Makey-Cakey Birthday Surprise Ingredient Swappers

So, as explained in my Surprising... post, I'm orchestrating a surprise baking ingredient swap, cunningly timed to distract me from the predicted 30th birthday doldrums I'm predicting in July.

I asked for participants, and we have 8 - certainly enough for a roundup and some swapping - woop - since swapping ingredients with myself would just not have been as much fun, and possibly led to me being taken away by the men in white coats.

Gratuitous cake photo - chocolate prune biscuit fridge cake

If you need a reminder, here's how it works:

• On 1st June (oops, I'm already a day late!) I will randomly pair people up and post the pairings
• Everyone contacts their paired partner, has a quick chat, exchanges addresses, flags up any allergies etc.
• Everyone then goes out and buys a lovely little surprise ingredient (of a Cakey nature of course) and posts it to their partner
• Once you receive your ingredient, thank your partner profusely and get baking!
• Photograph your creation, and if you blog, send me the link. If you - fear not, you can still join in - just send me a picture - by the 22nd July
• I'll post a roundup of all the sure-to-be-delicious-and-beautiful bakes on 23rd July - as a distraction from the distressing fact that I'll be newly 30!

So without further ado, here are the pairings (randomly allocated in the following unscientifically approved way: Everyone's names written on the back of an old electricity bill. Numbers 1 to 8 allocated. Mr E pestered by me to choose a number, then another, to make the first pair. Cue a lot of confusion as to which numbers had already been used, as the pairs progressed. I think it's probably a good thing I didn't have any more to work with!)

Surprise - another cake photo! Marmalade chocolate cupcakes

Mr E at Hell Yeah Four Ingredient Recipes with Vanessa at The Teensy, Tiny, Insignificant Details
Jean at Baking in Franglais with The Cupcake Architect
Gary at Exploits of a Food Nut with yours truly at Makey-Cakey
Dom at Belleau Kitchen with @ClaireHitchen

Hopefully that all makes sense - go get in touch, then get shopping, posting and baking :o)

And if you're reading this and thinking 'damn, I've missed the boat - that sounds like fun' just leave a comment, and I'm happy to pair up any stragglers in twos.

And a surprise of a different sort - a Mini-M pop-up surprise!