guest post: “chocolate poo and sugar highs”;

In which my Manchester besties attended a cupcake decorating class at my beloved Hey Little Cupcake!, and all I got was this lousy blogpost.

If you’re too far away to properly celebrate my birthday this weekend, you can catch Shelley in action with Manchester Roller Derby at Sugden Sports Centre, Grosvenor St, M1 7HL. Tickets are £7 in advance and £10 on the door.

It’s such an honour to be over here on Last Year’s Girl, I’ve lurked around these parts since my (relative) youth in Paisley where I first met Lis. We’ve kept in touch ever since and I was recently introduced me to the gorgeous Fafa over a mutual sweet tooth and a blossoming love affair with Manchester.

So, abandoned in a foreign country (England) without Lis, we booked ourselved onto a cupcake decorating class at one of Manchester’s finest cupcake joints – we knew Lis would approve.

Hey Little Cupcake (HLC) is a firm favourite here on LYG, and quite rightly so, it’s a fabulous mix of fancy cupcakes, imaginative flavours (Swizzles Refresher anyone?!) and the best pink and white checked floor I’ve ever swooned over. And they host classes in cake decoration, baking and even jam making if you’re feeling particularly 50s housewife.

Fafa and I turned up to our cupcake decorating session with an ‘I’m going to eat as much icing as I can and decorate my cakes like a five-year-old’ attitude, while the rest of the ladies sat up straight in their chairs and kept perfectly silent for the teacher.

We, the reprobates at the back of the class, thought the entire thing was hilarious.

Fafa likened the chocolate frosting to a poo, which was exactly what I was thinking – a big, cartoon, brown dog poo – tasted great though, apparently the secret is 100% cocoa powder…

Then I tried be a great friend with an encouraging “That looks lovely” to a wonky, chocolate splodge – Fafa saw straight through that one: “You wouldn’t even tell me if I was wearing something that made my bum look big, would you?”

Later I found a big lump of strawberry icing on my cheek, another sticky spot in my hair and Fafa almost went home with her apron on. I think it was a pretty successful evening!

Shelley and Fafa show off their creations

If we can be serious with all this talk of chocolate poo and sugar highs, the HLC class was fantastic. You all watch the expert at work before going away to practice in pairs, which makes it all seem so achievable. Licking the spoon is actively encouraged and you end up with six cakes to take home, winner.

A special mention goes to the teacher, so patient with everyone, more sugary sweet than the cupcakes and made everything look so ridiculously easy that we felt a fool when our cakes were a little off centre. But that’s what it’s all about, the best cakes (and friends) are always a little off centre, right?

Cupcake decorating classes run regularly at Hey Little Cupcake!, Hardman St, Manchester and cost £35 per person. For availability call the shop on 0161 832 0260 or fill in the online enquiry form.

[Big thanks also to Fafa for use of her photos. Mwah!]