birthday eats and foodie treats.

i felt well and truly spoilt on my birthday, with some lovely thoughtful foodie gifts and a few fantastic meals out too. with a few days off, i went off to manchester with my pal amelia, went away to liverpool with boyfriend sam and on the sunday my mum had made a birthday tea party on the sunday. warning: it's really quite birthday indulgent and picture heavy.

peanut butter chocolate cake.

happy birthday to me. today i reach the grand old age of 26 and intend on eating lots of cake and drinking more cocktails than usual. 

it seems that on your birthday in britain you're supposed to bring in cake, sweets and treats to work. or in my office sometimes even a box of samosas. although i begrudge the tradition of the birthday girl or boy having to cough up the goods (just shower me in gifts already!) i secretly love this time of year for the very excuse to get my bake on. 

this fudgy chocolate brownie cake with peanut buttercream was the very cake i took in this week, before irritatingly announcing it was my friday and escaping the office for long weekend of fun.

happy birthday chocolate cake.

when i was given this recipe by the mum of one of my best friends (thanks jane, thanks grace!), i instantly knew this would make a brilliant chocolatey birthday cake. a friend of her's came across it in a children's cookery book and swears by it for any special occasion. plus it was a great chance to use my new baking tin. i have to say... it didn't disappoint :)