August 2020 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Saffron Orange Cardamom and Almond Cookie Ice-cream

Posted on August 29, 2020 Posted in Ice-cream & Sorbet .

Saffron Orange Cardamom and Almond Cookie Ice-cream recipe

This recipe is a mix of my favorite flavours, in which I have put in an easy ice-cream based recipe with delicious textured chunks.

Saffron, Orange, Cardamom and Almond are such a beautiful delight of complementing flavours that really puts a smile on my face.

I wanted to make something a bit unusual with this flavour combo so decided ice-cream would be an interesting experiment. However, I didn’t just want to make the usual smooth and creamy ice-cream that is standard (if made correctly of course), I wanted to add delicious texture. This is where the vanilla flavoured cookies and frozen orange pieces came into play.

If you’re looking for a delicious satisfying treat that’s a bit unusual with no baking or ice-cream churning this recipe is for you.

Ingredients:

1 orange
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 tsn almond essence
1 tsn orange zest
1 tsn cardamom
12 saffron threads
4 eggs
100g brown sugar
200g vanilla biscuits (I used vanilla Oreos)

Method:

Place the orange in the freezer.
Place the cream and milk in a saucepan on medium heat until the mix boils.
Remove the milk mix off the heat and stir in the essence, zest, cardamom and saffron.
Place the milk mix in a bowl and leave aside for 5 minutes for the flavours to infuse.
Using a hand whisk, beat 2 eggs and 2 yolks in another bowl with the sugar.
Add 40ml of the milk mix to the egg mix and beat with the hand whisk until combine and smooth.
Pour the egg mix into a saucepan along with the remaining milk mix and on a very low heat beat with a hand whisk until the mix thickens and thickly coats the back of a spoon.
Pour the mix into a bowl and place in the freezer until the mix is almost set.
Meanwhile, place the biscuits in a food processor and pulse until small chunks are formed.
Peel and segment the orange, dice finely into pieces.
Stir in 40g of orange diced pieces along with the biscuit pieces until well combined and place back in the fridge to set.
Using an ice-cream scoop serve and enjoy.

Saffron Orange Cardamom and Almond Cookie Ice-cream recipe

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Cappuccino and Chocolate Roulade Cake

Posted on August 22, 2020 Posted in Cakes, Roulade .

Cappuccino and Chocolate Roulade Cake

Cappuccino and Chocolate Roll Cake recipe

When it’s cold and rainy on a Sunday afternoon and you can’t be bothered going to the shops…you look in the pantry for baking inspo…which is how this recipe came about.

I felt like making a cake but wasn’t sure what exactly, so I looked inside the pantry for what ingredients, products and what random filled containers I had.

Milo, drinking chocolate, coffee sachets and tea stood out.

A coffee sachet, drinking chocolate sachet and fruity herbal tea test and the end result was a cappuccino sachet inspired filled chocolate sponge cake. This cake is def cappuccino and not coffee in flavour…the powder makes this flavour differentiation very clear thanks to the smooth milky like tone. Very tasty!

Cappuccino and Chocolate Roll Cake recipe

Ingredients:

Sponge cake:

4 eggs
100g brown sugar
30g cocoa powder
75g plain flour
80g dark chocolate

Cream:

45g of instant cappuccino sachets (I used 3 x Nescafe)
150ml thickened cream
60g icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 20cm x 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
Beat the eggs for 2 minutes with electric beaters of until pale and creamy.
Gradually add in the sugar, beating while slowly adding the sugar until it has dissolved.
Sieve the cocoa powered and flour into the egg mix and fold until just combine.
Place the chocolate broken into pieces into a bowl and then into the microwave on medium for 30 second bursts until the chocolate has melted.
Fold the melted chocolate into the mix.
Spoon the mix into the tin and even with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 12 minutes or until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
Cut a piece of extra baking paper and invert the cake onto the paper.
Remove the baking paper off the top of the cake.
Roll the sponge starting with the long side of the sponge closest to you int0 a cylinder shape, rolling with the paper between. Leave the sponge wrapped until cool.
To make the cream place all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk with electric beaters until peaks form.
Carefully unroll the cake, slightly trimming the ends of each side.
Place the sponge on cling wrap and spread the cream over the sponge, leaving a 1cm border without cream.
Roll the sponge back up and wrap with the cling wrap firmly.
Place the roll in the fridge for 1+ hour to set.
To arrange unwrap the roll and place on a platter, cut the 2 ends and disregard, dust with cocoa and icing sugar and cut into 3cm roll portions.

Cappuccino and Chocolate Roll Cake recipe

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Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cake with Milo Custard Frosting

Posted on August 15, 2020 Posted in Cakes .

Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cake with Milo Custard Frosting

Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cake with Milo Custard Frosting recipe

This recipe came off the back of a range of shortbread biscuit making experiments of different flavours. Though chocolate and coconut are not unusual favour pairings, in general, as a shortbread they were an interesting bake, though not interesting enough to post online.

I wanted to turn the biscuit base recipe into layers, and to this also add in a few other complimentary flavours into the mix.

Upon exploring the pantry, a few ingredients peaked by interest, in which I wanted to make some sort of second layer to the shortbread base…maybe a slice…maybe icing…I trialled a few combos and landed on the random milo, vanilla and custard powder with choc ganache (I had in a jar left over from a previous bake).

Once I combined the ingredients and made a frosting, I decided to jazz it up a bit by piping it. As the shortbread looked a bit bland I built layers of it with the icing until the size was cake like and a layered shortbread cake was formed.

I originally didn’t make this for this site, thinking it would not be good enough but I changed my mind as soon as I cut a slice! Then another…then another…always a giving sign of a great bake!

Ingredients:

Shortbread:

200g butter, softened
210g caster sugar
1 egg
240g plain flour
45g cocoa powder
1 tsn vanilla essence
30g desiccated coconut, toasted

Frosting:

240g butter, softened
170g icing sugar
145g milo
60g custard powder
2 tsn vanilla essence

Extra:

Chocolate ganache
Desiccated coconut, toasted

Method:

Using electric beaters whisk the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg and beat until just combined.
Add the flour, cocoa, vanilla and desiccated coconut beating on low until the mix is combine.
Place the mix onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball.
Using a rolling pin roll the dough to 4mm thick.
Using a 15cm plate, place the plate onto the dough, bottom side up and trace around the plate with a knife cutting out a 15cm circle.
Repeat cutting out the disc shape 2 more times, kneading the dough into a ball and re-rolling out again with the rolling pin if needed.
Lay out a large baking tray with baking paper and place the 3 disks onto the tray.
Place the tray in the fridge, covered with cling wrap for 30mins.
Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and bake the disks in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Set the disks aside to cool completely.
To make the frosting, place all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with electric beaters on high until pale and creamy.
Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a circle 1cm nozzle.
Place 1 shortbread disk onto a plate and using 1/3rd of the frosting pipe large dots of the frosting on the disk starting from the middle and going outwards.
Drizzle the frosting with some chocolate ganache and place the second biscuit disk onto of the frosting, repeat with an other 1/3rd of the frosting.
Drizzle the frosting with some chocolate ganache and place the last biscuit disk onto of the frosting and repeat piping with remaining frosting.
Finish by drizzling ganache and sprinkle extra desiccated roasted coconut.

Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cake with Milo Custard Frosting recipe

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Chocolate Coconut Shortbread Cake with Milo Custard Frosting recipe

Pandan Lemon Vanilla and Coconut Cake

Posted on August 8, 2020 Posted in Cakes .

Pandan Lemon Vanilla and Coconut Cake

A friend challenged me with baking with Pandan. Sounds simple…trialling the ingredient with a range of flavour combos and deciding on one (if any) that taste amazing…but it wasn’t as simple as that. After trialling combos and experimenting with the quantity of the ingredients I landed on Pandan, lemon (zest and juice), vanilla and 2 types of coconut (milk for richness and desiccated for texture).

Then came the hard part, slices, lamingtons and macarons were produced. The lamingtons were too dense, macarons too sweet and the slice too boring. The following week I experimented again with a cake and cupcakes. The cake turned out moist, rich and delicious in flavour. It may have taken 2 weekends, but I believe I conquered Pandan baking!

Pandan Lemon Vanilla and Coconut Cake

Ingredients:

40g desiccated coconut, toasted
300ml coconut milk
2 tsn vanilla essence
1/2 tsn coconut essence
190g butter
1225g brown sugar
3 eggs
225 cups self raising flour
1/4 tsn salt
1 tsn lemon zest

Filling:

100g coconut oil
150g butter
150g icing sugar
1 + 1/2 tsn pandan syrup
1 tsn vanilla essence
1 + 1/2 tsn lemon zest

Icing:

180g icing sugar
120g butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsn lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice

Extra:

Desiccated coconut, toasted

Method:

Preheat oven to 160c. Line a 25cm base cake tin with baking paper.
Combine the desiccated coconut, milk and essence in a bowl. Mix and leave for an hour to soak together.
Beat butter and sugar until creamy and pale.
Add eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition.
Beat the flour and coconut mix into the butter mix for 10 seconds on low or until just combined.
Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.
Make the filling by microwaving the coconut oil in a bowl until just melted.
Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat with electric beaters until creamy, pale and glossy.
Make the icing by beating all the ingredient for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Cut the cake into 2 layers and place the filling in between the 2 layers of cake.
Coat the top and sides of the cake with the icing.
Finish with the extra desiccated coconut by sprinkling on the top of the cake and sides.

Notes:

The soaking is not essential, however does add to the texture and richness of the coconut in the cake.

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Knickerbocker Glory Cake

Posted on August 1, 2020 Posted in Cakes .

Knickerbocker Glory Cake

Knickerbocker Glory Cake recipe

Inspired by trying my first knickerbocker glory I loved the element of the variations of textures and flavour layers, therefore decided to turn the layered ice cream sundae dessert into a cake. This dessert if you’re not familiar with it is served in a large tall glass like you would see of milkshakes in the 1970’s. However unlike a milkshake this dessert traditionally contain ice cream, cream, fruit, and meringue.

Since its conception on 1920 there have been multiple adaptations and varying flavour inclusions, however this cake recipe I have invented is made off my favourite knickerbocker glory ingredient adaptions, being; Peanuts, strawberry, chocolate, coconut and vanilla.

Strawberry and vanilla as the base allows the mix of amazing flavours to bounce off and complement each other, producing a delectable taste.

Ingredients:

Cake:

215g butter, softened
180g caster sugar
1 tsn vanilla essence
1/2 tsn strawberry essence
3 eggs
320g strawberry jam
320g self-rising flour

Peanut Icing:

30g butter, softened
¼ cup peanut butter
1 cup icing sugar
10ml milk

Chocolate Icing:

150g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
30g cocoa powder
10ml milk

Extras:

30g desiccated coconut, roasted
40g chopped peanuts, roasted

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
Beat butter, vanilla essence, strawberry essence and sugar for 5 minutes or until creamy and pale with electric beaters.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
Puree the jam in a food processor until smooth, leave aside.
Sieve the flour into the butter mix along with the strawberry jam puree. Beat with electric beats until just combine.
Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Wait 5 minutes, then invert the cake onto a cake tray to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the peanut icing but placing all the ingredients on a bowl and beat with electric beaters until pale, set aside.
In another bowl beat the chocolate icing ingredients until pale, light and fluffy.
Cut the cake in half horizontally.
Spread the peanut icing on the bottom cake layer and place the 2nd layer on top.
Spread the chocolate icing on the top cake layer and sides.
Sprinkle with roasted coconut on the sides of the cake as well as roasted peanuts – serve and enjoy.