Cherry Bakewell Cake

Dedicated to the first and biggest influence to my baking. All I can say its a lovely cake. Mwynhewch eich bwyd!

Makes 1 Cake

3 Eggs
200g Self Raising Flour
200g Butter, cubed and at room temperature
200g Golden Caster Sugar
50g Ground Almond
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Baking Powder

Topping/Filling

200g Cherry Jam
175g Icing Sugar
6 tsp Water
Handful of Flaked Almonds
75g Glace Cherries, halved (Optional)

1. Preheat the Oven to 180c/160c Fan Assisted. Line 2 20cm Cake tins.

2. In a food processor or by hand cream the butter and the sugar. Once combined mix the eggs and vanilla extract. 

3. Then add the ground almonds, self raising flour and baking powder and mix till combined. 

4. Then divide between the two tins and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

5. For the topping of the cake take the icing sugar and mix with water. Add a tsp at a time and it should be thick and smooth. If too thick add a tsp of water. For assembling the cake, take a sponge and spread the cherry jam and then other sponge. Add the icing on top, if it spills over the side it doesn't matter (gives it a unique look). Scatter with flaked almonds and optional cherries. 

Lemon and Lime Marmalade (V)

Zesty flavour for your toast or even for sandwiching between 2 pieces of cake. Everyone loves some homemade marmalade. Made too much? Put some in small pots! Make excellent gifts

Makes about 1.25l

4 Limes

2 Lemon

1.5l Water

1.3kg Granulated Sugar

(Ideally you need a sugar thermometer and you will need Muslin bag)

Also Jars to store the Marmalade

1. Put the muslin bag in a large pan. Scoop out the flesh of the lemon and lime and put it in the bag (including pips). Slice the rinds of the lemon and limes thinly and put in the pan (not the muslin bag). Add the water and leave to soak overnight.

2. Tie the muslin bag. Put the pan on the hob on a high heat. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 2 hours. The water should have been reduced by a third and the rind should have softened. If not leave, leave to simmer for 10 minute intervals, until rinds have softened.

3. Take out the muslin bag and put in a sieve and place it over the pan to get all the juices. Add the sugar to the pan and give a stir till dissolved. Then increase to a high heat, so it is boiling. It shoudl boil for about 5 - 10 minutes. To test the marmalade check the temperature on the thermometer (it will need to reach 105c/220F). If you don't have a thermometer (or want to double check the marmalade) take a cold plate and take a small bit of marmalade from the pan drop it on the plate. After a minute, if you poke it, it should set and give a slight jiggle. When it has reached that point give the marmalade a final stir and take off the heat.

4. Before putting the marmalade in the jar, they need to be sterilized. To do this, give a clean in hot soapy water. Give them a dry and put in the oven at about 140c/120c fan assisted for 10 minutes or longer until the jars are completely dry. IMPORTANT: If they have plastic bits on the jar remove these before putting in the oven as they will get damaged. 

5. Pour the marmalade in the jars. Give another stir so the rind is evenly distributed. Will keep for about a month once jar has been opened. Keep refrigerated when opened.

Strawberries and Cream Scones (V)

I am here with a Summery baked good which can be enjoyed with tea or a nice cold glass of lemonade. Remember to stay hydrated this Summer.

Makes 10
400g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
100g Butter
200ml Milk
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg, beaten
Pinch of Salt
3 tbsp Icing Sugar
3 tbsp Caster Sugar

Filling
150ml Double Cream/Clotted Cream
200g Strawberries
Strawberry Jam

1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200c Fan assisted. Put a greaseproof paper on a baking tray. Tip the flour into a large bowl with the salt and baking powder, then mix. Add the butter, then rub in with your fingers until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar

2.  Make a well in the middle of the bowl. Warm the milk over the hob (Don't let it boil). Gradually mix the milk with the crumbs. If too sticky add more flour and if too dry add more milk.

3. Sprinkle flour on the work surface, rolling pin and hands. Then cover the dough with flour and begin to roll and then fold the dough over. Do this about 3 times so that dough is smooth. Then finally roll out the dough so its thick (probably about 3-4 cms).

4. Take a cutter, about 5-6cm in diameter (if you don't have one, use the rim of a large glass/wine glass). Cut them out and once you have cut as many as you can out roll the dough out again and repeat the process until you run out of dough.

5. Place the dough onto the baking tray with the greaseproof paper. Brush each of the pieces of dough with the beaten egg.

6. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. The crumpets will have risen and will be golden on the top.

7. While leaving to cool, if using double cream, whisk the double cream until thick and add 2 teaspoons of icing sugar. Slice the strawberries into quarters.

8. When assembling a scone you the scone in half and layer with cream, strawberries and jam. Then sprinkle with icing sugar. Serve. 

Chocolate Teacake (V)

So was watching the Great British Bake Off and thought I could make those but made some changes to the recipe to make it my own. With a biscuit base, marshmallow and jam centre coated in a chocolate sphere. Interesting fact, there was a legal battle over whether the Chocolate teacake is a biscuit or a cake. The European court ruled that the Teacake was not, in fact, a biscuit but a cake.

Makes 6 Teacakes

Biscuit
50g Wholemeal Flour
50g Plain Flour, shifted
30g Caster Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
25g Butter, left at room temperature
2 tbsp Milk
Pinch of salt

Marshmallow
3 Medium Free Range Egg Whites
150g Caster Sugar
6 tbsp Golden Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Sphere
400g Milk Chocolate (good quality chocolate is needed).
Half Sphere Silicone Moulds
6 tsp Raspberry Jam

1. Preheat the oven to 170c/150c Fan assisted. Grease a baking tray.

2. For the biscuit, put the flours, caster sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and rub together with the butter. Add the milk and make into a small ball.

3. Flour a surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. The dough shouldn't be too thick, around 1/4 inch thickness. The biscuit should cover the moulds, I used a medium size wine glass to cut the biscuits. Chill in the fridge.

4. While the biscuits are chilling in the fridge, its time to melt the chocolate to make the spheres for the teacakes. Melt 300g of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once the chocolate has melted, line the moulds with the chocolate. Use the smooth side of a spoon to help spread the chocolate evenly around the mould. Set a side to let it set.

5. Place the biscuits on the baking tray and put in the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Don't let them burn. Let them cool on a wire rack.

6. For the marshmallow, put all the ingredients in a large bowl over a large pan of simmer water. Whisk for 10 minutes using an electric whisk. It should double in size and should be a thick consistency.

7. Spoon the marshmallow mixture into a piping bag. Pipe the mixture into the now cooled chocolate domes.

8. Melt the remaining chocolate. Coat the biscuits in the chocolate and leave to cool on the wire rack.

9. When the marshmallow has set, put a teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of the marshmallow. Place the biscuit on top of the marshmallow and jam. Then with the remaining chocolate seal any open areas between the biscuit and the chocolate sphere. Leave for a few minutes to let the chocolate cool.

10. Carefully remove the teacakes from the mould. It should be easy to remove from the moulds. Enjoy!

Tip: Having trouble finding the moulds: Click Below

Viennese Whirls (V)

A lovely biscuit which is delectable with a nice cup of tea. Tried and tested on friends and family.

Makes 15 Biscuits

Biscuit
250g Butter, at room temperature
50g of Icing Sugar
250g Plain Flour, shifted
50g Cornflour
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Filling
100g Butter, left at room temperature
100g  Raspberry Jam
1/2 vanilla extract
200g Icing Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan assisted oven. Grease a baking tray and line with grease proof paper.

2. In a food processor put all the biscuit ingredients in and blend until smooth. This will take a couple of minutes. Make sure you put all of the mixture from the processor into the pipping bag with a large star nozzle (Pipping Bag I used can be seen at the bottom of the post).

3. When pipping the mixture onto the tray make sure the pipping bag is at a 90 degree angle to the tray and squeeze the mixture out a medium size rosettes of dough. Make sure they are spread out so they don't stick together when they bake. Put in the oven and make for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Leave the biscuits to cool on a wire rack. While they are cooling, make the butter icing by mixing the butter, icing sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl. Mix with a fork until fully combined.

5. Once the biscuits are cooled put a small teaspoon of jam on the smooth side of the biscuit, butter icing and top with a biscuit. Repeat the process until you are out of biscuits. Dust with some icing sugar and serve.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Haven't done a pudding in a while and have always been meaning to bake this. A classic which is good with a cup of tea (Tea tastes better in a china cup, as my nain has always told me).

200g Caster Sugar
200g Butter, softened
200g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
4 Eggs

Filling
Jam (My favourite is raspberry with the seeds in)
250ml Double Cream, whipped
Icing Sugar (To top)

1. Preheat the oven for 200c/180c fan assisted. Grease 2 cake tins with some butter.

2. Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until its smooth. Then mix in each egg one at a time. Fold the flour in.

3. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and put in the oven for 20 minutes. They should be a golden brown and the sponge should spring back up when lightly pressed.

4. Take one of the sponges and put about 4 tbps of raspberry jam on. Then add the double cream on top. Then layer with the other sponge. To finish, sprinkle on the icing sugar. Serve with tea

How positively British ^_^