Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Cake

'Ello!

It feels like a while since I've done my last food related post (go figure, because it has been about half a year), so when my brother had to make something for a picnic he was attending, it seemed like an opportune moment for me. I had actually already had another post planned, which I was in the middle stages of making, but since I haven't had really any quality content for you guys recently, I thought this would be a nice change to the system. Also the post that I had planned, which I think you can expect next week, is a right old ramble and I didn't think you'd want that.

Apologies for the lack in quality of the photos. I had a little tantrum in the middle of the making-of-the-baking process in which my brother (considerately) took the photos for me. I'm not saying that his photo taking capabilities are limited (I mean, he only took three photos on his recent trip overseas), but I am just saying that we were all a little stressed. A tip for next time, if you want to bake when your family is home, set some strict ground rules. For example, four people in the kitchen at once is not a good idea.

Before I ramble on some more, here you go.

Preparation Time: give or take 30 mins | Cooking Time: give or take 30 mins | Serves about 16 

You will need:

• melted butter or greasing paper (or both) for greasing
• 20 cm square cake tin
• 250 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped or in small pieces for easy melting (chocolate buttons work well) 
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 
• 2 Tbsp low fat milk 
• 2 cups almond meal
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup Caster Sugar 
• Optional: Icing sugar for dusting, or ice with whatever you want
• Optional: paper cut outs in shapes

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 160oC. If you are using butter, grease the base and sides of your cake tin; if you are using baking paper, line your tin. Or do both, like me! 
2. Put your chocolate, oil and milk in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure it's not touching the water) and stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate is melted and silky. Set aside to cool slightly. 
3. Put your chocolate mixture, almond meal, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine.
4. Put the separated egg whites into an electrical blender until stiff peaks form. 
5. Fold 1/2 the egg whites into the chocolate mixture first. Then add the remaining egg whites into the mixture, once incorporated. 
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is firm to touch. Allow to cool completely  before cutting the cake into 16 slices.
8. If you're feeling creative, cut out little templates (in paper will do) and place them on top of your cake squares and dust over them (with icing sugar)
9. Enjoy your good cakeness yums.
10. While enjoying your yums, make sure you appreciate my poorly added and taken creative shots. I mean, some thought went it to these, albeit limited.

Now the icing is completely up to you but make sure your cake has cooled completely before you add any icing. The last thing you want is runny, goop-y icing on your beautiful creation. Also keep in mind that any cracks that occur in your bake are normal and perfectly fine - they will be just as most and enjoyable! It just adds a little more character. I prefer to just add icing sugar to the top and leave it at that, but obviously it's up to you. I hope you enjoy it. 

Much love,

Duchess

Shoe Envy: Tony Bianco

Hello beautiful beings,

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." - Marilyn Monroe

Upon purchasing a new pair of Tony Bianco boots (yes, I know that I'm going into Spring, but they were on clearance), I found myself exploring their site to see what else I would develop a love for. Turns out, Tony Bianco sources some of the most divine shoes that I have ever seen. Now for some (including me), you may look at some of the prices and sadly look down and turn away, but - judging from the one purchase I made - they seem to be of amazing quality, and marked down quite a bit, may just be worth the wait.

I am a huge supporter of clearance sales, and you can always find my mum and I going through racks of out of season clothes to pick up at ridiculous prices, to wear next year. I mean, I would much rather that (with my limited source of income) than spending, actual, ridiculous amounts of money to obtain clothing that's considered 'season'. I mean, a shirts a shirt - you can pair it with a coat and a scarf, and you're going to be fit to wear a Summer top in Autumn anyway. So when I saw these boots being marked down by $150 (?!) I couldn't resist splurging a little (by splurge I mean roughly $45).

If you want to check them out, you can find them here.

I mean, they're really pretty boots, and they were going at a super reasonable price for quite a high end shoe store. Getting back to the topic at hand, as I scrolled through this site, my hands seemed to disregard my brain, and I soon found myself with about 15 items in an online wishlist I would never, but would like to, purchase. Also, because my brain works in weird ways, I thought some of you might like to see what I had collated from this websites wishlist, so I narrowed these shoes down to just a hdnful. Here you go...

1. FRAYA: I love the simplicity of these booties. I mean, they just look like grown up Chelsea boots, and I think that this would be some easy to wear with just about anything.

2. MIXA: I'm loving laced heels at the moment, and I will always love a little peeptoe, as I think it's quite a classic look. You can only imagine my excitement when the two were brought together! Albeit looking somewhat uncomfortable, that chunky heel ought to make up for it.

3. OLIVER: Imagine how easy this would be to add your extra something-something to it. I like the neutral shade, especially on flats, because it gives you the flexibility to do almost anything with it. The little bit of wood detailing also adds a little more charm.

4. OLLEY: I would normally just go for a black if I dared to go this dark, but I think that this colour definitely suits this type of shoes. I'm a sucker for a bit of detailing on a plain flat, and I like the look of these, as opposed to the statement metallic designs that are being displayed on the fronts of flats at the moment (although I love that too).

5. TWISTER: How I adore a heeled boot. I think that this shade is so chic and fun to play around with. I would love to be able to buy something like this, when I'm older, and just see how much I could do with it. I'm in awe of people who wear things like this casually - one day!

6. ALAQUA: As I said before, I'm loving a laced heel. This thin heel and intricate design gives the shoe a much more feminine and delicate feel, which I adore. Not going to lie, I've been eyeing some shoes like this, but with no where to wear them there's no point! Won't stop me window shopping though.

Obviously these are just a select few shoes on the site that particularly caught my eye, but there were so many more that I had to, unfortunately, cut down. I guarantee that they'll be something on the site that you'll like though. As some what more of a conservative, play-it-safe kind of shoe person, I would say that this site even dared me to consider something I would never usually consider, and I think that that in itself is something to be happy with.

Apart from selling a wide variety of beautifully designed and crafted shoes, Tony Bianco is also a source of many other clothing and accessory items. I would definitely recommend you check them on out, and I will link their website here. Note that the website linked is actually just for the Australian website, I'm sure that there's a way for you to get to your nation/areas website from there though.

Which were your favourite pair? And what's your favourite shoe brand?

Much love,

Duchess

Blogs I'm Loving!

Hiya guys!

I'm really sorry about the extremely chatty, quick posts from my side. What with my exams and such coming up - I have a lot to do and not so long to do it all! I hope you won't mind me taking a little bit of time away from here and putting that into my school work and my future. I thought it'd be a cute idea to do a little blog post on my recent favourite bloggers. Keep in mind, I am by no means a blogging 'expert' and I think it would be a stretch to even classify me as a 'blogger', but I know I love reading other peoples work and I think you might like some of them too. Apologies if you've heard, or you've read, the peoples blogs I list down below already - at least you now know that we have something in common. Also, note I don't mean that the bloggers I mention are new, but rather that I have either recently discovered their blog; or have recently really being enjoying their content. On with the blogs!

1. A Beautiful Mess 

Oh, and what a freakin' gorgeous mess it is. The title tells no lie and the girls who run it are especially beautiful. If you want something happy, creative, lively or something just fun - they've got your back. Constant inspiration for me want to something more with my life, and to make everything a little bit more pretty. Definite, definite love.

Bloglovin'
Blog

2. Poppy Deyes 

I was incredibly happy when Poppy Deyes went live with her own blog. Many of you may know her as the older sister of Alfie Deyes, but she is now becoming a big part of the beauty and lifestyle blogosphere. With her beautiful pictures, and her original and fun content, it's hard not to like what you see. Her blog itself is categorised into three different headings - travel, food and lifestyle - and aside from making it very easy to navigate through her posts, it also draws the whole site together. The design and theme of her blog is very simplistic, elegant and feminine and I am in love with it! So, so nice and congratulations to Ms. Deyes on the launch of an extremely successful blog.

Bloglovin'
Blog

3. Gh0st Parties

Holy moly! What a beautiful way to spend your time cosying up with a blanket and a cup of tea while scrolling through this blog. YES! I am aware of how big of a blog this already is, but it doesn't alter the fact that everything on here is absolutely beautiful and makes me want to have a blog like this one day. Gh0st Parties is all about beauty, interiors, lifestyle and travel (yes, yes, yes and YES), which really appeals to me. Although it may not take to everyone's fancy, I think it's safe to assume that anybody could appreciate the beauty and aesthetic of this blog.

Bloglovin'
Blog

If you hadn't already realised (or seen) I have a new handy gadget on the side of my blog which give you access to follow me by email, or follow my Bloglovin'. Anyway, I hope you've all had an absolutely lovely week, and as I head into my weekend, I'm sending lots of hugs.

Much love,

Duchess

The Winter Tag: Australian Edition

Hello guys!

In Australia our winter is (slowly) drawing to a close. I would be lying if I said that I hadn't been craving the sun. We have been pretty lucky lately to have a few days when the sun made a hasty, but hot, appearance and for those few days, I soaked up the sun in content. I thought it would be fitting to do The Winter Tag. I know this tag is old, and consequently hasn't been doing rounds recently, but I don't think it really has a time stamp as it is a universal kind of thing.

Also, just wanted to let you know that my updates, over the course of the next few weeks probably aren't going to be as regular. I have all my major exams coming up, so I have to dedicated even more time to my studies Rest assured that after my exams, I already have planned a few quality ideas for some blog posts as I'm going to be travelling up the coast with my family. Watch this space! In the meantime, if you want to keep up to date with me, I'll be occasionally posting thing on my Twitter.

So, without further ado, I give you the Australian Winter Tag.

1. Do you like the cold? 
No, I much prefer the heat. I love being able to spend long times in the sun, or going out with friends and family, or going to the beach, or just going for drives. However, there are some aspects of the cold which I do like.

2. What is your favourite part of Winter? 
Friday and Saturday nights. That might sound a little random, but whenever I'm not busy on these nights, I love cuddling up in my bed and watching movies or having long marathons of television shows (crime shows, namely), or watching YouTube videos (no shame), or reading others blogs. I also love when I'm at home and it's raining, but I don't like when I'm out and it's raining - in that situation, I just feel miserable.

3. Does it snow where you live? 
No, it doesn't. If you drive for about six hours, you'll hit snow.

4. What is you favourite Autumn/Winter scent? 
I don't actually have many scents, but when I go out for formal events, I like to wear Burberry Brit.

5. What is your favourite item of clothing to wear in Winter? 
I love to wear big jackets or coats. I have a hand me down jacket that my brother gave me for my birthday (which was featured in this blog post) which has been a staple in my wardrobe. It's comfy, and is often mistaken for a Burberry product, because of the inner lining, which makes me laugh (because there's no way I can afford it!)

6. What is you favourite Winter nail polish colour? 
I love love love the Rimmel London Kate Moss Collection, of which I adore the Acid House nail polish shade (which was featured in this blog post). I don't really fancy my fingernails being painted all the time, because I hate how it looks when they chip, and I feel the need to take it all off, so I tend to just only put it on my toenails. When it chips on my toenails, I don't really taken any notice.

7. What is your favourite Winter lip product? 
 I get really dry, cracked lips during the colder months if I don't take care of them. It's for this reason that I tend to stick to what is popular, because they obviously are popular for a reason, or what is advised to me. I'll just say classic Maybelline New York Baby Lips, or Nivea Moisture.

8. What is you favourite Winter accessory?
Although I don't really tend to change, or mix up, my accessories, I do really like when people wear big, chunky rings. Unfortunately, I don't really wear statement accessories, but I do adore that look.

9. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? 
Ooh, I can't possibly choose from tea or hot chocolate. I'm not really a fan of coffee, I've always been a massive fan of hot chocolate, but I'm also a sucker for tea. I just love the variety that it offers - I love chai lattes a lot, but I also love a classic green tea. I've actually recently tried a green tea with coconut, which was interesting, and a green tea with chai in it, which I loved! If you are ever wanting to try a new brand of tea, which has so much variety, I would definitely recommend Higher Living. There is so much to choose from, and it all tastes so good!

10. What winter trend do you prefer: winged eyeliner or dark lips? 
Considering I'm still a student, I don't really have the time to perfect either of these looks, or really a place to wear them. It's safe to say that I adore both of these looks so I really don't think I can choose. I am in awe of people who have the ability to do/pull off these trends though.

11. What is your most worn sweater? 
Hmm... My collection of sweaters is limited, as I'm more of a jacket/coat kind of person myself. I do however love the Urban Outfitters and Free People Winter sweater collections. Maybe another blog post idea? 

12. Skinny jeans or leggings?
Jeans, without a shadow of a doubt. I used to live in leggings, but for the past couple of years, I just love wearing jeans. There's so much diversity with them - ripped, boyfriend, skinny. Whatever you want. I just really like jeans, to the point that if I had to choose one pair of clothing to always wear, it would be them.

13. What song gets you in the mood for Winter/Autumn? 
Honestly, I'm not really sure how to answer this question so I'm just going to say what songs I've been loving this Winter which has predominantly consisted of Henry Green's cover of Electric Feel.

14. What shoes do you tend to wear most in Winter? 
I love to wear my Doc Martins (of which I recently acquired my second pair, second hand, from one of my friends), or any boots, or any detailed flats (I have a pair of lion ones from Rubi Shoes which I think look so nice with skinny jeans).

15. Have you ever gone ice skating? Are you any good at it?
I do occasionally go ice skating, and I have the ability to skate by myself, but I am in no way a good skater. I have a couple of friends who have grown up skating, or play ice sports, so they obviously are much better at skating than me, and that's what I'm comparing myself to.

That's all! I hope you guys have had a brilliant week and that you're all safe and healthy.

Much love,

Duchess

Favourite Youtubers: Editing Edition

Hey guys!

So as many of you know, I'm a huge supporter of many forms of media spread throughout the internet. I love reading, watching and listening to other peoples content whenever I can. The fact that it is now so easy, efficient and accessible for a person to create and for people to witness other people's work still blows my mind to this day. You'll then understand my love for Youtube and videos in general. I will be the first to admit that making videos and uploading them has crossed my mind many a times, but right now, I don't think I'm mature enough or ready to do expose that much on the internet. For now, I'm happy with maintaining a blog.

Anyway, one of my favourite parts of Youtube is observing peoples videos (obviously), but also witnessing many different editing styles and how people put their art together. Now, I have never restricted myself to any one 'genre' on Youtube, and I tend to jump around a bit, but I though it would be a nice to compile a list of my favourite editors of videos. Maybe this will be an opportunity for you reading to experience some more Youtubers, and gain even more understanding into the sort of person I am.

Below I will name them, attach a link to their Youtube channels, and include an example of a video(s) they have made which displays why I like their editing so much. Without further ado, my favourite Youtube editors.

1. Will Darbyshire 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeD3VwVu0HzIkPbLwl1D_VA

2. Ben Brown 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAkP51BEzkKimJh7KDflx_g

3. Jenn Im (clothesencounters)

https://www.youtube.com/user/clothesencounters 

4. Victoria Macgrath (Inthefrow)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyxZB7SqkRFqij18X1rDYHQ

5. Karlie Kloss (Klossy)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH5Qu8Sd-m-7Zk4xc_J5VzA 

It is important to note that the last video was produced by the talented Casey Neistat (https://www.youtube.com/user/caseyneistat) who is another very talented Youtuber. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and the Youtubers and videos I put into it!

Much love,

Duchess

Bucketlist #4

Yoo-hoo!

Happy to announce bucketlist #4. I'm not sure if you guys are honestly enjoying this series, but I thought it was a convenient, efficient way to communicate will you all about how I feel and what I want to do. You'll not believe the depths I had to go to from my tired, dusty mind to come up with these. Dreams I used to wish have long been forgotten, but are recently being brought back up to the surface. Here are some of them.

31. Feel comfortable in my own skin

32. Own my own car (or have my own car... Money is tight!)

33. Work until I no longer have to introduce myself

34. Live in an apartment

35. Have a job that lets me travel

36. Have my own signature make up look

37. Take a decent selfie (the last time I took a selfie was with my brother... About 6 months ago)

38. Get myself a DSLR camera and all the gear to go with it

39. Spend a day abroad with just me and my camera (mentioned above)

40. Learn how to contour properly (!)

I hope you're all having a lovely day and I see your gorgeous face back here soon. Sending lots of warm hugs and cuddles just in case you're not having that good of a day. I am always here for you.

Much love,

Duchess

Short Hair, Don't Care!

Hellooooh!

I've always had long hair growing up and it, at one time, got to the point where it was my identifier. "Oh you're the girls with long hair, right?" "Yeah, that's me." Now, while I didn't mind it, it wasn't something that I wanted to be known for. I love long hair, but I don't want it to be my definition. Now, you might think I was exaggerating, but with all honesty, I can state that my hair (however dead at the tips it was) reached down to my knees. It was very, very long. I constantly felt drowned, and my hair has a tendency to be frizzy, so it made me feel a little bit like a lion (which was a pro).

As I got older, however, I made the choice to cut it. At the time, it felt like a lot, but looking back on it, it wasn't much at all. When the operation was done, it reached to about halfway down my back. What I had cut, I donated to Locks of Love, which is a great cause. Now, I sort of wished I had cut it even shorter. I think everyone, at some point should experience both short and long hair, which is why I had wished I had cut more of it off when I was in high school - because that's the time to make mistakes. Now, it's grown back to my hips, but I refuse to let it grow back any further.

Short hair has always appeared very mature and elegant to me. I'm not sure if that' just me, but judging by the overwhelming number of people who are now making the choice to cut their hair, I feel like I'm not alone. Anything shoulder length and above, I view as very brave. Anything from shoulders to half way down the back I still admire. So here, I thought I would just make a little appreciation post about short hair. Because I love it.

Alicia Keys

Emeli Sande

Emma Watson

Anne Hathaway

Ingrid Nelsen

Jennifer Aniston

Lily Collins

Okay, yes. I have one larger than usual one. You guys know that this means that I have fallen in love with this more than anything else that I have displayed. Let me just start by telling you what a beautiful person Zoe Sugg is, both inside and out. On top of that, she is undoubtedly one of the most gorgeous people I have ever seen. So when she cut her hair short (and lopped off all her characteristic long hair in the process), my jaw dropped. But how stunning is she looking now?! Even to this day, her hair inspires and makes me love long hair even more. SO PRETTY! 

How would you describe your hair? And what would you change it to if you had the chance? 

Much love,

Duchess