GUINNESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
A chocolate cake rich in flavour with a hint of the good stuff? This Chocolate Guinness Cake has just that — and more.
Allergens: gluten, eggs, dairy
GUINNESS & CHOCOLATE SPONGE
250 ml guinness
250 g self-raising flour
50 g cocoa powder
250 g softened butter
250 g caster sugar
4 large eggs
GUINNESS ICING
250 g icing sugar
150 g softened butter
25 g cocoa powder
75 ml Guinness
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
Using a cake release spray or butter, grease two 20cm (8”) round sandwich cake tins.
Sift the flour into a large bowl and add all of the other ingredients. Whisk for 2-3 minutes or until you have a smooth cake batter. You can also do this in a food mixer.
Pour the cake batter evenly into the two prepared sandwich tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and cooked in the middle.
Run a knife around the edge of each cake and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.
Now make the buttercream icing. Add the icing sugar and cocoa to the butter in two stages and beat. Beat well, then mix together the Guinness and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and add to the buttercream, beat well again and set to one side to firm up before using.
When the cakes are cold, place one onto a plate and spread some of the buttercream over it, before placing the other cake on top. Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and the sides of the cake and decorate with some crumbled chocolate flake. Serve in small slices, as the cake is very rich.
ORANGE & POLENTA CAKE
This Orange Polenta Cake is moist, rich and bursting with zesty orange flavour.
Allergens: milk, egg, gluten
ORANGE & POLENTA SPONGE
250 g unsalted butter
250 g golden caster sugar
4 large eggs
140 g polenta
200 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 orange (zest and juice)
ORANGE GLAZE
100 ml orange juice
100 g golden caster sugar
Heat oven to 150˚C. Line the base and sides of a round cake tin with baking parchment.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.
Once the mixture is combined, add all the dry ingredients and the zest and juice of 2 oranges after you have measured off 100ml of juice for the glaze.
Transfer the mixture to the tin, spread evenly, then cook for about 45 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
To make the glaze, put the juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.
Let it simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Drizzle the orange glaze over the top of the cooled cake. Place the ‘snow’ back in the freezer until ready to serve.
WHITE CHOCOLATE & GINGER BLONDIE
Deliciously easy white chocolate blondies that are fudgey, sweet and made even more irresistiblethanks to the pop of ginger!
Allergens: milk, egg, gluten, soya
115 g butter
190 g light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger powder
130 g all-purpose flour
270 g white chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 170˚C and grease an 8”x 8” baking tray with butter and line with parchment paper.
In a bowl stir the flour and ginger powder together and set aside.
Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave.
In another bowl whisk the egg with sugar together with the vanilla and salt.
Add melted butter to egg mixture and beat until smooth.
Add in the flour mixture and fold gently.
Mix in white chocolate chips.
Pour batter into lined baking tray.
Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, turn the tray halfway through to ensure even baking.
Leave to cool before cutting.
CROISSANT BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING
Take your classic bread and pudding to the next level with buttery croissants and raisins.
70 g softened butter (for greasing)
8 croissants (cut into large pieces)
50 g raisins
100 ml brandy or spiced rum
300 ml double cream
300 ml milk
4 eggs
½ tsp ground cinnamon
70 g caster sugar
Place the raisins in a bowl and pour around ¾ of the brandy or spiced rum over the top and leave them to soak for at least 90mins.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Generously butter an ovenproof dish. Arrange a single layer of croissant chunks, slightly overlapping, in the bottom of the dish.
Scatter over some of the raisins, place another layer of croissant chunks on top and scatter over the remaining raisins. Press down gently with a fish slice or spatula.
To make the custard, heat the cream and milk in a saucepan until the mixture comes almost to a boil and add the remaining brandy or spiced rum.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, ground cinnamon and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture is thickened and the whisk or beaters leave a trail when lifted.
Remove from the heat and beat in the slightly cooled cream mixture until well combined.
Pour two-thirds of the custard over the croissants and leave to stand for about 30 minutes or until they have soaked up all the liquid.
Pour the remaining custard over the soaked croissants and press down firmly with a fish slice or spatula so that the custard reaches halfway up the croissants.
Place the dish in a roasting pan and pour in enough water to the pan so that it comes a third of the way up the side of the dish. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the custard is just set and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.
RUM BABA
A classic bundt cake soaked in a delicious syrup made of vanilla, zingy orange and smooth rum making it the ultimate brioche-like boozy dessert!
Allergens: milk, gluten, sulphites, egg
125 g flour
3 medium free-range eggs
12 g honey
5 g dried yeast
75 g butter (melted)
1 pinch salt
250 g caster sugar
1 ltr water
260 ml rum
1 rind orange
1 rind yellow
1 vanilla pod (split in half)
2 punnets fresh raspberries (each weighing 250 g)
200 ml double cream
20 g caster sugar
In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, yeast, salt and honey together. Once combined gradually add in the flour to create a smooth batter.
Make sure that the melted butter is at room temperature, then slowly pour it into the batter mix. Beat the mixture until completely smooth and free of any lumps.
Divide the batter across the savarin moulds until they are half full. Leave the batter to proof at room temperature (22-24°C) so that it doubles in size and reaches the top of the moulds.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
Bake the cakes in the oven for 10-12 minutes so that they are firm to the touch and golden brown. Once baked, remove from the moulds and leave to cool.
For the syrup, place the caster sugar, water, vanilla pod, orange rind, lemon rind and 200ml of rum in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.
Individually soak each rum baba in the simmering syrup for no more than 15-20 seconds then place them on a wire baking rack to cool.
Once the rum babas have been soaked, pour 60ml of rum into a small dish and using a pastry brush, dab each baba evenly with the rum until completely coated.
To serve, whip the double cream, slowly adding in the caster sugar to form stiff peaks and spoon into the centre of each rum baba. Arrange 6-8 fresh raspberries on the cream and serve immediately.
