Chocolate Cake and Buttercream Frosting

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Serves: 8 Prep Time: 1.5 Hour Cooking Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

• 60 gr Butter at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 60gr Chocolate (I used Michel Cluizel’s Mini Grammes de Chocolat Noir 72%, you can use any dark chocolate that you like)
• 2 egg yolks (set the whites aside to use in the buttercream)
• 2 eggs
• 130 ml vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 gr greek yogurt (or cream)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 125 ml coffee (one espresso and the rest water, or you can use just water if you don’t like the taste of coffee) at room temperature

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius, line two 17cm cake pans with parchment paper and set them aside

1. melt the chocolate and let it cool a little
2. in the bowl of your stand mixer mix the butter with the sugar until combined
3. add the melted chocolate to the butter and sugar and mix until combined
4. add the eggs and the yolks one at a time and mix until just combined
5. mix in oil, vanilla extract and then the yoghurt (or cream) until just combined
6. in another bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and the cocoa powder
7. add the dry ingredients to the mixture in 3 or 4 increments mixing until combined after each addition
8. add the coffee (or water) and mix until combined

Split your batter in two and bake in 2 cake tins for about 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inside the centre of the cake comes out clean.

*adapted from cupcakeproject.com’s Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake recipe.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 360 gr sugar
• 210 gr egg whites (whites from about 9 eggs)
• 375 gr butter (at room temperature)
• 80 gr chocolate (I used Michel Cluizel’s Mini Grammes de Chocolat Lait, but you can use any dark or milk chocolate that you prefer).

1. Cut the butter into small cubes (around 1cm in size).
2. Prepare a bain-marie by adding about 2-3cm of water in a pot and set it over heat so that the water heats until it boils, then turn the heat to low.
3. In a bowl that’s larger than the pot in which you’re heating the water, combine the sugar and egg whites. Once the water in the pot is hot and steaming, set the bowl on top of it and whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves in the whites. The egg whites will stay liquid in this stage and they don’t need to raise in volume.
4. Once the sugar is dissolved in the whites (when their temperature is around 50 degrees celsius), transfer the mixture to the stand mixer.
5. With the whisk attached, whip the whites on high speed until they form stiff peaks. Once stiff peaks are formed, stop the mixer and change to the paddle attachment
6. Add 1/3rd of the butter, beat the mixture on low speed until the butter is well incorporated (about one minute). Stop the mixer, add another third of the butter and beat it again on low speed until the butter is well incorporated.
7. Add the remaining butter, beat it on low speed for about a minute and then on high speed for about 5-10 minutes, until the buttercream is fluffy and shiny. Don’t worry if the buttercream curdles in this stage, just continue beating it until it comes together. If it stays curdled, it’s because the buttercream is too cold. Heat the bowl a bit over bain-marie (or bring the bowl with hot water underneath it while mixing) and then mix it again until it gets the good consistency (it should look airy and fluffy).
8. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over bain-marie and let it cool down for a few minutes. Add it to the buttercream and mix it on medium speed until it’s well incorporated (you may have to scrape the bowl once so that it mixes uniformly).

Assemble the cake

1. Cut the top off the two cakes that you baked, then cut each into 2 layers, so that you have 4 equal layer cakes.
2. Assemble the cake by spreading chocolate buttercream over each cake layer. You can also add fruit pieces (raspberries or strawberries) into the buttercream or a layer of fruit jam if you want.
3. Once the cake is assembled, cover the outside with chocolate buttercream, and decorate it with fruits, chocolate shavings, macarons or however you prefer.

Now you can cut a slice (or 3), make a warm cup of tea and enjoy!

If you follow me on Instagram you must know by now that I am a really big tea lover! I sometimes drink up to 4 cups a day! But I wasn’t always like this, in fact before I moved to Paris, almost 3 years ago I only used to drink tea when I was sick.

I cannot really pinpoint what brought this change in me but now I can say that I have an entire collection of tea tins. More than I am comfortable to admit, one might say that I’m becoming a tea hoarder That is why I thought it would be a good idea to share with you 5 of my favourite ones for autumn. Now I am not an expert, these are just the teas that I drink at the moment, before I take out my Christmas ones.

Dammann Frères

Salted butter caramel – Oolong tea with gourmet caramel notes

Salted butter caramel is one of my favourite things in the world so naturally I had to try this tea and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a delicious tea that makes you feel like you’ve indulged without feeling guilty. Of course it pairs really well with desserts.

The velvety notes of the oolong tea blend perfectly with the sweet and salty notes of the caramel.

Kusmi Tea

Genmaicha – Green tea with toasted and puffed rice grains

This is one of my recent discoveries and even though green tea is not my favourite I find this one extremely interesting and tasty. In the description it says that the puffed rice grains give it a light hazelnut taste, for me it tastes like liquid popcorn and I am the biggest popcorn fan! I drink it mostly in the morning or before 5 pm and it’s also really good iced.

Fauchon Paris

Foret enchantée rooibos tea

I really love rooibos tea for its natural sweet notes and also because I can drink it at any moment of the day. This blend is one of my favourites for the autumn season because it has notes of red fruits, chestnuts and hazelnuts. It is also the perfect tea to enjoy with a Mont-Blanc.

LOV Organic

Blueberry –  Coconut white tea

I am just starting to discover white tea but this one got me curios since I like coconut so I decided to try it. It is a very delicate tea, one that can give you a moment of calm on a stressful day. It has lovely subtle notes of blueberry and coconut and yes that may sound a bit tropical but I like to drink it even in the autumn. It’s perfect in the afternoon next to a freshly baked cookie.

Kusmi Tea

Be Cool – Liquorice and peppermint caffeine blend

If you like peppermint this is the perfect infusion for a moment of calm before going to bed. I like to drink this after a hectic day when I am stressed and I know that I won’t rest well. It immediately calms me down and gets me ready for sleep.

And what are your favourite autumn teas? I would love to find some new ones to add to my collection.

During summer I have decided to take a break from the blog and focus on some personal projects but now I’m back! And even though the leaves are starting to turn and the mornings are getting colder I am not ready to trade ice cream for hot chocolate. Not just yet anyway! So I’ve decided to share with you my top 4 ice cream shops in Paris and the flavours that I have tried.

Yann Couvreur

The newly opened shop in the Marais is really charming, full of delicious pastries, savoury things and you can also order his famous millefeuille. I had the mango-coriander sorbet which was one of the most delicious sorbets I’ve ever tried, the mango goes perfectly with the coriander and it’s bursting with flavour, but you have to really like coriander. The strawberry – verveine was also very good, only the verveine flavour doesn’t really come through as strongly as you’d expect.

You can find the Marais shop at 23bis rue de Rosiers, Paris

Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé doesn’t really need an introduction and his ice cream is just as delicious as his macarons. On this occasion I tried the Miss Gla Gla, which is basically ice cream sandwiched in between two macaron sides. The Milena is a combination of refreshing fresh mint with a sweet red berry sorbet and I can only say that it’s amazing, the flavours that come through are just incredible.

My favorite Pierre Hermé shop is the one on Rue Bonaparte in the 6th arrondissement, as it also has his delicious pastries alongside the famous macarons.

Il Gelato del Marchese

Il Gelato del Marchese is not only a really elegant place, but the ice cream is incredibly delicious in a combination of classic and surprising flavours. I’ve tried the pistachio which is always a good try for me since i really like it and the flavour did not disappoint. The ricotta and cacao is really creamy and rich, I couldn’t stop eating it!

You can also try some of their more unusual flavours like: gorgonzola, tomato and basil. They also make their own ice cream cones, but sadly they were all out when I went – I’ll definitely get it next time!

Il Gelato Del Marchese’s shop is around the Odeon area, at 3 Rue Des Quatres Vents

Une Glace a Paris

This place is opened by two very talented pastry chefs: Emmanuel Ryon and Olivier Menard who wanted to share their love for ice cream with the world. In their own words, it’s a place that gives you whatever you desire let that be ice cream, sorbet, or a frozen ice cream cake to share with your family. I had the smoked vanilla and strawberry-hibiscus ice creams, both equally delicious and ingenious.

Next time you’re strolling through Marais, don’t miss Une Glace a Paris, at 15 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie

Hope you enjoyed the article and if you are in Paris go and give at least one of these places a try before it gets too cold outside!

I’ve been to most of these places before so this time I chose Fecamp for our little trip. Surrounded by the tallest cliffs in Normandy reaching close to 100 meters in height, Fecamp is a charming little town. It has a calm and relaxed vibe, perfect for walking, reading books on the beach and exploring the surroundings.

The beach is rocky so it is not the perfect place for swimming but we didn’t have really warm weather anyway. We did see one of the prettiest sunsets, while enjoying a swirly ice-cream. Oh, now I want to go back!

Don’t miss the the Abbey Church of the Trinity (L’Abbatiale de la Trinite) or the Palais Benedictine, an impressive palace built for Alexandre Le Grand, the entrepreneur who developed the Benedictine alcoholic herbal drink.

For eating I would recommend trying mussels with fries (moules frites) on one of the terasses on the beach, they are delicious and the portions are huge. I would also highly recommend Le Vicomte for a traditional french cuisine. It is a small, really cozy restaurant run by a sweet couple. They do a fixed menu every day and I can honestly say that the food is delicious!

On the second day we also visited Yport, a small village only a couple of kilometers away from Fecamp. I love discovering small charming villages and this one did not disappoint. With stunning views on the cliffs and adorable houses it makes you want to move there! Although I have to admit I could not imagine myself in such a small town yet, for now I enjoy too much everything that Paris has to offer.

Have a lovely week!

There are two desserts in the collection: a cake and an eclair. The cake is a delicious and elegant creation composed of a soft vanilla biscuit, almond crumble, cherry jam and almond ganache. You can get it in individual size or as a dessert to share.

The eclair is composed of an almond milk cream, a cherry jam and is topped with a white chocolate glaze. It’s nicely decorated with sugar flowers.

This delicate and flowery macaron box is so pretty that I decided to keep it for storing pictures. It comes with 12 macarons in 2 flavours: orange blossom and my favourite, cherry and cherry blossom.

I am a big tea fan, I drink it everyday and this Ohanami tea quickly became one of my favourites! It is a green tea perfumed with cherry blossom notes. It perfectly represents Hanami – the Japanese custom of enjoying the ephemeral beauty of the cherry tree flowers.
Together with the rose petals jam they make the perfect pair for tea time or even for breakfast if you feel like treating yourself.

Have a great weekend!
Alexandra

I also love that they only last for a little while, making this period all the more exciting. I think Paris in spring is magical, the city comes to life again, people tend to get out more, you see crowded terraces again because there is nothing better than drinking your morning coffee in a parisian cafe while people watching!

And my favorite activity of all: picnics on the Seine! Of course there are a lot of places where you can take a baguette, some cheese and a bottle of wine and enjoying it outside – one of my favorite places is Ile de la Cite, or on Quai de la Tournelle, overlooking Notre Dame. It is lovely in warm weather, staying on the Seine, drinking a glass of wine and watching the boats pass by.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures of magical Paris, the city in spring through my eyes and wish you all a lovely week!

There is nothing better than waking up in the morning with a cup of coffee and a croissant, so head out to get yourself a croissant, and enjoy the post over a cup of coffee!

Pierre Hermé

The Ispahan croissant is my all time favorite, a super buttery flaky pastry, filled with a delicious raspberry and litchi jelly and topped with candied rose petals. Ah, my mouth is watering just writing this! Also look for their seasonal flavors like the lemon one, which was equally delicious.

Fauchon

Raspberry, pistachio, chocolate – the striped croissant! I couldn’t decide on a flavor so I took all three, but on the rare occasion when I have to pick just one I always go for the raspberry. These croissants not only taste good but they also look adorable!

Sadaharu Aoki

Now if you are a matcha fan like me, this is a croissant that you should definitely try! It has a crunchy almost caramelised exterior and the interior is bursting with matcha flavor. Cutting into it and seeing that vibrant matcha green makes your mouth water!

Eric Kayser

I don’t think I could live without my daily dose of Eric Kayser bread, but this almond croissant always does the trick when I feel the need for something more decadent in the morning. It’s a croissant soaked in a rum and sugar syrup, filled with almond cream and topped with powder sugar and toasted almonds. Try it, I promise you won’t regret it!

Now somebody please help me eat all these croissants! Have a lovely day!

I hope you’re gonna try the recipe and enjoy them too!

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Serves: 6 (~30 madeleines) Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 200 g Granulated White Sugar
• 3 eggs
• 125 ml Passion Fruit Juice (about 6-7 passion fruits)
• 275 g Flour
• 10 g Baking Powder
• 125 g Butter
• 20 g Poppy Seeds
• 200 gr white chocolate (optional)

Instructions

While you’re preparing the madeleine batter, preheat the oven to 220°

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and let it cool a bit
2. Cream eggs and sugar well, you can do this with a whisk
3. Add the passion fruit juice at room temperature and mix until incorporated
4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add them to the mix
5. Add the cool melted butter stirring constantly
6. Incorporate the poppy seeds with a spatula
7. Butter the molds (if you use silicone molds skip this step) and fill them about two thirds

Bake at 220° C for 5 minutes, after that turn the temperature down to 200° C and continue baking for 10 minutes.

After the madeleines have cooled down, melt the white chocolate over a Bain-marie or in the microwave oven. Dip the madeleines in the white chocolate so they’re covered about one third through (or more if you prefer them more chocolatey).

Enjoy these lovely madeleines with a nice cup of coffee or tea!

I have seen pictures of Colmar before and I was always impressed by how pretty it looks so when I found the perfect cozy apartment on Airbnb the decision was made. I prefer this type of accommodation to hotels because it is always more comfortable especially since we travel with our golden retriever, Sophie.

Colmar Houses

The moment you step foot into the town you realise that you are in a special part of France. Everywhere you turn the views are  breathtaking, the houses, the windows, the canals. I will let my pictures do the talking about the beauty of the place.

Pretty windows

We stayed for 5 days so had a little time to explore the place, taste some alsatian wine (by the bottle!) and also take a few trips to see the surroundings.

Little Venice

I have the say that the Alsatian Wine Route is a must do if you are in the area and the weather is nice. It is one of the oldest wine routes in France, 170 km long, passing through 70 wine growing villages. We did a part of it with our own car, stopping along the way wherever we wanted. I particularly liked Riquewihr and Ribeauville, two little towns that looked like they were made out of gingerbread houses.

Wine Route

Riquewihr

We also stumbled upon a little gem in a village with a name that’s impossible to spell – Niedermorschwihr. It was Christine Ferber’s incredible jam shop. With so many enticing flavors available, I had a hard time choosing just a few to bring home. Don’t worry if you can’t make the trip, she also sells jams for Pierre Herme or you can find them in Le Bon Marche in Paris.

Riquewihr

Foodwise there are a lot of options but I will give you my favourite ones. If it is in your budget I highly recommend JY’S, a two star Michelin restaurant. It was an extraordinary experience – from the olive tree that greeted us before the meal to the dessert presented as a raw egg, every dish was memorable.

JY’S Restaurant

Olive tree at JY’S

Atelier du Peintre also serves modern french food with a regional touch and it is the perfect place for a nice lunch.

And while you’re there you can’t miss a local specialty – Tarte Flambee, a traditional dish composed of a paper thin bread dough topped with creme fraiche, onions and bacon pieces. The best one that we’ve tried is La Soi, a tiny restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and really nice owners.

Hope you liked taking this trip with me and if you ever get the chance visit Alsace, it’s definitely worth it.