Thursday 23 September 2010

Naughty Mess Cake

Ok. It's not the best or most appealing name for a cake. But it's accurate. It's filthy. It's diabolical for your waistline. It's ooey gooey and gets everywhere. It's, literally, finger-lickin'.

But it's fantastic. I'm not generally boastful when it comes to baking. I like to think I'm pretty honest, actually. Most things taste pretty good; I don't always get an A for presentation, but I know what I'm better at than other things. But this was amazing. I want more.

It's Michelle's birthday this time around. I know she likes chocolate but she was already hinting that she was going to bring in a chocolate cake and because the 2 previous were chocolate I thought I'd keep it to an accent, not a base.

It looks complicated. Don't try to make this unless you're prepared for a really messy kitchen afterward. You will use most of the dishes in your house.

Crust:
230g butter
2 tbsp sugar
2 cup flour
Vanilla Pudding:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
Cream Cheese Layer:
225g cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream
Glaze:
55g semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Additional layers:
1 1/2 cup whipped cream
225g crushed pineapple
toffee sauce

Butter a 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350/180/5. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in flour until pebbly. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Beat egg yolks for pudding. Set aside. Whisk sugar, flour and milk until free of lumps. Set on medium heat. Cook until just a boil. Remove from heat, stir a little into eggs. Pour egg mix back into pan. Cook 1-2 minutes until thickened, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl, add vanilla and butter and mix until melted. Chill with cling film pressed on top of pudding (to prevent skin).

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Fold a scoop of whipped cream into mix then fold rest in.

Melt chocolate with butter and vanilla.

To assemble: Spread crust with cream cheese mix, then crushed pineapple, toffee, pudding, and lastly, whipped cream. Drizzle with glaze. It's best if let to chill overnight in the fridge. It helps all the layers to set, mix and soak with each other.

Sunday 19 September 2010

German Chocolate Cake

It's another September birthday cake! This time around it's my mother-in-law, Mary's, birthday. And what kind of cake do you make someone who likes chocolate, coffee and richness? One option is an espresso-style cake with a creamy frosting but I've been so tempted to make this cake. There is a hint of coffee, a really rich and dense cake and loaded with chocolate.

I'm not sure where the name came from though I have my theories. I don't think it came from Germany. I actually think a German-American immigrant created this and just threw a bit of their heritage in it, as happens with a lot of traditional American recipes. Hybrids of recipes brought over with family members, altered and varied to make it more accessible are rich in American culinary history. Or maybe I'm wrong. Whilst I like philosophizing about history of recipes I haven't done any research, perhaps I should pick of a book or two. Speaking of which, dear reader (hi Kerry), it's almost my birthday.

What distinguishes this recipe is actually the frosting. The cake itself is just a richer chocolate cake, with a bit of coffee. But the frosting is incredibly different than what you'd think to put on top a cake. Coconut and chocolate? With a caramel style base?

One downside to this cake-experience, the sandwich tins I have are incredibly shallow so the cake layers are quite thin compared to other cakes. One upside is that meant I had a lot of extra batter so I got a chance to make German Chocolate Cupcakes as well, with a dollop of pecan-coconut frosting on each.

120g semi-sweet chocolate
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
280g softened butter
2 1/4 cup sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat 350/170/4. Line 3 round sandwich tins and dust with flour.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a bowl set over simmering water. Let cool to room temperature.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine coffee and buttermilk. Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar. Beat 3-5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Add coffee mix and flour mix to sugar and butter in alternate batches, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate. Divide evenly between tins. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes then invert to racks and let cool completely. Frost when cooled.

Coconut Pecan Frosting
125g pecans
1 cup granulated sugar
240ml single or double cream, your choice
3 egg yolks
113g butter, cut into cubes
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup coconut flakes (desiccated coconut)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Roast pecans 8-10 minutes. This can be done whilst the cake is also in the oven.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cream, eggs, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat until boils and thickens.

Remove from heat, stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Let cool until spreadable. Can be chilled until ready. If it's too hard after coming out of the fridge, microwave a little until better.

Assemble cake layers with a layer of frosting in between each.

Wednesday 15 September 2010

Chocolate Toffee Cake

Let's start with the first of September's run of birthday cakes: Dave's.

The original name of this cake is a little ambitious. The recipe I based this cake off of is actually called better-than-sex cake. I'm not sure how the two are comparable? I guess both are physical and you can eat cake with another person.

It's too early in the morning to get philisophical about cake names.

For this, use any chocolate cake recipe you prefer. It can be made with cocoa powder, melted chocolate or both. You could even throw in chocolate chips if you wish. The actual base nature of the cake doesn't matter, just that it's chocolate and any additions don't clash with toffee.

1 chocolate cake
1 can sweetened condensed milk
toffee fudge (either homemade or the premade ice cream topping)
Whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
crushed chocolate toffee bars

Bake your cake according to your recipe instructions.

As soon as you pull the cake out of the oven, poke holes or cut slits into the top. Pour sweetened condensed milk over, letting little bits soak in before pouring on more. You can use the whole can or just a bit, it's up to you (I only used about half).

Once soaked in, pour over toffee and let soak into cake.

Let cake cool entirely. Whip cream and sugar together until stiff and spreadable. Spread over cake. You can spread the sides of the cake as well or you can leave them bear. Pile crushed chocolate toffee bars on top. And your done!

As you can see from mine, I baked two cake round, soaked milk and toffee on top of both cakes and put the whipped cream in the middle (and yes, mine did come out a little wonky. boo).

Sunday 12 September 2010

Nut & Seed Biscotti

As part of another little project I'm in the middle of, M and I hosted an Italian night for our friends; lots of red wine, antipasti, bread and all followed by coffee and biscotti. I thought about making almond biscotti as it's a bit more traditional. I have a very good recipe for almond basil biscotti with a hint of lemon. It's wonderful dipped in vanilla or amaretto cream.

As it was, I was in the mood for something a little more savoury. These fit the bill just right. It's basically a vehicle for nuts and seeds, just enough flour and egg to hold it all together.

This time I used shelled pistachios, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, hemp seeds, pecans and whole almonds. Any mix works well though, so go with your own preferences or what you have on store.

1 1/3 cup flour
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil

Preheat 300/155/gas 2. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin.

Combine flour, nuts/seeds and salt. Whisk together eggs and sugar.

Combine flour mix into egg and sugar. Scoop into loaf pan. Bake 45-50 minutes.

Remove from pan right away. Turn oven up to 425/220/gas 7.

Slice loaf thinly whilst hot. Brush one side of each slice with oil. Bake 3-4 minutes. Turn over, brush other side with oil and bake until crisp. Let cool.

Alternatively, after brushing with oil, you can put the slices under the grill until crisp and browned.

Sunday 5 September 2010

Multigrain Bread

It's pretty simple. What is one thing no one hates the smell of? Baking bread. It smells of comfort. It also smells of really, really good bread.

I decided to spend a day baking bread not just because it will make the house smell fantastic or because, well, I like bread. Actually I wanted to bake something for our friend's who had a baby the other day. With an infant AND a toddler, sometimes the last thing you want to think about is running to the shop for bread. Add a jar of homemade jam to the bag and they're all set.

I actually doubled the recipe so we can keep a loaf, and as you can see from below, it made more than just a loaf!

1 tbsp active dried yeast
2 0z lukewarm water
70g rolled oats
16oz (450ml) milk
2 tsp salt
2oz oil
55g brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
30g wheat germ
3oz spelt flour
3oz rye flour
350g wholemeal flour
420-490g strong white flour

Combine the yeast and water, stire and leave for 15 minutes until dissolved and frothy

Put the oats in a large bowl. Scald the milk and pour over the oats. Stir in the salt, oil, sugar and honey. Leave until lukewarm

Stir in the yeast mixture, eggs, wheat germ, spelt, rye and wholemeal flours. Gradually begin to add the white flour until it's a rough dough.

Pour onto a floured surface and knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add more flour if sticky. Put in oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise until doubled. Mine took about 2 hours.

Grease your bread tins (about 2). If making rolls, grease a roasting tin. If making plait, grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and knead briefly. Form into desired shape.

If loafs, one option is to divide the dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into a 3cm thick cylinder. Twist together two cylinders. Put the twists into the tins (will make 2 twists, i.e. 2 loaves).

If plaited loaf, divide dough into two first. The divide each half into 3. Roll into long logs and plait together. This will give you two plates (note, if making plates, the bottoms are more prone to burning. Adjust baking time accordingly.)

If making rolls, the entire recipe will make about 20 larger rolls so make sure you have enough roasting tins (or make half rolls and half loafs or plaits). Roll out to long log and cut even pieces. Roll into balls and place into roasting tin. Make sure they aren't touching as they will rise again.

Cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise until doubled again, about an hour.

Preheat to gas mark 5. Bake 40-50 minutes or until golden crust. When you knock the bottom of the bread, it should sound hollow when done. Leave to cool.

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Spiced Courgette Cake Muffins

Happy September! I have to say, this is now my favorite time of year, from now until January 2nd. I hate January and even the New Year's Day hangover is better than the entire month. But from September 1st till then is absolutely fabulous.

Is it my favorite time of year because the potential for baking is doubled compared to the spring? May be, but even before I fell in love with baking I loved the autumn. Smell of sharpened pencils, leaves on the lawns and crisp air is wonderful. I even enjoyed going back to school! Of course, fall semester in America means Homecoming, football games, back to school dances and pep rallies.

Possibly this autumn I'll attempt to capture that new school year-meets end of calendar year feeling. The sense of something beginning whilst at the same time, nature is getting set to hunker down for the year.

In the mean time I still have summer harvest courgettes to use up!

2 tbsp sunflower oil
100g plain flour
100g wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 egg whites
5 tbsp skimmed milk
225g (8oz can) pineapple in chunks, drained of juice and mashed
250g grated courgette/zucchini
40g sultanas or raisins
40g chopped walnuts

Grease or line a muffin pan. Preheat oven to 190C/375F/5.

Sift together both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar and stir.

Whisk together egg whites in small bowl. Mix in the milk and oil. Add mashed pineapple, courgette, sultanas and nuts. Stir together gently. Add fruit mix to flour mix. Stir until just combined, don't overmix.

Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cases. Bake 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden.

These are relatively moist but if you want a really good frosting, mix together 8oz any soft cheese (quark, cream cheese, marscapone etc) with 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Let muffins cool slightly before frosting; you don't want to curdle your cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon or perhaps finely chopped nuts.

This is quite a healthy recipe, especially if you use low- or reduced-fat cheese to top.

Sorry for lack of pictures, again. These things just get eaten too quickly!