Sweet Tooth Experiments

Monthly Archives: November 2014

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake

If you are a frequent visitor to my blog you would have caught on that I do like to bake with many varying grains and textures. for example Semolina and Polenta appear in my recipes on multiple occasions.

However, I am always looking for new and interesting ingredients to experiment baking with (new – meaning new for me or uncommon in general to bake with).

After going to dinner and having a friend eat a couscous meal with sweet accompanying sultanas and orange it got me thinking of baking a cake with couscous.

I thought it would have a similar property to semolina or polenta, where it would cook within the cake and soak up the moisture.

From here I figured a solution could be to make syrup to replenish the cake afterwards. Furthermore, I have been meaning to bake with watermelon for ages and as this fruit is full of liquid goodness it would be perfect for syrup making.

After a few attempt’s my Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake is amazingly textured (you won’t know there is couscous) and when warm is exactly textured like a pudding! And the taste scrumptious! This cake was gone in seconds!

 

Ingredients:

  • 295g plain flour
  • ¼ tsn salt
  • 1 tbsn baking powder
  • 120g couscous
  • 230g butter
  • 200g sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 2 tsn strawberry essence
  • 1 tsn lemon zest
  • 160g strawberries

Syrup:

  • 750g watermelon flesh (approx. 1.5g of watermelon)
  • 200ml water
  • 250g sugar
  • 2 tsn lemon juice
  • 90g strawberries

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 160c and line a 23cm spring form baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the flour, salt, powder and couscous in a bowl and whisk until well combine.
  3. Using electric beaters beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
  4. Add in the eggs, beating in between each addition until pale and creamy.
  5. Add the vanilla, strawberry essence and lemon zest.
  6. Place the strawberries into a food processor and pour 160g into the wet mix. Beat to combine.
  7. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mix and beat until just combine.
  8. Pour into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 50mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. To make the syrup, place the watermelon in a food processor and run through a sieve into a pan.
  10. Add the sugar, water, remaining strawberries and lemon juice into the pan.
  11. Gently heat until the sugar is dissolved then increase the heat boil, then bring to a simmer for 10 mins until the liquid is syrupy.
  12. Using a skewer make holes all over the surface of the cake then pour the syrup over the top of the cake evenly.
  13. Leave the cake to cool completely in its tin.
  14. Once cooled remove the cake from the tin.

Notes:

  • You will need 250g packet of strawberries and 1.5kg of watermelon for this recipe.
  • You will have approx. 4 cups of syrup liquid. This may look like a crazy amount but trust me you need this. The couscous will soak up all the moisture in the cake so you need to add this to replenish it again.
  • You are best adding the syrup to the cake while it is still hot to allow the liquid to seep through the whole cake and not just the top.
  • This cake is best eaten the next day (stored in the fridge) and served warm.

 

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake recipe

Ingredients

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake recipe

Step 4

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake recipe

Step 6

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake

Step 8

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 9

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake recipe

Step 12

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake recipe

Step 14

Strawberry and Watermelon Couscous Cake recipe

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Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwiches

Posted on Posted in Slice, Unique .

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwiches

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwich recipe

 

You may have noticed by now that I do love to play with American style flavor favorites, (see my Devils Food Cake, Chocolate Bacon Cake with Maple Frosting, Spiced Pumpkin Pie, Hummingbird Cake to name a few). The whole savory and sweet combo they commonly serve is so interesting, something we don’t see much in Australia.

One thing I have yet to experiment with is their famous peanut and jelly (jam in AUS) sandwich, I don’t even think I have ever tasted one in my life.

So true Ella style instead of first tasting I threw myself into experimenting with this concept to incorporate these 2 key ingredients in a sweet baking tread.

I must say I attempted 3 versions of this…Originally I made a 3 layered slice with a peanut butter, a jelly and a white chocolate crumble topping slice. I wasn’t happy with this so I attempted it again with just the 2 layers and omitted the crumble layer – as suspected the jam turned into a toffee texture without the crumble layer to protect it.

As the peanut layer was absolutely delectable and satisfying I decided to slice pieces in half like 2 pieces of bread and with thick jelly (jam) placed in the center to sandwich the peanut slice together.

Outcome…better that expected – absolutely scrumptious! Best part (bar the taste) this is sooo easy to make! Below is the recipe to me easy Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwiches.

 

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 300g peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsn vanilla extract
  • 1 + 1/2cup plain flour
  • ½ tsn baking powder
  • ½ tsn salt
  • ½ tsn cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup thick raspberry jam

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175c and line a 20cm square baking tray with baking paper.
  2. In a bowl using electric beaters beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
  3. Add the peanut butter, egg and vanilla essence, beat.
  4. In another bowl mix together the flour, powder, salt and cinnamon.
  5. Using a spoon carefully fold the dry ingredients into the wet mix until just combined.
  6. Spoon the mix into the tray and smooth out.
  7. Cook for 35 minutes or until golden.
  8. Allow the slice to fully cool then cut the slice horizontally through the middle.
  9. Place the bottom layer back into the tray and spoon the thick jam to cover the bottom layer.
  10. Place the second layer on the top of the jam to create a peanut slice sandwich with jam in the centre.
  11. Allow to set in the fridge for 2 hours before removing from the tray and cutting the slice into bars.

Notes:

  • You can use whatever flavor jam you prefer, though raspberry is the most traditional.
  • The jam does need to be quite thick. If its not heat it in the microwave or on the stove until bubbling hot then whisk in 1 tsn of gelatine powder. Allow to cool, then follow on from step 9.

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwich recipe

Step 3

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwich recipe

Step 5

Peanut Butter and Jelly Slice Sandwich recipe.

Step 6

 

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Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

In the background of my baking that you don’t see I have actually been trying to bake with Grapefruit with 5 attempts now. This sweet but sour citrus fruit is being very difficult with me.

I’ve trialed biscuits, slice and cakes in the past but this time FINALLY after much research with Grapefruit flavour parings and textures I have come home with the goods!

Who would have though that to complement and tone down the sourness of the fruit the best combo to Grapefruit is Pistachio, Ginger, Lemon and Rosewater…say what?

Seriously this cake is one not to pass on. With it’s Middle Eastern influence and European taste I dare anyone to produce a higher quality tasting Grapefruit cake!

 

Ingredients:

  • 160g shelled, unsalted pistachios
  • 150g butter
  • 135g caster sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tsn rosewater essence (equivalent to 3tbsn rosewater)
  • 2tbsn milk
  • 2 tbsn lime juice
  • 1 Grapefruit zest (or 4 tsn zest)
  • 1+1/2 tsn ground ginger
  • 240g self raising flour
  • 1 tbsn bicarbonate of soda

For the grapefruit syrup:

  • 1 grapefruit
  • 110g water
  • 2 tsn rosewater essence
  • 90g caster sugar

 

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a 23cm spring form baking tin with baking paper.
  2. Place 135g of the pistachios in a food processor and process until finely ground.
  3. Roughly chop up the remaining 25g pistachios and reserve for the top for decorations.
  4. Using electric beaters beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
  5. Add in the eggs, beating in between each addition until pale and creamy.
  6. Add the rosewater essence, milk, lime juice and zest beating in between each addition.
  7. In a separate bowl combine the ground pistachios, flour, bicarb and ginger whisking to mix. Sift the dry ingredients into the liquid mix.
  8. Using a spatula folder the dry ingredients into the wet until combine then pour into the cake tin.
  9. Bake in the oven for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. To make the grapefruit syrup squeeze the juice of the grapefruit through a sieve and into a pan with the water, rosewater essence and sugar and gently heat until the sugar is dissolved.
  11. Increase the heat and boil for 2 mins until the liquid resembles a thin syrup.
  12. Using a skewer make holes all over the surface of the cake then pour the syrup over the top of the cake evenly.
  13. Leave the cake to cool completely in its tin.
  14. Once cold remove the cake from the tin and scatter with the remaining pistachio pieces.

 

Notes:

  • You will need 1 whole grapefuit for this recipe.
  • This cake is best served warm.
  • Serve with a scoop on ice-cream, yum!

 

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Ingredients

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 2

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 6

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 8

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 10

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 11

Grapefruit Pistachio Rose and Ginger Syrup Cake recipe

Step 12

 

 

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Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting

Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Ever noticed how some recipes call for buttercream, sour cream or even just plain cream instead of milk? So if these other dairy ingredients are used to change the texture of cakes then I wondered what yoghurt would do…

Being a massive fan of yoghurt (especially fruit flavored) I decided to make a cake with yoghurt and the base ingredient.

As I had strawberry yoghurt in the fridge and some rhubarb left over from my rhubarb orange and ginger cake, I decided to use these two ingredients to make Rhubarb and Strawberry Yogurt Cake. This cake is really tasty but I wanted to make sure yoghurt was the hero ingredient so I decided to incorporate yogurt into an icing for the cake.

Knowing that lemon would work well as a 3rd key flavor to the Rhubarb and Strawberry I made up a Lemon Yoghurt Frosting (mascarpone cheese to thicken up the texture to ensure no runny business)!

 

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 600g rhubarb
  • 1 + ½ flour
  • 2 tsn baking powder
  • ¼ salt
  • 1 cup of strawberry yoghurt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsn lemon juice
  • 1 tbsn strawberry essence
  • ½ cup oil

Icing:

  • 220g thick natural yogurt
  • 70g icing sugar
  • 120g mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tbsn lemon zest

 

Method:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 175c and line a 30cm cake tin.
  2. Place the rhubarb cut into 2 cm pieces in a saucepan with ¼ cup sugar. On a medium heat cook, stirring for about 10 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and smooth. Place aside to cool.
  3. Place the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining (3/4 cup) sugar into a bowl and whisk.
  4. Place the yogurt, eggs, juice and essence into another bowl, whisk to combine.
  5. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and using a whisk combine. Once just combine add in the oil and the rhubarb. Stir to combine.
  6. Place into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  7. In the interim make the icing by beating together all 4 ingredients until well combine. Place in the fridge to set.
  8. Once the cake is cooled spread the icing all over the cake and enjoy!

 

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Ingredients

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Step 2

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Step 5

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Step 6

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Step 7

Rhubarb Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Step 7

Strawberry Yogurt Cake with Lemon Yoghurt Frosting recipe

Step 8

 

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