My Mother's Kitchen

Where I learnt everything I know

Posts tagged cake

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Cakes have gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always one person at the table who holds up her hand when I serve the cake. No, really, I couldn’t she says, and then gives her flat stomach a conspiratorial little pat. Everyone who is pressing a fork into that first tender layer looks at the person who declined the plate, and they all think, That person is better than I am. That person has discipline. But that isn’t a person with discipline; that is a person who has completely lost touch with joy. A slice of cake never made anybody fat. You don’t eat the whole cake. You don’t eat a cake every day of your life. You take the cake when it is offered because the cake is delicious. You have a slice of cake and what it reminds you of is someplace that’s safe, uncomplicated, without stress. A cake is a party, a birthday, a wedding. A cake is what’s served on the happiest days of your life. This is a story of how my life was saved by cake, so, of course, if sides are to be taken, I will always take the side of cake.
Jeanne Ray (via scruffylookinzombieherder)

(Source: the-healing-nest, via themonicabird)

Filed under cake

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BananaBananaBanana Bread!

Banana bread is almost, no IS, a staple in my house, my mum has always made it but about a year or so ago we stumbled across the easiest and much tastier recipe than the one in her 100 recipe cookbook which can turn out a bit too soggy.  There is absolutely nothing like a slice of chocolate banana bread except maybe fudge walnut banana cake that is..

Ingredients

  • 250g self raising flour
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 3 over ripe banana’s, mashed to desired consistency. I myself love to leave some chunkier bits of banana.
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 100g melted butter, cooled
  • 100g dark chocolate, chopped 
  • I like to add a dash of vanilla extract and what ever type of nut I have lurking in the back of the cupboard.

Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line a loaf tin. If you place a long strip of greaseproof lengthways of the tin, making sure it protrudes up the sides of it the cake will be easier to pull out when cool. 

Sift the flour into a bowl, add the sugar and mix then add the melted butter and the beaten eggs. Mix well and add the banana and the chocolate make sure to incorporate the chocolate through the mixture.

Pour into the loaf tin and bake in the oven for around 50-55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. When baked and slightly cooler simply run a palette knife along the sides and lift out using the paper.

You can easily substitute the chocolate for what ever you please try some of these:

  • a mixture of nuts; such as walnut and hazelnut
  • white chocolate and hazelnuts
  • walnut and vanilla fudge
  • walnut and chocolate
  • or leave out another flavour and have yourself a delicious simple banana loaf

Filed under bananabread cake baking chocolate fudge nuts

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Apple Streusel Cake Happy very belated Easter! When I went home for the Easter holidays it was expected that at some point me and my mum would be in the kitchen baking. True to form the first Sunday I was home we had a big family roast and a pudding was needed so a pudding was made. So me and mum scoured the cookery books and I found this one. This recipe isn’t one I have used before, and as soon as I spied it in my Hummingbird Bakery cook book I knew it was a winner as it turns out my whole family loved it. Think of a cross between an apple shortcake and an apple crumble; it is simply apple heaven. For the cake: Now the original recipe calls for whole milk to be used but I didn’t have any so I just used semi-skimmed, which is maybe why the cake seemed so light. 3 Granny Smith apples; if small I would suggest using 4 60g unsalted butter softened 140g plain flour 100g caster sugar 1 large egg 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 80 ml semi skimmed milk For the streusel topping 70g plain flour 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 40g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 70g soft light brown sugar Oven 170C grease and line a 20cm spring form cake tin. First make the topping, sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl and add the diced butter. rub together using your fingertips and thumbs until it resembles breadcrumbs. Don’t over crumble; I did that the second time I made it and you end up with something that resembles sand. Add the sugar and stir in till combined through and set aside. Begin the sponge mix by creaming the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy using a electric hand mixer or a free standing mixer. Add the egg, vanilla and mix well until its combined, then in another bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix well then add half the milk, repeat this with the other half of the flour and milk and make sure you mix well after each addition.  Pour the mixture into the baking tin, then peel core and slice the apples. This can be done by quartering the apples and making 3 or 4 slices out of each quarter, depending on the size of your apples. Arrange the slices in a circle starting outside and working your way in - don’t be afraid to use all the apple as it will fit. Finish by sprinkling the streusel topping in an even layer on the top of the cake, bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. When done leave the cake in its tin to cool then remove and enjoy cold or hot with custard, cream or ice cream. Sumptuously tasty.

Apple Streusel Cake

Happy very belated Easter! When I went home for the Easter holidays it was expected that at some point me and my mum would be in the kitchen baking. True to form the first Sunday I was home we had a big family roast and a pudding was needed so a pudding was made. So me and mum scoured the cookery books and I found this one. This recipe isn’t one I have used before, and as soon as I spied it in my Hummingbird Bakery cook book I knew it was a winner as it turns out my whole family loved it. Think of a cross between an apple shortcake and an apple crumble; it is simply apple heaven.

For the cake:
Now the original recipe calls for whole milk to be used but I didn’t have any so I just used semi-skimmed, which is maybe why the cake seemed so light.

  • 3 Granny Smith apples; if small I would suggest using 4
  • 60g unsalted butter softened
  • 140g plain flour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 80 ml semi skimmed milk

For the streusel topping

  • 70g plain flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 40g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
  • 70g soft light brown sugar

Oven 170C grease and line a 20cm spring form cake tin.

First make the topping, sift the flour and cinnamon into a bowl and add the diced butter. rub together using your fingertips and thumbs until it resembles breadcrumbs. Don’t over crumble; I did that the second time I made it and you end up with something that resembles sand. Add the sugar and stir in till combined through and set aside.

Begin the sponge mix by creaming the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy using a electric hand mixer or a free standing mixer. Add the egg, vanilla and mix well until its combined, then in another bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix well then add half the milk, repeat this with the other half of the flour and milk and make sure you mix well after each addition. 

Pour the mixture into the baking tin, then peel core and slice the apples. This can be done by quartering the apples and making 3 or 4 slices out of each quarter, depending on the size of your apples. Arrange the slices in a circle starting outside and working your way in - don’t be afraid to use all the apple as it will fit. Finish by sprinkling the streusel topping in an even layer on the top of the cake, bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. When done leave the cake in its tin to cool then remove and enjoy cold or hot with custard, cream or ice cream.

Sumptuously tasty.

Filed under apple streusel cake apples hummingbirdbakery easter cake

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To have your cake and eat it too.

Mum’s ultimate chocolate cake.

Look no further as I have now given you the recipe for the best and easiest chocolate cake you will ever need in your recipe book. 
My mother used to (and still does) make me and my sister the best cakes, not just on special occasions such as birthdays and christenings either. She used to make them professionally for friends and family and we have tons of photos of them, I remember the Beauty and the Beast cake for my sister’s birthday and the clouds and rainbow scene cake she made for a friends daughter. 
But the best and most memorable cake is the chocolate cake Mum always used to make and still does. Not only did the finished cake taste sublime but the best part was definitely licking the bowl clean.

Ingredients:

  • 175g self raising flour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 4 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder - when I say heaped I mean heaped!
  • 1 dessertspoon of black treacle
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 2 large eggs - remember to always cook with room temperature eggs
  • 150ml milk
  • 150ml sunflower or vegetable oil

Yes, you read right there’s no butter in this so technically it is better for you but who wants to here that about a chocolate cake? I mean its all or nothing when you’re talking about chocolate cake. 

Your steps to chocolate heaven:

Place the oven on 180°C or 160°C for fan ovens. 

Well, its incredibly simple, you simply weigh and measure everything out make sure to sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder then just add everything to the same bowl and whisk. 
Make sure not to whisk it too much just till its combined together, it is best to use sandwich tins to bake this. Just lightly grease with a little butter and put a circle of greaseproof on the bottom of each tin, then separate the mixture equally between the two tins. Place in a preheated oven and bake till risen and slightly coming away from the edges, depending on the oven this can take 30 or 45 mins just keep an eye on it. 

Tip: Use a piece of spaghetti instead of a knife or skewer to insert into middle of cake to check if its done. 

(pictures to come)

Filed under cake baking kitchen chocolatecake