Easy Peasy Mince Pies

Since it’s now December, here at Cake-Cetera we’re in full Christmas mode! But let’s face it, after a full day of working (especially with cake) the last thing you want to do is spend all night in the kitchen! We love this quick, easy peasy recipe for homemade mince pies and we hope you will too! Let us know how you get on if you fancy making these yourself, and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 225g cold butter (diced)
• 350g plain flour
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 280g mincemeat
• 1 egg
• Icing sugar (to dust)

Method

1. To make the pastry, rub the cold, diced butter into the flour. Then, mix in the golden caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball (don’t add any liquids) and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm. You can use the dough immediately, or chill (wrapped in cling filmfor later.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Using two 12-hole patty tins, line with the pastry by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole (you should get about 18). Spoon the mincemeat equally into the pies.
3. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with their lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (The pies can be frozen at this point for up to 1 month).
4. Beat your egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
5. Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Bonfire Night

The chances are on Bonfire Night, most of us will either go to someone’s house to watch the fireworks, or have everyone round to ours for the night. There are also the hordes of people who go to nearby firework displays. No matter what you’re doing that night, here are a couple of delicious recipes that you can whip up for everyone to enjoy!

Toffee Apples

Ingredients

• 8 apples (we use Granny Smith)
• 400g golden caster sugar
• 1tsp vinegar
• 4tbsp golden syrup

Method

1. Place the apples in a large bowl, then cover with boiling water (you may have to do this in 2 batches). This removes the wax coating and helps the toffee to stick. Dry thoroughly and twist off any stalks. Push a wooden skewer or lolly stick into the stalk end of each apple.
2. Lay out a sheet of baking parchment and lightly grease it. Place the apples on this, close to your stovetop.
3. Tip the sugar into a pan along with 100ml water and set over a medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the vinegar and syrup. Set a sugar thermometer in the pan and boil to 140C or ‘hard crack’ stage (If you don’t have a thermometer you can test the toffee by pouring a little into a bowl of cold water. It should harden instantly and, when removed, be brittle and easy to break. If you can still squish the toffee, continue to boil it).
4. Working quickly and carefully, dip and twist each apple in the hot toffee until covered, let any excess drip away, then place on the baking parchment to harden. You may have to heat the toffee a little if the temperature drops and it starts to feel thick and viscous.
5. Leave the toffee to cool before eating. These can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in a dry place.

Tip

If you want blood red toffee like the picture above, simply add red food colouring into your sugar along with the vinegar and syrup. A tablespoon should do but add more if needed.

 Marshmallow Campfire Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 140g light muscovado sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 3tbsp milk
• 50g milk chocolate chips
• 30g pack mini marshmallows

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Tip the sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk, then stir together with the dry ingredients until well combined. Add the milk chocolate chips and mix together.
3. Place cupcake cases into a 12-hole bun tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for about 20 minutes until risen and cooked through. Leave to cool. At this stage, once completely cool, these can be stored for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
4. Just before serving, arrange marshmallows over the tops of the cakes. Heat grill to medium and pop the cakes under it for about 30 seconds (keeping an eye on them!) just until the marshmallows are lightly browned. Remove and eat straight away.

We hope you enjoy these recipes and have a safe Guy Fawkes Night everyone!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Pumpkin

Since it’s Halloween tomorrow, we thought we would do a pumpkin-related blog post. We’ve found a couple of great recipes to get rid of all those leftovers, so we hope you enjoy! x

Pumpkin Pie

For the pastry

• Sweet short crust pastry case (or, if you feel confident, make your own)

For the filling

• 450 g prepared weight pumpkin flesh, cut into 1in/2.5 cm chunks
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
• 75g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 275 ml double cream

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Use a shop bought sweet crust pastry case, about 9 inch/23 cm diameter and 1½ inches/4 cm deep.
3. To make the filling, steam the pumpkin then place in a coarse sieve and press lightly to extract any excess water.
4. Then, lightly whisk the eggs and extra yolk together in a large bowl.
5. Place the sugar, spices and the cream in a pan, bring to simmering point, giving it a whisk to mix everything together. Pour it over the eggs and whisk it again briefly.
6. Now add the pumpkin pureé, still whisking to combine everything thoroughly.
7. Pour the filling into your pastry case and bake for 35-40 minutes, by which time it will puff up round the edges but still feel slightly wobbly in the centre.
8. Remove the pie from the oven and place the tin on a wire cooling rack. Serve chilled (store loosely covered in foil in the fridge) with créme fraïche.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 300g self-raising flour
• 300g light muscovado sugar
• 3 tsp mixed spice
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 175g sultanas
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 200g butter, melted
• zest 1 orange
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 500g (peeled weight) pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated

For drenching and frosting

• 200g pack soft cheese
• 85g butter, softened
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• zest 1 orange and juice of half

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Butter and line a 30 x 20cm baking tin.
2. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
3. Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice. Mix with the dry ingredients until combined.
4. Stir in the pumpkin andour the batter into the tin. Bake for 30 mins, or until golden and springy to the touch.
5. To make the frosting, beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice until smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge.
6. When the cake is done, leave it in the tin for 5 minutes, before turning onto a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
7. Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake.

Enjoy! x

Microwave Mug Cake

Sometimes we all need cake …like NOW but let’s face it we are not all Mary Berry so cheating with a microwave mug cake is perfect for all you mums out there. Kids will love it and this recipe is perfect for 2 to share.

Ingredients

• Microwave mug cake
• 4 tbsp self raising (SR) flour
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 medium egg
• 3 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp vegetable
• A few drops vanilla
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips/nuts/raisins etc (optional)

Method

1. Use the largest mug you have to avoid it overflowing in the microwave!
2. Add the flour, sugar and cocoa powder to the mug and mix.
3. Add the egg to the mixture. Mix in as much as you can but don’t worry if there’s still dry mix left.
4. Add all the other ingredients apart from the chocolate chips etc (if you are adding) and mix until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and/or the nuts/raisins and mix well.
5. Centre your mug in the middle of the microwave oven and cook on high for 4-5 mins, or until it has stopped rising and is firm to the touch.  Watch it rise as it cooks!

Cronut Recipe

Croissant x Doughnut = Cronut

The biggest craze in America just now is the cronut-a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. The New York bakery that created them has such a large demand for them that they sell out of their daily batch of 200 by 9.30am! People have even been buying them and re-selling them online for up to $40! Clearly everyone wants to try these little treats so we found a recipe online for you all to try. If you’re feeling confident, you can make up your own croissant dough, or you can cheat and buy it ready made from the supermarket! Remember to adjust the amount of ingredients depending on how much dough you have. This recipe gives enough filling for 10 cronuts. Let us know how you get on!

Ingredients

For the cronut

• Croissant dough
• 100g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon

For the glaze

• Juice of 1 lemon
• Icing sugar

For the filling

• 300ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean/2tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 50g caster sugar

Method

1. First, make the lemon sugar. Rub the lemon zest and the 100g caster sugar together for a few minutes, cover and set aside.
2. For the filling, place the milk into a pot and set over medium heat. Add your vanilla to the pot.
3. Add the egg yolks, flour and 50g caster sugar into a bowl and whisk together until smooth.
4. When the milk comes to the boil, pour the milk over the eggs, whisking to combine. Pour the custard mixture back into the pot and cook until thickened, whisking constantly.
5. Pour the custard back into the bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until needed.
6. For the glaze, add enough icing sugar to the lemon juice until you have a thick pipe-able mixture (similar to toothpaste). Press clingfilm onto the surface of the glaze, to prevent it crusting over and set aside until needed.
7. Roll out your croissant dough to about 1cm thick. Using a 3 1/2-Inch cookie cutter, cut out 10 circle and then use a 1-Inch cutter cut out the hole in the middle.
8. Allow the ‘doughnuts’ to prove at room temperature until the they puff up.
9. When they have proved, pour vegetable oil into a thick bottomed pot until it is two thirds full, place over medium heat and bring to 170C/350F. When it reaches temperature, fry the ‘doughnuts’ two at a time, making sure you fry each one for a couple of minutes on each side, or until a deep golden brown.
10. Using a metal slotted spoon, remove the ‘doughnuts’ from the pan and place onto a wire rack covered with kitchen paper.
11. Once cooled enough to handle, roll the outside of the doughnuts in the lemon sugar and set aside to cool completely.
12. Place the vanilla custard into a piping bag fitted with a filling tip (#230). Press the tip into each quarter of the cronuts and pipe in a small amount of the custard.
13. For the decoration, place the glaze into another piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe a ring around the top of the cronuts.

Happy Chocolate Cupcake Day!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Who doesn’t love a cupcake? Especially a chocolate cupcake! Since today is chocolate cupcake day, here at Cake-Cetera we’ve been looking up some yummy recipes for you all to use.

We’ve found a couple of recipes that are a little different to a basic chocolate cupcake, so we hope you enjoy them!

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

First up, we have chocolate orange cupcakes. These cupcakes are made with the juice of an orange, giving a slight fruity taste to the sponge. The buttercream is made with both white and orange chocolate, as well as orange zest. To us, this means it’s technically one of your five a day!

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 120g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 40g unsalted butter
• 50g dark chocolate, melted
• 1 free-range egg
• 125ml milk
• 1 orange, juice only
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar

For the white chocolate and orange buttercream

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 50g white chocolate, melted
• 1 orange, zest only
• 100g orange chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder together in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until combined.
3. Whisk the melted chocolate, egg and milk together in a jug.
4. Stir the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix the orange juice and granulated sugar together in a bowl. Carefully pour the orange juice mixture over the warm cakes and set aside to cool completely.
7. For the white chocolate and orange buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Carefully stir in the icing sugar and continue to beat for five minutes. Beat in the milk, melted chocolate and orange zest.
8. Decorate the cupcakes with the buttercream. Use a sharp knife to make chocolate shavings from the orange chocolate and use them to decorate the cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Up next is a cupcake that is extremely popular just now-red velvet. These chocolate cupcakes contain red food colouring which gives them a lovely colour that stays after baking. These cakes are very rich, so a cream cheese frosting is usually used as opposed to buttercream, yummy!

(These cupcakes have been decorated using cake crumbs from the sponge)

Ingredients

 

For the cupcakes:

• 60g unsalted butter, at room  temperature
• 150g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 10g cocoa powder
• 20ml red food colouring
• ½tsp vanilla extract
• 120ml buttermilk
• 150g plain flour
• ½tsp salt
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1½tsp white wine  vinegar

For the cream cheese  frosting:

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g unsalted butter, at room  temperature
• 125g cream cheese,  cold

You’ll also  need:

• 12-hole cupcake tray, lined with  large cupcake cases

Method

1. Preheat the oven to  170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
2. Put the butter and the  sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy and  well mixed. Turn the mixer up to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a  thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly  combined and coloured (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl  with a rubber spatula).
4. Turn the mixer down to slow speed, slowly pour in half of the buttermilk and beat until well mixed. Then add half the flour, and beat until everything is incorporated. Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour has been added. Scrape down the side of the bowl again.
5. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture.  Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, bicarbonate of soda and  vinegar. Beat until well mixed, then turn up the speed again and beat for another couple of minutes.
6. Spoon the mixture into  the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
7. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
8. For the cream cheese frosting, beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding  electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and  fluffy (at least 5 minutes). Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.
9. When the cupcakes are  cold, spoon over the cream cheese frosting on top.

We hope you enjoy

Duffin Recipe

Doughnut x Muffin = Duffin

The biggest craze in the bakery world just now is the duffin-a cross between a doughnut and a muffin. After ‘Duffingate’, the scandal in the news where a small London bakery has went up against Starbucks (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/huffin-and-puffin-over-a-duffin–the-doughnutmuffin-hybrid-raising-heat-between-starbucks-and-small-pastry-chain-8867192.html) everyone wants to know how to make these treats. While most recipes are American, with the measurements in cups and confusing ingredients we don’t have, we found one that is easy to make for all us UK bakers. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 300g self-raising flour
• 85g caster sugar, plus 65g extra to coat
• pinch of salt
• 80ml vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 175ml buttermilk
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 3tsp strawberry jam
• 100g unsalted butter
• 1tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease a 6-hole muffin tin.
2. Sieve the flour into a medium bowl, then add the pinch of salt and the 85g caster sugar.
3. In another bowl, combine the vegetable oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until they have just combined.
4. Place a spoonful of the mixture in each muffin hole and make an indent in the centre of each one. Fill each indent with 1/2 tsp of strawberry jam. Cover the jam with the remaining duffin mixture and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave the tray on a wire rack to cool.
6. While the duffins are cooling, melt the butter. Meanwhile, combine the extra 65g caster sugar and the ground cinnamon in a large bowl.
7. When the muffins are cool enough to handle, brush each duffin with melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Whoopie Pies

Easy Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies are an American treat that is halfway between a cookie and a cake, they’re made up of two sandwiches held together with a filling such as buttercream, ganache or, in this case, marshmallow. Yummy! x

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 150g chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
• 225g sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• ½tsp baking powder
• 18 marshmallows

• icing sugar to dust

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water).
3. Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl then fold in the chocolate mixture.
4. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together, then fold into the chocolate and egg mixture.
5. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the baking tray (the mixture should make 36 biscuits, depending on size). Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and set aside half of the biscuits on a cooling rack. Turn the remaining biscuits over and place a marshmallow on top of each. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows have softened.
7. Remove from the oven and set aside on a cooling rack to cool slightly. Press the cooled biscuits on top.

Yummy Treats For The Office

Improve The Office Day & Smile Day

Today is improve the office day, but it’s also smile day, so what better excuse(s) do you need to bake some treats for work? Here’s a couple of recipes that are simple, taste good and are easy to transport x

Flapjacks

Ingredients

• 175g butter
• 175g golden syrup
• 175g muscovado sugar
• 350g porridge oats
• ½ lemon, finely grated zest
• pinch ground ginger

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and line a 20cm/8in square baking tin with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter in a medium pan over a low heat. Dip a brush in the butter and brush the baking tin with a little bit of it.
3. Add the golden syrup and sugar to the butter and heat gently. Once the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the porridge oats, lemon zest and ginger.
4. Pack the mixture into the baking tin and squash down. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
5. Once cooked, remove from the oven, leave to cool for 15 minutes, then turn out on to a chopping board and cut into squares.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 375g self-raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 200g caster sugar
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 125ml milk
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 300g blueberries, fresh or frozen
• granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar together. Sift together into a bowl.

3. Place the oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the blueberries and mix to combine.4. Spoon mixture into a 12-hole 125ml capacity muffin tin lined with paper cases. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 30–35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

We hope you enjoy baking these little treats, and with oats and blueberries, they must be healthy!

Happy White Chocolate Day!

White Chocolate Day

White chocolate is something people seem to either love or hate. Hopefully you all love it and want to take advantage of these great recipes, they’re yummy! x

White Chocolate Brownies

(apparently these are also called ‘blondies’) 

Ingredients

• 225g caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
  
• 225g melted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 150g plain flour, sifted
• 225g white chocolate, chopped
• 100g macadamia nuts, chopped

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in square cake tin with butter.
2. For the blondie;, in a bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy. Beat in the melted butter a little at a time, making sure each addition of butter is fully incorporated before adding the next.
3. Add the flour and carefully fold it into the mixture using a metal spoon.
4. Add the chopped white chocolate and macadamia nuts and carefully fold them into the mixture.
5. Spoon the blondie batter into the prepared cake tin and shake gently until level. Transfer the tin to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
6. Once cooled, carefully remove the blondies from the tin, cut into squares and serve on a large serving plate.

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cookies

Makes 18 cookies

Ingredients

225g softened butter

150g caster sugar

250g self raising flour

1 large eggs

100g white chocolate broken into pieces

50g chopped raspberries (I put my raspberries in the freezer for a little while first-it stops them adding too much moisture to the mix)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar until soft.
3. Beat in the egg  and a little of the flour.
4. Mix in the rest of the flour.
5. Fold in the chopped raspberries and chocolate.
6. Shape cookies with floured hands, or use an ice cream scoop if you want them all the same size.
7. Place on a non stick baking liner.
8. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden.
9. Leave to cool and firm up on the baking tray.

We hope you enjoy baking these yummy treats and let us know if you have any recipes you want to share!