Birthday presents

My final update for today is something that I completed AGES ago. It was for my girlfriend's birthday, and she asked specifically for cake. In fact she asked for 2 cakes. And no small cakes either...

What was requested was: a GIANT Fondant Fancy, and a caterpillar cake. Both of which are apparently available in some supermarkets. But hey, I was never going to just go and buy the cakes.

Unfortunately as it was a long time ago, and I didn't write it down at the time, I've forgotten the details of what I used/recipes.

The fondant fancy was based on 2 victoria sponges (8" square) layered on top of each other, with about 225g (9 oz) of buttercream on top (75g butter, 150g icing sugar). This was all wrapped in a vast amount (1.2 kg) of ready roll icing.

The caterpillar cake was based on a chocolate roulade (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8568/chocolate-roulade) with truffles for legs (recipe at bottom), a rolled icing face and coated in melted chocolate. Very yummy!

Suffice it to say, they went down VERY well... though they did take a long time to eat (and the fondant fancy was VERY sweet!).

Recipe for truffles:

Ingredients - makes lots, depending on how big you make them!

100g (4 oz) plain chocolate

3 tbsp condensed milk

75g (3 oz) cake crumbs (I use a bought madeira cake, and freeze any left over for another day)

Cocoa powder/icing sugar to dust. about 25g (1 oz) each.

1. Melt the chocolate and condensed milk in a double boiler (bowl over a saucepan of hot water). Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water!
2. Mix until combined, and leave to cool until sticky.
3. Stir in the cake crumbs, and leave to cool a bit more. Once mostly cool, roll into balls and dust with the icing sugar/cocoa powder. Pop them in the fridge to set them if necessary. They can be shaped into anything you want too!

These truffles really are superb. Super easy, and if you use good chocolate, it pays dividends. Good for a little gift for someone, or a special treat.

MMFC

Ambulance Cake

So apparently my last post was in November of 2011. That is a whole 5 months ago.


A lot has happened in 5 months, and not enough of it has involved cake. However when I have had a chance to make cake, I've done it in style.


Looking back through the photos I've taken, my main chocolate cake has featured a number of times, in slightly different forms. There are the more standard forms such as these two:

However, as most of my time for the last term (or at least 4 weekends of it) was spent doing an ambulance based training course. As a bit of a reward (to myself and the other members of the course), the night before the assessments I set to creating a (rather epic) ambulance cake. I used the same chocolate cake recipe, but baked it in a square tin that I then cut into suitable slabs, and built the cake up from that. A minor amount of reshaping later, and the ambulance shape was born.


With a bit of ingenuity (due to a lack of suitable icing) we made a very muddy ambulance, complete with windscreen, windscreen wipers and blue lights!

Agreed it requires a bit of imagination to see it properly, but with only an evening to create it (and assessments to revise for) I was limited in my creativeness. Look out for the mk. 2!


MMFC

Jaffa Cupcakes

As the name suggests, these are cakes very much like jaffa cakes (But better!)


Ingredients - makes 12


165g (5.75 oz) SR flour
30g (1 oz) cocoa powder
220g (7.75 oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
170 ml (0.25 pt) milk
1 tbsp finely grated orange zest


Icing


250g (9 oz) icing sugar
60g (2.25 oz) unsalted butter
2 tsps finely grated orange zest
2 tbsps orange juice
Orange cachous to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C and put out 12 cases out. Melt the butter.
2. Sift the flour and cocoa into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the eggs (beaten), milk, melted butter and orange zest and beat with electric beaters until well combined.
3. Divide evenly among the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
4. Cream the butter, orange zest and icing sugar until smooth in a large bowl. Decorate each cake with buttercream, and cachous if wished.

One large orange makes enough zest for the whole set of cakes (just!), so if you are keen on oranges, get two. Very tasty cakes.


MMFC

Chocolate Cake

This is my favourite chocolate cake recipe. I've used it millions of times, and it makes a beautiful cake. Very chocolatey, very nice!


Chocolate Cake - one 8" cake roughly 2" deep

125g (4oz) semisweet or milk choc

3 tbsp milk

80g (3oz) marg

200g (7oz) sugar

3 eggs

200g (7oz) SR

1 tbsp cocoa

Icing - buttercream

3oz marg

6oz icing

1 tbsp cocoa

Icing - ganache

1 ½oz butter (must be butter)

1oz cocoa

4oz icing sugar

2 tbsp milk

  

1. Melt choc and milk in heatproof bowl.
2. Add to everything else in processor.
3. Process.
4. Bake at 180 °C for 35-40 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. Best to rotate it in the oven halfway through.
5. Cool on a wire rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out of the tin.
6. Cut cake in half when cold. 

If not using a processor, blend butter and sugar, then blend in eggs one by one. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder, and then add the melted chocolate. For best results, use processor.

Icing methods:

Buttercream – just blend everything together in a bowl until smooth

Ganache icing - melt butter in a pan, add milk and heat gently until smooth mixture formed, then sift in icing sugar and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and glossy. Should be liquid enough to pour and spread on cake.

You should ice the middle of the cake with buttercream, saving about 1/3 or 1/2 to coat the outsides with. Put the top on the cake, and then coat the top and sides with buttercream. Leave to set. 

Now is a good time to make the ganache icing. Let it cool a little before actually pouring it onto the cake, as otherwise it will melt the buttercream and make a horrible mess. Spread the ganache icing all over the cake, being careful to not spread too deep and hit the buttercream. Once it completely covers the cake, get a wet pallette knife and smooth the ganache out to make a nice sheen.

The cake can then be decorated in a variety of ways - chocolate buttercream piped onto it, chocolate leaves put on top, leave it blank, or anything else you like!

Hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do. I've used it to make a Harp shaped cake, a radio shaped cake, and a number of other birthday cakes.

MMFC

Anniversaries galore...

So as previously mentioned, it was my Aunt and Uncle's 20th Wedding anniversary this summer, for which I made a quite epic cake. Here are some photos of the cake:

This had a fruit cake base (using this recipe: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2988/hot-toddy-fruitcake but used sweet sherry instead of whiskey - Thanks for the recipe Hannah!) covered in marzipan, and then ready-roll-icing, stuck together with home-made jam. Then I put a chocolate cake on top (my favourite choc cake recipe - to follow), iced with chocolate buttercream and then coated in ready-roll-icing. It was all stitched together with some piped royal icing.


THEN the big one - the cake pops. These use a basic 2 egg chocolate cake recipe (4oz SR flour/4oz Marg/4oz Sugar + 2 eggs + cocoa powder) mixed with 2.5oz Cream Cheese and 5oz of icing sugar. The cake is crumbed in a food processor, and then has the cream cheese/icing sugar mixed into it to make a moist "dough". This is then put onto a lollipop stick, coated in chocolate/cake covering and decorated. The result:

Combined with the cake....

Next up, it was my parent's anniversary today - and this week I've been preparing a cake for them. The same chocolate cake as my favourite one above, coated with chocolate buttercream, and then a chocolate ganache. I then covered the whole cake in chocolate leaves :D

Finally, for LINKS' teambuilding at the start of the summer, I made a cake for my friend Lorna for her 21st birthday. She is fascinated/obsessed by elephants, so that was an obvious choice of cake design. I gave her the tin afterwards, cos we bought a special shaped Elephant tin. I used the basic chocolate cake recipe from above (using cocoa powder), but just increased the size a bit to fit the tin.

That is all my photos for the summer - I shall follow up with the chocolate cake recipe.


MMFC

White Chocolate Chip cupcakes

I made these muffins a long while ago, and used some white fudge icing on top. They were pretty good. Unfortunately as it was such a long time ago I can't remember much else, anyway here is the recipe.

Ingredients - makes 12 muffins

125g (4.5 oz) butter
170g (6 oz) caster sugar
Eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g (9 oz) self-raising flour
125ml (4 fl oz) buttermilk
200g (7 oz) white chocolate chips


Icing

200g (7 oz) white chocolate
5 tbsp milk
175g (6 oz) icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 170*C, line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases
2. Beat the sugar and butter together until pale and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Then add the vanilla extract.
3. Fold in the flour alternately with the buttermilk and fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Divide the mixture among the cases until 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Leave the cakes in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
6. Icing - Put the chocolate and milk in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
7. Leave until melted, then sift in the icing sugar until smooth. Leave to cool for a little bit before spreading on the top of the cool cakes.

 MMFC 

Mocha Cupcakes

More chocolately goodness! These cakes are sooooo good, though the recipe is a bit odd. I'm going to try them again, but with a bit more coffee granules in as really it just tasted of chocolate (not that that is a bad thing!). The icing was sooo good too, very gooey and chocolate-y :D.

Mocha Cupcakes - makes 12 muffins

250ml (8fl oz) water
250g (8 oz) caster sugar
125g (4 oz) butter
2 tbsp cocoa powder
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp coffee granules
225g (7.5 oz) self raising flour
2 eggs, beaten.


Icing

150g (5 oz) plain chocolate
150g (5 oz) butter (unsalted)
2 tbsp golden syrup
12 chocolate covered coffee beans to decorate

1. Line a muffin tin with 12 cases. Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and gently heat, while stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the butter, cocoa powder, bicarb and coffee granules and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Beat flour and eggs into the cooked chocolate mixture until smooth (use a whisk or sift the flour in). Divide into the cases. Bake for  20 minutes at 180*C until risen and firm.
3. Icing - Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a double boiler. Leave to cool and then chill. Once chilled and firm enough, spread on the top of the cool cakes. It softens quickly,so spread fast. Decorate with the coffee beans if wanted.

I'm definitely going to make these again, as they were soooo tasty. Though I think I'll make them normal sized cupcakes (so roughly double the number of cakes) so I can share out the goodness :). Also, I must remember to turn the oven on when I bake.... ;) error.



MMFC 

Chocolate Strawberry cupcakes

There seems to be a bit of a chocolate theme with my baking recently, which I put down to the stress of this year at university and the need for some tasty chocolate treats. I have to apologise also for not putting up a post for the past 2 weeks or so, even though I've had one waiting to go for about that length of time... not only have BT broken our internet, my degree is taking over my life (for the first time in 3 years!).

Anyways, these cakes, although described as chocolate and strawberry are really chocolate cakes (and very good ones!). I forgot to take a proper photo of them, though I'm certain somone took one for me, just unsure who! When I find out I'll put it up with my next post.  If not I'll just HAVE to make them again!


Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes - makes 12 muffins (recipe courtesy of Hamlyn cupcakes book)

75g (3oz) cocoa powder
225ml (7.5 fl oz) boiling water
125g (4oz) butter
275g (9oz) light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
200g (7oz) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Whipped cream to serve

Icing

150ml (0.25 pt) double cream
4 tbsp icing sugar
4 tbsp water
275g (9oz) plain chocolate
12 fresh strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Put the cocoa powder and whisk in the water until smooth. Leave to cool.
2. Beat together the sugar and butter in another bowl until pale and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift the flour in and gradually beat in. Then add the cocoa mixture.
3. Divide into cases (makes good normal cupcakes as well as muffins). Then bake for 25 minutes until risen and firm. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
4. Icing - Put the water, cream and icing sugar in a saucepan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 200g (7oz) of the chocolate. Leave to cool, stirring frequently until smooth and glossy.
5. Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler. Half-dip the strawberries in to coat them in chocolate. Leave to solidify (though ensure the chocolate is on non-stick surfaces)
6. Spread the icing on the top of the cakes. A nice touch if serving immeadiately is to remove the paper cases, swirl the icing down the sides a little bit with a palette knife. Then position the strawberries in the middle on top. Serve with the whipped cream if liked.

I found the icing was a little liquid for my liking, though it did solidify nicely when kept in the fridge. The cakes were sooooo tasty! I did have one or 2 accidents, in that I made them once but negelected to include the baking powder (I was half asleep in my defence) and so they were more like pancakes than cupcakes! Still tasted alright though.

 

Chocolate Fudge Cakes

These are possibly some of the nicest chocolate cakes I have ever made. They were so rich and moist, and the icing was delicious, even if it did make me feel sick when I ate too much.. woops. I also managed to post one to my friend who has gone to France for a year on exchange.. I have yet to hear from her as to its condition/taste, though if the French postal system is anything like the UK, it might be rather stale. They were also really easy to make - no fiddly chopping up mango or stupid whisking egg whites till my arm falls off (fortunately have a new blender that has a whisk attachment, very handy).

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes - makes 12

125g (4oz) butter

150g (5oz) light muscovado sugar
2 eggs
100g (3.5oz) self raising flour
50g (2oz) cocoa powder

0.5 tsp baking powder

Icing

  

100g (3.5oz) plain or milk chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp milk

50g (2oz) butter

75g (3oz) icing sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 180*C. Mix all the ingredients together with an electric beater until light and creamy. Divide into the 12 cases (though be careful not to overfill - could make 13/14 safely).
2. Bake for 20 minutes, or until just firm to touch.
3. Icing - Put the chocolate, butter and milk in a small saucepan and melt gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.
4. Sift in the icing sugar and stir until smooth. Leave to cool a little bit (be warned it goes rock-hard if cooled too much) so it is more solid but spreadable, then spread onto the cakes, best done while they are still warm.

The icing is tasty... so either be scant and get sick eating the leftovers, or pile it on. If you let it cool too much before putting it on, it won't spread well, and might go lumpy. I found doing it straight off the stove was bad (sort of) because it all dribbled down the side and onto the baking tray. So I had to eat all the drippings, shame to waste!

Next ones should be Chocolate and Strawberry cupcakes... mmmmmmmm

MMFC