Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake

For the recipe of the cake and frosting, click the following link:
Chocolate Cake Recipe

To prepare the bundt tin, I lightly greased and floured tin, as its impossible to line with greased proof paper.

Once cooked, leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.

I sliced horizontally and put a layer of ganache, before covering cake with rest.
Then decorated with malteaser's and chocolate shavings.

Enjoy!

Fresh Berry Flan

Another version of the previous flan, for recipe see: fruit flan

This one has strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in.

Instead of using quick-jel, I  made my own by simmering some raspberries in a little water and sugar for 10 minutes, then strain.   Using 1 sachet of gelatine  mixed with a little cold water, whisked into the strained juice, then bring to boil for 1 minute.
Spoon over fruit before it starts to set.

Enjoy!

Fresh Fruit Flan

This ideal dessert for a summers day, if you don't want to make you're own cake flan you case, you can buy them, but like anything, I prefer to make my own.

The amount below made a 10-11inch raised centre cake tin.

4 Eggs (separated)
100g Castor Sugar
100g SR Flour (sifted)

Fruit of your choice
2 packs red Quick Jel


To make sponge:

Whisk egg white until forms peaks.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar for a couple minutes till frothy.

Add half of the egg yolk mix into egg white and whisk again.

Gently add the sifted flour and fold in with spatula, then add remaining egg yolk mix, and again fold in gently.

Grease and flour cake tin, and add cake mix.

Bake Gas 5 until risen and golden brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn upside down onto cooling rack and remove tin, allow to cool.

Arrange fruit in cake base.

Make up quick jel by instructions on packet, then gently spoon jel over fruit.
Allow to set in fridge.

Enjoy!

Meringue Nests

These meringues turned out great! As they should be, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with minimal cracking, 

here's how I did it:

This amount made 6 meringue nests:

2 Egg Whites
100g Castor Sugar

Whisk the egg whites on slow speed at first until frothy, then on fast speed until forms peaks.
While whisking on fast speed, add the sugar 1tbsp at a time.
When mix still forms peaks, turn down speed to slow for 1 minute.
(this will stabilise the meringue).

Place lightly greased baking parchment onto tray.

Put meringue into piping bag with large star nozzle.

Starting from the centre, pipe in a circular motion for the base, then pipe around the edge once more to create ridge.

Place in cool oven, Gas 1/2 - 1, (130c).

Bake for aprox 1 hour, then turn oven off, and leave in oven till completely cool.

Store in air tight tin until ready to use.

When ready to serve, fill with cream and fruit of your choice.

Enjoy!

Fresh Blueberry Swiss Roll

I wasn't planning on making this swiss roll, but made a batch of batter up, intending to use as a sponge flan base, but realised it wasn't enough, so made swiss roll instead! ( I made another double batch and made sponge flan base, which is in freezer ready to fill at weekend)

For the Sponge:

3 Eggs (separated)  
75g Castor Sugar
75f SR Flour (sifted)

Grease and line swiss roll tin with greased proof paper.

Whisk egg whites until form peaks.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until creamy and aerated. 
Whisk half of the yolk mix into the egg white mix.

Fold the flour into mix gently by hand with spatula, then fold in rest of egg yolk mix.

Spread cake mix into prepared tin, and bake Gas 5, until started to turn golden brown.

Allow to cool for just 5 minutes, then remove from tray, keeping the greased proof paper on.
Gently roll cake including the paper and allow to cool on wire rack for a further 10 minutes.

Gently unroll cake, remove paper, then spread jam or fruit of choice.
Roll cake up again, with seal at bottom.

Enjoy!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

These turned out better than I expected, and are absolutely delicious.
Can be eaten on there own, or served as individual desserts with custard or cream.

4oz Castor Sugar
4oz Margarine
4oz SR Flour
2 Eggs

Tin of pineapple slices
Glace Cherries
Golden Syrup

Drain pineapple slices, and put to one side.

Cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in beaten eggs a little at a time, (with a little flour to prevent curdling).
Fold in rest of flour.

Put cake papers in muffin tin.
Place one pineapple ring at bottom, (depending on size of your pineapple rings or paper cases, you may want to use scone cutter on pineapple rings to make the smaller).

Place half a cherry in centre of ring, then drizzle aprox half a tsp of golden syrup over fruit at bottom.
Put 1 small ice-cream scoop of cake mix in each paper case.
Bake in oven gas 6, until risen and golden brown.
Place on wire rack, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes, before careful removing papers and cooling completely, with cherry facing up.

Enjoy!

Blueberry and Coconut Cake

The amount below made 2 x small loaf tin cakes.

8 oz Castor Sugar
8 oz Margarine
8 oz SR Flour
4 Eggs ( beaten with 1tbsp milk)

1 Cup fresh Blueberries
3 tbsp Desiccated Coconut

Grease and flour cake tins.

Simmer blueberries in a pan for 10 mins, with a little water and sugar. Strain, and keep berries separate from juice.

Make cake by creaming together sugar and marg until light and fluffy, beat in egg mix a little at a time, ( with a little flour, to prevent curdling).
Fold in rest of flour with 2 tbsp of coconut.

Spread half of mixture into bottom of tins, put a line of the blueberry mix along middle, then put rest of cake mix on top, sealing edges.

Bake in centre of oven, Gas 5, until risen and golden brown, use skewer to test cake is ready.

Leave in tins and place on cooling rack, while still warm spread a little of the blueberry juice over cakes, and sprinkle with some coconut.
Leave until nearly cool before removing from tins.

Enjoy!

Unicorn Cupcakes

Another version of cupcake, ideal for kids parties.

For cupcake recipe follow this link:  cupcake recipe

I used a little pink colouring in the cake, but could be adapted with any colour.

The icing, I divided in half, coloured half pink, and other half blue.

To get the two-toned colour, I spread the blue icing thickly on a large rectangle of clingfilm, then a smaller rectangle of pink icing on top.
Roll the clingfilm gently into sausage shape, snip one end off, and place into large piping bag with star nozzle.
Pipe rossettes on cupcakes, and sprinkle with sugar decorations.

Tiramisu Slices

This is something I've been wanting to try and make for a long time, thinking it was complicated, its NOT! :)

For the cake layers:

3 Eggs (separated)
3oz Castor Sugar
4oz Plain Flour
half tsp Baking Powder 

For the Filling:

300ml Double Cream
150ml Mascarpone
1tbsp Icing Sugar 

extras:
1tbsp Coffee Granules
Baileys Cream or Brandy

For the cake bases:

Whisk egg whites until forms soft peaks, add half of the sugar and whisk again.
Add rest of sugar in separate bowl with egg yolks and whisk with hand whisk until creamy.
Add half of the egg yolk mix into egg white mix, and whisk for a minute.

Add flour and baking powder into mix and fold in gently, the fold in rest of yolk mix gently.

Put cake mix into large piping bag with large plain nozzle.
Pipe "fingers" onto greased baking tray.
Bake for aprox 8-10 minutes until golden brown, ( they will spread).

Cool on wire rack.
These can be stored in air tight container until needed, or you can buy "lady fingers" and use those instead.

For filling:

Whisk double cream until thick, then add icing sugar and mascarpone and whisk until thick again.

To make up Tiramisu, you can use a tray bake tin, or make individual ones in ramekins or other small dishes.

Mix coffee granules with a little warm water so it is runny, add Baileys or Brandy according to your taste.

Place a layer of your cake fingers on bottom of tray or ramekins and use a pastry brush to soak cake liberally with coffee mix.
Spread half of you cream mix over cake, then repeat with another layer.
Finally use a fine sieve to shake a little cocoa powder over tops.

Best served chilled, before slicing
Enjoy!

Baby Shower Cake

This is a baby boy shower cake done for a friend yesterday.

It is 2 round cakes, which I infused with some pineapple juice, then filled with fresh cream and pineapple pieces, making it lovely and moist.
The out side was piped with fresh cream rosettes in various shades, giving it an ombre effect.

The 'baby bum' topper was made by shaping already coloured fondant and placing on cake board.

Cherry Filled Turnovers

Although these are cherry filled, you can use apple or other fruit fillings.

For flaky pastry:
8oz SR Flour
pinch salt
8oz Hard Block Butter

Grate the butter straight from the fridge on large setting.
Put half the butter in bowl with the flour and salt, and rub in gently, ( you still want to see small pieces of butter).
Add a little cold water at a time until dough comes together.
Knead gently on floured surface until smooth, then wrap in cling film and place in fridge for at least an hour, put surplice butter in fridge as well.

Remove from fridge and roll out pastry into large rectangle, sprinkle some of the butter onto top  2/3rds of the pastry, fold bottom 3rd over middle, then top 3rd over middle.
Turn pastry 90 deg, and repeat.
Wrap in cling film and place in fridge again, for at least another hour, or overnight.

For Cherry Filling:
8oz Frozen Sweetened Cherries (defrosted)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp Cornflour

Place cherries, sugar and water into saucepan, bring to boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix cornflour with a little water until it becomes runny.
Add a little at a time, of the cornflour mix into simmering cherry mix, stirring constantly, until thickens.
Allow to cool.

Take pastry out of fridge and roll out about a 1/4 onto floured surface, trying to keep it square or rectangle shaped.
Use pizza cutter to cut into roughly 4inch squares.
Place onto greased baking tray, add a small amount of cherry filling into middle of each square.
Dampen edges and fold over into triangles, seal gently, and brush with beaten egg.
Repeat as necessary with rest of pastry, you can use trimmings once more.
Bake in hot oven until risen and golden brown.

Dust with icing sugar, when cold, you can split the join slightly and pipe whipped cream in.

Enjoy!

Ham and Tomato Quiche

This is a family sized version of the mini quiches I made previously, for the recipe, follow the link below:

Ham and Tomato Quiche

Shortcrust Pastry

For the filling use:

6 Eggs

300ml Single Cream

Grated Cheese

Chopped Ham

Sliced Tomato

Chocolate Ganache Cake

This is another version of my chocolate cake, 

For the cake:

9oz SR Flour
1tsp Baking powder
2tbsp Cocoa Powder
8oz Margarine
8oz Castor Sugar
4 Eggs
2tbsp Milk

For the Frosting:

8oz Dark Chocolate
8oz Sour Cream

Make the cake:

Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add beaten eggs and milk a little at a time, adding a little flour if needed, to prevent curdling. (scrape down bowl).
Sift together flour, baking powder and cocoa, and fold into cake mixture.

Place cake mix into greased and lined 8" round cake tin, and bake on Gas 5, until risen, and centre springs back, also use skewer to test if middle is cooked.

When removed from oven, leave in tin for about 20mins before removing, and cooling on wire rack.

To make Chocolate Ganache:

Melt chocolate in bowl of pan of simmering water, remove bowl from heat, and beat in sour cream for 5 minutes, leave to cool (it will thicken),
To decorate:

When cake is cool, with large serrated knife cut into 3 slices horizontally.
Spread each layer with chocolate ganache, and whipped cream if desired.
Coat outside and top of cake with ganache, and decorate as you want.
I had a try at basket weave around sides, but ganache is not really suitable for piping, as you can see, I piped the roses with vanilla buttercream.

Enjoy!

Batten-burg Cake

This is the freshest batten burg cake I have ever tasted!
Goes to show how many preservatives are in shop bought cakes to make them last on the supermarket shelves....

Ingredients listed below, actually made 4 good sized cakes.

1lb SR Flour
1lb Castor Sugar
1lb Margarine
8 Eggs (beaten)
2tsp vanilla essence

strawberry or apricot jam
White marzipan
red & yellow food colouring


Make cakes by beating sugar and margarine till light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla a little at a time, with a spoonful of the flour to prevent curdling.
Fold in rest of flour.
Divide cake mix into 2 separate bowls, add a little red food colouring into one bowl, and mix gently, and yellow into other.

Grease and flour 2 tins, ( I used 11" x 8" tins, with 2" depth)

Put yellow mix in one, and pink in other.
Bake in oven Gas 5, until risen and starting to turn golden brown.

Turn onto wire racks to cool.

When cool, trim tops and edges so you have straight sides, and cut into 4 rectangles.

For each cake, finish as follows:

Take one yellow rectangle, spread jam on top, and place pink cake on top.
Cut down middle length ways, reverse colours and stick together with jam again.

Roll out marzipan thinly, use knife or pizza cutter to straighten edges, spread with jam, and roll cakes gently on marzipan till covered, and trim again.

Trim ends of cakes to get a straight and even finish.

Hope you enjoy making these!

Fatless Victoria Sponge

This is a sponge done without butter or margarine, lovely and light in texture, filled with chocolate ganache and strawberry filling.

3 Eggs (separated)
75g Castor Sugar
75g SR Flour


Whisk egg whites until peaks form.
Whisk in sugar half at a time, and bring back to peaks.
Whisk in eggs yolks until just combined.
Sift flour TWICE, then fold into batter mix with spatula.

Pour mixture into greased and lined 8" round tin, and bake Gas 5 till risen and starting to turn to golden brown.

Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

When completely cool, slice in half and fill with ganache and strawberry filling.
(You can use any filling you like, whipped cream and jam goes well.)

Dust top with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Pies

This is an easy way to make pie fillings with any fruit you want to use up.

Make pastry from this page shortcrust pastry

I greased and lined 4 x 3" pie tins with shortcrust pastry.

Make filling by adding blueberries into saucepan with 2 tbsp of water, and simmer for couple of minutes to release juices.
Add 1 cup of sugar, bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix a little cornflour with cold water, and add a little at a time to the blueberry mix until it gets to the required thickness.

Share pie filling between pastry cases, and add pastry topping of your choice. 
Brush with beaten egg, and bake in oven until golden brown.
Remove and sprinkle with a little castor sugar, then after 10 minutes, remove from tins, and allow to cool on wire rack.

Best served warm with ice-cream or fresh cream.

Enjoy!

Lemon and Poppy Seed Shortbread

A nice twist variation on shortbread 

9oz Plain Flour
6oz Softened Butter
3oz Castor Sugar
2oz Blue Poppy Seeds ( I got mine from Amazon)
Juice and rind of 3 lemons


Mix together flour, sugar and butter until resembles breadcrumbs.
Add poppy seeds, juice and rind of lemons, and knead gently till it comes together,
Knead gently on floured surface and roll out to about half inch thickness.
Use cookie cutter and place on greased tray.
Bake in oven, Gas 5 till just starting to turn golden brown.
Sprinkle with a little castor sugar, and cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

For the base:

300g Crushed Digestives
120g Butter

For Filling:

500g Cream Cheese
100g Icing Sugar
300ml Double Cream

For Decoration:

Strawberries
Whipped Cream
Strawberry Gel

Make base by melting butter in large pan, then mixing in crushed digestives throughly.
Place in 8" loose bottomed cake tin and press down with back of spoon.
Put in fridge to cool.

For the filling, whip the double cream till thick, add icing sugar and cream cheese, and whip again until it forms peaks.

Divide the cheesecake mix into 3 separate bowls.
Add a little red colouring into 2 of the mixes, more in one than the other to have 2 different shades of pink.

When base is cool, spread the darkest pink mix onto base.
Add sliced strawberries around edge ( as shown in picture).
Then spread other pink mix on top gently, then finally white mix.

Decorate top with whipped cream and strawberries and chill in fridge until required.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Churro's

Another bitesize treat, similar taste and texture to doughnuts, although one is never enough :)

6oz Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Castor Sugar
4 fluid oz water
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in bowl.
Place water in pan and bring to boil.
Remove from heat, add the flour and beat well until forms smooth ball.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Gradually beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Put mix into large pastry bag with large plain nozzle.

Pipe 4" tubes into hot oil, snipping off with scissors, and fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. ( do a few at a time).

Remove and drain onto kitchen paper, and sprinkle with castor sugar and a little cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Lamingtons

Lovely sweet bitesize tea time treat.

For Cakes:

4oz Margarine

4oz Castor Sugar

4oz SR Flour

2 Eggs beaten with 2tbsp of milk

For Coating:

3oz Icing Sugar

1oz Cocoa Powder

Desiccated Coconut

Make cake by beating sugar and margarine till light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs and milk, then fold in flour.

Put cake mix in greased and lined square cake tin, and bake till risen and golden brown, leave to cool completely.

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into bowl, make well in middle and add 1-2 tbsp boiling water and mix till smooth, but not too runny.

Cut cake into small squares, and using 2 forks to dip each square into the chocolate mix, then dip into coconut.

Leave to set on parchment paper.

Enjoy!

My Carrot Cake

Haven't done a large carrot cake in a while, so thought it was time, beautiful and moist, with a cream cheese frosting.

For the cake:

10oz Castor Sugar
10oz Margarine
10oz SR Flour
5 Eggs
2 Medium Carrots (grated)
4oz Chopped Walnuts
4 tsp Mixed Spice
1 tsp Cinnamon 

For Frosting:
1 Tub of Double Cream
1 Tub Philadelphia Cheese
1tsp Lemon Flavouring
1 tbsp Icing Sugar

Make cake, by creaming margarine and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add beaten eggs a little at a time, continually beating with a little of the flour (to prevent mix from curdling).
Add the rest of the ingredients and gently fold in.
Grease and line an 8 or 10" round cake tin, put mix in cake tin and bake Gas 5 till risen and golden brown. Allow to cool.

Make frosting by whipping double cream till thick, add 1 tbsp icing sugar and cream cheese and whisk till forms peaks,

Put 3tbsp of frosting in a small bowl, and 1tbsp into another small bowl, add green food colouring to smallest bowl, and orange colouring to other bowl.

Slice cake horizontally and spread some plain frosting in middle, and cover cake with rest of frosting. Sprinkle with a little of the chopped walnuts and grated carrots.
Put orange frosting into piping bag with plain nozzle and pipe carrots around edge, and use green to pipe leaves.

Enjoy!

Hot Cross Buns

Oh, the smell of these when they come out of the oven, is like walking past the baking section in the supermarket, and they taste as good any shop bought!

Ingredients:

250ml Milk

60g Butter

500g Strong White Flour

1tsp Salt

4tsp Mixed Spice

1tsp Nutmeg

1x7g Sachet Instant Yeast

50g Light Brown Sugar

150g Mixed Dried Fruit

1 Medium Egg (beaten)

For the Cross:

3tbsp Strong Flour

2tbsp Cold Water

For the Glaze:

Apricot Jam

To Make:

Warm the milk with the butter till just melted.

Put flour into mixing bowl with dough hook attached.

Add salt, mixed spice, nutmeg, yeast, sugar and dried fruit and mix together making sure there are no clumps.

Make a well in middle and add egg and buttery milk and mix till all combined.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, cover with bowl and leave to rest for 5 mins.

Knead again for another 5 mins till dough feels elastic.

Cover with cling film and leave in warm place for about an hour, till double in size.

Turn out and knead again for a minute, then divide into 12 equal portions.

Round each ball and place on greased tray, cover with cling film, and leave to rise again for another hour,

For crosses, mix flour with a little of the water at a time, until you have a smooth thick paste, place into piping bag, snip off end, and pipe a cross over each bun.

Bake in oven Gas 6, until golden brown.

Heat apricot jam then put through sieve, and brush buns with apricot glaze as soon as they come out of oven.

Cool on wire rack,

Enjoy!

Cupcakes

Just thought I'd share 
some pictures of cupcakes I've made recently, most of them you can see the recipes on the blog....

Whats your favourite? 

Chocolate Orio 

                                       Caramel Frosting

  

Toffee with M&Ms

Chocolate Orange

Carrot Cake

 

Raspberry

Lemon

Blackberry and Vanilla

Chocolate and Tiramisu  

Chicken and Mushroom Pies

Bit of a change today, something savoury, I do have a sweet tooth though, as you can tell lol.

Make pastry from this link: shortcrust pastry 

Grease and line 4 pie dishes with pastry.

To make filling:

Saute some halved button mushrooms, then add cooked diced chicken, stir in a little chicken stock, and simmer for a couple minutes.

Add 1 dessert spoon of plain flour, stir in till cooked through.
Then add a little milk at a time, stirring continuously until thickens to a sauce, cook for one minute, if it gets too thick, stir in a little more of the chicken stock.

Divide mixture between the 4 pastry cases, then roll out pastry and cut tops for pies, seal edges and brush with beaten egg.

Bake in oven Gas 6, until golden brown.

Enjoy!