The owners of a bakery firm in Norfolk and Suffolk have launched a new range of cakes worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake.
Rebecca Bishop and Steve Magnall, who run Two Magpies Bakery with shops in Norwich, Southwold, Aldeburgh, and Darsham, have pandered to our love of sweet treats with 10 ‘celebration cakes’ now on sale.
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The new line of business comes as the shops are closed for eat-in customers, but offering a click-and-collect takeaway service.
However, with the final of TV’s Great British Bake Off looming, and people feeling in need of a bit of cake in lockdown, the bosses decided now was a good time to start the new service which adds to their other bakery items.
Ten Instagrammable cakes have been designed, some which were already part of what was on sale in the bakeries, professionally photographed recently to look as mouth-watering as possible.
The cakes include a best-seller, a chocolate fudge cake now called Black Magic, made from a milk and white chocolate ganache, mirror glaze finish and edible gold leaf truffles and chocolate decorations. There are also more unusual flavours with a tonka bean and blackberry cake, made from tonka bean sponge with a mousseline filling and blackberry compote, finished with Italian buttercream and decorated with berries and white chocolate shards.
For the real wow factor, there are three taller cakes, including a caramel crackle cake, raspberry bloom and lemon drop cake.
The cakes, all made at the firm’s Darsham bake school, are the brainchild of head pastry chef Michelle Wade - in charge of a dedicated team of eight with the bakery now employing around 100 people across all sites.
“We’ve always done cakes but it was our goal to refine our offering and offer a streamlined catalogue of what we do,” said Ms Bishop. “Each cake has been photographed because of the importance of how food looks now, with Instagram. I think people can’t go out and spend money in lockdown so a cake is the perfect way to treat yourself.
“I think the Bake Off programme has been good for helping people have respect for the skilful craft that baking is.
“Sales have been down significantly because of lockdown as eat-in is such a big part of our business but we decided now is a good time to diversify.”
The cakes can be ordered online and range from £35 to £120 for the largest 10-inch cake, serving 80 people.
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