Sweet Tooth Experiments - Discover my baking experiments of unusual flavours and combinations, as well as traditional international sweet treats.

Hello and welcome to Sweet Tooth Experiments

Posted on December 31, 2013 by Ella Posted in Uncategorized .

Photographer: Margaret Paola Minero

Welcome to my blog centred around baking with delicious and interesting flavour combos as well as textures to uncover unusual bakegood gems. In addition, this blog discovers traditional sweet treats, opening up taste buds to different cultures and flavours from all over the world.

Blue Heaven Cheesecake

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Blue Heaven Cheesecake recipe

I have always loved the flavour of blue heaven and decided that I wanted to make a cake out of it. The only way I could really think of putting this flavour into a cake was by using jelly crystals, thus the cake types I could actually experiment with were limited – making a cheesecake the most obvious option.

If I used the jelly in a cheesecake I wouldn’t need to bake the cake as the jelly would help set the cheesecake to the perfect consistency.

To play to the blue heaven child-hood flavour I added blue food colouring to really make this cake pop and look like it belonged in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

The outcome was exactly as I was hoping for, the flavour reminds me of when I was a child, its super creamy and a satisfying must if you were a fan of blue heaven spiders as a kid!

Ingredients:

Base:

200g sweet biscuits
90g butter, softened

Filling:

85g jelly crystals (blue heaven flavored)
100g water
30g sugar
50ml cream
250g cream cheese, softened
A few drops of blue food coloring

Jelly layer:

30g jelly crystals (blue heaven flavored)
100g water

Method:

Line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits and soften butter in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Press mix into the bottom and sides of the lined cake tin.
Place the tin in the fridge to set.
Boil the water and pour into a bowl, add the jelly crystals and stir until the crystals have melted and mixed in well. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Place the cream in a new bowl and using electric beaters whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
Add the cooled jelly mix, sugar and cream cheese and beat until smooth and silky.
Add the food colouring and fold the mix a few times to achieve a blue swirl.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with a spoon.
Place the cake tin in the fridge for 3 hours to set.
Meanwhile, boil 50ml water and pour not a bowl. Add the jelly crystals and stir until the crystals have melted and mixed in well. Leave aside to cool.
Once jelly mix is cooled pour the jelly over the cheesecake and place in the fridge for a further 90 mins to set.
Cut the cake into slices and enjoy!

Note: Using electric beaters I whipped up 100ml of thickened cream, 1 tbsn sugar and 1 tsn of vanilla essence to decorate the cake as well as a few raspberries.


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Natural Rice Almond and Coconut Muffins

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Ella Posted in Muffins .

Natural Rice Almond and Coconut Muffins

Gluten free, process-free, butter-free and natural sugar…sound too good to be true? OR too good to taste delicious? Think again.

Processed flour is not even missed in this recipe as the almond meal and rice flour produce just as good a result.

The honey and dates provide a scrumptious sweetness, while the yoghurt adds some lovely creaminess.

Add to the flavour coconut with a pinch of cinnamon and vanilla and you have yourself a moreish, nutritiously healthy, satisfying, tasty treat that can be eaten anytime throughout the day.

Ingredients:

130g rice flour
90g almond meal
35g desiccated coconut
1 + ½ tsn baking powder
½ tsn ground cinnamon
30g brown sugar
¼ tsn salt
70g dried dates
200ml vanilla yoghurt
50g coconut oil
40g honey
½ tsn vanilla essence
2 eggs
40g dark chocolate

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and spray a medium sized (12-capacity) muffin tin with oil spray.
Place the rice flour, almond meal, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and salt into a bowl and stir until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the mix.
Place the dates, yoghurt, coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a food processor and blitz until the dates are pureed through the mix.
Add the eggs and blitz for 1 minute.
Pour the blitzed mix into the dry mix. Fold until all ingredients are just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Place the muffins on a cooling tray to cool completely.
Meanwhile place the chocolate in a sealable plastic bag then in the microwave on medium heat until the chocolate just starts to melt.
Cut the tip off the corner of the bag and squeeze chocolate over the muffins in a zig zag pattern.
Allow to set then enjoy!


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Thiples

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Ella Posted in Greece, Traditional .

Thiples

Thiples are a Greek traditional thin-sheet pastry (also known as Diples), usually made for special festive occasions. Similar to Cannoli’s shell texture and crunch Thiples are fried pastry that is soaked in a honey lemon syrup and sprinkled with a sesame and nut cinnamon mix for the extra crunch and flavour.

Think Baklava syrup and Frappe (aka Cioffe…aka Italian deep fried bow-tie cookies).

This is not the easiest of desserts to make, the pastry needs to be super super thin, but the outcome is addictively moreish – I can see why these are a Greek dessert treasure!

Dough:

4 eggs
30g ouzo
1 tbsn sugar
20ml lemon juice
1 tsn vanilla essence
470g ‘oo’ flour

Syrup:

170g honey
110g sugar
30ml lemon juice
1 tsn ground cinnamon

Extra:

50g walnuts
35g sesame seeds
¼ tsn ground cinnamon
Oil to fry

Method:

Place the eggs, ouzo, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice into a bowl and stir until combine.
Add the flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough is stiff (disregard any unused flour).
Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl with plastic wrap over the top and leave for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
For the syrup place all the syrup ingredients as well as 60ml of water into a saucepan on high heat and stir until well combine and sugar is melted.
Once the mix boils reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, take off heat.
Toast the sesame seeds until golden on a medium heat in a saucepan.
Finely chop up the walnuts and place them in a bowl with the cinnamon and seeds, stir until well combined.
Roll the dough through a pasta machine until you reach 2mm in thickness.
Cut the dough into 10cm x 10xm squares.
Roll the dough up into tube shapes.
Place the frying oil into a saucepan and add a little dough, place heat on high.
Once the dough starts to sizzle remove and turn the heat to medium/low.
Add in the tubes (triples) and fry until golden brown.
Remove the thiples and place onto paper towel.
Pour the syrup into a bowl and add in the thiples, turning them for a robust syrup coating.
Place the thiples onto a serving plate and top with any remaining syrup as well as the nut mix sprinkled on the top.
Enjoy!

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NOTE:

Rolling the pastry prior to adding to the oil is not the traditional method. Technically you are to add the pastry as a sheet and roll with tongs, this however clearly takes a lot of practice. As this recipe rolls prior to the oil make sure your oil is not too hot or the outside will brown before the pastry in the middle has had time to cook.

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Chocolate Top-Deck Tiramisu Cupcakes

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Ella Posted in Cupcakes .

Chocolate Top-Deck Tiramisu Cupcakes

Tiramisu is my ultimate all-time favorite dessert ever. The only thing with traditional Tiramisu is that its not the easiest thing to eat – a bowl/plate as well as a spoon is a must. Unlike a slice or cupcake Tiramisu can really only be eaten sitting at a table.

So I decided that I would come up with a recipe that tastes like the traditional treat but as a cupcake.

For the cupcake recipe, I modified my never fail white chocolate and dark chocolate wedding cake recipes with the coffee and marsala flavor combo, as well as staying true to the traditional mascarpone cheese for my ‘icing’.

Though I have included the mix of white and dark chocolate in this recipe, in which is not traditional for this dessert, the chocolate batter works flawlessly with the traditional flavors.

Ingredients:

White chocolate layer:

85g butter
85g white chocolate
130g sugar
150ml water
105g self-raising flour
65ml milk
1 egg

Dark chocolate layer:

85g butter
85g dark chocolate
130g sugar
150ml water
20g cocoa powder
85g self-raising flour
10ml marsala
55ml expresso coffee
1 egg

Syrup:

30ml marsala
30ml expresso coffee
15g sugar

Icing:

200g mascarpone cheese
35g icing sugar
25ml marsala
2 tsn expresso coffee

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line an 8-capacity cupcake tray with patty cases.
Spray the patty cases with oil spray.
In a saucepan on the stove melt the butter, chocolate, sugar and water on medium heat until smooth and glossy.
Pour the room temperature chocolate mix, milk and egg into a bowl.
Sift the flour to the chocolate mix and whisk with a hand whisk until smooth.
Spoon the mix into the prepared patty cases until 1/3 full.
Place the tin in the freezer for 10 minutes to slightly firm.
Meanwhile make the dark chocolate batter by placing the butter, chocolate, sugar and water into a saucepan on medium heat until smooth and glossy.
Pour the room temperature chocolate mix, expresso and egg into a bowl.
Sift in the flour and cocoa powder into the chocolate mix and whisk with a hand whisk until smooth.
Take the tin out of the freezer and spoon the dark chocolate mix into the prepared patty cases until they are 2/3rds full.
Place the cupcake tin in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave the cupcakes in the tin for 5 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the ingredient into a bowl and heating in the microwave until bubbling, leave aside.
Brush the syrup on top of the cupcakes with a pastry brush and remove the patty cases.
Make the icing by placing all the icing ingredients into a bowl and using electric beats whisk until the mix thickens.
Spoon the icing into a piping bag with a circle nozzle and pipe on top of the cupcakes.
Finish the cakes with a dust of cocoa powder and some grated white chocolate.

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Chocolate Top-Deck Tiramisu Cupcakes recipe

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Green Tea and Pistachio Eclairs

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Ella Posted in France .

Green Tea and Pistachio Éclairs

This recipe came to me when I was looking at pairing two strong, similar and complimentary flavours together, these being Green Tea (a core Asian slightly bitter tea) with pistachios (core Middle East staple nut).

To balance out the savouriness on the palette I then introduced the integration of white chocolate.

Though the mix of Asian, Middle Eastern and French (the origin of Eclairs ) palettes sounds bazaar and all over the shop this little treat is super tasty, delighting all that experience its uniqueness.

Ingredients:

Éclair:

90g butter
250g water
150g flour
1 tbsn sugar
¼ tsn salt
4 eggs

Filling & Icing:

400g cream
100g pistachios
45g Matcha
50 icing sugar
120g choc
40g butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and place baking paper on 2 large baking trays.
Place the butter and water into a saucepan and stir on a medium heat until bubbles start to form.
Combine the flour, sugar and salt into a bowl and stir to combine.
Add the flour mix to the water mix and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mix comes away from the sides of the pan in a ball.
Remove the saucepan off the heat and leave for 5 minutes, allowing for the pastry mix to cool.
Beat the eggs in a bowl with electric beaters. Following add the pastry mix beating until the egg is fully combine and incorporated.
Fit a pastry bag with a 3cm tub nozzle and pipe 12cm pastry strips 3cm apart onto the baking paper. Cut the pastry ends with a wet knife.
Bake pastry in the oven for 10 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 190c degrees and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffy and golden brown.
Turn off the oven and cut the éclairs in half horizontally. Following remove some of the pastry soft center from the éclairs.
Place the eclairs back in the oven for a further 10 minutes to dry out.
Following leave the éclair shells aside to cool completely.
To make the filling beat the cream until soft peaks form.
Place the pistachios into a food processor, blitz to a finely diced consistency.
Add 25g of the Matcha powder, the icing sugar and 70g of the pistachios into the whipped cream, beat until combine and firm peaks form.
Spoon the cream filling into the middle of half of the éclairs where you previously removed some of the centre. Top the cream filling with the remaining eclairs.
To make the ganache icing place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan on a low heat and stir until melted, combine and glossy.
Add 20g of the remaining pistachios to the ganache with the remaining 20g of Matcha powder, stir until well combined.
Spoon the ganache icing over the top of the éclairs.
Place eclairs in the fridge to set the ganache icing for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining 10g of pistachios on the éclairs and enjoy.

Notes:

Matcha powder is green tea powder, the same powder used to make green tea ice-cream.

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Caramel and Chocolate Flan Brulee Brownie

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Ella Posted in Brownies .

Caramel and Chocolate Flan Brulee Brownie

There is not much to say on this little sweat treat.

I decided I wanted to make a slice that had layers of amazing tastes and textures, really taking the taste buds on a journey.

How I planned to do this was combining various scrumptious desserts into one delicious multi treat.

This recipe is executed by a rich chocolate brownie base, a light and fluffy vanilla flan centre and smooth melt in-your-mouth caramel with a crisp brulee top.

If I haven’t got your attending by now nothing will!

Outcome = exactly what I hoped, Caramel, Chocolate Vanilla Flan Brulee Brownie bliss.

Ingredients:

300g caramel (I used Nestlé Caramel top n’ fill)
1 tbsn extra sugar

Brownie:

100g dark chocolate
50g butter
70g sugar
70g plain flour
1 egg

Flan:

310g sweetened condensed milk
260ml milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190c and line a 21cm square cake tin with baking paper.
Spread the caramel evenly in the bottom of the cake tin and place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
Combine the chocolate and butter into a microwave safe container and microwave on medium for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave and stir every 30 seconds until the mix is silky and smooth.
Add the sugar, eggs and flour to the chocolate mix and whisk thoroughly with a hand whisk until well combined.
Using a spoon carefully place the mix on top the caramel without moving it. Spread to ensure even layering.
In a food processor add in the condensed milk, milk, eggs and vanilla essence. Cover and blend ingredients until the mix is thoroughly combined together.
Spoon milk mix over the brownie layer.
Place the tin in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the brownie cool completely in the tin.
Once the brownie has cooled flip the tin on a plate, removing the tin and baking paper. Sprinkle the extra sugar on the top of the caramel layer.
Using a blow torch scorch the top of the slice until browned and bubbling.
Cut and serve.

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Black Sesame Macarons

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Ella Posted in Biscuits .

Black Sesame Macarons

For a while now I have been meaning to bake something with Black Sesames and to be honest if was difficult to come up with a recipe where the seeds can be the hero flavour and really shine.

As the flavour is quite subtle adding any other flavour in the mix would clout and take over.

Why Black Sesame then if it’s such a restrained flavour? I ate the seeds in an ice-cream Asian dessert recently, and though the dessert wasn’t anything special I was quite drawn to the rawness and uniqueness of the flavour.

After playing around with a few recipe drafts I ended up deciding on macarons. Macarons are so airy and light thus the filling is usually the primary element in which I could easily use the seeds for the filling and make it shine. A slightly vanilla spiked biscuit flavour would allow the black sesame to really take over the palate.

Now the last time I made macaron’s they didn’t turn out that great, so to ensure I would get the best result possible I have used Adriano Zumbo’s macaron recipe as a base guide and altered accordingly.

The outcome = perfect macaroons!

Black Sesame Macarons recipe

Ingredients:

Macarons:

95g eggwhites (3 large egg equivalent)
135g icing sugar
135g almond meal
40ml water
1/4 tsn vanilla essence
125g sugar

Filling:

2 tbsn black sesame seeds
45g butter
90g icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 135c degrees and line 2 large biscuit trays with baking paper.
Using a 20 cent piece sized cookie cutter draw circles on the paper leaving 2cm gap between each.
Sift the icing sugar and almond meal through a sieve into a bowl, stir to combine.
Add 45g of eggwhite and the vanilla, stir until well combine.
Place the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook on a high heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mix boils to become a syrup.
Place a candy thermometer in the syrup and leave the temperature on high until it hits 120c degrees.
Add the remaining eggwhites into a new unused bowl and with electric beaters beat for 30 seconds on a medium speed.
Next, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the eggwhites while you beat.
Beat eggwhite for 3 minutes or until the mix is smooth and glossy.
Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the almond mix until just combine.
Add the remaining eggwhites to the mix and fold until just combine.
Place the mix into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm plain circle nozzle.
Pipe the mix into the drawn circle shapes by placing the nozzle in the centre of the circle and use pressure on the piping bag until the circle is filled.
Once all circles are filled tap the tray to get rid of any air bubbles and leave the tray for 45 minutes to allow the biscuits to form a skin on top.
Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes or until crisp.
Let them cool completely on the tray.
Meanwhile to make the filling, place the seeds into a saucepan and on a medium heat stir until the seeds start to release their wonderful scent (do no allow to burn).
Take the seeds off the heat and grind the sesames in a pestle and mortar until they resemble a paste (do 2 tsn at a time).
Once cooled place the paste, room temperature butter and icing sugar in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk on high for 3 minutes or until mix is creamy and fluffy.
Spread the biscuits with the icing mix and sandwich 2 biscuit together, the filling in the centre.
Enjoy and serve.

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Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings

Posted on May 26, 2018 by Ella Posted in Unique .

Cream Cheese Nutella and Strawberry Dessert Dumplings

Dumplings would have to be one of my all-time favorite foods. I could live off vegetable pan fried dumplings for dinner every night if I needed to quite easily!

Thus after recently making dumplings for dinner that can only be described as bliss, I figured, if dumplings are that good as a savoury dish they must be a worthwhile experiment to make as a dessert.

I quite often experiment with turning a savory meal into a sweet dish, in which tends to fail more than it feats so this should be interesting to say the least.

After a range of varying filling experiments (from a ricotta white chocolate & nutella filling to a citrus chocolate berries almond & glace fruit filling), I found a superstar combo. And the end result? Surprisingly fresh strawberries with chocolate hazelnut and coffee!

Ingredients:

Dumplings:

125g cream cheese
60g Nutella
10g icing sugar
20g hazelnuts, finely chopped
½ tsn coffee granules
½ cup finely diced strawberries
Wonton wrappers, pack of 40

Extra:

Vegetable oil for frying
Icing sugar to dust
Crème fraiche or vanilla ice-cream to serve

Method:

Place the cheese, Nutella, icing sugar, hazelnuts and coffee granuals into a bowl and stir until well combined and smooth.
Lay a wonton wrapper on a chopping board and using your index finger dip it into water then run your finger around the edges of the wrapper (alternatively you can dip a pastry brush into water and brush around the slides of the wrapper if you prefer).
Using 2 spoons, scoop and drop 20g of mix into the center of the wrapper.
Carefully pull one side of the wrapper over the other to make a triangle (or semi circle shape if using circle wrappers) and seal by pressing the edges together well. This is where the water is key as it sticks the pastry sides together.
There are many ways to shape the dumplings, you can crimp the edges, fold the edges or take the 2 ends of the pastry and wrap them over each other, using water to stick them in shape.
Continue with remaining wrappers and filling.
Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat until you reach 175c degrees.
Using tongs place 4-5 dumplings into the oil at once and leave to fry until golden brown.
Place cooked dumpling onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Repeat the frying process until all dumplings are cooked.
Place dumplings on a clean plate and sieve icing sugar over the top.
Serve with Crème fraiche poured over the top of the warm dumplings or with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

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Blue Heaven, Grape Bubblegum and Creamy Soda Jelly Cake

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Blue Heaven, Grape Bubblegum and Creamy Soda Jelly Cake


When I was a tween/teen I use to love grape bubble-gum, creamy soda and blue heaven flavours. The grape flavour HubbaBubba bubble-gum was the go to, creamy soda was my favourite soft drink and blue heaven syrup was a must for the usual ‘spider’ milkshake I got at cafes with the family. As these flavours are all available in jelly crystals in the local Coles and Woolworths I decided I would use the crystals as the flavouring, in which is a method I have done many times in the past with a range of recipes. Once I had the flavours it was as simple as using my never fail vanilla cake mix and just dividing up the batter. This cake definitely brings back so many childhood memories! And of course, is very tasty as well!

Cake:

260g butter
200g sugar
4 eggs
1 + ½ cup cake flour
1 + ½ cup plain flour
1 tsn baking powder
½ tsn bicarbonate soda
1 cup milk
1 tsn vanilla essence
60g blue heaven jelly crystals
60g bubblegum grape jelly crystals
60g creamy soda jelly crystals
Blue and Red food colouring

Icing:

190g butter
150g icing sugar

Method:

Grease and line 3 x 25 cm cake tins and pre-heat the oven to 175c.
Using electric beaters cream the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition.
Sift the flours, powder and soda in a bowl, add this dry mix to the butter mix. Add the milk and vanilla to the butter mix, beat on slow until just combined (do not over beat).
Divide the batter equally into 3 bowls.
Add the blue heaven jelly crystals and blue food colouring to one bowl of batter mix.
In the second bowl of batter add the Bubblegum jelly crystals mixed with a little red and blue food colouring to make the purple grape colour.
Lastly add the creamy soda jelly crystals as well as the red food colouring to the last bowl.
Stir each bowl of batter until the crystals and colour is just combine and even.
Pour the 3 bowls of batter into the 3 tins and bake for 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes then place on a cooling rack.
To make the icing beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy and creamy.
Once the cakes are cold place the purple layer onto a plate and spread a layer of icing on top.
Add the blue cake layer and top with icing.
Add the pink cake layer and top with icing.
Use the remainder of the icing to spread around the sides of the cake to ensure top and side coverage.

Notes: I divided the icing into 3 bowls and added colours according to the layer (for the outside icing combine the leftover icing). This is not required but I felt it further enhanced the colours vibrancy. I also decorated with an icing sugar dusting and coloured sugar pearls.


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Strawberry Jelly Soaked Vanilla Cake

Posted on May 12, 2018 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Strawberry Jelly Soaked Vanilla Cake

Strawberry Jelly Soaked Vanilla Cake recipe

If you visit my blog frequently you will recall I went on a baking journey of 15 recipes from the Australian Green & Gold cookery book published by New Holland, in which features 100’s and 100’s of traditional Australian recipes from ‘experienced housewife’s and cookery experts’.

From the 15 recipes I made 3 were key standouts that I couldn’t ignore and had to add to my Aussie traditional section on this blog.

Following the Bread Fritters and the Sago Plum Boiled Pudding my final favorite was the Strawberry Soaked Sponge Cake.

Think sponge cake with strawberries and cream…yes it’s sounds quite standard and nothing special…however, what about if I mention…the whole cake is soaked in strawberry jelly?! I’ve made cake with jelly crystals before but never poured jelly over a cake like you would a syrup cake.

I did slightly tweak the volume of some ingredients to appeal further to the current palate, but only little tweaks here and there.

This cake is a delicious sponge cake with an Aussie traditional old school twist.

Strawberry Jelly Soaked Vanilla Cake recipe

Ingredients:

40g butter, softened
1+1/2 tsn vanilla essence
240g sugar
4 eggs
170g plain flour
1+1/2 tsn cream of tartar
¾ tsn bi carbonate of soda
250ml thickened cream (200g for the filling, 50g for decoration)
10g icing sugar
200g strawberries (160g for the filling, 40g for decoration)
140g strawberry jelly crystals
700ml water

Method:

Line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper and pre heat the oven to 180c degrees.
Place the butter, vanilla and sugar into a bowl and whisk using electric beaters for 3 minutes or until thick, pale and creamy.
Add eggs, beating in between each addition for 15 minutes in total.
Sieve the flour, cream of tartar and bi carb of soda into a bowl them add the flour mix into the egg mix.
Beat the mix until the flour is only just combine and there are no lumps.
Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 45 -50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
After 5 minutes cooling in the tin invert the cake on a cooling rack until cold.
Using electric beaters whisk the cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
Wash and dry the cake tin used for the sponge cake, spray with oil spray and line the tin with 2 pieces of plastic wrap allowing for lengthily overlap.
Make the strawberry jelly by placing the crystals in a bowl with 400ml boiling water and stir.
When crystals are dissolved add the remaining 300ml cold water and leave the jelly aside to hit room temperature.
Meanwhile, cut the cake in half horizontally and place the bottom cake layer in the lined tin, cut side up.
Cover the top of the cake layer in the tin with 100g of the thickened cream.
Cut 160g of the strawberries into slices and scatter evenly on top of the cream.
Top the strawberries with an additional 100g of thickened cream then place the second cake layer, cut side down onto the cream layer.
Push the cake a little with your hands to ensure even consistency of cream and no air bubbles.
When the jelly is cooled pour half the mix over the top of the cake slowly, ensuring even coverage, allowing for the jelly to soak into the sponge before pouring further. Leave the jelly aside for later use.
Pull the overlapped plastic wrap over the top of the cake and place the tin in the fridge to set for 2 hours.
Following, pull the plastic wrap up to release the cake from the tin. Turn the cake carefully upside-down on the plastic wrap and gently place back into the tin.
Pour the now top (previously bottom) of the cake with the remaining jelly mix and cover the cake again with the overlapping plastic wrap. Place the cake in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
To finish the cake, remove it from the tin by pulling up the plastic wrap and place the cake onto a plate.
Spread the remaining 50g of whipped cream over the top of the cake and decorate with the remaining 40g of strawberries.
Enjoy!

Strawberry Jelly Soaked Vanilla Cake recipe

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