September 2014 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Rhubarb Orange and Ginger Cake

Posted on September 28, 2014 Posted in Cakes .

Rhubarb Orange and Ginger Cake

Rhubarb Orange and Ginger Cake recipe

I had a rhubarb and apple crumble the other day and this got me thinking that I have never baked before with rhubarb which is such a shame as its such an amazing tasting and interesting little…vegetable? It doesn’t have seeds or pips so I take it its one of the unique vegetables disguised as a fruit with its sweet and soft flavour…

After a bit of taste testing I ended up deciding that orange and ginger was the best combo to complement the robust rhubarb taste, while still ensuring the focus was on rhubarb.

The outcome = my Rhubarb Orange and Ginger cake.

This cake definitely stars the Rhubarb where the orange and the ginger provide a refreshing and gentle delectable taste.

Ingredients:

Batter:

300g rhubarb
1 cup sugar
3 tsn vanilla essence
125g butter
2 eggs
1 + ½ cup self raising flour
¼ cup buttermilk
1 tsn baking powder
1 + 1/2 tsn ground ginger
2 tsn orange zest

Icing:

90g butter
1 tsn vanilla
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsn ground ginger
2 tsn orange zest
2 tsn milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160c and line a 23cm-baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the rhubarb into 2cm pieces and place in a saucepan with ¼ of the sugar and 2 tsn’s of the vanilla essence. On a medium heat stir for 10 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft and smooth.
With electric mixer beat the butter, zest, and ground ginger, remaining vanilla essence and remaining sugar for 7 minutes until the mix is light and fluffy.
Add eggs, beating in between each addition.
Add the milk and flour and fold gently.
Using a spatula carefully fold in the rhubarb mix until only just combined where ripples of rhubarb have occurred.
Carefully spoon mix into the baking tin and bake for 55 minutes of until a skew inserted in the center comes out clean.
Place on a cooling rack to cool.
To make the icing combine all ingredients together and beat with electric beaters for 10 minutes until light and fluffy.
On a cooled cake spread the icing all over, serve.

Notes:

You can always use milk instead of buttermilk but the cake wont be as dense.
I have decorated with some grated white chocolate and left over orange zest.
You will need 1 large orange for the zest required for this cake.

Ingredients

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Orange Blossom Semolina Syrup Cake

Posted on September 21, 2014 Posted in Cakes .

Orange Blossom Semolina Syrup Cake

This cake incorporates unique flavors and ingredients that when combine produce the most amazingly textured and tasting cake.

The texture of the semolina, taste of the orange blossom and crunch of the almond meal/flakes creates a cake that will melt in your mouth. Add the orange syrup and you would swear the cake has just come out of a Greek nonna’s kitchen.

The orange blossom delivers a special twist on top of the orange syrup for a unique rare luscious flavor.

Ingredients:

125g butter
110g sugar
2 tbsn orange zest
1 + ½ tbsn orange blossom water
3 eggs
1 cup semolina
1 cup almond meal
1 tsn baking powder
40g flaked almonds
2 tbsn extra sugar
200ml thickened cream

Syrup:

110g sugar
330ml orange juice (approx. 5 Oranges – use the same orange for the zest)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c and line a 23cm spring form cake tin.
Beat butter and sugar with electric beaters in a bowl until thick and pale.
Add the zest and blossom water, and beat until combine.
Add the eggs one at a time beating in between each addition.
Stir in the semolina, almond meal and baking powder until well combine.
Spoon cake batter into the cake tin and flatten out with the back of the spoon.
Sprinkle the flaked almonds on the top, and then sprinkle the extra sugar.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave in the cake tin and using the skewer poke small holes in the top of the cake.
To make the syrup place the sugar and orange juice into a sauce pan stirring on high until the mix bubbles. Turn to medium for 5 minutes or until the mix thickened up and turns syrupy.
Pour the syrup over the top of the cake, evenly covering all areas.
Whip the cream until thick and peaks form.
Remove the cake from the tin and serve warm with a dollop of the cream on the side.

Notes:

When flattering out the cake batter allow for more batter around the sides of the cake so when it rises the centre will not peak.

Ingredients

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Pina Colada Cake

Posted on September 14, 2014 Posted in Cakes .

Pina Colada Cake

Cocktails…some have the most amazing flavours I have tasted. Hello express martini, white Russian, tequila sunrise, mojito and pina colada.

This got me thinking, most of the ingredients in cocktails are variations of juices, fruits and alcohol that you will find in standard everyday supermarkets.

So if the flavor combo is already tried and tested and the ingredients are easy to come by why can’t the recipe be replicated into a cake?

I bake with juices and fruit all the time and have made many alcoholic cakes (see red wine chocolate cake) so a cocktail cake is not really a far stretch away from my usual baking.

As I am a fan of the old Pina Colada it fast became a must on the to-bake-list to launch off my cocktail cake experimenting.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tbsn baking powder
1/2 tsn salt
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsn vanilla essence
1 + 1/2 tbsn rum essence
1 tsn lime zest
1 can 420g can pineapple (250g pineapple)

Milk:

190ml coconut milk
95ml cup condensed milk
95ml cup milk
1 tsn vanilla extract
2 tsn rum

Topping:

200ml thickened cream
35g sugar
1/2 tsn vanilla essence
1 + 1/2 tbsn coconut, toasted
1 limes zest (1 tsn of this to go into the cake).

Method:

Preheat oven to 175c and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl beat with electric beaters the egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 5 mins until thick and pale.
Stir into the egg mix the coconut milk, vanilla, rum and lime zest.
Sift the flour mix into the egg mix then gently fold in the flour mixture or whisk gently with a hand whisk.
In another mixing bowl beat the egg whites on until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the egg whites into the rest of the mix in 3 lots, following stir in 2/3rds of the pineapple pieces.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and sprinkle the remaining pineapple on top of the cake.
Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Once cooked let the cake cool.
Now make the milk mix by combining the coconut milk, condensed milk, milk, vanilla and rum.
Use a skewer to poke holes in the cake, pressing all the way down to the bottom.
Take the cake out of the tin and wrap with cling wrap allowing for the cling wrap to overlap the tin. Then place back in the cake tin.
Pour the milk mixture over the cake, covering it all over and fold the cling wrap on top of the cake.
Place the cake in the fridge for 3 hours to soak up the mix.
Now make the cream topping by beating the cream, sugar and vanilla with electric beaters until soft peaks form.
Remove the cake and place on a plate, top with the cream, toasted coconut and lime zest. Serve.

Notes:

I have decorated with glazed cherries and dried pineapple pieces.

Ingredients

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Chai Latte Cake

Posted on September 8, 2014 Posted in Cakes .

This recipe was inspired by a work colleague who suggested it would be interesting to replicate the flavours of a chai latte in my baking.

After playing around with a few ways of doing this (teabags, powder, a mix of Indian spices) I came up with the most amazing tasting, easy to make and all round satisfying Chai Latte Cake.

Outside on my Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, I have never received so much positive feedback from a cake I have made.

If you want to impress, this cake delivers – 100% guaranteed.

Chai Latte Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
150g instant chai powder
¼ tsn cardamom
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
205g plain flour
2 + ¾ tsn baking powder
1/3 tsn bi carbonate of soda
¼ tsn salt

Frosting:

Ingredients:
135g butter
1 tsn of vanilla essence
165g icing sugar
25g instant chai powder
1 tbsn milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 175 and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
Add the chai powder and Cardamom to the sugar mix and beat until combined.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, the milk, then the vanilla.
In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and the salt until combined.
Slowly add the dry mix to the wet mixture a little at a time, beating in between until a thick creamy batter is formed.
Place the batter in the cake tin, using a spoon to flatten the top and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is cooked through when you test it with a skewer.
While the cake is cooling you can make the frosting by beating the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add the icing sugar, chai pwdrer and milk to the butter mix with electric beaters and beat for 5 minutes until creamy and thick.
Once the cake is cooled spread the frosting over the cake and enjoy.

Notes:

You can turn this mix into cupcakes by filling the patties ¾ full and baking for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

ingredients

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Marshmallow Pie

Posted on September 1, 2014 Posted in Pies .

Marshmallow Pie

Marshmallows…very interesting little pillows of happiness. Mostly known for being an essential camping item, an ingredient in rocky-road or a special addition to a cup of chocolate/cocoa tends to be otherwise overlooked.

I was sure this little gem had more potential so I started thinking up ways of championing the old Marshmallow in some tasty baking ways.

Incorporating with chocolate was too typical, I wanted to feature the ‘marshmallow’ flavour not cover it up. The outcome – A Marshmallow Pie. Think vanilla slice taste and texture but with the ultimate twist!

Ingredients

Pastry:

1 + 3/4 cup plain flour
¼ cup icing sugar
180g butter
2 tsn vanilla essence

Filling:

300g white marshmallows
140g milk
15g butter
1 tbsn vanilla essence
2 egg whites
3 tbsp sugar
110g thickened cream
1 tbsn icing sugar
1 tsn (extra) vanilla essence

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180c.
Place the flour, butter, sugar, vanilla and 2 tbsn water in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Now process until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Place the mix into a bowl and kneed until combined.
Roll the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and place the dough into a tart tray.
Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Place baking paper on top of the tart and blind bake for 15 minutes
Remove the paper and beans/rice and bake for a further 15 minutes.
Place the tart shell on a tray to cool.
Combine 240g marshmallows, milk, butter and vanilla in a saucepan and heat on medium, stirring until melted.
Remove from heat and whisk until smooth and glossy then place in the fridge to thicken stirring occasionally.
While waiting beat the eggwhites until soft peaks form, then slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and mix is thick and glossy.
Place the cream, icing sugar and extra vanilla in a bowl, beat until thick and whipped.
Remove marshmallow mixture from the fridge and fold in the egg mixture and cream mix.
Using a whisk gently whisk until mix is smooth.
Spoon mixture into piecrust and place in the fridge for 4 hours to set.
Place 60g left over Marshmallows on the pie for decoration.