cake Archives - Page 22 of 30

Red Velvet Cake with Raspberries And Cream

4|02|2015

I pass a florist near my home every day, to and back from anywhere I travel. I look at the pretty flowers, wishing in my mind I could touch them. I so love colours and my eyes survey the bouquets that have amazing arrangements and beautiful contrasts. I look at the happy people buying flowers, wondering where/or with whom those flowers would end up. I think people who buy flowers are happiest kind of people. Then, I walk away.

Today was different I stopped and bought flowers. For myself. And I feel happy just looking at them. I am one of those people who believe that as much as it is nice to show your love for those who matter, it is equally important to love yourself. Not in an narcissistic sort of way, but looking for those little things that make you who you are are celebrating them. Once in a while doing things that make you and only you happy and making that ‘ride’ called life worth all the roller-coaster action. Taking a teeny bit of time off the daily grind just for yourself to look back at those things that always made you giggle. Or even a quick chat with a bestie to relive some of the best memories you have together. Reading a new book, buying yourself a new dress, picking up flowers, eating chocolate or just baking a cake. In the fast paced, ever-so-demanding environment that we live in, this is hard. But not impossible. I can vouch for that.

This last one week, has been such a whirlwind of activities. I was anxious about the boys starting school while also thinking how I could utilize all the time. Time? Where is time? What was I even thinking? What about the drop-offs, pick-ups, lunchboxes, uniforms…blah blah blah? I don’t mean to complain but this week has been quite hard on us. I don’t know whether two of them going together makes it harder or easier. I will cope. Or else I will buy more flowers. And I will make cakes. Cakes are the best. They make everyone happy…the baker and the people around. Valentine’s day is not far and I have quite a few treats in mind.

This is a simple layer cake that comes together without much effort. To make time for love, you need to keep things simple, right? So, this is about making a simple batter and baking it in two pans for the layers. Whip up some fresh cream…add some fresh raspberries (or strawberries) and a dusting of icing sugar. That’s all! The cake is really light, moist and sponge-like so you need to be a bit careful with the layers..they start to break if not handled carefully. Please do remember to grease the pans well as the layers tend to stick to the sides of pan. Biting into the cake, is sheer pleasure as it just melts in your mouth.

Now tell me dear friends, do you sometimes do things for yourself? If so, what is the best thing you ever did?

Red Velvet Cake with Raspberries And Cream
Serves 6-8

180 g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (try to use regular cocoa, not dutch processed)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 cup red liquid food coloring
400 ml heavy/whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks with 1/3 cup castor sugar and stored in the refrigerator till needed
Fresh raspberries (or strawberries), to decorate
Icing sugar, to dust

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C ( 160 degrees C for fan-forced). Grease and line the bases of two 18 cm round cake pans with baking paper.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, cocoa powder and buttermilk, in batches, until well combined. Add the vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and food colouring and stir to combine.

Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared pans. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven. Set aside for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely

Place one of the cakes on a serving platter/cake stand. Spread half the whipped cream mixture over the top. Sprinkle with half the raspberries. Sandwich with remaining cake. Spread with remaining cream mixture. Decorate with remaining raspberries. Dust with icing sugar.

Lemon, Coconut and Strawberry Cake

27|01|2015

Over the long weekend we ticked off the final items on the twin’s school to-do checklist. School is now less than a week away. I am not ready. They however,seem to be ready which is a relief. Where has time flown away? I wish I could hold on to the next few days and make them last a bit longer. Or tuck away the sound of their laughter and endless innocent conversations in a safe place to be treasured forever.

We were blessed with great weather yesterday after a sizzling 38 degrees C on Sunday. Since we didn’t go out anywhere, just sitting together over a small barbecue lunch while watching the rain made perfect sense. Deep inside,I knew such occasions wouldn’t come by as easily and frequently as our lives begin to embrace routines in a bigger sense in future. We had this cake for dessert. I haven’t baked a lot this month and have been mainly creating frozen recipes so it was a refreshing change to be able to switch on the oven and do things that are more therapeutic for me.

What I like about this cake is that it combines simple, every day flavors and turns them into something totally delicious and refreshing. The cake batter has been infused with lemon zest for a citrus flavor and mixed with desiccated coconut for texture. Sandwiched between the layers are strawberry jam and lemon Swiss meringue buttercream. Then it is frosted with more buttercream, covered in flaked coconut, topped with fresh strawberries and drizzled with strawberry sauce (made by diluting the jam itself) The cake is moist and soft with a crunch from the coconut and the flavours nicely balance each other out. As you can see, I have put a thin layer of frosting in between the cake layers because I don’t give the boys a lot of richly frosted cake. But you will have enough buttercream left with this recipe to apply a thicker layer if you choose to.

Lemon, Coconut and Strawberry Cake
Serves 10-12

375 g butter, softened
2 tbsp lemon zest
11/2 cup castor sugar
4 x-extra large eggs (or 5 eggs)
3 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
11/2 cup coconut milk (can use regular milk)
1/2 cup strawberry jam+ 3 tbsp to make strawberry sauce
lemon Swiss meringue buttercream (recipe below)
1 cup flaked coconut (unsweetened)
Fresh strawberries to decorate

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C ( 160 degrees C for fan-forced). Grease and line the base of three 7 inch round cake pan with baking paper.
Place butter, lemon zest and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add half the flour and coconut. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour, coconut and milk.

Divide the mixture between the prepared pan. Bake for 45- 55 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Once cakes have cooled completely, frost the cake. Place one layer onto a cake plate or stand. Spread 1/2 the strawberry jam all over the base. Dollop or pipe some of buttercream on top of the strawberry jam. Sandwich with another cake layer. Repeat.

Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Press the flaked coconut onto the sides with your palm. Sprinkle the top with more flaked coconut. Decorate with fresh strawberries and drizzle with strawberry sauce (made by mixing 3 tbsp strawberry jam with 1 tbsp warm water).

Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
4 egg whites
1 cup castor sugar
300 g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Clean the bowl of your electric mixer with a paper towel to remove any traces of grease. Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl that is placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly but gently till the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm to touch. Remove from heat.
Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, whip the egg whites till they are smooth, glossy and form stiff peaks. By this time the bowl should have cooled down and feel neutral to touch. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer, add in the butter, slowly (2 cubes at a time) and mix until a smooth consistency is reached. Add in the lemon juice and zest and mix till well blended.

Ice Cream Cheesecake with Mixed Berry and Thyme

5|01|2015

This New Year is moving at a faster pace than I had anticipated. We are already 5 days down and I am writing my first post for 2015. I am excited that I have not had the time to look at the calender or worry about the day of the week. It has been relaxed sort of busy this side. I have spent a good amount of time playing with the boys and baking cakes to take to picnics and friend’s. I like it when a whole cake is consumed in a day and there are people to share it with. Time is precious. The boys start school at the end of the month. The date is suddenly so close. The 2015 of my imagination and once future plans is here and it gives me a firm nudge every time I say ‘Twenty Fifteen’ reminding me that a few days from now, I will be packing lunchboxes. Actually, eating lunch alone. And baking without my little helpers.

I am aware that this is just so normal and every Mum possibly has dealt with it and will be dealing every year. But I feel a little sad when I think about it. I guess, when the time comes, I will cope. And then there is this little cosy patch on the Internet to give me company. This year I made a resolution. To do all the things I want to do..say the things that are on my mind and say it without worrying whether I will be judged. To spend time with the people I care about. To just be..to not hold back! To not restrict myself…my ideas or creativity. On the recipe development front, I have ventured into new areas last year and it worked. This year, I hope to do the same with my photography and writing. That is when we move forward, we grow..we out do ourselves. How about you all..did you make resolutions?

Ice cream cakes and frozen desserts have been my go-to this summer. Christmas entertaining aka summer entertaining for us in Australia, just gets easier. Obviously they are all make-ahead which can simply life for up to a month in most cases. Even if if you are not in the Southern Hemisphere and probably drinking hot chocolate whilst being curled up in your favourite blanket on the couch, the prospect of eating ice cream does sound exciting at any point in the year, doesn’t it? I know it does for me.

The good news is that I have used frozen berries to flavour the cheesecake. It should not be difficult to get hold of some in your local supermarket. The puree had such an intense red-purplish colour, that I was fooled into thinking that the cake would tint into a brighter mauve or pink than it actually did. So if you are making this and want a brighter shade, double up on the quantity of mixed berries. When you strain the berry puree, what you will get is less than half the amount to be used for the cheesecake, so by all means add more if you like. Thyme leaves add an extra punch of flavour when simmered with the berries. Other than that, this is like any other no-bake cheesecake with the bonus of not having to whip up cream. Because, we are adding store bought vanilla ice cream to the cheesecake mixture. And so, one bowl less to clean. Yay!
As you can see, I have decorated the cake with fresh flowers and berries. I had the flowers at home and they seemed to complement the colour of the cheesecake so I added them. You could go with whichever berry you have at hand. With or without the flowers. The texture is soft, creamy with a mild taste of berries, thyme and vanilla.

You might be noticing a lot of berries in my recipes lately..I am just trying to make the most of our gorgeous Australian summer bounty. For me, summer is short with too many things on my list to make. This year, I hope to not have regrets and use every possible summer produce in my creations.

Ice cream Cheesecake with Mixed Berry and Thyme
Serves 8-10

180 g Butternut Snap cookies (oats and coconut cookies)
75 g unsalted butter, melted
11/2 cup frozen berries, thawed (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) (Increase quantities for more flavour and colour)
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup castor sugar
500 g cream cheese, room temperature
500 ml vanilla ice-cream, softened (I used store bought)
Fresh Berries +Flowers to decorate

Line the base of a 19 cm round Spring-form pan with baking paper.
Place the cookies in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix to combine. Alternatively, you could crush the biscuits with a rolling pin inside a zip-lock bag. Using your fingertips, press biscuit mixture over base of prepared pan. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until required.

Meanwhile, place the frozen berries, thyme leaves and 2 tbsp of castor sugar (from the 3/4 cup sugar) in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, and using the back of a spoon to gently crush, for 2-3 minutes or until they break down and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to push through as much pulp as possible. Set aside to cool.

Beat the cream cheese and remaining sugar in a large bowl (with a mixer or a whisk) until well blended. Add the ice cream and mix well. Gently fold in the mixed berry puree. Pour over the prepared crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

White Chocolate And Raspberry Cake With Orange Buttercream

19|12|2014

I am pretty sure the question that is on most of our minds is “Where did this year go?’ And where is time flying now when there is so much left to do before it actually ends. Let me tell you where my year went. It went in breaking a few hundred eggs, melting a suitcase worth of chocolate (that’s right if I packed all the chocolate I melted this year in a suitcase, I wouldn’t be able to close it even if I sat on it. Err..is it only me or do you sit or half-stand on over-packed suitcases?) whisking, measuring cups of nut meals, layering, spreading, licking bowlfuls of sweet batter, sprinkling, drizzling, pouring and torching, cutting, slicing, eating and day dreaming of cakes and desserts. If I missed out on anything of pastry relevance, please feel free to add them because I have no doubt I would have done them all.

Did I do anything else? Apart from gaining those frightful calories? Yes, I brought myself a treadmill, ran a bit around the waterside near my previous house, ate salads and soups (other than cakes) and found people to eat my cakes. About 4 months in this year, I had family with me so I went on a cake baking/making spree. I could hear my cake pans weeping when they left.

Now since this was a year filled with cakes, the last one had to be a celebratory one…what do you think?

The cake is a simple moist, layer cake with an Orange Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. It has got a lovely flavour on account on the tart raspberries alongside sweet white chocolate. The citrus notes are the best as they tie the whole cake together. You can bake them in two pans as well..you will get two broader layers and you will need to adjust the baking time a bit (it will take longer to bake). Don’t worry about being neat with the frosting. The whole idea is to play around with the cake and flowers. I adapted the recipe for the cake from Good Food. The original recipe was for a two layered cake. I adjusted the measurements for the ingredients to make a cake with 3 layers. You can get the recipe for the Orange Swiss Meringue Butter Cream here.

White Chocolate And Raspberry Cake with Orange Butter Cream

Serves 8-10

300 g butter, chopped into small cubes, plus extra for greasing
150 g white chocolate, broken into pieces
6 large eggs
300 g caster sugar
300 g self-raising flour
175 g raspberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 180 degree C (160 degree fan-forced). Grease and line the bases of 3 x 18 cm round cake tins. Put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water and allow to melt slowly, stirring occasionally.

When the butter and chocolate have melted, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 1-2 mins, then beat in the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk. Fold in the flour and raspberries.

Gently pour the mixture into the tins and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack. Once cooled, place a layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and frosting. Spread frosting on the sides and top. Decorate with fresh flowers, berries or chocolate shavings. Frosting recipe here