Cakes & Bakes: Sweet potato cake

I think we’ve mentioned before that we often receive ‘food parcels’ from Justin’s mum when we visit on a Sunday. They usually contain some chocolate, cheese, crackers, vegetables and a treat for the dog. Generally, things she thought looked interesting on her shopping trips during the week.

It often includes vegetables that she bought too many of, which was sweet potatoes this time around.

I decided to incorporate them into a cake in just the same way you’d add carrot to carrot cake.

Adding root vegetables to cakes isn’t immediately logical, but it really does work for any sceptics out there.

We’ve made cakes with sweet potatoes, cassava and carrots in the past, you can even use beetroot and parsnips.

The raw, grated sweet potato adds a moist sweetness and depth of flavour.

This sweet potato cake recipe also includes chopped walnuts and mixed ground spices, finished with a delicious cream cheese frosting.

It’s a substantial yet light cake – the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

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Sweet potato cake

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Course Dessert

Ingredients

For the cake

350 g plain flour
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
350 g sweet potatoes peeled & grated (about 3 small potatoes)
235 ml vegetable oil
300 g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100 g chopped walnuts

For the frosting

225 g cream cheese
115 g butter softened
175 g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 and grease a pair of 23cm/9-inch circular loose-bottomed cake tins
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour with the ground spices, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and salt
In a large mixing bowl, add the grated sweet potato, vegetable oil and sugar and combine
In a measuring jug lightly whisk the eggs before adding the vanilla extract. Stir to mix in
Stir in the egg mixture to the sweet potato in 3 batches, stirring well after each addition
Carefully fold the flour mixture into the sweet potato mixture
Add the chopped walnuts and stir in so they're well dispersed through the batter
Pour the batter equally between the two cake tins before baking for 20 minutes in the centre of the oven
After the 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas mark 2 and cook for a further 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cake come out clean
Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before taking the cakes out of their tins
Allow to cool completely (at least another hour). Make the frosting.

For the frosting

Mix the cream cheese and softened butter until there are no lumps
Add the vanilla essence and icing sugar (sieve the sugar first if there are any lumps) and mix thoroughly. Cover with clingfilm and store in the fridge until the cakes have cooled and are ready to frost
Once cooled, turn one of the cakes over so that the top is face down on a serving plate. Cover the top generously with frosting.
Place the second cake on the first, with the top facing up. Cover the top generously with frosting. Serve. The cake will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Keyword cake, layer cake, sweet potato

Cakes & Bakes: Brownie butter cake

We have a very attractive offering for this week’s Cakes & Bakes post – isn’t this layered brownie butter cake pretty? The contrast of the deep chocolate brown and the warm yellow is very pleasing to the eye.. It’s a really good ‘tea & cake’ kind of cake which scores even more points.

It’s the perfect thing for the two of us here at H is for Home headquarters as Adelle loves chocolate brownie and Justin loves butter cake. And both of us think the combination works really well. Correction, make that the three of us here… Fudge loves the crumbs!

Brownie butter cake

Rasa Malaysia

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Course Dessert

Ingredients

For the brownie layer

140 g/5oz dark chocolate broken into pieces
50 g/1¾oz butter
50 g/1¾oz soft brown sugar
1 egg
35 g/1¼oz plain flour

For the butter cake layer

120 g/4oz butter
100 g//3½oz caster sugar
2 eggs
120 g/4oz plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
50 ml/3½tbsp milk

Instructions

Grease 10cm x 20cm/4" × 8" loaf tin
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4

To make the brownie

Put the chocolate and butter into a heat-proof bowl and melt using a saucepan of water low heat. Make sure the water does not come into contact with the bottom of the heat-proof bowl
Remove the bowl and leave to cool slightly
Stir in brown sugar until well combined
Add the egg and mix well
Fold in the flour, again mixing until well combined
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes
Remove and lower the oven to 160ºC/320ºF/Gas mark 3

For the butter cake

Beat the butter with the sugar until creamy
Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder, alternately adding in the milk
Spread the butter cake dough evenly over the brownie, bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes away clean
Allow to cool in the tin before turning out on to a serving plate

Keyword brownies, cake, layer cake

Cakes : Bakes: Crème caramel

I got, not one but two, pressure cookers in a mixed lot at auction last week. I’d been after one for a while – it’s a piece of kit that was always being used in my parents’ (and my friends’ parents’) kitchen.

I haven’t used one in decades. They’re superb for cooking bean, pulse and rice dishes in particular…

…but this is a ‘Cakes & Bakes‘ post, so a more suitable dish was required. I spent last night looking at all manner of pressure cooker recipes and decided on crème caramel.

Probably not something you’d immediately think of making in a pressure cooker – but it appeared quite straightforward, so ideal for me to reacquaint myself with the hissing and steaming beast.

The results were actually rather delicious!

Crème caramel

Hip Pressure Cooking

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Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the caramel

100 g sugar

For the custard

250 ml/½pt whole milk
3 eggs 2 whole plus one yolk
½ tbsp vanilla extract
125 g sugar

Instructions

To make the caramel

In your widest sauté pan, add the sugar and turn the flame to high and wait. DO NOT STIR - at most, pick up the pan and swish it around to make sure the sugar is evenly melted in the caramel
As soon as almost all of the sugar has turned to caramel turn off the heat
Hold the mould with your oven-mitt-covered hand, or some other protection that will not limit your dexterity yet protect your hand form the hot scalding sugar. With the other hand, pour a little caramel in the bottom and then swirl it around covering the mould internally and on the sides as much as you can

To make the custard

Infuse the milk with the vanilla extract to almost boiling and then remove from the heat and allow to cool. You can do this stage using a large glass measuring jug in the microwave or medium-sized saucepan on the stove-top
In another large measuring jug, whisk the eggs & extra yolk with the sugar
Pour the cooled milk into the egg mixture. Combine well - the resulting consistency will be very liquid
Pour the milk & egg mixture into the caramelized moulds leaving 1 cm/½" space from the top
Cover the moulds tightly with tin foil
Prepare the pressure cooker by adding a couple of cups of water and the cooking rack
Fill the pressure cooker with as many of the filled moulds as possible that will stay level (my cooker only fit 2 of the Le Creuset heart-shaped ramekins at a time). Close and lock the pressure cooker top, turn the heat to high and when it reaches pressure, turn the flame down to minimum
Count 5-8 minutes cooking time (time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the container(s) used)
When time is up, turn off the heat and don't do anything wait for the pressure to come down naturally. If after 10 minutes all of the pressure hasn't released, relieve the rest of the pressure with the pressure valve. For electric pressure cookers, disengage the 'Keep Warm' setting when cooking time is up and turn off or unplug the pressure cooker
When time is up, open the top and check for 'doneness' by sticking a toothpick in the middle of one of the crèmes. If it comes out dirty, simply place the pressure cooker cover back on and wait another 5 minutes - the residual heat from the pressure cooker will keep cooking them. If the crème caramels are still liquid, cook under pressure and additional 5 minutes
Let the crème caramels cool outside the pan for about an hour before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. If you need to do another batch, remember to add more water in your pressure cooker!
To serve, simply turn each mould upside-down onto separate dessert dishes. If a crème caramel doesn't release on it's own, insert a flat knife and run it carefully along the sides. Then, on one side pull the knife a little towards the centre to break the suction
Replace the dessert plate on top of the mould and flip it over quickly

Keyword caramel, egg custard

Cakes & Bakes: Petit fours

We have a few friends coming over for dinner this weekend.

We must like them because they’re getting 3 courses!

We tend to split the cooking – which works out well as Justin prefers to do the savoury dishes and I prefer making the sweets. It looks like it’s going to be poached smoked salmon & asparagus to begin. And he’s just set about making some home-made pies for the main course. They look delicious – and hearty too. Celeriac mash and roasted root vegetables on the side. No one will go hungry, that’s for sure!

So, after all that, something light to finish seems in order. I often make panna cotta or crème caramel when a big pudding isn’t required. But I thought I’d go even more delicate this time with a selection of three different petit fours. I’m sharing their preparation as this week’s Cakes & Bakes recipe.

Our guests can have one or ten each, depending on how much room they’ve got left.

Serving them in pretty petit four paper cases really enhances their presentation. They’ll be delicious with an after dinner coffee, port or brandy… a lovely way to end the meal.

Vegan chocolate petit fours

2017-04-05 09:09:14

Yields 25

Ingredients

300g/10½oz dark chocolate
pinch sea salt
2tbs coconut oil
215ml/7½fl oz tinned coconut milk
toasted desiccated coconut, chopped mixed nuts, icing sugar and/or cocoa powder to finish

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If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it

Instructions

Break the chocolate up into small pieces and put it into a large heatproof bowl
Add the coconut oil and the salt
In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk to the boil before pouring it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth
Allow to cool, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to set overnight in the fridge (or at least 4 hours).
Put the toasted desiccated coconut chopped mixed nuts, icing sugar and/or cocoa powder into separate wide-bottomed bowls
Using a measuring teaspoon, scoop out a portion of ganache before rolling between your palms to form a ball before putting it on a plate or baking sheet
Repeat until all the ganache has been used
Cover the balls in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
Toss in the balls equally between the chopped mixed nuts, icing sugar and or cocoa powder, rolling around the bowls making sure each ball is completely coated
Carefully place the balls on to a plate lined with parchment paper, recover carefully with cling film and put them back into the fridge to firm up again

Notes

These can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Chocolate covered marzipan petit fours

2017-04-05 09:14:28

Yields 45

For the marzipan

150g/5oz ground almonds
200g/7oz icing sugar
2tsp almond extract
1 egg white

For the chocolate coating

50ml/1¾fl oz whipping cream
7g/¼oz sugar
12ml/½fl oz water
45g/1½oz dark chocolate, chopped

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If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it

For the marzipan

Put the ground almonds, icing sugar, almond extract and egg white into a food processor and combine until it comes together into a thick ball (about a minute)
Turn the marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a couple of times
Form it into a pack of butter shape, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for about an hour
Bring cream, sugar, and 60ml/2fl oz water to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves
Add the chocolate and whisk until melted and the glaze is smooth
Slice the slab of marzipan into equal sized cubes before rolling each between your palms to form balls
Using a tooth pick, dip each ball into the chocolate sauce before placing it on a tray lined with parchment paper
Cover the petit fours carefully with cling film and chill for half an hour

Notes

Any unused marzipan will keep for up to a month in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Date & nut petit fours

2017-04-05 09:17:59

A delicious vegan after-dinner treat

Ingredients

125g cashews
40g desiccated coconut
125g pitted dates
2tbs coconut oil
½tsp sea salt
½tsp vanilla essence
1tbs water

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If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it

Instructions

In a food processor, process blitz the cashews and desiccated coconut to fine crumbs
Add the dates, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt and process again until the mixture forms large, sticky lumps
Scoop the dough using a measuring teaspoon before rolling between your palms to form balls. If the mixture is too crumbly add another tablespoon of water and blitz again for a few seconds
Arrange on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment paper
Chill in the fridge for an hour before rolling in toasted desiccated coconut and/or cocoa powder to finish

Notes

These can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for 6 months or more

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/