Bake Club - Sticky Orange and Vanilla Upside-down Cake

For some reason this cake makes me think of Vincent Van Gogh. A perfect autumn treat!

4 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup self raising flour

150g unsalted butter, melted

1 cup almond meal

Sticky orange topping

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup water

1 vanilla bean, split

2 oranges, very thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 16 degrees

To make the sticky topping, dissolve the sugar in the water in a saucepan, add the vanilla bean and the oranges and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract for about 10 minutes or until its thick and pale and has tripled in volume. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and fold through. Fold through the butter and the almond meal.

Pour the orange mixture into the cake tin. Then pour the dough on top.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Turn out onto a platter to serve.

(Recipe courtesy of Donna Hay)

Hens Love Art

Let's be honest, hens nights are usually fairly embarrassing affairs, there's always the mandatory tiaras, naked man/ men and someone on board with a slight compulsion to public exhibitionism.

This weekend a girlfriend celebrated her hens with all the mandatory bits, but ringfenced in a safe environment - it made for a really interesting (and fun) night- instead of male strippers, we did a life drawing class.

After a lovely dinner at Blue Chillies and a few wines under our belts, 16 of us trooped on down to Hens Love Art on Smith Street for our 9pm class.

The space is amazing- large and spacious. You can self cater, so we took a few bottles along and cupcakes.

Once we were settled in, we were taken into the art space, where 16 easels and a podium awaited. We were joined by our art teacher, a lovely lady who gave us some basic techniques and pointers and then off we went. With cool music pumping and plenty of breaks to have a look at everyone's work, the two hours there was an absolute giggle!

Definitely recommended for something a little more tasteful- and when you finish, you're in the heart of Fitzroy, so there's still plenty of opportunities for further mayhem at your feet!

Hens Love Art
Address: Smith St, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065
Phone number: 0414 339 792
URL: http://www.hensloveart.com.au/

Social Roasting Company

A cafe with a conscience where the coffee is divine- SRC on Racecourse Road is my new absolute favourite for a quick pick me up on a Saturday morning or a relaxed Sunday breakfast.

With 100% ethically sourced coffee and an employment philosophy that favours the longterm unemployed, this could all be a bit worthy. But its not.

They keep the funky space refreshed with different art and you have a choice between regular tables, a communal table, the bar facing the street for some people watching, or tables outside. The coffee is seriously good. And the cafe style food is fresh and delicious.

We've only breakfasted there- baked eggs were great, wtih nice gooey insides, fruit toast good- lots of newspapers and a superfriendly vibe.

Definitely recommended for a coffee, brunch or breakfast if you're in the Flemington area!

Social Roasting Company

307 Racecourse Road

FlemingtonVictoria 3031

Phone: +61 3 9372 3288