Jessie Bakes Cakes - Simple recipes that are simply delicious

Millionaire’s Spiderweb Shortbread

Challenge your baking skills with this Halloween show-stopper recipe for Millionaire’s Spiderweb Shortbread! The shortbread base is dyed bright orange, and the top is decorated with a white chocolate web and an edible fondant spider.

Why you’ll love this Millionaire’s Spiderweb Shortbread

Fun to make. Piping the spiderweb and making the fondant spider is really fun, and it’s actually much easier than it looks.
Tastes delicious. You really can’t go wrong with biscuits, caramel and chocolate!
Perfect for sharing. Slice into 10-12 triangles and share with family or treat your friends. Who will get the spider!?
Can be frozen. If there are any leftovers (which I doubt there will be!) wrap the shortbread in foil and clingfilm and freeze for up to 3 months.

How to make a chocolate spiderweb

Prepare a piping bag. You won’t need a piping nozzle, just spoon melted white chocolate into a small piping bag and snip off the tip with a pair of scissors. You only need a small hole to pipe the chocolate, so be careful not to cut off too much.

Pipe a spiral. Hold the piping bag upright in the middle of the millionaire’s. Gently apply pressure and pipe a spiral moving outwards until you reach the edge of the baking tin. It doesn’t have to be super neat and don’t worry if the lines are a bit wobbly.

Drag through the circles. Use a toothpick to drag through the circles starting from the middle. Leave even spacing between each line to create a web effect.

It’s as simple as that!

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Vampire cookies

Spiderweb Millionaires Shortbread recipe (makes 12 slices)

Ingredients

For the shortbread base:
300g plain flour
200g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
100g white caster sugar
Orange food colouring

For the caramel layer:
85g unsalted butter
80g light brown sugar
30ml golden syrup
½ tin of condensed milk (a tin is 397g, so roughly 200g)
Pinch of salt

For the chocolate topping:
200g milk chocolate
50g white chocolate

For the fondant spider:
Red and black fondant icing – I used Dr. Oetker’s Read to Roll fondant

Method

Start with the shortbread base

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a the base of an 8inch loose-bottomed / springform baking tin with greaseproof paper.
Add the flour and sugar to a large bowl and give them a stir.
Cut the butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a dough has formed. This can take a little while, so be patient and it will come together eventually.
Add a few drops of orange food colouring and knead the dough using the palm of your hand until it turns orange.
Press the dough out in the baking tin into an even layer.
Prick the top all over with a fork and bake for 30-35 minutes until slightly golden on top. Set aside and leave to cool.

Now make the caramel layer

Put the condensed milk, butter, sugar, golden syrup, and salt into a saucepan.
Gently heat on a low temperature until all the ingredients have melted.
Now turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring all the time, until the caramel has thickened and turns a deep golden colour.
Pour the caramel on top of the shortbread and spread it out into an even layer. Cover the baking tin with clingfilm and place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.

Move on to the chocolate topping (see photos above)

Take the shortbread out of the fridge and set aside.
Break the white chocolate up into a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second blasts until smooth. Spoon into a small piping bag, snip off the tip and set it aside for now.
Now melt the milk chocolate in 30-second blasts until smooth. Pour the melted milk chocolate on top of the caramel layer and spread it out evenly.
Return to the piping bag. Hold it upright in the middle of the baking tin, pipe a white chocolate spiral on top of the milk chocolate moving outwards. Use a toothpick to drag lines through the spiral starting from the middle to create a spiderweb effect.
Place the baking tin back in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.

Let the millionaire’s sit at room temperature for roughly 1 hour before slicing. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.

How to make the fondant spider

Find the instructions and a how-to video on my “How to make a fondant spider” blog post.

Halloween

How to make a fondant spider

Featuredby JessieLeave a Comment

This easy-to-make fondant spider is perfect for decorating Halloween cakes, brownies or cupcakes. You’ll just need some black and red ready-to-roll fondant icing, a toothpick, edible glue and a small round piping nozzle. It will only take you 10 minutes to make and it’s a great way to get the kids involved.

I decorated my Millionaire’s Spiderweb Shortbread with the fondant spider and it really does take this Halloween bake to the next level!

What you will need

Red ready to roll fondant icing
Black ready to roll fondant icing
Toothpick
Edible glue
Small round piping nozzle
Greaseproof paper

How to make a fondant spider

Step 1 – Make the body

First, cover a work surface with a piece of greaseproof paper.
Take a 10p sized piece of black fondant and roll it into a ball using the palm of your hands.
Place it on greaseproof paper.

Step 2 – Make the head

Take a smaller piece of black fondant, roll into a ball and attach it to the body.

Step 3 – Roll the fangs

Take two small pieces of black fondant and roll each one into a small sausage shape.
Position one either side of the head.

Step 4 – Roll the legs

Take a piece of black fondant roughly the same size used for the head.
Using your palm and fingertips roll it into a long thin sausage.
Place it on the greaseproof paper and use the toothpick to gently make 2 indents on the leg. Repeat this for all 8 legs.
Attach 4 legs together, and the other 4 together.

Step 5 – Assemble the spider

Connect the legs together in the middle. Squeeze a little edible glue on top and attach the body.

Step 6 – Add the red spots

Take a small piece of red fondant and flatten it into a disc.
Use the round tip of the piping nozzle to stamp out 3 circles.
Using the edible glue, stick the red dots on the spider’s body.

Step 7 – Leave to dry

Leave the spider uncovered to dry and set.

Step 8 – Decorate

Gently peel the spider off the greaseproof paper and place it on top of your Halloween cake, cupcakes or traybake. I made the spider to decorate my Millionaire’s Spiderweb Shortbread.

Autumn, Cakes, Cupcakes

Nutella Mocha Cupcakes

Featuredby JessieLeave a Comment

Coffee cupcakes filled with melted Nutella, topped with coffee hazelnut buttercream and decorated with crushed hazelnuts and a drizzle of Nutella. These Nutella Mocha Cupcakes are a coffee lovers dream!

Nutella Mocha Cupcakes with nutella filling

Success tips for baking Nutella mocha cupcakes

Choosing the correct cupcake cases.
Cupcakes come in three sizes; fairy cake, standard and muffin. The baking time will vary depending on the case size you use. This recipe will give you 12 muffin-sized cupcakes. The cases I used were from Sainsbury’s and measured 2″ base and 1.5″ deep.

Removing the middle of the cupcakes.
Let them cool completely before you try to core the cupcakes. To do this, you can use a cupcake corer (like in the photo below), a knife or a piping nozzle. Be careful not to go all the way to the bottom, as you want to leave the bottom intact so the filling doesn’t spill out.

Piping the buttercream.
Piping can be really tricky but the more you practice the easier it will become. Here are a few of my top tips to help you:

Only fill your piping bag ¾ full and use your hands to push the buttercream down to the end, squeezing out the air.
Twist the top of the bag to keep the buttercream in place and to give you more control.
Hold the piping bag upright in the middle of the cupcake. Apply pressure to the piping bag and pipe in a circular motion spiralling outwards and lifting upwards at the same time.
To finish the swirl, release pressure and gently lift the piping bag up.

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Nutella mocha cupcake recipe (makes 12)

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
180g Stork (margarine) or unsalted butter
180g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
180g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons freshly ground coffee – I used 200 Degrees’ Brazilian Love Affair coffee, it’s my absolute favourite!
1 tablespoon water

For the filling:
1 jar Nutella – you’ll use roughly a teaspoon to fill each cupcake

For the hazelnut coffee buttercream:
250g salted butter
500g icing sugar
3 tablespoons freshly brewed coffee
2 teaspoons hazelnut coffee syrup – I used Monin syrup

For the decoration:
Crushed hazelnuts, to sprinkle on top
Nutella, to drizzle on top

Method

Start by making the cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake cases.
In a small bowl mix the ground coffee or espresso powder with the water. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and pale in colour.
Beat in the eggs, one by one, adding 2 tablespoons of the 180g flour at the same time.
Now add the remaining flour, and the coffee mixture, and fold together until fully combined.
Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases, filling them roughly ¾ full.
Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Fill the cupcakes.

Once the cupcakes are cool, scoop out the middle of each using a cupcake corer (like in the photos) or a teaspoon.
Melt roughly 3-4 tablespoons of Nutella in a bowl in the microwave.
Fill each cupcake with a heaped teaspoon of melted Nutella.
Press the cake middles back into the holes to cap off the top (you may have to trim them down).

Now make the buttercream.

Make a fresh cup of coffee and put it in the fridge until needed.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy, light and pale in colour.
Sift in half the icing sugar and beat again until smooth.
Now sift in the remaining icing sugar, add the hazelnut syrup and add 3 tablespoons of the fresh coffee.
Beat together until the buttercream is smooth and fully combined.

Time to decorate!

Spoon the buttercream into a large piping bag fitted with a large open star nozzle.
Starting from the middle of the cupcakes, hold the piping bag upright and pipe in a circular motion moving outwards. To finish the swirl, gently lift the piping bag upwards.
Drizzle a little Nutella on top of each cupcake and sprinkle over the crushed hazelnuts.

Your Nutella mocha cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Brownies

Kinder Bueno Brownies

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

Rich in flavour and fudgy in texture, these double chocolate Kinder Bueno brownies are indulgent, delicious and definitely a must-bake!

Kinder brownies have been on my baking list for a veryyyy long time, so I’m excited to finally share this recipe with you. I was torn between using Kinder Bueno’s (they’re the crispy on the outside cream-filled chocolate bars) or the classic Kinder Chocolate, so in the end, I decided to use both! And if that wasn’t enough, I used a mix of Milk and White chocolate Bueno bars…I know crazy right 😉

The recipe is super easy and the brownies can be prepped and baked in less than an hour. I’ve found that the Bueno bars will burn really easily in the oven if they are placed on top, so it’s best to fold them into the mixture. Finish the brownies with a simple white chocolate drizzle, before slicing up and tucking in.

Top tips for baking Kinder Bueno brownies

The texture of brownies can be difficult to get right and it has personally led to a lot of failed attempts in the past. A dry, cakey brownie is just so disappointing! So here are my top three tips to make sure your Kinder Bueno brownies turn out perfectly.

Whisk the eggs and sugar really well. This will give the brownies that lovely crispy, crackly top and a gooey middle.
Once you’ve added the flour be careful not to over mix. You don’t want to add too much air into the mixture, so just gently fold in the flour in a figure of eight motion until combined.
Brownies are best under-baked. Brownies will continue to cook and firm up as they cool down, so it’s always best to take them out the oven slightly under-baked. In my oven, I always bake brownies for 17 minutes at 180°C. I know that they’re done when the top is no longer shiny, the edges have started to crack and if I gently shake the baking tin, the brownies will wobble a little underneath.

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Kinder Bueno Brownies recipe (makes 12)

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, roughly chopped into chunks
170g 70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
2 large eggs, at room temperature
220g caster sugar
150g self-raising flour
2 x Kinder Bueno Milk + 2 x Kinder Bueno White
4 x Kinder Chocolate Bar (roughly 100g)
20g white chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line an 8inch/20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper. Set aside.
Place the dark chocolate and unsalted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second blasts, mixing after each, until completely smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for a minute until pale in colour and frothy.
Pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the whisked eggs. Add the flour as well and fold the mixture together until fully combined.
Using your hands, break up the Kinder Bueno and Kinder Chocolate bars into the mixture, and fold everything together.
Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and spread out into an even layer.
Bake for 17-20 minutes* until the top is no longer shiny and the edges have started to crack.
Leave to cool completely for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results. You can speed this up by putting them in the fridge to set for an hour. This will make cutting them easier and make the brownies even more fudgier.
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until smooth. Use a teaspoon to drizzle over the brownies.
Slice into 12 and serve.

Your Kinder Bueno Brownies will keep at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.

*Even if you’re unsure if your brownies are ready, I would always suggest taking them out as they will continue to cook as they cool.

Biscuits, Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Shortbread

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

Bring out your finest tea set, put the kettle on and enjoy these delicious milk and white chocolate dipped raspberry shortbread biscuits!

Dunking chocolate shortbreads in a tea cup — *Disclosure: Natural Canvas tea set gifted by Denby Pottery. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.*

Why you’ll love these shortbreads

Ease – only 6 simple ingredients are needed for this recipe. You can make, bake and enjoy within the hour.

Texture – crumbly and buttery, these shortbreads really do melt in the mouth.

Flavour – creamy chocolate, sweet shortbread and tangy raspberries. What’s there not to love!?

Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Shortbread — Natural Canvas tea set collection by Denby Pottery

How to make chocolate dipped shortbreads

Make the biscuit dough. Beat the butter and together until creamy, then add the flour and use your hands bring the dough together.
Roll and shape. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the shortbread dough out. Stamp out the shortbread rounds using a 6cm round cookie cutter.

Chill. Place on the baking tray in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill the shortbread biscuits. This will stop them from spreading out too much in the oven.
Bake. 10-12 minutes is all the shortbreads need. They’re ready when they’ve turned a pale golden brown colour and the bottom is firm.
Dip in chocolate. Once the shortbreads are cool, melt the white and milk chocolate in separate bowls. Dip the shortbreads in the melted chocolate, scraping off any access on the bottom, and carefully place back on the baking tray.

Decorate. Sprinkle the freeze dried raspberries on top. Cute colourful sprinkles or freeze dried strawberries would also look great!
Chill once more. Place the baking tray back in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.

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Chocolate Dipped Raspberry Shortbread recipe (makes 10-12)

Ingredients

150g plain flour
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g white caster sugar
50g milk chocolate
50g white chocolate
Freeze dried raspberries

Method

Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and smooth. Add the flour and use your hands to bring the mixture together into a dough.
Lightly dust a worktop and rolling pin with a little flour. Tip the dough onto the worktop and roll it out until it’s roughly 0.5cm thick.
Use a 6cm round cookie cutter to stamp out the biscuits and place them on the baking tray. You’ll need to bring the dough together and roll it out again to get 10-12 biscuits.
Sprinkle the biscuits with a little caster sugar and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F.
Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes until pale golden brown. Leave to cool.
Melt the two chocolates in separate bowls in the microwave for 30-40 seconds until smooth.
Dip half of the biscuits in milk chocolate and the other half in white chocolate, placing them back on the baking tray. Sprinkle the freeze dried raspberries on top and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to help the chocolate set.
When you’re ready to serve the biscuits, arrange them on a pretty plate and enjoy with a lovely cup of tea!

Your chocolate dipped raspberry shortbreads will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Autumn, Cakes

Sticky toffee banana bread

September 16, 2020September 27, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

Transform a classic banana bread into a showstopper bake with this delicious sticky toffee banana bread recipe!

How to make sticky toffee banana bread

You’ll start by making the banana loaf cake
The sponge mixture replaces white caster sugar with light brown sugar to lock in moisture and give a lovely caramel undertone to the cake. Mashed bananas are folded into the mixture before transferring to a loaf tin and baking in the oven.

As the cake cools, you’ll move on to the sticky toffee sauce
Butter, sugar and cream are all that’s needed to make the sauce. Just be careful when heating the mixture as it will get really hot! Once the mixture has boiled for a few minutes, you’ll pop the sauce in the fridge to set and firm up. The result is a smooth but thick texture that you can spread on top of the cake.

Then it’s the final touches
I used butterscotch pieces and banana chips to decorate the cake, but you could also use fudge pieces or even white chocolate chips would be delicious!

How to line a loaf tin

Unlike square baking tins, loaf tins can be a little tricky to prep. I’ve found that the best way is to first lightly grease the tin all over with a little butter. Then cut a piece of greaseproof paper that is long enough to line the base and long sides of the tin, with enough paper hanging over the edges to help lift the cake out. This way the loaf cake will have straight, neat edges and bake more evenly.

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Sticky toffee banana bread recipe (makes 10-12 slices)

Ingredients

For the banana bread:
150g unsalted butter
120g light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
220g self-raising flour
2 ripe medium-sized bananas, roughly 120g each

For the toffee sauce:
50g light brown sugar
35g unsalted butter
50ml double cream

For the decoration:
Mini butterscotch or fudge pieces
Dried banana chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350 F. Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.

Start by making the loaf cake.

In a bowl mash the bananas together with a whisk or fork until the mixture is lump-free. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Now mix in the eggs, one at a time, adding two tablespoons of flour with each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining flour and mashed bananas, and fold the mixture together until fully combined.
Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and spread it out into an even layer.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake has risen, is golden on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool for 15 minutes in the baking tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Now make the sticky toffee topping.

Place the sugar and butter in a small-sized saucepan. Gently heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until both have fully melted and there are no lumps.
Pour in half of the cream and stir the mixture together until combined. Repeat with the remaining cream.
Now turn up the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture boil for roughly 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t burn. The toffee should thicken and turn a lovely golden colour.
Turn off the heat and pour the toffee into a jar or bowl (be careful as it will be really hot!).
Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then place in the fridge for an hour to firm up.

Now it’s time to decorate!

Take the toffee out of the fridge and give it a good stir to loosen it up. You may need to let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften up.
Spoon the toffee on top of the banana bread and use a palette knife to spread it out and create a swirly pattern.
Scatter the butterscotch pieces on top and finish by dotting the banana chips down the middle of the cake.

Your sticky toffee banana bread will keep in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.