Marbled Chocolate and Coffee Cake

There are so many occasions when a coffee cake is perfect, tea parties, birthday parties...or just that you're feeling peckish ;) But what goes better together than coffee and chocolate?

So I decided to make this Marbled coffee and chocolate cake for the office.

Ingredients 

250g Unsalted Butter (softened)

250g Caster Sugar

2tsp Vanilla Extract 

4 Large Free Range Eggs (beaten)

250g Self Raising Flour

1 Good Pinch Salt 

2-3 tbls Milk (for mixing)

100g Cocoa Powder

2tbls Coffee 

Icing Sugar

Butter 

Coffee 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180'C 

Cream the butter and sugar together until it is soft and fluffy. This will take at least 4-5 minutes in an electric mixer, and it's incredibly important to make sure that it is properly creamed.

Mix the vanilla extract into the beaten eggs 

One tablespoon at a time add the egg mixture to the creamed sugar and butter. Make sure that the mixture is beaten together each time you add the eggs or the mixture will curdle.If done correctly, this will give you a really smooth silky mixture.

Stir the flour and salt together, and then sift into the wet mixture. Fold it in using a metal spoon (this will mean the least amount of air is lost) making sure not to over fold. 

Divide the mixture in two and then divide one half into two again. In to the full half, fold in the cocoa powder to create chocolate mixture. Add a few table spoons of milk until the mixture is of dropping consistency. 

Then, add cocoa powder into half of the rest of the mixture. 

Dissolve two table spoons of coffee in boiling water, and spoon this in to the other mixture until you have the coffee flavor that you want.

Now to construct the marbled effect. In one 20cm round baking tin spoon in the half coffee mixture and half chocolate mixture into seperate halves. Gently tease the mixture around, into a ying/yang shape. 

Then in the other half, add the rest of the chocolate mix and then bake each half at 180'C for around 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. 

For the icing, make a standard buttercream, and add more coffee until it is a gentle coffee colour and taste.

Smooth the icing in between each layer of cake, and then around the sides and over the top. Dust the cake with cocoa powder and enjoy.

This cake is moist, and quite dense but goes down a treat. Not only that, but it offers a great surprise because you never know which side you're going to get ;) 

Enjoy CX

Sticky Chocolate Florentine Cup Cakes

These are tasty little treats which pack a nice fruit and nut punch. Inspired by the classic Florentine they're miniature cup cakes with only a hint of chocolate.

Ingredients

55g Plain Milk Chocolate 

85g Butter 

1 tbsp Golden Syrup

55g Soft Dark Brown Sugar 

115g Plain Flour 

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 Large Egg (lightly beaten)

Toppings:

Half a tub of Glace Cherries 

50g Ground Almonds 

40g Raisins/Currants 

1 tbsp Golden Syrup (melted) 

Handful of Almonds chopped in to quarters (length ways) 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 160'C

Melt together the chocolate, golden syrup, butter and brown sugar over a low heat until just melted and leave to cool for 2 minutes. 

Sift together the flour and baking powder into a bowl and mix in the chocolate mixture. Add the egg and then beat until thoroughly blended. 

For this I use miniature cup cake cases as they make a very nice little bites. Spoon the mixture into the cup cake cases until they're half full. 

Chop half the glace cherries into small pieces.

Then mix together the golden syrup, ground almonds and raisins/currants and the chopped glace cherries glace cherries together. They'll look pretty weird and very sticky but that is fine!

Spoon a little bit of this mixture on top of each of the cup cakes, making sure that there is at least a bit of Glace Cherry and a currant in each one. When cooked these sink into the bottom of the cup cake meaning there is a little surprise for anyone eating them.

Bake the cup cakes for 10-15 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. They will still feel quite sticky, but that is simply because of the amount of sugar and golden syrup in them. 

Sieve a bit of icing sugar over the top of the cup cakes

On top of each one add 1 quarter of an almond, 1 quarter of a Glace Cherry and a couple of currants. 

Drizzle each one with a little bit of melted Golden Syrup to bind the toppings together and leave to cool. 

Serve to lots of smiling faces.

ENJOY CX 

Vanilla Sponge Birthday Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Birthdays are my favorite event of the year, because it gives me another excuse to bake something...as if i needed one!

This is a very simple birthday cake, using a classic Victoria sponge recipe and rich buttercream icing and decorated with minstrels...just to add a few extra calories ;)

Ingredients 

250g Unsalted Butter (softened)

250g Caster Sugar

2tsp Vanilla Extract 

4 Large Free Range Eggs (beaten)

250g Self Raising Flour

1 Good Pinch Salt 

2-3 tbls Milk (for mixing)

Icing Sugar

Butter 

200g Dark Chocolate 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180'C 

Cream the butter and sugar together until it is soft and fluffy. This will take at least 4-5 minutes in an electric mixer, and it's incredibly important to make sure that it is properly creamed - if not then the cake will not rise properly (and no one likes that)

Creamed butter and sugar

Mix the vanilla extract into the beaten eggs 

One tablespoon at a time add the egg mixture to the creamed sugar and butter. Make sure that the mixture is beaten together peach time each time you add the eggs or the mixture will curdle. I am a very impatient person, and I always used to get bored and add the egg to quickly which will always lead to curdling. If the mixture starts to curdle then add a tablespoon of the weighed flour. If done correctly, this will give you a really smooth silky mixture.

Once the egg has been added 

Stir the flour and salt together, and then sift into the wet mixture. Fold it in using a metal spoon (this will mean the least amount of air is lost) making sure not to over fold. 

Add milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency and then divide the mixture evenly between two 20cm cake tins. 

Bake the cake at 180'C for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top and a skewer comes out clean. 

Leave the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tins and leave to cool completely before icing. 

A rich golden brown colour 

Mix together butter and icing sugar to make buttercream. However, unlike plain buttercream make a crumbly mixture which you can then add 200g melted dark chocolate to. Depending on what consistency you want, add icing sugar, milk and butter as you see fit. 

Using a knife or icing utensil spread the icing in the middle of the cake and then over the top and sides. 

Yum Yum 

I really do love icing ;)

Decorate however you want, I have used minstrels. 

Then watch as it disappears!

ENJOY CX 

Vanilla Cupcakes with a Hint of Cinnamon

These are a sure fire way to please pretty much everyone, and of course you can leave out the cinnamon. Sometimes it's really nice to have a simple, hassle free, no frills, cup cake with yummy buttercream icing.

I find that cup cakes like these are the perfect way to cheer people up. At least they cheer me up because they remind me of the ones my grandma used to make in Ireland and as far as I'm concerned anything that makes me feel like that is gold!

Ingredients 

125g Unsalted Butter 

175g Caster Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract 

175g Self Raising Flour

3tbls Milk

Bake on 180'C for 20 minutes 

Icing Sugar and Butter for the Buttercream 

Method

With an electric, or free standing whisk (unless you want very tired arms) beat the butter and sugar until creamy. When it is creamed the mixture should have gone from the yellow of butter, to a nice fluffy white.

Gently beat the eggs with the vanilla extract and whilst whisking gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter mixture. This should be done very gradually, and should be whisked thoroughly between each addition otherwise the mixture will curdle. It is also sensible to add a table spoon of flour to help prevent curdling. 

When the eggs are incorporated, fold in the flour until there are no traces of white flour left in the mixture. 

Add milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency.

Divide the mixture equally between 9 cup cake cases. Because I had a little bit of cinnamon sugar left from my last bake, I sprinkled this on top of each case. This ended up giving the cakes a lovely cinnamon glaze once cooked.

Put in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until nice and golden brown.

Once the cup cakes are golden brown and have been cooled it's time to make the icing. 

I used simple buttercream this time, however depending on the occasion this mixture works really well with cream or simple water icing. 

Once finished you can sprinkle with anything you like, whether it's chocolate powder, sprinkles, lemon drizzle, or as I have done here, cinnamon powder. 

I love these cup cakes, but be warned, they're pretty moorish! 

ENJOY CX  

Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Cupcakes

One of my colleagues is gluten intolerant, meaning she often gets left out of the general buzz and excitement that occurs when I bring in cakes (cue rapturous applause ;P)

But sometimes there really is an excuse to go the extra mile and make something gluten free, namely that she has just had some superb news and it's definitely time to celebrate!

So by combining Nigella's gluten free cup cakes  and a little bit of my own initiative I set out to make these gluten free, cinnamon swirl cup cakes.

In my normal scatty state, I found that I didn't have any normal butter at home. After much Googling and umm-ing and er-ing I found that I could use the Lurpak Spreadable instead... so here goes internet....I'm trusting you completely!

Ingredients

110g Gluten-Free Self-Raising Flour (I use Dove Farm)
110g Lurpak Spreadable
110g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tbs Gluten-Free Baking Powder
1tsp Vanilla Extract
50g Caster Sugar
3 tsp Cinnamon
Bake on 180•c for 20 minutes

To Create the Gluten Free Cup Cake Mix

• Cream together the butter and 110g Caster Sugar until they're light and creamy 
• Lightly whisk the eggs along with the vanilla extract and gradually beat in the eggs. 
  
• It is important to do this very gradually and mix properly between each addition or the mixture will curdle. To avoid this, you can add two table spoons of the flour whilst you beat. 
• Once the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla extract are mixed, in a seperate bowl mix together the flour and baking soda. 
• Gently fold in the flour mixture until it is incorporated.

To Create the Cinnamon Swirls

• Mix together 50g Caster Sugar with 3tsp of Cinnamon
• To create the cinnamon swirls firstly cover the bottom of the paper case with a layer of cup cake mix.
  
• Then sprinkle a layer of the cinnamon sugar on top of this layer.
  
• Repeat this process again, adding another two layers of cake mix with one layer of cinnamon sugar in between.
• Using a tooth pick or skewer pierce the centre of the cake and then draw a swirl in the mixture. If you want a more relaxed swirl then repeat this in the opposite direction. 
  
  

I hope you enjoy these delicious cinnamon cup cakes, they are great whether you are gluten intolerant or you're just on a gluten free diet, and it turns out that Lurpak worked really well.  

Over all I'm really happy with these, they're quite large, but they're perfect with a cup of tea, or to nibble at when you're at your desk. 

ENJOY CX 

Sticky Ginger and Marmalade Cake

This is an incredibly easy recipe and perfect if you're having people round for tea, as it isn't too 'cakey' but has a really lovely sweet and spiced taste. What's even better is that the method for making it is incredibly simple. I'm a great fan of recipes where you just chuck all of the ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth....and that's exactly what you do with this. 

Ingredients 

175g Butter (Softened)

125g Ginger Marmalade (I mix normal marmalade with ground ginger)

175g Brown Sugar

3 Eggs

225g Self-Raising Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Ground Ginger

100g Coarsely Chopped Pecans 

Method 

Place the ginger marmalade in a bowl with the butter, sugar and eggs
Sift in the flour, baking powder and ground ginger and beat all together until smooth.
Stir in 3/4 of the chopped pecans until they're equally dispersed through the mixture.
This works very well as a loaf, so if you have a loaf tin use that. However mine seems to have gone

walk-about and so I've used a 20cm round baking tin.

Grease the baking tin and either line with grease proof paper, or as I prefer, use a non stick spray.

Pour the mixture into the baking tin

Bake on 160'C (fan) for 45 minutes and then check using a skewer to see if it comes out clear. If not then bake for longer, checking at intervals. 

Take it out of the oven and leave for 10 minutes to cool. 

Take more ginger marmalade and stir gently over a low heat until melted. Then sprinkle the rest of the pecans on to the top of the cake then glaze with the melted marmalade. 

Turn your cake out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

This cake lasts for ages, and is quite a heavy one so perfect for small slices with tea or coffee, or to keep you going on a long afternoon at work!

ENJOY :)