* shush * . welcome to the clAndestine cAke clUb .

a little while ago i watched a documentary by nigel slater called ' icing on the cake ' . the clue is kind of in the title . a nostalgic journey through the history of cake . from it's earliest manifestations onto the Elizabethan cooks who we can thank for the discovery of magical raising agents . & . then to present day and our continued obsession { i don't think that is too strong a word for it } with baking & eating cake today . as part of the programme he visited a cake club . a secret cake club . the clAndestine cAke clUb . & . i was fascinated . 

just imagine . a club . for people who love baking . eating & talking . about cake . it seemed almost too good to be true . i googled away & there it was . nirvana for cake lovers !  

set up by Lynn Hill in 2010 with one group of cake lovers in Leeds . it now has over 200 clubs not just in the uK . but worldwide . with groups as far as aUckland . okinAwa . mElbourne . & . tExas . the premise is a simple one . a date is set . a theme is chosen . you bake your cake . & . take it along to the secret location . & . then you sit & sample & enjoy all the other cakes . 

i went to my first meeting just before xmas . & . took over the organising of one of my local groups a short while ago . last thUrsday was our first event . & . as it was held in fEbruary it seemed fitting that our first theme was . Love . Actually . bake a cake that you love . or . for one you love . or . just a lOvely cake . we met at our secret location & had a wonderful evening of indulging in angel cake . chocolate cake . crumble cake . lemon cake . rainbow cake . raspberry cake . red velvet cake .

there is something so heartwarming about a group of people that have never met before chatting comfortably for hours over a mutual love of baking . & . i think there is something so inherently lovely about people who love to bake . to eat . & . to talk about cake . i don't think there was a quiet moment all night . & . perhaps helped along by the sugar high that everyone was on such a warm & friendly atmosphere that still makes me smile now as i remember it .

there is a strict cAke-Only rule at the CCC { no brownies . cupcakes . muffins . tarts allowed ! } . with the reason being that there is something about the slicing & sharing of a cake that helps spark that interaction & conversation . it also helps that you can cut a relatively small slice of each & so enjoy sampling as many of the cakes as possible !

you can see by my empty plate that i did my very very best to have a try of { mOst } of the cakes . & . i feel as cO-organiser of the event i set a fairly good example of how much cake to enjoy ! { i.e. quite a lOt } . { ok . just a lOt } .

{ the aftermath }

i think a happy time was had by all . & . now . a few weeks of healthy eating to purge all that sugar out of my system before thinking about the next event . maybe something silly & foolish for april ? 

but * shUsh * don't tell . remember it's a sEcret !

. have a swEet dAy .