Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Possibly the most amazing dessert ever...

50g soft unsalted butter

extra butter

150g caster sugar

50g plain flour

4 eggs

1 pinch salt

1 tsp. vanilla

350g luxury dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) and grease 6 pudding moulds, then line the bases with baking parchment.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or makeshift pot-scheme as I have done) and then let it cool slightly.

In the meantime, cream together the butter and sugar until you've reached a uniform consistency.  If the mixture looks a bit too sugary and not buttery enough, add a bit more butter - maybe another 15g or so to make it seem a bit less grainy.

Mix the eggs in a bowl with the salt, then gradually combine the egg mixture with the butter mixture.  Add the vanilla and keep mixing until well combined.  Gradually stir in the flour.  The batter will still be quite runny at this stage.  Scrape in the cooled chocolate and give it a good stir - it will turn thicker and more elastic.
Divide the mixture amoung the moulds.

Now you have two options:

1. Place on baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.  Cakes are ready when the tops have puffed up and cracked a bit.

2. Refrigerate until ready to bake.  These cakes only 'work' when they are served fresh from the oven, but they can be stored in your fridge for up to 24 hours prior to baking.  If you refrigerate your cakes prior to baking, make sure your oven is preheated and then bake for approximately 12 minutes (instead of 10).

Turn out and serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This dainty British Tea Cake has a lovely light, vanilla cake base with a moist lemon-flavour.  Recipe from the BBC Food website. I served this at a baby shower recently...

Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
finely grated zest 1 lemon
225g self-raising flour

FOR THE DRIZZLE TOPPING:
juice 11⁄2 lemon
85g caster sugar

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.

Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Burnt Sugar - Candy Bar Cake

This was the most popular cake from our annual Cake Fest celebration in 2010.  Our guests enjoyed the rich flavour the caramelized sugar gives to this cake as well as the assortment of tasty chocolate bars.  This cake looks great and tastes even better.

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup hot water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

2 egg whites

Grease and lightly flour three 8x 1.5-inch round baking pans.  In a large skillet cook the 3/4 cup granulated sugar over medium-high heat until the sugar just begins to melt (do not stir).

Reduce heat; cook until sugar is golden brown, about 1 to 3 minutes more, stirring constantly.

Carefully stir in hot water (syrup will form lumps).  Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat.  Continue stirring until mixture is free of lumps. 

Remove from heat.  Pour syrup into a large glass measuring cup.  Add additional water to equal 1 3/4 cups liquid.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 

In another large bowl, beat together the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, the 2/3 cup butter, egg yolks, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until mixture is smooth. 

Alternately, add flour mixture and sugar syrup to egg yolk mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

Wash and dry beaters thoroughly. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold whites into batter.

Divide batter into prepared pans; spread evenly.  Bake in a 350 F oven (180 C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden toothpicks inserted near centres come out clean. 

Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.

 
Prepare Browned Butter Frosting:
In a small saucepan heat and stir 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes) over low heat until melted.  Continue heating until butter turns a nut-brown color.  Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes.  In a large bowl beat together two 3-ounce packages of softened cream cheese with 3 Tbsp butter until combined.  Beat in about 2 cups sifted icing sugar.  Beat in the browned butter and 1 tsp vanilla.  Gradually beat in an additional 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2-3 tsp. milk until the frosting is of spreading consistency.
 
 
To assemble the cake:
Spread 1/2 cup browned butter frosting over bottoms of 2 of the cake layers.  Sprinkle each layer with half of hte finely chopped candy bars (I used Twix, Snickers, and Kit Kat this time 'round).
 

Place the third (unfrosted) layer on top, rounded side up.  Spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.  If desired, garnish with coarsely chopped candy bar pieces.

Mango Buttercream Cake

1 24-ounce jar mango slices in light syrup

1 cup sugar

6 beaten egg yolks

3 Tbsp orange liqueur or apricot brandy (I used the light syrup from the mango slices)

2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened

2  9- or 10-inch layers white cake, cooled

36-50 cream-filled cylinder cookies (depending on size of cake)

mango slices for garnish (optional)

For mango buttercream, drain the mango slices, reserving a few slices for garnish.  Place in a blender, cover and process until smooth.  (You should have 1 1/2 cups puree). 

In a heavy saucepan, gently simmer mango puree over medium-low heat until it is reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.  Stir the sugar into mango puree in saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks.

Return the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

Quickly cool the mixture by placing the saucepan into a bowl of ice water.  Stir in the liqueur/syrup.  Stir for 2 minutes.  Cover; chill for 1 hour.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Pour cooled mango mixture into beaten butter.  Beat until fluffy. 

Using a long, swerrated knife, split each cake layer in half horizontally.  Place 1 cake layer on a plate. Frost with about 1/3 cup of the buttercream.

Repeat with 2 more cake layers and 2/3 cup more of the buttercream.  Top with the last cake layer.  Spread remaining buttercream on top and sides of cake layers.

Lightly press cookies into buttercream, around sides of cake, cookie ends even with the bottom of cake and cookie tops extending sightly beyond height of cake.   Chill cake or serve immediately.  before serving, arrange mango slices in center of cake and garnish as desired.

Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

Quick cake mix fix-ups never go out of style, and here's a favourite from my files.  (Hey, Cake Fest can't all be from-scratch recipes...)

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk

Nutty Chocoalte Frosting:
4 3/4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup softened butter or margarine
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

For the cake: In a large mixing bowl combine the dry cake mix, 1/2 cup peanut butter, the eggs, and milk.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, scraping sides of bowl; beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.  Bake as directed on package instructions (in this case I made cupcakes).

Nutty Chocolate Frosting: In large mixing bowl, combine icing sugar (sifted), cocoa powder, salt.  Add the boiling water, the butter/margarine, the 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer till well combined.  Makes about 2.5 cups frosting.

BYU Brownies

Fudgy brownies with nuts, a creme-de-menthe icing, and chocolate frosting.  These babies are served at every BYU event from dances to banquets.

1 cup margarine (227g)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. honey

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

 1 cup chopped walnuts

12 oz. chocolate icing

Mint topping:

5 Tbsp margarine (2.5 oz)

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 1/3 cups icing sugar

1/2 tsp. mint extract

green food colouring

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa.  Allow to cool.  Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well. 

Add nuts.  Pour batter into a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 F (180 C) for 25 minutes or till cooked through.  Cool.

Prepare mint icing: soften margarine.  Add salt, corn syrup, and icing sugar.  Beat until smooth and fluffy.  Add mint extract and food colouring.  Mix.  Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

Spread mint icing over brownies.  Place brownies in the freezer a short time to stiffen the icing.  Remove from the freezer and carefully  add a layer of your favourite chocolate icing.

Pancakes (Euro-Style)

 Traditionally, the English eat these pancakes topped with lemon juice and sugar.  But we like to make them savoury for main course (with ham and swiss cheese) and then bundle in our favourite sweet toppings for dessert (strawberries & cream, Nutella & banana, etc.) 

2 beaten eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

1 cup flour (I mixed wholewheat and all-purpose, half and half)

1 Tbsp cooking oil

2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Combine eggs, milk, flour, oil, and sugar.  Beat till well mixed. 

Heat a 6-inch skillet, then remove from heat and grease with butter.  (I use a silicone pastry brush which is highly heat resistant).

Ladle in about 3 Tbsp of pancake batter, then lift and tilt skillet to spread batter evenly.

Return to heat; brown, then flip.  Invert cooked pancakes onto a serving dish and repeat the process until all the batter is used up.  For easy eating, spread your fillings evenly onto the flat pancake, then fold the pancake in half; then in half again.  This makes a nice triangle/cup-shape that is simple to hold and eat whilst containing all the filling's goodness.  Alternatively, you can roll them up jelly-roll style and eat with knife and fork.

Leftovers? These p-cakes also make a great wrap for packed lunches.

*Note: I usually double or triple this recipe when feeding my family of 4 - gives plenty for main course and dessert. 

Baby Banana Breads

These little treats are perfect for using up over-ripe bananas and make a wonderful gift for friends and neighbours.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips (or sub walnuts)

1. Grease the bottom and sides of 3 small loaf pans (or 1 regular-size loaf pan); set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp. salt.  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.

2. In another bowl combine the egg, bananas, sugar, and cooking oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. 

Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in chocolate chips/nuts.

3. Spoon batter into the prepared pans.  Top with a prepared crumble or streusel topping, if desired (optional).  Bake in a 350 F oven for 50-55 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Remove loaves from pans; cool on a wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Princess Castle Cake

I made a pink castle cake for my daughter's 4th birthday party (Princess theme!) and this stone-grey castle cake for her Preschool Graduation party which had a "Prince and Princess" theme.  Both cakes were a huge hit.

I used the following tutorial to make this cake: 

Don't forget to grease and flour your cake pans, this makes all the difference when it comes to extracting your beautiful cakes!

To make 'stones' for the castle, I simply slid a toothpick through and free-handed the blocks design.