Sweet Tooth Experiments

Category Archives: Cakes

Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade

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Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade

Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade recipe

For a long time now I have been playing with different flavour pairings of roulades. Thanks to my curiosity in experimenting I got hooked on continuing to play until I created a recipe I deemed blog-worthy. It may have taken about 7 attempts but I got there in the end. It took me about 3 goes to get the perfect sponge cake base that could bend seamlessly and not split as soon as it is rolled. I then also trial many flavour pairings where I went through Early Grey & Blueberry, Chestnut & Chocolate and a citrus blend to name a few…all were ok but nowhere near my expectations. It was the pairings combo of white chocolate, the multiple layers of almond flavour via almond meal & marzipan, lemon zest and lavender that created an end product of complimentary taste profiles.

Making a curd also meant that I could easily roll the roulade, handy as I struggled keeping the cream in place when using traditional filling methods.

Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade recipe

Ingredients:

  • 5 eggs
  • 150g sugar
  • 1 + ½ tbsn hot water
  • 100g white chocolate
  • 100g self raising flour
  • 1 tsn ground dried lavender
  • 2 tsn lemon zest

Curd:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 eggs
  • 160g marzipan
  • 60ml lemon juice
  • 100g butter
  • 2 tsn ground lavender
  • ½ tsn almond essence

Extra

  • 30g almonds
  • Whipped cream or ice-cream to serve

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 175c degrees and line a 40cm x 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Separate eggs and whisk egg yolks with the sugar with electric beaters until light and cream.
  3. Add the hot water and beat for 1 minute.
  4. Grate the chocolate into the egg yolk mix.
  5. Add the flour to the egg yolk mix and fold until just combine.
  6. Using electric beaters in a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until peaks form.
  7. Fold 1/3rd of the egg whites into the egg yolk mix until just combine to loosen the mix.
  8. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until just combine.
  9. Pour mix into the tin, even the top of the mix with the back of a spoon and bake for 12 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
  10. Invert the hot cooked cake onto a piece of baking paper and cut off all 4 sides of the cakes crusts.
  11. Roll the cake with the paper up into a log shape. The paper should be on top of the cake guiding the rolling. Leave for 5 mins to cool in the rolled shape.
  12. Following unroll the cake and reroll without the paper, leave until the cake is fully cooled.
  13. Place the curd ingredients into a saucepan and beat with a hand whisk on a low heat until the mix is well combine and thickened. Leave side to cool.
  14. To assemble the roulade unroll the cake.
  15. Spread the whole cake with the curd and grate OR finely diced the almonds over the curd (whichever you prefer. I personally like the diced almonds crunch).
  16. Place a sheet of plastic wrap onto your bench and again, on top of the plastic wrap, roll the cake into a log shape following the roll shape you created earlier.
  17. Place the plastic wrap around the outside of the roulade to seal the cake and into the fridge for 3 hours to set.
  18. Remove the plastic wrap and cut the roulade into thick wheel shapes. Serve with a generous serving of whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream on top of the cake with the swirl pattern facing up, enjoy!

 

NOTE: I melted white chocolate with a little cream to create a white chocolate ganache that I drizzled over the completed cake just prior serving for some extra decoration.

Hazelnut Mocha Bread Cake recipe

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Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade recipe

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Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade recipe

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Lemon Almond and Lavender Roulade recipe
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Green Smoothie Chocolate Cake

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Green Smoothie Chocolate Cake

Green Smoothie Chocolate Cake recipe

Don’t get scared, hold on and stay with me for 1 minute, I can guarantee this cake will taste only of chocolate, you will not taste a gram of green or healthiness in this cake.

The name of this recipe says it all, I have taken key ingredients that you usually find in green smoothies that provide a pleather of varying health benefits and turned them into a cake. In fact, 12/16 of the ingredients in this cake are well known for their health benefits.

Don’t believe you can eat a nutritious cake and thoroughly enjoy it? The below is an example of a few ingredients that provides exactly that:

  • Zucchini – vitamin C & A, protein, fiber, potassium & folate
  • Spinach – vitamins A, B2, C and K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, calcium & potassium
  • Dates – iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous & magnesium
  • Cocoa – lower blood pressure, improve blood flow & 3x the antioxidants than a cup of green tea
  • Cinnamon – lowers blood sugar and reduce heart disease risk factors
  • Ginger and Turmeric – anti-inflammatory qualities
  • Oatmeal – controls blood sugars, high in fiber and drops bad cholesterol
  • Avocado – vitamin C & E

 

Ingredients:

Cake batter:

  • 265g zucchini
  • 65g spinach
  • 65g dates
  • 240ml almond milk
  • 65g cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsn ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsn ground ginger
  • Pinch turmeric
  • 165g butter
  • 240g sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 30g oatmeal
  • 175g self-raising flour

Icing:

  • 1 large avocado (190g flesh)
  • 60g dates
  • 80ml honey
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 30g cocoa powder

Extra:

  • 35g dates, diced

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
  2. Grate the zucchini into a bowl and squeeze out 65ml of the zucchini liquid.
  3. Place in a food processor the spinach, dates and 120ml of the almond milk, blitz until smooth.
  4. Add the remaining 120ml of almond milk along with the cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric to the food processor. Blitz until smooth and well combine, add to the zucchini and stir to combine.
  5. Using electric beaters whisk the butter for 3 minutes or until pale in colour.
  6. Add the sugar to the butter and beat for 5 minutes until fluffy and light.
  7. Add the eggs, one at a time beating for at least 1 minute between each addition (mix should be light, pale and fluffy).
  8. Pour the oatmeal into the butter mix and sieve the self-raising flour into the mix.
  9. Add the almond milk wet mix and whisk with electric beaters on low until just combine.
  10. Spoon the mix evenly into the 2 prepared cake tins.
  11. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
  12. Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack until cold.
  13. Meanwhile, make the icing by placing the avocado, dates, vanilla and honey into a food processor and blitz until well combine and smooth.
  14. Add the cocoa powder to the avocado mix and blitz until smooth and well combine.
  15. Place 1 cake onto a plate, top with 1/3rd of the icing.
  16. Add the 2nd cake on top and use the remaining icing on the top and sides of the cake, scatter with the additional dates for decoration, enjoy.

 

NOTE: For additional decoration only I have picked a few flowers for the garden and arranged on top of the cake.

 

Green Smoothie Chocolate Cake recipe

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

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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.

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

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:

  1. To make the puree peel the sweet potato and chop up into pieces.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. Place the potato icing mix into a bowl and once cooled into the fridge to set.
  6. Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and line 2x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
  7. Chop the pecans into small pieces and scatter into the bottom of both tins.
  8. 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.
  9. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes, scraping down the sides each minute.
  10. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition until the mix is light and fluffy.
  11. Add the 245g of puree and bourbon to the butter mix and beat on medium until well combined.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Leave the mix to bubble without stirring until it reaches golden brown in colour.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Leave both cooked cakes in their tins for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack.
  20. 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.
  21. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the bourbon stirring until well combined.
  22. Add the cooled caramel mix to the remaining 100ml of cream and beat with electric beaters until well combine and peaks form.
  23. To assemble the cake, cut the tops of both cakes to make them level and cut the larger cake in half horizontally.
  24. Using a pastrybrush brush the cut sides of the 3 cake layers with the bourbon syrup mix until well covered.
  25. Place 1 cake layer onto a plate syrup side up. Top with half the caramel cream mix.
  26. Add the 2nd cake layer syrup side up, top with remaining caramel cream mix.
  27. Add the last cake later syrup side down and top with the sweet potato icing mix.
  28. 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.

 

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

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White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

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White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake    White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake    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:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the strawberries into a food processor and blitz until they resemble a smooth puree.
  3. Pour the cake mix into a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, 60ml strawberry puree and the strawberry essence.
  4. Add the eggs and butter per cake mix directions.
  5. 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).
  6. Using electric beaters whisk the mix for 5 minutes until thick and well combine.
  7. 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.
  8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack until cold.
  9. Wash and dry the cake tin, spray with oil spray and place 2 layers of plastic wrap into the tin, allowing for overlap.
  10. 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.
  11. Place 180ml thickened cream into a bowl and heat on high in the microwave until almost bubbling.
  12. Add the chocolate to the cream and leave for 1 minute before stirring to a silky-smooth combined consistency.
  13. Leave the chocolate mix aside to cool completely.
  14. Place 4 tsn of boiling water into a small bowl along with the gelatine, whisk with a fork until the gelatine is completely melted.
  15. Place the remaining 180ml cream, icing sugar, balsamic vinegar, essence, remaining strawberry puree and gelatine mix into a large bowl.
  16. Using electric beaters whisk cream mix until smooth and the cream has thickened the mix slightly.
  17. Add the cooled chocolate mix and whisk with electric beaters until combined.
  18. Pour the mousse mix over the cake base, tap tin on bench for even distribution of mousse.
  19. Place the tin in the fridge for 4 hours to set completely.
  20. To remove the cake from the tin, pull the overlapping plastic wrap and place the cake on the bench.
  21. Peel the plastic wrap away from cake sides and using a spatula transfer the cake to a serving plate.
  22. Top with icing or grated white chocolate and extra strawberries for decoration.

 

White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake recipe

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Baklava Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Baklava Cake

Baklava Cake Recipe

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:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 x 25cm cake tins with baking paper.
  2. With electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition until well combined.
  4. Add the milk, sift in the flour and ground almonds. Fold together until combine.
  5. Spread the batter into the 2 prepared cake tins. 1 with 1/3rd of the mix and the 2nd tin with the remaining mix, flatten the tops with the back of a spoon.
  6. 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.
  7. 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).
  8. Leave the cooked cakes in the tins and reduce the oven temperature down to 160c degrees.
  9. To make the syrup place the sugar, water, honey and lemon strip into a saucepan and stir on medium heat until the mix boils.
  10. Continue boiling until the mix becomes thicker and syrupy.
  11. 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.
  12. With the cakes still in their tins use a skewer to poke holes in the top of the cakes.
  13. Pour the syrup over the cakes evenly, leaving them in the tins to cool completely.
  14. 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.
  15. To make the filo layer place the pistachios, sugar and spices into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
  16. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  17. Melt the butter and using a pastry brush brush some of the butter to cover 1 filo sheet.
  18. 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.
  19. Place the 2 filo pieces onto the lined baking tray.
  20. Sprinkle 1 tsn of the nut mix over the buttered filo circles.
  21. Brush the butter onto a 2nd piece of filo and repeat the cutting of 2 circles.
  22. Add the 2 newly cut circle layers ontop of the filo circles on the tray and top with 1 tsn of nut mix.
  23. Repeat the butter, nut, filo process until 7 sheets have been used and you have 2 filo stacks of 7 layers each.
  24. Bake the stacks in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden in colour, leave the tray aside to cool the stacks completely.
  25. Once the cakes have cooled place the smaller cake onto a plate (nut side up).
  26. Spread with ½ the cheese filling then place a filo stack on top.
  27. Cut the larger cake in half horizontally.
  28. Add a 2nd cake layer (the layer with no nuts) ontop of the filo, spread with the remaining filling and the remaining filo stack.
  29. Add the last (3rd) cake layer nut side up and enjoy.

 

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Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

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:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 15cmx30cm cake tins with baking paper.
  2. 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.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition until well combine.
  4. Add the flour, milk and juice and beat on low until just combine.
  5. 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.
  6. Meanwhile, to make the syrup blitz 900g of watermelon flesh in a food processor.
  7. Pass the watermelon juice through a sieve and place into a saucepan.
  8. Place the saucepan on a medium heat and simmer until it reduces to 220ml.
  9. 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).
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with electric beaters until the mix is fluffy and smooth.
  13. Add the rum flour mix to the butter mix and beat until creamy and well combine.
  14. To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake onto a plate, syrup side up.
  15. Top with half of the icing, top with the second cake layer syrup side up.
  16. Finish with the remaining icing and some pieces of fresh watermelon.
  17. Enjoy.

 

Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting
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Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

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Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting
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Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting

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Watermelon Daiquiri Cake with Ermine Frosting
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Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake

Posted on 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.

Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake

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:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 165c degrees.
  2. Make the cinnamon sugar by pouring the sugar and cinnamon onto a sheet of baking paper, stir until combine.
  3. To make the cake layers place the water and butter into a saucepan and heat on medium until the butter is melted.
  4. Stir until it starts to boil, remove the butter mix off heat.
  5. 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.
  6. Place the mix into a bowl until cool.
  7. Add the eggs to the mix and beat with a hand whisk until the batter is well combine and smooth.
  8. Line 2 baking trays with a piece of baking paper and draw 4 x 15cm circle outlines onto the paper with a pencil.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Peel the disks from the baking paper.
  12. 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).
  13. Place one disk at a time into the oil until golden brown.
  14. Remove with a spatula and place onto some absorbent paper towel.
  15. 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.
  16. One by one place the layers in the cinnamon sugar, flipping to cover both sides in sugar.
  17. Place layers on a plate to cool.
  18. 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.
  19. Add the chocolate and leave for 1 minute.
  20. Add the sugar and stir until the ganache is glossy and smooth, leave aside to cool completely.
  21. To make the caramel place the white sugar and water into a saucepan on a high heat stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  22. Now leave the mix without stirring until the sugar syrup is dark golden is colour, take off heat.
  23. Add the brown sugar and cream and mix with a metal spoon until the caramel is smooth and glossy, leave aside to cool completely.
  24. In a separate bowl beat the extra thickened cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
  25. Spoon 50ml of extra cream into a separate bowl and beat further until firm peaks form, set aside.
  26. 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.
  27. To the remaining 50ml extra cream add the cooled caramel and beat slowly untl the caramel is combine and firm peaks form, set aside.
  28. To assemble the cake, place a churros layer on a plate, top with the chocolate cream spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
  29. Place a second cake layer on the top, then the caramel cream spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
  30. Place the third cake layer on top, then the cream, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon.
  31. 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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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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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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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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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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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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Churros Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe

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Spiced Garden Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Spiced Garden Cake

Spiced Vegetable Cake recipe

In the past I have made many cake with veggies; a chocolate zucchini cake, spiced carrot cake, traditional Swedish apple cake, pumpkin and maple cake, pumpkin pie…and the list goes on.

All of these cakes were sooo tasty and are beautifully moist thanks to the vegetables.

I wanted to take baking with veggies to another level, it may sound weird and bland to have a cake based on a selection of common garden vegetables, however the mix of spices, zingy zest and satisfying inclusion of cream make this cake a unique hearty and nourishing treat.

This cake is also a great way to use up left over vegetables and turn them into a scrumptious dessert.

Spiced Vegetable Cake recipe

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 215g flour
  • 230g brown sugar
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsn ground mixed spice
  • 1/4 tsn ground cardamom
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • 120g grated apple
  • 90g grated carrot
  • 90g grated zucchini
  • 50g grated pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsn orange zest
  • 80ml vegetable oil
  • 80ml milk
  • 2 eggs

Cream icing:

  • 150g cream
  • 2 tbsn icing sugar
  • 1 tsn orange zest
  • 1/2 tsn ground cardamom

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170c degrees and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. In a bowl place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, cardamom and baking powder and stir until combine.
  3. Add the grated apple, carrot, zucchini and pumpkin and stir unit into the dry mix until combine.
  4. In a separate bowl mix the zest, milk, oil and eggs.
  5. Add the egg mix into the flour mix and stir until well combine.
  6. Pour the mix into the tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, leave aside to cool on a cooling rack.
  7. With electric beaters whisk the cream until soft peaks form.
  8. Add the sugar, zest and cardamom to the cream and whisk until combine.
  9. To assemble cut the cake horizontally in half.
  10. Place 1 cake layer on a plate, top with half the cream icing, top with the 2nd cake layer and then with the remaining icing.
  11. Enjoy!

 

Spiced Vegetable Cake recipe

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Spiced Vegetable Cake recipe

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Spiced Vegetable Cake recipe

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Sticky Coconut Malibu Lime Mini cakes

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Sticky Coconut Malibu Lime Mini cakes

Sticky Coconut Malibu Lime Mini cakes

So you may have noticed this recipe is not really unusual like my usual recipes. Coconut, Lime and Rum are all tropical flavors that make sense together.

Why this recipe makes it to my website is because it’s the first time I have made a recipe with Malibu that has really excited me. Yes I bake with alcoholic liquors quite often, especially rum, however Malibu is not a common baking liquor. Also, and most importantly this recipe is so extremely amazing and exceeded my expectations so much I just had to share it.

I’m very much a chocoholic, but this recipe had me opting for these mini cakes over a chocolate cake!

 

Ingredients:

Batter:

  • 125g butter
  • 200g white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsn rum essence
  • 90g desiccated coconut
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • 85g coconut cream
  • 1 tbsn lime zest

Syrup:

  • 125g sugar
  • 110ml lime juice
  • 55ml Malibu liquor
  • 145ml water

Extra:

  • 20g desiccated coconut
  • 36 raspberries or half a pomegranate
  • 12 mint leaves (optional)

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160c degrees and place 12 cupcake patties into a 12 capacity cupcake tin.
  2. Using electric beaters whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
  4. Add the rum essence and beat.
  5. Add the coconut to the mix and beat.
  6. Add the flour and baking powder through the sieve.
  7. Add the coconut cream and lime zest, stir until combine.
  8. Oil the cupcake patties with oil spray and pour the mix into the cases.
  9. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
  10. Place the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool.
  11. To make the syrup place the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
  12. Bring the temperature down to medium and allow to cook until the mix thickens to a syrup consistency.
  13. Pour the syrup evenly over the cakes.
  14. Place the coconut onto a tray and in the oven until slightly browned.
  15. Sprinkle the coconut on the top of the cakes.
  16. Top with 1 mint leave (optional) and 3 raspberries OR 4-5 pomegranate seeds per cake.

 

 

Sticky Coconut Malibu Lime Mini cakes
Step 8
Sticky Coconut Malibu Lime Mini cakes
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Ricotta doughnuts with orange syrup recipe
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Sticky Coconut Malibu Lime Mini cakes
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Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Jelly Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes .

Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Jelly Cake

Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake recipe

For quite some time now I have been meaning to make a cake with passionfruit. For some reason I always struggle when I bake with this fruit, so I decided to have a passionfruit experimental day of baking. The pairings; passionfruit lemon coconut lime, passionfruit lemon yoghurt and passionfruit orange blossom and vanilla.

All cakes were made with the same method just variations to the ingredient flavor pairings.

The lime cake – well the learning here is that passionfruit is not the most intense flavor. In fact the passionfruit was overpowered by the citrus flavors to become a soft background unnoticeable aftertone. Don’t get me wrong, this cake was nice but defeated the experimental purpose.

The Passionfruit lemon cake was ok as I upped the passionfruit amount in this cake, however the yoghurt didn’t produce the best texture of the cake I was looking for.

Lastly, after taking the learnings from the last 2 cakes I opted for the less intense orange blossom for the sweet floral notes instead of strong citrus profile. The vanilla also provided a lovely floral aroma that complimented the blossom but didn’t overtake the passionfruit flavor.

To be honest the only way I could really make the passionfruit flavor shine was to use passionfruit jelly crystals in addition to using actual fruit.

Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla CakeBatter:
  • 160g self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsn salt
  • 130g butter
  • 80g passionfruit jelly crystals
  • 100g white sugar
  • 2 egg
  • 2 tsn vanilla
  • 2 tbsn poppy seeds
  • 3 tsn orange blossom water
  • 150g buttermilk
  • 4 passionfruit pulps

Frosting:

  • 60g thickened cream
  • 400g cheese
  • 160g butter
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 2 tsn vanilla essence
  • 1 tsn orange blossom water
  • 2 passionfruit’s pulp

Extra:

  • 2 passionfruit’s pulp

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the butter, jelly crystals and sugar into a bowl and beat with electric beaters for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
  4. Add the vanilla, orange blossom and poppy seeds and beat for 2 minutes.
  5. Add half the buttermilk, the passionfruit pulp, the salt and half the flour, stir until just combine.
  6. Add the remaining buttermilk and flour and stir until combine.
  7. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour of until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Set the cake aside for 10 minutes then transfer onto a cooling wrap to cool completely.
  9. Meanwhile to make the frosting beat the cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form, set aside.
  10. Beat the remaining frosting ingredients for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  11. Add the cream to the cheese mix and beat until just combined.
  12. To make the cake, cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers.
  13. Place one layer onto a plate, spread with ¼ frosting, add a second layer, spread ¼ of the frosting and top with the remaining cake layer.
  14. With the remaining frosting top the cake as well as the sides until smooth.
  15. Top the cake with the 2 passionfruit’s pulp and enjoy.

 

 

Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake recipe
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Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake recipe

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Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake recipe
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Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake recipe
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Passionfruit Orange Blossom Vanilla Cake recipe
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