tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52100815551262578602024-02-07T12:08:55.042+00:00Cake Of The WeekInventive takes on traditional recipes, show-stopping cakes and more.Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-41174696174472762382017-02-04T14:06:00.000+00:002017-02-04T14:19:57.023+00:00Grapefruit Curd Celebration Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZsov3fClfiiY3Vj0AQpP7qLyDZJCwo55T9mMtUaAhhZWe24MO36F8e_cBtjOm6EVD5kGE67EDR0BoPbvbr14dtz2myErHHHAmjQfdmbp48Aep98lvOw_324zkOMXFDcyeuo6fThnQvA/s1600/Grapefruit+Celebration+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZsov3fClfiiY3Vj0AQpP7qLyDZJCwo55T9mMtUaAhhZWe24MO36F8e_cBtjOm6EVD5kGE67EDR0BoPbvbr14dtz2myErHHHAmjQfdmbp48Aep98lvOw_324zkOMXFDcyeuo6fThnQvA/s640/Grapefruit+Celebration+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have had enough of Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This may well be the last time I make it. There is a lot of work involved, and to be honest I know of several frostings which are just as malleable and are easier to make. And I don't have to worry about the copious amounts of fat repelling any food colouring, flavourings or even the meringue itself.<br />
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Yes, I am happy with this cake, and it was delicious, but the icing was far more work than it is worth. I usually make French Buttercream, which is similarly made, only it uses less fat and has never decided to ooze liquid whilst/after I pipe it onto a cake. I thought that this time I would try Swiss Meringue Buttercream again, since I hadn't used it in such a long time - now I remember why.<br />
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I think the main issue, aside from stability, is that I don't own a stand mixer. Instead, I have to hold an electric whisk for around 20 mins whilst slowly adding butter, during which time the meringue (which returns to a liquid almost as soon as the butter is added) flies around the room as the whisk comes into contact with a lump of butter and throws it around the bowl. Electric whisks generally don't have a slow setting, so there is no way to avoid the splatter. I'm honestly not sure how much meringue even stayed in the bowl this time. I found drops of meringue on the TV screen, which is over a metre from where I was working.<br />
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Don't get me wrong; Swiss Meringue Buttercream is lovely when it's made, as long as it's stable enough to hold onto anything you added to the fat. This <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/06/strawberry-and-clotted-cream-jubilee.html">Strawberry & Clotted Cream Jubilee Cake</a> from a few years ago was made with Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and what I didn't mention at the time is that it started to weep the gel food colouring after a few hours. No baker wants to see their cake cry red and blue tears.<br />
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Ok, so my rant about Swiss Meringue Buttercream is over. If you want to see other cakes that I've made using this buttercream, scroll to the bottom of the post (please excuse the dodgy formatting). This will almost certainly be the last!<br />
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Alongside a huge battle with buttercream, I made Grapefruit Curd for the first time, with very satisfying results. I've seen a lot of recipes calling for large numbers of yolks or whole eggs, with or without cornflour, and varying levels of sugar, so I took my favourite parts from a few recipes (<a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2012/05/sunshine-sweet-citrus-curd/">Sweetapolita</a>, <a href="http://bravetart.com/recipes/LemonCurdGF">Bravetart</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/grapefruit_sandwich_cake_53862">BBC Food</a>). I'm very pleased with the results; the curd is a beautiful pink-orange and has just the right amount of tartness. I really enjoy the taste of grapefruit, but if they aren't your thing you could always add more sugar to taste, or use a different citrus fruit.<br />
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This cake was served at a January Clandestine Cake Club meeting (which is why there's no artsy cake slice photo today). I organise the events for the <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/groups/sutton-coldfield-and-north-birmingham/">North Birmingham & Sutton Coldfield</a> (UK) branch, so if you live nearby you should come along next time! The cake was delicious, and everyone was very complimentary, especially on the curd.<br />
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<i>This Grapefruit Curd Celebration Cake is made up of four layers of cinnamon flavoured sponge. The first and third fillings between the layers are Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and the middle one is Grapefruit Curd. To make the cake into four layers, I made one deep cake in an 8" springform tin and froze it before dividing it into four. A cake turntable comes in very handy here; alternatively you could just double the recipe for the sponge and bake four 9" cakes in a normal cake tin.</i><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<i>Grapefruit Curd:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 large Grapefruit</li>
<li>2 Egg Yolks</li>
<li>100g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1 Tsp Cornflour</li>
</ul>
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<i>Cinnamon Sponge Cake:</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>50mL Sour Cream</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon</li>
</ul>
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<i>Swiss Meringue Buttercream (from <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2011/07/inside-out-neapolitan-cupcakes-more-about-swiss-meringue-buttercream/">Sweetapolita</a>):</i></div>
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<li>500g Butter <i>(room temperature)</i></li>
<li>6 Egg Whites</li>
<li>90g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1 Tsp Vanilla Extract</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<i>Grapefruit Curd:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Grate the all of the coloured grapefruit rind into a medium saucepan.</li>
<li>Slice the grapefruit in half and squeeze the juices into the saucepan.</li>
<li>Add the egg yolks and cornflour, then stir constantly over a medium heat until the liquid has thickened and started to simmer.</li>
<li>Remove from the heat and strain into a sterilised jar. Can be stored at room temperature for up to six months until opened, as long as the jar is properly sterilised.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Cinnamon Sponge:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Line an 8" springform tin with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.</li>
<li>Fold in the sour cream until well combined.</li>
<li>Sieve the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into the batter and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>The batter should have a soft dropping consistency; if not, add more sour cream.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the tin and wrapping in cling film. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 weeks.</li>
<li>Use a ruler (or do it by eye, if you're brave) and a palette knife to divide the cake into four slices.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Swiss Meringue Buttercream:</i></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li>Place the egg whites and sugar in a Bain Marie (a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, ensuring that the base of the bowl does not touch the water), and stir constantly with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved into the whites. This is best tested by rubbing clean fingers together in the mixture - don't worry, it's not going to be more than luke warm - to check if you can still feel the sugar granules.</li>
<li>Tip the egg mixture into a mixing bowl, add the vanilla extract and whisk to stiff peaks.</li>
<li>Slice the butter into small chunks and slowly add it, one chunk at a time, until it has all been incorporated into the meringue.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Assembly:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Put a dot of the buttercream onto the cake stand/dish you want to serve the cake on, then put one of the sponge slices on top.</li>
<li>Pipe dots of buttercream on the sponge, until covered.</li>
<li>Cover with a second cake slice.</li>
<li>Dot the buttercream around the edge of the cake to stop the curd escaping. Spoon the curd into the centre of the cake and gently spread it so that there is an even layer. There may be some curd left over.</li>
<li>Cover with a third cake slice.</li>
<li>Pipe dots of buttercream all over the sponge slice, as before.</li>
<li>Cover with the final cake slice.</li>
<li>Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. I chose to pipe more around the edge of the top of the cake, but do what you want. I then used gold sprinkles with hundreds and thousands sprinkles to decorate.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Previous Cakes Decorated With Swiss Meringue Buttercream:</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/07/cinnamon-raspberry-cake.html">Cinnamon Raspberry Cake</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/12/mint-chocolate-cake.html"> Mint Chocolate Cake</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2014/01/pink-cake.html">Pink Cake</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcePldNYHZjA9e8muy5s3_3lVCLdA5Zt4D4EEYFXCR5schJW8l1CMJVTr6Y7Ks0DYqAGBgQEgCSlQXG7SYitwd8C-nAttARSL8hj5hGhmYV1j3qf9H71FX6cExbvl4HY1WpMh6IYTVRTU/s1600/Funfetti+Cake+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcePldNYHZjA9e8muy5s3_3lVCLdA5Zt4D4EEYFXCR5schJW8l1CMJVTr6Y7Ks0DYqAGBgQEgCSlQXG7SYitwd8C-nAttARSL8hj5hGhmYV1j3qf9H71FX6cExbvl4HY1WpMh6IYTVRTU/s200/Funfetti+Cake+%25285%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/06/funfetti-cake.html">Funfetti Cake</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUCAxGPPh6g5nqzklEMTFN8m7WVx2218F9LGub2rD-E1Rlxecya3GLvR3aGdKUFGrlfAQAUm07d6Xbl18pqpZ5PDEtXwbchxCgQmJtuqAhad6IjnqDUbfvq5wFd3ZBQPMoNKZro8jSAA/s1600/Kahlua+Cake+%252811%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUCAxGPPh6g5nqzklEMTFN8m7WVx2218F9LGub2rD-E1Rlxecya3GLvR3aGdKUFGrlfAQAUm07d6Xbl18pqpZ5PDEtXwbchxCgQmJtuqAhad6IjnqDUbfvq5wFd3ZBQPMoNKZro8jSAA/s200/Kahlua+Cake+%252811%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/08/eight-layer-kahlua-cake-with-rainbow.html">Eight Layer Kahlua Cake</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/09/blackberry-cake.html">Blackberry Cake</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzlXgsl1xVyZ1eSlrlcOm7yGP839oCdyjhiD9nDOpGQRQgKBhlqwMGeFlxTc03LKdXLsDnXkZ54f8PwdMrmJx_bWJGupd1QTR_XqK-Za1ACxrwKgaBVMb8ptg3rd9t6txG3GIPRPP5D0/s1600/Portal+Cake+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzlXgsl1xVyZ1eSlrlcOm7yGP839oCdyjhiD9nDOpGQRQgKBhlqwMGeFlxTc03LKdXLsDnXkZ54f8PwdMrmJx_bWJGupd1QTR_XqK-Za1ACxrwKgaBVMb8ptg3rd9t6txG3GIPRPP5D0/s200/Portal+Cake+%252812%2529.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/05/portal-companion-cube-cake.html">Portal Companion Cube Cake</a></div>
Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-42548737357488934102016-11-20T17:50:00.000+00:002016-12-23T18:12:32.583+00:00Chocolate Orange Blondies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2016 has been a year for the polarisation of a lot of people's political opinions. It can be difficult when a friend or partner, someone you respect, turns around and tells you that the things they believe in, and vote for, are so starkly different to your own. Dealing with those things can be difficult, and I'm not here to tell you how to do that. We British have a way of sweeping bad feeling under the carpet and getting on with it, but of course the emotions still linger.<br />
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However, I find that something that can bring people back together, and that there is rarely disagreement about, is cake. Everyone loves cake. Of course, there are those that <i>say</i> they don't like it, but I choose to believe that they are pretending not to like it so that they can enjoy their kale smoothies. (I test food products for a living, and juices containing kale always smell like grass. Why would you want to drink something that smells like grass?) So I suggest that you gather your people around a table with some hot drinks and serve them some cake, and break any tensions that might exist.<br />
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Even better, serve your loved ones these Chocolate Orange Blondies. For those of you who don't know, blondies are brownies made with white chocolate instead of dark chocolate. I used a concentrated orange flavouring (you could also use orange juice and zest) and sprinkled some chopped dark chocolate on top. These blondies were served at a <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/groups/sutton-coldfield-and-north-birmingham/">Clandestine Cake Club</a> event and many people commented that they tasted a bit like jaffa cakes. Perfectly dense and gooey, these Chocolate Orange brownies were definitely a crowd pleaser.<br />
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Side note: If you like the bowl in the top photo, head over to <a href="https://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/" rel="nofollow">Dotcomgiftshop</a>*. They sell a whole range of goods, but my favourites are their kitchenware. I love the designs on their bowls and plates. The bakeware section is also great; I got a great cookie cutter that will be used in a future post.<br />
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<i>This recipe is based on these <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2013/01/double-chocolate-blondies.html">Double Chocolate Blondies</a>. I used a concentrated orange flavouring, but using the zest and juice of one orange would also work.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Makes 24</b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>400g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>375g Butter</li>
<li>250g White Chocolate</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>300g Plain Flour</li>
<li>1Tbsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>5-8 Drops Concentrated Orange Flavour <i>(to taste)</i></li>
<li>200g Dark Chocolate</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Line a brownie tin or roasting tin with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Break the white chocolate into chunks and melt in a medium saucepan with the butter over a medium heat.</li>
<li>Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, then the eggs, until well combined.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and stir well, making sure to scrape around the bottom edges of the pan, as flour tends to get trapped there.</li>
<li>Stir in the orange flavouring.</li>
<li>Pour the batter into the prepared tin.</li>
<li>Chop the dark chocolate and sprinkle over the top (as you may be able to see from the photos, I was actually very lazy here and just broke it into chunks. This also works.)</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, then check for a crisp-looking top and no wobble in the middle. Remember that the batter will continue to cook once removed from the oven, so to keep the blondie gooey you mustn't wait until a skewer comes out clean. If there is still a wobble, return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
*I was provided with a gift card from Dotcomgiftshop, but was under no obligation to write any material regarding this, promotional or otherwise.<br />
<br />Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-55914329662609683192016-09-25T16:17:00.000+01:002016-09-25T16:17:30.441+01:00Anniversary Cake: Blackberries & Cream Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Z50e2WpK5L5yBV7gfkJkyiJymgZzWlMVvDUSMNL-rhqQypSx04TUkt6JP0f1hcsUWB-_bviTkIYz5hcyW91m36bpNYo8NxG5eSsL01isbt50zuLEJ2o9Ob2DsszU4d5-aLtdiqyhWIc/s1600/Blackberry+Cream+Cheese+Cake+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Z50e2WpK5L5yBV7gfkJkyiJymgZzWlMVvDUSMNL-rhqQypSx04TUkt6JP0f1hcsUWB-_bviTkIYz5hcyW91m36bpNYo8NxG5eSsL01isbt50zuLEJ2o9Ob2DsszU4d5-aLtdiqyhWIc/s640/Blackberry+Cream+Cheese+Cake+%25284%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This post marks two milestones in my life:<br />
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<b>1:</b> At the end of August I celebrated <b>one year in Birmingham</b>. It's been full of new experiences, and I have been so much happier than in any living situation beforehand. I live alone, have made a bunch of new friends, run my own corner of <a href="http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/groups/sutton-coldfield-and-north-birmingham/">Clandestine Cake Club</a> and love the city I live in. The city is so vibrant and full of culture. I love that I can walk out of my flat and be in the city centre in a matter of minutes. One day I will dedicate a post to all the amazing independent food and drink around here.<br />
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Birmingham is such a sharp contrast to my previous home in rural Cambridgeshire. I struggled to break into the tight-knit groups of people living there; everyone knew everyone and, as an outsider, people were generally unwilling to let me in (though eventually I met my two best friends and everything then became easier). The landscape was so flat that you could see for miles, but after a while I realised that all there was to see was farmland, and that is not enough for me. I missed <i>forest</i>. I never thought a person could miss trees.<br />
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I really feel like I could settle here, which is why this anniversary is worth celebrating; I hope it is the first of many.<br />
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<b>2: </b>On 8th October, this blog will be <b>five years old</b>! I can't believe that I have continued this through a large chunk of my Chemistry MChem degree, moving house four times and relocating around the UK twice.<br />
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To you this might be a fun baking blog full of boozy and inventive recipes (or that's the general theme I've gone for), but to me it is both a recipe book and a place where I can look back and relive memories. I regularly refer to this site when baking a favourite cake, or when I make an icing I haven't made in a while, and I always enjoy reading through the post to see where I was in my life when I wrote it.<br />
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I admit, I have pared back on the recipes this year - a big drop, considering once I actually posted something at least once a week - but I still enjoy blogging when the mood strikes me. When a cake is blog worthy, you will still hear about it! Altogether, in my time running Cake Of The Week I have written 260 posts. My very first post, <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2011/10/flapjacks.html">Flapjacks</a>, even included a segment called "Don't Make My Mistakes!" - I still make mistakes. I am <i>not</i> a perfectionist; I would class my technique as more "slap-dash", so yes, mistakes happen. Learning how to cover them up, or avoid them in the future, is all part of the fun of baking. For me, baking has always been about doing my own thing and following only the basic rules to ensure that I still make what I am trying to make.<br />
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This Anniversary Cake was as much a scientific investigation as it was a celebration. I've noticed that the sour cream in my <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/05/chocolate-fudge-cake.html">Chocolate Fudge Cake</a> creates this delightfully fluffy sponge, and milk has never come close to producing the same texture. So, when I had the time and will to make a three layer cake, I did a bit of an experiment. I used the same base recipe for all three layers, but I used a different ingredient to wet each cake: whole milk, sour cream and Greek yoghurt. The results were incredible!<br />
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As you can see, the milk cake rose much less than the others. The Greek yoghurt cake rose well, but then collapsed into a more dense version of itself upon cooling. The stand out winner was the sour cream cake, which both rose well and held its shape as it cooled. This marks my conversion to using sour cream in every cake recipe from this point onwards, though I will stress that every cake was still delicious.<br />
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The cake is filled and decorated with fresh blackberries and French Cream Cheese Buttercream. Delicious, but oh so rich. Also, from a practical point of view, the cake layers were too tall and the cake <i>may</i> have fallen over when I walked out of the room. That's <i>definitely</i> not how I made the mess pictured below, I promise...<br />
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The take away point here is that this is a cake worth baking. I used 7" springform tins to make a standard cake batter stretch into three layers, but a standard two layer cake made from 9" tins will look just as sensational. Get yourself some edible glitter! It makes everything better! Adding 50mL tequila to the batter wouldn't go amiss either.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>Cake</i><br />
<ul>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">200g Butter</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">275g Caster Sugar</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">3 Eggs</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">150mL Sour Cream</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">200g Plain Flour</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li style="border: none; color: #333333; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;">200g Blackberries</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><i>French Cream Cheese Buttercream</i></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>250g Unsalted Butter <i>(must be at room temperature)</i></li>
<li>5 Egg Yolks</li>
<li>90g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>250g Cream Cheese</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333;"><b>Recipe</b></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Line three 7" springform tins with baking parchment.</li>
<li>First, make the cake. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.</li>
<li>Beat in the sour cream until well combined.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined. The batter should have a soft dropping consistency. If not, add a little more sour cream at a time and stir well before checking again.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Leave the cakes to cool completely, then remove from their tins and discard the baking parchment.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, make the French Cream Cheese Buttercream. Put the egg yolks and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of boiling water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.</li>
<li>Use a whisk to stir the yolks and sugar together until the sugar has almost completely dissolved into the yolk. </li>
<li>Immediately transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk until the mixture is pale and has doubled in size.</li>
<li>Chop up the butter into small cubes, and whisk these cubes into the yolk mixture one at a time. Ensure that each cube has completely blended into the mixture before adding the next.</li>
<li>When all the butter has been added you should have a rich buttercream. Now whisk in the cream cheese until fully combined.</li>
<li>Decorate the cake by spreading a couple of spoonfuls of the buttercream over the top of a cake layer, then covering it with blackberries. Cover with the next layer and repeat. When the third layer is on top, cover the whole cake with the remaining buttercream and then decorate with the remaining blackberries.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-77144904115802058892016-07-03T16:05:00.001+01:002016-07-03T16:05:49.110+01:00Raspberries & Cream Layer Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I <i>love</i> living in a city. Having lived in Birmingham for nearly 10 months, the novelty of having conveniences like a supermarket, clothes shops and a very cheap greengrocer less than a 5 minute walk from my house has not worn off. Don't get me started on the choice of bars and restaurants that are a short walk from New Street Station. If you've lived in a city for your whole life you might think this wide-eyed enthusiasm is close to insanity, but I spent my first 18 years living in the middle of nowhere, and later another two years in a dozy market town. Birmingham is <i><b>awesome</b></i>.<br />
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The raspberries for this cake were bought from the aforementioned greengrocer - 375g for £1 is a very good deal, in my opinion! I made the cake for a 'Summer' themed event at my local <a href="https://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/groups/sutton-coldfield-and-north-birmingham/">Clandestine Cake Club</a> (which I also happen to run). I joined the club so I could meet new people, and though it has been hard to attract more than a handful of people to these events, I've made at least one friend through it so far. I would encourage anyone looking to meet new people to sign up to this club, as there are groups worldwide and it's a good excuse to bake and eat cake, not forgetting that it's completely free.<br />
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I know I haven't been around a lot this year... I have my reasons, but this does not mean that I'm giving up on Cake Of The Week; you might just hear a little less from me. If you miss me, you can follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/CakeOfTheWeek">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cakeoftheweek/">Facebook</a>, where I am much more vocal. (I have over 1000 followers on Facebook now! Wow!! I am flabbergasted.)<br />
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Before we dive into the recipe, I'm going to level with you. To make the ombre finish on the side of the cake, I used freeze dried sour cherry powder instead of freeze dried raspberry powder. I know. But, the cherry powder is pretty old and the flavour was faded enough for it not to be obvious what I'd done when we sat down to eat the cake. And I didn't have any freeze dried raspberry powder. Though guys, I'm sure this cake could only be enhanced by matching the flavour profiles in the decoration. Do what feels right to you.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>275g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>50mL Milk</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>600g Double Cream</li>
<li>300g Raspberries</li>
<li>2 Tbsp Freeze Dried Raspberry Powder</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a 8in springform tin with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and 200g of the sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.</li>
<li>Beat in the milk until well combined.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined. The batter should have a soft dropping consistency. If not, add a little more milk at a time and stir well before checking again.</li>
<li>Transfer the batter into the springform tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Allow the cake to cool in the tin before removing it. The next part is easiest if you first wrap the cake in cling film and freeze for four hours minimum; if you don't have time you'll be fine, but prepare for cake crumbs everywhere.</li>
<li>Next, divide the cake into three layers. This is easiest if you use a pallette knife and a cake turntable.</li>
<li>Whip the cream to stiff peaks.</li>
<li>Wash the raspberries and dry thoroughly before stirring into the remaining sugar, </li>
<li>Use half the cream and all but a handful of the raspberries between the cake layers. Spread a dollop of cream over a cake layer, then cover with raspberries. Lay a cake layer on top and repeat.</li>
<li>Cover the entire cake in a thin layer of cake, filling gaps between the cake layers, in order to get rid of any loose crumbs that might ruin the presentation of the cake.</li>
<li>Take 1/3 the remaining cream and place in a separate bowl. Add the freeze dried raspberries and stir well. The cream should take on a pink hue. Feel free to add more.</li>
<li>Spread the pink cream around the bottom of the cake. Don't smooth it out yet.</li>
<li>Spread the remaining white cream over the top and top sides of the cake. Now smooth the cake over using a pallette knife, removing any excess. As you move the knife over the cream, the pink and white cream should naturally blend. </li>
<li>Decorate with the remaining raspberries.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-47530355397159726702016-03-13T15:14:00.002+00:002016-03-13T15:14:37.649+00:00Blackberry Cake 2.0<div>
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I always try to keep this blog as something that I do for fun, and not work. It's been quiet around here for about a month, basically because I haven't felt like sitting down to write. I want to keep this site for quality, not quantity of publications. However, when I start to worry about leaving Cake Of The Week alone for a month, I remember that when I read other baking blogs I don't necessarily notice an absence of posts (apart from those that go on for many months) until it's pointed out to me in a post like this...</div>
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Yesterday I had a completely empty diary, so I decided to check out <a href="http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag">Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery</a>. It's set in this beautiful building from the 19th Century, right in the city centre. Coincidentally, the museum is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year, so there was a display about how the museum came to be. More surprising was the discovery that it was not just an art gallery, as I had assumed, but it has a whole section about the origins of Birmingham and life in the city from the 1700s. Did you know that Birmingham was once famous for its production of buttons and coins? It was fascinating, and there was so much to see that I couldn't even finish the display, let alone the rest of the museum. For the record, it looks like the museum also contains some historical artifacts. I look forward to seeing what those are!<br />
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This is Blackberry Cake 2.0 because I <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/09/blackberry-cake.html">originally made another Blackberry Cake</a> a few years ago. The difference is that here I used whole blackberries and French buttercream, whereas before I blended the blackberries into the batter and decorated the cake with Swiss meringue buttercream. Subtle differences that led to a noticeable difference in flavour and taste. I prefer to use French buttercream because it uses half as much fat, but either type is perfect for slathering onto cakes. They are also much less sweet than traditional buttercream, which is made with icing sugar and butter. Whole blackberries vs blended blackberries is just an aesthetic thing, really, so you can really do whatever you prefer here. Blackberry Cake 2.0 was a success at work, though maybe it's best eaten with a fork because the buttercream can get a bit messy if you use your hands!<br />
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A note on the blackberries: I used frozen blackberries, but fresh would work just as well, or perhaps even better. I tend to pick as many as I can when the fruit is in season and then freeze the majority for later use (mostly <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/09/blackberry-apple-crumble.html">Blackberry & Apple Crumble</a>, I won't lie). Frozen blackberries can now be found pretty commonly in larger supermarkets.<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<i>Sponge:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>500g Frozen Blackberries</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>1 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>50mL Milk</li>
</ul>
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<i>French Buttercream:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>250g Unsalted Butter</li>
<li>5 Egg Yolks</li>
<li>90g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract</li>
<li>Purple Gel Food Colouring</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<i>Sponge:</i></div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan and line two 9in cake tins with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.</li>
<li>Stir in the milk, followed by the frozen blackberries.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.</li>
</ul>
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<i>French Buttercream:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Heat a pan filled 2/3 with water until the water starts to simmer.</li>
<li>Place the sugar and egg yolks in a heat proof bowl over the pan, ensuring that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.</li>
<li>Stir the mixture constantly with a fork/whisk until the sugar has fully dissolved in the yolks (use clean fingers to test; it won't be as hot as you think).</li>
<li>Immediately transfer the yolk mixture into a mixing bowl and whisk until it has doubled in size and is very pale.</li>
<li>Ensure that the butter is room temperature, then take a knob at a time and whisk it into the yolk mixture, ensuring it is fully incorporated before adding more. When all of the butter has been added, the buttercream should be smooth, pale and glossy.</li>
<li>Beat in the gel food colouring until you reach your desired shade of purple. Add a little at a time, because it can be hard to judge the intensity that the colouring will produce.</li>
<li>Sandwich the cakes together with 1/3 buttercream, then spread the remainder over the top and sides of the cake. To get the swirled pattern on top, I dotted some more gel food colouring onto a spatula and gently touched it on the centre of the top of the cake whilst rotating the cake with my other hand. It helps to have an icing turntable!</li>
</ul>
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<i>I apologise for the contrast in quality between the first photo and the others. One was taken in daylight, the other at night time. If you've ever taken pictures of food, you'll understand what a difference this makes!</i></div>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-43991163583452871742016-02-07T14:43:00.000+00:002018-04-30T17:39:02.820+01:00Banoffee Brownies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes I don't really know what I'm going to make until I turn the oven on. This time around, I'd had an idea for using a banana curd with dulce de leche, but wasn't really sure what the vessel would be. As I often do, I rolled the concept around in my head, temporarily landing on roulade, then Swiss roll, before eventually landing on brownies. Sometimes I just don't feel like making cake, or icing, or whatever. Today, brownies seemed like the best way to present these flavours.<br />
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The banana curd was something new for me. I asked around on <a href="https://twitter.com/CakeOfTheWeek">Twitter</a> for recipes and someone referred me to <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/banana-curd-152882">this one</a> on Food.com. I tinkered with the recipe a bit (~ 400g sugar seems like <i>way</i> too much to add to four bananas), and was extremely happy with the result. If jam on toast is your thing, I highly recommend that you try this curd in it. It's better than mashed bananas because it's smoother, and you can store it for a time without it going brown.<br />
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These brownies are a definite winner. I topped them with a handful of pecans, but you can leave them out or use walnuts instead if you prefer. They add a nice crunch, contrasting nicely with the sweet and gooey brownies. Added bonus: they take very little time to prepare (after making the curd...) so they can absolutely be made on impulse as soon as you finish reading this post ;)<br />
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Before Christmas, the lovely people at <a href="https://www.rexlondon.com/">Rex London</a> listed Cake Of The Week as one of their <a href="https://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/blog/25-brilliant-baking-blogs?ll=blogrecent">25 Brilliant Baking Blogs</a>. Naturally, I was thrilled to about this! Not only was it flattering to read such a good summary of my blog, but also to be listed alongside some of the much more successful baking blogs in the UK. Dotcomgiftshop were also kind enough to send some vouchers to use on their products. My small flat has more than enough baking equipment, but I love their <a href="https://www.dotcomgiftshop.com/tableware?ll=menutopnav">tableware selection</a>. The bowl and plate in the photos in this post were purchased from Dotcomgiftshop using this voucher. I'll definitely be using this site in the future to find more stunning kitchenware.<br />
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<b>Makes 18</b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<i>Banana Curd (adapted from <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/banana-curd-152882">Food.com</a>; N.B. makes about twice as much as needed):</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>2 Very Ripe Bananas</li>
<li>75g Butter</li>
<li>150g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1 Tsp Lemon Juice</li>
<li>2 Egg Yolks</li>
</ul>
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<i>Banoffee Brownies</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>200g Dark Chocolate</li>
<li>375g Mayonnaise <i>(switch for butter if you prefer)</i></li>
<li>500g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Medium Eggs</li>
<li>225g Plain Flour</li>
<li>375g Tin Caramel/Dulche De Leche</li>
<li>20g Halved Pecans</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<i>Banana Curd</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Mash the bananas until there are no lumps, then transfer to a small saucepan.</li>
<li>Add the remaining ingredients, except for the egg yolks, and heat at a medium temperature for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.</li>
<li>Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before stirring the egg yolks into the banana mixture.</li>
<li>Return to the heat and stir continuously until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. </li>
<li>Pour into <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-sterilise-jars">sterilised jars</a>. The Banana Curd can now be stored at room temperature for at least two months. Store in the fridge once opened.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Banoffee Brownies</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and line a 9"x18" tin (or 2 x 9"x9" tins, like me) with baking parchment. </li>
<li>In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the chocolate over a low heat, then remove from the heat and stir into the mayonnaise.</li>
<li>Add the caster sugar, and stir until well combined.</li>
<li>Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until well mixed.</li>
<li>Stir in the flour until well combined.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into the baking tin.</li>
<li>Dot teaspoonfuls of half of the banana curd and caramel/dulche de leche on top of the brownie mixture, then use a spatula or knife to swirl them through the mixture a bit.</li>
<li>Sprinkle the pecans over the top.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then for an additional five minutes at a time until the top of the brownie mixture doesn't wobble when you shake the tin. Don't cook it until a skewer comes out clean, as you would a cake, because then the desired gooey texture is lost. Remember that the brownies will continue to cook a bit after they are removed from the oven.</li>
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<i>Disclaimer: I was given a gift voucher from Rex London with no obligation to feature their products on Cake Of The Week, nor to give a review of any kind. All opinions expressed on this blog are my own.</i>Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-39857888566424141222016-01-23T12:11:00.001+00:002016-02-07T14:54:45.891+00:00Hummingbird Cake [Low In Saturated Fat]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I turned 25 last week! Happy birthday to me. It was a fun day of shopping, watching The Hateful Eight and pizza with friends. In the UK and much of Europe, reaching quarter of a century in age means that I am officially no longer a Young Person, and therefore travel and other parts of life are about to get a bit more expensive. 24 was not such a bad age: I got a new job and moved to the city I had been hoping to live in, I went to Stockholm and I experienced my first hangover, to name but a few of the momentous events of the year. Here's to another good year, though I'd be happy if the hangovers could remain in the past ;)<br />
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This Hummingbird Cake is another example of <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2016/01/cherry-pistachio-brownies-low-in.html">baking with low levels of saturated fat </a>and higher levels of unsaturated fats, which are widely believed to be better for you. This month I'm trying to bake healthier versions of my cakes; you can't stop me baking but I understand that the time of year calls for a little restraint on dessert. This cake is hence a compromise on that.<br />
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I used olive oil instead of butter, though to be fair Hummingbird cake traditionally uses oil anyway. The cake is packed with pecans, high in monounsaturated fat, and bananas and pineapple, which don't contain much fat at all and are generally pretty good for you! The icing is more of a cheesecake batter than traditional cream cheese icing. I find the icing sugar variety a bit too sweet, and this icing rounds the cake out nicely, though it's a little runny so I advise that you use it sparingly. I highly recommend it!<br />
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<i>The cake recipe was copied directly from the <a href="https://hummingbirdbakery.com/gifts-and-books/the-hummingbird-bakery-cookbook/">Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook</a>, but I only used 1/3 the quantities because I wanted a smaller cake. I won't list their recipe for copyright reasons. The recipe below is for the icing, which can be used to decorate and fill a three layer cake, as in the the book, or you can use 1/3 the quantities below and make one layer like I did. If you don't have the cookbook mentioned above, here's <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/uncategorised-recipes/hummingbird-cake/">a similar recipe</a> from Jamie Oliver.</i><br />
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<b>Cream Cheese Icing: Ingredients</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>250g Philadelphia Cheese</li>
<li>50g Butter</li>
<li>150g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1 Tsp Vanilla Extract</li>
<li>Ground Cinnamon & Chopped Pecans <i>to decorate</i></li>
</ul>
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<div>
<b>Cream Cheese Icing: Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Cream the butter and philadelphia cheese together until smooth.</li>
<li>Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved.</li>
<li>The icing can be covered and refrigerated for several days until needed.</li>
<li>Drizzle over the cooled cake (use sparingly as it's quite runny), then pile the pecans into the middle of the cake and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-65659535490860278442016-01-16T14:53:00.000+00:002016-02-07T14:55:02.757+00:00Cherry & Pistachio Brownies [Low In Saturated Fat]<div>
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The media is full of conflicting arguments on what is and isn't good for us, and the facts behind them are not always black and white. For instance, I thought that all fats were bad until I started analysing foods for their fatty acid composition (saturates, monounsaturates or polyunsaturates) at work.<br />
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My boss had studied lipids for his masters degree, and could identify olive oil just by looking at the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjz2P_A_qHKAhWIOxoKHWBnBfUQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uaa.alaska.edu%2Fenri%2Flabs%2Faset_lab%2FMethods%2Faset-lab-methods-gic-fid.cfm&psig=AFQjCNFrKeTqKBKMnYcl5pak_SkakSmoIA&ust=1452609577149374">chromatogram</a> we use to obtain results on its fat composition. From his imparted knowledge about what fats do in the body, I learned that not all fat is bad; saturates are essentially bad for you, whereas mono- and polyunsaturates are generally good for you. Of course it's possible to get too much of a good thing, but the latter two types of fat are the "good fats" you hear about in the media, for instance avocados are high in monounsaturates.<br />
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For more information about this topic, there's a great article all about fats over at <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/11/24/9782098/dietary-fat-saturated-fat-good-or-bad">Vox</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fFgwbH2RrUZ0Eo6WJmpScbbLy1uQcOycCpHC4LJ5fPHe8HgUlorew2ZWCYAO2jydK0H5pzI7Bk7nlJeSxNOX-ogtKy5eBaNhtSulBj5JVMvO2anBtAzoSMdqkj58b3WbKMTT_k4k9p8/s1600/Pistachio+%2526+Cherry+Brownies+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fFgwbH2RrUZ0Eo6WJmpScbbLy1uQcOycCpHC4LJ5fPHe8HgUlorew2ZWCYAO2jydK0H5pzI7Bk7nlJeSxNOX-ogtKy5eBaNhtSulBj5JVMvO2anBtAzoSMdqkj58b3WbKMTT_k4k9p8/s400/Pistachio+%2526+Cherry+Brownies+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am in no way professing to know all about the pros and cons of different types of fat, but the knowledge that I have gleaned has taught me that eating foods lower in saturates is no bad thing. Therefore, I thought that brownies low in saturates would be great for Cake Of The Week's <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2016/01/introducing-healthyish-january.html">Healthy(ish) January</a>.<br />
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To achieve the "low in saturated fat" claim, I had to swap butter for olive oil. This was not the simple switch I thought it would be; it turns out that using the same quantity of oil left the original brownies swamped in excess oil, so much so that I had to dab them with paper towels! Appealing, I know. In my second attempt, I used <a href="http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-queries/view/Oil-Instead-of-Butter-For-Baking./2710">this advice</a> from Nigella.com and opted for 80% butter weight for the oil. As always, the recipe for the brownies is based on my <a href="http://janinebakes.blogspot.com/2012/01/healthy-brownies.html">Healthy Brownies</a>. The end result was almost exactly like a normal brownie, but with a denser, less cakey, texture. The oil flavour was just detectable, but considering that oil gives baked goods different properties to butter, I am very pleased with this result. My colleagues were so impressed that they went back for seconds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0pOf3-KnWNkJNgHJH5UIS74ibvGeJojOgyyf51kPj1wRxO2LgjNOE7CmP-mzGXG6ZceOScW9dZhdiUE1Gbik_oT43w2Q9v0ff_TIjesNk9FdgfVAVK1tJMCc8-gwLVlazMRqX3hsi7Q/s1600/Pistachio+%2526+Cherry+Brownies+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0pOf3-KnWNkJNgHJH5UIS74ibvGeJojOgyyf51kPj1wRxO2LgjNOE7CmP-mzGXG6ZceOScW9dZhdiUE1Gbik_oT43w2Q9v0ff_TIjesNk9FdgfVAVK1tJMCc8-gwLVlazMRqX3hsi7Q/s400/Pistachio+%2526+Cherry+Brownies+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>200g Dark Chocolate</li>
<li>250g Vegetable Oil</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>225g Plain Flour</li>
<li>1 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>75g Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>100g Pistachios, shelled and chopped</li>
<li>100g Glace Cherries, chopped</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180C and line two 9" square cake tins (or one 18" tin) with baking parchment.</li>
<li>In a medium saucepan, break up the chocolate and add the oil. Melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally.</li>
<li>Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then add the eggs. Use a spoon to break them up and ensure that they are well combined with the chocolate mixture.</li>
<li>Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into the chocolate mixture and fold in. Stir until well combined.</li>
<li>Add the pistachios and glace cherries, stirring well to ensure they are evenly spread throughout the mixture.</li>
<li>Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Check that the top of the mixture is firm, but a skewer should come out with a lot of semi-firm mixture on it still. The brownie will continue to firm up and cook as it cools. If the top is still wobbling, return to the oven for another few minutes before checking again, and so on.</li>
<li>Once the brownies are cool, slice up using a sharp knife (I got 18, but it really depends on how big or small you make them). Store in a cool, dry place.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-91473572346479940542016-01-01T16:48:00.001+00:002016-02-07T14:55:17.937+00:00Introducing Healthy(ish) January<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0xSpgI4V6x24esJINpjUtsQk1HH9yavJzryFPTf8YdHvq9-cXXDQCskmCzXFtNw7sFEZig9Gg5EjijEDTIHM6JbGlyNA6CDWlNvHrWgFWcrv5n51WdYINFWsIAzA737sbSXoZ3h4kNs/s1600/Cheesecake+Brownies+Ganache+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0xSpgI4V6x24esJINpjUtsQk1HH9yavJzryFPTf8YdHvq9-cXXDQCskmCzXFtNw7sFEZig9Gg5EjijEDTIHM6JbGlyNA6CDWlNvHrWgFWcrv5n51WdYINFWsIAzA737sbSXoZ3h4kNs/s640/Cheesecake+Brownies+Ganache+%25283%2529.JPG" title="Cheesecake Brownies With Ganache Topping [Low Fat]" width="640" /></a></div>
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How was everybody's Christmas and New Year? I hope that you took a break, ate too much, and spent some quality time with friends and family. Don't even begin to feel guilty about all that indulgence; we <i>had</i> to stuff ourselves because it's (supposed to be) winter, and we <i>need</i> all that extra energy to stay warm. If I can convince myself, I can convince all of you.<br />
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I'm planning to take a step back from the brandy cream, wine and chocolate this month and share my healthy(<i>ish</i>) recipes with all of you. In 2015 Cake Of The Week ran a <b>Low Fat January</b>, so I plan to do something similar this year. The media seem a little confused with regards to which ingredient they should now be demonising, and I do not wish to be a part of the hype. A lot of the sensationalist headlines hold no merit, and could do with a little more background reading of <i>reliable</i> studies. In a nutshell, this January will be known as <b>Healthy(ish) January</b> here on the blog. "Ish" because, let's be honest, cake can never truly be classed as healthy, much as I would like it to be.<br />
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I spend a lot of weekends running between Birmingham and other parts of the country to socialise, and I do turn 25 this month, but I'm hoping to share at least a couple of healthy(ish) recipes with you before February!<br />
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For more on healthy(ish) baking, check out the corresponding tab above (<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/p/healthyish-baking.html">or follow this link</a>). There you'll find information on using low fat and other lower calorie ingredients, along with a list of recipes that I believe are healthier than your average bake.Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-60320051009296887942015-12-06T16:09:00.000+00:002015-12-06T16:20:50.235+00:00Baking With Spirit: Cranberry Eggnog Loaf Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjBYvW_toWzUzqr7pQWlBhl-QrwOCAn4nV5MOxgE13_x_bdn2Qg65OSRs6HNqPmwzyyAi5esAvflAnLbw5IhIOSOBUc3k4Ou7azGL8CZvBTZUtvOHxbilG47TfwU-GufUBEZWHIvkiSQ/s1600/Eggnog+Cranberry+Loaf+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjBYvW_toWzUzqr7pQWlBhl-QrwOCAn4nV5MOxgE13_x_bdn2Qg65OSRs6HNqPmwzyyAi5esAvflAnLbw5IhIOSOBUc3k4Ou7azGL8CZvBTZUtvOHxbilG47TfwU-GufUBEZWHIvkiSQ/s1600/Eggnog+Cranberry+Loaf+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It feels like I blinked and the year flew by. However, looking back, I have packed in quite a lot since January. For instance, I made this cake at the end of the 2014 Christmas period, too late to post on here and be relevant, so left it in my drafts folder and completely forgot about it. (Discovering this post couldn't have been more timely, as I have not had time to bake this weekend!) I knew that I would forget important details such as recipe and taste profile, so I was kind enough to write those down for myself at the time.</div>
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Quick note RE eggnog: It's not easy to buy ready made in the UK (except for the Starbucks variety, which I do incidentally love), so I've made my own for the past two years. I remember bookmarking the original recipe, but each year since I have not been able to find the bookmark for the previous year's recipe. Trying to guess which recipe I used last year has become a strange tradition, if you can call it that. So I <i>think</i> I used <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/eggnog_9370">this BBC Food recipe</a> last year, without the cherries. But I can't be sure. </div>
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And now, I hand you over to 2014 (possibly early 2015) Janine:</div>
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The cake was perfectly moist, though a little dense (it possibly could have been left in the oven for another 10 minutes or so). The cranberries cut through the sweetness of the sponge beautifully, and the eggnog brings a great subtle flavour. This cake was tasty at all times of day (yes, I ate it for breakfast), and I'll be making it again. Do yourself a favour and make some eggnog, then put it in this cake!</div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<ul>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>250mL Eggnog</li>
<li>100g Fresh Cranberries, plus small handful for decoration</li>
<li>20g Dark Muscovado Sugar</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 170C/160C fan. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is smooth.</li>
<li>Sift the four and baking powder into the batter and add the cranberries. Fold into the batter until well combined.</li>
<li>Fold in the eggnog. The batter should have a soft dropping consistency; if not, add a little more eggnog or milk and try again.</li>
<li>Transfer the batter into the loaf tin.</li>
<li>Sprinkle the extra cranberries over the top of the batter, followed by the muscovado sugar.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 1hr -1hr 30, or until a skewer comes out clean. Check the cake at 1 hour, and then check every 15 minutes to ensure that the cake doesn't over bake.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-84617540031891888502015-11-23T19:29:00.000+00:002015-11-23T19:29:27.341+00:00Baking With Spirit: Spiced Up Bread & Butter Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know, I know... <i><a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/p/baking-with-spirit.html">Baking With Spirit</a></i> posts: they're like buses. Months go by without a single one, and then two come along in the space of a fortnight.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtRXl3N_XbGaoW2d2f5oUtT_axpqMLb_WtFoHjgvlUNvrjmcvJyuTcSLj2L4LfXqpLmwnKHtb0Gxw5aMwUe6SvkfGijGdJTNqjar3aAIV4i443P2MMyxjhCZVOXDNbz68De6pva4day8/s1600/aqua.png" /><br />
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Alas, the Technology Saga Of 2015 continues. In my <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/11/baking-with-spirt-tequila-sunshine.html">last post</a> I mentioned that I was having a long and drawn out battle with my laptop, and I am sad to say that I lost. It just refused to start up, even after being left "starting windows" for an entire eight hour work day, and I decided that it was time to let go. I now sit typing on a brand new, begrudgingly bought, laptop.<br />
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Getting used to Windows 10 has been one thing, but discovering that my external hard drive hadn't actually backed up my data was quite another. Not being able to access the hard drive left me with no option but to deal with the actual hardware and try to extract the data somehow. If you read my previous post, you'll know this is <i>not</i> my forte at all. Unscrewing the base of my old laptop and revealing the motherboard was completely new territory for me, and though I know it can't possibly be damaged any further, I still handled it like one probably handles a new born child, or some delicate, very ancient china.<br />
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Of course, this foray into the unknown could all have been for nothing if the hard drive is completely dead and cannot be restored, in which case all the recent photos that I haven't put on here or Facebook are gone, as are some useful documents like a spreadsheet that I use to budget. Oh, and my collection of logos and other information that I had stored for Cake Of The Week. Wish me luck, readers!<br />
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Now you may be asking yourself what a Spiced Up Bread & Butter Pudding involves. Well, it begins with soaking goji berries in spiced rum, and ends with a warm, spiced pudding that hits just the right spot at this time of year. This is adapted from the traditional British pudding, but here we use sour dough instead of white bread, and goji berries instead of raisins and sultanas (though these are totally acceptable if that's what you have in your cupboard). If you are foreign this dish may well sound revolting, but the creamy custard mixture is absorbed by the bread (day-old, or slightly stale, is best) to produce a soft, spicy and comforting pudding. Just trust me. Would I lead you astray?<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>100g Dried Goji Berries</li>
<li>50mL Spiced Rum <i>(or enough to cover the berries)</i></li>
<li>300g/ Approx. 1/2 Stale Sourdough Loaf</li>
<li>80g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>300mL Milk</li>
<li>200mL Double Cream</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon</li>
<li>1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<i>Adapted from Classic British Puddings by LOVE FOOD</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Put the goji berries in a glass or small bowl, and cover with the spiced rum. Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 12 hours.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and grease a medium sized oven proof dish with butter.</li>
<li>Break the sourdough into small bite-sized pieces (tear rather than chop to get rougher edges).</li>
<li>Use a spoon to evenly disperse the goji berries and any remaining rum amongst the bread pieces.</li>
<li>Sprinkle most of the sugar over the bread, reserving a couple of tablespoons for later.</li>
<li>In a jug, mix the eggs, cream, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg until well mixed. Pour over the bread and stir it around a bit to make sure it is evenly spread.</li>
<li>Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the pudding.</li>
<li>Cover with cling film and allow to soak for at least 15 minutes, but a couple of hours is better.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the custard has set and the pudding is starting to brown on top. Serve hot.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-45033568820122255662015-11-14T18:39:00.001+00:002015-11-14T18:39:14.404+00:00Baking With Spirt: Tequila Sunshine Cheesecake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-hg91FE3BgbbdnGMgx3Ld9kFNd5qvnyT2nfcKzUkY9zKYRxnMqtzlXQUrvyCA4jYwL6PPiDGL15lrQYHvtKYant7aZ-0mFqpHNu9JzMbsyODgVJrlJG_gC2A-h_oPZDz6Wqtqzj-Nw0/s1600/Tequila+Sunshine+Cheesecake+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-hg91FE3BgbbdnGMgx3Ld9kFNd5qvnyT2nfcKzUkY9zKYRxnMqtzlXQUrvyCA4jYwL6PPiDGL15lrQYHvtKYant7aZ-0mFqpHNu9JzMbsyODgVJrlJG_gC2A-h_oPZDz6Wqtqzj-Nw0/s400/Tequila+Sunshine+Cheesecake+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Have you ever seen Zoolander? Remember the bit where <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGX3J6DAGw">Hans and Zoolander try to break into the computer</a>? That's me with hardware. Printers, hoovers, televisions... You name it, I struggle with it. Having grown up with computers (we got our first one when I was seven), software is easy for me to get to grips with but if there's an external issue I am rather challenged. Cue my laptop keyboard suddenly deciding that random keys should no longer work. With my software talent (I use this word loosely) I've ruled out any driver or virus issues, so now all that is left is the actual keyboard itself being the problem. Here my expertise ends, so for the time being I'm making do with the on-screen keyboard and using my phone for writing full on paragraphs (like here on the blog). As I write this, I am also trying to break my laptop from a cycle of blue screening on opening the desktop, so it might just be time for a new one...<br />
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I hope that these issues will magically resolve themselves, but if not 2016 could be the year of a new laptop.<br />
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Now that I have shared with you just how mechanically challenged I am, let's talk about this cheesecake. Ever heard of a Tequila Sunshine Cocktail? Neither have I. Basically I wanted to put orange and tequila in a cheesecake, and wanted a snappy name for it. A classic Tequila cocktail is, of course, the Tequila Sunrise, containing tequila, orange juice and grenadine. Take away the grenadine and I believe this makes sunshine.<br />
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This rich and tangy cheesecake definitely has an adult feel to it. Please <i>don't</i> serve it to children because, if you weren't sure, this does contain a lot of tequila. The base is made from Bourbon Biscuits. (Non-British readers: these biscuits don't actually contain whisky; they are chocolate biscuits sandwiched with a chocolate filling. If you're ever making a cheesecake that goes with chocolate, I highly recommend that you give them a try for your base. If you don't have any orange extract, to hand, the juice from an orange should also do the trick.<br />
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Best served at an adult soirée, or as a decadent dessert, this cheesecake is well worth a try!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>200g Bourbon Biscuits</li>
<li>50g Butter</li>
<li>1 Sachet Gelatine</li>
<li>400g Philadelphia Cheese</li>
<li>200g Mascarpone Cheese</li>
<li>150g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3-4 Drops Orange Extract</li>
<li>25-50mL Tequila</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Recipe</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Crush the biscuits into crumbs and stir into the melted butter. (Or blend it all together in a food processor - no need to melt the butter.) Press the biscuit mixture into the base of a 10" springform tin that has been lined with baking parchment. Place to one side.</li>
<li>Prepare the gelatine as per the manufacturer's instructions.</li>
<li>In a mixing bowl, beat the Philadelphia and mascarpone cheeses together with the caster sugar.</li>
<li>Stir in the orange extract and tequila to taste - if you like your tequila, you may need more than the recipe states to get the balance right.</li>
<li>Stir in the gelatine and mix until smooth.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture on top of the biscuit base.</li>
<li>To get the orange design on top of the cheesecake I swirled some yellow/orange food colouring gel through the cheesecake mixture before setting it.</li>
<li>Place the cheesecake in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours. Should be kept in the fridge until served.</li>
</ul>
Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-14248499975792960922015-10-17T17:34:00.000+01:002015-10-17T17:34:10.431+01:00Caramel Apple Crumble Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's Autumn again, and I couldn't go without showing you <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2013/11/caramel-apple-slice-official-attempt-2.html">another</a> <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2014/10/caramel-apple-crumble.html">apple & caramel</a> combo. I don't know why exactly, but a chill in the air always sends me running for those ingredients. And crumble needs no explanation; it just makes everything better, don't you think? </div>
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I made this cake twice: once to bring to work and once for some friends. It got some great reviews, and at work someone liked it so much that they had two slices, thus preventing someone else on the team from getting any. I mean, I couldn't exactly complain when I had a compliment like that, could I?</div>
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This Caramel Apple Crumble Cake has a crispy caramel and crumble topping which sits on a moist sponge filled with apple pieces. Perfect as a naughty breakfast, or an afternoon treat. Excellent with custard.</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<i>Crumble</i></div>
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100g Butter</div>
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100g Caster Sugar</div>
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100g Plain Flour</div>
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<i>Sponge</i></div>
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200g Butter</div>
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200g Caster Sugar</div>
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3 Eggs</div>
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2 Bramley Apples, <i>peeled and chopped into chunks </i></div>
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200g Plain Flour</div>
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1 Tsp Cinnamon</div>
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2 Tsp Baking Powder</div>
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<i>Caramel</i></div>
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150g Caster Sugar</div>
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100mL (approx) Water</div>
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100mL Double Cream</div>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<i>Crumble</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Place the ingredients in a mixing bowl and rub together with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Place to one side.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Sponge</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan and line a 10" springform cake tin with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat the eggs in, one at a time, until smooth.</li>
<li>Fold the apple chunks into the batter until well combined.</li>
<li>Sieve the flour, cinnamon and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>Transfer the batter into the springform tin, then sprinkle the crumble over the top.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Caramel</i> </div>
<ul>
<li>While the cake bakes, put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and cover with water. Heat on a medium setting until the water has boiled off and the sugar has turned golden brown.</li>
<li>Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, followed by the cream.</li>
<li>When the cake is removed from the oven, spike it all over with a skewer and pour the caramel over the top, ensuring that it covers the cake evenly.</li>
</ul>
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<br />Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-54681569577507624402015-10-08T19:27:00.002+01:002015-10-08T19:27:55.308+01:00Baking With Spirit Spotlight: Chocolate & Whisky Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/05/baking-with-spirit-spotlight-pina.html">quite a while</a> since my last <i><a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/p/baking-with-spirit.html">Baking With Spirit: Spotlight</a></i> post, so you can be forgiven for not knowing what this is all about. The gist of it is that I enjoy baking with booze, and I want to highlight some of the great recipes I find on the blogosphere (thus encouraging myself to make more of them). Today, the spotlight falls on Linzi at <a href="http://lancashire-food.blogspot.co.uk/">Lancashire Food</a>'s <a href="http://lancashire-food.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/chocolate-whiskey-bundt-cake.html">Chocolate & Whisky Bundt Cake</a>.<br />
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Linzi made this cake back in 2012 as a thank you to some helpful care staff. She describes it as a "dark delight, with more adult flavour", and says that the alcohol can be changed to one of your choosing, e.g. rum or amaretto. This post actually features in an old-style Baking With Spirit challenge, under the <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2013/11/baking-with-spirit-whisky-round-up.html">Whisky Round Up</a>.<br />
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Unfortunately I don't own a bundt tin, so I made my Chocolate & Whisky Cake in a 10" springform cake tin. I don't own anything for guidance with American cup measurements, so I guestimated using my knowledge of cake ratios.<br />
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How was it? Well, although I couldn't taste the whisky, apparently everyone at work could. I don't know what that says about me... The cake was dense and chocolatey, and a few (misguided) people thought it was a chocolate brownie. I think either I should have whisked more air into the batter, or a bit more raising agent could have been used, as the cake didn't rise very well. That being said, I would absolutely make this cake again, and it was so popular at work that some strangers stole a bit... can't say I blame them!<br />
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Make sure you check out <a href="http://lancashire-food.blogspot.co.uk/">Lancashire Food</a> for the recipe and many more excellent sweet and savoury recipes.Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-63855197297628047012015-09-21T20:35:00.000+01:002015-09-21T20:35:37.534+01:00Blackberry & Chocolate Cake<div class="MsoNormal">
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If you’ve been keeping up with me on social media, you’ll
know that I recently came across a massive stock of blackberries. I’m very new
to the area, but a friend of mine who knows it relatively well tipped me off on
where to find them. The countryside is not for me, but at least there is a plentiful supply of wild fruit!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08cGC6qPgqMNTLinSZWQFDJ6_N3BZldGWVfwRcSrEi7GJOkmH2PUlfPhfFvVt-xyiVN9XDhTyHN-iQkG-8uCPA8CDony85y88sF3i5ltjoS4KKgzQJx4IqmeUyWtXpkSN5VbB0Y_uJSY/s1600/Blackberry+%2526+Chocolate+Cake+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08cGC6qPgqMNTLinSZWQFDJ6_N3BZldGWVfwRcSrEi7GJOkmH2PUlfPhfFvVt-xyiVN9XDhTyHN-iQkG-8uCPA8CDony85y88sF3i5ltjoS4KKgzQJx4IqmeUyWtXpkSN5VbB0Y_uJSY/s400/Blackberry+%2526+Chocolate+Cake+%25284%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you know, I don't really play by the rules when it comes to baking. My new work collegues had been pre-warned that I might bring in cake (about five minutes of my interview were spent discussing cake, which was not really anything to do with the job), but they don't know what weird and wonderful combinations they have in store for them! The first combination was this Blackberry & Chocolate Cake, and it went down rather well. Not everyone was a fan of the dark chocolate, but that's ok because they were in the minority. The more people eating my cake that aren't me, the better.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXWgstaUXHke5z-3SDXVJ4ZbyLDVKGPjgPl96PuucGGEr0YT-di0Avj8AIak_72fxoyIUJ5v1NU0FYXPxHluzRdXwKIzuIA-6EX_Xj26Nh_OR6TkAIZZ8LHTXxeyq-T0LQD5YUsegnIM/s1600/Blackberry+%2526+Chocolate+Cake+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXWgstaUXHke5z-3SDXVJ4ZbyLDVKGPjgPl96PuucGGEr0YT-di0Avj8AIak_72fxoyIUJ5v1NU0FYXPxHluzRdXwKIzuIA-6EX_Xj26Nh_OR6TkAIZZ8LHTXxeyq-T0LQD5YUsegnIM/s400/Blackberry+%2526+Chocolate+Cake+%25286%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The sponge is full of blackberries, then sandwiched and topped with a dark chocolate ganache. It's very simple, but delicious too. Perfect as an afternoon indulgence.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>300g Blackberries</li>
<li>50mL Milk</li>
<li>200g Dark Chocolate</li>
<li>100mL Double Cream</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Line two 9" cake tins with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time until the batter is smooth.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>Fold in the blackberries and milk.</li>
<li>Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, make the ganache. Melt the chocolate and double cream in a saucepan over a low heat. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally.</li>
<li>Sandwich the cakes together with half of the ganache and spread the remainder over the top.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNsLlAg_nwoLFQh1-PUPkXy5M03vfHaS3coTeTQleTr0ZZ_M7lhQsUMFAwpQaPqjVIpx7YNGGKCgFy9r2r3r0KGN8Sn1wZwPd7TL8fL6d0bwz4KZZePvPkSnrBjW_0ZOzb2MDiMMSgRo/s1600/Blackberry+%2526+Chocolate+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNsLlAg_nwoLFQh1-PUPkXy5M03vfHaS3coTeTQleTr0ZZ_M7lhQsUMFAwpQaPqjVIpx7YNGGKCgFy9r2r3r0KGN8Sn1wZwPd7TL8fL6d0bwz4KZZePvPkSnrBjW_0ZOzb2MDiMMSgRo/s400/Blackberry+%2526+Chocolate+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-59319071210854229082015-09-07T17:57:00.000+01:002015-09-07T18:04:25.849+01:00Junk Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGzCBu8W-A8aaorBOJy0NcNfZ0UB8yf6zrOgao80v-K4yy95dxSwzqvjicTBl3P-RVH8M_tZ6ZZNsOJHeguGcyPs0Rtn7EaMwzbMy22edFjL7q-Jg0qjfDu8E-I3buMNL4BuXwkCnQfE/s1600/Junk+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGzCBu8W-A8aaorBOJy0NcNfZ0UB8yf6zrOgao80v-K4yy95dxSwzqvjicTBl3P-RVH8M_tZ6ZZNsOJHeguGcyPs0Rtn7EaMwzbMy22edFjL7q-Jg0qjfDu8E-I3buMNL4BuXwkCnQfE/s400/Junk+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyone who has moved house will know that there comes a
point where one must decide what to do with all the random bits of food in the
backs of cupboards and the freezer. Do you <i>a</i>)
keep them, and take them with you to your next home? Or <i>b</i>) try to use them up?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This cake is for those of you who chose option <i>b</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As regulars will
know, <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/08/sour-cherry-pistachio-crocodile-biscuits.html">I just moved house</a>. During the chaotic last seven days in my flat, I was
faced with the same decision I just gave all of you. When it came to clearing
through all of my belongings and slowly realising that they would not all fit
in my little Nissan Micra, holding on to scraps of food and open bags of cake
decorations was not going to be worth the struggle. And so, this Junk Cake was
born.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This cake is designed to hold everything you want to use up.
It becomes a nifty way to feed all your sugary food scraps to innocent friends
and family in the guise of making a farewell cake, albeit an unusual one. My
cake contained scraps of: <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/08/sour-cherry-pistachio-crocodile-biscuits.html">Sour Cherry & Pistachio Biscuit</a> Dough; Golden
Graham cheesecake base; white chocolate chips; glace cherries; fruit split ice
lollies. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that this cake is based on ice cream. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcjxtVqCejqh47EnRC1kBsBV9QWy7dC1BGhYoVwWfz6aVImwE0g6qGl7qEazv34meYWwob-e-FryzK6X7lIXZBd8_LAlj6VRdK3XauArzHc957Xi_IbgA7EL2DQZxZi-Ox0qmoYFplmQ/s1600/Junk+Cake+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcjxtVqCejqh47EnRC1kBsBV9QWy7dC1BGhYoVwWfz6aVImwE0g6qGl7qEazv34meYWwob-e-FryzK6X7lIXZBd8_LAlj6VRdK3XauArzHc957Xi_IbgA7EL2DQZxZi-Ox0qmoYFplmQ/s400/Junk+Cake+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I bought some fruit split lollies (the ones with a fruity
ice exterior and an ice cream middle, all on a wooden stick) a while back but
wasn’t keen on them, so they’d been lounging in my freezer for most of the
summer. Whilst clearing through my food supplies to find scraps for my Junk
Cake, I found them and, remembering the <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2013/08/salted-caramel-white-chocolate-pecan.html">Salted Caramel Ice Cream Loaf Cake</a> I’d
made, knew exactly what I would do. The latter cake was made shortly after
befriending my flatmate (in fact it was him who introduced me to the concept),
so in a way it was nice to make another ice cream cake and bring our time
together full circle. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this cake, the ice cream replaces the egg, sugar and fat.
I only had 100g ice cream so I made 100g of normal cake batter to make up the
volume of the cake. If you have 200g (room temperature) ice cream, omit the
sugar, butter and eggs and simply skip to the part where we fold in the ice
cream.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ingredients</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">100g Butter</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">100g Caster Sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">2 Eggs</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">100g Ice Cream </span><i style="text-indent: -18pt;">(room temperature)</i></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">100g Plain Flour</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">2 Tsp Baking Powder</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">2-3 Tbsp Milk</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">100-200g Sweet Food Scraps </span><i style="text-indent: -18pt;">(see above for examples)</i></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and line two
cake tins or a tray bake tin with baking parchment.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Cream the butter and sugar together until light
and fluffy.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the
batter is smooth.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Sieve the flour and baking powder into the
batter, and fold in until well combined.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Fold in the room temperature (i.e. melted) ice
cream until well combined.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">If the batter does not have a soft dropping
consistency, fold in the milk until this is achieved.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Chop up any large lumps of sweet food scraps and
fold into the batter until well combined.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Divide the batter between the cake tins, or
spread over a tray bake tin. Bake in the oven for 22 minutes, or until a skewer
comes out clean (keeping in mind that some things like chocolate won’t solidify
until the cake cools down).</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-60118287882692004752015-08-20T17:40:00.000+01:002015-08-22T16:24:09.395+01:00Sour Cherry & Pistachio Crocodile Biscuits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQl4H4YIYHhPsJKtgXYGUTL3erezg23o2te9xT3vugwUHBuXw3Nq5bvSwEJeO3GnMPjVC3fN2aTUwizq8EuEPejv0BdzU7vM_hm2aw0GzdqpsKOgit9TdUBlWR7j4Yl2a-nUf-JsCp4E/s1600/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQl4H4YIYHhPsJKtgXYGUTL3erezg23o2te9xT3vugwUHBuXw3Nq5bvSwEJeO3GnMPjVC3fN2aTUwizq8EuEPejv0BdzU7vM_hm2aw0GzdqpsKOgit9TdUBlWR7j4Yl2a-nUf-JsCp4E/s400/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25283%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Oh yeah. Crocodile shaped biscuits, flavoured with freeze dried sour cherries and coated with pistachio pieces.<br />
<br />
So I know it's been a little while since my last post (or it feels like it). What have I been doing? Mostly preparing to move to Birmingham and start my new job. As <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/07/lemon-fool-cupcakes.html">previously mentioned</a>, I'm incredibly happy to be finally leaving the Cambridgeshire Fens, and it feels like a new chapter of my life is about to begin. Since we last spoke, I've been hunting out and buying my first real furniture (I'm not counting my £30 book case, nor my £20 hat stand) and dealing with general moving house admin, like sorting bills and addresses out. It's all felt like quite the whirlwind, and has kept me pretty occupied, but I of course still found time to bake these biscuits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwvHzXQpgg013bOBB_svkKf4LetUylfduKaFU4f2_uG1LDi3KyvmtMnTiNfYF4uYjy-ugJR716ovtTGxBtJ6gAYyqngUMqUx7UtQftC01wf4nRz4jpO2q96KHew3yr4QqNRdEeccWV1g/s1600/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwvHzXQpgg013bOBB_svkKf4LetUylfduKaFU4f2_uG1LDi3KyvmtMnTiNfYF4uYjy-ugJR716ovtTGxBtJ6gAYyqngUMqUx7UtQftC01wf4nRz4jpO2q96KHew3yr4QqNRdEeccWV1g/s400/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I never had a very standard cookie cutter collection. Until my trip to <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/06/stockholm-venice-of-north.html">Sweden</a> in June, I only had a <a href="http://janinebakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/rainbow-dinosaur-pinata-biscuits.html">dinosaur</a> and a <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/04/raspberry-vanilla-sandwich-biscuits.html">heart</a>. Now I also have a reindeer, a moose, a turtle and a crocodile. So... still not a standard collection, but a more varied one at least. Circles are boring, anyway; I prefer to think outside of the biscuit tin.<br />
<br />
...Moving on from that attempt at a pun, these biscuits were very popular. The freeze-dried cherry flavour came through very well, and was complimented excellently by the pistachios. I'm not sure whether I like the white chocolate chip eyes that I gave the crocodiles, so I'll let you have the final decision on whether to use them or not. I found the cutters in Sweden, as mentioned earlier, but I'm sure any animal (or indeed any shape at all) would work just as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMibDBNHBZFXrG8szB4Wk7ESigLyVeg1V88ihcjr_adsOQ1VkFkqa4lJjJxBrQRx9GNHmxOHoKJ8D1823LvPoZVh6G2oTnaaP9wbzLzt6w0dK4V0z6fJesHvrieAGM3sDeegNtsI_xOG4/s1600/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMibDBNHBZFXrG8szB4Wk7ESigLyVeg1V88ihcjr_adsOQ1VkFkqa4lJjJxBrQRx9GNHmxOHoKJ8D1823LvPoZVh6G2oTnaaP9wbzLzt6w0dK4V0z6fJesHvrieAGM3sDeegNtsI_xOG4/s400/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Makes Approx. 20</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Ingredients</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>2 Tbsp Freeze Dried Sour Cherry Powder</li>
<li>175g Plain Flour</li>
<li>80g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>120g Butter</li>
<li>1 Egg Yolk</li>
<li>3 Tbsp Milk</li>
<li>100g Ground Pistachios <i>(this may be a gross miscalculation - use best judgement)</i></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Put the freeze dried cherry powder, plain flour and sugar in a bowl and stir well. </li>
<li>Add the butter and rub into the flour mixture with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.</li>
<li>Stir in the egg yolk and milk; the mixture should form a firm dough.</li>
<li><i style="font-weight: bold;">Alternatively</i> place the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor and process until well mixed. Add the milk and egg yolk, then process again until the mixture forms a ball of dough.</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Roll out the dough on a floured surface (after removing the cling film) to about 1cm thickness. </li>
<li>Cut out crocodile shapes using the cutter. Transfer the crocodiles to baking trays that are lined with baking parchment, then roll out the remaining dough and repeat until there is not enough left for another crocodile. Don't worry about putting too much space between the crocodiles, as the biscuits don't spread in the oven.</li>
<li>Cover the baking trays with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.</li>
<li>Remove the cling film and bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they begin to firm up and turn slightly golden. They won't firm up completely in the oven; this happens as they cool.</li>
<li>Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle the biscuits with ground pistachio. Be as sparing or as liberal as you see fit.</li>
<li>Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudeXVo12n7KJcc5gXugbJ5eU_D0nBI3F4Yw8qWJkO7BTViMW2Sxip-jTzXY2osxhDMg5qX8EGj-WqHRWvBxzBvEG5i_1a_ghOP3VYQ8O5S-SWiorLIAgehalJXACOrBdpGGI_mCrq-lo/s1600/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudeXVo12n7KJcc5gXugbJ5eU_D0nBI3F4Yw8qWJkO7BTViMW2Sxip-jTzXY2osxhDMg5qX8EGj-WqHRWvBxzBvEG5i_1a_ghOP3VYQ8O5S-SWiorLIAgehalJXACOrBdpGGI_mCrq-lo/s400/Crocodile+Biscuits+%25284%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Kat from <a href="http://www.thebakingexplorer.com/">The Baking Explorer</a> runs <a href="http://www.thebakingexplorer.com/2015/08/treat-petite-august.html">Treat Petite</a> with Stuart from <a href="http://www.cakeyboi.com/">Cakeyboi</a>, and this month's challenge is to bake something that was made on Great British Bake Off. I have to confess that GBBO isn't really my thing and I have never watched it, but since Kat suggested that I enter I will trust that these biscuits fit into the theme.<br />
<br />
<img height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeTD5uYVqn2z2WpYcbQmmRCr0NjXFf6rGgiVP4BC3M_5rx32gmqchbfIg3x6homqiVYlevRCtoQlUSQ2b3nGTZFKlGuP2S3I7DMuSfMni0Y7aranUlHLgOAoUi6s0P8n8ut9oz5jxrws/s200/NEW+LOGO.png" width="200" />Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-71315071987694921512015-08-04T19:24:00.000+01:002016-07-02T14:25:43.950+01:00Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
"Roasted <i>Balsamic</i> Strawberry Cake?!" I hear you cry in alarm. Fear not, dear readers! This is a tale of profound success. So much success, in fact, that I this is actually the third time I've made this cake in the space of about 3 weeks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7GiHzhdaTGB4MY8EpbKvlFcDujToY6UKr2A8ObvPtWDf9_vvcqW4Xo1mv1PzMTOINhcfIfqqKNY489gd621XKjW0LPX7DN7NnDBSPVnpwZtiupCsZEmpV0jCrBPa6EcveM6EtNgLsmA/s1600/Roasted+Balsalmic+Strawberry+Streusel+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7GiHzhdaTGB4MY8EpbKvlFcDujToY6UKr2A8ObvPtWDf9_vvcqW4Xo1mv1PzMTOINhcfIfqqKNY489gd621XKjW0LPX7DN7NnDBSPVnpwZtiupCsZEmpV0jCrBPa6EcveM6EtNgLsmA/s400/Roasted+Balsalmic+Strawberry+Streusel+Cake+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Perhaps you have already heard of roasting strawberries in balsamic vinegar. It's something I've seen on a couple of my favourite blogs, and eventually decided to give it a go myself. It brings out their flavour dramatically, and there is absolutely no hint of balsamic left over. I decided that the best way to present these strawberries would be in cake form - but of course!</div>
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I wanted to top my cake with a streusel topping of sorts, and recalled an amazing cinnamon-sugar-struesel concoction that I have previously made from <a href="http://www.thecandidappetite.com/2013/10/18/cinnamon-sugar-coffee-cake/">The Candid Appetite</a>. (The recipe that the streusel comes from is for a "Coffee Cake", but I was incredibly thrown to discover that there was actually no coffee in said cake. I guess this is an American thing, meaning it goes with coffee, rather than containing it. Americans - can you help me understand?) The topping works wonderfully with the strawberries, and turns a perfectly tasty cake into an exceptional one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6smGdrq4JM_hWAt1OjU7g0YL_LnaQENsrKA6zvDX41O2Vwn8ST2_Y1yHIYpKFViOkfqqyY_RofQ4HYzH4wMm8wsSrIMu4h3J7-U29bmKvzrSSKOOdCEcP-FHev6qGOqVtMal3sXmja4w/s1600/Roasted+Balsalmic+Strawberry+Streusel+Cake+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6smGdrq4JM_hWAt1OjU7g0YL_LnaQENsrKA6zvDX41O2Vwn8ST2_Y1yHIYpKFViOkfqqyY_RofQ4HYzH4wMm8wsSrIMu4h3J7-U29bmKvzrSSKOOdCEcP-FHev6qGOqVtMal3sXmja4w/s400/Roasted+Balsalmic+Strawberry+Streusel+Cake+%25284%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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If I still haven't persuaded you to make it, this cake is moist, sweet (with just the right amount of acidity from the fruit) and has a slight crunch thanks to the streusel topping. Serve it for breakfast, for afternoon tea, or with coffee. (Does this make it a coffee cake, America?) Try it!</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<i>Roasted Strawberries - recipe from <a href="http://www.completelydelicious.com/2013/03/roasted-balsamic-strawberry-shortcakes.html">Completely Delicious</a></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>400g Strawberries</li>
<li>4 Tbsp Caster Sugar</li>
<li>4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar</li>
</ul>
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<i>Cinnamon Sugar Streusel - recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.thecandidappetite.com/2013/10/18/cinnamon-sugar-coffee-cake/">The Candid Appetite</a></i></div>
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<ul>
<li>100g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1/2 Tsp Salt</li>
<li>100g Plain Flour</li>
<li>1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon</li>
<li>100g Butter, <i>melted</i></li>
</ul>
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<i>Cake</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>1/2 Tsp Salt</li>
<li>50mL Milk</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<i>Roasted Strawberries</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.</li>
<li>Hull and halve the strawberries (slice them up a bit more if they are large).</li>
<li>Place the strawberries in a roasting tin and cover with the sugar and balsamic vinegar.</li>
<li>Toss the strawberries to ensure they are easily covered, then place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the juices have started to thicken.</li>
<li>Place to one side and allow to cool.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Cinnamon Sugar Streusel</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Place the sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt in a bowl and mix well.</li>
<li>Make a well in the mixture and pour in the melted butter.</li>
<li>Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together well, breaking any chunks up as you go.</li>
<li>Place to one side.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Cake & Assembly</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan (or leave it on from when you roasted the strawberries), and line a tray bake tin or 2 x 9in square cake tins with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter, folding in until well combined.</li>
<li>Stir in the salt and enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into your cake tin.</li>
<li>Cover the cake batter with the roasted strawberries, trying to achieve an even distribution.</li>
<li>Cover with the Cinnamon Sugar Streusel, again trying to achieve an even distribution.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out without any batter on it.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-8042350541009007512015-07-26T11:29:00.001+01:002015-07-26T11:29:38.489+01:00Lemon Fool Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzPQpoXtNPUK_C2wnbNDViTKkFkULdXLTsw196YTpZHJaxHX8voxl1A6ohyphenhyphen65HfstRzUiFGbfF3xIuXPniQx-gnwBAO4WiCI3nxWFEyl0iNdWbuMxSzmk_yGFclIweH5qXXtBoVHBUPo/s1600/Lemon+Fool+Cupcakes+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzPQpoXtNPUK_C2wnbNDViTKkFkULdXLTsw196YTpZHJaxHX8voxl1A6ohyphenhyphen65HfstRzUiFGbfF3xIuXPniQx-gnwBAO4WiCI3nxWFEyl0iNdWbuMxSzmk_yGFclIweH5qXXtBoVHBUPo/s400/Lemon+Fool+Cupcakes+%25285%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ah, British summers. One moment we're complaining because it's too hot, the next we're complaining because the sun has retreated behind the clouds and it's threatening to rain for the next two months.<br />
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However, I am not too fussed about the weather outside because I received some exciting news this week. I've been offered a new job, and am moving to Birmingham at the end of August. This is the culmination of months of job applications and despair that I will never leave the <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2014/11/cranberryapple-muffins.html">Cambridgeshire Fens</a>. I've been living here for two years now, and have had enough. There is some beautiful scenery here with endless landscape (because there are no hills here - the land was a swamp until steam pumps were brought in a couple of hundred years ago), but there isn't a lot to do for a single person with no roots in the area. Now I have an opportunity to move on, and I can't wait to live in a busy, cosmopolitan city again.<br />
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Wherever you are in the world, the smooth lemon flavour in these Lemon Fool Cupcakes is sure to make you feel a little bit like summer. I was originally planning to make Eton Mess Cupcakes, but my raspberries went off before I could use them. The whole point of making the cupcakes was actually a ruse to use up a tub of meringue that I <i>may</i> have bought when I was still a student (so we're going back more than two years...) - what better way to decorate a cream-topped cupcake than with meringue pieces?</div>
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Lemon Fool is not that well known these days, but is a dessert using lemon curd, whipped cream and possibly meringue pieces. Think summery BBQ and garden party settings. I first heard of it in a recipe book that I was given for my GCSE Food Technology course, which was full of useful gems but hasn't been seen since I left my student halls in 2010, my to my chagrin. </div>
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These cupcakes are made with lemon juice to give a smooth lemon flavour, topped with sweetened whipped cream which has been swirled with lemon rind, then sprinkled with crushed meringue pieces. Of course, you can make your own meringue or <i>even</i> use newly-bought meringues, if you so desire. The Lemon Fool Cupcakes went down well at work, though there was some debate about whether the meringue still tasted fresh...</div>
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<b>Makes 12</b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<ul>
<li>260g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>1 Lemon</li>
<li>300mL Double Cream</li>
<li>2-3 Crushed Meringues</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan, and line a cupcake tin with cases.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and 200g sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>Grate the rind from the lemon, collecting it in a separate bowl, and place to one side.</li>
<li>Squeeze the lemon into the cake batter, then fold in until smooth. The batter should have a soft dropping consistency, but if not add a little milk until this is achieved.</li>
<li>Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and bake for 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.</li>
<li>When the cakes are cool, place the cream, remaining sugar and lemon rind in a bowl and whisk until the cream has a stiff peak consistency.</li>
<li>Pipe the cream onto the cakes, decorating with pieces of crushed meringue.</li>
<li>Store in the fridge.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pbrVWSL9EvIg0QhP8n_9Bdq5tmKGlr-Vi42V9pgK1xiJy19A9lL3PKmh-J9mGDbPlZZlbdfwyExjWTjy9dijK5gBoLgZJjOtc1w5lP1L3s3RWb9tgSwDPq4-nPmGfHjVTAVswcKkND4/s1600/Lemon+Fool+Cupcakes+%25284%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pbrVWSL9EvIg0QhP8n_9Bdq5tmKGlr-Vi42V9pgK1xiJy19A9lL3PKmh-J9mGDbPlZZlbdfwyExjWTjy9dijK5gBoLgZJjOtc1w5lP1L3s3RWb9tgSwDPq4-nPmGfHjVTAVswcKkND4/s400/Lemon+Fool+Cupcakes+%25284%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-80820412886241716842015-07-09T20:43:00.000+01:002015-07-09T20:57:35.692+01:00Baking With Spirit: Aztec Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend, in the midst of the heat, I met up with my mother in London. She lived there for many years during her twenties, so she took the opportunity to show me her old haunts and one of her old homes near Hyde Park. It was a nice walk down memory lane for her, and a chance for me to learn some things I never knew about her youth.<br />
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In her many years of living in London, my mum never went to Borough Market - perhaps it has only become such a bustling hub of food in recent years? In the two years since moving from Newcastle to Cambridgeshire, I've been getting to know London a little better and make fairly frequent visits to the market. The tables were turned, and this time I was the tour guide. My favourite parts of the market are the cheese counters and the cake stalls. I love the aged comt<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">é best, though I have to say my enjoyment of the cheese counters is bolstered by the flirty men who often sell them. For some reason, selling cheese and flirtation go hand in hand, or at least they do at Borough Market. My mum really enjoyed the market, and bought some bread and French cakes to take home with her. Success!</span></span><br />
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This is actually my second attempt at these cupcakes. I made them several months ago, but the tequila wasn't detectable and nor was the chilli powder I used, so essentially I had made fancy chocolate cupcakes. This time, I used chilli flakes to disperse the flavour much more effectively throughout the sponge, and a tequila syrup (seen before in these <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2015/03/baking-with-spirit-tequila-slammer.html">Tequila Slammer Cupcakes</a>) adds a nice tequila background. These Aztec Cupcakes got rave reviews from my friends at work, and, as an added bonus, my good friend Kate found a double use for the edible gold glitter in the form of makeup.<br />
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<b>Makes 12</b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<i>Cupcakes</i><br />
<ul>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>2 Tsp Chilli Flakes</li>
<li>150g Plain Flour</li>
<li>50g Cocoa Powder</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>50mL Milk</li>
</ul>
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<i>Topping</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>200g Dark Chocolate</li>
<li>75mL Tequila</li>
<li>100mL Water</li>
<li>25g Caster Sugar</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and line a cupcake tin with cases.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth.</li>
<li>Chilli flakes until well combined.</li>
<li>Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder, then fold in.</li>
<li>Ensure the batter has a soft dropping consistency - fold in a couple of tablespoons of the milk until this texture is achieved.</li>
<li>Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and bake for 22 minutes.</li>
<li>Make the syrup by mixing 25mL tequila, the caster sugar and 25mL water until the sugar dissolves (gentle heating may be necessary). </li>
<li>While they are still warm, poke holes in the cupcakes using a toothpick, then spoon a tablespoon of the syrup over each one, or brush it over them. Add as much as you dare, without drenching the cakes, and allow to cool.</li>
<li>To make the ganache, put the chocolate in a heatproof jug with the remaining tequila and water. Melt the chocolate in the microwave using 30-second bursts, stir well and allow to cool and solidify.</li>
<li>Get a smooth finish on the cupcakes by dolloping the solidified ganache onto the cupcakes, then dipping a metal spoon into a mug of hot water and using it to smooth the ganache. Decorate with edible gold glitter.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-76382424796451149412015-06-14T11:58:00.000+01:002015-06-14T11:58:04.583+01:00Stockholm: Venice Of The North<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the beginning of this month I got up at the crack of dawn (about 3.45am, as the sun was literally just starting to rise) in order to catch a plane to Stockholm. I was to spend three nights in a boat-hotel (pictured below, middle boat) on the waterfront, and four days exploring the Swedish capital with my dad.<br />
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One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Stockholm's living museum, <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFjAAahUKEwjxt-P3947GAhXFbRQKHZtFALA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skansen.se%2Fen%2Fkategori%2Fenglish&ei=KVJ9VbH_OsXbUZuLgYAL&usg=AFQjCNGeo6sTwh02spC5wi1xuar1yWIqOQ&sig2=F7v0uvC1_l3CLxo8fM3s8A">Skansen</a>. The huge park was bought in the 1800s by a man who wanted to preserve records of life in historical Sweden. The centre of the museum was filled with old wooden buildings with thatched rooves, and it was possible to look inside most of them and talk to actors who pretended to be people from the same era as the houses. If you have never been to a living museum, I highly recommend a trip because they are fascinating.<br />
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Skansen not only housed old buildings and actors, but also a range of animals that are commonly found in Nordic regions like Sweden. There were wolves, wolverines, brown bears, lynx, seals, moose and reindeer, amongst others. I was a little concerned that creatures as big as bears should not be locked up like that, but they had huge enclosures and it was obvious that they were well looked after. When I was watching the brown bears playing in their enclosure, I noticed that the trees around the edges had metal on the trunks to stop the bears climbing them. I saw a tree in the middle which did not have this protection, and as my eyes followed the trunk upwards I was surprised to see a bear sat high in its foliage! It just goes to show that the tree protection was for good reason.<br />
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Another interesting museum was the <a href="http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/">Vasamuseet</a>. A huge wooden ship was built in the 17th Century, but it had a slight tilt. Because of this, on its maiden voyage the ship sailed only one kilometre before tipping over, filling with water and sinking. The ship sat at the bottom of the river for centuries before being rescued in the 1970s. A massive restoration project was undertaken, including spraying it with preservative polyethylene glycol for <i>seventeen years</i> to ensure all of the water was removed from the wood. Today, the ship has been carefully put back together and restored, and can be viewed at the Vasamuseet, along with accompanying displays about the ship, its contents and the life of the sailors who would have worked on it. This is definitely a must see if you ever visit the city.<br />
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I had heard that the food in Sweden was outlandishly expensive, but I didn't find this to be the case at all. I'm not sure if the pound is particularly strong against Swedish Krona at the moment, but honestly the food was the same price as you would find in the UK. On the first night we ate in a tiny restaurant which served real Swedish food; on the second we ate Italian (we were taken in by friendly waiters and hunger); on the last night we ate at a Spanish Tapas bar. All of the food was excellent quality, particularly the Swedish and Spanish foods. Another thing that I really loved was that all meals, be it in a cafe or a restaurant, came with free bread and butter (usually left near the till where you often find napkins, so you could literally help yourself), and there was a jug of tap water at every food or drink outlet. I know that some fancy fast food places now leave a jug of water out for customers, but this whole bread and butter thing is a really nice idea that I would love to see in the UK.<br />
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Though Swedish culture is rather Western in feel - they have coffee shops, chain clothing stores and fast food restaurants that can be found in most city centres in Western Europe - there were definitely some behaviours or traditions that I found a little strange. In Stockholm (having only visited one Swedish city, I feel I can't really vouch for the whole country) it is perfectly normal to have unisex public toilets. I found them in shopping centres, department stores and even in restaurants. Everybody used cubicles, so there wasn't really any awkwardness, but I couldn't really get comfortable with this idea.<br />
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Another difference that I noticed at the end of my trip was that Swedes really don't understand proper queueing etiquette. I know that I'm going to sound very British here, but they really had no sense of personal space or understanding of how order is maintained in a queue. In the queue to get on the plane home, and again at passport control, I had people behind me who would get so close that they knocked into my bag every time we moved forward; they even at one point moved forward so much that they were standing next to me in the queue. Of course, despite being immensely irritated by this (keep in mind that I was also pretty tired at this point), I am British so all I did was blink furiously, pull irritated faces and glare at them when they got too close.<br />
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On the whole I loved Stockholm. The architecture is truly stunning, and it was a real novelty to get boats everywhere, as being an archipelago this was the fastest way to get from one island to the other. There was so much to do, and there are endless museums to visit. Of course, the food is fantastic and the people are incredibly friendly (even if they don't queue properly). The weather when I visited at the start of June was pretty much what you would expect in the South of England, but given how far North I was, I think this is very impressive. Book a trip to Stockholm!<br />
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<br />Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-90991094602106164502015-06-07T13:23:00.000+01:002015-06-07T13:23:14.786+01:00Strawberry & Rhubarb Crumble<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I really think that summer could be here. I was away in Stockholm for the first four days of the month (<a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/p/travel.html">Travel</a> post coming soon), but since I came back the weather has been positively balmy. So far, my prediction that bad May means good summer is proving to be correct (though I realise there is a <i>lot</i> of time left in which I could be proven wrong).<br />
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I often miss the Rhubarb season, but this year I have been snapping so much of it up from the discount shelf at the supermarket that I have had way too much than I know what to do with. I have mostly been waiting too long to use it, then stewing the fruit so that I can eat it later on. Yesterday, though, I decided to change it up a bit.<br />
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I've never actually put strawberries and rhubarb together, but I am so glad that I did. The flavours really do marry well together. I always love a good crumble, but here there is also a nice contrast in flavour as the strawberries are very soft, whilst the rhubarb is still quite firm (though if you want, you could cook the crumble for longer or stew the fruit first). My only issue is that the fruit released <i>so much</i> liquid whilst cooking, that the crumble is basically swimming in a fruit syrup. I will try to harvest the syrup after the crumble is finished; <a href="http://www.supergoldenbakes.com/">Supergolden Bakes</a> has some great (and, even better, boozy) uses for rhubarb and strawberry syrup.<br />
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This Strawberry & Rhubarb Crumble can be served hot or cold, alone or with custard or ice cream.<br />
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<i>Note: I didn't make enough crumble topping for a thick layer over the fruit; if you prefer this, double the flour and butter, and use another 75g caster sugar.</i><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>225g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>150g Plain Flour</li>
<li>75g Butter</li>
<li>400g Strawberries</li>
<li>400g Rhubarb</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and find an oven proof dish that is approx 10inx10in</li>
<li>Make the crumble topping by dumping 75g of the caster sugar, all of the flour and the butter into a mixing bowl and rubbing together with your finger tips until the mixture loosely resembles breadcrumbs. </li>
<li>Hull and halve the strawberries, and chop the rhubarb into 1cm/0.5in chunks.</li>
<li>Layer the strawberries, rhubarb and remaining caster sugar in your oven proof dish. You could toss the fruit in a couple of tablespoons of cornflour here to avoid my situation, where the crumble is almost drowned in syrup.</li>
<li>Top with the crumble topping, and sprinkle with a little extra sugar if desired.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-84204837897803976862015-05-31T15:18:00.001+01:002015-05-31T15:27:38.344+01:00Haribo Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoeEIiDeCPW-0zGHBM9kkmqwH_8cGvvGD9LNNtNxfBOEG2had3Y4qbe7mWjhjCjDRgCtzuleGfkO5W-AlXDoGZ38md_OuhnHegXaJ6G_Zt3A09qWcwT8uPNXTFm-58v_iIoOkjgaooDc/s1600/Haribo+Cake+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFoeEIiDeCPW-0zGHBM9kkmqwH_8cGvvGD9LNNtNxfBOEG2had3Y4qbe7mWjhjCjDRgCtzuleGfkO5W-AlXDoGZ38md_OuhnHegXaJ6G_Zt3A09qWcwT8uPNXTFm-58v_iIoOkjgaooDc/s400/Haribo+Cake+%25287%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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What started as a way to save money on gifts, whilst still showing that I care, has become a bit of a tradition. I am no longer the thrifty student I once was, but this doesn't stop me making birthday cakes for good friends of mine. I find that the ability to show that you know them well enough to make something they like, and that you would put in all the effort just for them, goes a long way.</div>
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I love baking for other people for several reasons. It not lets me design something to their tastes as opposed to my own (I'm rarely going to bake a cake on a whim if I won't like the end result). It gives me an excuse to make more spectacular cakes (time permitting). Most importantly, it means I will only be able to justify eating once slice because the cake was meant for someone else. Previous birthday cakes include <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/08/eight-layer-kahlua-cake-with-rainbow.html">Eight Layer Kahlua Cake (With A Rainbow Inside)</a>, <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/2012/12/chocolate-brown-ale-cake.html">Chocolate Brown Ale Cake</a> and <a href="http://janinebakes.blogspot.com/2012/06/vodka-lemonade-cake.html">Vodka Lemonade Cake</a>. </div>
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This Haribo Cake was made for a friend at work, on his 22nd birthday. It was very well recieved by my friend and all the others that we shared it with. I'll definitely keep this recipe in mind when I need to make a show-stopping cake but don't want to spend hours on decoration. </div>
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I wanted to add colour to the icing, so on a whim I swirled some gel colouring into the top layer of icing. It helps to have a cake turntable for this; all I did was put a bit of blue gel colouring on the end of a spatula, laid it at an angle in the centre of the cake and spun the cake around. I repeated this with some pink colouring, but it turned purple when it mixed with the blue. Very simple, but also very effective.</div>
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<b>Ingredients</b></div>
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<i>Sponge:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>200g Butter</li>
<li>200g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>1/2 Regular Pack Haribo <i>(use other half for decoration)</i></li>
<li>200g Plain Flour</li>
<li>1 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
<li>50mL Milk</li>
</ul>
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<i>French Buttercream:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>250g Unsalted Butter</li>
<li>5 Egg Yolks</li>
<li>90g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<i>Sponge:</i></div>
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan and line two 9in cake tins with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.</li>
<li>Stir in the milk.</li>
<li>Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>Divide the batter between the cake tins, then dot the Haribo around the batter, spread evenly across both tins.</li>
<li>Bake in the oven for 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>Allow the cakes to cool completely before turning out of their tins for decoration.</li>
</ul>
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<i>French Buttercream:</i></div>
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<ul>
<li>Heat a pan filled 2/3 with water until the water starts to simmer.</li>
<li>Place the sugar and egg yolks in a heat proof bowl over the pan, ensuring that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.</li>
<li>Stir the mixture constantly with a fork until the sugar has fully dissolved in the yolks (use clean fingers to test; it won't be as hot as you think).</li>
<li>Immediately transfer the yolk mixture into a mixing bowl and whisk until it has doubled in size and is very pale.</li>
<li>Ensure that the butter is room temperature, then take a knob at a time and whisk it into the yolk mixture, ensuring it is fully incorporated before adding more. When all of the butter has been added, the buttercream should be smooth, pale and glossy.</li>
<li>Decorate the cake as desired (see above for how to do the swirly colour pattern).</li>
</ul>
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<br />Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-62932141631039523812015-05-10T16:01:00.000+01:002015-05-10T16:01:21.850+01:00Baking With Spirit: Chocolate Stout Traybake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Chocolate Stout Traybake was served at my flatmate's 26th birthday meal. There were only six of us (we had expected ten) and it was a Thursday night, but more anecdotes came from this night than this setting would have you believe.<br />
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We brought everyone back to our flat after a great Indian meal nearby. First we pooled our knowledge in order to finish a Guardian crossword, which three people in their twenties had struggled to finish earlier in the day. We then spent far longer than we should have quoting <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/confucius.html">Confucius</a> to one another; my flatmate decided that these quotes could be particularly useful for rounding off a meeting ("our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."). One of the guests noticed my record player, so after pulling out a couple of vinyls we of course settled on listening to the soundtrack to The Sound Of Music (don't ask me why I own that) completing the night with a rousing chorus of <a href="https://youtu.be/8bL2BCiFkTk">Edelwiess</a>. But of course...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ApRW2W3YNZ46HXaAq9tIotFkncklybvX0nE5ALds6HHVNaRtQolL9ZHsNyrFFsGCTdK2khWiy8OmU5cDVj16LrVM6SC4k2dky4fGvqoDWhh4MpTV0sCWAMBBnyMPRSQ0-QC1oAafILE/s1600/Chocolate+Stout+Traybake+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ApRW2W3YNZ46HXaAq9tIotFkncklybvX0nE5ALds6HHVNaRtQolL9ZHsNyrFFsGCTdK2khWiy8OmU5cDVj16LrVM6SC4k2dky4fGvqoDWhh4MpTV0sCWAMBBnyMPRSQ0-QC1oAafILE/s1600/Chocolate+Stout+Traybake+(3).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This cake was kind of a cross between cake and brownie in texture, as the stout made it more moist and dense than usual. Both the chocolate and stout flavours came through well, and the cake was a hit at my flatmate's birthday meal.<br />
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I find traybakes to be particularly useful at celebrations and parties, but they are really appropriate at just about any time. I would recommend that you try this Chocolate Stout Traybake next time such an occasion arises!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<ul>
<li>250mL Stout</li>
<li>200g Dark Chocolate</li>
<li>3 Eggs</li>
<li>300g Butter</li>
<li>300g Plain Flour</li>
<li>300g Caster Sugar</li>
<li>2 Tsp Baking Powder</li>
</ul>
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<b>Recipe</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan, and line a deep baking tray (I actually used a roasting tin) with baking parchment.</li>
<li>Melt 150g of the chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl in the microwave.</li>
<li>Allow to cool slightly before stirring in the eggs and stout.</li>
<li>In a mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar and baking powder together, then make a well in the middle.</li>
<li>Pour the chocolate mixture into the well, then fold the ingredients together until well combined.</li>
<li>Transfer to the baking tin, then bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.</li>
<li>While the traybake cools, melt the remaining chocolate and drizzle over the cake.</li>
<li>Decorate as desired.</li>
</ul>
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Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5210081555126257860.post-538860554049785632015-05-06T09:00:00.000+01:002015-05-06T09:00:13.336+01:00Baking With Spirit Spotlight: Piña Colada Milkshake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month's <i>Baking With Spirit:</i> <i>Spotlight</i> post is focused on a post that I bookmarked a good few years ago, and I am ashamed to say that I have only just got around to trying it. This is why I'm so happy that I created this feature!<br />
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This month's spotlight falls on the <a href="http://www.ambrosiabaking.com/2012/09/pina-colada-milkshake.html#">Piña Colada Milkshake</a> post from Nina at <a href="http://www.ambrosiabaking.com/">Ambrosia</a>. Nina made this incredibly simple milkshake in the autumn of 2012 because she wanted to hold onto summer; I was inspired to make it on a blustery weekend in 2015 because I'm so <i>ready</i> for summer! The milkshake definitely screams summer, with a winning combination of pineapple, coconut, rum and vanilla ice cream.<br />
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I bought a pineapple a few weeks ago because it was in "2 for £2.50" offer with satsumas (but of course) in the supermarket. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with it, but it ended up being a rather tropical addition to my lunches. I was nearing the end of the pineapple when I rediscovered this recipe, and I'm so glad I did.<br />
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I wanted to use what I had in the house for this recipe, so instead of using the coconut cream suggested in Nina's post I used about 50mL knock-off Malibu instead. Ever the Westcountry girl at heart, I couldn't help using Cornish Cream ice cream instead of vanilla, but I am sure that vanilla works just as well. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to the letter, so I won't list my own version of the recipe below.<br />
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The only trouble I had was that my food processor would only blend up the pineapple to a certain extent; next time I might just use pineapple juice to make the milkshake more drinkable. Otherwise, I loved this milkshake and it definitely tasted of summer. I'll be making this again.<br />
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Check out <a href="http://www.ambrosiabaking.com/">Ambrosia</a> for the eclectic mix of sweet recipes and drool-inducing photography.<br />
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For more Baking With Spirit posts, check out the <a href="http://www.cakeoftheweek.net/p/baking-with-spirit.html">dedicated page</a>.Janinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13615752218013601640noreply@blogger.com0