Tray bakes and a return to blogging

So then! I haven’t blogged for a while, although I’ve been baking lots – most sundays for Sunday Bake Club.

Today’s theme was tray bakes and a couple of people have requested my recipe. As usual, I’d hashed it together from a couple of places, so in order to share, here it is in one piece!

I’m also going to try and find the time to get something up here every week again – either back dating some old bakes, or new ones for SBC.

On today’s bake, I did think afterwards that I should have salted the caramel! but never mind, will try that next time…

Caramel Banana Tray Bake (adapted from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/784634/sticky-banana-and-maple-cake)
Gluten and Dairy Free

100g coconut oil (plus extra for tin). You could also use dairy free spread)
3tbsp dairy free caramel (recipe below)
3 small ripe bananas and 2 over-ripe bananas
200g light muscovado sugar (I used a combination of dark muscavado and golden caster as that’s what was in the cupboard!)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla paste or seeds scraped from 2 vanilla pods
200g self-raising flour (I used Dove Farm GF self raising flour)
100g ground almonds (I think you could probably up this to 150 and reduce the flour to 150 if you liked)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g coconut cream with a tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar

1.Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3, butter a 20cm square cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Pour in the caramel and spread around the bottom. Halve the 3 ripe bananas lengthways and lay, cut-side down, in the tin.
2.Beat together the coconut oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and over-ripe bananas with an electric whisk or in freestanding mixer.
3.Fold in the flour, ground almonds and bicarb of soda, then stir in the coconut cream.
4.Carefully spoon into the tin without dislodging the bananas.
5.Bake for 45 mins-1 hr until a skewer poked in comes out with only moist crumbs.
6.Turn out onto a rack or place and pour over more caramel to taste
7.Slice and serve warm

For the Caramel 
Can of coconut milk
Cup of sugar (I used golden caster mixed with a little dark muscavado for colour)
2tsp vanilla

I have to admit that I kind of made this up as I went along! I put it all in a pan and brought to boil.  I then stood over it for about 15-20 minutes simmering and stirring until I felt it was thick enough. I let it cool and it set a bit firmer than I had hoped, so I warmed it up again and added a little more water until the consistency was more runny – I was aiming for golden syrup like. It tasted delicious and I will definitely make it again.

Sherbet Lemons

Sherbet Lemons always remind me of Harry Potter, they’re Dumbledore’s favourite sweet, and who can blame him!

Sunday bake club’s theme this week was citrus – no drizzle! I couldn’t resist the opportunity to try something a bit different, so set about finding a decent recipe. Nothing I could find online quite hit the spot for me, so I pulled something together myself, and I’m pretty pleased with the results.

I think my husband is starting to get slightly stressed at the complexity of every cake that I decide to bake, he probably prays for the week that the theme is all-in-one! I set about this cake on Saturday by resurrecting the lemon curd recipe that I used for my Gin & Tonic cake. See here: https://dontgobakingmytart.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/golden-spoon/

Sunday saw me digging one of my Hummingbird books out and baking a soft, moist, light lemon layer cake. I layered it up with the lemon curd and covered in cream cheese frosting and tonnes of sherbet!  It came out delicious but very sweet, so I think next time for a lighter touch I’d go with a whipped cream topping sprinkled with the sherbet.

Here’s the recipe:

Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting from The Hummingbird Bakery, Home Sweet Home

For the Sponge

110g Unsalted Butter (although I swear that Pure sunflower spread makes the lightest sponges and always make this swap)

380g Caster Sugar

320g Plain Flour

4tsp Baking Powder

320ml Buttermilk (If you don’t have any you can make your own with 1tsp lemon juice for every cup of milk)

Zest of 2 lemons

3 Large eggs

For the Frosting

900g Icing sugar, sifted

Zest of One and a half lemons

150g Unsalted Butter, softened

375g Full Fat Cream Cheese (it comes in 400g tubs…go on, just throw it all in!)

100g Lemon Sherbet

Sherbet lemons

Lemon Curd (from Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/348239/lemon-curd)

 3 large egg yolks

Zest of one lemon

1/4 cup lemon / lime juice

6 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp butter

1. Preheat the oven to 170C, Gas mark 3 and line three 8inch cake tins with baking parchment

2. Whisk the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder together until it forms a sandy consistency

3. In a large jug mix together the buttermilk, lemon zest and eggs

4. With the mixer or whisk on a medium speed, gradually pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time.  Mix thoroughly until the batter is thick and smooth, without lumps. Once all the lumps are gone, add the rest of the liquid and mix until combined.

5. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared tins. Bake for 20-30 mins or until golden brown and bounces back. Remove from tin and cool.

6. Make the Curd.  Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes

 7. Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth.

8. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool.

9.  Whilst the curd is cooling, whisk the icing sugar, lemon zest and butter together on low speed until combined and there are no large lumps of butter.

10. Add a little of the cream cheese to loosen and beat until smooth, then add the rest and beat until light and fluffy

11. Assemble! Divide the curd between the layers.  Cover the cake with frosting!

12. Sprinkle liberally with Sherbet. Decorate with Sherbet lemons…enjoy!

Lots of lovely cukes

Yes that’s cukes. Which is what they call cucumbers on the market in Chelmsford where I buy mine. Get your cukes! 

 

So, crazy May is over and the Sunday Bake Club theme this week was afternoon tea. Which makes me automatically think of lovely cucumber sandwiches. Wanting to try something a bit different, I set about trying to incorporate cucumber into a cake and came up with the recipe below.

 

I plumped for cucumber and champagne jam… I love a filled cupcake and this seemed like a challenge.  I then decided that I needed a really light cake and turned my hand to a genoise sponge, but as cupcakes. It made absolute sense to me to top this with delicious cream cheese frosting.

 

 

 

The cucumber jam really was an experiment! Pre-heating, it was fresh and sweet and the champagne really came through, I was excited! Post heating, the colour had turned decidedly bogey and the smell was really not appealing.  The end product is actually quite nice, if a little difficult to get my head round! It tastes sweet and very cucumbery with just a nice amount of tartness. Could probably work on tweaking the recipe to get it perfect.

 

 

The genoise cupcakes turned out really well! I’m really pleased, but they weren’t the perfect pairing for the jam, I’d go for something less sweet next time. 

 

Here’s the recipe though! Let me know if you decide to give it a go and if you have any improvements! 

 

Jam

250g cucumbers (approx 2 whole)

200g jam sugar

2tsp vanilla essence 

Zest and juice of half a lime

150ml champagne

 

1) Peel and finely grate cucumbers

 

2) Place all the ingredients in a medium pan and stir well. Marinate for two hours.

 

 

3) Over high heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the jam coats the back of a cold metal spoon. 

 

4) I chose to purée my jam further using my hand held blender

 

5) Transfer to a clean jar, close the lid and allow the jam to cool.

 

6) Chill and keep in the fridge.

 

Cupcakes – adapted from http://www.deadlynightshade.com.au/blog/mojito-genoise-cupcakes/ 

130g Sugar

3 eggs

55g butter – melted and cooled

130g plain flour

 

1) Fill a medium sized saucepan a third of the way with water and set on medium heat. 

 

2)Crack eggs into a mixing bowl, and place it over the top of your saucepan (bain marie), making sure its not touching the water.

 

3) Start beating the eggs, and once foamy – slowly pour in your sugar while mixing. 

 

 

4) Turn the saucepan off, the residual heat will be enough now.

 

5) Continue beating for around 10 minutes, until you have thick white eggs that hold up when you drizzle back on itself.  It’s really crucial that you pay attention to what the mixture looks like here, not the time – don’t overmix! 

 

6) Remove mixing bowl from saucepan, and pour cooled butter around the edge of the bowl. Fold in carefully until combined.

 

7) Add 1/3 of the flour, continue folding. Once combined add another third and so on.

 

8) Once all the ingredients are incorporated, fill cupcake cases 2/3 full. 

 

9) Bake at 175 degrees (fan forced) for 15 – 20 minutes.

 

10) When cool, use a chopstick to make a hole in the middle of the cake and pipe or syringe in plenty of the cucumber jam

 

Cream cheese frosting

200g cream cheese

50g butter

400g icing sugar

Juice of half a lime

 

1) Whisk butter til soft and pale

 

2) add cream cheese and sifted icing sugar

 

3) whisk! If you over whisk and mixture starts to become runnier, pop the icing in the fridge to cool down.

 

4) pipe/spoon/smooth frosting onto cakes 

The Hummingbird Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake

Today is my birthday, and since I normally do all the baking at work, my colleague gave me the day off and made this delicious lemon and poppy seed cake. It really was so divine that I are three slices (well after all, it is my birthday!) and the proceeded to scrape off all the deliciously lemony syrup bits that had stuck to the tin…(oops!)

Here’s the recipe from Hummingbird:

24cm Ring mould -greased & dusted.

Ingredients

85g unsalted butter

245g caster sugar

grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons

15g poppy seeds (plus extra to decorate)

165ml whole milk

235g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

3 egg whites

Lemon Syrup

juice and zest of 1 lemon

50g caster sugar

Lemon Glaze

Juice of 1 lemon

250g icing sugar

1) Preheat oven to 170c, gas mark 3.

2) Cream together the butter, caster sugar, poppy seeds and lemon zest in a large bowl. ( I’m guessing I would use my kitchen aid)

3) Slowly add the milk in stages and beat well (don’t worry if it looks slightly split at this stage).

4) In a separate bowl sieve the flour, baking powder and salt.

5) Add this to the butter mixture in 3 stages, beating well after each addition.

6) In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

7) Fold this gently into the cake mixture.  Don’t beat or you will lose all of the air that makes the cake light.

8) Pour into mould and bake for 30 – 35 mins until golden and the sponge bounces back when gently pressed.

9) Whilst the cake is cooking make the lemon syrup by mixing the sugar, lemon zest and juice in a saucepan and gently boiling it until it has reduced by half and a thin syrup has formed.

10) When the cake is cooked remove from the oven and spoon over the lemon syrup whilst it is still in the tin and still warm.  This makes the cake wonderfully moist and forms a sugar crust on the bottom.  Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes.

11) Turn out onto a wire rack.

12) Make the icing whilst the cake is cooling by mixing the icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth and glossy.

13) Once the cake has cooled, spoon over the glaze and let it run down the sides of the cake.  Sprinkle with a few poppy seeds.

Mmmmmm!

Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green

So unfortunately I can’t bake this weekend as it’s my wedding anniversary and I won’t be home!

 

But I couldn’t resist a little think (and google) about this week’s Sunday Bake Club theme – vegetables (http://sundaybakingclub.wordpress.com/)

 

Now when it comes to baking, I’m a sweet girl at heart so my thoughts automatically jumped to courgette or beetroot based cakes.

 

I briefly toyed with butternut squash (and found this: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/butternut-squash-and-orange-cake-673) 

 

Then I googled seasonal vegetables and discovered that May is a good time for asparagus…and found this! http://sweetapolita.com/2012/01/how-to-make-an-asparagus-cake-a-tutorial/

But there is no way I have that much patience! 

 

In the end I plumped for this amazing looking Sweet Potato cake as the recipe I would be baking if I weren’t busy this weekend. Will have to put it on the bake wish list and hope for a rainy weekend ! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spiced-Sweet-Potato-Cake-with-Brown-Sugar-Icing-104322

Golden Spoon

A couple of weeks back I stumbled across something on twitter..The Sunday Bake Club. Thinking very much that this is my kind of club, I followed and spent an entire train journey pouring over the bakes that had been submitted previously. Inspired and seriously impressed, I promised myself that I would join in at the next available opportunity. 

 

Chocolate week passed (sister’s 21st) then spring (baking ban, diet to think of!) and then the next theme was announced “Rule Britannia”. I realised that a) I was home this weekend b) I gave up on the diet around about the third kitkat on Wednesday and c) I was seeing friends on Sunday…perfect!

 

I toyed with quite a few cake options, considering at the top of the list trifle cake, when a little brainstorm of “very british food and drink” produced a lightbulb moment…Gin & Tonic. And off I was on a recipe hunt.

 

Now I’m not very good at following recipes, I always find myself off piste. And I couldn’t really find one that hit the spot for me. I wanted light, fresh, gin enough to please but not overpower. 

 

So I brought a few ideas together and came up with something I was happy with and that turned out pretty well. I gingerly submitted this to Sunday Bake Club and waited….I won! Well, the cake won the golden spoon which I was simultaneously gob smacked and delighted about.

 

A few people asked for the recipe. And I’ve always wanted to start blogging, so I though I’d give it a try…

 

Here’s the recipe..enjoy!

 

A Very British Gin & Tonic Cake

 

Cake (adapted from Lime Angel Food Cake by Two Peas and their Pod http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/lime-angel-food-cake-recipe/)

 

1 1/2 cups icing sugar sifted

1 cup plain flour sifted 3 times

1 1/2 cups egg white (10-12 eggs) room temp

4 teaspoons lime zest

3 teaspoons lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Gin of your choice

 

Lemon & Lime curd (adapted from Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/348239/lemon-curd)

 

3 large egg yolks

Zest half a lemon

Zest half a lime

1/4 cup lemon / lime juice

6 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp butter

 

Gin & Tonic Cream

 

300ml extra thick double cream

1tbsp icing sugar

4 tbsp gin (add more to taste)

4 tbsp tonic water (add more to taste)

1tbsp icing sugar

 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180

 

2. Sift the flour three times in a large bowl 

 

3.  Put the egg whites, lime zest, and juice into a bowl (I used my kitchen aid ). Using the whisk attachment, whisk on medium speed. Gradually add one cup of the icing sugar then, when this is incorporated, add the rest one tablespoon at a time until it is gone. Beat until egg whites reach soft peaks, about 10 minutes.

 

4. Gradually add sifted flour to the mixing bowl through a sieve. Do this in three parts. Gently fold the mixture in between each addition. When all the flour is added, gently fold one final time.

 

5. Pour angel food cake batter into a 10 inch angel food cake tin or bundt tin. DO NOT GREASE! This is where I got inventive. I don’t have either, so stood a ramekin in the middle of my 10inch loose bottom tin.

 

6. Bang the cake on the counter to even out the mixture and get rid of any bubbles. 

 

7. Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until light golden brown. The cake will spring back when touched. To cool, turn the cake upside down on a bottle  or tin of beans. Cool completely. 

 

Whilst the cake is cooling, time to make the curd:

 

1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes

 

2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth.

 

3. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool. 

 

Whilst the curd is cooling, make the cream:

 

1. Add icing sugar to cream and begin to whisk. Add Gin & Tonic one tablespoon at a time. Keep tasting! And more as desired. 

 

2. Poor self G&T and wait for cream to reach soft peaks

 

Time to assemble!

 

1. Prise the cake out of the tin!

 

2. Slather the top in curd

 

3. Spoon the cream on top

 

4. Decorate with lime zest

 

That’s it! I was pretty impressed with the results. I was very cautious with my measures of Gin & Tonic, and I think for the gin drinkers amongst us you can afford to go a bit stronger.

 

Please bake and let me know what you think!

 

Claire

Gin & Tonic Cake