Tiered orange sponge cake with chocolate ganache icing {vegan and diabetes friendly}

When I offered to make my grandfather's birthday cake, I did so a little bit blithely. I hadn't fully thought through the logistics of making a cake for over 25 people, transporting it on public transport, and ensuring it was tasty enough for all but low enough in sugar to be suitable for my grandfather (he has well managed, non-insulin dependent type II diabetes). For my own benefit, I also wanted it to be vegan. Easy, right!?

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90th birthday celebrations in Rye, Sussex

My parents aren't just in the UK to visit us (although I'd like to think we rate highly as a bonus English attraction!). Tomorrow is my grandfather's 90th birthday and my parents and other assorted family members have gathered to celebrate the event. We joined them for the weekend, in the small town of Rye where my grandparents live.

Rye town

We've had numerous family gatherings in Rye, and it's also the town where my mother was married and my sister christened. My maternal grandparents are very nomadic (I touched on some family history in this post) but since retiring they have been based fairly steadily in Rye. It's certainly a scenic place to be.

My mother is one of five children and whilst she is based in Australia, she has a sister in Canada and a brother in Hawaii. Her other siblings remain in the UK and all but the Hawaiian family made it for the weekend's celebrations.

Birthday cake

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Apple-gingerbread cake and a flavour-packed carrot slaw (and Taste of Perth give away winner)

On Easter Sunday, we had my family over for a combined Easter / birthday celebration. Yes, Mr Bite's birthday has been quite prolonged! Two weeks of celebrations seems like a good run.

Apple ginger cake

I made a variety of dishes, including baked tofu parcels and chicken parcels, roast potatoes, carrot slaw, and a tomato rice and beans dish. My Mum brought a huge, packed green salad and there was also hummus made in the traditional manner.

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Easter! Long weekend! Excitement!

As a child, I ranked Easter just below Christmas.

There was chocolate, for a start, and I was allowed to eat what would otherwise be ridiculous amounts of chocolate.

(Ok, the amounts were still ridiculous.)

It generally corresponded with the start of school holidays.

Christmas and my birthday were a long way away, so I felt like a celebratory event was due.

All in all, there was excitement and happy anticipation.

It can be a fine line between excited and over-excited when you're six

As I got older, the excitement faded. Chocolate was all well and good, but after the age of about 12, you have the ability to access to it all year round (and thus it is less exciting at any given consumption point). 

This year, to my quiet delight, I'm feeling a frisson of anticipation again. Not really about the chocolate component (although that's a nice backdrop), but the general air of something being on.

Also, here in Australia it is a 5 day weekend. It's almost a contradiction in terms. There are more public holidays than weekend days!

This amazing scenario stems from Anzac Day (a remembrance day for Australian and New Zealand armed forces) falling on Easter Monday, and the public holiday thus being moved, ever so considerately, to the Tuesday.

The dizzying scenario of 5 days off work means that I have many grand plans.

They include re-planting my vegetable patch, cleaning the bits of the house that I rarely clean (hello blinds and windows), getting in a leisurely bike ride, playing tennis with my partner (although he may not know it yet...), and (hopefully) driving out of the city on one of the days.

Seedlings from my Spring (September) 2009 crop

Easter weekend 2010 - Dwellingup, Western Australia

I am also looking forward to baking.

Because really, what better time to bake than an Easter long weekend? There is the connection with food, the bonus time, and the ability to share baked products with family members, a useful feature when you want to make multiple products and there are only two people in your house.

The only question is, what to bake?

Some contenders:

• Another batch of berry oat and/or chocolate-date oat slices 

• Mel's Choc Mint Balls

• Hannah's Vegan Chocolate Coconut Hazelnut Fudge

• Anzac biscuits

• Cinnamon bread (or some sort of bread)

• Lemon slice or bars (such as an adaptation of All Recipes Lemon Bars or Lemon Pie Bars)

• Hot cross buns (or even hot cross cookies)

• Angela's OSG wholegrain vegan carrot cake loaf

Clearly I need to rein in my options :) Any ideas?

The nice thing is, whatever I end up making, I'm sure I'll enjoy the process.

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