Friday 29 March 2013
Friday 4 January 2013
Jake and the Neverland Pirates Bucky Cake
Well it's my sons 3rd Birthday Party tomorrow, 14 kids, luckily not at my home.. Phew! When I asked him which kind of cake he would like.. Pirates was the only answer I could get from him.
The cake is a Madeira sponge with vanilla buttercream and fondant topping.
I baked the cake yesterday then froze it, it's much easier to carve the cake that way. It then took me a whole day to decorate the cake....
The cake is a Madeira sponge with vanilla buttercream and fondant topping.
I baked the cake yesterday then froze it, it's much easier to carve the cake that way. It then took me a whole day to decorate the cake....
Sunday 30 December 2012
McQueen Birthday Cake
Well my son is 3 on New Years Day and wanted a Cars cake.. Here's the result of 2 days work ( made the Madeira Cake yesterday 20cm round , carved in a rectangle and using the rest of the car for the roof.
It just has a buttercream and fondant topping , as most kids don't like marzipan .
It just has a buttercream and fondant topping , as most kids don't like marzipan .
Thursday 27 December 2012
Chocolate and Pear cake
Even though I'm getting sick of the sight of chocolate, I'm going to a gathering at my parents tomorrow for a Christmas knees up. Had a few pears to use up so I had a look on the reliable a Good Food website, Christmas edition and came across this beauty
Ingredients
250g butter melted
250g Demerara sugar
200g SR Flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp cinnamon
50g whole meal Flour
100g Almonds( ground)
1tsp baking powder
200g nuts( I used almonds, Brazil's, pecans and hazelnuts )
100g chopped dark chocolate
3 large eggs
1tsp almond extract
2 pears
For topping
300ml double cream
100g dark choc chips
100g milk choc chips
Extra nuts
Preheat oven to 180/ 160fan. Line and butter a 20cm round cake tin.
Melt butter, then add eggs and almond extract and whisk together.
Put the flours, sugar,spices,baking powder, almonds,nuts and chocolate in a large mixing bowl and combine.
Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.Peel, core and dice the pears and add to the batter.
Put into the prepared tin and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and cover with foil and bake for a further 20mins. A skewer should come out clean. Allow to cool in the tin . Once completely cool, remove from cake tin.
In the meantime make the topping, melt the cream and chocolate over a low heat, once glossy and smooth all to cool in the fridge. Once slightly hardened you can then put on the cooled cake.
Ingredients
250g butter melted
250g Demerara sugar
200g SR Flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp cinnamon
50g whole meal Flour
100g Almonds( ground)
1tsp baking powder
200g nuts( I used almonds, Brazil's, pecans and hazelnuts )
100g chopped dark chocolate
3 large eggs
1tsp almond extract
2 pears
For topping
300ml double cream
100g dark choc chips
100g milk choc chips
Extra nuts
Preheat oven to 180/ 160fan. Line and butter a 20cm round cake tin.
Melt butter, then add eggs and almond extract and whisk together.
Put the flours, sugar,spices,baking powder, almonds,nuts and chocolate in a large mixing bowl and combine.
Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.Peel, core and dice the pears and add to the batter.
Put into the prepared tin and bake for 45 mins. Remove from the oven and cover with foil and bake for a further 20mins. A skewer should come out clean. Allow to cool in the tin . Once completely cool, remove from cake tin.
In the meantime make the topping, melt the cream and chocolate over a low heat, once glossy and smooth all to cool in the fridge. Once slightly hardened you can then put on the cooled cake.
Tuesday 25 December 2012
Panettone for Boxing Day
Have wanted to try and make a Panettone for a long time, but never had the guts to give it a go. This is a medium size and has been done in my bread maker (!) I know, cheated a little, but with it being Christmas Day I was a little strapped for time and this way appeared much easier.
Never made a Panettone before or eaten one for that matter but I understand it as a very rich bread/cake which traditionally takes a lifetime to make.
The recipe was in my dough recipes for my Panasonic SD255
Yeast 1/2tsp
Strong bread flour 300g
Sugar 2tbsp
Butter 15g
Salt 1/4 tsp
Ground Cardamom 1/2 tsp
Grated lemon zest 1 lemon
Medium size egg yolk 1
Milk 140ml
Mixed peel 50g
Raisins 100g
Set bread maker to "Basic. Dough- Raisin". This process takes 2 hrs 20mins whilst the dough is rested, mixed and starts to raise.
Place the dough in a 18cm (7") cake tin. Allow to prove at 40deg C for 40mins until doubled in size
Bake in preheated oven at 150 deg C for 30 mins
Et voila!
Never made a Panettone before or eaten one for that matter but I understand it as a very rich bread/cake which traditionally takes a lifetime to make.
The recipe was in my dough recipes for my Panasonic SD255
Yeast 1/2tsp
Strong bread flour 300g
Sugar 2tbsp
Butter 15g
Salt 1/4 tsp
Ground Cardamom 1/2 tsp
Grated lemon zest 1 lemon
Medium size egg yolk 1
Milk 140ml
Mixed peel 50g
Raisins 100g
Set bread maker to "Basic. Dough- Raisin". This process takes 2 hrs 20mins whilst the dough is rested, mixed and starts to raise.
Place the dough in a 18cm (7") cake tin. Allow to prove at 40deg C for 40mins until doubled in size
Bake in preheated oven at 150 deg C for 30 mins
Et voila!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Christmas to all and have a fabulous New Year!
Santa has been very good to me, check out the new books :-)
Santa has been very good to me, check out the new books :-)
Monday 24 December 2012
First attempt at Christmas Cake
Well, I've never done a Christmas cake before,so being unsure, followed James Martins recipe from BBC Good Food.
The cake itself was pretty simple, I added chocolate and cocoa to make it a bit more interesting. The icing however, not the best... I followed Mary Berrys Royal Icing recipe, but somehow couldn't get it into really stiff peaks. It's dried really well and still looks "snowy" so I'm quite happy with it. My fella doesn't like marzipan so I just stuck the icing to the cake as it was.
The cake is quite boozy, it's had lots of feeding, but it is Christmas after all :-)
The cake itself was pretty simple, I added chocolate and cocoa to make it a bit more interesting. The icing however, not the best... I followed Mary Berrys Royal Icing recipe, but somehow couldn't get it into really stiff peaks. It's dried really well and still looks "snowy" so I'm quite happy with it. My fella doesn't like marzipan so I just stuck the icing to the cake as it was.
The cake is quite boozy, it's had lots of feeding, but it is Christmas after all :-)
Saturday 22 December 2012
A day full of baked goodies :-)
Well as the weather was pants today,I had the perfect excuse to bake.
From left Hot Nuts - As seen on the Fabulous Baker Brothers, caramel with salt and chilli flakes , melt until golden them add about 225g nuts, take off heat and put on baking parchment, leave to cool then break into pieces
Mince pies -as before, need a stash for Christmas..
Peppermint creams dipped in chocolate - 1 large egg white, mix in a few drops of peppermint essence then add 350g of icing sugar. Mix into a paste. Put some corn flour onto work top and roll out the paste and stamp out your desired shape, put-on baking parchment and leave to dry overnight, then dip In chocolate! Yum!
I had lots of leftover pastry from my mince pies so made some cinnamon and chocolate swirls, just covered with butter and cinnamon, Chocolate chips then rolled and cut into small slices. Coat again in butter then put in a 200 degree oven for 15 mins
I can never resist a chocolate chip cookie, and as I had the oven On just had to make some, I followed the recipe from the Great British Bake off, using dark choc chips , great with a cup of tea
From left Hot Nuts - As seen on the Fabulous Baker Brothers, caramel with salt and chilli flakes , melt until golden them add about 225g nuts, take off heat and put on baking parchment, leave to cool then break into pieces
Mince pies -as before, need a stash for Christmas..
Peppermint creams dipped in chocolate - 1 large egg white, mix in a few drops of peppermint essence then add 350g of icing sugar. Mix into a paste. Put some corn flour onto work top and roll out the paste and stamp out your desired shape, put-on baking parchment and leave to dry overnight, then dip In chocolate! Yum!
I had lots of leftover pastry from my mince pies so made some cinnamon and chocolate swirls, just covered with butter and cinnamon, Chocolate chips then rolled and cut into small slices. Coat again in butter then put in a 200 degree oven for 15 mins
I can never resist a chocolate chip cookie, and as I had the oven On just had to make some, I followed the recipe from the Great British Bake off, using dark choc chips , great with a cup of tea
Friday 21 December 2012
Tea Loaf
I used to make Tea Loaf when I was a toddler with my mum, me of course just licking the spoon :-)
I love how simple they are to make and taste great, good any time of the day.
225g mixed dried fruit
250g Self Raising flour
300 ml tea ( earl grey is lovely)
200g Demerara Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Butter for greasing
Loaf tin
Soak the fruits in the tea overnight
Next day preheat oven to 175/ GM 3
Prepare loaf tin, add the fruit to the flour and other ingredients, mix well
Pop in the oven for 1 hour - 1hour 15mins,check with skewer leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing
Enjoy with butter and jam :-)
I love how simple they are to make and taste great, good any time of the day.
225g mixed dried fruit
250g Self Raising flour
300 ml tea ( earl grey is lovely)
200g Demerara Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp mixed spice
1tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Butter for greasing
Loaf tin
Soak the fruits in the tea overnight
Next day preheat oven to 175/ GM 3
Prepare loaf tin, add the fruit to the flour and other ingredients, mix well
Pop in the oven for 1 hour - 1hour 15mins,check with skewer leave to cool slightly in the tin before removing
Enjoy with butter and jam :-)
Vanilla and Cardamom Drizzle Cake
One of my favourites, which I have made so many times
250g SR Flour
250g caster sugar
250g Butter
2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
3-4 cardamom pods
4 eggs
For the Drizzle
85g caster sugar
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 cardamom pod
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven. To 160* fan/ 180* oven, prepare and line a loaf tin.
Crush the cardamom in a pestle and mortar , put to one side.
Soften butter slightly in mixer until light and creamy, add sugar and cream together for a few minutes.
Lightly beat the eggs and slowly add to the mixture, add a little of the flour if it begins to curdle. Add the vanilla and cardamom, add the rest of the flour and mix until just combined.
Add to the prepared tin and pop in the oven for 45-50 mins. When done, remove from oven and keep in the tin.
For the drizzle put the sugar and juice in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves,prepare the cardamom as before and add this and the vanilla.Make holes in the cake using a skewer. Pour the drizzle over the cake and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before removing from tin.
250g SR Flour
250g caster sugar
250g Butter
2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
3-4 cardamom pods
4 eggs
For the Drizzle
85g caster sugar
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 cardamom pod
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven. To 160* fan/ 180* oven, prepare and line a loaf tin.
Crush the cardamom in a pestle and mortar , put to one side.
Soften butter slightly in mixer until light and creamy, add sugar and cream together for a few minutes.
Lightly beat the eggs and slowly add to the mixture, add a little of the flour if it begins to curdle. Add the vanilla and cardamom, add the rest of the flour and mix until just combined.
Add to the prepared tin and pop in the oven for 45-50 mins. When done, remove from oven and keep in the tin.
For the drizzle put the sugar and juice in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves,prepare the cardamom as before and add this and the vanilla.Make holes in the cake using a skewer. Pour the drizzle over the cake and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before removing from tin.
Eccles Cakes
While trying to brush up on my skills, I attempted Eccles Cakes not too bad if I do say so myself.
First the pastry ....
Ok I must admit it takes a while, but the satisfaction that you've done it yourself from scratch is so worth it. I use Lorraine Pascale's recipe for the pastry
245g plain flour
40g butter chilled and cubed
130ml cold water
210g butter, softened slightly
Right, it is a lengthy process so start with putting the flour and 40g butter in a bowl and rub to resemble breadcrumbs, make well in the centre and pour in water. Mix with knife and bring together, squid gee into a ball , wrap in cling film and put in fridge for 25-30 mins.
Bring out of fridge, score a large cross in the middle, lift the corners out to make a large cross, large enough to put the block of softened butter into the middle.
( Tip: for the softened block of butter, take out of fridge , coat in flour and roll with a rolling pin)
Once the block of butter is in the middle of the pastry, fold the pastry into the middle of the cross to completely cover the butter, seal the edges well with the rolling pin. It's important that the butter doesn't escape once the rolling out begins.
The next process involves the turning of the pastry, begin with rolling the pastry out into a large rectangle, 3 times its original length, keeping the edges square and straight, then fold the bottom of the rectangle folding up a third, then fold the top edge down a third, giving a rectangular block, turn the pastry 90degrees and repeat the rolling and folding. The pastry has now had 2 Turns, chill for 25 mins.
Remove from fridge and give the pastry 2 more Rolls and Folds, wrap agin and put in the fridge for a further 20mins.
(Block can be frozen or kept for fridge for a day at this point)
Next just give it a couple more turns the then cut or shape to what your recipe requires , chill in the fridge as its new shape for about 30 mins - Now it can be used Yey!
For the filling:
1 large jar of mincemeat
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 200 and line 2 baking trays with parchment
For the Eccles cakes I made I used a 10cm cutter and made around 15 cakes just depends how thin you roll your pastry 3-4 mm should be fine.
Once finally out of the fridge put a heaped teaspoon of the mincemeat mixture in the middle of the pastry cases, using a pastry brush , brush the edges of the pastry with milk and fold over into a small parcel
Make sure the seam is on the bottom of the cake and make 2 small slits into the top of the cakes to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and Sprinkle with light brown sugar.
Place on a pre prepared baking tray and it in oven for around 15 mins until golden .
First the pastry ....
Ok I must admit it takes a while, but the satisfaction that you've done it yourself from scratch is so worth it. I use Lorraine Pascale's recipe for the pastry
245g plain flour
40g butter chilled and cubed
130ml cold water
210g butter, softened slightly
Right, it is a lengthy process so start with putting the flour and 40g butter in a bowl and rub to resemble breadcrumbs, make well in the centre and pour in water. Mix with knife and bring together, squid gee into a ball , wrap in cling film and put in fridge for 25-30 mins.
Bring out of fridge, score a large cross in the middle, lift the corners out to make a large cross, large enough to put the block of softened butter into the middle.
( Tip: for the softened block of butter, take out of fridge , coat in flour and roll with a rolling pin)
Once the block of butter is in the middle of the pastry, fold the pastry into the middle of the cross to completely cover the butter, seal the edges well with the rolling pin. It's important that the butter doesn't escape once the rolling out begins.
The next process involves the turning of the pastry, begin with rolling the pastry out into a large rectangle, 3 times its original length, keeping the edges square and straight, then fold the bottom of the rectangle folding up a third, then fold the top edge down a third, giving a rectangular block, turn the pastry 90degrees and repeat the rolling and folding. The pastry has now had 2 Turns, chill for 25 mins.
Remove from fridge and give the pastry 2 more Rolls and Folds, wrap agin and put in the fridge for a further 20mins.
(Block can be frozen or kept for fridge for a day at this point)
Next just give it a couple more turns the then cut or shape to what your recipe requires , chill in the fridge as its new shape for about 30 mins - Now it can be used Yey!
For the filling:
1 large jar of mincemeat
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 200 and line 2 baking trays with parchment
For the Eccles cakes I made I used a 10cm cutter and made around 15 cakes just depends how thin you roll your pastry 3-4 mm should be fine.
Once finally out of the fridge put a heaped teaspoon of the mincemeat mixture in the middle of the pastry cases, using a pastry brush , brush the edges of the pastry with milk and fold over into a small parcel
Make sure the seam is on the bottom of the cake and make 2 small slits into the top of the cakes to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg wash and Sprinkle with light brown sugar.
Place on a pre prepared baking tray and it in oven for around 15 mins until golden .
Chocolate Orange Mince Pies
I absolutely Love Mince Pies!
I made a sweet short crust pastry
375g Pain flour
250g Butter
125g Caster Sugar
1 egg
1 large jar mince meat
Orange zest of 2 oranges
100g dark chic chips
Brandy if you like
Rub Butter into flour until resemble breadcrumbs ,add sugar and continue to rub in. Add egg to combine into a neat ball, don't overwork (!) wrap in cling film and chill for 10 mins.
Combine the mincemeat, orange zest and chocolate, I usually add a few glugs of brandy too :-)
Remove pastry from fridge, roll to 3 mm thick ,
I use a normal muffin/ cupcake tin for my mince pies. Find cutters to fit your tin and smaller ones for the tops. Line moulds with butter, Put pastry in cases and fill with mincemeat mixture 3/4 full.
Beat an egg and brush tops of pastry so the tops will stick on once applied, then put n the tops.
Brush mince pies with egg wash and a dusting of caster sugar.
Put in a 200 degree oven for 15-20 mins until golden, allow to cool slightly before removing , add a dusting of icing sugar once cool
Enjoy!
I made a sweet short crust pastry
375g Pain flour
250g Butter
125g Caster Sugar
1 egg
1 large jar mince meat
Orange zest of 2 oranges
100g dark chic chips
Brandy if you like
Rub Butter into flour until resemble breadcrumbs ,add sugar and continue to rub in. Add egg to combine into a neat ball, don't overwork (!) wrap in cling film and chill for 10 mins.
Combine the mincemeat, orange zest and chocolate, I usually add a few glugs of brandy too :-)
Remove pastry from fridge, roll to 3 mm thick ,
I use a normal muffin/ cupcake tin for my mince pies. Find cutters to fit your tin and smaller ones for the tops. Line moulds with butter, Put pastry in cases and fill with mincemeat mixture 3/4 full.
Beat an egg and brush tops of pastry so the tops will stick on once applied, then put n the tops.
Brush mince pies with egg wash and a dusting of caster sugar.
Put in a 200 degree oven for 15-20 mins until golden, allow to cool slightly before removing , add a dusting of icing sugar once cool
Enjoy!
Vanilla Fudge
I made this a few weeks ago now,following a recipe from The Pink Whisk. Burnt the first batch (had the hob on too high) but the second batch turned out like this, tasted yummy! Condensed milk makes he creamiest fudge I have tasted
The Christmas Baking has Begun
At work we usually have a Bake Off on a Tuesday, taking it in turns to impress each other. His was my effort last week , went down a treat.
I love the process of a novelty cake but don't usually eat them as I find them too sweet.
I love the process of a novelty cake but don't usually eat them as I find them too sweet.
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