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.

Pepparkakor

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Ella Posted in Biscuits, Swedish, Traditional .

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

The Pepparkakor cookie is a traditional Swedish Christmas cookie, commonly referred to as “ginger thins” or “gingernuts“ (however should not be mistaken for the US gingersnap biscuits in which are very different).

Swedish custom states you place a Pepparkakor cookie in the palm of your hand, then you make a wish while you use your index finger of your other hand to tap the cookie in the middle. If the Pepparkakor breaks into three pieces tradition states your wish will come true. As per most traditional treats there are many slightly varying recipes to these cookies. This was my favorite after trialing half a dozen.

To be honest I thought my gingerbread man recipe was the ultimate spiced treat, however this cookie has trumped my never fail absolutely amazing gingerbread recipe its that good.

Ingredients:

225g plain flour
1 tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn ground cloves
1 tsn ground ginger
¼ tsn ground cardamom
½ tsn baking powder
¼ tsn salt
100g butter
100g brown sugar
75g golden syrup

Method:

In a bowl sieve the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Stir.
Place the butter, sugar and syrup into a saucepan on a medium heat and stir until melted and well combined.
Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
Sieve the flour mix over the cooled butter mix and stir until well combined.
Form the dough into a ball shape, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough to a 2cm thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes and place cookies onto the prepared baking tray.
Place the trays in the oven for 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
Leave the cookies on the trays for 5 minutes before placing on to a wire rack to cool completely, durst with icing sugar.

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

In recent experimenting I made chocolate truffle by purely blitzing sweet potato, spices, a few gingernut biscuits and white chocolate. While the truffles were nice they were a little bland. However, from this recipe I thought the puree and white chocolate actually had legs to make a healthier alternative to buttercream icing (thanks to the smooth texture, consistency and taste).

As mentioned the truffles alone were a little bland so after a bit of flavor combo experimenting I decided that caramel, bourbon, honey and pecans would be the perfect mix of flavors to add.

As the sweet potato is not the strongest of flavors I opted to include this flavor in both the icing and the cake batter.

Caramel would be featured in the filling of the cake layers as well as only brown sugar being utilised in the cake.

Bourbon would feature most strongly in the cake as well as a syrup layer to really pack the punch and ensure the cake is extra moist.

The pecans would be diced up for so extra textural crunch and lastly the honey would be used in the syrup and the caramel.

This cake is soo super moreish, with a gingerbread undertone all the flavors work soundly.

Ingredients:

Sweet potato puree:

640g sweet potato

Sweet Potato Icing:

85g white chocolate, chopped
200g sweet potato puree

Cake:

80g pecans
180g butter, softened
275g brown sugar
1 + ½ tsn vanilla essence
4 eggs
245g sweet potato puree
90ml bourbon
310g self-rising flour
½ tsn salt
1 + 1/3 tsn ground cinnamon
1/3 tsn ground ginger
1/3 ground nutmeg
¼ tsn ground cloves

Caramel:

60g white sugar
10ml water
10g butter
135ml cream
15g brown sugar
1/8 tsn salt
20ml honey

Syrup:

15g butter
35g white sugar
10ml water
½ tsn vanilla essence
15g honey
25ml bourbon

Method:

To make the puree peel the sweet potato and chop up into pieces.
Place the potato pieces into a bowl of water and heat in the microwave on high for 10 minutes or until a knife glides into a piece of potato effortlessly.
Drain the potato pieces and place into a food processor blitzing until silky smooth in texture, once done move mix into a bowl for later use.
To make the potato icing place 200g of the puree back into the food processor with the white chocolate. Blitz until well combine and silky smooth (the white chocolate will melt with the heat of the puree and combine with the potato).
Place the potato icing mix into a bowl and once cooled into the fridge to set.
Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and line 2x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
Chop the pecans into small pieces and scatter into the bottom of both tins.
Place the butter into a mix-master (kitchen aid) and beat on high for 5 minutes, scraping down the butter from the sides each minute.
Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes, scraping down the sides each minute.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition until the mix is light and fluffy.
Add the 245g of puree and bourbon to the butter mix and beat on medium until well combined.
Sieve the flour, salt and spices into the butter mix and on a low speed beat until the dry mix is just combine to a smooth consistency.
Spoon the mix over the top of the pecans evenly with 1/3 of the mix into one tin and the remaining 2/3 in the second tin. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the mix to an even top, place the cakes in the oven for 40 minutes to cook.
Meanwhile make the caramel by placing the white sugar and water into a saucepan on the stove on high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave the mix to bubble without stirring until it reaches golden brown in colour.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add 35ml of the cream, brown sugar, salt and honey stirring until well combine and silky smooth (be careful of the splatter). Pour the caramel into a ceramic bowl and leave aside to cool completely.
After the 40 minutes of the cakes cooking check the smaller cake by placing a skewer in the center. If if it comes out clean its done, if not leave until it does.
Check the second cake after 60 minutes by placing a skewer in the centre if it comes out clean its done, if not leave until it does.
Leave both cooked cakes in their tins for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.
Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the butter, sugar, water, vanilla and honey into a saucepan and heat on high for 5 minutes until thick bubbles occur and the syrup reduces.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add the bourbon stirring until well combined.
Add the cooled caramel mix to the remaining 100ml of cream and beat with electric beaters until well combine and peaks form.
To assemble the cake, cut the tops of both cakes to make them level and cut the larger cake in half horizontally.
Using a pastrybrush brush the cut sides of the 3 cake layers with the bourbon syrup mix until well covered.
Place 1 cake layer onto a plate syrup side up. Top with half the caramel cream mix.
Add the 2^nd cake layer syrup side up, top with remaining caramel cream mix.
Add the last cake later syrup side down and top with the sweet potato icing mix.
Place the cake in the fridge for 1 hour to set then cut and enjoy!

NOTE: To stop the caramel cream overflowing the cakes edges I piped some buttercream around the 2 cakes edges that the caramel cream would be spread on. I purely did this as I did not want the overflowing look.

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

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White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

Though somewhat common these days, for a while I have been meaning to make up a recipe that utilizes the complementing flavors of strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

As a kid my mum splashed balsamic vinegar in fruit salads, that would somehow sweeten berries (in particular strawberries) and make them even tastier.

I have experimented with balsamic vinegar in recipes in the past (check out my Beetroot Raspberry and Balsamic Cake or my Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes) but never paired with white chocolate or as a mousse.

The outcome – super tasty, extremely moreish and so easy to make.

Ingredients:

Cake:

220g strawberries, hulled and diced
310g vanilla cake mix
Eggs, butter and milk as per cake mix
20ml balsamic vinegar
4 tsn strawberry essence

Mousse:

320g white chocolate
360ml thickened cream
2 + ½ tsn gelatine
65g icing sugar
70ml balsamic vinegar
1 tsn strawberry essence

Extra to decorate:

Buttercream icing (optional)
strawberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the strawberries into a food processor and blitz until they resemble a smooth puree.
Pour the cake mix into a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, 60ml strawberry puree and the strawberry essence.
Add the eggs and butter per cake mix directions.
Measure out the milk according to mix directions minus 80ml of milk and add to the bowl (as you have added strawberry puree and balsamic vinegar in replacement).
Using electric beaters whisk the mix for 5 minutes until thick and well combine.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack until cold.
Wash and dry the cake tin, spray with oil spray and place 2 layers of plastic wrap into the tin, allowing for overlap.
Cut the top off the cooled cake to even the top and place into the tin, cut side up, on top of the plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for later.
Place 180ml thickened cream into a bowl and heat on high in the microwave until almost bubbling.
Add the chocolate to the cream and leave for 1 minute before stirring to a silky-smooth combined consistency.
Leave the chocolate mix aside to cool completely.
Place 4 tsn of boiling water into a small bowl along with the gelatine, whisk with a fork until the gelatine is completely melted.
Place the remaining 180ml cream, icing sugar, balsamic vinegar, essence, remaining strawberry puree and gelatine mix into a large bowl.
Using electric beaters whisk cream mix until smooth and the cream has thickened the mix slightly.
Add the cooled chocolate mix and whisk with electric beaters until combined.
Pour the mousse mix over the cake base, tap tin on bench for even distribution of mousse.
Place the tin in the fridge for 4 hours to set completely.
To remove the cake from the tin, pull the overlapping plastic wrap and place the cake on the bench.
Peel the plastic wrap away from cake sides and using a spatula transfer the cake to a serving plate.
Top with icing or grated white chocolate and extra strawberries for decoration.

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Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna

Posted on July 29, 2017 by Ella Posted in Unique .

Chocolate and Hazelnut Sweet Lasagna

Inspired by the latest craze of turning the sweet onto the savory and the savory into the sweet. I have dabbled with this a little with sweet dumplings, ravioli and tacos as well as posted my Apple Crumble Pizza and my Chocolate Nut Springroll. However I still have many many more ideas on things to create.

One item I have been meaning to turn from savory to sweet is lasagna. I have tried many savory versions of this dish, from a Mexican fest to vegan based-meals, however never a sweet one.

I figured using a cheese and crème patisserie fusion filling could replicate the cheese. Using actual lasagna sheets covered in layers of chocolate and hazelnut spread would imitate the pasta and meat layers. And of course, not forgetting the white sauce top layer I made a delicious meringue to complete treat.

I’m surprised at how good this turned out to the point that it for sure amazingly delicious.

Custard Cream filling:

6 eggs
100g sugar
2 tsn vanilla essence
65g cornflour
750ml milk
300g ricotta cheese
60g icing sugar
120ml thickened cream

Extra:

4 lasagna sheets
80g Nutella
100g dark chocolate

Sugar syrup:

150g sugar
80ml water

Method:

Line a 15cm x 30cm cake tin or deep oven dish with baking paper.
Make the filling by whisking with electric beaters the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and cornflour until well combined.
Leave the egg white aside for later use.
Place the milk into a saucepan on high heat until the milk starts to boil.
Add the milk to the yolk mix is a steady stream until well combined.
Transfer the mix back into the pan on a medium heat and using a hand whisk beat until the mix thickens up into a custard.
Pour the mix into a bowl with plastic wrap on top and leave aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile with electric beaters whisk the ricotta and icing sugar until well combined.
Add the cream to the ricotta mix and whisk until well combine and smooth and place in the fridge for later use.
Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
Cut the lasagna sheets to fit I the tin perfectly.
Spoon 20g of Nutella onto each lasagna sheet and spread with the back of a spoon to evenly cover to sheet.
Dice the chocolate into small pieces and sprinkle the chocolate evenly over the Nutella, leave the sheets aside for later use.
Remove the plastic wrap from the custard mix and add the ricotta mix, beat until smooth and combine.
To put the cake together, spoon 1/5^th of the filling into the prepared cake tin. Spread with the back of a spoon for even coverage.
Add a lasagna sheet and top with another 1/5^th of the filling.
Continue with the lasagna and cream layering until all 4 sheets have been placed and the last 1/5^th of filling is placed on the top of the last sheet. You should have done 5 filling layers and 4 sheet layers.
Cover the top of the tin with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile make a meringue by placing the egg whites into a bowl and whisking with electric beaters.
Place the sugar and water into a pan on high heat stirring until the sugar dissolves then leave the mix until a candy thermometer hits 125c degrees.
Slowly take the sugar syrup off the heat and in a slow and steady stream pour the syrup into the egg whites.
Continue beating the egg white mix for 5-10 more minutes or until glossy and silky.
Remove the lasagna from the oven, remove the foil and spread the meringue over the top of the cake.
Place the cake back in the oven for 10 more minutes to cook the pasta through and bake the meringue until golden brown.
Leave the cake aside to cool in the tin then cut into squares, place slice of lasagna onto a plate with a side of vanilla ice-cream.

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Baklava Cake

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Baklava Cake

I’m quite the fan of baklava so it’s no surprise that one day I decided to ‘steal’ the flavors and some of the baking techniques to reproduce the treat into a cake version. The crunch of the filo works in perfect harmony with the velvet mascarpone cheese texture, while the syrup connects and amplifies the cake layers to a new level. When combined, the crunch, smoothness, sticky and fluffiness of textures all complement each other for a seriously satisfying dessert.

Thus here is my Baklava Cake recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:

250g butter
½ tsn almond essence
220g sugar
4 eggs
80ml cup milk
225g self-raising flour
60g ground almonds
120g slivered almonds
200g shelled pistachios

Syrup:

290g sugar
340ml water
4 tsn honey
Lemon rind strip
3 tbsn lemon juice
3/4 tsn rosewater essence

Filling:

450g mascarpone cheese
1 tbsn honey
1 tsn ground cinnamon
½ ground cardomom

Filo Layers:

70g pistachios
2 tbsn sugar
1 tsn cinnamon
½ ground cardomom
7 sheets filo
80g butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
With electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition until well combined.
Add the milk, sift in the flour and ground almonds. Fold together until combine.
Spread the batter into the 2 prepared cake tins. 1 with 1/3^rd of the mix and the 2^nd tin with the remaining mix, flatten the tops with the back of a spoon.
Roughly chop up the nuts together and then sprinkle ontop of the cakes. Push the nuts softly with your hand to ensure they stick into the cake.
Bake cakes for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The larger cake will take longer (around 50 minutes).
Leave the cooked cakes in the tins and reduce the oven temperature down to 160c degrees.
To make the syrup place the sugar, water, honey and lemon strip into a saucepan and stir on medium heat until the mix boils.
Continue boiling until the mix becomes thicker and syrupy.
Take the syrup off the heat, remove the rind and add in the rosewater and lemon juice, stir to combine. Place 4 tbsn aside in a small bowl for the filling.
With the cakes still in their tins use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the cakes.
Pour the syrup over the cakes evenly, leaving them in the tins to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the filling by beating the cheese, honey, cinnamon and cardamom with the 4 tbsn of the left-over syrup with electric beaters until combine. Set aside.
To make the filo layer place the pistachios, sugar and spices into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Melt the butter and using a pastry brush brush some of the butter to cover 1 filo sheet.
Using the cake tin as a guide place the tin on the buttered filo and cut around the tin, repeat with the leftover filo from your buttered sheets so you now have 2 circles from the 1 piece of filo.
Place the 2 filo pieces onto the lined baking tray.
Sprinkle 1 tsn of the nut mix over the buttered filo circles.
Brush the butter onto a 2nd piece of filo and repeat the cutting of 2 circles.
Add the 2 newly cut circle layers ontop of the filo circles on the tray and top with 1 tsn of nut mix.
Repeat the butter, nut, filo process until 7 sheets have been used and you have 2 filo stacks of 7 layers each.
Bake the stacks in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden in colour, leave the tray aside to cool the stacks completely.
Once the cakes have cooled place the smaller cake onto a plate (nut side up).
Spread with ½ the cheese filling then place a filo stack on top.
Cut the larger cake in half horizontally.
Add a 2nd cake layer (the layer with no nuts) ontop of the filo, spread with the remaining filling and the remaining filo stack.
Add the last (3rd) cake layer nut side up and enjoy.

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Apple Jelly and Peanut Oat Cheesecake Slice

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Ella Posted in Slice .

Apple Jelly and Peanut Oat Cheesecake Slice

Apple is a really interesting ingredient to bake with, it is actually quite a difficult ingredient to hero as a key flavor in desserts.

However, as I still have not accomplished a killed apple unusual treat I was determine to succeed in a bake thus hit the kitchen for some experimenting.

In my experimenting one combo I came up with that I thought would be the winner was the pecan lavender lemon and apple cake, however it was the flavor combo of cinnamon apple peanut oats and caramel that exceeded expectations.

After playing around with this flavor combo with different textures I ended up featuring the nuts oats and spice in a base for a crunch, created a peanut cheesecake for the filling, an apple jelly for an addition textural layer and caramel cream for indulgence.

Oat base:

105g flour
30g peanuts
105g butter
90g brown sugar
60 oatbran
1 + 1/2 tsn ground cinnamon

Peanut cheesecake:

1 + 1/2 tsn gelatin
2 tbsn water
280g cream cheese
75g brown sugar
1 + 1/2 tsn vanilla
210g peanut butter
50ml cream

Apple jelly:

350ml freshly squeezed apple juice
75g brown sugar
1 + 1/2 tsn lemon juice
2 tsn gelatin

Cream:

190ml thickened cream
1 tsn ground cinnamon
45g brown sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm x 30cm slice tin with baking paper.
Place all the base ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the mix is combine and balls up on the side of the mixer.
Spoon the mix into the cake tin and using the back of a spoon flatten out for even coverage.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is slightly golden, leave aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the cheesecake layer by placing the boiling water with the gelatin and whisking with a fork until dissolved.
Place the gelatin mix, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and peanut butter into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until fluffy and well combine.
Add the cream to the mix and beat until just combine.
Remove the cooled oat base layer and baking paper from the tin and spray the tin with oil spray.
Cut 2mm off the base from 2 opposite sides.
Place 2 sheets of cling wrap over each other with the oat base layer in the center and lift the base back in the tin with the clingwrap overflowing the sides of the tin.
Pour the cheesecake mix on top of the oat base layer and even the mix out with a spoon.
Place the slice in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
To make the jelly add the freshly squeezed apple juice, sugar and lemon into a bowl and heat in the microwave until hot to touch.
Add the gelatin to the apple mix and stir until the gelatin is dissolved, leave aside until cooled completely.
Pour the apple mix over the cheesecake layer and leave in the fridge for 4 hours to set.
Lastly, beat the cream, cinnamon and sugar until peaks form.
Spread the cream over the set jelly layer and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
To serve, pull the cling wrap up to lift the slice from the tin, remove the cling wrap and place the slice on a plate.
Cut the slice into squares.


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Rainbow Paddle Pop Truffles

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Ella Posted in Truffles .

Rainbow Paddle Pop Truffles

This recipe is actually one that took quite a bit of research and took many attempts to get it tasting perfect. The challenge I set myself was to replicate the taste of a Rainbow flavored Paddle Pop ice-cream.

My first attempt was a cake, followed by a slice and then somehow I came up with the idea of making truffles.

The idea of replicating a Rainbow flavored Paddle Pop cake came recently realising that many people I know name the Rainbow Paddle Pop as their childhood favorite ice-cream treat. In particular the flavour, which being ‘rainbow’ is actually a research piece in itself.

In my research I came to understand that the flavour is actually a mix of caramel + a small touch of vanilla and a slight treacle hit…which is not an easy flavour to reproduce (hence all my failed attempts)!

As the rainbow colour was hard to produce in a truffle (completely easy in the cake version), I decided to give the truffles their famous colours through the use of 100’s & 1000’s.

I encourage you to eat a rainbow paddle pop, then one of these truffles and you be the judge!

Ingredients:

100g brown sugar
60g butter
200g sweetened condensed milk
30g liquid glucose
20g golden syrup
100g white chocolate
100g plain sweet biscuits (I used Marie)
1 egg
150g 100’s & 1000’s

Method:

Place the sugar, butter, milk, glucose, golden syrup and chocolate in saucepan on medium heat on the stove.
Using a hand whisk mix the ingredients until well combine and boiling.
Reduce the temperature to low/medium until the mix thickens, then remove the saucepan off the heat.
Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the biscuit mix into the caramel mix and stir until well combine, place the mix into a clean bowl and into the fridge 20 minutes or until cold.
Pour half the 100’s & 1000’s into a bowl.
Place the egg whites in another bowl and beat with a hand whisk for 30 seconds.
Using your hands roll the caramel mix into 20g sized balls.
One at a time place the truffles into the eggwhites until completely coated, then followed by placing into the 100’s & 1000’s bowl.
Shake the bowl to cover the truffle completely in the 100’s & 1000’s, and then place on a plate. Continue with half the truffles.
Disregarded the 100’s & 1000’s in the bowl and pour in the fresh remaining (the old 100’s & 1000’s will be much less effective if you continue with not renewing them).
Continue with remaining truffles of egg and 100’s & 1000’s.
Place the plate in the fridge to set for 1 hour, enjoy.

Notes:

Don’t worry if you caramelize some of the mix slightly too much on the bottom of the saucepan. The biscuits and 100’s & 1000’s will cover this up for you.

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Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

Ermine frosting has recently peaked my interest. Also known as Butter Roux frosting, this old fashion icing was commonly used in the 19th century as a staple icing (these days we would opt for cream cheese frosting over ermine).

Therefore I started experimenting with cakes that I thought would be a great basis for this frosting to be featured in.

Being a Sunday morning and having cocktails the night before I took inspiration from a few of my favs.

Out of this my days experimenting the watermelon daiquiri cake was born. To really connect the icing with the cake I replaced some of the milk with rum to make the daiquiri shine.

The outcome, a lovely luscious lime cake with a beautifully moreish watermelon syrup topped with rum inspired ermine.

Ingredients:

Cake:

90g butter, room temperature
1/2 tsn vanilla essence
2 tsn lime zest
1 tsn orange zest
110g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour
20ml milk
30ml lime juice

Watermelon syrup:

900g watermelon flesh
80g sugar

Frosting:

15g flour
70ml milk
30ml rum
90g butter
100g sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 15cmx30cm cake tins with baking paper.
Place the butter, vanilla, zest and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beaters for 2 minutes or until this mix is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition until well combine.
Add the flour, milk and juice and beat on low until just combine.
Pour the mix into the cake tins evenly and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean, leave aside in the tin.
Meanwhile, to make the syrup blitz 900g of watermelon flesh in a food processor.
Pass the watermelon juice through a sieve and place into a saucepan.
Place the saucepan on a medium heat and simmer until it reduces to 220ml.
Add the 80g of sugar to the watermelon syrup and cook on a high heat until the mix resembles a syrupy consistency (180ml in total).
Poke holes in the cooled cakes with a skewer then pour the syrup over the top of the cakes evenly, leave aside for 1 hour for the syrup to soak through the cakes.
Meanwhile make the icing by placing the flour, milk and rum in a saucepan and whisk with a hand whisk on a medium heat until a thick paste forms, take off the heat and leave aside until cooled.
Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until the mix is fluffy and smooth.
Add the rum flour mix to the butter mix and beat until creamy and well combine.
To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake onto a plate, syrup side up.
Top with half of the icing, top with the second cake layer syrup side up.
Finish with the remaining icing and some pieces of fresh watermelon.
Enjoy.


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Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake

Posted on June 24, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe

After having churros recently at a restaurant and dipping them into chocolate sauce and caramel sauce I thought making a cake out of the choux pastry (churros batter) and layering up with chocolate and caramel goodness would be an awesome way to enjoy the churros flavor and texture in an unusual (though still super tasty) way.

Usually when you make churros you pipe the batter into boiling oil, however to keep the shape of a round cake I did some experimenting until I came up with a method that suited my needs perfectly.

Instead of chocolate and caramel sauce I made a creamy chocolate ganache and a creamy thickened version of caramel sauce to ensure the churros cake layers would bind together.

To cut through the sweetness and add an additional layer I then topped with some thickened cream.

This cake did take quite a few versions to get right but ohh my is it worth it.

Cinnamon sugar:

100g white sugar
1 tsn cinnamon

Cake:

250ml water
100g butter
150g plain flour
¼ tsn salt
40g icing sugar
3 eggs

Ganache:

20ml cream
50g dark chocolate
10g brown sugar

Caramel:

65g white sugar
10ml water
40ml cream
25g brown sugar

Extra:

150g thickened cream

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 165c degrees.
Make the cinnamon sugar by pouring the sugar and cinnamon onto a sheet of baking paper, stir until combine.
To make the cake layers place the water and butter into a saucepan and heat on medium until the butter is melted.
Stir until it starts to boil, remove the butter mix off heat.
Add the flour, icing sugar and salt to the butter mix and using a wooden spoon stir until the mix balls and comes away from the side of the saucepan.
Place the mix into a bowl until cool.
Add the eggs to the mix and beat with a hand whisk until the batter is well combine and smooth.
Line 2 baking trays with a piece of baking paper and draw 4 x 15cm circle outlines onto the paper with a pencil.
Spoon the batter into a piping bag with a large round nozzle and pipe the mix around the edge of the circle, continuing until you reach the center and the circle is filled.
Spread the mix with a spoon slightly to bleed the piping and place the trays in the freezer for 90 minutes or until the batter is hard set.
Peel the disks from the baking paper.
Place oil into a saucepan and heat on high until the temperature hits 250c degrees (or test with a corner of bread if it sizzles its ready).
Place one disk at a time into the oil until golden brown.
Remove with a spatula and place onto some absorbent paper towel.
Once all are done line a large tray with baking paper, place the churros layers on the paper and bake in the oven to cook through for 40 minutes, flipping them over at the 20 minute mark.
One by one place the layers in the cinnamon sugar, flipping to cover both sides in sugar.
Place layers on a plate to cool.
Meanwhile make the ganache by pouring the cream into a bowl and on medium power heat in the microwave until the cream just starts to bubble.
Add the chocolate and leave for 1 minute.
Add the sugar and stir until the ganache is glossy and smooth, leave aside to cool completely.
To make the caramel place the white sugar and water into a saucepan on a high heat stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Now leave the mix without stirring until the sugar syrup is dark golden is colour, take off heat.
Add the brown sugar and cream and mix with a metal spoon until the caramel is smooth and glossy, leave aside to cool completely.
In a separate bowl beat the extra thickened cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
Spoon 50ml of extra cream into a separate bowl and beat further until firm peaks form, set aside.
Spoon 50ml of extra cream into another bowl with the cooled chocolate ganache and beat slowly until the chocolate is combine and firm peaks form, set aside.
To the remaining 50ml extra cream add the cooled caramel and beat slowly untl the caramel is combine and firm peaks form, set aside.
To assemble the cake, place a churros layer on a plate, top with the chocolate cream spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
Place a second cake layer on the top, then the caramel cream spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
Place the third cake layer on top, then the cream, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
Add the top layer and enjoy.

Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe

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Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe

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Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe

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Sour Cream Fig and Almond Ice-Cream

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Ella Posted in Ice-cream & Sorbet .

Sour Cream Fig and Almond Ice-Cream

This baking experiment session was actually planned to be for baking a sour cream cake, however once I had drafted up a recipe to play with I realized that a sour cream cake is actually a lot more common that I originally first though.

Therefore, after a bit of brainstorming and playing around in the kitchen I ended up landing on something completely different – in sour cream ice-cream.

As I had a jar of fig jam I decided that I would have fig as the base flavour of the ice-cream.

Knowing that honey and almonds are great flavour parings with figs I used these 2 additional ingredients as complementary flavours.

The outcome is a stunning, slightly zesty (thanks to the sourness of the sour cream) textured unique ice-cream that is super easy to make and requires minimal prep time.

Ingredients:

300g sour cream
170g fig jam
40ml honey
70g roasted almonds

Method:

Place the sour cream, jam and honey into a food processor and blitz until the mix is well combine.
Add the almonds to the mix and pulse until the nuts are slightly diced and well combined.
Pour the mix unto a bowl and place in the freezer for 4 hours to set.
Place the mix back into the food processor and pulse until creamy.
Place the mix back into the bowl and freeze for an additional 2 hours or until completely set.
Place the mix back into the food processor one last time and pulse.
Place the mix back into the bowl and freeze for an additional 2 hours or until completely set.
Quenelle over some biscuit crumbs or enjoy as is for a creamy and satisfying end to a meal.


Fig Jam widely available from Coles Supermarket


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