strawberry Archives - Page 3 of 6

Red Velvet And Almond Cake

27|08|2016

A couple of weeks ago, I baked a ‘brain’ cake for a friend’s birthday. It was meant to be a surprise zombie party cake from her husband. Her husband sent me a photograph of what he was looking for and to be honest, at first it freaked me out to think of creating something so ghastly. Since it had to be red with an oozing blood effect, red velvet was the obvious choice. I used raspberry jelly to add to the drama and finally created something that I almost hated. There were no pretty swirls or flowers or anything that would resemble my kind of cakes. I tried dressing up like a zombie to the best of my ability. Knowing that I couldn’t leave the house looking like a zombie on a Saturday evening for fear of scaring the hell out of two little boys I carried black face paint with me in the car and randomly applied it on my face. Upon reaching my friends’s place I realized I was under-dressed. Oh goodness! The girls would have given the real zombies a run for their money. They were too good…I mean so ugly!

Needless to say, I didn’t even eat that cake. It was a fun evening with a terrific setup and ambience but I didn’t miss eating the cake even one bit. Later on, I found myself wanting to make another red velvet cake that was not ghastly, not zombie like and rather elegant and crave-worthy. While making the batter, I thought about alternating layers of different cakes. I had a blueberry almond friand that morning so an almond cake was on the top of my mind. I felt they would make a great combo together.

A red velvet cake actually is a soft, chocolate cake so pairing it with a more intense, fudgy almond cake made it all the more delicious. I love ricotta cheese and often find myself wondering why it is not used to replace whipped cream in recipes as it is quite refreshing and so much lighter than cream. This is a great cake for all occasions. Layers can be made ahead and assembled before serving.

Red Velvet and Almond Cake with Whipped Ricotta Frosting and Strawberries
Makes a 6 inch 4 layered round cake

Red Velvet Cake
180g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (315 g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups (375 g) self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoon red liquid food colouring

To make the red velvet cake : Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line the bases of two 6 inch round (base measurement) 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.

Spoon mixture evenly among the prepared pans. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 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.

Almond Cake

120 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk (80 ml)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Grease and line the base of 2, 6 inch round cake pans with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt.

Using an electric mixer (or by hand) beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Add the vanilla essence. Fold in the butter and milk until just incorporated. Next fold in the flour gently until just moistened. Divide the batter among the two prepared pans. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, sit in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Whipped Ricotta Frosting
250 g fresh ricotta (do not use the light version)
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp icing sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)
1 tsp vanilla essence

Fresh strawberries,roughly chopped
Fresh strawberries (whole), to serve
flaked almond, to serve

Place ricotta, cream, icing sugar and vanilla in bowl of food processor and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and place in fridge until required.

To assemble : Place a layer of almond cake on a cake plate or stand. Spread a quarter of the frosting and top with chopped strawberries. Place a layer of the red velvet cake and repeat with ricotta frosting and strawberries. Repeat with all the layers and frosting. Decorate with fresh strawberries and flaked almonds.

Strawberry And Apple Hand Pies

2|04|2016

Living up to the annual ritual in Autumn we went apple picking as usual. I can’t say that they are my favourite fruit but something about the season, the weather and the orchards have ensured that we do it every year with the kids. This time we were a bit disappointed that there were more apples on the ground, than on the trees but nevertheless it was fun. I’ve been on a pie high lately. I’ve been making all kinds of fillings and playing around with pastry designs. A kitchen smelling of pastry, spices and fruit is the best place to be in my opinion. These apple strawberry hand pies were like a kick-starter to my pie baking this season.

The highlight of our visit to the orchard this year however was not the apples. We discovered that the owner had started growing eggplants, peppers, kale, lettuce, zucchini and a whole lot of other veggies. Those were ready for picking as well. I warned the boys that if they picked they would have to eat all those veggies as well. Obviously no-one was listening and we came back with a boot full of freshly picked produce. We were also told that beets, cauliflower and winter bounty would be available from April. I can’t wait to go back!

Strawberry And Apple Hand Pies
Makes 12

For the pastry
21/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
240 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg, for eggwash
raw sugar, for sprinkling

For the filling
2 cups strawberries, hulled, roughly chopped
2 apples, peeled, cored, roughly chopped
1/3 cup castor sugar (or to taste)
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon

In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. You could do this in the processor or by hand. Add the butter and blend quickly so that the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until dough comes together. On a floured surface, knead the dough gently and shape it into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate (at least 30 minutes). Meanwhile make the filling.

Heat the strawberries and apples in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring occasionally until fruits are soft. Add the sugar and cinnamon. allow the mixture to simmer until you get a thick jam-like texture. Cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Make the egg wash by lightly beating the egg in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of water. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. On a well floured surface, roll out the dough into a large circle and cut out circles using a cookie cutter for the bottom and tops. I used a 3.5 inch round cookie cutter. Place the bottoms on a tray that has been covered with baking paper. Spoon 1 tbsp of the filling into the center of the pastry bottom. Lay the top pieces of pastry over the filling, bringing the edges together and sealing them. You can do so with your fingers or with a fork to form a pattern. Reuse the balance dough to roll out and form more pastry tops and bottoms. You could also cut out small flowers and shapes to decorate your pies. Brush the tops all over with egg-wash. Place design cut-outs on top. Brush with egg-wash again. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Roasted Red Pepper And Strawberry Soup

16|02|2016

The weather in Sydney has little to do with soup at the moment. It certainly has a lot to do with strawberries.They are in abundance and I thought it was time I get a little creative with them. I have to admit, I am a bit tired of eating them raw or with breakfast, dessert and drinks. I’ve made enough frozen treats. Cold soups have never been my thing. So why not savory..a warm strawberry soup, I told myself! I had a jar of roasted red peppers at home and the combo paired well in my mind. Something new! Something delicious! And you really can’t go too wrong with them.

Taste wise, this is similar to a tomato soup which is acidic and sweet at the same time. There are bags of flavour in this soup that I did not want to dilute by adding cream or milk. If you like a creamy soup, by all means go ahead and add coconut milk or fresh cream. A hint of balsamic vinegar gives it depth and honey completes the balance. What stands out is that you can taste or smell or feel the presence of the strawberries but they are not overpowering at all. Finally, it’s a delicious soup, looks dainty but impressive enough to hold your guests attention and curiosity.

Notes: I used store bought roasted red peppers that come in a jar. You can roast the peppers at home if you like. an easy way to do this is by roasting them in a 200 degrees C oven. Quarter and de-seed the peppers and place them skin side up in a baking tray. Bake for around 30 minutes or until they soften. Remove the skins.

Roasted Red Pepper and Strawberry Soup
Serves 3

1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
350 g roasted red capsicum (approx 11/2 cups)
200 g strawberries, washed, hulled, roughly chopped
1 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock or water)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp mixed herbs (dried or fresh)
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper, to season
extra strawberries, to serve
toasted hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds, to serve
extra virgin olive oil, to serve (I used garlic infused)
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the bay leaf, garlic and onions and fry till onions turn light brown.

Add the tomatoes and stir for a minute. Add the red peppers, strawberries and cook till strawberries turn soft and mushy. Remove from heat and cool slightly (about 10-15 minutes). Using a hand blender (you could do it in the food processor as well), blend the mixture until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend, add in a little stock or water.

Place back on the heat. Add the stock, balsamic vinegar, paprika, mixed herbs honey, salt and pepper and stir to mix.
Serve warm with fresh strawberries, toasted nuts/seeds, fresh herbs, a dash of extra virgin olive oil and cracked pepper.

Neapolitan Cake

31|08|2015

I think I am having too much fun with frosting! It is evident from the stains on my favourite pair of jeans. The other day, I wanted to hide somewhere when I saw myself in the large mirror at the shopping centre. The boys were with me so that’s a huge relief. Blame it on motherhood! Busy and tired mums have their fair share of excuses. Though the truth actually is that I am loving this whole idea of messy frosted cakes (even though it finds it’s way on my clothes).

I don’t remember making a single batch of buttercream this month. It’s been whipped cream all the way along with cheese based frosting. For this cake I’ve used whipped cream and chocolate ganache. I’ve made the cake batter in one bowl. That’s right! Unlike many Neapolitan cake recipes that require you to make 3 different batters, this one uses a large bowl for mixing. Then all you do is divide the batter into 3 cake pan. For the first one, you just add a few drops of vanilla extract. The second one, strawberry extract and a few drops of pink food colour. The third one requires cocoa powder and milk. I’ve mixed the colours and flavours gently in the cake pan itself. Otherwise, you can imagine the amount of dishes one would end up with for this kind of cake. On the texture front, the cake is moist and soft…thanks to the sour cream in the cake.

In between the layers there is creamy chocolate ganache. For the two-tone effect, I first applied chocolate ganache to the top and sides of the cake. Then I spread a bit of pink tinted whipped cream unevenly on the sides and top and ran my spatula around the cake to blend the frosting. Quite easy but very tempting though. It’s hard to resist licking it off the cake straightaway. Chocolate and Cream…is there anything better than that?

In other news, today is the last day of winter in Australia. It’s Spring tomorrow and it’s also September, my favourite month. I have many hopes for September because I will be able to see some of my work on print. Call it luck or coincidence, I have worked on different projects with different sets of people but the release dates have somehow been assigned to September. I am also excitedly looking forward to spending time with my Mum and sister who will be in Sydney shortly.
Come on September…faster please..I just can’t wait for you!

Neapolitan Cake
Makes a 3 layered 7 inch cake

350 g butter, at room temperature
11/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup sour cream
2-3 drops pink liquid food colouring
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoon milk

For the frosting
300 g dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup + 1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream
2-3 drops of pink food colouring
2-3 drops Strawberry extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degrees C for fan forced). Grease and line the bases of 3, 7-inch cake pans with non-stick baking paper.

Using an electric mixer (or by hand) beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined. Add half the flour to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Add the sour cream and remaining flour, in batches, and stir until just combined. Divide the batter among 3 bowls.

Add a few drops of vanilla essence to the first. Mix gently
Add a few drops pink food colouring and strawberry extract/essence to the 2nd pan portion and mix gently to combine.
Combine the cocoa powder and milk in a small bowl and add to the 3rd portion of batter. Mix gently to combine.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20- 30 minutes (or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean). Remove from the oven. Leave aside in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully tun onto a wire rack. Let cakes cool completely before frosting them.

To make the chocolate ganache frosting, place chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until a spreadable consistency. To make the strawberry cream frosting, whip up the heavy cream with an electric mixer till stiff peaks. gently fold in the colouring and extract.

To assemble, place the vanilla cake in the centre of a cake stand or plate. Spread about 1/4 cup of frosting. Top with the strawberry layer cake. Repeat. Place the chocolate cake layer on top. Frost the sides and top with chocolate ganache. Take a small amount of the strawberry whipped cream frosting on your spatula and spread unevenly around the cake in gentle strokes. Smoothen out with a clean spatula. Decorate with chocolate curls, piped ganache or strawberries.