Crumbs & Doilies – Cupcake Extraordinaire

Cupcakes are still a thing, apparently. What was once deemed a noughties phase is here to stay, and who am I to complain? Miniature – and miniature miniature – cakes topped with perfectly piped buttercream are still as appealing as they were in 2003, and when flavours extend beyond vanilla and chocolate I am so there.

Outside of my kitchen (and a few friends') there isn't a single cupcake worth eating in Bristol, but wander a little further – London, to be exact – and there are delectable offerings on every street corner. 

Crumbs & Doilies has cracked the cupcake industry. I found them on Instagram, of course, where anything sparkly, bright and uniform goes. C&D's Insta following stands at 197,000 at the time of writing, and it's not hard to see why.

A Unicorn invasion over at C&D Soho 🦄🦄🦄🦄#cupcakes #unicorn #unicorncupcakes #meringues #rainbow #cndsoho #crumbsanddoilies

A post shared by Crumbs and Doilies Cupcakes (@crumbsanddoilies) on Mar 30, 2017 at 4:08am PDT

With shades of unicorn and cute childhood favourites like bourbon biscuit and my personal fave, maple and bacon, the guys at C&D know how to grab your attention. But, more importantly, they know how to keep hold of it. Their variations are constantly changing, and it's a treat for the tastebuds (and eyeballs) of anyone taking a trip to their bakery in central London. Get your iPhone ready for a series of snaps worthy of the most beautiful Insta feeds – you're gonna get a lot of likes on this one.

Also in store today is Bourbon. We're open till 7pm so be sure to pop by. #cndsoho #crumbsanddoilies #cupcakes #bourbonbiscuit

A post shared by Crumbs and Doilies Cupcakes (@crumbsanddoilies) on Mar 8, 2017 at 8:34am PST

And who doesn't want to see rows of identical peaks of pastel rainbow puffs? It's magical, it's edible and it's 100% accessible. But the question I'm asking is why only in London? It can't just be the capital, and its tourists, that want cupcakes. We've got Millie's Cookies, Ben's Cookies, Krispy Kreme and so many others dotted around the rest of the UK, so where are all the good cupcake shops at?

Maybe it's just me, and I'm being totally ignorant (likely), but I can't be travelling all the way to London every time I want a perfectly formed red velvet cupcake, can I? If there are some in Bristol that I have just totally overlooked, where are they? Show me your beautiful sponges! Or, dear Instagram, sort your algorithm out, yeah?

I missed you, but I'm back

My oh my, I have been gone a while, haven't I? I remember swearing to myself when I started this blog that I'd stick to my three-posts-a-week schedule no matter what, but you know, life has a tendency to have a shuffle things around every now and again and if blogging isn't your full time job, it may just take a back seat while you get other things in order.

As a sort of re-introduction, I thought I'd let you know where I've been, you know, just in case you've missed me as much as I've missed you. I haven't taken many proper photographs on my camera, but here's what I've been up to, in a series of snaps taken from my Instagram feed.

About a month ago I made myself the nicest lunch before going to work for a late shift. I was so pleased with my little assembly of healthy foods! It's so satisfying having so much fruit and veg in one meal... Just me? Pictured: Orange juice, peppers and mushrooms cooked in a little butter, sliced avocado with balsamic glaze, rye bread, homemade coleslaw and a dollop of houmous.

Wild Friday night in: Out came the bunny onesie, and I officially called it onesie weather. 

I started to feel really unwell and it was such bad timing because it was the ten year friendship anniversary of me and my best friend Bethan. We had booked a trip to London to see The Lion King and although I felt like death I couldn't miss it – and I'm so glad I didn't, it was incredible. Possibly the best West End show I have seen to date – a must see.

Back home from London and I spent my Halloween wrapped up in a blanket watching Lost in Translation. It's one of my favourite films. I've seen it twice – I have to be in a particularly melancholy mood to watch it. It makes me want to go to Japan and also to be Scarlett Johansson.

Do you ever get cravings when you're not very well? About a week into my bug (it felt like it was never going to end) I wanted nothing else but cinnamon grahams. These sweet crispy squares kept me going in the long despondent days spent aching on the living room sofa.

In a way, I enjoy the pressure of exams, and I think I prefer them to coursework. I love the learning and remembering of facts and theories and dates, and then getting an answer right when tested. But doing this when feeling poorly was difficult. The exams (NCTJ media law and public affairs) have been and gone now (praise the Lord) so I can finally relax in the hope that I've passed.

Popped into Tesco before work yesterday and discovered this beauteous pot of decadence. Yes, that is Maltesers chocolate spread you see, and it is exactly what you think – a Maltesers Teasers bar, in chocolate spread form. Out of this world delicious, and the texture – just spot on.

Finally feeling like a normal human being again, this morning I was able to enjoy an indulgent weekend breakfast. Today I whipped up a batch of pancakes, blueberry syrup and served them with sliced banana and a cup of freshly brewed coffee. 

I can safely say I am feeling 100% myself again and I have never been more happy to see the back end of a horribly long and dull virus. Not sure I'll be so quick to jump on the 'I love autumn/winter' bandwagon now, but seeing as it's nearly Christmas I certainly won't say no to a cosy jumper, snuggle Sunday or hot chocolate.

What have you been up to in the past month? I have a HUGE amount of blogs to catch up on and so much I want to share with you, too. Stick around?

I got Instagram!

I resisted downloading Instagram for a VERY long time. I did not seeing the point of it when I have and use Twitter, but I finally succumbed last night after realising every blogger and their mother has the app, and felt I was seriously missing out.

Also, last weekend I left my camera in Cheltenham and won't be getting it back until mid July(!) I was (still am) distraught about this as I had taken some gorgeous photos, but they will not be appearing on WNW until next month I'm afraid :( so for now, I'll be using my phone with the Instagram app and a digital camera my Dad is lending me. Let's see if I can get any decent shots without DSLR quality.

Have you got Instagram? Leave your handle below and I'll check out your page. I'll be using my account for blog purposes mainly - a little like how I use Pinterest. You can follow me on Instagram here @wnwrote