Embassy exodus returns acres of central London to its residents
As the embassies exit Mayfair and Marylebone, their former bases will free up stunning family homes. While the move of many embassies to Nine Elms at Vauxhall is creating a new residential quarter including thousands of new apartments.
Fast new commuter routes are changing London's property map
Regeneration throughout London continues to change the property map, with the orbital train network and recent Tube line extensions creating faster commuter routes with good-value homes, including Deptford, Bromley and Woolwich.
Brighton spotlight
The East Sussex city of Brighton and Hove offers its residents the best of both worlds: a relaxed life at one end of the line within an hour's commute of London, and a good mix of Regency terrace houses, seafront apartments and family homes.
Canterbury spotlight
The compact city of Canterbury sits 60 miles south-east of London in Kent. In recent years its property market has been boosted by a high-speed rail service into St Pancras, which cuts the journey time to the capital to less than an hour.
Chelsea Flower Show preview 2013
This year the RHS Chelsea Flower Show promises to be suitably fabulous as it celebrates its centenary year with stunning gardens, including the Forget-me-Not Garden by B&Q and Prince Harry's charity.
Find a rated tradesman
Want to add value to your property, make your house a home, or sell your place fast? With 1,000s of tradesmen nationwide, rated and recommended by previous customers, this is the smart way to find a reputable tradesman.
Buy of the week: Stoke Newington, N16
This modern home of almost 1,000sq ft is close to Stoke Newington's high street. A 27ft reception room and two large bedrooms give the flat a spacious feel.
Out of town: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The beauty spot of Leighterton, with its poppy fields, ivy-covered churches and popular local gastro pub, is home to this four-bedroom house with stone-walled gardens.
Life-changer: Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Have a station all to yourself by buying the Old Station Master's house at Roman Bridge, where trains will stop at your door on request. You also get three bedrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
Oxford spotlight
The small city of Oxford is famous for its university and honeyed stone architecture, but its huge range of property - from affordable new homes to luxurious Victorian houses - and one hour commute to London, are big attractions to home buyers.-
Buy of the week: Stoke Newington, N16
This modern home of almost 1,000sq ft is close to Stoke Newington's high street. A 27ft reception room and two large bedrooms give the flat a spacious feel. -
Out of town: Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The beauty spot of Leighterton, with its poppy fields, ivy-covered churches and popular local gastro pub, is home to this four-bedroom house with stone-walled gardens. -
Life-changer: Dolwyddelan, Conwy
Have a station all to yourself by buying the Old Station Master's house at Roman Bridge, where trains will stop at your door on request. You also get three bedrooms and 10 acres of grounds.
Property search
Vanilla Easter cup cakes
Simple cup cakes, decorated with a delicious swirl of butter icing and chocolate mini eggs
Easter treats: vanilla cup cakes decorated with chocolate mini eggs
Makes 12
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
* 220g butter or margarine, room temperature
* 220g caster sugar
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* 220g self raising flour, sifted
* 2 tbsp Rachel’s Organic Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt Icing
* 80g unsalted butter, room temperature
* 250g icing sugar
* 25g Rachel’s Organic Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 5.
2. Line a cup cake or muffin tray with paper cases.
3. Beat together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs a little at a time.
4. Fold in the flour.
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, half full.
6. Bake in the oven until golden brown and springy to touch or test using a skewer, if it comes away clean, the cakes are ready. Leave them to cool on a wire rack.
7. Meanwhile prepare the icing, begin by beating the butter and icing sugar until pale and well mixed, ideally using an electric mixer. Add the yogurt and continue to beat on medium to high speed until the icing is fluffy. The longer you beat the lighter the icing.
8. Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a star piping nozzle in a circular motion swirl the icing around each cake.
9. Decorate with mini eggs.
PER SERVING: 345kcal, Protein 2.6g, Carbohydrates 43.4g, Fat 17.7g, Saturated Fat 10.9g, Fibre 1.2g, Sugar 33.5g, Salt 0.4g
Recipe provided by Rachel's (www.rachelsorganic.co.uk)
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