have a set menu consisting of traditional Victorian food & drink as well as the traditional costumes to go with it! It's going to be great fun - so if you're looking for a good day out stop by to see us in our finest garments, try some traditional food and enjoy a day out in Farnham! 

VINTAGE TEA PARTIES 

Stuck for a celebration idea? Looking for a venue to hold a party? Why not use our unique service and hold your own vintage tea party - all you need to do is invite the guests.

Over the past few weeks we have really enjoyed holding some vintage tea parties for some lovely ladies who have been celebrating special occasions. The have loved the atmosphere as well as the tea & cake! So if you  are looking for something to do for a friends birthday or maybe a hen party - we would love to have you! 

Come see us soon and enjoy some fine tea & yummy cakes! 

It has been a long time since my last blog post. But you have to understand it has been non stop since we took on the shop :)

What an amazing last few weeks it has been - with blood, sweat and tears (not to mention stress) to pull off the launch and then start trading. It has gone remarkably well so far and this Saturday was so busy - we had sold out of cake by 4:30pm. We are still ironing out some of the creases and perfecting our systems and so far I think the shop is off to a great start.

Right - short but sweet, I am now off to the shop to bake for Monday :)

We would love to see you - so if you are around the area pop in for a cream tea!

The Unsuspecting Winner ...

This weekend is turning out to be quite hectic.  It seems after one small job is complete another twenty appear in its place.  But who said starting your own business would be easy? Not one yet. I would never say such a thing to anyone...because it is the biggest challenge I have ever faced! On the upside, it is so much fun and a real adventure! So if you are planning to start your own business from scratch GO FOR IT. Life is far too short and you should enjoy doing what you love.

It's all getting a bit emotional on here! So moving on to the tale I really wanted to tell!  

We received an email from one of our favourite clients who has been busy inter-railing around Italy for the past week (lucky thing) asking us to whip up a quick Victoria Sponge for the day they were due to return (as they had to jet straight off to a birthday party)! 

I baked a three layered sponge, oozing with fresh butter cream, sweet strawberry jam and topped with sliced strawberries; it was fit for any 'birthday party'.  I delivered the cake this morning, only to be told that the cake will be entering a competition...?  I didn't get to test the cake as there were no 'cut off's' so was feeling a bit nervous! Uh oh... is the butter cream the right consistency? Will the strawberries on top of the cake stay fresh for the day? I thought 'oh well if it doesn't win... It doesn't win' and my friend can claim the looser cake and say she baked it herself...  Mwhaha

So you can imagine the joy when I received the call letting me know The Cake had won the competition being judged by a French pastry chef! Unfortunately... my client did have to own up and confess she didn't bake the cake herself. 

We can now safely say this cake will be on the menu, so you will have to come in to taste it for yourself! 

How To Host The Perfect Tea Party

Afternoon Tea is a timeless tradition that seems to be becoming more popular. With all the current celebrations, afternoon tea is the perfect way to celebrate with family and friends and not just for the Jubilee - Afternoon Tea is perfect for hosting baby showers, birthdays, engagement celebrations or a simple social gathering with close friends and gives you the opportunity to put your own unique spin on an old tradition and treat your friends to a wonderful experience. 

Depending on how many people are invited to your tea party, the table setting below is based on 6 people... 

What you will need: 

Cups & matching saucers x 6

Side Plates x 6

Cake plate x 1

Tiered cake stands x 2   

Cake Forks x 6

Tea Spoons x 6

Butter knife x 6 

Sugar bowl x 1

Teapots x 2 (depending on size) 

Small saucers x 2 (for jam & butter) 

Milk Jug x 2 (depending on size) 

Food ingredients for your choice of menu 

CHINA 

Having the right china is really important - it doesn't matter if the whole table setting is mis-matched - but you should make sure you have matching trios (cup,saucer and side plate). You can collect china from any good charity shop or even auction.  I try to have a colour theme running through the table - so even if my china does not match, the colours complement the overall table arrangement. Having delicate, fine bone china will bring a hint of vintage elegance to your party and I swear ... tea tastes better drinking from a fine bone china teacup. Your table will look gorgeous! 

THE MENU 

Prepare you menu in advance so you know what you will need to buy.  You can prepare the finger sandwiches the evening before, so all you need to do the next day is your freshly baked scones, cake & make your table look amazing.   

Your menu can consist of whatever you want - you can be as creative as you like! Traditionally you should have a range of finger sandwiches, scones and a whole cake (popular choice being Victoria Sponge but you can have whatever flavour you like). I also like to include little sweet treats - flapjacks, macaroons etc.. Mini fruit tarts are popular, they look attractive and taste great.  Having a mixture of sweet and savoury is the way to go. 

Here is a very basic menu template to give you some inspiration: 

~Finger Sandwiches~

Wiltshire ham & wholegrain mustard

Smoked salmon, cream cheese & cracked black pepper with a hint of lemon

Free range Egg mayonnaise & peppery rocket

Traditional Sliced Cucumber

English roast beef & horseradish

~Sweet Treats~

Fresh Fruit Scones

Cheddar Cheese Scones

Little Fruit Tarts with lemon crème filling 

~Cake~

Victoria Sponge with home-made preserve & thick double cream 

TEA 

Making a good pot of tea is so important! It can make or break your tea party.  Try and get your hands on some loose leaf tea (English Breakfast & Earl Grey are a popular choice).  It will give you the 'real tea' experience and will taste so much better compared to everyday teabags.  

Firstly warm your teapot with hot water.  Drain the water and place as many teaspoons of loose tea as there are people drinking it... so tea for two - put two heaped teaspoons of loose leafs into the pot. You will be surprised how strong the tea can get.  Leave the tea to steep for 5-7 minutes - it is important you wait so the flavours are released and you have a great cup of tea! 

Pour into your teacup using a tea strainer to catch the loose leaves - add milk/sugar if desired and enjoy! 

LOCATION 

The location of your party can be anywhere! In your house, garden/field (weather permitting) or even the village hall. It doesn't matter where your party is held - as long as you have good food and great friends your party will be a success!

GUESTS 

Why not tell your guests they need to dress up in vintage outfits - or wear a vintage style hat? It makes the experience great fun and you will all look the part. You will be rewarded for your hard work by watching  loved ones enjoy your fabulous food and the overall experience! 

Other useful tips: 

Try to use real, honest ingredients - real butter and good jam will go a long way!  

Why not add fresh flowers to your table arrangement - they will look gorgeous and give a splash of vibrant colour to your table. 

Having background music really helps the 'party atmosphere' - choose whatever music you're in the mood for and something suitable for the occasion.  For example.. I know at my Grandma's tea party we would have some banging rock music on in the background - might not be the most relaxing choice whilst sipping tea and eating scones! 

I hope this has been helpful - You can join us every day for an afternoon tea experience in our tearoom, we would love to see you there!