Tuesday 30 December 2014

Cake #126 - Revamped Banoffee


Monday Mood Cake - Revamped Banoffee.

Revamped Banoffee

200 g Digestive Cookies, crumbed
100 g butter, melted
Can of caramel sauce
4 bananas
500 ml  fresh cream, whipped

1. Mix the digestive cookie crumbs and melted butter together.  Press half of the mixture straight on the serving plate, 
2. Spread half of the caramel sauce on top of the base.
3. Slice two bananas and place on the cake.
4. Whip the cream and pipe half of it to cover the bananas.
5. Gently place another layer of digestive cookie and butter mix on top of the cream and then a second layer of bananas.
5. Last, pipe neatly cream on top and sprinkle the rest of the cookie crumbs on the cream.
6. Serve immediately. Do not refrigerate more than a couple of hours as the bananas start turning black quickly.

My Christmas Cakes


#122 - Traditional Fruit Cake
#123 - Date Deluxe with Golden Icing, Fresh Figs and Cranberries
#124 - Almondy White Chocolate Cake
#125 - Prune and Brandy Cream Cake

Traditional Fruit Cake

300 g butter
200 ml granulated sugar
200  ml soft brown sugar
4 eggs
600 ml flour
2 tsp baking powder
150 ml cream
300 g mixed fruit

1. Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F and grease and flour a 2-litre bundt cake pan.
2. Combine dried fruit, flour and baking powder in a bowl.
3. Cream together butter and sugar.
4. Mix in eggs.
5. Add the dry ingredients together and the cream and mix well.
6. Pour the dough into the cake pan and bake the cake in the oven for 50-60 minutes. 
7. Let the cake cool on a rack before removing from the pan.

***

Date Deluxe

I baked the cake using my traditional Date Cake recipe. The icing is just icing sugar mixed with water and after it was set I sprayed some gold on top (Dr Oetker Shimmer Spray). I decorated the cake with fresh figs and a few cranberries to give it more colour.

***

Almondy White Chocolate Cake

Base
150 g white chocolate
150 g butter
150 ml caster sugar
4 egg yolks
100 ml ground almonds
150 ml plain flour
100 ml cornflour
2 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites

Filling
300 g cherry jam

Icing
200 g white chocolate
50 g butter
50 g almond crunch

1. Melt chocolate and let cool a little.
2. Cream together butter and sugar.
3. Add egg yolks one at a time and mix well.
4. Add all the dry ingredients and the melted chocolate.
5. Beat egg whites until stiff.
6. Fold the egg whites into the dough carefully.
7. Pour the dough into a Ø 20 cm cake pan and bake in the oven at 175 C / 350 F for about 45 minutes.
8. When the cake has cooled down, cut it into three layers.
9. Spread jam on each layer.
10. Melt chocolate and butter and spread evenly on cake.
11. Sprinkle almond crunch on the sides of the cake.
12. Let the cake set in the fridge a few hours or overnight before serving.

***

Prune and Brandy Cream Cake

Sponge
4 eggs
300 ml granulated sugar
300 g butter, melted
400 ml plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
100 ml fresh cream

Filling
500 g dried prunes
200 ml sugar
200 ml water (add more if needed)

500 ml brandy cream
or
500 ml fresh cream
1 tbsp brandy

1. Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F and grease and flour a Ø 23 cm cake pan.
2. Beat eggs and sugar until white and fluffy.
3. Fold in flour together with melted butter and cream.
4. Pour into pan and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
5. While the cake is in the oven, cook the prunes and sugar with some water until the prunes are soft. Use a blender if needed. The jam does not need to be completely smooth. Let cool.
6. Let the sponge cool a little before removing from pan.
7. Cut the sponge into three layers and moist both with Sprite or sugar water.
8. Spread some prune jam and whipped cream onto each layer.
9. After filling and compiling the cake, spread a thick layer of jam on the top and pipe cream neatly on the sides.
10. Let the cake set in the fridge at least for a couple of hours or overnight before serving.

Cake #121 - Mozzarella Brunch Cake


Savoury Saturday Cake - Mozzarella Brunch Cake.

Another simple cake for Sunday brunch, to be served with colourful tomatoes and fried bacon.

Mozzarella Brunch Cake

200 g grated Mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
400 ml plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
250 ml cup milk
100 ml mayonnaise

1. Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F.
2. Grease and flour a Ø 28 cm cake pan.
3. Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan.
4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and solid inside.
5. Serve warm with fried bacon and salad.

Cake #120 - Oreo Chocolate Cake


Friends First Friday Cake - Oreo Chocolate Cake.

For the Christmas season, holidays and family time. Movies, board games and - cakes!

I used this recipe for the sponge except I replaced the oil with melted butter. The chocolate covering came from a tin of Nestle Carnation Chocolate Filling and Topping [shame on me]. My son (9) decorated the cake with Oreo cookies. And very yummy it was! Kind of minimum effort so to say but sometimes you need to take the easy path.

Cake #119 - Xmas Cat Bauble


Thursday Cat Theme Cake - Xmas Cat Bauble.

This cat cake was a surprise gift to somebody who likes strawberry jam (I have heard), cats (I have seen a picture of him with a cat) and my cakes or at least pictures of them (I know).

The cake itself is a white sponge, filled with strawberry jam and covered with icing. The little cat is made of sugar paste, the text is red-coloured icing,

Cake #118 - Spicy Apple Pancake


Wednesday Natural Ingredient / Healthy Cake - Spicy Apple Pancake with Vanilla Sauce and Mint.

A great snack or dessert!

Spicy Apple Pancake
3 eggs
300 ml milk
1 tsp baking powder
200 ml plain flour
½ tsp salt

2 big cooking apples, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
50 g butter

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 390 F.
2. Grease a Ø 28 cm cake pan and place the apple slices on the pan. Sprinkle sugar and spices on the apple slices and the rest of the butter.
3. Bake the apples in the oven for 10 minutes while you make the batter.
4. For the batter mix all ingredients together and beat well to make it smooth.
5. The take pan out the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Place the pan back into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve warm with home-made vanilla creme.

Saturday 27 December 2014

Cake #117 - Split Santa


Tuesday Humour Cake - Split Santa.

I baked the cake in the morning but then I didn't have time to decorate it before a (scary) dentist appointment later on the day. I had said to my daughter (12) and son (9) that they could decorate the cake on my behalf (in case I wouldn't feel well) and they were excited to do so. 

However, nothing had happened by the time I got home. The kids were just arguing who would do what and when and how. Excellent ideas they had, cannot blame but no teamwork whatsoever...

Amazingly, I was feeling well but no that well I would stand any major fight (can you ever be...) so I just took a knife and cut the cake in half.

Amazingly, the kids were happy and here's the result.

On the left: "Toxic Half-Santa" by my son.

On the right: "Half-Santa from Outer Space" by my daughter.