Confetti Birthday Cake

One thing about being a baker is whenever a birthday or special occasion arrises, all eyes fall on you. Not that I don't love showering my loved ones in sweet treats, there's nothing more satisfying that watching someone you love enjoying something you've created. Ocassionally, it becomes a bit of a chore, a busmans holiday if you will. Then you remember you bloody love making cakes, and making people happy is awesome, so you whip up a ridic cute and ridic easy confetti cake. Take a bow, you're the confection queen (or king) once more.

Confetti cakes are so easy to make, it's simply a vanilla cake with a tonne of rainbow sprinkles baked into the batter to give a glorious, speckled surprise.  Sadly, the majority of British rainbow sprinkles are a bit rubbish, we can't use all the fun colours found in American sprinkles you see.  If you can, get your mitts on some super bright confetti sprinkles. TKMaxx is a great place to find imported ones.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get my little hands on any pots of fun so my cake is a little subtle. The brighter the sprinkle, the brighter the final result.

If you're feeling super lazy, or super chill, you can always utilise a box mix and stir in a few handfuls of sprinkles.  I promise I won't tell.

Confetti Cake

Ingredients

• 350g caster sugar
• 350g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 6 large, free range eggs
• 350g self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 4tbsp whole milk
• 150g rainbow sprinkles


• For the frosting :
• 250g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 450g icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 4tbsp whole milk
• rainbow sprinkles to decorate

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 170C and line 3 9" cake tins with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on a medium speed for 5 minutes until the butter is light and creamy. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and crack the eggs in one at a time. Once the eggs are fully Incorporated add half of the flour and mix to combine, add the milk and vanilla extract followed by the remaining flour and mix again. Stir through the confetti sprinkles.
2. Pour the batter into the prepared baking tins and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown and the cake springs back when you touch it. Allow to cool in the pans for 20 minutes before removing them and placing on a baking rack to finish cooling.
3. To make the frosting first mix the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until pale and soft. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and 2tbsp of the milk. Turn the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed. Whip for 5 minutes, if the frosting looks too stiff add the rest of your milk. You may find you need a little more, just go steady until you reach a nice spreadable consistency.
4. Spread the frosting on top of your first cake, top with the next cake and repeat. Pop your top layer on and spread the remaining frosting on top and bring the excess down the sides of the cake. Once you've covered the cake in a layer of frosting, grab a bench scraper and hold it against the cake, pressing firmly drag the scraper around the cake to remove the excess frosting and reveal the cake layers for a semi frosted look. Pile a little more frosting on top of the cake and make a nice little swirl. Sprinkle with a few more confetti sprinkles and enjoy.

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Classic Hummus

Sometimes the simplest meal is the best, when Summer rolls around I can happily sit in the garden and devour a tub of hummus with a loaf of crusty bread.  I could eat gallons of the stuff, plain or flavoured, I'm an equal opportunity hummus lover.  I have to admit, usually I'm fairly lazy and just treat myself to a premade pot whenever I'm at the supermarket but when the weather is nice and I have an afternoon free to relax with a good book I like to make my own.  I really have no excuse, it's so very easy and much more delicious than the store bought version. 

Once you've mastered this plain, no frills hummus you can start experimenting.  Add in all kinds of weird and wonderful flavours to your pot of loveliness.  My favourite is red pepper and jalapeno or sweet potato, utterly devine.

If you prefer a creamier, smooth hummus you can peel your chickpeas.  This adds about 20 minutes to your preparation but results in the silkiest hummus around.  I rarely do this, but sometimes it is nice, as a treat.

Classic Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 400g tin of chickpeas
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 2tbsp tahini
• 1/4tsp ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1tsp salt
• paprika and olive oil for sprinkling

Cooking Directions

1. Pop all of your ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blitz into a smooth paste. Scoop your hummus out and into a bowl, swirl the top with a spoon for a bit of jazz then drizzle with a little extra oil and sprinkle with paprika.
2. Serve with veggies, flat breads or whatever you have around.

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Beer and Bacon Cookies

Fathers Day is right around the corner, the shops are full of novelty socks and hilarious mugs sporting Darth Vader's face. If, like me, it makes your skin crawl to purchase such throwaway tat, then I've got you covered with a bad ass way to show your beloved dad the appreciation he deserves.  Take a simple chocolate chip cookie and pack it full of candied bacon and beer.  

It might sound like a bit of a strange combination, but trust me, these cookies are just amazing.  The beer keeps the bite light and chewy while the bacon adds the most delicious salty kick you've ever tasted.  I must have munched my way through a good four cookies before they even had a chance to cool down.

You might be tempted to skip the overnight chilling, but don't.  These cookies really benefit from that time in the fridge.  Without their little night time chiller session your cookies will come out mega flat and crispy. Not what you want at all. Keep em chewy and chill that dough.  Don't forget, as usual the dough can be frozen and stored in your freezer for 6 months. Freezer cookies are everyone's best friend.

Beer and Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Recipe slightly adapted from Donal Skehan)

Ingredients

• For the candied bacon :
• 250g smoked, streaky bacon
• 4tbsp light brown sugar


• For the cookie dough :
• 275g light brown sugar
• 225g caster sugar
• 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large, free range eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 4tbsp dark stout, I used a coffee porter
• 475g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 300g dark chocolate, chopped
• sea salt for sprinkling

Cooking Directions

1. To make the candied bacon, preheat your oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Lay the smokey bacon on top and cover with the remaining brown sugar. Place in the oven for 20 minutess. Allow to cool completely and, slice into 2cm pieces and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the sugars and butter until light and pale. Break in the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions and pausing to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Mix in the vanilla extract and stout. Add the flour and baking powder and mix until just combined, mix through the chocolate chunks and bacon pieces. Bring the dough together and split into two chunks. Place each half on a sheet of cling film, roll up and form into a thick sausage shape, sealing the ends.
3. Pop your sausages into the fridge and allow to chill overnight. The following day, take the dough out of the fridge, unwrap and slice each sausage into eight pieces. Place the slices onto a lined baking sheet, allowing room for spreading and sprinkle each cookie with a little sea salt.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown on the edges and ever so slightly pale in the centre. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Caramac Cupcakes

As a child of the 80's I have eaten more than my fair share of Caramac bars.  The caramelised white chocolate candy was a bit of a sweetheart during the decade and you could find the iconic red and yellow packaged bars on most sweetshop shelves. Fast forward to 2017 and the beloved Caramac is almost unheard of. A retro treat reserved for people over the age of 30. Well guys, I'm here to tell you it's flipping delicious and you should hightail it to your local supermarket and treat yo'self to this sweet and caramelly delight.

As you've probably noticed by now, I enjoy transforming my favourite flavours into cute cupcakes, so of course Caramacs were always going to get the same treatment.  I've used a simple vanilla cupcake as the base with a simple switch, light brown sugar for caster.  This gives the most subtle caramel flavour, perfect when paired with the velvety Caramac frosting.

If you decide to give these, or any other of my recipes a whirl be sure to tag me in any photos you post. I love to see what you guys whip up.  Find me at Instagram Katie_Petlamb, Facebook and Twitter.  

Caramac Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 175g (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 175g (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
• 3 large, free range eggs
• 175g (1.5 cups) self raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 50ml whole milk
  

For the frosting:

• 125g (1/2cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 300g (2 1/3cups) icing sugar
• 100g Caramac chocolate
• 1tbsp whole milk (if needed)
• Caramac buttons to decorate

Cooking Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 170C and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with liners. Set aside.
2. The the bowl of an electric mixer whip the butter and sugar together till light and creamy, around 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time mixing between each addition. Add half the flour and mix, add the milk followed by the rest of the flour and the baking powder. Mix till combined the mix in the vanilla extract.
3. Using an ice cream scoop fill each cupcake liner to 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes until risen and springy when touched. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing to a baking rack to finish cooling.
4. To make the frosting first melt the Caramac chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan 1/4 full of simmering water. Set aside. Mix the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until pale and soft. Add the icing sugar and the melted Caramac. Turn the mixer on low and gradually increase the speed. Whip for 5 minutes, if the frosting looks too stiff add a splash of milk until you reach a nice piping consistency.
5. Once the cupcakes have cooled fill a piping bag, fitted with an open star nozzle, with the Caramac frosting and pipe a cute swirl on each cake. Top with Caramac buttons or sections of the Caramac bar.

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Stove Top Vegetarian Lasagna

I'm always on the search for a good, simple weeknight meal that can be knocked up in less than no time. This Stove Top Vegetarian Lasagna certainly falls into that category, you'll never believe how easy it is to make.  You'll have this piping hot dish on the table in less than 40 minutes and feel super smug at the mountains of veg hidden within the folds of pasta.  The best thing about this dish, is it's cooked entirely on the hob.  No baking for hours on end, just 30 minutes on the gas burner and you're good to go. What a treat!

I absolutely love making this lasagna, it's such an undemanding dish and can be customised with whatever veg you have lying around.  My favourites are mushroom, peppers, courgettes and aubegine. 

If, like me, you have a bit of a weakness for crispy cheese, you can pop the lasagna under the grill for a few minutes before serving but it's completely up to yourself. There's no need to turn the oven on at all. Perfect for when the nights get warmer and the thought of switching on the oven fills you with dread.

Stove Top Vegetarian Lasagna
(Recipe addapted from Two Peas and their Pod)

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 250g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 aubergine, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2tsp dried basil
• 1/2tsp oregano
• 5 lasagna sheets
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes with herbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 125g ricotta cheese
• 150g mozzarella
• 25g Parmesan, grated

Cooking Directions

1. In a large casserole dish with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, courgette, mushrooms and aubergine, and cook for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
2. Snap the lasagna sheets into large pieces and fit them into the casserole dish, overlapping and piling them up a bit. Pour tomatoes over the pasta sheets making sure all the pasta is covered with the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the dish with a lid. Cook for 25 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and dot ricotta cheese around the dish, cover with torn chunks of mozzarella and replace the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. If you like a crispy top pop the dish under a preheated grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and delicious. Serve piping hot with grated Parmesan cheese.

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