Sunday, September 10, 2017

Vicki Delany’s Strawberry Cake, as Served in Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room #bookgiveaway



Today we're delighted to welcome back guest blogger Vicki Delany, author of the popular new Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, the most recent being Body on Baker Street. She's giving away a hardcover copy so be sure to enter the draw! Here's a teaser of what's happening in this book:


Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room in anticipation of the store’s upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlock’s legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table—dead.

Donald insists he didn’t do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author’s bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta’s depiction of the Great Detective. It’s up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man in Body on Baker Street, the second Sherlock Homes Bookshop mystery perfect for fans of Miranda James and Kate Carlisle.



Renalta Van Markoff, author of the hugely popular, and highly controversial, Hudson and Holmes mystery series, is about to pay a visit to the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and   Emporium, located at 222 Baker Street, West London, Massachusetts. 

Almost everyone is thrilled, including shop owner Gemma Doyle and head baker Jayne Wilson. They’re hoping book lovers will engage in a frenzy of shopping after the author talk, and then pop into Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room next door at number 220 for afternoon tea.


After all, as the author explains:
“I try to have at least one scene involving afternoon tea in each of my books. It gives Desdemona and Sherlock a chance to get together and talk over what they’ve learned.”

I refrained from mentioning that I couldn’t imagine Sherlock Holmes, man of action, pipe tobacco, and lover of a seven percent solution, enjoying a cream tea.
                                                      Body on Baker Street by Vicki Delany

Who isn’t thrilled about the author’s visit? Prominent and dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris who insists that Van Markoff’s books are an insult to Sir Arthur Conon Doyle and his greatest creation. Will Donald create a scene at the book signing?  Will afternoon tea be cancelled? Will Jayne’s strawberry cake go to waste?

Will Gemma once again have to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man?

This strawberry cake will be perfect for serving at your next afternoon tea get together. Or even just dessert with your family.


INGREDIENTS
·         6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
·         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
·         1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
·         1/2 teaspoon salt
·         1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
·         1 large egg
·         1/2 cup milk
·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
·         1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved



DIRECTIONS
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. 

S-  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.

2.    Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.


3.      Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. 



4.      Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.



5.     Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50 minutes. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.

Cake can be served with ice cream or whipped cream and fresh strawberries on the side.



You could win a hardcover copy of Body on Baker Street. Just leave a comment and be sure to include your email address. A random draw will be made for the winner after tomorrow at 5 PM EDT. US and Canada entries, please.






Vicki Delany is one of Canada’s most prolific and varied crime writers and a national bestseller in the U.S. She has written more than twenty-five books:  clever cozies to Gothic thrillers to gritty police procedurals, to historical fiction and novellas for adult literacy. Under the name of Eva Gates, she writes the Lighthouse Library cozy series for Penguin Random House. Her newest novel is Body on Baker Street, the second in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series from Crooked Lane.  

Vicki is the past president of the Crime Writers of Canada.  Her work has been nominated for the Derringer, the Bony Blithe, the Ontario Library Association Golden Oak, and the Arthur Ellis Awards.

Visit Vicki at www.vickidelany.com. On Facebook at www.facebook.com/evagatesauthor. Twitter @vickidelany





55 comments:

  1. Welcome, Vicki! Marvelous cake recipe; and I would love to read Body on Baker Street. EMS591@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Both sound great. I have shared on Facebook and twice on Pintrest(food&books). I look forward to both after the hurricane. :) (robinsbusiness@hotmail.com)

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you're in the path of the hurricane, Robin, take care!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a wonderful recipe. I will save it for my Book Club's English tea. Looking forward to reading Body On Baker Street. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love it...Thanks. rhondajgothier@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my goodness that looks delicious, I'm definitely keeping this recipe ! Thank you for a chance to win as well ! kathambre@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds great. Thanks for the chance. Janngrogan@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm a big lover of strawberries & I can't wait to try this recipe. Love reading mysteries & I would love a chance to win this. Thanks for your generosity.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for the recipe. I have strawberries that will be used for this today! I really enjoy all of your books. My email is debprice60@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I admit that I love the original Sherlock Holmes stories and have been having fun coming across the character re-imagined. The cake recipe looks like a good one for an upcoming book club meeting. many thanks for sharing it.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I made it for my own book club recently. It's perfect.

      Delete
  12. That cake looks amazing! And I would absolutely love to win your new book, Vicky, thank you for the giveaway! barbie17(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I see Body on Baker Street & this yummy strawberry cake in my very near future. Thanks for sharing, Vicki Delaney. Thanks also for the chance to win this book. Good luck to all. nschwenkner (at) g mail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  14. This cake looks delectable. The book would be so enjoyable and captivating. Thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Recipe sounds delish! Would love to win your book! marthajane1@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you for a chance to win! The recipe sounds delicious. crossxjo @hotmail. com

    ReplyDelete
  17. YUM! I'll have to try that cake recipe. Thanks for the giveaway---I've got my fingers crossed.
    suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. The cake looks good! The series is one I would like to read. dalubbert (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love strawberry bread, strawberry cake, strawberry anything! Your recipe sounds so good, and I cannot wait to make it! Thanks so much for your giveaway ~ bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  20. This cake looks delicious! The book sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for the chance to win!
    magicgirl2357@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yummy cake and a new book. Would love to win. -Mollie. Iemercedez@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Strawberry cake is so good. Love it. The book sounds fascinating. Love your novels. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  23. The cake and the book both look delicious. Thank you for the chance to win. Dmskrug3(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you so much! This dessert sounds lovely as does the book.
    ruthaw_1974@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love strawberries! Thanks for the opportunity. Cheers at MarjimManor dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Cake looks delicious. The book sounds delicious. Double winner! I don't have any strawberries on hand but have blackberries. I wonder if that substitution would work or should I just hold out for strawberries (my personal favorite). patdupuy@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know if it would work or not. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to try. How bad can it be?

      Delete
  27. I love strawberry just about anything and this cake looks wonderful!

    cozyupwithkathy @ gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks for the recipe.

    Before my BFF relocated, she ran a tea shop - I miss having afternoon tea with her.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that must have been so nice. A friend with a tea shop.

      Delete
  29. That cake looks delicious! I'll have to try it. I love baked goods with strawberries in them. mbradeen@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I want to visit Sherlock Holmes Bookshop & that cake looks so good.
    turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's easy to visit, Jana. Just pick up a copy of one of the books!

      Delete
  31. Vicki Delany’s Strawberry Cake sounds to die for. I love anything strawberry. Unfortunately I live too far to test it in person but I just may have to get the ingredients on this weeks shopping trip and give it a try. :) Can't wait to read Body on Baker Street. Thanks for the chance to win a hardcover copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
  32. The cake recipe sounds delicious. It would be great to munch on while reading your book. Thanks for the chance to try to win a copy. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  33. What a great cake recipe, looks delicious. Would really reading "Body on Baker Street" and visit Sherlock Holmes Bookstore and Mrs Hudson's Tea Room.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  34. Can't wait to read this new series by a favorite author. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have boared up and did all what they say before you evacuate your house. I am staying with my son in St. Petersburg whose house is over 30ft above sea level. I hope to go home Mon and Assad damage since the hurricane has made land fall farther South than the last report and already has been downgraded to a CAT 3 and a CAT 2 by Mon. We will keep an eye on the high tide schedule for more flooding. Thanks all for your concern. Electric went out at 4pm today. We are part of millions. At home I have natural gas stove and hit water and a land line phone not dependent on electricity to renew it's power, bad for reading emails and blogs but good to call family and friends.
    That is more than most people.
    (robinsbusiness@hotmail..com)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the update Robin. I hope you find not too much damage when you get home.

      Delete
  36. Looks delicious. We like to eat wheat and sugar free as much as we can. However, we have a great coconut flour cake recipe that is amazingly versatile. It'd go wonderfully with the strawberries baked on top. Yum. Can't wait to try it and have a slice while devouring your latest book. I read the first in this series. Very enjoyable. Thanks for a chance to win a book! LLdawnjm@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I have GOT to read this...and make the strawberry cake!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. jcochrane0316@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I would like to try this recipe.
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. This recipe looks amazing! I love your books! Thanks for the chance to win too!
    awilcox1182@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Now I really wish I had some strawberries!

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

    ReplyDelete
  42. I'm ready to celebrate with a book giveaway! My sister's inlaws made it to safety in the hurricane. They are in their 80's and were very cantankerous about evacuating and it was stressful to say the least! Left at the last possible moment, eek! Thanks for hosting the giveaway! Heather teacupsandlipstick at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  43. This sounds like a good book and a delicious desert! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy of this book!
    jtabalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  44. It sounds delicious! The book is one I want to read!donamaekutska7@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  45. My daughter will love this recipe -- her favorite cake has always been strawberry.
    And I look forward to Body on Baker Street.
    donna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

    ReplyDelete
  46. A great series. I look forward to the latest.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  47. Love the recipe can't wait to try it. I look forward to reading "Body on Baker Street". Kslamonica (at)gmail(dot) com

    ReplyDelete