Author: Zoe Calder

Valentines Cake

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Perfect for Valentines day

Ingredients

  • 12oz butter
  • 12oz caster sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 12oz self raising flour
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 600g icing sugar
  • 300g butter
  • melted chocolate ( I didn’t measure it)
  • 6 large strawberries
  • sprinkles of your choosing

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4 and line two, 8 inch tins with baking parchment.
  2. Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat the eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.
  4. Add the flour and mix.
  5. Pour the mixture equally into the tins and bake for 20-30 mins or until a knife comes out clean.
  6. Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the icing. Click here to make your own
  7. Add a couple drops of pink food colouring into your icing and mix until you get your desired colour.
  8. Using a palate knife spread the icing in between the layers and around the cake until you have a smooth layer.
  9. Using a star nozzle pipe 6 pipe the icing onto the top and add the sprinkles.
  10. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan and leave to cool for 5 mins.
  11. Dip each of the strawberries in the chocolate and place on the cake.
  12. Serve and enjoy for a lovely Valentines day!

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

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Perfect for an afternoon tea

Meringues already on my blog

Ingredients

  • 12oz Sugar
  • 12oz Butter
  • 6 Eggs
  • 4tsp Vanilla extract
  • 12oz self-raising flour
  • 300g icing sugar plus extra for dusting
  • 150g butter
  • A jar of strawberry jam
  • 5 big strawberries

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4 and line three, 8 inch tins with baking parchment.
  2. Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat the eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.
  4. Add the flour and mix.
  5. Pour the mixture equally into the tins
  6. Bake for 20-30 mins or until a knife comes out clean
  7. Whilst the cakes are cooling make the buttercream icing. To make the buttercream, mix together the butter and icing sugar until well combined.
  8. Once the cakes are cooled put the buttercream on one cake and the jam on the other and sandwich them together.
  9. Using a star nozzle pipe icing onto the top and chop the strawberries in half placing them onto each bit of icing.
  10. If making the meringues, place them around the sides then dust over a layer of icing sugar.
  11. Serve and enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

Vanilla pink swirl biscuits with a chocolate drizzle

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Mouth watering biscuits.

Ingredients

  • 250g plain flour
  • 150g butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • pink food colouring
  • 50g milk or dark chocolate

Method

  1. In a bowl rub the flour and butter together with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
  2. In another bowl mix the sugar, egg and vanilla extract then pour into butter and flour mixture.
  3. Gently knead together and then sperate the dough into two equal balls.
  4. Knead a couple drops of food colouring into one of them and keep the other plain.
  5. Wrap both doughs in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minuets.
  6. On a floured surface roll the plain dough out until its about 25cm long and 20cm wide. Do the same with the pink dough and lay the pink of top of the plain dough.
  7. Gently using a rolling pink, roll over the dough and trim of the edges so they are straight.
  8. Carefully roll the dough up and chill for 1 hour.
  9. Heat the oven to 180ºC/ Gas Mark 4 and line two trays with baking paper.
  10. Unwrap the dough and cut up into equal slices and lay them down on the tray.
  11. With the left over dough you can made some other shapes.
  12. Bake for 15 minuets or until golden brown at the edges.
  13. Allow them to cool.
  14. In a bowl melt the chocolate over a saucepan of water making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water.
  15. Once melted drizzle over the biscuits and leave to cool
  16. Serve and enjoy. 🙂

Sticky pear and Cinnamon buns

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Great with a cup of tea

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients

For the rolls

  • 500g strong white bread flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 7g fast action dried yeast
  • 200ml whole milk
  • 100g salted butter, softened
  • 2 eggs, beaten

For the pear fillng

  • 5 large ripe pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 25g dark chocolate, grated

For the cinnamon butter

  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 75g light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the toffee glaze

  • 75g unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp golden syrup
  • 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar

Method

  1. ROLLS: combine the flour, sugar and yeast in a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
  2. Gently warm the milk in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the butter into the pan and once melted pour the mixture into the bowl with the flour, sugar and yeast.
  3. Add the beaten eggs and mix until combined. Then knead on low medium speed for 7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  4. Form the dough into a ball and place in the bowl and cover. Leave to prove in a warm place for about 1-1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
  5. PEAR FILLING: Tip the pears into a pan with the sugar, lemon juice and butter. Cover and cook on a low heat, stirring from time to time until the pears start to breakdown into a puree. Remove the lid to cook of any excess liquid and leave to cool.
  6. CINNAMON BUTTER: beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
  7. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 30 seconds. Cover with an upturned bowl and leave for 5 minutes.
  8. Whilst waiting, line a 30 x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
  9. On a floured work surface roll out the dough into a neat 50 x 30cm rectangle with the longest side closest to you.
  10. Spread the cinnamon butter over the dough leaving a 1cm border round the edge.
  11. Spread the pears over the top and scatter with grated chocolate.
  12. Starting with the side closest to you, roll up the dough keeping it even and tight. Cut the roll along its length into 12 equal slices and place the slices in the tin.
  13. Cover loosely and leave to prove for 30 minutes.
  14. Heat the oven to 180ºC/ Gas mark 4 and bake the buns for 25 minuets.
  15. While the buns are baking, prepare the toffee glaze. Gently stir the butter, syrup and sugar together in the pan over a low heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously until slightly thickened. Set aside to cool.
  16. Remove the buns from the oven and spoon the toffee glaze oven the top and return them to the oven for about 5-10 minuets, until golden brown.
  17. Serve and enjoy 🙂

Yorkshire Puddings

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Lovely to have with a Sunday Roast

Makes 8 Yorkshire puds

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 140g plain flour
  • 200ml milk

Method

  1. Mix all the ingredients together and leave for 1-2 hours
  2. About 30 mins before you want to cook them pour a little bit of oil into the Yorkshire pudding tins and put in the oven at 180ºC/gas mark 4, to heat the oil for 30 mins.
  3. Mix the batter again.
  4. Take the oil out the oven and pour the batter equally into each of the holes.
  5. Cook for about 20-25 mins and do not disturb them until the puddings have puffed up and browned.
  6. Serve and enjoy.

Millionaire Shortbread

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Makes 12 incredible Shortbreads

Ingredients

  • For the Shortbread
  • 225g plain flour
  • 175g butter
  • 75g caster sugar
  • For the Topping
  • 150g butter
  • 379g condensed milk
  • 100g golden syrup
  • 350g milk/dark chocolate

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC/Gas Mark 2 and line a 23cm square tin with baking parchment.
  2. To make the shortbread, mix the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined.
  3. Put the mixture into the cake tin and with the back of a spoon press down until firmly in.
  4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  5. Once the shortbread has cooled make the caramel.
  6. To make the caramel, heat the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup in a saucepan, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
  7. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Keep stirring until the caramel is thick and turns golden-brown. (You may have brown bits in the caramel and that’s perfectly fine).
  8. Put the caramel in the fridge to cool.
  9. Once the caramel is cool, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
  10. Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel and put it back in the fridge to cool completely.
  11. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Chocolate Log

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Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 85g golden caster sugar
  • 85g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 150g butter
  • A big bar of milk/dark chocolate
  • Holly sprigs (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/ Gas Mark 6 and line a 23 x 32cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment.
  2. In a large bowl beat together the eggs and golden caster sugar for about 8 mins until thick and creamy.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the mixture and fold in very carefully.
  4. Pour the mixture into the tin and spread equally.
  5. Bake in the oven for 10 mins.
  6. Lay a sheet of baking parchment onto a work surface and when the cake is ready tip it onto the parchment whilst still warm and peel off the other baking parchment.
  7. Roll the cake up from the longest side with the parchment inside and leave to cool.
  8. To make the icing, mix together the butter and icing sugar until smooth.
  9. Once cool, unravel the cake and spread the icing over the top until all covered and carefully roll back up again without the parchment inside.
  10. Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log and arrange the slice onto the side of the log to make a branch.
  11. Melt the milk/dark chocolate and pour over the log.
  12. Using a fork mark the icing to give an effect of tree bark and once cooled scatter unsifted icing sugar onto it, to resemble snow.
  13. Place the holly spring on.
  14. Serve and have a Merry Christmas!

Vanilla and Chocolate three tiered cake

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Mouth watering treat

Ingredients

  • 12oz Sugar
  • 12oz Butter
  • 6 Eggs
  • 4tsp Vanilla extract
  • 10oz self-raising flour
  • 1oz cocoa powder
  • 600g icing sugar
  • 300g butter
  • Any colour of food colouring you like
  • sprinkles

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/ gas mark 4 and line three, 8 inch tins with baking parchment.
  2. Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat the eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.
  4. Add the flour and mix.
  5. Separate the mixture equally into two separate bowls adding the cocoa powder into one of the bowls and mix.
  6. Pour the chocolate mixture into one of the tins and the vanilla mixture into the other two tins.
  7. Bake for 20-30 minuets or until a knife comes out clean.
  8. Whilst the cakes are cooling you can make the buttercream icing. Click here to make your own
  9. Add a few drops of food colouring into the buttercream and mix until you get your desired colour.
  10. Using a palate knife spread the icing between the layers and around the whole cake until fully covered (You may have to do a crumb coat first then another layer of icing).
  11. Using a star nozzle pipe some patterns onto the cake and add sprinkles.
  12. Serve and enjoy!

Rolo Brownies

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Chewy gooey brownies

Makes about 12 brownies

Ingredients

  • 4oz chocolate
  • 6oz melted butter
  • 10oz caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 6oz plain flour
  • 2oz cocoa powder
  • 4 tubes of rolos

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4 and line a square tin with baking paper.
  2. Mix together the melted butter and sugar, and mix well until smooth.
  3. Add the eggs and mix.
  4. Melt the chocolate and add it to the mixture.
  5. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder and mix well until smooth.
  6. Fold the rolos into the mixture until all the rolos are covered.
  7. Pour the mixture in the square tin and bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven it could be longer).
  8. Leave to cool then cut into squares.
  9. Serve and enjoy!

Ghost Cupcakes

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Spookalicious Chocolate cupcakes!

Makes 12 delicious cupcakes.

Ingredients

  • 6oz butter
  • 6oz caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 5oz self-raising flour
  • 1oz cocoa powder
  • 600g icing sugar
  • 300g butter
  • 12 Large marshmallows
  • White roll out icing
  • Edible pen

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/ Gas Mark 4 and place 12 cupcake cases on to two trays.
  2. Mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add to mixture.
  4. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix.
  5. Pour the mixture equally into each case.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
  7. While the cupcakes are cooling make the icing. Click here to make your own
  8. Pipe the icing onto the cakes with a star nozzle and place a marshmallow on top of the icing.
  9. Use a cutter to cut out circles for your ghosts and place over the marshmallows.
  10. Curve up the edges of the icing to make it look like a ghost.
  11. Add the faces.
  12. Serve and enjoy!