Sweet Tooth Experiments

Monthly Archives: February 2017

Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes

Posted on Posted in Cupcakes .

Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes

Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes

 

Low fat, sound too good to be true? I’d say less than 6g of butter per cupcake is pretty damn good! How does this treat still tastes amazing with such little butter content? A little trick, replacing 60% of the butter with apple puree as I promise no one will even notice!

How chocolate, balsamic and almonds was invented? So balsamic vinegar works brilliantly with strawberries as it brings out the sweetness and intensifies the flavor profile. So I figured if I used the balsamic with the dark chocolate it would have a similar effect and I was right

Additionally, the almond provides a lovely complementary texture and satisfying crunch to the recipe.

This recipe is a lovely twist on the usual chocolate cupcake and you can eat with a clear conscious!

Ingredients:

  • 200g flour
  • 50g cocoa powder
  • 4 tsn baking powder
  • 80g sugar
  • 160g 70% dark chocolate
  • 80g roasted almonds
  • 70g butter
  • 100g apple puree
  • 2 eggs
  • 140ml milk
  • 2 + 1/2 tbsn Balsamic vinegar

Icing:

  • 300g icing sugar
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 70g balsamic vinegar

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200c degrees and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with patty cases.
  2. Sieve the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
  3. Chop the chocolate and almonds into really small pieces and place into the flour mix, stir.
  4. Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave and add the milk, puree, vinegar and eggs. Whisk with a hand whisk until well combined.
  5. Pour the milk mix into the flour mix and using a hand whisk beat until just combine.
  6. Pour the batter into the patty cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until and skewer in the center comes out clean.
  7. Place the cupcakes onto a cooling rack until cool.
  8. Meanwhile to make the icing beat the ingredients until well combined.
  9. Using a spatula spread the icing over the cupcake evenly.
  10. Grate extra chocolate and dice almonds over the icing.

 

Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes
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Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes
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Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes
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Low Fat Dark Chocolate Balsamic and Almond Cupcakes

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Irish Coffee Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Traditional .

Irish Coffee Cake 

Irish Coffee Cake recipe

For Christmas recently I was given a book on cakes from all over the world. Of course the first thing I did when the Christmas catch-ups were over was start to make the traditional recipes from the book.

12 recipes in and I found 1 that I had to blog about. Now I’m not really sure how ‘traditional’ this recipe actually is but the key ingredients I know at least are. This Irish Coffee Cake is to die for, and that’s coming from someone who has recently been turned off drinking coffee and opts for tea every time.

The key ingredients in this cake that make it special is the incorporation of Irish coffee as well as Irish whiskey.

A super easy and fluffy cake to make and a super tasty treat even to a non-coffee, non-whiskey drinker.

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 180g butter
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 180g sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 180g self-rising flour
  • ½ tsn salt
  • 5 tsn espresso coffee

Syrup:

  • 150 espresso coffee
  • 120g sugar
  • 3 tbsn Irish whiskey

Filling:

  • 300ml cream
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • 50 icing sugar
  • 2 tbsn Irish whiskey

 

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and spray a 25cm bundt cake tin with a generous amount of oil spray.
  2. Place the butter, vanilla and sugar into a bowl and beat with electric beaters for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time beating in between each addition.
  4. Sift the flour and salt into the mix and pour in the cold coffee.
  5. Carefully mix the batter until just combine.
  6. Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Leave the cake aside to cool on a cooling rack.
  8. Meanwhile make the syrup by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan on high and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mix just starts to get syrupy.
  9. Cut the cake in half horizontally.
  10. Using a pastry brush, brush the syrup onto the 2 cut sides of the cake layers.
  11. Make the filling by beating the cream with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Add the remaining filling ingredients and beat on low until peaks form.
  12. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a plate, cut side up.
  13. Spread the cream on the cake layer.
  14. Top with the second cake layer cut side down.
  15. Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy!

 

Irish Coffee Cake recipe

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Irish Coffee Cake recipe

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Irish Coffee Cake recipe

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Spiced Caramel Apple Pie Cake recipe

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes

Posted on Posted in Cupcakes .

Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes

Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

Watermelon would have to be one of my favorite fruits, just ahead of cherries and strawberries. To compliment the watermelon flavour I opted for a pairing with strawberries and to top off the floral delicate flavours the addition of rosewater.

As I have made a cake with watermelon previously (see my Couscous Strawberry and Watermelon Cake) I decided to make cupcakes this time with my never fail amazing cupcake recipe as a base.

Outcome, a rich, moist, melt in your mouth cupcake that is packed with flavour in every bite!

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 220g cake flour
  • 1 tsn baking powder
  • ½ tsn soda
  • 1/8 tsn salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 200g sugar
  • 1 tsn strawberry essence
  • 1 tsn rosewater essence
  • 120ml butter
  • 160g strawberry jam
  • 80ml buttermilk
  • 120ml watermelon reduction (1.2kg watermelon flesh required for recipe inc. icing)

Icing:

  • 60g watermelon reduction
  • 60g butter
  • ½ tsn strawberry essence
  • 200g icing sugar

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line a 16-space cupcake tin with patty cases.
  2. Spray the cases slightly with oil spray.
  3. Cut watermelon and place 1.2kg of flesh into a food processor. Blitz until liquefied.
  4. Pour the mix into a large saucepan and simmer on medium until the liquid reduces down to 200ml.
  5. Pass the reduction through a sieve to catch the seeds and unwanted flesh, set aside.
  6. In a small bowl sieve the flour, powder, soda and salt. Repeat 2 more times.
  7. In another bowl beat the eggs until light and fluffy with electric beaters for 2 minutes.
  8. Slowly add the sugar while beating.
  9. Add the essence and beat to combine.
  10. Add the butter slightly melted as well as the jam and beat.
  11. Place 120ml of the watermelon reduction and the buttermilk in a bowl and stir to combine.
  12. Add half the reduction buttermilk mix to the batter and beat until combine. Add half the flour mix and beat. Repeat with remaining buttermilk mix and flour mix until well combine.
  13. Pour the batter into the patty cases to ¾ full and place in the oven for 15 minutes of until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  14. Meanwhile make the icing by placing 50g of the remaining watermelon reduction, butter, strawberry essence and icing in a bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
  15. Once the cupcakes have cooked leave on a cooling rack.
  16. When the cupcakes are at room temperature place the icing in a piping bag with a star nozzle, pipe and enjoy.
Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Watermelon Rose and Strawberry Cupcakes recipe

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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

Posted on Posted in Cakes, Jamaican, Traditional .

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
It’s not so much the cake that is the traditional element here (though ginger cake is a common cake to eat in Jamaica where many brand specialize in this treat).It’s the Jamaica Ginger extract, known in the US by the slang name “Jake,” that makes this traditional. This ginger is world renown for more reasons than one.

Most interestingly is the background of the ginger extract, in the 1900th century the US Treasury Dept. had prohibition laws on the ginger as it is so high (excuse the pun) in ethanol. When chemists attempted to counteract the high ethanol it actually resulted in a type of paralysis causing worldwide illnesses.

Of course the Jamaican ginger is 100% safe to eat now and needless to say the culprits were dealt with.

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

  • 235g butter
  • 90ml water
  • 220g black treacle
  • 140g golden syrup
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 385g self raising flour
  • ½ tsn salt
  • 4 tsn group ginger
  • 1 tsn ground all spice
  • 2 tsn ground cinnamon
  • 3 eggs
  • 20g grated ginger
  • 140g milk full fat

Syrup:

  • 100g brown sugar
  • 300ml ginger beer / ginger ale

Cream:

  • 300ml thickened cream
  • 40g icing sugar
  • 1 tsn vanilla essence
  • ½ tsn coconut essence
  • Decoration:
  • 50g shaved coconut
  • Treacle, extra

 

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
  2. Place the butter, water, treacle, golden syrup and the sugar in a saucepan on a medium heat.
  3. Stir continuously until the mix is well combine, butter is melted and sugar dissolved.
  4. Take the pan off the stove and leave to cool.
  5. Sieve the flour, salt and spices into a bowl.
  6. Stir the dry mix until well combined.
  7. Add the eggs to the butter mix, one at a time beating with electric beaters in each addition.
  8. Add the milk and grated ginger and beat until combine.
  9. Add the dry mix to the egg mix and fold with a spatula until just combine.
  10. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  11. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack until cool.
  12. Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the ingredients into a saucepan and stir on a high heat for 5 minutes or until the mix becomes syrupy in texture.
  13. Remove off the heat and leave aside to cool.
  14. To make the cream beat all the ingredients together with electric beaters until firm peaks form. Place the cream in the fridge until ready to use.
  15. Then the cake is cooled cut horizontally into 3 layers.
  16. Place the layers on the bench and brush each on the cut side up with the ginger syrup.
  17. Place the bottom layer cut side up on a plate, top with ¼ of the cream.
  18. Place the 2nd layer syrup side up on top of the cream and top with another ¼ of the cream.
  19. Place the remaining cake layer cut side down onto the cream.
  20. With the remaining cream spread on the top and sides of the cake generously.
  21. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on the top and sides of the cake to decorate.
  22.  To finish you can decorate with a drizzle of extra treacle and serve.

 

Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake
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Jamaican Black Gingerbread Frosted Cake

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