The Baker's Daughter

Friday cake bake

 

Peach and almond coffee cake with an amaretti cookie crunch

 
Peaches are not in season in Canada but I saw some at the grocery store today and they looked really good!  The sprinkle of amaretti cookies on the top of the cake gives it a special crunch.  You may need to cover the cake for the last 10 minutes or so if the top of the cake becomes too dark.

Peach and almond coffee cake with an amaretti cookie crunch

1 cup plain full fat yogurt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 tsp vanilla

2 peaches

6-8 amaretti cookies, crushed

1/3 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Icing sugar to dust (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Grease and flour an 8 inch spring form pan. 

Remove the pits from the peaches.  Chop one of the peaches into medium sized chunks. Cut the other peach into thin slices.  

In a bowl, whisk together the plain yogurt and baking soda.  Set aside.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder.  Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and mix.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix.  Add half of the flour mixture and once mixed in add half the yogurt mixture.  Repeat.  Fold in the peach chunks and chopped almonds.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the crushed amaretti cookies and arrange the peach slices around the cookie pieces.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the cake. 

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning the cake out of the pan.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Dust with icing sugar if you wish.

 

 
 

Lemon raspberry cake with lemon curd whip cream

I love sour things.  I can eat a bag of sour kids and still want more, so when I was craving something sour today I thought I would make a twist on the sour lemon cake by Donna Hay.  I really love how fresh and lemony the curd is, and it goes so well with the sweet cream. The addition of raspberries to the cake gives it that extra special touch, but you can leave them out or use other berries if you wish.  These would also work well as cupcakes. 

Lemon raspberry cake

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups self raising flour OR 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

Lemon curd whip cream

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 egg

1 cup whip cream (35% cream)

1 tbsp icing sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

If you don't have self-raising flour, in a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.  Fold in the lemon juice, sour cream and self-raising flour or flour mixture.  Fold in the raspberries.

Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans and smooth the batter evenly to the edges. 

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.

Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes before flipping them over onto a cooling rack.

To make the lemon curd place the lemon juice, lemon zest, egg and sugar in a heat proof glass bowl.  Place the bowl over a pot of rapidly simmering water, being careful that the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water.  Stir the mixture until it thickens (about 5 minutes).  You will know when the curd has thickened enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and will not drip off easily.

Pass the lemon curd through a sieve to eliminate lumps.  Cover the curd with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to cool off.

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat 1 cup of chilled whip cream and the icing sugar, until stiff peaks form.  Reserve 2 tbsp of the lemon curd before gently folding in the remaining curd into the whip cream. 

Spread the 2 tbsp of reserved lemon curd onto one of the cake rounds.  Top with 1/4 of the lemon curd whip cream.  Place the remaining cake round on top and spoon the remaining lemon curd whip cream on top.  Smooth out the cream and top with a few raspberries and lemon zest if desired. 

Chill until you are ready to serve.

 





 

Carrot cake muffins with orange-cream cheese filling

  Sometimes the last thing you want to do on a lazy Sunday morning is fiddle around with icing tips, offset spatulas and pastry bags.  These carrot muffins are great because you get the deliciousness of cream cheese icing baked right into the muffin.  I've used raisins soaked in rum but you can skip that step if you want.  This recipe will make one dozen standard size muffins or one 8 inch cake.

Carrot cake muffins with orange-cream cheese filling

Carrot cake

½ cup butter, softened 

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups carrots, grated

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

¾ tsp baking soda

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped

2 tbsp rum

Cream cheese filling

6 oz cream cheese

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp orange zest

Directions

Soak the raisins in the rum for at least half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and line a standard muffin tin (or grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan, if using).

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the carrots and mix.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl in three separate additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time.  Drain the raisins from the rum, and fold them into the mixture along with the pecans.  Set aside while you make the cream cheese filling.

Using a hand or stand mixer combine the cream cheese, orange zest and sugar.  Beat for two minutes on medium high. 

Drop a large tablespoon of the carrot cake into a muffin cup.  Place a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on top and top that with another heaping tablespoon of carrot cake.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.

Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

 

Hockey Gold

 
The Canadian woman's hockey team won gold last night in Vancouver and the men will hopefully (fingers crossed) win as well this weekend.  I made this cake for an office today.  The cake is chocolate truffle with a white chocolate icing.

 
 

Raspberry coffee cake

 

All I want to do these days is sit around, watch the Olympics and stuff my face.  This coffee cake is great for the stuffing face part.  This cake is really moist due to the sour cream.  Use any fresh or frozen fruit you have around, it all works!  You can use an 8 inch bundt pan or a muffin tin like I did.  If using a bundt pan your cooking time will be about 40 to 50 minutes and if using a muffin tin your cooking time will be about 15-20 minutes. 

Raspberry coffee cake

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp baking soda

½ cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

¾ tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 pint fresh or 2 cups frozen raspberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease and flour an 8 inch bundt pan (or grease a muffin tin). 

In a bowl combine the sour cream and baking soda.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Slowly add the eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy.  Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again.  Add the sour cream mixture and gently mix in.  Add the flour and baking powder in three stages, mixing in between each addition.  Add 3/4 of the raspberries and gently fold them in.  Poke the remaining 1/4 of the raspberries into the top of the muffins. 

Bake for 40-50 minutes (or 15-20 if using a muffin tin) until golden brown and the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Let the cake cool and overturn to release the cake from the pan. Drizzle with chocolate if you wish.

 
 

Devilish

 

Made this cake today for a Devil's fan.

Flourless Chocolate Cakes

  
If anyone had ever told me they were hungover on chocolate I wouldn’t have believed them: Until it happened to me.  I made these cakes on a Sunday and proceeded to eat approximately 30 million of them.  I have a mild chocolate allergy so when I woke up on Monday morning it was like I’d been on an all night bender, my head was pounding and I had a very suspicious craving to get me some McDonalds.

These cakes are a great dessert option for people who can’t eat gluten and they smell so divine when they are cooking, it’s insane.  They are very rich and dense so serve them with a great big dollop of whipped cream and some fresh fruit and you will be in chocolate heaven.  Use good quality dark chocolate and cocoa powder in this recipe, it makes all the difference.  Also, if you don't have almond meal lying around just whiz some whole blanched almonds up in a food processor until a fine crumb forms.  Just make sure you don't over process the almonds or they can become gluey.  I used a mini cupcake tin and they cooked in about 15 minutes, a standard muffin tin will probably take around 25 minutes.  Feel free to use a larger muffin tin or even a cake tin.  Cooking times will vary depending on the size of tin you use but cook the cakes until they are firm to the touch.  This recipe was taken from Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2.

Flourless Chocolate Cakes

6 oz butter, softened

7 ½ oz dark chocolate, chopped

1 ¼ cups white sugar

¾ cup almond meal

1 cup cocoa powder

5 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat combine the chocolate, sugar and butter.  Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted and the ingredients are combined.  Set aside.

Sift the cup of cocoa powder into a bowl and add the almond meal.  Using a whisk mix the melted chocolate into the bowl and stir to combine.

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring between each egg.

Spoon the cakes into a greased tin and bake until firm to the touch.

 

Friands

The combination of almonds and raspberries is always so good.  These Friands do not disappoint and I love everything about them, from the crunchy edges, to the sweet cake and the tart punch of the berries.  Serve these with some freshly whipped cream and you will be BFF’s with everyone that tries them.  This recipe was taken from the Donna Hay  "Modern Classics Book 2", which is a gorgeous book full of amazing recipes and beautiful pictures! I did not have almond meal on hand but I had whole blanched almonds which i whizzed up in my cuisinart.  Just be careful when chopping the almonds in a food processor as they release their oils and get gluey if they are left in it for to long.

Friands

4 oz butter

1 cup almond meal

1 2/3 cup icing sugar, sifted

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

5 egg whites

1/3 cup raspberries (or other frozen or fresh berries)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and melt, cooking until it is a light golden colour.

Combine the almond meal, icing sugar, flour and baking powder together in a bowl.  Add the egg whites and stir to combine.  Add the cooled butter and stir.  Grease your muffin tins and spoon the mixture in.  Sprinkle the berries on top and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned and until the centre springs back when lightly touched.

Cool the Friands and serve with some fresh whip cream and extra berries.

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween