May 2019 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Orange and Blueberry Polenta Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

Posted on May 18, 2019 Posted in Cupcakes .

Orange and Blueberry Polenta Cupcakes with Lemon Icing

For a variation from the usual cupcake I have incorporating polenta into the mix, while still including self raising flour to allow the cupcakes to rise.

The mix of blueberries, orange and lemon pairing with a hint of almond works a real treat, while the texture of the polenta makes the cupcakes very satisfying.

A welcomed tasty alternative to the usual vanilla or chocolate cupcake that’s for sure!

Ingredients:

Cake:

110g instant polenta
200g self raising four
150g sugar
½ tsn baking powder
140g butter, softened
½ tsn almond essence
½ lemon zest
1 orange
1 egg
260g blueberries

Icing:

300g thickened cream
1 tsn lemon zest
1 tbsn icing sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and place large cupcake patties in a cupcake tray.
Place the polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, zest of a whole orange and zest of half the lemon in a bowl and rub to combine with hands until a dough is formed.
In a separate bowl place the egg, almond essence and 2 tbsn of orange juice. With a hand whisk combine the wet ingredients then pour into the dry ingredients.
Beat with the hand whisk to combine.
Place 45g of batter into each cupcake case.
Push 10 blueberries into the batter of each cupcake.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes of until a skewer in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes from the tin and leave aside to cool.
To make the icing whisk with electric beaters the butter for 5 minutes until creamy.
Add in the cream, icing sugar and lemon zest and beat until peaks form.
Using a star nozzle and piping-bag pipe each cupcake with icing.
Decorate with extra orange zest and a blueberry on the top.

Ingredients

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Rice Flour White Chocolate and Coffee Brownies

Posted on May 10, 2019 Posted in Brownies .

Rice Flour, White Chocolate and Coffee Brownies

This recipe is the most simple and quick recipe you will come across. This took me a whole of 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to decorate.

I recommend you read the notes to this recipe before planning to bake as it does have a defined ‘textural’ consistency.

This recipe made it to my blog due to the interesting texture, simplicity, gluten-free bake and cost efficiency. Also, it is quite the tasty flavor (hmm coffee).

Introducing the unique Rice flour, white chocolate and coffee brownies.

Ingredients:

90g white chocolate
70g butter
190g brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
½ tsn vanilla essence
½ tsn almond essence
160g-rice flour
1 tbsn instant espresso coffee granules
150ml thickened cream

Method:

Line a 30cm x 15cm baking tray with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees.
Place the butter and sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium for 1 minute or until the chocolate is half melted. Stir with a metal spoon until smooth and glossy.
With a hand whisk beat in the instant coffee until dissolved then beat in the remaining ingredients.
Pour the mix into the tin and place in the oven for 30 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Tap the tin on a table lightly to get rid of air bubbles before placing in the oven (otherwise the brownie will get bubble like domes on the base).
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes for place on a cooling rack and cut.
Whip up the thickened cream with electric beaters until peaks form and pipe on the top of each brownie then sprinkled with a little coffee granules on top to decorate.

Notes:

The title of this brownie does state rice flour, however I have made this a few times and suggest that if you are not a real fan of texture (rice flour is much more granular than other flours) then substitute it with normal plain flour or gluten free plain flour to stay gluten-free.

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The ingredients

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Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake

Posted on May 3, 2019 Posted in Cakes .

Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake


After eating an apple pie recently I got the idea of turning the filling into a cake, but instead of putting the filling into the batter of the cake I wanted to use it as the filling between cake layers. For the cake batter I wanted to ensure that the apple was evident, but not the only key feature in the cake. Additionally, I wanted to cake to feature flavors that complement the apple, thus incorporating brown sugar, caramel essence, ginger and of course apples best friend…cinnamon. Think carrot cake or banana cake texture and flavors, but without the carrot and banana.To keep the apple pie mix intact and in the middle of the cake layers I opted for a cream cheese frosting for the layers and outside of the cake, again featuring the caramel flavor. The outcome is a delectable spiced apple cake that is rich in apple pie inspired flavor layers as well as caramel cheesecake-ish frosted layers.

Ingredients:

Cake:

170g brown sugar
2 eggs
100ml vegetable oil
50ml butter, melted
420g apples, peeled and grated (240g grated apple)
220ml self-rising flour
1 tsn of bi- carbonate soda
1 tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn ground ginger
60g almond meal
1 lemon (zest of whole lemon)

Apple Filling:

55g brown sugar
½ tsn ground cinnamon
30g butter
180ml water
260g apples, peeled and diced (175g diced apple)

Syrup:

30ml brandy
30ml lemon juice
80g brown sugar

Icing:

80g butter
100g white chocolate
250g cream cheese
120g vanilla flavored yoghurt
1 tsn salted caramel essence
30g icing sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line 3 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
Using your kitchen aid (electric beaters) beat the sugar and eggs for 5 minutes or until fluffy and pale.
Add the melted butter and oil to the bowl, pouring while the beaters run.
Stop the mixer and remove the bowl.
Add the apple and sift in the flour, spices, salt, soda and almond meal.
Carefully fold the ingredients together until just combine.
Pour the mix evenly into the 3 tins and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Leave the cakes on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, to make the filling place the butter, sugar, cinnamon and water into a saucepan and heat on high until boiling.
Add the apples and cook on high for 10 minutes until the syrup thickens and the apple is soft but still holds it’s shape.
Place the mix into a bowl and leave aside to cool.
Place the syrup ingredients into a new bowl and heat in the microwave until boiling, stir until silky smooth in texture.
Using a pastry brush, brush the syrup onto the top of the 3 cakes.
Next make the icing by melting the butter in a medium sized bowl in the microwave until bubbling. Add the white chocolate piece and stir until smooth.
Add the cream cheese, yoghurt and essence into the butter mix and using electric beaters whisk until smooth and silky. Place in the fridge to set.
To put the cake together place one cake layer on a plate syrup side up, top with ¼ icing, then ½ of the apple filling over the top of the icing.
Top with the second cake layer syrup side up, top with ¼ icing, then the remaining apple filling over the top of the icing.
Top with 3^rd cake layer syrup side down and ice the top and the sides of the cake with the remaining icing.
To decorate I have topped with dried apple slices and caramel sauce.