Chocolate Cake

There are few pleasures more welcoming than a freshly baked chocolate cake waiting to be sliced and devoured. The beauty of this, Nigella's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake is that it is so ridiculously quick and simple to make. Everything goes in the one processor at the same time and then it's straight into the oven. Absolute perfection and undoubtedly the ideal addition to a summer picnic in the park.

for the cake:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup best quality cocoa
175g softened butter
2 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream

for the frosting:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
100g softened butter
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
sugar flowers to decorate

Begin with all ingredients at room temperature and preheat the oven to 180 C.

Add all cake ingredients into a food processor and blitz for 1 minute, scrape down the sides and blitz for another 15 seconds. Poor into 2 greased and floured cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or if baking in one tin only, then 45-50 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack then remove the cakes from their tins and allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, put all the frosting ingredients into the food processor and blitz for 1 minute, scrape down the sides and blitz for a further 15 seconds. Spread 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom cake, place the other cake on top and push down to 'sandwich' them together.

Spread another 1/3 of the frosting on the top of the cake and then the remaining 1/3 around the sides. Adorn with sugar flowers or whatever you have that fits the mood.

Serve with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

Banana & Walnut Bread

170g Unsalted Butter (room temp)
200g Cream Cheese (room temp)
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 4 medium)
3 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

extra walnuts for topping
2 tbs shredded coconut for topping
2 tbs raw sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line two loaf tins.

In a large bowl cream the butter and cream cheese until soft and combined, then gradually beat in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again to combine. Stir in the mashed bananas.

Sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Add in the flour mixture spoon by spoon until it has all been incorporated. Then add the toasted walnuts.

Poor into loaf tins, sprinkle with coconut, press in extra toasted walnuts and top with raw sugar.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
Serve with natural or fruit yoghurt.

chocolate hazelnut cheesecake

If there was a way to bring peace to the world and wipe out war, I think this would be it. This is essentially Nigella's recipe for Chocolate cheesecake with some Hazelnuts thrown in for good measure. But I make no apologies, whatever it's so beautiful anyway.


It's really difficult to cook a chocolate cheesecake perfectly. Be mindful of how long it has been in the oven for and I always feel it's better to undercook it slightly than to overcook it. Every time I bake one it takes a different amount of time in the oven!

Cheesecake base:

1 1/4 cups malt biscuit crumbs
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

50g butter

1 tablespoon cocoa

Cheesecake filling:

150g bittersweet chocolate chopped small

2 1/2 cups cream cheese at room temp

3/4 cup castor sugar

1 tablespoon custard powder

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

2/3 cup sour cream at room temp

1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

1 tablespoon Frangelico or Hazelnut liqueur

Sauce:

75g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Blitz the biscuits and nuts in a food processor to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Blitz again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the cake tin. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and stash in the freezer while you make the filling and put a kettle on to boil.

Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly. Beat the cream cheese well in the same food processor (clean the bowl first) just to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water, melted chocolate and Frangelico and mix to combine.

Take the spring-form cake tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of tin foil over that. This will protect it from the water.

Sit the tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Remove the wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Remove from the fridge about an hour before unmoulding.

To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake. Serve with fresh raspberries and mint.

come and play...

Everyone needs a moment or two when they can fall back into their childhood and just have fun in the kitchen! I did that today and made Sesame Street cupcakes!

I feel there is never a more fun task in the kitchen than decorating a cupcake. It's the one place where you can never have too much colour or imagination...and yeah, I went a bit crazy

triple chocolate brownies

There's just something about the idea of three types of chocolate in one convenient bar-sized snack that miraculously makes even the most miserable of days seem bearable. I love the gooey fudgeyness of these, my triple chocolate brownies and though I know I should, nine times out of ten I just can't wait to cut into the dark depths and savour instant gratification.

250g Butter

340g dark bittersweet chocolate

6 eggs

1 cup castor sugar

3/4 cup packed soft brown sugar

1 tbs pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp free-flowing salt

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Melt the butter and dark chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, set aside to cool slightly.

In a large measuring jug or bowl, beat the eggs together with the sugars and vanilla extract.

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, add the egg and sugar mixture and beat well. 

Fold in the flour and salt. Then mix in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a prepared tin about 20X20cm.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes. You can see when the brownies are ready because the top crisps up to a slightly paler brown with some surface cracks, but underneath remains dark, dense and gooey. Keep checking as even a few minutes too long in the oven will produce dry cakey brownies. Whereas what I want and anyone for that matter is dense, rich, molten bars just waiting to be bitten into.

Once cooled, chill in the fridge for up to an hour. Then to serve, cut into bars, pile up on a large plate, and prepare for glorious demolition.

Ginger Crunch

I love the homely rich warm scent of ginger. It reminds me of when my grandma and I used to bake as a kid and (because oldies love them some ginger) my super quick recipe for classic ginger crunch particularly brings back fond memories.

I have adapted the classic so that the topping is not a dark sticky goo but rather a light smooth caramel coloured frosting of sorts. I prefer this to the original and it takes a lot less time to set in the fridge!

Ingredients for Base:

125g Softened Butter 

1⁄2 cup sugar

1 1⁄2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

Ingredients for Icing:

160g butter

1 cup icing sugar

4 TBSP golden syrup

5 tsp ginger (powdered)

1 cup icing sugar

Base

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

2. Add flour, baking powder, ginger and stir. Make sure it holds a shape when squeezed together. 

3. Press into 20 x 20 slice tin. 

4. Bake at 190 C for 20mins or until light brown.

Frosting

5. While the base is baking, put butter, golden syrup, ginger and 1 cup of icing sugar  into a saucepan over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly. 

6. Once butter has melted, take off heat and beat in the other cup of icing sugar. 

3. Pour over warm base and spread evenly. 

4. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, transfer to the fridge for 2 hours and slice when cold.

Nigella's Totally Chocolate Chip Cookies

Normally I make my own recipe for cookies (from memory every time - never bothered to write it down) but I decided to try Nigella Lawson's recipe for triple chocolate chip cookies and they are seriously delicious.

I reduced the cooking time because I also reduced the size of the cookies (I thought 12 out of a mixture that used 1/2 kilo of chocolate was slightly excessive) but do as you like : )

125g butter (room temp)

75g brown sugar
50g white sugar

125g 70% cocoa dark chocolat

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

150g flour
30g of good quality cocoa powder
1 level teaspoon bi-carb soda
1/2 teaspoon of table salt
150g of milk chocolate chips
150g of white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius
2. Cream the butter and sugar
3. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and then add to the butter and sugar
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and combine again until smooth
5. Add the flour, cocoa, salt and bi-carb and mix until combined before adding the chocolate chips
6. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the mixture onto 2 trays into 18 cookies of even size.  You don't need to flatten the cookies
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes
8. Leave to cool on the baking tray slightly and then transfer to the cooling rack until completely cool

Enjoy : ) xx

Apple Filo Pies

5 large granny smith apples
2 tbs water
2tbs brown sugar
1tps vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1tps cinnamon
1 egg, beaten

1. Dice apples into bite sized cubes.
2. Place in pot with water, vanilla and sugar and bring to boil over high heat.
3. Gently move around the apples, being careful not to disrupt the sugar much.
4. Once all the liquid has evaporated and apples are soft, remove from heat, allow to cool and stir to combine.
5. Place layers of filo pastry into muffin pans to form a case and then brush with a beaten egg.
6. Spoon in the apples and top with the cinnamon and lemon juice
7. Bake low in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until filo has browned and crisped.

Mmmmm cimmonin

Cinnamon Brioche for brunch = total satisfaction

cure cancer charity event

dark chocolate cupcakes with caramel buttercream and vanilla and coconut cupcakes with vanilla buttercream