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Posts Tagged ‘bake’

  1. Coconut Kitsch! Coconut Cake

    June 1, 2013 by sarah

    I finally get time to bake a cake again – I needed the therapy. I found a bag of dessicated coconut in my baking ingredients drawer and decide to make a coconut cake. The recipe called for Malibu but I hate the stuff (smells of cheap tanning oil) so substituted rum which works nicely. The recipe is courtesy of Nigella’s Domestic Goddess – I think I must be making my way through the book! Lilac and clematis flowers from the garden.

    2 x 21cm sandwich tins, lined and buttered

    225g unsalted butter, softened, 225g caster sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 25g cornflour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 50g dessicated coconut soaked in 125ml boiling water.

    Filling – 25g dessicated coconut, toasted in dry pan, 75g soft unslated butter, 150g icing sugar, 1 tbsp rum/Malibu

    Make the sponge by the all in on method and cook for 25mins at 180 degrees until cake tester comes out clean.

    Make the buttercream by softening butter then sifting over icing sugar, beat until smooth then add the toasted coconut.

    Iced with glace icing made from icing sugar and rum, topped with some more toasted coconut.

    Enjoy your slice of coconut heaven!

    coconut (10 of 8) coconut (9 of 8) coconut (8 of 8)


  2. Finished! Unique Wedding Cake Recipe

    April 21, 2013 by sarah

    After several lots of experimentation, the ‘Judith and Tim Hochzeit Kuchen’ recipe is finished! I apologise for my German if it is incorrect! I haven’t actually made the entire recipe at one time as the deadline has crept up but the individual components have been made and I have tasted it in my head!

    For the sponges

    300g self-raising flour

    300g caster sugar

    250g unsalted butter, soft

    4 large free-range eggs at room temperature

    4 tablespoons milk

    ½ tsp baking powder

    Finely grated rind of 1 orange

    3 x 8”(20cm) sandwich tins, greased and base lined with baking paper

    Heat oven to 180oC. Whisk the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add all the other ingredients and mix until blended but not separated. Divide among the 3 tins, level off the top and have a slight depression in the centre. Bake for about 20-25minutes until springy and slightly shrink away from the sides of the tin. Cool in the tins for 5minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to go completely cold.

     

    For the whisky-orange syrup

    Juice of 1 orange

    50g sugar

    2 tbsp whisky or Glayva liqueur (liqueur of whisky and orange made in Glasgow)

    Put the ingredients in a small pan, heat gently until the sugar is dissolved then boil for 1minute. Leave to cool completely.

     

    For the raspberry jam filling

    300g tub of frozen raspberries

    3 teaspoons cornflour

    4 tablespoons caster sugar

    2 tbsp whisky or Glayvar liqueur

    Put all the ingredients into a medium sized pan, set over a medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves in the juices. Then rapidly boil for 2 minutes, stirring until thick. Allow to go completely cold.

     

    For the mascarpone frosting

    500g tub mascarpone cream

    2 tbsp caster sugar

    ½ finely grated zest of orange

    1 tbsp whisky or Glayva liquer

    Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before using to cover the cake.

     

    To assemble the cake

    The cooled cake tiers, trimmed so flat

    Cooled syrup

    Cold raspberry filling

    Cold mascarpone frosting

    Punnet of fresh raspberries

    Using a pastry brush liberally soak two tiers of the cake on the top surface and one tier on the bottom surface. Place a cake layer on your serving plate of choice, syrup side up, spread over one half the raspberry filling, place on the next layer of cake syrup side up and spread on the remaining raspberry filling, place on the last tier with the syrup side down. Cover with the mascarpone frosting (or other frosting of choice) and decorate with fresh raspberries. Refrigerate until needed but ideally eat the same day it is made.

    And here are the photos from the version I made to test the frosting, this time on a two tier genose sponge:

    weddingcake (1 of 2)

    weddingcake (2 of 2)


  3. Italian Macaroons

    April 21, 2013 by sarah

    Unlike the fickle French macaron, these are a breeze to make and the cracks and other imperfections that plague their french counterparts are all part of the character of these. These biscuits are a chewier version of amaretti. Recipe from Christmas edition (Dec 2012) of Country Living.

    Makes 30-40 macarons

    350g caster sugar

    250g ground almonds

    40g plain flour

    4 large egg whites

    few drops almond essence and zest of 1 lemon

    Heat the oven to 180 oC. Line lots of baking sheets with parchment.

    Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks but not stiff or dry. Add the almond essence and lemon zest.

    Add a spoonful at a time the mixed dry ingredients until it forms a soft mixture and leave to sit for 10 minutes. Form teaspoons of the mixture into balls in you hand and gently press onto the baking sheets. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of sugar.

    Bake for 15 minutes until gold brown and lift of the parchment easily. Turn off the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before cooking on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

    _1SK1766


  4. Easter chocolate egg nests

    March 31, 2013 by sarah

    Oh no, I’ve done it again! Despite this supposing to be a blog about baking, the recipe this week is again a non-baking one! Never mind, we all have busy weeks don’t we? And don’t these little nests look so retro and kitch? I think I must of been about 10 when I last had one but this time I made them grown up with a good proportion of dark chocolate. But don’t feel obliged to get out the expensive 70% plus coco solids chocolate. No, these were made with a cheapish bar of Cadbury’s Bournville with some milk chocolate I had kicking around in the cupboard for added sweetness. So they are frugal and yummy – a smashing combination do you not think?

    easter (3 of 8)

    easter (2 of 8)300g chocolate (any combination of dark and milk)

    25g unsalted butter

    100g shredded wheat breakfast cereal

    little chocolate eggs in colourful sugar shells

    mince pie tin

    Melt the chocolates and butter in a bain-marie or carefully in the microwave. Crumble the shredded wheat into another bowl. Once the chocolate/butter is melted, stir into the shredded wheat. Divide into 12 among the mince pie holes and gently press the middle of the mound to form a depression to hold the eggs. Put the nests somewhere cold until set then flick them out of the mince pie tin with a knife and add the little eggs. Voila!