Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

I was glancing at my blog archives the other day and I realised, I've never shared a recipe for a basic chocolate cupcakes, or even a vanilla one for that matter.  Basic recipes are the building blocks of baking, once you've mastered a simple chocolate cupcake, you can customise it to your hearts content. Here I'm sharing the recipe for my favourite, super moist and delicious, chocolate cupcake.

These babies are people pleasers. Chocolate cake can often be dry and a bit uninspired, but this one is so light and moist you'll be going back for seconds, even thirds.  Once you've got this one down. you can add in a little peppermint extract for a chocolate mint cake or maybe grated orange zest for a nice chocolate orange zing. The world is your oyster.

So guys and girls, are there any more basic recipes you'd like to see here? I'd love to whip up some more simple bakes.

*I wholeheartedly apologise for using the word moist, I know I know. I hate it too.

Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 150g plain flour
• 200g caster sugar
• 40g cocoa powder
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2tsp fine salt
• 1 large egg
• 120ml buttermilk
• 120ml sunflower oil
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml hot water


• For the frosting :
• 250g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 350g plain chocolate, melted
• 20g cocoa powder
• 500g icing sugar
• 50-75ml whole milk

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with liners.
2. Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer add the egg, buttermilk, sunflower oil and vanilla and mix together. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing all the time. Add the water and mix to a thin batter.
3. Fill each cupcake liner 1/2 way with the chocolate batter and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Make your frosting while the cakes are cooling.
4. Beat the softened butter in your electric mixer until smooth, pour in the melted chocolate and beat to combine. Add in the cocoa and icing sugar and mix, slowly add the milk until you reach a good piping consistency. (Not too stiff, not too soft). You may not need all of the milk.
5. Using a large closed star nozzle pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cooled cupcake. Cakes can be kept in an airtight tin for up to 3 days.

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Lemon Madeleines

Madeleines have always held a whimsical fascination for me. Their delicate crumb, distinctive shell shape and the cute hump, without which it isn't really a madeleine, is it?!

 When LionsHome got in touch with me and asked me to create a recipe for them, my mind skipped right over to madeleines. I've had a hankering for the adorable little tea cakes for the longest time but always put off baking them as my madeleine pan is of the vintage persuasion. Beautiful to look at but the non stick coating is, to say, non existent.  That's where I decided enough was enough, I just had to invest in a new Madeleine Cake Tin. No need to over grease the holes, no need to gently jimmy a knife around the edge of each cake only to completely destroy their beautiful shape.  They just slipped out like a dream.  I can see many more madeleines in my future.

One thing I must say about baking these little delicacies, you must follow the chilling advice.  The chilling of the batter is what helps the cake form their distinctive hump.  Chill the batter, chill the pan and you should have perfectly formed little cakes. 

With a plate of still warm from the oven lemon madeleines, a piping hot cup of tea I had nothing else to do but peruse the Kitchen section of LionsHome for a spot of window shopping.  One of my favourite things in the world is to just sit and pour over online shops full of gorgeous home wares and imagine what I would buy and where I would put them in my home.  If only I had a bigger house to fill.

Lemon Madeleines

Ingredients

• 3 large, free range eggs
• 130g caster sugar
• 175g plain flour
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature.
• 1tbsp unsalted butter, melted for greasing the moulds

Cooking Directions

1. Brush the holes of a madeleine pan with melted butter. Dust with flour, tap off any excess, and place in the fridge or freezer while you make your batter.
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the eggs and caster sugar for 5 minutes until frothy and thick.
3. Sift the flour into the whipped eggs, fold in gently. Once the flour is just incorporated add the lemon zest to the cooled butter, then dribble the butter into the batter a little at a time, folding the butter in as you pour until it is all incorporated.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Batter can be chilled for up to 12 hours.)
5. To bake the madeleines, preheat the oven to 175C. Pop around 1tbsp of batter into each mould and bake for 9-10 minutes until the cakes just feel set and have gone golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 5 minutes and slide the madeleines out onto a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy. 

*Sponsored Post

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Rum and Raisin Cupcakes

Rum and raisin is one of those flavours that comes with age, much like olives and blue cheese.  Things you physically couldn't let near your mouth as a child are relished as an adult.  I remember a time I despised all three of these things, now I'm dangerously close to getting gout from over indulgence.

So what do I do, I take some raisins that I've let soak in spiced rum overnight and ram 'em in some fluffy cupcakes.  Who can't get behind this? You'd have to be some kind of monster to refuse such a treat.  Remember this is a no kids allowed treat, unless you're anything like my mother who'd dip my dummy in whiskey so I'd sleep soundly.   But hey, I turned out OK *glances over at my heaving booze trolley*. 

Rum & Raisin Cupcakes

Makes 14

Ingredients:

200g raisins

100ml spiced rum

250g unsalted butter, softened

200g caster sugar

150g light brown sugar

4 large free range eggs

350g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

3tbsp whole milk

125g unsalted butter, softened

500g icing sugar

2tbsp spiced rum

2-3tbsp whole milk (you may need slightly more or less)

Method:

The night before you want to make you cupcakes pop the raisins in a bowl and cover with the rum.  Leave to infuse overnight.

Preheat oven to 170C and line two cupcake trays with 14 cases (you may have slightly more or less batter)

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, around five minutes mixing should do it.  slowly beat in the eggs, mixing well after each addition.  Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl and mix carefully till combined followed by the raisins, any remaining rum and the milk.  Stir through till evenly distributed.

Using an ice cream scoop fill each cupcake case to 2/3 full and bake for 22 minutes, till golden on top and springy to the touch.  Allow to cool in the tins for five minutes before transferring to a rack.

Once cool beat together the icing sugar, butter and rum.  Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach a good piping consistency.  Fill a piping bag with a closed star nozzle and pipe a swirl atop each cake. Top wth sprinkles and enjoy. 

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Fig & Pistachio Baked Bean Tin Christmas Cakes

Christmas cake is a little bit like marmite, you either love it or you hate it.  Personally, I absolutely love it.  There's nothing better than sitting down to a slab of Christmas cake and a hunk of crumbly cheese (don't knock it till you've tried it!), utter bliss.  Unfortunately, in my family I'm a minority.  There's only two of us that partake in the fruity number, often meaning a full cake goes to waste.  

That's where these adorable little buggers come into their own.  Not only do you get a super cute Christmas cake to enjoy, sans waste, but you also get a handful to give away as gifts.  Talk about your win win situation. 

When Waitrose contacted me, asking me to put a fun spin on a traditional Christmas cake recipe I just knew I had to bust out the baked bean tins.  

All you need to make these little cakes are eight mini bean tins, empty of course.  Any Christmas cake recipe will work for this method but I've included my favorite below.  There's just something about the combination of fig and pistachio that just gets me salivating. 

If you'd like to try out any more fun Christmas baking ideas why not check out Waitrose, Christmas puddings with a twist.

Fig & Pistachio Baked Bean Tin Christmas Cakes

(Makes 8)

Ingredients:

For the fruit base:

75g dried apricots, chopped

75g medjool dates, chopped

250g mixed dried fruit & peel

125g dried figs, chopped

100g glace cherries, halved

Zest and juice of an orange

50ml spiced rum

For the cake:

150g unsalted butter, softened

150g dark brown sugar

3tbsp honey

2 large eggs

100g pistachio nuts

225g plain flour

1tsp cinnamon

1/2tsp mixed spice

Method:

The night before you bake your cake prepare the fruit.  Place all of the dried fruits and cherries into a large bowl along with the orange zest, juice and rum.  Give it a quick stir before covering with cling film and setting aside overnight.  By the next day all the liquid should have been absorbed and the fruit nicely plump with booze.

Preheat the oven to 150C and line your mini bean tins with baking parchment, make sure the paper comes a few inches above the rim of the tins.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition then pour in the honey.  Mix in the flour and spices followed by the soaked fruit and pistachio nuts until evenly distributed.  Fill each tin to just below the rims and bake for 1hr 30mins until dark brown and firm to the touch.  Allow to cool in the tins.

Once cool tip the little cakes out of their tins, drizzle a teaspoon of spiced rum over each cake before wrapping them in a layer of baking paper followed by a layer of tin foil.  Keep in a dark place, feeding with half a teaspoon of rum per cake until ready to decorate.

To decorate your cakes simply level with a bread knife and top with a thin layer of marzipan and fondant icing.  Jazz them up with some cute Christmas decorations, wrap with cellophane and ribbons and spread the joy.

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Hazelnut & Chocolate Banana Bread

I saw my first fly today.  Flies bum me out; flies mean Winter has finally passed and given way to immanent Spring.  The moment the first bluebottle bumbles across my path, I instantly lament the Winter I've been whining about for the last two months and start looking forward to weeks of not knowing whether to wear a coat.  With warmth brings regret, regret brings salad masquerading as a meals. Salad masquerading as a meal makes Katie unhappy.  I'm going to hide indoors and cling onto the last fleeting days of Winter,  I'm going to bake banana bread!

Banana bread is like a hug in a cake.  It's warm and comforting without being cloyingly sweet.  If you're a a calorie rebel, like me, you can even turn a few slices of this son'bitch into french toast drizzled with Nutella.  Filthy, I know.

 

Hazelnut & Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter

200g light brown sugar

100g whole, skinless hazelnuts

2 large eggs

200g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

3 medium, ripe bananas mashed with a fork

1/2tsp vanilla extract

200g plain chocolate chips

Method:

 Preheat the oven to 175C then grease and line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

Beat the sugar and flour together for five minutes until light and creamy, add the eggs one at a time mixing well between each addition.  Scoop in your mashed bananas and vanilla extract and mix.  While you beat your butter and sugar toast the hazelnuts in the oven for a few minutes.  Once toasted pop them into a food processor and pulse them until they're finely ground.

Add the hazelnuts, flour and baking powder to the butter and mix until combined. Stir through the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon before pouring the batter into the prepared tin and baking for 60 - 75 minutes, the cake should be golden brown and springs back if prodded with a finger.

Allow to cool in the tin before turning out and enjoying.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Whenever I have to explain the concept of gluten free to a customer in my shop; I'm usually met with a curled lip and a snort of disgust (while I try and contain an eye roll) and attempt to convince them that gluten free is not a dirty cake for sickly people.  If there was ever a cake to convince people that gluten free can be just as good, if not better, than a normal cake then this is it.  

This cake packs a super intense hit of chocolatey, gooey goodness with the added bonus that an actual chimp with a whisk could knock it up in a matter of minutes.  Three ingredients and an oven is all it takes to get this bad boy from your screen to your mouth.  What are you waiting for, get whisking!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

8 large eggs

450g good quality plain chocolate, chopped

250g unsalted butter, softened

Method:

Heat your oven to 160°C and grease the line the bottom and sides of a 8" spring-form cake tin with greaseproof paper.  Wrap the outside of the cake tin with tin foil and place in a large baking tray with high sides.  Fill and boil a kettle, you'll be making a Ban Marie to bake your cake later.

Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer, or use an electric whisk and beat the eggs until doubled in size, this should take around 5-7 minutes.  While your eggs are fluffing up melt together the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.  Once the chocolate is melted fold in half of the egg mixture using a spatula, repeat with the remaining egg until the batter is smooth and streak free.  

Pour the batter into you prepared tin and place it, still inside the baking tray, in the oven.  Being very careful, pour the recently boiled water into the baking tray until it reaches half way up the side of the cake tin.  Bake for 25 minutes until risen and just barely set, it should look a little bit like a chocolate brownie.  Take the cake tin out of the Ban Marie and place in the fridge until completely cooled.

When ready to serve remove the cake pan and carefully peel off the greaseproof paper.  Dust with icing sugar and serve with mixed berries and cream.

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Black Velvet Cake

There's something about the festive period that forces me to soak anything and everything with booze.  We've started rolling out a new range of cocktail cupcakes in the bakery, I have various jars of fruit infused alcohol maturing away in my kitchen, I physically cannot go to the shops without purchasing a bottle of something fun, I mean I'm even writing this with a gin and tonic in my hand.  'Tis the season after all.

 

This black velvet cake is no exception.  A delightfully dark and fudgy Guinness chocolate cake topped with a light and fluffy champagne cream cheese frosting.  Woah, right?  I don't think I've ever met a cake more deserving of a place on a Christmas table than this majestic specimen. Guinness for the dudes, champagne for the ladies, or the other way around of course.  I know plenty of lasses that can knock back more than a few pints of the black stuff, I am from Newcastle after all. Ha!

In short, make this cake and get ready to become everyone's best friend.  I've yet to meet someone that can resist it's Irish charms.

Black Velvet Cake

Adapted from Nigella Laweson

You will need:

375ml Guinness

375g unsalted butter

150g cocoa

600g caster sugar

225ml sour cream

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

275g plain flour

2 1/2 tsp bicarb

250g unsalted butter, softened

125g philidelphia

750g icing sugar

Splash of full fat milk

1/2tsp champagne flavouring

Method:

Heat oven to 175ºC. Butter and line two 9" springform cake tins.  In a large saucepan, combine the Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until the butter melts and remove from heat. Add the cocoa and sugar stirring till combined.

In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Add to Guinness mixture and stir together. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into your prepared tins, and bake until risen and firm, around 45 minutes.  Once baked allow the cakes to cool completely in their tins before removing to decorate.

For the frosting whip the butter and cream cheese together till creamy.  Pour the icing sugar and mix together, slowly, drop in the champagne flavouring remembering less is more.  Add a splash of milk until you reach a spreadable texture.  Slather half of the frosting on the first cake, sandwich with the second cake and top with the remaining frosting. 

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Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes

I love rhubarb season, it's probably the only seasonal produce that I really get excited about.  Well, that and asparagus, but who doesn't get a jolly on for asparagus? 

I was visiting a local farm shop recently, picking up some bits and bobs for lunch when my eye was caught by a massive tub of the beautiful rosy stalks.  The lovely lady who worked their informed me it had just been picked from their fields that morning.  That's all I needed to hear, so I loaded up my basket with the pink stems and off I trotted.

Sadly Kris isn't as much of a fan of rhubarb as I, claiming it's too tart, so all ideas of rhubarb crumble went right out the window.  After much deliberation I decided to create a rhubarb compote to fill some custard flavoured cupcakes, genius.  The best thing about owning a cake shop is I get to bake as many cakes as I want and they never go to waste, there's always a bustling crowd desperate to try out any experimental sponges.

 

 You will need:

175g butter, softened
150g self-raising flour

50g custard powder
175g caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3 large, free range eggs
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract

For the compote:

450g rhubarb, cut into chunks

150g caster sugar

150ml water

1tsp vanilla extract 

For the frosting:

125g unsalted butter, softened

250g icing sugar

50g custard powder

50ml milk

Method:

For the compote place the rhubarb, sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat.  Simmer for around 20 minutes or until the compote is thick and smelling delicious, add the vanilla extract then remove from the heat.  Set aside while you make the cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
 

Place all of your cake ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix to combine.  Once all of the ingredeints are blended together, using an ice cream scoop divide the mixture between the cupcake cases.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cakes are golden and spring back with touched.  Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

When the cakes are cool cut a hollow out from the middle of each sponge, this is easiest with an apple corer, and fill with the rhubarb compote.

To make the frosting place the butter, vanilla, custard powder, icing sugar and half of the milk into your electric mixer and mix to combine.  If your frosting is looking too stiff add a bit more milk until you reach a pipable consistancy.

Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle the pipe tall swirls of the icing on top of each cupcake. Top with a fondant flower or pink sprinkles to finish.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Birthday Cake

One thing about being a baker is you're always expected to supply a showstopping cake for any upcoming Birthdays.  Not that I mind baking for my nearest and dearest, the hard thing is coming up with something to top your previous offering.  That's where this off the hook chocolate peanut butter number comes in.  I'm dreading next year because this cake is going to take some topping!

I decorated the top of my cake with some leftover frosting and Miniature Reeses Pieces but it looks just as good left plain.

Ingredients:

400g softened butter
400g caster sugar
6 large free range eggs
400g self-raising flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
150ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:

250g good quality dark chocolate

3 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter

3 tablespoons of golden syrup

150ml double cream

For the frosting:
500g icing sugar
200g unsalted butter, softened
150g full fat Philadelphia 
200g smooth peanut butter

3-4 tablespoons full fat milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170 C.  Grease and line three 8" cake tins with baking parchment. 

Cream the butter and sugar for around 5 minutes until pale and creamy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, until combined.  If it starts to curdle just add a table spoon of your flour while mixing.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and add to your egg mixture. Stir the dry ingredients through before adding your milk and vanilla extract.

Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Leave to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tins and continuing to cool an a rack.

While cooling make the glaze.  In a heavy bottomed pan over a low heat melt together the chocolate, peanut butter and golden syrup until smooth and combined.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the double cream.  Leave to cool while you frost the cake. 

To make the peanut butter frosting, beat the butter, peanut butter with the icing sugar and cream cheese for a few minutes, adding the milk when it feels too still, you want an easily spreadable texture. Using a large pallet knife frost the middles of each cake, stacking as you go.  Frost the cakes all over, smoothing as you go.  This is a great guide to getting super smooth frosting. Leave to set for twenty minutes in the fridge.
Now the fun bit.  Once your frosting has set a little simply pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it to ooze down the side of the cake helping it along with an offset pallet knife.  Pop the cake back into the fridge for an hour before decorating the top as desired.

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GBBO Showstoppers: Chess Board Cake

Oh blog dearest, how I have missed you.  First of all allow me to explain my absence.  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you'll understand why I have been so darned quiet. For the last few month I've been the busiest I have ever been in my whole life.  I opened a cake shop named Pet Lamb in the heart of Newcastle with my best friend and partner in crime, this would be enough to keep any normal person occupied but not me.  While pouring all of my heart and soul into my fledgling business I have also been spending every second I had away from the shop writing my book.  To say it's been tough would be a massive understatement but I battled through and I made it through to the other side.  My manuscript is now in the hands of my publishing house and the shop is thriving and growing every day.  I am a very lucky girl indeed!

Now, onto the main event, cake!  You'd think that being a baker by trade I'd be sick of the sight of sponge, I'm not.  Not even slightly, if anything the shop is pushing us harder to keep coming up with new and fresh ideas.  When I was asked if I'd like to receive a copy of the new GBBO Showstoppers book I jumped at the chance.  Show stopping cakes are just what I need for some delicious inspiration.  Upon my first flick through the book this Chess Board Cake caught my eye.  It looked so impressive and so complex but reading through the recipe I was surprised at the simplicity behind it.  

This is the perfect conversation piece that will have people gasping with delight.  Take this darling to a party and you'll have everyone believing your a baking extraordinaire.  Only you will know how simple it really is.

Chess Board Cake
(From GBBO Showstoppers)

Cake:

350g butter, at room temperature
350g caster sugar
3 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
350g self raising flour
pinch of salt
50g cocoa powder
4 tbs milk

Ganache

300g Dark Chocolate

300g Whipping Cream

 

Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C and line 3 eight inch pans with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together for several minutes until creamy.

Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Sift in the flour and salt and fold by hand to combine. Put half the batter in a separate bowl and sift in the cocoa powder and two tablespoons of the milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons of milk in the vanilla batter.

Put the two batters into separate piping bags. Pipe a ring of chocolate around the outside of two of the tins, then pipe a ring of vanilla. Keep alternating until the pans are full. In the third pan start with the vanilla first.

Bake for 22-25 minutes (12-15 minutes for a small cake). Run a knife around the edge of the cakes and invert onto a cooling rack.

To make the ganache heat the cream until near boiling and pour over the chopped chocolate.  Leave for a few minutes then fold the mixture until all of the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy.  Leave to cool until spreadable and use to fill and frost your cake.

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Orange Blossom & Pistachio Cake

My it's been a busy week for us Brits hasn't it?!  At least, it has been for poor little me.  Markets to attend, Birthdays to celebrate, cake clubs to partake in, jubilee street parties to organise and last but not least a fierce cold to fight off.  All this in the space of a week has lead to a very tired Katie, the only thing to perk me up is knowing I discovered this gem of a cake.

I made this cake for the Newcastle branch of the famous Clandestine Cake Club movement currently taking the UK by storm.  The theme was English country garden and despite the fact you'd probably never find pistachios nor oranges in a typical English garden I felt it sounded too delicious to overlook.  To tie it into the garden theme I decided to crystallize some beautiful yellow roses to adorn the top of the delicious cake, but if you can't be bothered to paint flowers don't worry, this cake is just as yummy without them.  

Pistachio & Orange Blossom Cake

(from Bake & Decorate - Fiona Cairns)

Ingredients:

For the cake:

175g unsalted butter, softened

100g unsalted pistachios, toasted

70g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

200g golden caster sugar

zest of 1 large orange

4 large eggs

70g ground almonds

2tsp orange blossom water

For the syrup:

Juice of 1 orange

45g golden caster sugar

1tbsp orange blossom water

For the frosting:

250g mascarpone

zest of 1 large orange

1/2tsp vanilla extract

1tsp orange blossom water

30g golden caster sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 170C fan.  Lightly butter and line a 20cm springform cake tin.  Grind the toasted pistachios in a food processor till fine.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy and slowly add the eggs, one by one mixing between each addition.  If the mixture begins to curdle add 1tbsp of flour between each egg.  Fold in the almonds, pistachio and remaining flour followed by the orange blossom water.

Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 40 - 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: tip the orange juice, sugar and orange blossom water into a small saucepan and heat till boiling.  Reduce the liquid until thickened and syrupy.

Immediately after the cake comes out of the oven prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle over the reduced syrup.  Leave in the tin till completely cooled.

Turn the cake upside down on a cake stand so the bottom now forms the top.  Beat together all the ingredients for the frosting and spread it on evenly with a palate knife.

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Lemon Meringue Freezer Cake - Forman & Field Jubilee Bake Off

A few weeks ago, along with several other bloggers I was invited to whip up a jubilee inspired treat by the lovely people at Forman & Field.  Of course I accepted, any excuse to bake a delicious cake.  As the weeks flew by and I got sucked into Pet Lambs busiest period of the year the cake off totally slipped my mind.  Oh crumbs, I thought, all of those elaborate bakes I was planning just seemed like too much at the minute, so I started to think simple.  I came up with a variation of the Lemon Ice Box Cake I made way back in 2009, I simplified it to the point it can be whipped up by anyone in ten minutes using ingredients readily available from your local shop.  

Despite the easy of preparation this cake is a real show stopper.  So fresh and light I can just imagine enjoying this cake in the garden, sipping on Pimms with your closest friends.  And if you're planning a jubilee party, like me, your neighbors need never know just how simple this cake is. Just place it upon the table and await your praise!

Lemon Meringue Freezer Cake

Ingredients:

1 home made vanilla loaf cake or a shop bought Madeira slice.

1 jar good quality lemon curd

1tsp vanilla extract

600ml half fat creme fresh

6 shop bought meringue nests

Method:
Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.  Slice the Madeira cake into slices around 1" thick and use to cover the bottom of the tin, pushing any scraps into the gaps.

In a large bowl mix the creme fresh with the vanilla before crumbling the meringue nests into the bowl, stir to combine.  Spread half of the cream mixture over the cake base and top with spoonfuls of lemon curd, getting the curd right into any nooks and crannies.  Cover with the remaining cream and smooth the top with a spoon.  Cover the time in cling film and freeze overnight,

Remove the frozen cake and quickly dip the cake into a sink half filled with hot water.  Release the tin, place onto a cake stand and decorate with summer berries.  Enjoy in the garden with wine or Pimms.

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Nutella & Raspberry Fondants for World Baking Day

Did you know that this Sunday May 20th is World Baking Day? I sure did, but I just couldn't rest without letting the rest of the world in on the excitement.  If you want to get in on the fun the rules are very simple, all you have to do is bake a cake, take it somewhere silly and snap a photo.  Upload your crazy cakey picture to Twitter and add the tag #caking or simply submit it here and away you go!

Want some inspiration? How about these uh-mazing Nutella and raspberry fondants, they really are something else!  Serve hot for a superb warm and gooey centre or cold the following day, these little cuties will knock your socks clean off!

Nutella & Raspberry Fondants

(Adapted from Eat Little Bird)

Ingredients:

100g plain flour

100g cocoa powder

200g caster sugar

185g unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 punnet fresh raspberries

1 jar Nutella

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C and liberally butter the cavities of a deep muffin tin.

Mix the sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy before folding through the flour and cocoa powder.  Add the melted butter and mix till combined.  

Pour a tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cavity, just enough to cover the base of the tin.  Place a heaped teaspoon of Nutella into each hole before covering with more batter.  Press three raspberries into the top of each fondant and bake for 10 minutes.  You want the sides of each cake to be cooked but the top and middle to be gooey and liquid.

Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before lifting out with a butter knife.  Enjoy warm with lashings of cream.

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Red Velvet

For some reason or another red velvet cupcakes have always alluded me.  Every time I've tested a recipe I was faced with the exact same problem. They didn't rise, they had hard and cracked tops and just didn't look like a cake you'd ever want near your mouth.  I've always blamed the oven, I mean, it can't be me.... can it?

Since the move I've obviously gained a brand new oven, so now was the perfect time to test my hypothesis!  Was it the evil old oven with the seal hanging off (thanks mister landlord) or was it in fact, me.  Rather than following any old recipe, I took elements of all of my failed attempts and created a recipe which I believe could solve my little problem.  Turns out I was right, it was the bloody oven!  These cakes came out perfectly!  The rose beautifully and have an amazingly light and fluffy texture.

When it came to showing my first red velvet success I instantly knew I had to use my adorable red car cupcake wrappers from Just Bake!  Normally I'm not a fan of cupcake wrappers, too fussy for my tastes but the moment I laid eyes upon these little sweethearts I was smitten.  Reminiscent of the wonderful Orla Kielys car print designs, they're just perfect for showing off your creations.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:

65g unsalted butter, softened

150g caster sugar

130g plain flour

125ml buttermilk
1 large egg

1tbsp cocoa powder

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2tsp white wine vinegar

1tsp red food colouring paste

pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 160C and line a cupcake tray with 12 liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt then, in a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk and red food colouring together.  Set aside.

In a bowl attached to an electric mixer whip the butter and sugar together until the mixture turns pale and creamy.  With the speed up high, add the egg and whisk for a few minutes.  Add 1/2 of the flour mixture followed by the buttermilk and colouring before adding the remainder of the flour.  Mix well to combine.

Working quickly mix the bicarb and vinegar together allowing it t fizz up slightly before adding it to the cake batter. Quickly fold in into the cake batter.

Divide the batter between the cupcake liners and bake for 23 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

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Cupcake Push Pops

I recently stumbled upon an amazing idea, an idea so amazing yet so simple that I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier.  That idea is, wait for it.... cupcake push pops!!  Awesome, right?!  I used to love push pops when I was a kid, then when posh pops became like, so totally passé, ring pops were my new love.  Any new and novel way to eat something sweet and I was first in line, pocket money in my clammy, clenched fist.  So when I discovered these cupcake versions I instantly purchased the containers and baked up a batch.  Needless to say my friends were super impressed.  Ooohs and ahhhs were soon drowned out by mmmms as the adorable treats were devoured in an instant.  

The thing I love most about these push pops are the simplicity behind them.  All it takes is a batch of your favorite mini cupcakes, your favorite frosting, some cases and hey presto, you can make push pops.  Just pop a mini cupcake into the case, top with frosting and repeat.  Add a few cute sprinkles and you're ready to paint the town red.

Even little Muffin enjoys them.

Now, if you excuse me.  I have more cupcake push pops to make. 

Lil tip from me, a champagne flute is the perfect size to hold your cases as you pipe.  Just saying ;)

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