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Mini Double Chocolate Fudge Cakes

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

These mini double chocolate fudge cakes are rich, indulgent and very cute. Who doesn’t LOVE chocolate fudge cake!?

Each mini cake has three layers of chocolate fudge sponge and is decorated with milk chocolate and white chocolate buttercream. They’re finished with a scattering of cuteeeee Zillionaire sprinkles from Cake Angels. I made these cakes for my husband’s birthday this year, so decided to add a candle in each as well!

Chocolate fudge cake ingredients

There are a few surprising ingredients in the cake mixture. You might read them at first and think surely not that can’t be right! Well, let me explain…

Using sunflower oil instead of butter – chocolate fudge cakes are meant to be super moist and well…fudgy! The oil will help to keep the cake moist, which is particularly important as the cake uses quite a bit of cocoa powder, which can dry cakes out.

Adding espresso powder – will not taste the coffee, promise! Adding a bit of espresso powder which enhance the chocolate flavour, making the cake more rich and intense.

Adding boiling water – the boiling water will help dissolve the cocoa powder and technically talking this will help it “bloom”. Blooming helps to bring out as much flavour as possible from the cocoa.

How to make chocolate fudge cake

Making a chocolate fudge cake has never been easier! You’ll just need one large bowl, an electric mixer and a measuring jug.

First, stir the dry ingredients together.
Then add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.
Pour in the boiling water, and continue to mix.
Then mix on high speed for about a minute until all ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth.

Don’t panic if the mixture is very runny and thin. It’s meant to be this way! Check out the photo below.

Baking the cakes

You’ll need two 12-hole baking tins for these mini-cakes. I used Lakeland’s loose-based baking tin, it’s non-stick and works like a dream.

Divide the mixture equally between the baking tins. You’ll need to do this quickly, as the mixture is so thin that it might leak out the bottom! To be safe, place the baking tins on a piece of greaseproof paper to protect your worktop.

Then pop the cakes in the oven for roughly 30-35 minutes. They most likely will dome and rise a little unevenly, but that’s okay. Once they’re cool just slice the tops off so that you have nice flat top cakes. Plus you get to eat the leftovers!

How to decorate the cakes and create a “two-tone” effect

These mini chocolate fudge cakes sandwiched together with milk chocolate buttercream AND white chocolate buttercream. These dream combo!

The cakes are layered with alternative buttercream flavours. On the top, I decided to pipe “two-tone” buttercream dots around the edge. You don’t need any fancy divided piping bags to create a “two-tone” buttercream effect. I would suggest using the largest piping bag you can find to make it a little easier though.

Easy steps to create the “two-tone” effect

Fill one side of the piping bag with one buttercream, being careful not to touch the other side.
Fill the other side with the other buttercream
Push the buttercream down the piping bag using your hands, so that you remove all the air bubbles and the buttercream has started to come through the nozzle.
Test the buttercream on a piece of greaseproof first. You may need to pipe a few dots until both buttercream types start to show through.

Mini Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe (makes 8 mini cakes)

Ingredients

For the sponge cakes:

250g self-raising flour
300g golden caster sugar
80g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
250ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
100ml sunflower oil
250ml boiling water

For the chocolate buttercream:

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g icing sugar
50g milk chocolate
20g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate

For the decoration:

Cute chocolate sprinkles – I used Cake Angels Zillionaire Sprinkles, they’re super cute and also have salted fudge pieces in them… YUM!
Birthday candles

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC, and lightly grease two 12 hole mini cake baking tins. I used Lakeland’s loose-based baking tin, it’s non-stick and works like a dream!

Start by making the cakes.

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and espresso powder. Use a whisk or fork to stir the ingredients together until well combined.
Now add the wet ingredients into the bowl: vanilla extract, milk, eggs and sunflower oil. Use an electric mixer set to medium speed to beat all ingredients together until smooth.
Reduce the speed and carefully pour in the boiling water bit by bit. Don’t worry if the mixture looks very runny, once baked the cake will be super fudgy and moist.
Once all the boiling water has been added, turn the speed up to high and beat for 1 minute to add air to the mixture (little bubbles should start to form on top!).
Spoon the mixture evenly between the baking tins. You’ll need to do this quickly, as the mixture is so thin that it might leak out the bottom! To be safe, place the baking tins on a piece of greaseproof paper to protect your worktop.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until the cakes have risen and are no longer shiny on top. Leave the cakes to cool.

Once the cakes are cool, make the buttercream.

Melt the white chocolate and milk chocolate in separate bowls in the microwave until smooth. Set aside and leave to cool.
Beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft, pale and free of any lumps. Sieve the icing sugar into the bowl and beat again until you have a smooth plain buttercream.
Spoon half of the plain buttercream into the bowl with the cooled, melted milk chocolate. Now add the cocoa powder and beat together until you have smooth milk chocolate buttercream.
Spoon the remaining plain buttercream into the bowl with the cooled, melted white chocolate and beat together until smooth.

Now it’s time to decorate!

If the cakes have domed or risen unevenly, use a sharp knife to slice off the tops so that you have flat cakes to stack and decorate.
Take one of the cakes and spread a layer of milk chocolate buttercream on top. Place a second cake on top and spread a layer of white chocolate buttercream on top. Now place a third cake on top and spread a thin layer of milk chocolate buttercream on top.
Repeat for the remaining 7 cakes. You should have 8 mini three-layer cakes in total.
Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle. Carefully spoon the leftover milk chocolate buttercream into one side of the piping bag. Now spoon the leftover white chocolate buttercream into the other side of the piping bag. Use your hands to push the buttercream down the piping bag.
Holding the piping bag upright, pipe dots of buttercream on top of the cakes. The buttercream should be “two-tone” meaning both buttercream flavours and colours show through.
Finish the cakes with a scattering of chocolate sprinkles, and if you’re celebrating a special occasion, push a candle into the middle of each cake. Enjoy!

Store the cakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

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Cakes, Spring, Summer

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake

July 20, 2020July 21, 2020by JessieLeave a Comment

This easy lemon drizzle loaf cake is light, buttery and refreshing, it’s an all-time classic that looks and tastes absolutely delicious. If you love lemon, this is the recipe for you!

How to make a lemon drizzle loaf cake

There are 3 parts to this recipe, the sponge, the lemon drizzle and the lemon icing. Each is super easy to make and only requires a few ingredients.

Start by making a simple sponge mixture

You’ll start by making a simple sponge mixture. I always use Stork (margarine) for cakes and add a couple of tablespoons of milk, it helps give the cake a lovely light and fluffy texture. Lemon zest is also added to the sponge mixture to add flavour.

Drizzle over the lemon syrup

Whilst the cake is still warm, you’ll drizzle a lemon syrup on top and let it soak into the sponge. This is what makes this cake SO delicious! The sponge will pack a zesty punch and the texture is moist and light.

Decorate with lemon icing

You can enjoy this cake as it is, but I think it’s even better with a layer of sweet and sticky icing on top. Plus the icing is so easy to make, just mix together white icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a thick but spreadable consistency. Then you’ll spoon it on top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Drizzling lemon syrup on lemon loaf cake

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake Recipe (makes 8-10 slices)

Ingredients

For the loaf cake:

175g Stork tub (margarine) or unsalted butter
175g golden caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
175g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons milk
1 lemon, zest only

For the lemon syrup:

1 lemon, juice only
50g golden caster sugar

For the lemon icing:

200g icing sugar
1 lemon, juice only

Method

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

Start by making the loaf cake.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, along with a tablespoon of the flour each time to stop the mixture from curdling.
Now add the remaining flour, milk and lemon zest and fold together until fully combined.
Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and spread it out into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the cake has browned on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Whilst the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup.

In a small bowl stir together the sugar and lemon juice.
Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the top. Spoon the syrup all over the cake and let it sink into the sponge.
Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the baking tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Once the cake is cool, make the lemon icing.

Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a thick but spreadable consistency.
Spread the icing all over the top of the cake, letting it drop down the side of the cake.
Finish by grating fresh lemon zest on top and decorating with lemon wedges.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cakes, Spring, Summer

Honey and Walnut Loaf Cake

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020by Jessie2 Comments

Honey and walnut loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting, decorated with homemade honeycomb and finished with a drizzle of honey. What a beauty!

Before we get into the recipe I have to mention that this cake is made using fresher than fresh honey, harvested by my niece and nephew (with the help of their parents of course!). I was so pleased when they gifted me a jar of the honey, I immediately started harvesting a whole load of baking ideas, with this cake being the top of the list.

How to make honeycomb

Making honeycomb is so much easier than I thought it would be! I followed BBC Good Food’s Video Tutorial which was super helpful to see how it was meant to look at each stage. I definitely recommend giving that a watch, and here are a few of my own top tips to help you out:

Tip #1 – Be REALLY patient
It can take a while for the sugar to dissolve and turn to liquid. I had to patiently wait a good 10 minutes for this to happen. Just don’t be tempted to turn the heat up, it won’t speed it up and instead you’ll probably end up burning the sugar.

Tip #2 – Look for a deep golden colour
Before you add the bicarbonate of soda, you want the sugar to be a really deep golden colour and reaching a rolling boil in the saucepan. Think the colour of maple syrup. If you add the bicarb too early when the sugar isn’t hot enough, the honeycomb will end up chewy rather than crunchy.

Tip #3 – Only stir the bicarb in for a couple of seconds
As soon as you add the bicarb the honeycomb with froth and bubble up, you only want to stir the mixture for a couple of seconds before pouring it onto the greaseproof paper. Over-stirring will deflate the honeycomb and it won’t have those lovely air pockets throughout.

How to decorate your honey and walnut loaf cake

I chose to decorate my cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s not as sweet as traditional buttercream and the tangy flavour of cream cheese pairs so well with honey. This recipe makes enough for a nice thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Use a spoon or a spatula to swirl the frosting on top.

Spreading cream cheese frosting on honeycomb walnut loaf cake

The final touch

A drizzle of honey is the finishing touch for this cake. Do this just before you’re ready to serve the cake, otherwise, the honey will soften the honeycomb.

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Honey and Walnut Loaf Cake Recipe (makes 8-10 slices)

Ingredients

For the loaf cake:

200g Stork tub (margarine) or unsalted butter
170g golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
200g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
100g chopped walnuts

For the cream cheese frosting:

70g unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
150g icing sugar
70g full-fat cream cheese, cold from the fridge

For the honeycomb:

100g caster sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Method

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

Start by making the loaf cake.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together until pale and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, along with a tablespoon of the flour each time to stop the mixture from curdling.

Now add the remaining flour, milk and honey and mix together until fully combined. Add the chopped walnuts and fold everything together one last time.

Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and spread it out into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the cake has browned on top and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the baking tin before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Whilst the cake cools make the honeycomb.

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

In a large saucepan add the caster sugar and honey. Heat gently on a low temperature, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and a clear liquid has formed. You’ll need to be patient as this can take 10 minutes or so.

Now turn the heat up to medium and heat the liquid until it is bubbling up and has turned a golden amber colour. Stir occasionally to prevent the sugar from burning. Again be patient as this can take another 10 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the bicarbonate of soda and immediately stir into the mixture until the powder has dissolved. This will happen very quickly and the mixture will foam and bubble up. Pour the honeycomb onto the greaseproof paper and leave to set.

Now make the cream cheese frosting.

Beat the butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese (cold from the fridge) and fold into the mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overdo it, as it can quickly become runny.

Time to decorate!

Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the cake. Use your hands to break up the honeycomb into shards and scatter them on top of the frosting. Finish with a drizzle of honey.

Store your honey and walnut loaf cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Dessert, Healthy, Traybake

Vegan Millionaire’s Shortbread

July 13, 2020July 13, 2020by Jessie2 Comments

They may be gluten-free, vegan and free from refined sugars, but these millionaire’s shortbreads will definitely hit the sweet spot. A crumbly gluten-free biscuit base is topped with smooth date caramel and finished with a shiny vegan chocolate topping. Three layers of deliciousness!

When I first tried them I was SO impressed by how similar the taste and texture was to the classic version. I even tricked my husband into believing they weren’t vegan and gluten-free, he happily ate two thinking they were normal millionaire’s shortbread. Now that’s got to be a good sign!

Oh, and did I mention that you only need 5 ingredients to make them? This recipe is a real winner!

You’ll only need 5 ingredients

Gluten-free oats
You’ll blitz the oats in a blender to make oat flour for the biscuit base.
Coconut oil
Used for all three layers, melted coconut oil will help combine dry ingredients and add a lovely shine to the chocolate topping. I used Groovy Food’s coconut oil.
Dates
There are many different types of dates, but Medjool dates are perfect for this recipe. They’re larger, darker and more caramel like-in taste. Just remember to buy pitted/stoned dates if you can.
Maple syrup
You’ll use maple syrup to add a little natural sweetness to the biscuit base. Choose a good quality maple syrup for extra minerals and antioxidants, I used Buckwud Pure Maple Syrup.
Cocoa powder
You’ll whisk together cocoa powder and melted coconut oil to make the chocolate topping. Choose a good quality organic cocoa powder without any added sugar. I used Food Thoughts 100% cocoa powder.

Nutritional Information (per shortbread)

Calories: 140
Fat: 8.5g
Saturated Fat: 2.6g
Carbs: 15.1g
Sugar (from natural sources): 9.9g
Protein: 1.8g

Recipe for Vegan Millionaire’s Shortbread (makes 25)

Ingredients

For the gluten-free shortbread base:
200g gluten-free oats
45g coconut oil
75g good quality maple syrup

For the caramel layer:
300g dates (stones removed)
50g tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons water

For the chocolate topping:
100g coconut oil
60g cocao powder

Method

Line the base of an 8inch baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Start by making the shortbread base.

Blitz the oats in a blender or food processor until they turn into a flour-like consistency.

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave or over low heat until it turns to liquid. Add the maple syrup and oat flour, and mix everything together until fully combined.

Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and press into an even layer. Place the baking tin in the freezer whilst you make the caramel layer.

Now make the caramel layer.

Melt the coconut oil. Add to a blender food processor along with with the dates and water and blitz until you have a smooth paste.

Take the shortbread base out of the freezer and spread the date caramel on top. Return the baking tin to the freezer.

Now make the chocolate topping.

Melt the coconut oil in the microwave in 20-second blasts until it turns to liquid. Add the cocoa powder to the coconut oil and whisk together until smooth. Take the baking tin out of the freezer and pour the chocolate on top.

Place the baking tin in the fridge for at least one hour to set, before slicing into 25 pieces.

Store the vegan millionaire’s shortbread in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days, or wrap in foil and clingfilm and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Cupcakes, Summer

Rainbow Cupcakes

June 29, 2020June 30, 2020by Jessie4 Comments

It takes sunshine and rain to make a rainbow, or in this case, vanilla cake mixture and food colouring! These joyful rainbow cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream are sure to brighten your day and put a smile of your face.

Featuring a rainbow vanilla sponge base, these cupcakes are topped with a smooth and creamy white chocolate buttercream and are decorated with THE cutest unicorn sprinkles and decorations.

Rainbow cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream

Piping white chocolate buttercream onto rainbow cupcakes

Making a rainbow sponge is super easy!

Don’t you just love it when something looks really impressive but it’s actually so easy to make? Well, this recipe is exactly that!

Step 1: Whip up a simple cake mixture

Start by making a simple vanilla sponge mixture. Equal parts butter, sugar and flour, couple of eggs, a dash of vanilla extract, and I always like to add a tablespoon of milk.

Step 2: Dye the cake mixture

Split the sponge mixture into four bowls and dye each a different colour. I chose to use yellow, green, blue and red colours.

TOP TIP: Use food colouring gel or pastes to get a vibrant, bright colour. Liquid food colourings are more diluted and therefore the colours will look more washed out.

Step 3: Fill the cupcake cases

Spoon one coloured mixture into the left-hand side of the cupcake case, now spoon a different colour on the right-hand side. Repeat with the remaining two colours, spooning them on top. Hopefully that all makes sense, pictures below if not. This will give you lovely distinct colours in the sponge once they’re baked.

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Rainbow cupcake recipe (makes 12)

Ingredients

For the sponge:
200g Stork tub
200g caster sugar
200g self-raising flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon milk
Green, blue, red and yellow food colouring – make sure you use the gels/pastes, not the liquid types. I used PME Concentrated Food Pastes.

For the white chocolate buttercream:
200g unsalted butter, soft at room temperature
200g icing sugar
100g white chocolate

For the decoration:
Cute and colourful sprinkles – I used Dr.Oetker Unicorn Head Sprinkles and House of Cake Unicorn & Rainbow decorations

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a cupcake baking tray with 12 cupcake cases.

Start by making the cupcakes.

In a large bowl beat together the butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the 200g flour with each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.

Add the remaining flour, baking powder and milk and fold together until smooth and combined.

Divide the mixture into four bowls. Using the food colouring gels, dye one bowl of mixture red, one blue, one green and one yellow.

Spoon one of the coloured mixtures into the left-hand side of a cupcake case, now spoon a different colour on the right-hand side. Repeat with the remaining two colours, spooning them on top. Repeat for all 12 cupcakes.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until the cupcakes have risen, spring back to the touch and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Now make the white chocolate buttercream.

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second blasts until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter until super soft, pale in colour and smooth. Sieve the icing sugar into the bowl and beat again until you have a smooth, lump-free buttercream.

Pour the white chocolate into the buttercream and fold together until combined.

Time to decorate!

Spread or pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes. I used a large 12 point closed star nozzle to get that lovely swirl effect. Finish the cupcakes with a scatter of rainbow sprinkles. CUTE!

Store the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 3 days.