The crowd pleaser {chocolate cake}

How can you go wrong with a chocolate cake it is a delight to the senses. The look, the smell, the taste if you can achieve that you're on to a winner. 

Well I have such a cake to share with you today. It has taken a few years to perfect it but after making it a gazzilion times I am proud to say it's ready.

For this recipe you will need:

1 cup of soft real butter

2 1/2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

1 cup of cocoa

3 cups of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

40g of butter 

500g(1 box) of icing sugar

1/4 cup of cocoa

Begin by pre heating your oven to 160'c

In your food mixer cream the butter and sugar together until light a creamy in texture.

Next in a bowl whisk your eggs together then pour slowly into the butter mixture and combine for another few minutes.

While that's mixing away sieve all your dry ingredients together.

Turn off the food mixer and add in half the dry ingredients combine it either with a spatula or on a slow speed on the mixer.

Next add in the buttermilk, then last but not least add the remainder of your dry ingredients and combine.

For this cake I used 2 8" round silicone cake moulds, you can either line the base with baking parchment or spray them with cake release spray both are widely available in most supermarkets.

Dollop in the gooey cake mix evenly into your tins spread the tops of the batter with a spatula to make sure it's even going into the oven.

Bake for 45mins 

While that's baking away and filling your kitchen with the most amazing chocolate aromas prepare to make the buttercream.

Begin by creaming the butter until very pale in colour.

Sieve the icing sugar and cocoa together turn off the mixer then add the sugar in and on a slow setting on the food mixer let them combine. {don't be ballsy and flick the mixer to high speed it ALWAYS turns out bad, trust me} once combine turn it to a med/high speed.

When the cakes are baked check the center of them with a tooth pick if it comes out clean your ready to rock.

Let them cool completely before you divide the cakes into four layers.

Using your spatula dollop a generous amount of buttercream onto your first layer, spread it out evenly then stack the next layer on top then begin again.

When the four layers are on use the remaining buttercream to completely cover the top and sides of the cake using your metal spatula glide it over the surface. Take your time and enjoy, it has to be one of my favourite parts of building a cake.

I finished off this particular cake with flake crumbs sprinkled on the edge of the cake and then adorned the top with flowers .

Perfect for every occasion, like Tuesday morning for breakfast 

Enjoy

Rebecca

One word...DOUGHNUTS

I have yet to meet someone that doesn't like some variation of the glorious Doughnut. But the conventional doughnut is fried in oil and either rolled in shiny sugar or dipped in a neon glaze. 

So for today's request from lottie I decided to bake her doughnuts and accompany them with a dark chocolate sauce.

For this recipe you will need

3/4 cup of flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

40g of soft unsalted butter

1 egg

1/3 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of milk

75g of 70% dark chocolate

1 tablespoon of butter

Pre heat your oven to 160'c

This recipe is a one pot wonder all you need to do is add all the ingrediants into a big bowl and mix frantically until the batter is smooth and lump free.

Pour the batter into a pipping bag and slowly but surely squeeze it into the doughnut pan, this recipe makes 6 doughnuts which is perfect as most doughnut pans have 6 doughnuts spaces.

While your doughnuts are baking away prepare a Bain Marie then add the chocolate and butter stirring occasionally until it has melted fully. I also poured this oozy combination into a piping bag.

When the buzzer goes on your oven take out the doughnuts and put on the cooling rack. When cooled snip the tip of your piping bag and decorate how you please.

Enjoy Rebecca x

The almighty red velvet

The red velvet cake is an absolute showstopper, there are a few steps to preparing the cake but I think if you get yourself organised before you begin you can't go wrong.

For this recipe you will need:

1/4 lb of soft real butter 

1 1/2 cups of caster sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp of vanilla

2 bottles of red food colouring (I use Goodalls food colouring)

2 1/2cups of plain flour

1/4 cup of cocoa powder

1 tsp of baking powder

1tsp of salt

1 tsp of baking soda

1 cup of buttermilk

1 tsp of vinegar 

Cream cheese frosting:

40g of softened real butter

125g of cream cheese

500g of icing sugar

2 8" round cake pans

Begin by pre heating your oven to 160"c. 

In your food mixer cream together your butter and sugar until pale and light. Next in a small bowl whisk together the eggs and pour into the mixer, once the eggs have combined with the butter pour in the two bottles of red food colouring.

In a separate bowl add in all your dry ingredients and gently whisk together. Turn off your food mixer and slowly pour in the dry ingredients then the buttermilk and turn on the mixer on a slow setting so no one gets covered in a flour cloud!!!

While that's mixing combine the vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl it will bubble up which looks super for any of your Minnie bakers watching on. Pour this in your batter and let it mix before turning off the mixer.

You can either line your cake tins with baking parchment or spray them with cake release spray before evenly dispersing the batter into them.

Pop them in the oven on the same rack and bake for 40mins.

While the cakes are baking make the cream cheese frosting, add all three ingredients into your mixer and beat until white, smooth and creamy.

Once the cakes are baked fully take them out and let them cool on a cooling rack. When they are fully cooled you can now carefully divide them into four layers, you do this by using a serrated knife like a bread knife. Insert it in the side of the cake making sure it is level, then slowly using long movements cut along the cake to the left gently turning the cake to the right as you cut.

Now that you have four layers of your cake it is time to assemble. Put the first layer of cake on your plate or cake board and dollop a small amount of the frosting on the cake and spread evenly over the cake. Place the next layer of cake onto the frosted layer and repeat this process until the four layers are on.

You can leave the cake as it is and just add a generous dollop of frosting on top or you can cover the cake fully with the frosting using an off set spatula, you do this by taking the frosting from the top of the cake and bringing it down to the sides of the cake then spreading evenly.

Enjoy

Rebecca.

Heaven in a jar..salted caramel

There is nothing like the satisfaction of making something from scratch whether it's a craft or food. 

For me I love conquering sauces and not just the sweet kind. Mayonnaise is something that seems impossible but the end result is miles better than the shop bought.

Lemon curd and salted caramel are two of my favourite made from scratch sauces as both of them seem quite intricate and on paper it can look that way but you know what if you take a deep breath read it through the steps are so straight forward...

As Iv shared my lemon curd in a past blog post today il share my salted caramel.

For this recipe you will need:

5 tablespoons of cold water

1 cup of sugar (I used caster sugar)

1 cup of double cream

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 

Pinch of sea salt not table salt 

Begin by adding the water and sugar to a pot and combine, turn the heat on to a medium to high heat. 

This stage of the recipe you need eyes like a hawk and patience of a saint. By no means are you allowed stir the mixture or even move the pot.

You will let this bubble for anything between 7-10 minutes depending on your pot and cooker some hobs can work faster than others. If you feel it's like a raging volcano feel free to turn it down slightly.

You will notice the sugary syrup getting slightly thicker this is from the the water evaporating. I find it safer to stay beside the pot at all times because out of know where you will notice at the sides of the pot the caramel colour starts to appear.

Still at this stage don't touch the pot but once the amber tones intensify very gingerly tilt the pot to move the caramel then tilt back the other way. 

There is a fine line between not burning and burning so play safe and remove from the pan when a medium caramel colour appears.

Take the pan off the heat and pour the cream and vanilla in at a slow steady pace stirring all the while. It will get steamy and bubbly at the beginning but don't fret that's all part of the experience.

If you pour the cream in too quickly the caramel can clump but as you stir that will dissolve back into the mixture.

Lastly add in the sea salt and combine well then pour this luscious sauce into a jar to cool...

This sauce can be added to absolutely any dessert from icecream on it's own to a filling for a cupcake.

Enjoy and let me know how you got on.

Rebecca x

Chocolate + coffee protein smoothie

So today is mothers days & to my delight the hubby got me a smoothie maker as our old one was looking pretty dodgey.

 

Smoothies would be a regular breakfast of mine as I'm always on the go with the girls in the mornings. 

My mid weeks routine is finely tuned at this stage I drop lottie to pre school & then Lillie-b & I fly across to my dads where our horse & ponies are. The greedy little ponies get exercised most days to keep them happy & healthy, then my reward is a happy hack on my glorious girl Cilla.

So you can see why smoothies are paramount in my life. I always add some sort of source of protein to my smoothie usually in the form of a nut butter but the powder form is perfect too.

For this recipe you will need:

2 bananas

1 1/2 cups of coconut milk

1/3 cup of peanut butter or almond butter

1 tablespoon of cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder

1/2 tablespoon of instant coffee 

Simply add all the ingredients into the smoothie maker and whizz it up. The kick from the coffee with the chocolate is so delish if you were to freeze your bananas first it would taste exactly like a chocolate  malt...

Enjoy

Rebecca x

A Sunday treat on a Wednesday!!!!

When a Wednesday doesn't give you enough hours in the day to even think about food & your fridge only seems to be housing a dodgy piece of cheese. The only respectable thing to do is make pancakes & not the naughty kind but the über healthy ones on last months blog "a sweet treat on a Sunday".

They are made using eggs & bananas along with a few other little gems. I usually have these with Greek yogurt and fruit but when I reached for the yogurt this evening I was all out. What to do what do then I remembered the pot of almond butter I had stashed behind the coffee.

While your banana pancake is cooking away on the pan take 1/2 a cup of frozen or fresh raspberries & bring them to the boil in a small pot with a tiny splash of water along with a teaspoon of honey. Stir continuously until the raspberries have broken down into a warm oozy compote.

Once the banana pancake is made slide it onto your plate &spread a few dollops of the almond butter over 1/4 of the pancake then spoon your raspberries over the pancake making sure you don't saturate it with the juices.

Roll up the pancake like a cigar then cut into seven even pieces & stand them up so you can see the swirly bits. Lastly pour the raspberry sauce in amongst the pancakes & sprinkle some flaked almonds around the boarder to add a touch of crunch to the equation...

This is a really fun dish to make that only takes a few minutes to conjure up...

Enjoy

Rebecca x

A sweet treat on a Sunday

Who says been healthy has to be bland and boring. I know there are quite a few pancake recipes on this blog but what can I say I have a soft spot for them.

These pancakes are super quick but do not contain flour. Nothing quite hits the spot like my buttermilk pancakes made with flour but in between my moments of super indulgence these new pancakes do the job nicely.

For this recipe you will need:

1 banana

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1/3 cup of ground almond

4 strawberrys sliced

1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt

Chopped almonds + hazelnuts

1 teaspoon of organic honey 

Coconut oil 

While you're pan is heating with a small dollop of coconut oil mash your banana well then add in the eggs keep whisking them up until you get a smooth consistency. 

Add in the ground almond and vanilla extract. Then pour it all into the pan and swirl it all about until it has covered the pan.

Have patience with your pancake don't even think about flipping it like a flour based pancake. Banana pancakes have a spongey texture and crumble with ease . 

When you shake your pan and the giant pancake moves your patience has paid off. Slide this bad boy onto your plate and begin to add your filling.

Start by spreading the Greek yogurt all over the pancake then do the same with the honey. Next place the strawberries evenly all over the yogurt followed by the nuts.

Roll up the pancake like a wrap then cut into three et voila. I scoffed my with a decent cup of coffee Sunday morning bliss

Enjoy + feel free to let me know how you got on...

Rebecca x

The magical mini mince pie

Ah the mince pie love it or loath it, but there is no denying that the mince pie is Christmas all wrapped up in a tasty shortcust cup.

If my dad had his way he would have me making mince pies all year round so luckily for his cholesterol I limit it to December. Even though it is the 7 th and Iv made 3 dozen today. 

May I add that they are mini mince pies because I just love all things mini when it comes to baking, pastries seems so sweet and delicate when they are miniature.

I have used my tried and trusted short crust pastry in this recipe that shines bright every time so I knew before I even tasted these mini delights that they would be special.

For this recipe you will need:

Pastry:

100g cold Connacht gold butter with added sea salt flakes

175g of plain flour

25g of icing sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water

Filling:

1 jar of quality mince pie filling

The zest + juice of 2 clementines

50g of dried cranberries

50g sultanas 

Tools of the trade

Mini cupcakes trays

55mm round cutter 

Mini star cutter

Mini flower cutter 

Firstly empty your mince pie filling into a bowl and add the additional ingredients then mix well so all the juices and zest infuse with the new and old dried fruit.

Set the filling aside and begin to make your pastry. I like to rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the butter has crumbled into teeny tiny pieces. The Connacht gold butter Iv used today has added sea salt flakes which adds another dimension to my shortcrust pastry, salt is an important part in baking especially when real butter is involved.

Next add in the egg yolk and water and combine with your hand until it all comes together into one big ball.

Flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll out the pastry thin enough that it will hold it's shape without tearing.

With your round cutter cut out  30 discs but before you place them in the tins lightly spray them with cake release. Sit them into the tins but be sure not to squash them into place this might give you bother when you're trying to release them after baking.

With two teaspoons spoon a small amount of the mixture into each case, to much and it will just ooze all over the pastry and literally glue the pies to the tins.

With your remaining pastry cut out your shapes and sit them on top of every pie. 

Lastly paint on the egg white that was left all alone by the egg yolk then pop the tins into the oven @ 160'c for 20 mins.

Personally once they come out of the oven I like to carefully take them out of the tray because if any filling has escaped once it cools it will harden and in turn be a bugger to get out in one piece.

I like to simply dust mine with icing sugar and devour with a nice mug of tea.

Let the festivities begin

Enjoy

Rebecca x

Coffee lovers Christmas gifts

My guide to buying to buying the perfect gift for that coffee lover in your life..

A few months ago I was invited to a coffee master class hosted by Bewleys. It was a very chilled and informative evening where we got to taste three coffees from their "special collection".

A number of these coffees are not only fair trade but also organic and each are quite different from the next. Which I think is perfect as there is a coffee that will suit everyone's taste.

The first coffee is the Ethiopia, this is a sweet and aromatic coffee with delicate floral notes. What I got from this coffee was a gorgeous dark chocolate taste. I was told that this is a coffee for the adventurous!!!

The Ethiopia is an organic coffee and fair trade. It is gently dried in the sun and then hand roasts by Bewleys in small batches.

The brewing technique of choice for this coffee is the Chemex. It looks like something from my school science lab and very appealing to the eye. You can buy these in different size for cup capacity and retails from €32.00

This brewing system is very simple to use. Begin by boiling 500ml in your kettle.

Place you filter paper In the Chemex and triple fold.

Pre wet the filter paper then pour out the water.

Add 35g of coarsely ground Ethiopia coffee and then pour 50ml of boiling water onto it and let it bloom.

Wait for 30 seconds then pour the remaining water slowly into the filter in a circular motion.

This process should be completed within 3 minutes.

The second coffee we tasted was the Bolivia. It had a lovely rich flavour with more dark chocolate notes and also had a creamy caramel taste. 

The Bolivia is an organic and fair trade coffee. It is grown in high altitudes and hand roasted in small batches by Bewleys. 

The brewing technique of choice for this coffee is called the Aeropress. 

This is a super compact piece of equipment perfect for at home or on the go. It is simple to use and dishwasher safe. It retails for approx €28.99

Start by boiling the kettle then grind coffee to a medium/fine consistsancy.

Wet the filter then place it in the Aeropress.

Turn the Aeropress upside down then add in 18g of the coffee.

Pour in 50ml of boiling water and stir.

Leave to infuse for 30 seconds then stir again.

Add 230ml of boiling water, stir once more then close the lid tightly.

Turn the Aeropress right way up and place over your cup and slowly push down the plunger.

Complete this technique in less than 2 minutes.

Last but not least is the Panama coffee. This coffee has lots of acidity but is very fruity and very clean. 

It has toasted nutty notes to it. I was told that this coffee is perfect as a breakfast coffee.

The brewing technique of choice for this coffee is called the Syphon brewer. 

It is definitely the show stopper of the three and you would be on to a winner if you presented this after your dinner party to your guests. It retails approx €90 to €100.

Again the technique for this brewing system is not complicated even though it looks as if you would need a degree to make the coffee.

Begin by boiling the kettle. 

Measure 18g of the coarsely ground coffee.

Rinse out the filter in warm water then place it on the chamber.

Fill the bottom glass chamber with 230ml of hot water.

Turn on the burner and apply high heat.

As this boils away the water will travel up to the top chamber.

Once 3/4 of the water is in the top chamber start your timer and stir in a slow circular motion 3 times.

After approx 45 seconds turn off your burner and stir in a circulate motion once more.

The coffee will disperse into the bottom chamber it is then ready to enjoy.

All three of these specialty coffees can be bought on Bewleys online shop for as little as €7.99 and they come in a very smart display tin.

The perfect coffee lovers Christmas present indeed.

Enjoy

Rebecca

Almond and cinnamon pancakes

Sometimes in life it's nice to be good to your body seeing as it's the only one you've got!!!. These pancakes will tick all the boxes and are quite festive with the addition of cinnamon.

For this recipe you will need:

130g of ground almonds

1/2 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla paste

1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 eggs

Coconut oil 

Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl, let that sit for a moment.

Heat your pan on a medium to height heat and add a teaspoon of coconut oil, then dollop in you pancake batter. You will notice the mixture is much thicker then a four batter but that is exactly what you are looking for.

This mixture is perfect for 2 servings I like to add bananas to my dish with a drizzle of honey on top

Enjoy

Rebecca x