Bolton Clandestine Cake Club - Pump Up the Jam!

I've been mega excited about this meet up since I announced the theme. I love preserves. They are so versatile in baking, so I knew we would get some right corkers. Not a plain Victoria sponge in sight.

This month's club was held at Delicieux in Bolton. Debbie and the team are the newest eatery on the block, and after a fantastic breakfast back in January I knew this one would be popular with the club members. We were booked into our own private room upstairs, so I was giddy as a little kipper!

As I walked up the stairs, there was a lovely hand drawn banner welcoming us to the venue. Debbie's daughter had decorated the room for us - it was just beautiful. Polka dots, bunting, mismatched china and shabby chic accessories. I have considered moving in. She even created cake 'chill out areas' in the corners out of scatter cushions. The light bounced through the skylights onto the cakes and chilled out music played in the background. It was all kinds of ace.

We had lots of new members on Saturday, so the spacious venue was perfect for mingling and chatting. Tea was served from pretty pastel tea pots and the hot chocolate was made of real melted chocolate! Corinne's been under the weather, so it was just the tonic.

Although lemon was a clear favourite amongst the bakers, they also provided preserve based cakes in a wonderful array of flavours, including peanut, rhubarb, banana, plum, apple, pineapple, lime, orange, fig, apricot, raspberry and strawberry. Our cake table consisted of:

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Bundt 
• Lime Curd Sponge
• Fig and Apricot Jam Cake
• Rhubarb and Custard Layer Cake
• Lemon Layer Cake
• Chocolate Orange Cake with Orange and Whiskey Marmalade
• Chocolate and Jam Cake with White Chocolate Icing
• Pineapple Jam Cake
• Rhurbarb and Custard Hexagon
• Banana Cake with Chocolate Drizzle
• 'Jam Butty'
• Luscious Lemon Curd Cake
• Plum, Apple and Cinnamon Jam Cake
• Lemon Jammy Dodger
• Raspberry Rice Pudding Cake
• Sally's Sticky Marmalade Cake

I gave them a challenge, and they delivered! Some even made their own jam. The cakes produced on Saturday have to be some of my favourites so far. Our 'troughs' were pretty impressive, and there was still cake left over. We suffered for our cause; many went home with terrible cake-ache, a couple already had the sugar induced headache, and nearly all of us took takeaway goodies from downstairs for later. We needed savoury you see... it's all about the sweet/savoury balance. Science. 

Thanks to everyone who came, and especially to the staff at Delicieux for going to so much effort when they were really busy! My husband and I enjoyed our Cumberland sausage scotch egg, Fidgit pie and Natas later that night! We may have had a little cake too...

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