iPhone Cake

Got to make a cake in an iPhone design with the headphone for a 14 years old boy who can't put down his phone & always on the headphone!

Lemon Icebox Cake

You could say an icebox cake as a cross between a trifle and a cheesecake. This easy to make, no bake recipe uses sponge fingers, lightly dipped in lemon and Limoncello, which helps turn the sponge fingers into pillows of soft zingy sponge. If  you don't have Limoncello in your liquor collection, simply replace with more lemon juice. 

This easy to make Lemon Icebox cake, can be ready in a few hours. Layer upon layer of sponge fingers, with layer upon layer of mascarpone and cream filling.

The sponge fingers will gradually soften as the cream filling starts to set. Which makes it easier to slice. It will keep in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients:

• 4 unwaxed lemons
• 4 tbsp limoncello
• 500g mascarpone
• 100g icing sugar, sieved
• 600ml double cream
• 2 tsp natural Lemon flavouring
• about 50 sponge fingers, depending on their size

Method: 

Line the base and sides of an 8" loose bottomed square sandwich tin with cling film.

Zest the lemons and leave to one side until needed.

In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice and Limoncello.

In a large separate bowl, mix together the mascarpone and icing sugar until well combined.

Add the double cream, half at a time, and mix to a thick spreading consistency. Do not over mix.

Add the lemon zest and lemon flavouring to taste. Mix until well combined.

Assemble the cake:

One by one dip but not soak, approximately 13-15 depending on their size, of the sponge fingers into the lemon juice mix, then place them evenly on the bottom of the cake tin. Cutting the sponge fingers down to size if needed. Any off cuts can be used to fill in any gaps.

Spread a quarter of the mascarpone cream mix, evenly over the top of the sponge fingers. Repeat this process twice more.

Using your favourite pipping nozzle, decorate with the remaining mascarpone mix. Place in the fridge to set for a few hours. Overnight is the best.

To serve:

Remove from the tin and carefully slide the cake onto your favourite serving dish. Will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Mango Coconut Ladoo

Quick & simple Indian sweet to make. If you love mango and coconut, you will love this. You just need 4 ingredients and less than 30 minutes to make this sweet!

Ingredients:

• fresh grated coconut, about 2½ cups
• 1 big mango, puree or shop bought ready puree and you need 1½ cup
• 250g condensed milk
• 4 green cardamom

Method:

Keep ½ cup of the grated coconut separately to use it in the end.

Take out the pulp from the mango by discarding the skin and seed. Add in your blender and blitz it to make a puree. If using shop bought, you can skip this.

Now add condensed milk, mango puree and coconut into a heavy bottom pan and  mix well. Heat the mixture  and keep stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Once it starts boiling, lower the heat and cook on a low flame till the mixture starts thickening. It will takes about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool down.

Remove the pods from cardamom, powder it and add in the pan and mix well. 

Take a small portion of the mixture. Roll into a round shape ball. Roll in the reserved coconut.

Enjoy the ladoo.

Sticky Ginger Cake

This sticky ginger cake has a ginger syrup glaze and glaze ginger topping. A very light sponge with a real ginger kick. There is plenty of flavour  in this cake, but you can easily tone down the heat by reducing the amount of ground ginger.

Adding the ginger syrup while the cake is still warm helps it too soak evenly through the sponge, It is that helps give the cake a light sticky texture and moist sponge.

What also make this cake special is the lovely chopped glace ginger topping and water icing. You can make the water icing  with sieved icing sugar and a little pre-boiled water.Mixed until you have a slightly runny consistency.

Ingredients:

• 180g  butter, softened
• 180g soft light brown sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 180g self raising flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger, level teaspoon
• 2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, chopped into small pieces
• 3 tbsp golden syrup

Topping:

• 2 pieces of stem ginger in syrup, chopped into small pieces
• 4 tbsp ginger syrup, from the jar of stem ginger
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp water, preboiled

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC/160ºC for fan oven. Grease and line a 20cm/8" square tin deep sided cake tin with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Using an electric mixer will speed things up.

Add the eggs, one at at time, beating well after each addition. Add a tablespoon of flour between each one. This will help prevent curdling.

Fold in the remaining flour and ground ginger, until thoroughly combined. Add the golden syrup and the chopped stem ginger. Mix until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the tin, spreading it evenly across the top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until baked. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.

Leave in the tin to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. While the cake is still warm, poke a few holes in the cake with a skewer. Then pour the ginger syrup over the cake. Spread it evenly. Allowing it to soak in. Decorate with the chopped stem ginger.

Make a water icing by mixing the icing sugar and preboiled water together until you have a thick runny consistency. Drizzle over the cake.

Strawberry Lemon Parfaits

Pretty, Simple and Sweet !

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 2x 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup double cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• shop bought vanilla cake (pound, madeira or sponge) or biscotti cookies cut into small pieces
• 1 cup lemon curd

Method:

To make the strawberries: Place the strawberries ans 2 tablespoons sugar in a bowl and mix to combine. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature to let the strawberries macerate and release of their juices.

To make the whipped cream: Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla on high speed until medium peaks form.

Assembly: Place a few cake/cookies pieces at the bottom of the glasses. Spoon a dollop of the lemon curd on top, then the strawberries (with their juices) and then the whipped cream. Repeat the layering once more. For decoration, you can top each glass with fresh strawberry. If not serving immediately, cover and store in the refrigerator for several hours. 

Pork and Chorizo Stew

This rich and gutsy pork and chorizo stew is packed full of flavour

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 kg pork shoulder cut into chunks
• 225g chorizo sliced
• 2 tsp smoke paprika
• 150ml red wine
•  2 tbsp tomato puree
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 150ml vegetable stock
• few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves remove or  ½ tsp dried thyme
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add onions, cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently until the onions have softened and are beginning to colour. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, then remove the onions and garlic from the pan and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan and brown the pork in batches over a high heat adding more oil as required. Once pork is browned, remove from the cooker and add it to the onions.

Once all the pork has been browned, add chorizo to the pan and cook until beginning to colour, then stir in the paprika and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add red wine to the pan, stirring well to scrape out all the caramelised juices from the bottom of the pan. Bring to boil and allow to bubble for a minute or two.

Return the meat and onions to the pan, add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and stock, thyme and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat and continue to simmer until the pork is tender. Season to taste.