Rococo Bakery

Rococo Bakery

Baking has never been so elegant

Our service At Rococo Bakery we pride ourselves on offering you a bespoke cake service that will be the cherry on the top of any event or celebration.

We specialise in luxury handmade cupcakes which are perfect for any party or celebration from weddings, birthday parties to christenings and baby showers. We would love to talk to you about all your needs, to make sure we can make your event extra special.

Our approach to baking is simple, we aim to provide the best quality bespoke cakes that will leave your guests wanting more.

We are happy to meet with you or your event co-ordinator wherever is the most convenient for you, to discuss how Rococo Bakery can help.

Rococo Bakery

Size is everything Step 1: Pick your size Standard Cupcake Much more than average

Size approx: 9cm x 4.5cm

These delightful ‘muffins’ are more than a mouthful. They are a great alternative to a traditional cake and look superb when displayed in several tiers, a must for weddings, afternoon tea parties and corporate events. The more the merrier rule definitely applies in this case.

Rococo Bakery

Fairy Cupcake Enough to leave you wanting more

Size approx: 7.5cm x 3.5cm

These adorable fairy cakes are perfect for cocktail parties, christenings, children’s parties and any seasonal shindigs.

There is a minimum order of 12 cupcakes.

Mini Morsels Bite-size indulgence

Size approx: 3.5cm x 2.5cm

The canapé of the future, one bite and it’s gone. No fussing at corporate events, this mini bite-size cake will allow you to hold your champagne in one hand and your cupcake in the other.

Taste sensations Step 2: Selecting your base We have worked hard to create some of the most scrumptious cakes you’ve ever tasted.

We decided to focus on the two flavours that we think work best... and we did test a lot!

Small, dark and handsome Chocolate indulgence at its best

Blonde bombshells There’s nothing dumb about these little beauties

This chocolate treat will leave you wanting more and fighting with your friends and family over the last cake.

Made with our secret ingredient and the finest Madagascan Vanilla Extract this recipe is where Rococo Bakery began.

Made with dark chocolate our secret recipe will make you taste cakes in a whole new way.

Our classic recipe will leave you wanting to crack the code, but unfortunately it’s a recipe that’s been passed down through generations and it’s staying strictly in the family.

If you would prefer, this cake can be made with traditional milk chocolate or your favourite chocolate bar.

Rococo Bakery

Much up top?

Step 3: The icing on the cake We offer a range of scrummy toppings for your cakes.

Of course if there is something special you require, maybe a seasonal variation or a design to fit with the theme of your event, just ask and we’ll do our best!

Butterblend Fill me up buttercup

Chocolate Panache The chocoholics choice

Velvet Frosting Frosty the icing

Using the finest English butter and Madagascan Vanilla Extract this unique blend of buttercream is sweet and silky. Rococo’s distinctive Butterblend will leave you wanting more time and time again.

A perfect playmate for our small, dark and handsome cupcake, this luxe topping is sweet, gooey and moreish. Delicious chocolate cakes are always a show stopping dessert and when presented en masse, they will blow your guests away.

A great choice for all cupcakes, this versatile icing can be coloured and flavoured to meet your needs.

Our unique recipe means your guests will not be overwhelmed by its sweetness and there is sure to be no icing leftover.

This icing can be coloured and flavoured to suit your event, from bubblegum blue to princess pink, we’ll complement your branding or colour scheme perfectly.

Rococo Bakery

Rococo’s blend of chocolate and cream will satisfy even the biggest chocoholic desires and non-chocolate lovers will never look back.

Rococo’s Velvet Frosting is a great choice for those who don’t like the richness of buttercream, but love the smooth texture.

Whether you would like high swirls or a thin layer of this signature icing, the design can be tailored to suit your sweet tooth.

Our panache topping is available in dark, milk or white chocolate.

Please note tasting samples are available of all the frostings.

To arrange a sample session, give us a call on 07817 440 363.

The personal touch Create your own personalised cupcakes, whether you have a clear idea of what you want or would like to enlist the help of one of our Rococo consultants, we’ll be with you every step of the way to fulfil your needs.

We not only offer sprinkles, handmade sugar flowers, coloured sugar, glitter and chocolate accessories we can make individual decorations and write any personal message you like.

We are more than happy to meet up to discuss how you want your cakes to look and taste.

Rococo Bakery

Here’s some we made earlier...

A selection of the cakes we’ve created for some of our (very happy) customers!

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Rococo Bakery

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1. Rococo Bakery at Swish in the City event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support 2. Finn gets stuck into a piece of chocolate heaven 3 & 4. Pick and Mix inspired cupcakes

... and a few more!

A selection of the cakes we’ve created for some of our (very happy) customers!

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Rococo Bakery

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1. A Rococo Bakery christening display 2. A christening centre piece 3-6. Some of the Alice in Wonderland inspired christening cakes

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Taste-imonials “I’m not normally a big cake fan but I sampled some of Rococo’s cakes at a charity event and I was blown away.

They are the most moist and buttery cakes I have ever tasted and the velvet frosting finished off the experience beautifully.”

Tiffany Scott

“Ever since I had my first Rococo cake I have been convincing friends and family to have a party just so I can have them again!”

Anne Marrie Robinson

“More please.”

Finn (age 6)

“From start to finish the customer service was amazing.

The cupcakes were so tasty and they were nothing like anything I’ve tasted before.”

Jo Taylor

“The cakes looked too good to eat, but they tasted too good not to eat.”

Hannah Reynolds

“I can vouch for how fabulous they are! Rococo recently made a cupcake extravaganza of 120 cakes for my friends 30th birthday and they were amazing! Everyone commented on them and they looked fantastic. They did exactly what we asked for and they were a real talking point.”

Jennie Whitell

“Quite simply the best cakes I have ever tasted.”

Matt Forster

Rococo Bakery

In the press 26

Taste Food Matters

Friday, June 5, 2009 THE JOURNAL

journallive.co.uk

CUPCAKE RECIPE (Makes 12)

TABLE FOR 2 PAGE 23 Fast but satisfying www.journallive.co.uk

comeback When Sarah Jessica Parker bit into a frosting-topped cupcake on Sex And The City she set in motion a comeback of epic proportions.

Katherine Shenton is mixing business with pleasure as Mieka Smiles find out.

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ORGET ‘it’ bags and designer togs. The latest celebrity trend is one that we can all indulge in – in fact it is so accessible you can even make your own.

With everyone from songstress diva Mariah Carey to celebutot Suri Cruise being spotted devouring the tasty treat, it’s clear that the humble cupcake is what’s to be seen with in 2009.

This extraordinary cupcake comeback is great news for 24-year-old Katherine Shenton, pictured right, who spent her childhood baking them with her gran.

Katherine, who lives in High Heaton, Newcastle, is now in the process of setting up a business to cater for the trend, baking bespoke cupcakes for birthdays, weddings, christenings and a range of other events and celebrations.

The senior PR account executive at Gardiner Richardson explained how her love of baking was passed on from her grandmother Mary Renton, who died aged 73 ten years ago: “My gran worked at Bertha Burns tea rooms and catering company which was based in Bridge Street, Morpeth, from when she was 14 and left 20 years later to have my mum.

“She was a wedding cake specialist and was really artistic. Her sister worked at Carricks – a Newcastle bakery – for 40 years.

“They taught my mum, my brother and me how to bake. We would spend the whole day baking cakes, pies and sausage rolls so they were all ready for a proper afternoon tea on a Sunday.

“That taught me the basics and I have always just carried it on really.”

Katherine continued the hobby throughout her teens, baking cakes for friends and family whenever the opportunity arose: “I always really liked home economics at Continued school and when I went to university I would always bake a cake if it was

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A pitch to beat recession Friday, June 5, 2009

Picture: Emily Barber www.journallive.co.uk/buyaphoto ref: 00045170

Cupcake

BEER

2 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla essence 240g plain flour 3tsp baking powder 280g caster sugar pinch of salt 80g butter 250ml of full fat milk

THE FINISHED RESULT Katherine’s cakes taste as good as they look. Their growing demand proves she's onto a winner with her new business.

KATHERINE’S TIPS O When making the icing try not to do it in the sun or anywhere hot. Try to keep everything as cold as possible otherwise it melts.

O Each batch of cupcakes is slightly different, so it varies how long it takes to bake them. I would suggest to check every 10 minutes as half an hour doesn’t always work.

O My third tip is to simply enjoy them! somebody’s birthday.”

From The idea to start her own cupcake bakery came after spotting one on a trip to London: “It was the first time I had seen anything like it. I thought I’d quite like to do that.

“At the beginning of this year was my mum’s 60th birthday. I baked a batch of 60 and spent a considerable amount of time decorating the cakes with sugar paste and fondant icing in pinks and lilacs, using flowers, sprinkles and glitter. A few of my friends and family saw them and asked if I could do the same for them.

“I put a few of the pictures on Facebook and I started getting quite a few orders.”

Katherine believes that the rise of the cupcake started after Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sex And The City character Carrie Bradshaw famously bit into one on screen: “Ever since Carrie ate the cupcake, everyone has been interested in them.

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“I think there is also an element of people wanting mini things now rather than big things.”

The key to the perfect batch is in the ingredients, says Katherine: “I buy good quality ingredients. One tip my gran taught me was to always buy the best ingredients you can afford. I was always taught not to cut corners.

“My mum and I spent a whole weekend trying out different combinations of ingredients and you could always taste the difference in the ones that had been made with the quality ingredients.”

Katherine’s Rococo Bakery – which takes its name from the flamboyant French style of interior design – is now taking orders for a range of celebrations and events: “It’s very much about talking to the client to find out what they want.

“One of my next orders is for a christening and I am making the cupcakes to tie in with the invites.”

Although Katherine currently operates from her High Heaton house, she dreams of one day owning somewhere people can pop by to enjoy a cupcake and coffee: “It would be my dream to have a bakery and to create something like where my gran worked.”

At the moment though Katherine is more than happy to watch people enjoy her couture cakes: “I’ve always had a good reaction and the cupcakes have always gone down really well.

“There are never any left!”

MIEKA’S CUPCAKE FRENZY I AM drawn to anything pretty, girlie and retro.

For that reason, a pile of beautifully decorated cupcakes really gets my pulse racing.

Unfortunately, when I treat myself to a cupcake it has to be of the shop bought variety. I have always just presumed that baking cakes was only the for Nigella types.

So when Katherine invited me along for a spot of cupcake making I thought it would be an isolated experience and that I would be unable to create the treats alone.

Last weekend, however, I shocked not only myself but friends and family by turning into a

O Katherine’s bespoke cakes cost approximately £25 for a batch of 12.

For more information about Rococo Bakery contact her on (07817) 440-363 or email k.shenton@yahoo.co.uk

Rococo Bakery

Coverage of Rococo Bakery in the North East Journal... free autographs with every order!

cupcake-making nutter. First I headed off to buy the necessary equipment and ingredients.

I even made a trip to Hobbycraft to buy a piping bag and nozzle – as recommended

by Katherine – special cupcake boxes and sugar decorations.

I spent Saturday afternoon using Katherine’s instructions to cook up a storm and was so happy with my solo effort I ferried them to friends and family brimming with pride.

One of my best friends – who received a special boxed-up batch of four – admitted to eating the lot in one sitting.

Not wanting to leave my work colleagues out, I also spent Sunday afternoon in my pinny, baking and decorating.

Who knows, with a bit more practice Katherine might just have herself some friendly competition...

Preheat the oven to 170Cº (325F) Gas mark 3.

Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.

In a large bowl, sieve the flour, baking powder and salt, then add the caster sugar. Whilst sieving ensure that you lift the sieve as high as possible to get as much air into the mixture. Place to one side.

Place the butter, vanilla essence and milk into a pan and heat on a medium heat until the butter has melted. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.

In a large bowl, make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour the melted butter and whisked eggs into the middle.

Using a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients together, including any mixture that might stick to the sides of the bowl, to avoid lumps.

The mixture should now look like batter. Pour it into a large jug, to make it easier when filling the cake cases without spillages.

Pour the mixture into the cases, leaving a 1cm gap from the top.

Place the muffin tin in the oven for around 20-25 minutes. To test whether the cakes are cooked, place a wooden skewer into the middle of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean the cakes are ready.

Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then place the cakes onto a cooling tray for at least an hour, before the cakes are ready to decorate. They must be completely cool to avoid the frosting melting.

Cupcake Frosting (To decorate 12 cakes) 300g icing sugar 50g butter 125g good quality cream cheese Melt the butter in either a pan or microwave and put to one side.

Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and add the butter. Using the back of a wooden spoon, gradually work the butter into the icing sugar.

Add the cream cheese into the sugar and butter mix and stir vigorously to ensure the mixture is well blended. It should be very smooth with an even colour.

If you wish, add food colouring.

Use either a spatula or an icing bag and nozzle to apply to the top of your cupcakes. Add sprinkles, flowers or your favourite sweets to the top.

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MIX IT UP

Mieka tries her hand at cupcake making.

To see a video of Mieka making cup cakes with Katherine Shenton go to www.journallive.co.uk/taste

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Rococo to your door Searching for the perfect party cake look no further than our party in a box, complete with 12 cupcakes decorated to suit your personal taste, from fashionista to sports fanatic whether you need them for a girls’ night in or a birthday party, our cupcakes are versatile and elegant.

Candles, gift wrap and a card are included in our exclusive Rococo Bakery party box, so no need to run around town collecting all the bits and pieces. Prices for the gift boxes start at £20, with delivery from £4.95. Please note a minimum of 72 hours notice is required for all celebration boxes.

Rococo Bakery

Get in touch So you’ve heard all about us, now we’d like to hear all about you and your event, why not give us a call and see how we can improve your life with cake.

Rococo Bakery 87 Cleveland Gardens High Heaton Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7QH Call us on 0781 744 0363 or email us at k.shenton@yahoo.co.uk

Rococo Bakery