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cola and cakes

Cakes and bakes

Individual Chocolate Cake

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything with my favourite ingredient- chocolate, and I need to put this right.  Don’t be fooled by the size of these cakes, they are full on chocolate and the whipped cream is the perfect indulgent companion. I’m not big on fiddly things, so this recipe is as simple as could be. It’s an all in one recipe and made in a large square cake pan, but the results look and taste gorgeous.  This recipe makes 7 individual cakes.

Ingredients
6oz golden caster sugar
180g softened unsalted butter
6oz gluten free self raising flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
2oz cacao powder
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp milk

For the filling
250ml double cream

For the topping
150g milk chocolate

You’ll also need a large square baking tin, I used a 30cm x 30cm tin, along with a circular biscuit cookie, I used a 3cm diameter one.

Line the baking tin and preheat the oven to 150C.

I like the all in one method for sponge cakes, so in a food processor add all of the cake ingredients except the milk, and mix well until all the ingredients are well combined. If the mix is too firm add the milk.

Pour the mix into the tin and bake for about 30 minutes.

When a skewer in the middle of the sponge comes out clean, allow the cake to cool completely.

When cool cut out the rounds from the sponge.

Whip the cream and place a good dollop in between to pieces of sponge.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt on a bain marie.  Drizzle the chocolate over the sponges and allow to cool.


November 7, 2018 By
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Cakes and bakes

Caramel Cupcakes

I’ve been itching to make something with caramel for ages. I have a caramel flavouring but wanted to go the whole hog and make the caramel from scratch. In the past I have been put off making caramel because it just seemed a bit scary: making sure you get the temperature right; dusting the side of the pans; adding ingredients and ending up with a big mess. So I have attempted a really easy way and combined it with a basic sponge mix for the cupcake so that the flavour of the caramel doesn’t fight with anything. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients

200g self raising gluten free flour
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
200g golden caster sugar
175g unsalted butter at room temperature
3 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon milk

For the caramel filling
200g white sugar
100mls double cream- you probably won’t use all of this.

For the topping
150g icing sugar
water
100g white sugar

Preheat the oven to 160C and line a cupcake tray with cases.

I prefer the all in one method for cupcakes, so add all the ingredients and mix until you get a smooth mix. Spread evenly between the cases and bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown.

Put the cakes aside to cool.

Cut a square of greaseproof paper and set aside. Take a pan and add 100g of white sugar onto a low heat. The sugar will go from sticky to forming small, pebbles to becoming liquid.

Once you have reached the liquid stage, take a spoon and dribble fine lines about 20 cm by 20cm of the caramel onto the greaseproof paper, keep doing this, criss-crossing to make a grid of caramel. Leave to cool for a good 20 minutes until it completely solidifies.

Place a clean pan with the 200g of white sugar on a low heat on a hob and like before, stir frequently until you get a liquid. When you have reached the liquid stage, turn off the heat and slowly add half a tablespoon of cream- the lactose in cream combines far better with the sugar than butter or even water. Stir gently; add more cream a tablespoon at a time until you reach a thick liquid mixture.

Pour a teaspoon of the caramel mixture onto each cupcake so that it soaks into the sponge.

Take the icing sugar and in a bowl add a spoonful of water before mixing well. Keep adding the water a little at a time until you get a thick, white icing. Top the cakes with the icing.

Break the solid caramel into small pieces, top each cake with a piece of the caramel.

October 2, 2018 By
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Travel

Bedtime Cookies

The thing with kids is, you give something a novelty name and they want to try it. If I asked ‘would you like a low sugar, oaty biscuit’ for supper I can pretty much guarantee they’d turn me down, somehow calling this a bedtime cookie makes it OK. This cookie recipe uses as little sugar as possible, I’ve tried less than the 80g, but it just tasted a little bland, even when trying to balance it out with more sugar.

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter softened
80g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 large egg
juice of ½ lemon
140g gluten free porridge oats
140g gluten free plain flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp gluten free baking powder

Preheat the oven to 150C and line a tray with baking paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add a third of the oats and stir well before adding the egg, lemon juice and honey and once again stirring well to combine all of the ingredients.

Add another third of the oats, stirring well before adding the final third.

Add the flour, xanthan gum and baking powder and combine well. You want a sticky mixture that holds its shape.

Make 12 golf sized balls and gently flatten down until it’s the depth of about a centimetre.

These will take about 15 minutes to bake. When the outside of the cookies is brown but the middles are soft, remove from the oven. Leave to cool and firm for about 15 minutes.

September 11, 2018 By
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