Coconut and Jam Sponge Cake Slices

When I was little, I used to love those little slices of cake, that were covered in jam and sprinkled with coconut. Recently I have tried to find out what they were called, as I remember they used to have a specific name for them, but no one has been able to answer my question! Therefore, for the purpose of this blog, they have now adopted the rather simplistic name of 'Coconut and Jam Sponge Cake Slices' ...catchy ey?!

Anyway, this is a very simple recipe for a traditional classic cake. Hence, I have decided that it will be the prefect sweet treat to take into school for the lovely ladies this week. 

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Ingredients


(I used my roasting tin 23cm square, makes 16 BIG cakey cubes)

8oz Butter
8oz Caster Sugar
10oz Self Raising Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
2tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs
4tbsp Milk
4-6tbsp Jam (I used raspberry)
A good sprinkling of Dessicated Coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 160degreesC and line the base of your cake tin.

2. Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and cream until soft and smooth.

3. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix with a wooden spoon.

4. In a jug, beat the eggs, add the milk and drop in the vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until it resembles a smooth cake mix.

5. Pour into the cake tin and place in the oven. Bake for around 45mins or until firm to the touch and golden brown. 

6. Allow to cool in the tin for around 15mins then remove and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

7. When the cake is completely cool, evenly spread the jam all over the top of the sponge.

8. Scatter/sprinkle on the dessicated coconut to give a snowy effect. Make sure all of the jam is covered in coconut.

9. Cut into around 25 squares.

***

This has to be one of my favourite, simple, child friendly cakes! The sponge is super soft and crumbly, the jam smooth and sweet and the coconut is fab at adding a different texture and a creamy after taste. Simply made, simply yummy! This recipe is so simple, that to not try it would be a travesty.

The important bit is making sure you get the right ratio of sponge : jam : coconut so that when you cut your cubes, you can see the lovely different layers. Maybe that's one thing I would improve if I were to do it again - less sponge, although Andy wolfed it down, so don't think he particularly minded!!

Bon Appetit!!

Lemon Drizzle Cake

I've got to be honest, I've never really been a fan of lemon cake. Bit over rated I think. If ever I go to a cafe/coffee shop and I see lemon cakes/muffins I always feel a little sad for them, because up against chocolate or carrot cake, lemon just does not even get a look in...I don't even consider it as an option. However, people can change their minds (and also my flatmate LOVES any sweet thing lemon flavoured) so I thought I would give the humble lemon drizzle cake another shot. After all, it has never done anything to harm me! (Plus, I was thinking of options to take to school...so if I am still not over keen, the lovely ladies at work can enjoy it!)

***

Ingredients

Makes 25 squared pieces - I used my 23cm square roasting tin

3 Lemons (Rind and Juice)
8oz Butter
8oz Caster Sugar
6oz Granulated Sugar
10oz Self Raising Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
4 Eggs
4 tbsp Milk

1. Pre heat the oven to 140degrees C and line your cake tin with baking paper.

2. Sift the flour, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the butter and caster sugar and mix until light and fluffy.

4. Break in the eggs, pour in the milk and stir until the mixture resembles cake mix.

5. Grate the lemons and put all 3 of the rinds into the cake mix.

6. Pour into your cake tin and bake in the oven for 45mins or until firm to the touch, golden in colour and clean when prodded with a knife. 

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20mins.

8. Remove from the baking tin and place on a wire rack.

9. Mix the granulated sugar with the juice of all 3 lemons until it has the consistency of a runny paste. 

10. Whilst the cake is still warm, spread the lemon paste over the top of the cake generously. The sponge will absorb the lemon juice and will leave a crunchy lemon topping on the top of the cake.

11. Allow the cake to rest for about 1hour so that the top has enough time to harden and then cut into cubed slices.

***

So the verdict? As a cake, it was lovely and soft, crumbly and the change of texture with the crunchy topping was scrummy (might experiment with this and adapt it to another cake) BUT, lemon cake is still not for me...would much rather something more sickly. However, my flatmate LOVED it as did the girls at school. 

These were the 5 pieces that I didn't take to school. I forgot to take a photo of the whole cake, but I think you can kind of get the picture from these pictures.

As you can see, it was very crumbly which meant it was super light. The crystallised crunchy sugar topping was the best bit! So yeah, I wouldn't make it again for me and Andy (he wasn't fussed either) but could definitely be a potential for a school fete or something. 

Bon Appetit!! 

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Regular readers and friends of mine will know that my Mum was the cake baker in our family! And amongst many of her lovely delights was this very special recipe; Carrot and Pineapple Cake. I tend to find with carrot cake, people either love it or they hate it. When I was really young, I could not bare myself to try this creation.... carrots? in a cake? with fruity pineapple? Who on earth thought up that idea?! But as I got older and became more adventurous, I gave it a go. Ever since, I have had an addiction to carrot cake. Every time I go out for coffee to somewhere new and I see that they serve carrot cake, I HAVE to try it....it has become an obsession of mine to find one better (if not just as good) as my Mum's. To this day, I have still not found one that even rivals it!! 

This is the perfect cake for when you are in the mood for a bit of summery, zesty escapism.... perfect for January!

***

Ingredients

200g peeled carrots, grated

200g tinned pineapple chunks

100g chopped walnuts (or other variations if you fancy)

300g plain flour

200g light soft brown sugar

4 eggs

250ml sunflower oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
300g full fat cream cheese
60g icing sugar
150g butter

1. Preheat the oven to 130degreesC. This cake is a low and slow bake!!

2. Find and line a cake tin... I used a 24cm one for this recipe.

3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarb of soda and sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir until completely combined.

4. In a measuring jug, pour the oil, beaten eggs, lemon and orange zest as well as grated carrot. (This is my favourite part of the recipe, as the smells and textures are amazing.)

5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix until it resembles cake mixture and none of the dry ingredients are viewable.

6. Add in the pineapple and walnuts and fold until combined.

7. Pour into your cake tin and place on a baking tray in the oven. Allow to bake for about 1 hour and 15mins. (Keep checking on it depending on the size of your tin - the deeper the tin, the longer the cake will take to cook.)

8. Meanwhile, make your cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the cream cheese and cover. Place in the fridge until hard, but pliable.

9. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5mins. 

10. Remove from the cake tin and place onto a wire rack until thoroughly cool.

11. Once the cake is completely cool, use a pallet knife to smooth the cream cheese frosting all over the cake. Decorate as you wish, I chose to use some left over walnuts to make it look pretty!!

***

I am soooooo proud of this cake!! It was absolutely scrummy and tasted just like my Mum's used to. I took half of it into school...little sceptical of how it would go down, but man, everyone loved it! Some people even had seconds...made me very happy. Found it such an easy cake to bake and was really impressed with the results. Don't think it looks half bad either, even if I do say so myself!! Go on, give it a go!!

Bon Appetit!!

Vanilla and Milk Chocolate Marble Loaf

It's that time of the week again....I need to find something else to bake to take into school tomorrow! Last week, the Cherry Loaf went down a treat and I thought maybe it's time for some chocolate indulgence. I have never made a Marble Loaf before and wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. I had a little google search and saw many different methods and lists of ingredients, but to be honest, I didn't really feel comfortable with any of them. So, this recipe is completely made up from my personal experiences of making cake mix and how I felt most comfortable 'marbling' the cake. It's quite a messy technique, but it's great fun AND I can imagine baking it with young children would be a right laugh!

***

Ingredients

225g Butter

225g Caster Sugar

275g Self Raising Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

4 Eggs (beaten)

2 tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

100g Milk Chocolate

2 tsp Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Hot Water

1. Preheat the oven to 160degreesC and grease a 2lb loaf tin. (I have a silicone one so I don't need to do this).

2. Cream together the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into the the mixing bowl and stir into an even consistency.

4. Pour in the beaten egg and milk and stir thoroughly.

5. Meanwhile, using a ban marie, melt the chocolate on the stove.

6. Mix the cocoa powder with the hot water and add to the melted chocolate. Stir so the dark colour of the cocoa and lighter colour of the melted chocolate become even.

7. Separate the cake mixture into 2 bowls so that there is approximately the same amount in each bowl. 

8. In one bowl, add the vanilla extract and mix.

9. In the other bowl, spoon in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate mixture. Fold into the cake mix until evenly distributed. It should have a lovely chocolately colour.

10. Dollop one spoonful of the vanilla mixture into the loaf tin, followed by a dollop of the chocolate. Keep rotating the order in which you add the mixture so that it has a random marbled affect when cooked. It will look a bit random when it is raw, but the 'vice versa' approach really gives the most aesthetically pleasing final product.

11. Place into the oven on a baking tray and allow to bake for 1hour or until the cake is fully risen, soft to the touch, and do the 'fail safe' shuvving-a-knife-in-to-see-if-it's-clean test. 

12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 or so minutes. Remove from the tin and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool for a good half an hour and then slice and have with a cup of hot chocolate.

***

Considering this is my first attempt at a Marble Cake I am sooo chuffed with how this turned out! As you can see from the piccies below, the loaf had risen perfectly, the colours had intertwined fabulously and it was so crumbly and soft - just like any good cake should be!

The chocolate layer seemed to dominate the top of the loaf, but if you look at it side on, it kind of has a 'zebra' like appeal...

Next time I make a Marble cake, I reckon I will up the quantity of the vanilla part of the cake (think I did just a little more of the chocolate mixture than the vanilla) and add some melted white chocolate for an extra bit of sweetness. Might up the amount of chocolate I melted in it as well, as it really cut the bitterness of the cocoa powder. 

When I was slicing it, it was so cool to see all the different slices, as not one slice had the same look. I love the strategy of 'random dolloping' the cake mixture. I really hope that everyone at school loves it and finds it just as gorgeous as I do! (This week Mrs D, I've put you some in your own little tub again...no greedy guts stealing your piece!!)

Bon Appetit!!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

Something that amazes me about human beings is our ability to form associations. I have no idea how it works,  but somehow our brain responds to certain triggers which can allow us to associate certain smells, tastes, people, places and even memories with other things.  For example, I always associate the smell after it rains with a family trip to the zoo when I was little and I claimed to be Dr Doolittle and persisted to go around talking to the animals whilst it was chucking it down. I always associate the song 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' by Deep Blue Something with my Dad laughing non stop at me for getting the words wrong and believing that 'Tiffany' was referring to Tiffany from Eastenders!! And, well, I always associate home made cheesecake with my Dad! 

My Dad was known for his currys and his cheesecakes. He didn't have that much of a sweet tooth (I got that from my Mum!!!) but, he was always partial to a home made cheesecake, and my word, were they the best thing EVER!! My Dad really did try very hard to keep our family together but he didn't always get everything right. Something I guess you only really appreciate when you look back and reminisce. However, you could guarantee that his ideas for day trips, his leftover turkey currys and his cheesecakes were ALWAYS right. This will never be as good as his, but I will try, just like he did.

***

Ingredients

(You will need a 20cm Spring Form Tin which will serve about 8 people)

175g Digestive Biscuits (or ginger nuts/shortbread)
50g Butter
300g Strawberries
300g Cream Cheese
200g Fromage Frais
200g White Chocolate (plus extra for grated decoration)

1. Place the biscuits in a food bag and tie quite tightly. Bash the biscuits to death using a rolling a pin (great if you are feeling stressed/angry) until they resemble quite fine crumbs. Tip them into a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt the butter on the stove until completely liquid. Pour onto the biscuit crumbs and stir until combined. Place the buttery biscuit mixture into your tin and compress it firmly so that it reaches each part of the tin and is evenly spread. Chill in the fridge.

3. Mix the cream cheese and fromage frais in a mixing bowl.

4. Using a ban marie (or in the microwave if you prefer) melt the white chocolate. Allow to cool a little and then spoon it into the cream cheese and fromage frais mixture and fold it in until combined.

5. Chop the strawberries (save 6 or so for decoration if you wish) into SMALL pieces (you will see why later) and scatter throughout the cheesecake mixture. Fold in until everything is nicely mixed. 

6. Remove the biscuit base from the fridge and spoon the mixture into the tin. Flatten with the back of a spoon or a spatula until the cheesecake looks smooth, glossy and appetising. 

7. For added decoration slice the 6 saved strawberries in half and place in a pretty pattern on top of the cheesecake. Place back in the fridge and allow to chill and set for at least 4hours (the longer you leave it, the nicer it is, in my opinion). 

8. Just before you serve it, grate some white chocolate and scatter on the top of the cheesecake, just for an added bit of yumminess!!! 

***

This looks pretty spectacular, a real centre piece and I'm quite proud of how pretty it looks. However, something was missing! It didn't have that "Yum! Eat some more!" 'ness about it. You could really taste the yoghurt and it made it have a bit of a sour after taste. My Dad's were always really thick and sweet, but mine was a bit gloopy and liquidy (I added 400g of Strawberry chunks and I think this is what made it liquidy). It looked FAR better than it tasted (however, Andy really enjoyed it). What would have made it absolutely fabulous is a brown sugar layer on top of the cheesecake and then blow torched so it had a creme brulee look to it. 

Defo going to try another cheesecake, as I'm not entirely happy with this one, but I still thought it was worth blogging. Please feel free to try this recipe yourself and let me know how you get on. And also, upload a picture!!

Bon Appetit!!

Cherry Loaf

So, I have every Friday off of uni at the moment so I have been going back into the last school I taught at, and working with Year 3 so that I don't go mad with boredom! I have now started a bit of a tradition at school that every Friday I will bring in some form of home baked goods as a 'pick me up' for the staff. I was searching for an idea the other day of something that I could bake that would be quick to make and popular to eat as well as easy to transport it into school on the bus! Then I remembered that Andy's mum is known for her cherry loaf and is asked to make one every Christmas for his sister, instead of Christmas cake. So, we rang her up and I got the recipe!!

***

Ingredients


(Fits a 2lb Loaf Tin)

9oz Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs (beaten)
6oz Sugar
6oz Butter
6oz Cherries (floured)
3tbsp Milk
1tsp Vanilla essence

1. Preheat the oven to 16odegreesC. Grease your loaf tin/line it with a paper case if you have a metal tin. (I have a silicone one, so my cakes easily pop out.)

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until soft and smooth.

3. Add the beaten egg and vanilla and mix until all the ingredients are combined. 

4. Sift in the flour and stir all of the ingredients.

5. Chop the cherries in half (or keep them whole/chop them smaller if you like) and lightly dust them in some flour. This helps the cherries go through the mixture without them all grouping together and sinking to the bottom. Add them to the cake mix and make sure they are spread fairly evenly.

6. Spoon  in the milk to make the mixture softer and lighter. If the mixture looks too dry, add a little more, but do not make it too sloppy. Pour into the loaf  tin. Spread and flatten with the back of a spoon. 

7. Place in the oven and bake for 45mins or until the cake is golden. A good way to test if it is ready is to get a sharp, clean knife and stab the cake in the middle. If it comes out clean, it is ready, if not just place it back in the oven and use your best judgement to see how much longer it will need. 

***

This cake really went down a treat at school! It had all gone by 11.30 which is always a good sign (I'm really sorry Mrs Dawson that you didn't get a slice...I am planning something just for you next week!!) It was super light and fluffy, despite it not having risen very much (perhaps over stirred the mixture). It was perfectly golden on the outside and went down lovely with a cuppa. Nothing particularly luxurious, but always great to have the ingredients in the cupboard for days when you fancy something sweet that isn't chocolate, or sickly! Next time, I think I might have a go at adding some dessicated coconut to it, just for an extra little kick!

Bon Appetit!!

Banana Bread

Every time I pop down to Kent whether it is to see friends, attend a meeting, or help staff the Children's Activity Holiday, you can guarantee that I will always come back up with a home made Banana Bread in my bag. 'The Hartley's' Banana Bread is infamous amongst the holiday staff and it is no secret that it is one of my FAVOURITE sweet things to feast on. (It's also pretty much guaranteed that by the time I arrive at King's Cross that i've already started tucking in to 'The Hartley's' speciality.) So, with 5 ripe bananas soon to be considered unusable, there was only one thing I could do with them...BANANA BREAD!!

***

Ingredients

225g Self-Raising Flour

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

100g Caster Sugar

100g Butter

1tbsp Golden Syrup

450g Mashed Bananas

2 Eggs

1tsp Lemon Juice

1. Preheat the oven to 180degreesC. Line and grease a 23cm loaf tin (I don't have a loaf tin, so I just use a square cake tin).

2.Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Chop the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using your finger tips, massage the butter into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.

3. Add the golden syrup, mashed bananas, eggs and lemon juice and stir thoroughly until everything is mixed in together and has the consistency of cake mix. Make sure no dry ingredients are viewable. 

4. Bake in the oven for 40mins and then reduce the temperature to 170degreesC and allow to bake for another 20mins or until the bread/cake it dark in colour, has risen considerably and is soft to the touch. Leave in the tin for 15mins to cool and then remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack. (I normally can't wait and have a slice when it is still warm with a cup of tea....yum-me!)

***

Absolutely-blooming-gorgeous!! Mine looks a little stodgey, but for me, it's perfect! Slightly crispy on the outside, warm and doughy in the inside. Must admit though, it's not quite as good as 'The Hatley's' as their's is more bready than mine..mine is more of a cake. Not a bad second best though!

So, it's a very simple recipe and doesn't require many ingredients that you don't already have in your cupboard. Perfect if, like me, you have some rather ripe bananas that you don't fancy eating just as they are. If you are feeling fancy, you could always sprinkle some icing sugar on the top to make it look a bit more 'professional', but I'm not fancy!!! Perfect warm with a nice brew :-)

Bon Appetit!!

Chocolate Fudge Brownie Pudding

I always remember being really jealous of all the children at school who got to have school dinners (not that our school dinners were particularly fab or anything) but because they would always get some form of sweet, hot, pudding!! Whether it was rice pudding and jam, jam roly poly or chocolate sponge and custard. The smell of the rich chocolate sponge and thick, creamy custard was one that I spent most lunchtimes dreaming of. This is a classic pudding for days when you fancy something just that little bit more special and nostalgic. Warms you from the inside out.

***

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

Sponge                                         Sauce

2oz butter                                     1/4 pint water

2oz caster sugar                          1.5oz brown sugar

1 egg                                            1.5 tbsp cocoa

30z self raising flour

1 tbsp cocoa

1 tbsp milk

1. Preheat the oven to 180degreesC. Grease an oven proof dish (I used a casserole dish, but you can use a cake tin if you prefer).

2. Cream the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in the egg and one tbsp of flour. Wait until this mixture is combined and then sift in the rest of the flour and cocoa powder. Pour and spread the mixture into the base of your greased oven proof dish.

3. Place the brown sugar, cocoa powder and water into a saucepan and heat slowly. Stir continuously until you can feel all of the sugar has dissolved and there is a thin sauce like consistency to the syrup.

4. Now, here is for the weird bit - pour the liquidy sauce OVER the cake mix. As the cake bakes and rises the sauce will soak into the sponge and end up underneath the pudding. It will look a bit odd and maybe some of the spong mixture will begin to flake off, but it will all come together in the end. Bake in the oven for 45mins or until the pudding has risen through the sauce and is cake like. Some of the sauce may still be visible - do not continue to cook despite this or the sponge will dry out.

5. Best served warm with either custard, ice cream or pouring cream.

***

This pudding is completely effortless to make and can easily be made very last minute. Simply double the recipe to make enough for a family of 4 (or enough for seconds!) The smell of chocolate cake baking throughout the house is divine, although do not eat just before bed - it's a very stodgy pudding and will feel quite heavy especially if served with a PINT of custard (whooops, I admit, I have an OBSESSION with custard!)

Bon Appetit!!

Mississippi Mud Pie

You know when you just have one of those days where the weather is awful, you have no money and you are sooo bored you could literally, drive yourself around the bend, well, this recipe is for those kind of days! When the only thing that will cure you is sheer gluttony, bring on the Mississippi Mud Pie!!!!

(This is a double bonus recipe, as if you just make the "pastry" (more of a biscuit) case then you have some very scrummy bourbon biscuits).

Also, just to prewarn you, this recipe made a 10inch tart, plus two little individual tarts, so either get the family round, or be prepared to eat Mississippi Mud Pie for 3/4 days running!!

***

Ingredients

Pastry                                                 Filling

250g plain flour                                   175g butter

2 tbsp cocoa powder                          250g light brown sugar

140g butter                                         4 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp caster sugar                             150g chocolate (I prefer milk, but dark will make a nice and rich filing)

2 tbsp cold water                               300ml single cream

For Decoration: You can either use 425ml double cream, whipped and spread over the top of the tart OR for a slightly "healthier" alternative use single cream and pour over individual servings. It is too rich to have without the cream. I also grated chocolate on top to make it look pretty.

1. Make the pastry first. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture begins to resemble breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and a little bit of the water, gradually adding more until the consistency becomes solid, but not too sticky. Wrap in cling film and chill for 15mins.

2. Roll out the pastry on a LIGHTLY floured surface (too much flour will cause the pastry to dry out and crack). Do not over work the pastry and don't stress that your hands become oily. Once you have rolled out the pastry line your 10inch tart tin. Do not roll your pastry too thin because it will burn easily due to high sugar content. Cover the tart with baking paper and 'blind bake' using baking beans (if you are posh) or if you are like me, you have a secret stash of risotto rice that you always say you will use (but never do) that will do the trick perfectly! Cook in a preheated oven at 190degreesC for 15mins. Remove the beans/rice and cook for a further 10mins. At this stage the pastry should all look the same 'shade' of colour and be cooked to the same degree.

3. Filling time! Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl and gradually add the beaten eggs with the cocoa. Melt the chocolate in a glass/pyrex dish above a pan of hot water. Once there are no lumps, remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. (Adding hot chocolate to the eggs will cause the eggs to scramble - not what you want!) Whisk in the single cream.

4. Reduce the oven temp by 30degreesC. Pour the mixture into the pastry case. Do not be afraid to fill the case quite generously as when the tart cools, the filling will sink. Bake for a further 45mins - 1hour. You can tell when the tart is cooked as the filling will be light and soft to the touch. If you press firmly and an oily residue is released - it needs about 10mins longer and the middle is still liquidy. Do not be afraid to keep prodding as you can cover it with cream later! Allow to cool COMPLETELY.

5. Decorate your tart however you wish and transfer to the fridge if you want a more "fudgey" texture to the tart.

***

So, that's it! Quite a simple recipe and a great one to start with if you are anxious about using pastry. It is a gorgeous looking pudding - great if you are trying to impress the inlaws, but also great if you want to over indulge with your feet up watching episodes of 'Friends' on repeat!

Bon Appetit!