Blog Tour: A Piece of Cake by Trisha Ashley

We are very happy to welcome Trisha Ashley to our blog today as we kick off the blog tour for her new short story, A Piece of Cake which was released today by Avon. 

Trisha will be sharing one of her own recipes shortly but first, we review the book. 

A Piece of Cake is the latest short story from best-selling novelist, Trisha Ashley. 

Kate is an accomplished cake maker and is currently making the cake for her best friend, Laura who is getting married. Also, much to Kate’s annoyance, as if she’s not got enough to do, Laura is trying to play matchmaker and set Kate up with her groom’s best man, Wes. However, Kate has met Wes before and first impressions die hard. The last thing Kate wants is a romantic encounter with Wes. 

This short story was so charming. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. I am a huge fan of Trisha’s books and this one did not disappoint. Despite its length, it still has the humour and warmth that I would usually find in Trisha’s novels. 

I found that the characters were well-rounded and I liked Kate and Laura’s dynamic. 

Wes was an interesting love interest who is charmingly awkward toward Kate and this, to me made their relationship and interactions more realistic and believable. 

I read this book within about twenty minutes. I would love to know what happens next actually. This book is perfect if you are looking for a quick read before bed, or on the bus or looking for something to read for a relaxing session in the bath. 

I loved A Piece of Cake. Bravo, Trisha. 

To celebrate the release of her latest short story, Trisha shares with us her recipe for Caribbean-style Chocolate Rum cake and we have to say, it looks scrummy. 

Caribbean-style Chocolate Rum Cake (Serves 12)

I spent some Christmases in Antigua and Grand Cayman, where I substituted the usual fruit cake for a local speciality, Rum Cake. You can get them in different flavours all over the Caribbean, but it’s taken me a few attempts to recreate anything similar at home. Here’s my recipe for chocolate rum cake, which is as close as I can get to the original and makes a perfect alternative to the traditional Christmas cake.

Ingredients:

7oz/200g self-raising flour

2 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder

5oz/150g castor sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

3 medium eggs, beaten

A quarter of a pint of sunflower or corn oil

4 tablespoons of dark rum

Milk

Method:

Heat the oven to 325 F/170C/gas mark 3 and then grease and line with baking paper an eight inch cake tin. You can use a small bundt tin instead, if you have one, which makes it look more authentic.

In a measuring jug put four tablespoons of dark rum and then make it up to a quarter of a pint with milk.

Sift the flour, sugar and cocoa into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Into this, pour the rum/milk mixture, the beaten eggs, the oil and the golden syrup.

Mix this very well, and then pour into the cake tin.

Put into the oven and bake it for about half an hour, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.   Then turn it out onto a wire rack, remove the paper, and leave to cool.

In the Caribbean, these cakes are served plain, but for Christmas you could cover it in quick chocolate icing and decorate with a circle of halved walnuts or pecans and glace cherries, if liked.

4oz/110g sifted icing sugar

2oz/50g cocoa powder

A little water

A drop or two of vanilla essence

Halved walnuts, pecans, glace cherries (optional)

Method:

Mix the cocoa powder to a smooth paste with a little water.

Stir over a very low heat for a couple of minutes and then add the sugar.

Blend till smooth and when the mixture will coat the back of a spoon, spread it over the top of the cake.

Press in any nuts or other decorations before it sets.

Follow Trisha on Twitter – @trishaashley

Trisha’s website –http://trishaashley.com

A Piece of Cake is available on e-book from Amazon. It was released by Avon on 28th August 2014. 

The tour continues tomorrow over at Chick Lit Chloe’s blog. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.