A vintage afternoon tea at home and the best chocolate cake ever!

I love putting on afternoon teas for my friends at home and so last Sunday I baked my favourite chocolate cake (see recipe below), bought a few extras from my local pattisserie and got out the good china for a visit from one of my oldest friends. I just love drinking out of vintage tea cups - so civilised! It also justifies my many vintage china purchases to my hubby! (see darling hubby, they aren't just for show!)

My favourite vintage china pieces and tablecloth - purchased mostly from op-shops (except blue tea and cup set - ebay; milk jug and sugar bowl - part of wedding gift from my Mum). The only thing I was missing was champagne glasses so I just made do with what I had in the cupboard! Main dish contains chocolate cake (homemade), baked cheesecake slices and hazelnut macaroon pieces (Swiss Patisserie, Syndal)

Vintage Suburbia posing for the camera before her guest arrived - sorry for fuzzy photo! (I am picking up my new Canon 1000D next week so hopefully better photos will be coming up very soon!)

I always try to have some savouries in my afternoon tea selection - here I have some lovely quiches and cheese and tomato topped baguette - from my local patisserie - Tanner's Swiss Patisserie, Blackburn Road, Syndal. They have really lovely stuff and their baguettes are some of the best I have ever tasted.

Afternoon tea would not be complete without vintage cake forks - I got these from Ebay Australia a few years ago. I love the case and look at the gift card that was still in it when I bought it. It reads 'Dear Sue, here's wishing you all that you wish yourself - May every joy and happiness be yours, Margaret'. Don't you love that? People in the 50's and 60's (which I am guessing this set is from) wrote so beautifully back then. I feel very privileged that I can keep this set in memory of its original owner.

Close up of my favourite vintage tea set - Vintage Spode - purchased from Ebay Australia a few years ago. It wasn't cheap I have to admit, but it was worth it, because I absolutely love it!

Last, but not least, you should really try out this fabulous chocolate cake recipe - you can use it to make a cake or put the mixture into patty cake tins and make cupcakes (just put in oven for less time, say 20 mins). The secret to its loveliness is the vanilla essence and brown sugar - divine! Let me know what you think of it once you have tried it out! The recipe actually comes from our very own Australian Prime Minister Rudd (who I used to like once upon a time, I'm not so sure now!). Anyway, I came across it on a website and am now sharing it with you . . . (PS I wonder if President Obama has a favourite choc cake recipe - I must google that!)

My Mum's Favourite Chocolate Cake Recipe

Recipe provided by Hon Kevin Rudd – Prime Minister of Australia

for PDF version of cake recipe which you can print out see: http://www.cuppaforkids.org.au/downloads/recipes/PM_Chocolate_Cake_recipe.pdf
CAKE

Ingredients

185 g Butter at room temperature

155 g Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2 Eggs at Room Temperature

190gm SR Flour

30gm Cocoa Powder

125ml Milk

Method

Cream Butter, Sugar and Vanilla, add eggs one at a time.

In another bowl sift the flour and cocoa together then fold it and the milk alternating into

the creamed butter and sugar.

Bake for 40 minutes in a moderate oven - fan forced about 150 degrees.

ICING

Ingredients

1 and a half TBL Cocoa

1 TBL warm Milk

75 gm Butter room temp - cubed

125gm Pure Icing Sugar

Half teaspoon vanilla

Method

Mix together and spread over cooled cake.

Vintage afternoon tea

I love getting out my vintage tea set but don't get a chance to do it very often. My daughter had a 'play date' at our house this afternoon so I took the chance to set up a little afternoon tea for myself and the friend's mother. We had a little fruit platter, a home-made dip and home-made banana cake - it was very nice. I love drinking out of china cups - the tea tastes so much nicer. I decided against the more formal 'high tea' with the tiered plates as (a) I didn't have time and (b) I didn't want to go too over the top. My friend really enjoyed it so that was great.

Teapot and milk jug - Royal Albert 'Val D'or' - wedding gift from my mother (from whom I also inherited my taste in 'nanna chic!), cup and saucer sets - Queen Anne - 21st presents (back in the day when people had big 21st's); vase - wedding gift; centre plates and bone-handled knife - op shop find - from St Vinnie's in Pinewood, Melbourne; tablecloth - gift from Portugal; white roses - from my garden.

Vintage Suburbia demonstrating the correct placement of one's little finger when drinking tea! Dress: from USA ebay - only around $35 from memory (bought it a few mths ago)

Hope this inspires you to spoil yourself with a nice afternoon tea - it really is lovely! (by the way, if anyone can recommend a really nice place to have 'high tea' in Melbourne I would really appreciate it. I have heard the one at The Windsor is very nice but it is $45 or something - a lot for sandwiches and cakes!!).