Posts Tagged ‘cake’

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Cakes & Bakes: Carrot cake

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

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slice of carrot cake with tea in a vintage Staffordshire Potteries mug

Carrot cake is one of our favourite cakes.

carrot cake ingredients

The recipe I prefer to use is one I found in Baking – Simple Cookery Series.

carrot cake recipe from "Baking - Simple Cookery Series" cookbook

Each of the cookbook’s recipes are in an easy-to-follow layout with a trio of images illustrating different stages of preparation then a full-page sized photograph on the facing page of the finished item. There are also “tasty tips”, “food facts” or “helpful hints” distributed throughout.

carrot cake batter mix

The recipe is really easy – basically just mix all the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients then stir in the carrots and walnuts.

carrot cake frosting mix

The accompanying icing recipe contains orange zest and juice which I’m not a big fan of, so I use the frosting recipe that goes with the “Luxury Carrot Cake” recipe that’s a few pages further on.

slice of carrot cake

It has a really good texture – moist yet light, with a hint of spice and the frosting adds a touch of decadence! Just one question I hear you ask, does the carrot count as one of my five-a-day? ;-)

Print
Carrot Cake

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 8 slices

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

  • For the cake
  • 200g/7oz plain flour
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 150g/5oz dark muscovado sugar
  • 200ml/7 fl oz vegetable oil
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 225g/8oz carrots, peeled and roughly grated
  • 50g/2oz chopped walnuts
  • For the icing (the icing in this recipe calls for orange juice & rind which I don't like so I prefer to use the frosting recipe from the Luxury Carrot Cake in the same book)
  • 175g/6oz cream cheese, softened
  • 50g/2oz butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 225g/8oz icing sugar, sifted
  • 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2, 10 minutes before baking. Lightly oil & line the base of a 15cm/6 inch deep square cake tin with greaseproof or baking paper
  2. Sift the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together into a large bowl
  3. Stir in the dark muscovado sugar and mix together
  4. Lightly whisk the oil and eggs together, then gradually stir into the flour & sugar mixture. Stir well
  5. Add the carrots and walnuts. Mix thoroughly, then pour into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 1¼ hours, or until light & springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack. Reserve until cold
  7. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla essence together until smooth, then gradually beat in the icing sugar until icing is smooth. Add a little milk, if necessary. Spread the frosting over the top. Refrigerate for about 1 hour to set the frosting, then cut into squares and serve

Notes

Tasty tip: For a fruitier cake, add 1 grated apple and 50g/2oz of dried sultanas in step 5. To plump up the dried sultanas, soak for an hour or overnight in 300ml/½ pint of cold tea

https://hisforhomeblog.com/cakes-bakes/cakes-bakes-carrot-cake/

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Cakes & Bakes: Mocha fudge cake with coffee icing

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

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slice of mocha fudge cake on a plate with mug of coffee

This is the first post of a new series – Cakes & Bakes – where we’ll regularly share recipes that we’ve tried out along with photos of the results!

slice of mocha fudge cake on a plate with mug of coffee

Today’s recipe, mocha fudge cake with coffee icing, was taken from Good Food Magazine | 101 Cakes & Bakes | Tried-and-Tested Recipes

Takes 1 hour 5 minutes plus 4 hours chilling

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Cakes & Bakes: Mocha fudge cake with coffee icing

Yield: serves 10

Cakes & Bakes: Mocha fudge cake with coffee icing

Ingredients

  • For the icing
  • 175g/6oz plain chocolate, melted50g/2oz unsalted butter, melted
  • 150ml/¼ pint double-strength espresso
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 300g/10oz icing sugar
  • For the cake
  • 300g/10oz plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 125ml/4 fl oz milk
  • 4 tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 85g/3oz unsalted butter
  • 280g/10oz caster sugar
  • 85g/3oz plain chocolate, melted
  • 125ml/4 fl oz sour cream

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the cooled icing ingredients. Cover and chill for 3-4 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4/fan oven 160°C. Butter & flour two 20cm/8" cake tins. Sift the flour and baking powder. Stir the vanilla into the egg yolks. Heat half the milk to boiling point, stir in the coffee to dissolve, then add the rest of the milk and cool.
  3. Cream the butter and 200g/8oz of the caster sugar. Slowly whisk in the egg yolk mixture, then the melted chocolate. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients, the cooled milk and the soured cream. Whisk the egg whites until stiff; whisk in the remaining sugar to form firm peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture and pour into the tins.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes until risen. Cool, split each cake in two, and layer with the icing.

Notes

The cake is delicious when warmed slightly - 30 seconds in a microwave will do it. Serve with crème fraîche, double cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We added some mini chocolate chips for decoration - chocolate covered coffee beans would also work well!

https://hisforhomeblog.com/cakes-bakes/cakes-bakes-mocha-fudge-cake-with-coffee-icing/

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Bookmarks: Cheesecake

Monday, April 15th, 2013

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"Cheesecake" book by Hannah Miles with chocolate & ginger cheesecake and little jug of creme fraiche and squares of dark & white chocolate

Cheesecake by Hannah Miles (Masterchef 2007 finalist and a lawyer to boot!) arrived through the letterbox at a very opportune time – the eve of Justin’s birthday.

baklava cheesecake recipe

We’ve blogged about cheesecake before – in fact, it’s one of our most visited posts – there are a lot of cheesecake fans out there!

chilli chocolate cheesecake recipe

So we’re looking forward to sharing a load more varieties in this post.

berry sundae cheesecake recipe

Each double page spread presents you with a delicious cheesecake recipe on one side with beautifully styled and photographed image on the other.

valentine cheesecake recipe

The range of recipes in the book (there are 60 in all) spans mini-cakes, cake pops, baked cheesecake, no-bake cheesecakes, even cheesecakes with jelly on top!

whisky and raspberry cranachan cheesecake recipe

They’re divided up into chapters such as fruity cheesecakes, candy bar cheesecakes, party cheesecakes and around the world cheesecakes.

mini popcorn cheesecake recipe

There’s also a useful introduction that includes types of cheese you can use, troubleshooting (I’ve been asked in the past about how to stop cracks appearing – it’s covered here) and information about storing & freezing.

sticky toffee pudding cheesecake recipe

No great amount of equipment is needed for most of the recipes – usually just a 23cm/9-inch spring form cake tin. A few of them call for perhaps a silicone mat, piping bag & nozzle, push pops, chef’s rings, sugar thermometer or blow torch.

vanilla cheesecake recipe

Anyway, back to Justin’s birthday – cheesecake is his favourite kind of cake so I told him to choose a recipe from the book and I’d make it for his birthday. He decided on the chocolate ginger option.

"Cheesecake" book by Hannah Miles with ingredients to make a chocolate & ginger cheesecake

Print
Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake

Yield: serves 12

Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • For the crumb base
  • 300g/10½oz ginger biscuits/cookies
  • 150g/1¼ sticks butter, melted
  • For the filling
  • 650g/2¾-3 cups cream cheese
  • 600ml/2½ cups crème fraîche
  • 4 eggs
  • 100g/½ cup caster/white sugar
  • 200g/7oz dark chocolate, melted & cooled
  • 6 balls preserved stem ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs ginger syrup (from the preserved stem ginger jar)
  • 150g/5½oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 2tbs plain/all-purpose flour, sifted
  • For the topping
  • 150g/5½oz white chocolate
  • 30g/1oz dark chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.
  2. To make the crumb case, crush the biscuits/cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean, plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the buttery crumbs into the base & sides of the prepared cake pan firmly using the back of a spoon. You need the crumbs to come up about 3-4cm/1½ inches high on the side of the pan so that they make a case for the filling. Wrap the outside of the pan in cling film/plastic wrap and place in a roasting pan half full with water, ensuring that the water is not so high as to spill out. Set aside.
  3. For the filling, whisk together the cream cheese, crème fraîche, eggs, sugar, melted chocolate, finely chopped ginger, syrup and chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Sift the flour over the mixture and stir in, then pour the mixture into the crumb case. Bake in the preheated oven for 1-1¼ hours until set but still with a slight wobble in the centre. Turn off the heat and leave to cool completely in the oven, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
  4. Once chilled, melt the white and dark chocolate for the decoration in separate, heatproof bowls set over 2 pans of simmering water. Leave to cool slightly, then spread the white chocolate in a thin layer over the top of the cheesecake. Spoon the dark chocolate into the piping bag and pipe swirls over the top of the cheesecake in pretty patterns. If you don't have a piping bag, you can swirl patterns of the chocolate using a spoon. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set before serving.

Notes

Equipment:

23cm/9-inch spring form cake tin, greased & lined A piping bag fitted with a small, round nozzle/tip (optional)

https://hisforhomeblog.com/bookmarks/bookmarks-cheesecake/

I felt a bit of pressure as I knew we’d be photographing the finished product as part of this post. I dreaded it ending up as one of these “Nailed it!” Pinterest pins! Fortunately it turned out well – we’ve just had a slice each with coffee.

slice of baked chocolate and ginger cheesecake with small cup of black coffee

Cheesecake is available from Ryland Peters & Small the publishers, Amazon and Hive.

[Many thanks to Ryland Peters & Small for this review copy]

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Wednesday Wish: Wilton Bake Even Strips

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

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Wilton bake even strips

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been busy baking lots of bread & cakes and getting to know our new oven. I discovered Wilton Bake Even Strips over on Amazon last week and never even knew a thing like this even existed! All you need to do is soak one in a bit of water and wrap it around your cake tin before it goes into the oven. Apparently, it stops your cake from cracking on the top (something that cheesecakes are especially prone to) and forming that little hillock in the centre. Just the trick for achieving perfectly flat cakes needed for beautiful looking iced tops and jam-filled layers!

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Wednesday Wish: Village cake tin

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

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village cake tin available at Culture Vulture
Village cake tin: £40.00, Culture Vulture

Christmas isn’t far around the corner – less than 3 months away. I came across this village cake tin on the Culture Vulture website and thought that it would be perfect for making special festive cupcakes. Something like the lovely ginger cupcake recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook… with white glitter icing dribbled down the roofs to look like snow! Mmmm… I can taste them now!

If I’ve whetted your appetite, here’s the recipe! (Makes 12)

120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter at room temp
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
120ml whole milk
1 egg
¼ tsp vanilla essence
200g stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/325°F
  • Lightly grease the cake tin with butter or vegetable oil
  • Combine the dry ingredients and butter into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk (or free-standing mixer) on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined
  • Slowly pour half the milk into the mixture, beating until all the ingredients are well mixed. Beat the egg, vanilla essence and rest of the milk together and add to the batter
  • Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side with a spatula and mix until everything is well combined
  • Add the chopped ginger to the batter and stir through
  • Spoon the mixture into the paper moulds until ⅔ full and bake for 20 minutes
  • While the cakes are cooking, add an equal amount of water to the ginger syrup, then boil down to half quantity. When the cupcakes come out of the oven, turn out of the moulds and spoon some of the ginger syrup on top of the still hot cupcakes (you could pierce the cupcakes a few times with a toothpick to aid absorption!)

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