Sweet Tooth Experiments

Green Smoothie Chocolate Cake

Posted on October 7, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

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:

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

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Ella Posted in Bread .

Sticky Chocolate and Bourbon Scrolls

This recipe was originally planned to be chocolate and coffee flavored scrolls, in which the actual dough of the scroll was fluffy and lush but the coffee glaze was not really a standout and to be honest a little boring. Maybe it was the fact chocolate and coffee is such a common flavor combo or maybe there was just no interesting wow factor in the treats.

As I had an awesome cloud-like dough recipe I decided I had to do something with this so I went on an experimental journey with a range of different flavor combos from ingredients that I had in my pantry.

After a few combo assortments, I landed on one I was super happy with and couldn’t stop eating!

I have baked with Chocolate and Bourbon previously (see my Bourbon Chocolate Cake with Peanut Bourbon Icing), thus I knew these flavors work together, however this time I wanted to add an almost caramel flavor to the mix therefore used brown sugar and honey for the glaze that would traditionally be make from white sugar only.

The outcome of the glaze was to die for. It is easily the standout of the scrolls I made up in my experimenting …It’s made me want to make a bourbon, caramel and honey cake now…maybe that can be my next experiment….

Ingredients:

Dough:

200ml warm water
60g butter, melted
60g sugar
I sachet yeast (2 tsn)
2 eggs
20g milk powder
¼ tsn salt
470g flour, plus extra for kneading

Filling:

100g dark chocolate
45ml cream

Glaze:

120ml honey
120g butter
90g brown sugar
90ml Bourbon

Extra:

20ml milk

Method:

To make the dough place the water, melted butter, sugar and the yeast in a bowl and stir to combine.
Leave the yeast mix to sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Add the eggs to the yeast mix and whisk with a hand whisk until combine.
In a bowl place the milk powder, salt and flour, stir.
Using the hand whisk beat 300g of the dry flour mix into the water until combine.
With a spatula stir and fold the remaining flour mix until a dough is formed.
Flour a bench surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes, adding extra flour if required to make the dough smooth and elastic.
Lightly oil a bowl, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm place until doubled in size (at least 1 hour).
While the dough proves pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line a 20cm x 35cm cake tin with baking paper.
Now make the filling by placing the cream in a bowl and heat in the microwave until the cream just starts to boil.
Add the chocolate to the cream and stir until smooth and silky.
Following, make the glaze by placing all the ingredients into a saucepan on a high heat, stirring until the mix is bubbling, take off the heat.
Pour the glaze in to the cake tin lined base, ensuring the base is evenly covered with the mix.
Flour a bench surface, place the dough in the center and top with a little sprinkle of extra flour.
Use a rolling pin roll the dough into a 15cm x 40cm rectangle shape.
Spread the filling onto the dough covering it evenly.
With a longest side facing you roll the long side of the dough tightly into a swiss roll (jelly-roll style logs), seam side at the bottom of the roll.
Cut the roll into 3cm sized spiral slices and arrange the spiral slices cut side up into the cake tin on top of the glaze.
Push the spirals into the base of the tin slightly with fingertips and brush the tops with the 20ml milk.
Top the tin with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden in colour.
Invert onto a plate and top with any remaining syrup left in the tin.
Allow scrolls to sit until slightly cooled then using fingers pull the scrolls apart from each other.
Serve with a cup of tea (if you wish) and enjoy.

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Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cupcakes .

Spiced Parsnip Date and Orange Cupcakes

This recipe was designed specifically to challenge me. I’m not a fan of parsnip at all, however as I have baked with almost every other root vegetable I decided to really push my taste buds to not only come up with a Parsnip based recipe but a recipe that is super tasty.

I am so surprised at how good this recipe is, who would have though such a tasty cupcake treat could come from one of my least favorite vegetables.

The spice combos with dates, honey, walnuts and orange took a bit of tweaking I won’t lie, but it was well worth the experimenting to get it right!

Ingredients:

Cupcake batter:

180g self-raising flour
1 + ½ tsn baking powder
120g brown sugar
1 + ½ tsn ground ginger
1 + ½ tsn ground cinnamon
¼ tsn salt
1/3rd tsn ground nutmeg
1/3^rd tsn mixed ground spice
80g dried dates
60g walnuts
180g parsnip
3 tsn orange zest
3 eggs
120g vegetable oil
70ml honey
1 tsn vanilla essence

Frosting:

300g cream cheese, softened
70g butter, softened
1 tsn orange zest
100g icing sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175c degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 patty cases.
Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and mixed spice into a bowl and stir until well combined.
Dice the dates and walnuts into small pieces and add to the flour mix, stir.
Grate the parsnip into the flour mix as well as the orange zest, stir until well combined.
In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with electric beaters until light and fluffy.
Add the oil, honey and vanilla to the egg mix and beat for 4 minutes, until well combine and bubbly.
Evenly spoon the batter into the patty cases.
Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave for cupcakes for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack until cold.
Meanwhile make the icing by placing the softened cream cheese, softened butter, orange zest and icing sugar into a bowl.
Using electric beaters whisk until fluffy and well combine.
Place the icing into a piping bag fit with a star noddle and pipe the icing on top of the cupcakes.
Enjoy!

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Ella Posted in Pudding .

Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream

Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

Recently I needed to make a gluten free pudding for a dinner party, however I didn’t want to use a gluten-free flour as I wanted a really really fluffy texture, almost like a soufflé lightness and from my experience gluten-free flour tends to produce a bit of a denser texture.

Therefore, I ventured into the kitchen and did some experimenting with a range of alternative base ingredients. Surprisingly (almost bizarrely) the ricotta experiment produced the most amazingly light texture that just melts in the mouth.

Keeping with the ricotta theme I completed the dish with my always successful crowd pleasing ricotta ice-cream.

This recipe is super moreish but not too sweet thanks to the dark chocolate and limited sugar in the pudding.

Ingredients:

Ice-cream:

450g ricotta cheese
300ml sweetened condensed milk
3 tsn vanilla extract
450ml thickened cream
60ml vanilla flavored liquor (optional)

Pudding batter:

40ml thickened cream
20ml milk
160g dark chocolate
220g ricotta
15g cocoa powder
1/4 tsn coffee granules
4 eggs
1/4 tsn salt
80g sugar

Sauce:

100g dark chocolate
180ml thickened cream

Extra:

20g butter

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
In a food processor blitz the cheese, condensed milk and vanilla until smooth.
Whisk the cheese mix and cream with electric beaters in a bowl until peaks form.
Stir the liquor until well combined and place in a bowl in the freezer to completely set.
To make the pudding place the cream and milk into a bowl and heat in the microwave until steaming.
Add the chocolate in pieces to the milk mix and stir until silky smooth and well combined.
Place the chocolate mix, ricotta, cocoa powder and coffee granules into a food processor and blitz until well combined.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the chocolate mix, blitz until smooth and well combine.
Place the egg whites into a bowl along with the salt and beat until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar to the eggwhites and beat for 5 minutes or until the mix is glossy and smooth.
Fold the chocolate mix into the eggwhites until only just combined.
For the sauce, place the cream into a bowl and heat in the microwave until steaming.
Add the chocolate pieces to the cream and stir until silky smooth and well combined.
Add the 20g of extra butter, melted, to a pudding bowl and roll the bowl around to ensure all slides are covered in butter.
Pour the pudding mix into the bowl and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean.
Spoon the pudding into serving bowls, top with the chocolate sauce and a scoop of the ricotta ice-cream.

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

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Dark Chocolate and Lemon Bombe recipe

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

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Chocolate Ricotta Cheese Pudding with Ricotta Ice-Cream recipe

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Mixed Bag Truffles

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Ella Posted in Truffles .

Mixed Bag Truffles

I do love a good chocolate truffle and after eating some the other day I thought that the truffle base ingredients of chocolate and cream leave open a massive opportunity to play with different flavor combos into the plain chocolate mix.

As truffles are super easy to make and the variety of flavor combos and alternative ingredients to use are endless I went experimenting craziness.

Jelly crystals, oils, essences, lollies, candy, zest, dried fruit, jams, purees, cordial, spreads…basically anything I could think of that would add a unique flavor I tried and tested in a standard truffle recipe.

Out of the many many truffle recipes I made up, 3 were significant standouts. These being Peppermint, Mandarin and Pineapple Coconut flavors.

My easy, quick and super tasty recipes below 🙂

Ingredients:

Peppermint Truffles:

1/8 tsn peppermint oil
30ml thickened cream
125g white chocolate

Mandarin Truffles:

½ tsn mandarin zest
30ml thickened cream
125g white chocolate

Tic-Tac Truffles:

34g Tic-tac’s (pineapple coconut flavor)
40ml thickened cream
90g white chocolate

Extra:

35g desiccated coconut
35g orange sprinkles
35g green sprinkles

Method:

To make the peppermint truffles place the ingredients into a bowl and heat on medium in the microwave for 90 seconds or until the cream just starts to steam.
Allow mix to sit for 2 minutes then stir until well combined and smooth, place in the fridge to set for 3 hours.
To make the mandarin truffles zest a whole mandarin until you get ½ tsn in volume.
Add the mandarin zest, cream and chocolate into a bowl and heat on medium in the microwave for 90 seconds or until the cream just starts to steam.
Allow mix to sit for 2 minutes then stir until well combined and smooth, place in the fridge to set for 3 hours.
To make the tic-tac truffles, place the box of tic-tacs into a saucepan on medium heat with the cream and using the back of a metal spoon squash and breakup the tic-tacs into the cream.
Stir the tic-tac mix until all the tic-tacs have disintegrated and combine with the cream.
Add the chocolate and stir until the mix is smooth and well combine.
Place the mix into a small bowl and into the fridge for 3 hours to set.
Meanwhile place the desiccated coconut into a bowl, the orange sprinkles into a 2nd bowl and the green sprinkles into a 3rd bowl.
Once the mixes are firm scoop out a 15g piece of peppermint mix, rolling in your palms to create the truffle ball.
Place the truffle ball in the green sprinkle bowl and shake the bowl to coat the ball in sprinkles completely. Place onto a clean plate.
Continue with all the peppermint truffle mix and sprinkles.
Scoop out a 15g piece of the mandarin mix rolling in your palms to create a truffle ball.
Place the truffle ball in the orange sprinkle bowl and shake the bowl to coat the ball in sprinkles completely. Place onto a clean plate.
Continue with all the mandarin truffle mix and sprinkles.
Lastly, scoop out a 15g piece of the tic-tac mix rolling in your palms to create a truffle ball.
Place the truffle ball in the coconut bowl and shake the bowl to coat the ball in coconut completely. Place onto a clean plate.
Continue with all tic-tac truffle mix and coconut.
Place the plates in the fridge until ready to serve by arranging neatly on a plate or as desired. Enjoy!

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NOTE: If you don’t have green sprinkles you can blitz icing sugar and green food coloring in a food processor and roll the balls into the mix.

Mixed Bag Truffles recipe

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Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Ella Posted in Biscuits .

Banana Berry Lemon Ice-Cream Sandwich

In summer one of my favorite ways to cool down at home is by blitzing frozen berries, bananas and yoghurt to make an ‘ice-cream’ that is made of healthy ingredients as well as being delicious.

One day I decided that I wanted to take this fruit and yoghurt ‘ice-cream’ to the next level and turn it into an ice-cream biscuit sandwich.

For a lift in flavor I added in further complimentary ingredients and played around with different taste combinations until I landed on a combo that is absolutely super moreish and delicious.

To turn this ice-cream into a sandwich I relied on my never fail melting moments biscuit recipe that I tweaked to boost the lemon and berry flavor of the ice-cream. The outcome, so addictive!

Ice-cream:

500g bananas (260g peeled)
240g frozen raspberries
100g honey
1 vanilla pod
1 tsn strawberry essence

Biscuits:

180g butter
¼ tsn lemon zest
¼ tsn strawberry essence
60g custard powder
60g icing sugar
160g plain flour
1 tsn baking powder
Pinch salt

Method:

Make the ice-cream by placing all the ingredients into a food processor and blitzing on high until the mix is completely smooth.
Line a slice pan (lamington pan for best results) with plastic wrap, allowing for overlap.
Pour the ice-cream mix in the slice pan and place the pan into the freezer to set for at least 4 hours.
Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
Place the butter in a bowl and using electric beaters whisk for 3 minutes or until the butter is light and fluffy.
Add the lemon zest, essence, custard powder and sugar and whisk until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mix and whisk until just combined.
Roll the mix into balls of 30g each and place on the trays (8 balls on each tray).
Place a cookie cutter around the balls on the trays and using the back of a spoon press down to the sides of the cookie cutter.
Remove the cookie cutter and repeat with all 16 balls ensuring 5cm between each biscuit.
Place the trays into the oven for 16 minutes or until lightly golden.
Leave biscuits to cool on the trays for a few minutes then transfer onto a cooling rack until cold.
Once the biscuits are cold place in the freezer for later use.
To assemble, pull up the plastic wrap from the slice pan and place on the bench plastic wrap side down.
Dip the cookie cutter into hot water and cut out an ice-cream circle.
Place a biscuit on the bench, top with the ice-cream circle and finish with a second biscuit on top of the ice-cream circle, place completed ice-cream sandwich onto a plate.
Repeat with the remaining ice-cream and biscuits until 8 ice-cream sandwiches are make.
Place the plate into the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour.
To serve I topped the sandwiches with melted white chocolate and a small piping of royal icing. A dust of icing sugar will be just an nice.

Note: these sandwiches will melt if left out for a long period of time so take them out of the freezer when your ready for dessert.

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Apple and Cinnamon Dessert Crumble Taco’s

Posted on August 26, 2017 by Ella Posted in Unique .

Apple and Cinnamon Dessert Crumble Taco’s

It may seem like there are endless components to this dessert don’t be scared. There is a reason the recipe only has 21 steps. Most of the steps take minimal effort and time to complete (the cream takes a whole of 1 minute).

Additionally, the recipe uses the same few ingredients over and over thus making is a straight forward and simple bake to get right.

This recipe did go through a few adjustments along the way, however my persistence in keeping with the core idea was well worth the effort.

This recipe is truly tasty and a prime example of turning the savory into sweet.

Ingredient:

Crumble:

30g plain flour
20g oats
40g butter
1 tsn ground cinnamon
50g brown sugar

Caramel:

30g white sugar
5ml water
30ml cream
15g brown sugar

Cream:

100ml thickened cream
20g brown sugar
½ tsn ground cinnamon

Taco Shells:

8 tortilla wraps
40g butter
30g brown sugar
½ tsn ground cinnamon

Apple Filling:

200g apple, peeled cored and dice into small pieces
40g sugar
40g butter
1 tsn lemon juice
1 tsn ground cinnamon
70ml water
1 tsn corn flour

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place all the crumble ingredients into a bowl and using your fingertips rub butter into mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle the crumble over the prepared tray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown in colour.
Place the tray aside to cool completely then break up the crumble into breadcrumb consistency with fingertips.
To make the caramel place the white sugar and water into a saucepan on a high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave the mix without stirring until the sugar syrup is dark golden in colour, take off heat.
Add the brown sugar and cream and mix with a metal spoon until the caramel is smooth and glossy, leave aside to cool completely.
To make the cream place the ingredients into a bowl and using electric beaters whisk until peaks form. Place in the fridge for later use.
Next are the taco shells. Using a 10cm circle cookie cutter cut out 1 circle per tortilla wrap.
Place wraps in the microwave for 10 seconds or until they just start to steam.
Melt the butter and using a pastry brush evenly brush the butter onto both sides of the 8 x 10cm wraps.
Turn a cupcake tin upside down and place the shells in the dips to make the taco shell shape when the wraps bake.
Place the tin in the oven for 15 minutes or until the shells start to go golden brown. Be sure not to let the shells cave in on the sides (if this happens remove the shell from the oven and place a knife width-way in the middle of the 2 shell sides while hot and it will reshape).
Place the remaining 30g brown sugar and 1/2 tsn cinnamon onto a bowl, stir then with the warm cooked taco shells place in the bowl and cover completely with the cinnamon sugar mix (just like a churro or cinnamon doughnut). Leave aside to cool.
Lastly make the apple filling by placing the apple pieces, sugar, butter, cinnamon, 30ml water and lemon juice into a saucepan on a medium heat, stirring until well combine and the apples start to soften.
With the remaining 40ml of water add the corn flour and stir until smooth.
Pour the corn flour mix into the pan and stir until the mix thickens slightly and the apples are cooked.
Set the apple mix aside to cool completely.
To assemble, grab a taco shell and spoon 25g of the apple filling into the bottom of the shell case.
Top the apple filling with 10g of the cream mix.
Add a good sprinkle of the crumble mix and finish off with a solid drizzle of the caramel sauce.

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Pepparkakor

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Ella Posted in Biscuits, Swedish, Traditional .

Swedish Pepparkakor Spice Cookies

The Pepparkakor cookie is a traditional Swedish Christmas cookie, commonly referred to as “ginger thins” or “gingernuts“ (however should not be mistaken for the US gingersnap biscuits in which are very different).

Swedish custom states you place a Pepparkakor cookie in the palm of your hand, then you make a wish while you use your index finger of your other hand to tap the cookie in the middle. If the Pepparkakor breaks into three pieces tradition states your wish will come true. As per most traditional treats there are many slightly varying recipes to these cookies. This was my favorite after trialing half a dozen.

To be honest I thought my gingerbread man recipe was the ultimate spiced treat, however this cookie has trumped my never fail absolutely amazing gingerbread recipe its that good.

Ingredients:

225g plain flour
1 tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn ground cloves
1 tsn ground ginger
¼ tsn ground cardamom
½ tsn baking powder
¼ tsn salt
100g butter
100g brown sugar
75g golden syrup

Method:

In a bowl sieve the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, baking soda, and salt. Stir.
Place the butter, sugar and syrup into a saucepan on a medium heat and stir until melted and well combined.
Take off the heat and leave aside to cool.
Sieve the flour mix over the cooled butter mix and stir until well combined.
Form the dough into a ball shape, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 175c degrees and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin roll out the dough to a 2cm thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes and place cookies onto the prepared baking tray.
Place the trays in the oven for 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden brown.
Leave the cookies on the trays for 5 minutes before placing on to a wire rack to cool completely, durst with icing sugar.

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

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.

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:

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

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

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Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake recipe

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White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Ella Posted in Cakes .

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:

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

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Unusual sweets and global treats

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Pepparkakor

Spiced Sweet Potato Bourbon and Caramel Cake

White Chocolate Berry Balsamic Mousse Cake

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