Cappuccino Cake

Found this recipe online and I am a coffee addict, therefore decided that I must make this cake...lol

This coffee cake is light, moist and frothy just like a cappuccino. This sponge is easy to make and is one you will end up baking again and again. It tastes great served warm from the cake rack or after cooling to room temp. Keep it in an airtight container and it will last for at least 3 days.

Ingredients:

• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 110g unsalted butter
• 250ml milk
• 2 tbsp instant coffee
• 4 eggs
• 375g castor sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C and prepare a 22cm round tin with butter and flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a saucepan, warm the milk until just below boilling and stir in the instant coffee.

Add the butter to the milk and gently warm until melted and then remove from the heat.

In a separate bowl, whick eggs with an electric whisk until frothy.

Gradually add the sugar and continue to whisk until light and fluffy. This step should take about 10 minutes. Then add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture and fold in until just incorporated.

Add the milk and butter and mix with a spatula until smooth, then pour the mixture into the tin.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool fully.

 

Almond cookies

Decided to bake something different for the year of the snake. This is a traditional chinese new year cookies. This cookies remind me of my childhood days back in Penang. These Almond Cookies are the easiest cookie recipe I've tried. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, make the dough into a small balls, apply some egg wash & bake in the oven. These cookies are exceptionally addicting that I can't stop helping myself with it.

Ingredients:

• 100g ground almonds
• 150g plain flour
• 75g castor sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 110ml corn oil
• 1 egg york, beaten

Method:

Sieve the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Add in the ground almonds to the flour/sugar mixture.

With the mixer on a medium speed, slowly trickle in the corn oil into the bowl containing the flour/sugars/almonds. Mix until a cohesive dough forms. You may need to add more oil-the aim is to reach a dough which is just able to hold it's shape ( and does not crumble) when you attemptto roll it into a ball.

Heat the oven to 180C/160C for fan assist oven.

Roll the dough into a 2cm balls and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Using a pastry brush, lightly glaze the tops of the cookie balls with the beaten egg yolk.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cookies become slightly golden.

Leave to cool on a wire rack, then tuck in.

Blueberry Yoghurt Cake

This cake is moist and full with fruits, one of your five a day. The yoghurt adds a creamy texture and compliments the sharp bluberries perfectly. If you have not tried baking with yoghurt before, give it a go, it's really easy way to cook.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 500ml plain yoghurt
• 150g melted butter, allowed to cool
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g caster sugar
• 300g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g blueberries

Method:

Grease a bundt tin or a deep 24cm round cake tin and line with baking parchment.

Mix the vanilla extract into the yoghurt, then add the cooled melted butter and eggs and mix until combined.

Stir through the sugar, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Stir through the blueberries and pour into the prepared cake tin.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the centre of the comes out clean. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack and allowing to cool fully.

 

Banana Cake With Mocha Frosting And Salted Candied Pecans

Have some over riped bananas and been looking for recipes that is different from the normal banana cakes. Came across this recipes from Bisous A Toi

Ingredients for the cake:

• 350g plain flour
• 11/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 11/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 230g unsalted, softened
• 280g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant espresso
• 2 large eggs
• 90ml yoghurt
• 2 cups banana puree

Candied Pecans:

• 150g pecan nuts
• 100g sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Frosting:

• 280g bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 125ml strong brewed coffee
• 140g unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175C or 150C for fan oven. Butter the bottom of two 9" round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, tbaking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on a medium speed until light and fluffy- about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and instant expresso powder, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the youghurt and banana puree. Stir in the remaining flour mixture. Don't overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among the 2 prepare pans. Bake until golden brown and the skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

To prepare the pecan nuts, in a medium heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, combine the pecan nuts, sugar and the water. When the sugar begins to liquefy, begin stirring. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sugar crystallizes. Decrease the heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring, letting the crystallized sugar on the bottom melt and brown slightly. The use a heatproof spatula to scrape up the liquified sugar and continuously coat the pecan nuts with it, tilting the pan to help the sugar coat the nuts evenly.

Once the nuts are a bit glossy and coated with syrup (there will be some sugary crystals on them still, which is normal), sprinkle the sea salt and cinnamon over them. Stir the nuts a couple of times, then scrape the candied nuts onto a baking sheet and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the chocolate and coffee in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter until combined. Let cool completely, until thick and spreadable.

To assemble the cake, run the knife around the sides of the cakes to help them loosen from the pans. Invert one cake onto a serving plate and peel off the parchment paper. Spread 3/4 cup of the mocha frosting over the surface of the cake. Invert the second cake layer out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper and place it over the frosted cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.

Coarsely chop the candies nuts and sprinkle them over the top of the cake.

 

 

 

 

Reindeer Cupcakes

Awwwww ain't they looks lovely. These super cute cupcakes is great for Xmas.

Ingredients:

• 125g butter, softened
• 170g castor sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 200g self raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100ml milk
• 100g dark 70% cocoa solid chocolate, melted
• 2 tbsp irish cream liqueur (optional)

For the chocolate icing:

• 50g dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp double cream

To decorate:

• giant chocolate buttons
• crisp-coated chocolate (such as M&Ms or Smarties)
• mini pretzels
• black writing icing
• mini marshmallows, sliced

Method:

Preheat oven to 170C.  Line 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Fold in the milk, melted chocolate and Irish cream liqueur, if using.

Sppon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and lightly firm to the touch. Remove the cakes from the tin and set aside to cool on a cooling rack.

For the icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate has melted. Whisk the mixture until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.

To decorate the cupcakes, spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes. Spoon the remaining icing in an icing bag fitted with a small nozzle.

Press a chocolate button onto the cake as a nose,then stick a crisp-coated chocolate on top using a little icing. Stick on two slices of marshmallows as the eyes, use the black writing icing for the pupils. Stick on the pretzels as the ears.

 

Mincemeat Cake

This cake is easy to make if you are the buzzzy mummy who doesn't have much time to make the traditional Christmas cakes. Make it a couple of days before Christmas. This cake is so moist and light, it doesn't even need icing!!!!

Ingredients:

• 175g castor sugar
• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 300g self raising flour, sifted
• 2x 411g jars mincemeat
• handful of chopped glace cherries (optional)
• 1 tbsp brandy or sherry (optional)
• 1 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra to decorate

Method:

Preheat oven to 160C/140C for fan oven. Grease and double line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin with greaseproof paper. Also wrap a double layer of greaseproof paper around the outside of the tin and tie with a string.

Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the beaten eggs. Fold in half of the sifted self raising flour then fold in the mincemeat and cherries, if using.

Fold in the rest of the flour, and add in the brandy or sherry, if using. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and sprinkle with castor sugar.

Bake for 1 hour, then cover the top of the cake with baking paper and return to the oven for another 1 hour, until cooked and golden. Leave in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack. When completely cool, sprinkle with a little extra sugar. 

Christmas Chutney

It's the perfect time to make this chutney as the holiday season is around the corner. Make the chutney 1 month in advance & will be a great give away goodies. A perfect match for cheese and cold meats and also delicious in turkey sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 900g tomatoes
• 3 red peppers
• 1 large aubergine
• 1 green pepper
• 700g onions, peeled and fairy finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 350g granulated sugar
• 300ml white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper

Method:

Peel the tomatoes-prick them with a sharp knife, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for a minute then drain and cover with cold water. The skins will now come away easily.

Chop the tomatoes and aubergine and seed and chop the peppers. Put in a large heavy-based pan with the onions and garlic and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and gently simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Tip the sugar, vinegar, salt, coriander, paprika and cayenne into the pan and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil for 30 minutes or so, until the mixture achieves a chunky chutney consistency and the surplus watery liquid has evaporated. Take care towards the end of the cooking time to continue stirring so that the chutney doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.

Ladle the chutney into sterillised or dishwasher-clean jars and top with paper jam covers. Seal the jam while still hot. Leave to mature for at least a month in a cool dark place

                          HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!!

Banana Blondies

Banana blondies???? Oh my oh my what is this now. Found this recipe on the web under Channel 4 by Simon Rimmer from Sunday Brunch. After reading the ingredients, it's sound interesting and different from the usual banana cake, therefore I decided to have a go with the recipe but with a slight twist. The result.....yummmm

Ingredients:

• 100g soft brown sugar
• 100ml double cream
• 200g unsalted butter
• 2 large bananas, chopped
• 1 large banana, mashed
• 200g white chocolate
• 1 egg
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 50g flaked almond, toasted
• 25g flaked almond, untoasted for sprinkling

Method:

Preheat oven to 190C/170C for fan assist oven.

In a sauce pan boil sugar, cream and 100g butter for 5 minutes to form a thick sauce. Cool slightly and add in the mashed banana & chopped bananas.

Gently melt the remaining 100g butter and the white chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.

In a large bowl beat the egg with sugar and vanilla extract, then fold in the chocolate mixture.

Sieve in the flour and baking powder, then fold in gently. Add the banana mixture and flaked toasted almonds.

Spoon into  a greased and lined 23cm baking tin, sprinkle with the untoasted almonds and bake for about 35 minutes.

Cool completely and cut into squares before serving.

Sesame honey chicken

Been looking around for a nice chicken recipes to cook for my friends. I am looking for something different besides the usual sweet sour chicken. Busy looking around and found this recipe that sounds interesting. Took the first bite, the juicy chicken and the amazing sauce had me hooked from the first bite. If you are craving some amazing chinese food or just in the mood for something different, give this recipe a try.

Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless skinless chciken breasts
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 spring onions, sliced

Marinade:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• a dash of ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar

Batter:

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup water ( or as much as needed to make a smooth batter)
• 3 tbsp corn flour
• salt to taste
• 1 tsbp vegetable oil

Sauce:

• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tbsp white distilled vinegar
• a dash of ground pepper

Method:

Cut chicken into 1"chunks and in a bowl combine all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken and coat evenly. Cover and marinade for 30 minutes or longer in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine all the batter ingredients and mix thoroughly.The batter should be thick enough to coat the chicken but thin enough to flow around the pieces. Set aside.

Using a fork, remove the pieces chicken from the marinade and dip them into the batter to coat evenly (one by one). Deep fry the chicken in batches in your deep fryer for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

In your wok combine the sauce ingredients and warm over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring and simmer until sauce slightly thickens. Add in the fried chicken to the sauce and coat well. garnish with the sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds.

 

Kerabu Mee Hoon (Rice Noodle Salad)

This is a nyonya style noodle.  This highly appetising noodle dish is spiced up with aromatic herbs and a definate must, tossed with sambal belacan and calamansi juice. I can't get calamansi juice here so I replaced it with lime juice.  One can enjoy this dish anytime of the day, ie for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This dish is not complicated to prepare but may have difficulty sourcing all the ingredients but that is not a problems you can either omit what you can't find or try substitutuing with another ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 350g rice vermicelli ( mee hoon)
• 20 large prawns
• 10 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 3 stalk lemongrass (use the bottom white part only), finely sliced
• 10 shallots, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 torch ginger flower (bunga kantan), finely sliced
• 2/3 cup grated coconut, can be replaced with dessicated coconut if can't get the fresh one
• 1/4 cup dried shrimp, soaked
• pinch of salt or to taste
• 3 tbsp fish sauce

Sambal belacan spice blend:

• 6 tbsp sambal belacan
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• juice of 8 calamansi lime

Garnishing:

• handful of mint leaves, finely sliced
• red chilli, sliced
• calamansi, halved
• roasted peanuts, coarsely ground

Merthod:

Prepare kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, shallots, garlic and torch ginger flower. Combine into a large mixing bowl.

In a pan, toast the grated coconut until browned. Add to the mixing bowl.

Drain the dried shrimp and then grind in a food processor or pound in a pestal & mortar until coarsely ground. Then add into the wok and toasted for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer into the mixing bowl.

Blanch the rice vermicelli for 2 minutes or till cook. Transfer to a strainer & drain. Then add into the mixing bowl.

In a small bowl prepare the sambal belacan spice blend, mixing well to ensure the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a wok and pan fry the prawns until cooked. Add to the mixing bowl.

Toss all the ingredients in the mixing bowl including the sambal belacan spice blend to combine. Add garnishing and disg out to serve. This kerabu mee boon can be serve cold too.

Coffee Cake

It's the end of National Baking Week today, therefore decided to bake something British. Went shopping the other day and I came across this bottle.

It says Chicory & Coffee Essence. Not knowing what is it, I bought the bottle and decided to google for it. Kerrrr Chinggggg.....found it on Wikipedia

"Camp Coffee is a Scottish food product, which began production in 1876 by Paterson & Sons Ltd. in a plant on Charlotte St, Glasgow. Almost one-hundred years later in 1974 businessman Daniel Jenks merged with Paterson to form Paterson Jenks plc. In 1984, Paterson Jenks plc was bought by McCormick & Company. Thereafter, McCormick UK Ltd assimilated Paterson Jenks plc into Schwartz. Interestingly, McCormick claims not to be the manufacturer on their main site, and the product can't be found on the Schwartz site either.
Camp Coffee is a glutinous brown substance which consists of water, sugar, 4% coffee essence, and 26% chicory essence. This is generally used as a substitute for coffee, by mixing with warm milk in much the same way as cocoa or added to cold milk and ice to make an iced coffee, but it is commonly found on baking aisles in supermarkets as it is also used as an ingredient in coffee cake and other confectionery.
The label is rather old-fashioned in tone, consisting of a drawing of a Gordon Highlander soldier (allegedly Major General Sir Hector Macdonald) and a Sikh soldier sitting down together outside a tent, from which flies a flag carrying the drink's slogan, "Ready Aye Ready". This slogan uses the form of the Scots "aye" meaning yes so the drink was "Ready Always Ready" to be made. Originally the picture depicted the Sikh as carrying a tray of coffee -- an intermediate version, with the Sikh standing but the tray missing was also used (see the fan site link below for this version of the label) -- it is widely believed that this was changed to avoid the imperialist connotations of the Sikh as a servant, although the company does not confirm or deny this. The original drawing was by William Victor Wrigglesworth.
Legend has it that it was originally developed as a method of brewing coffee quickly for military purposes.
Today Camp is a British icon of nostalgia, as many remember it from their childhoods"

Since it mentioned that this Camp Coffe is also used as an ingredient in coffee cake, I decided to google for a recipes that using this Camp Coffee and found a recipe at MyDish.

Ingredients:
For the sponge cake:

• 250g self raising flour
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 180g sugar
• 125g soft margarine
• 2 medium eggs
• 1/2 the juice of a lemon
• 3 tbsp Camp liquid coffee
• 100ml milk

For the icing:

• 140g butter, softened
• 270g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp Camp coffee

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C for fan.

Grease and line 2x20cm baking tins.

In a mixing bowl, mix margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the lemon juice, Camp coffee and milk and mix well.

Sift the dry ingredients together and blend into the mixture together with the eggs. Mix well throughly into a smooth mixture and pour into the prepared tins.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until springy to touch. The cake should just coming away from the sides of the tin. Leave the sponges in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

While the sponges are cooling, make the coffee icing. Beat together the icing ingredients until smooth. Put one sponge on a serving plate and spread half of the coffee icing. Top with the other sponge and spread the top with the remaining coffee icing.

 

Carnation Chocolate Fudge Cake

Found this recipe on goodtoknow website. OMG its so easy to make and yes cuts down on the saturated fat!!!! This chocolate cake recipe is based on an American recipe and uses oil instead of butter. I use ready make caramel from carnation and it makes the filling really easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 175g self raising flour
• 21/2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 2 eggs
• 130g castor sugar
• 150ml milk
• 150ml corn oil
• 2 tsbp vanilla extract
• 125g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solid)
• 397g can Carnation caramel
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C/160C for fan oven.

Base line 2x8" sandwich tins with baking parchment

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and bicarbonate soda into a bowl and stir in the sugar.

In a jug, measure the oil and milk, then add the eggs, one tsp vanilla extract and mix together with a fork until combined. Beat 2 tbsp of caramel until smooth and whisk into the egg and oil mixture.

Combine the wet with the dry ingredients and mix well. The cake mix will be quiet wet. Pour the mixture into the tins and bake in the centre of thge oven for 20 minutes until springy to the touch.

Cool the cake in the tins for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the baking paper and cool completely.

Melt the chocolate in a short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Add the remaining caramel and vanilla to the chocolate and beat well until smooth and glossy. Sift in the icing sugar and combine thoroughly.

Place one half of the cake onto a plate, spread with a generous amount of the frosting and top with the other sandwich half. Spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake and down the sides to cover completely. Leave to set and cut into slices.
 

Tau Foo Fah

This is my favourite of all time. Too much work to do from scratch. However a dear friends of mine show me a cheating way to enjoy this delicious dessert. I think it should be called quick & easy tau foo fah....lol. Enjoy

Ingredients:

• 1 litre  of organic soya milk
• 7 fine leaf gelatine (Dr Oetker)
• 1 tsp sugar

For the syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 pandan leaf

Method:

Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft.

Warm 1/2 of the soya milk in a microwave (but not until boil).

Add in the sugar and the soft gelatine. Gently stir until the suagr and gelatine dissolve.

Then gently mix into the cold soya milk. Put the mixture through a sieve and place it into a deep dish/bowl. Remember to be gentle so that you do not get the air bubbles on the tau foo fah. Finally when it cold, put it into the fridge for it to set.

For the pandan syrup:

Put pandan leaf in the water and let it bowl for a while. Then put in the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolve. When the sugar is cold, discard the pandan leaf.

Serve the cold tau foo fah with the pandan syrup.

Koong Chai Pneang (Mooncake Biscuits)

I love to eat this mooncake biscuits with kopi O.

Ingredients:

• 200g golden syrup
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 alkaline water ( kan sui)
• 50g corn oil
• 300g plain flour, sifted

Egg glazed: mix well

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp water
• pinch of salt

Method:

Combine golden syrup, alkaline water and sifted bicarbonaye of soda in a basin. Add oil and mix with a wooden spoon and allow to rest for 4-5 hours

Fold in sifted flour gradually an mix evenly to form a smooth, soft dough. Do not knead. Let the dough rest for another 6-7 hours.

Divide dough into small portions. Dust with flour and press into figurine mould. Knock out and place on greased baking tray and bake in preheated oven at 180C for 8 minutes. Remove tray from the oven and leave for 1-2 minutes. Brush biscuit with egg glaze and bake again for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown.

Happy Mid-Autumn or Happy Mooncake Festival (中秋节) to all.

Was a last minute decision to make some  traditional mooncake as I decided to invite my Malaysian friends to come over for some food and also to enjoy the mooncake with a nice cup of chinese tea.

 

The ingredients and method of making this mooncake is in the blog http://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/09/tradisional-lotus-mooncake.html

Lemon and Almond Cake

Lemon....lemom......lemon.....
I have few lemons in my fridge and been thinking what should I do with them. Came up with lots of ideas and even thinking about making another Lemon Drizzle but decided to be more adventurous this time and make a different cake. So here it is Lemon and Almond Cake. Intead of using just whipping cream I used mascarpone cheese combine with whipping cream. And the results is lushhhh....

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for greasing
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 11/2 lemons, finely zested
• 75g plain flour
• 150g ground almonds
• 11/2 tsp baking powder

For the mascarpone cheese:

• 200g light mascarpone cheese
• 100ml whipping cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 5-6 tbsp lemon curd
• 15g almond flake, toasted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190C or 170C for fan oven.

Lightly grease 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. Line the bottom of the tins with nonstick baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add in the egg, one at a time and beat until pale and fluffy. If the mixture looks like it is starting to split, add 1 teaspoon of flour.

Beat in almond extract and zest into the egg mixture. Then sift over the dry ingredients and fold in using a spatula. Mix untill well combine. Spoon half of the batter into each tin and smooth the tops to make them level. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until risen and golden. The cake should just coming away from the sides of the tin. Leave the sponges in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

While the sponges are cooling, make the mascarpone cream. Beat together the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth. Put one sponge on a serving plate and spread with 3 or 4 tbsps of lemon curd. Top with half of the icing and smooth it out with a palate knife. Top with the other sponge and spread over the rest of the icing.

Add in a little water to the lemon curd to loosen, the drizzle it over the top of the cake and scatter with the toasted almonds.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie

Been looking at this recipe for a while now. It's from Hummingbird bakery. Has a layer of choccy brownie topped with cheesecake and covered with fresh raspberry flavoured whipped cream.

Ingredients for the brownie:

• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 200g unsalted butter
• 250g icing sugar
• 3 eggs
• 110g plain flour

Ingredients for cheesecake:

• 400g cream cheese
• 150g icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Ingredients for cream topping:

• 300ml whipping cream
• 100g icing sugar
• 150g rapsberries, plus extra for decorate
• 33x23x5 baking tray, lined with greaseproof paper

Method:

For the brownie:

Preheat oven to 170C/150C for fan oven.

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). leave until melted and smooth.

Put in butter and sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.

Gradually beat in the flour, mixing well each addition, then turn the mixer up to a high speed and beat for a little longer until you get a smooth mixture.

Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking tray and smooth over with a palette knife.

For the cheesecake:

Put in the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until smooth and thick.  Add one egg at a time, while still mixing. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. The mixture should be very smooth and creamy.

The mixer can be turned up to a higher speed at the end to make the mix a little lighter and fluffier but be careful not to overmix, otherwise the cheese will split. Spoon on top of the brownie and smooth over a palette knife.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minuted, or until the cheesecake is firm to the touch and light golden around the edges. The centre should still be pale. Leave it to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight if possible.


For the cream topping:

Put the cream, sugar and raspberries in a freestanding electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat until firm but not stiff.

Turn the brownie out onto a board and turn the right way up.

Spread the topping evenly over the brownie and decorate with more raspberries.

Banoffee Cake

Time to bake and update my blog again. Been away for more than a month and I do miss baking and cooking. When your are away in places where food is cheap and good, I don't see the point to cook & bake. But today my hands starts to get itchy and decided to bake something quick & easy.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe banana, mashed
• 75g butter, softened
• 1 can caramel (375g)
• 225g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 25g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 55g dark choc chunks

Methods:

Preheat oven to 180C/160C for fan oven.

Grease and line a 1 kg loaf tin.

 Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and the caramel. Beat well.

Mix in flour and baking powder together and graduallu fold into the caramel mixture.

Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate chunks and the mashed bananas and then pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle over the remaining chocolate chunks.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, covering loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool slightly before removing from the tin then slice and serve whilst it is still warm.
 

Old Fashioned Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Lemon cake is one of those decadent treats that I try not to bake too often, mostly because I can't stop eating it.
There is a lot of butter in this cake, I really mean a lot. But this is also one of the best lemon cake that I have tasted and it will fill your home with an aroma so alluring you will be tempted to sit next to the oven while it bakes. That's right more lemon flavour. Love it !!

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 11/2cups of sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• grated zest of 2 lemons
• juice of 1 large lemon

For the glaze:

• 11/2 cup of sugar
• juice of 1 large lemon

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 10" bundt pan and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. and scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix, just fold in gently until the batter looks well combine. Fold in the lemon zest and juice. Don't worry if the batter appear curdled with the addition of the lemon juice.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 1 hour or until the skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the glaze.

For the glaze: in a mediun bowl add the lemon juice and the sugar. Mix vigorously to get rid of any lumps of sugar. If the glase isn't thick enough to coat the cake, add more sugar 1 tablesppon at a time, mixing well between additions. The glaze should be thick but pourable.

Invert the cake on a wire rack  set over a baking sheet. Pour the glaze over hot cake and allow to cool completely before cutting.