Salted Caramel Cupcakes

As of recently. salted caramel has been my favourite flavour combination.

The salty and sweet taste just melts in your mouth, which is why I have been meaning to make these cupcakes for some time.

A vanilla cupcake filled with salted caramel, topped with caramel buttercream and salted caramel sauce, they're just divine, and my mouth is now watering thinking of how good they were. (so making these again later.) For the drizzle on top I used Tesco Finest Salted Caramel, this stuff is amazing! Drizzled on cupcakes, spooned onto icecream, poured into mouth...

Please just try these and you will understand what i'm saying!

Ingredients:
For 12 cupcakes:
-200g unsalted butter
-200g light brown sugar
-3 large eggs, beaten
-2 tsp vanilla bean extract
-200g self raising flour

For the caramel filling:
-100g butter
-100g brown sugar
-397g tin of condensed milk (I used carnation)
-1 tsp salt

For the buttercream:
-250g unsalted butter
-500g icing sugar
-2 tbsp leftover caramel

For the salted caramel drizzle:
- Tesco Salted Caramel (alternatively, save a bit of the salted caramel you made.)

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 12 cases.

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add your beaten eggs, then the vanilla extract.

Sift over the flour. then gently fold in with a large metal spoon.

Divide the mixture between the 12 cases and place into the oven for 15-18 minutes.

Once baked, leave to cool on a rack until cooled completely.

For the caramel, heat the butter and sugar together on a low heat until melted. Add
the condensed milk and salt,then simmer together for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool. (you don't want thick caramel)

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour. Gradually add the icing sugar and caramel until combined.

To assemble, cut a hole out of each cooled cupcake and fill with a teaspoon of caramel. Replace with the lid.
Then pipe or spread the buttercream on top. Warm up the salted caramel, and drizzle on top.

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

Who doesn't love peanut butter? peanut butter on anything sounds pretty damn good in my books.

I have been waiting to make these cupcakes for ever but never got round to it. What inspired me this time were the peanut butter (yes peanut butter) oreo's my boyfriend bought for me. He's definitely a keeper. ;)

They're my favourite oreo by far, if you haven't tried them you gotta!

Vanilla cupcakes topped with crunchy peanut butter buttercream and a peanut butter oreo.
Because you can never have enough peanut butter. Or even say the words peanut butter (because I have far to many times in this post.)

Ingredients:

12 Cupcakes-

• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self raising flour

Buttercream-

• 250g unsalted butter
• 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (or smooth if you prefer)
• 500g icing sugar
• 12 peanut butter oreos

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tray with 12 cases.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

Add the eggs, beating after each addition, adding the vanilla with the last.

Sift over the flour and gently fold in with a large metal spoon.

Divide between the 12 cases, then place into the oven for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool completely before icing.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until light in colour, gradually add the peanut butter and icing sugar until a nice spreading consistency. Add a drop of water if its too thick.

Spread onto each cooled cupcake and top with an oreo!

Banoffee Cupcakes

Banoffee pie is one of my favourite desserts, banana and caramel together is just so damn good.

It is also a very easy dessert and as I didn't want to post a recipe so simple,  I made it into cupcakes!

These cupcakes are amazing, really, my mum (who is extremely picky) just could not express how good they were after her first bite and the cupcake was gone in a second.

Banana cake topped with a caramel frosting, banana chips, grated chocolate and drizzled with even more caramel. You can never have enough caramel, am I right?

Ingredients:
(makes 12)

For the cakes-
-200g unsalted butter
-200g caster sugar
-3 large eggs, beaten
-1 banana, mashed
-200g self raising flour

For the topping-
-200g unsalted butter
-350g icing sugar
-3 tbsp caramel (I used the carnation brand)
-2 tbsp full fat cream cheese
-1 tsp vanilla extract

-banana chips
-grated chocolate
-1 tbsp caramel

Preheat your oven to 180c, and fill a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

Gradually beat in the eggs until combined. Add the mashed banana and mix.

Sift over the flour and fold in gently with a large metal spoon.

Divide between the 12 cases, then place into the oven for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before icing.

For the frosting, beat the butter until light in colour, gradually add the icing sugar, caramel, cream cheese and vanilla until a thick but spreadable consistency.

Pipe or spread on the top of each cooled cupcakes.
Top with a couple of banana chips, sprinkle over the chocolate and drizzle over the caramel.
(To loosen the caramel pop into the microwave for 30 seconds.)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Zombie Cupcakes

My boyfriend and I have become obsessed with The Walking Dead.
We kinda got on the bandwagon late but instantly we were hooked.

We also now just seem to be obsessed with zombies, anything zombie makes us excited, so I couldn't wait to bake these cupcakes!

Moist chocolate sponge topped with chocolate buttercream, grated chocolate 'dirt', a fondant zombie hand and drizzled blackcurrant 'blood'.

Ingredients:
Makes 12 large cupcakes

Cupcakes-
-180g unsalted butter
-180g light brown sugar
-3 large eggs,beaten
-4 tbsp cocoa powder
-180g self raising flour
-1tbsp golden syrup
-1tbsp milk

Decoration-
-250g unsalted butter
-500g icing sugar
-1tbsp golden syrup
-150g milk chocolate, melted
-50g chocolate grated
-green fondant
-1tbsp blackcurrant jam

Preheat your oven to 180c and line 12 muffin  holes with cases.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs.

Sift over the cocoa powder, add the golden syrup and mix together.
Sift over the flour and the dash of milk then fold in gently with a large metal spoon.

Divide between your cases then place into the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, golden syrup and melted chocolate until a spreadable, but thick consistency. Spread over each cupcake to cover.
Grate the 80g chocolate into a bowl then dip each cupcake in to cover for the 'dirt'.

To make the zombie hands I rolled a ball of fondant into a tear drop shape. On the large end, with a knife, I cut in to make 5 'fingers' then rolled each piece into a finger shape. Push a hand into the top of each cupcake.
Heat the blackcurrant jam in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to loosen, then drizzle over each cupcake.

Zombie and chocolate fix sorted!

Simple Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

Raspberry seems to go with everything, and so does chocolate in my mind ;)
So what better way to combine the two then a big sponge cake. I baked this for my nan's birthday, chocolate cake is always the winner in her eyes.

Its simple but delicious and never lasts longer then a day around here.

Ingredients:
For the cake-
-200g unsalted butter
-200g light brown sugar
-3 large eggs, beaten
-2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
-200g self raising flour

For the buttercream-
-250g unsalted butter
-400g icing sugar
-250g milk chocolate, melted
-fresh raspberries

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line two sandwich tins with baking paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Gradually add in your eggs.

Sift over the flour and cocoa powder, then fold in gently until all incorporated.
Divide between the two cake tins then place into the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until it is pale in colour, then gradually add the icing sugar and melted chocolate. You may need to add a splash of milk so its spreading consistency.

To decorate, spread a third of the buttercream onto one layer of the cake, top with raspberries. Add the other layer, then spread on another third of the buttercream.
With the rest of the buttercream, I piped around the edge with a 1M wilton tip then filled the inside with more raspberries, yummy!

Caramel Apple Popcorn Cake

When throwing together random ingredients, sometimes it can go bad, but sometimes it can go reaally reaally good. This is that time.

Moist apple cinnamon cake, filled with a layer of caramel, caramel buttercream, topped with popcorn and drizzled with even more caramel.

Yeah you drizzle that caramel!

Ingredients:

Cake-
-180g unsalted butter
-180g light brown sugar
-3 eggs, beaten
-180g self raising flour
-1 tsp cinnamon
-2 apples peeled,cored and grated

Buttercream-
-250g unsalted buttercream
-500g icing sugar
-2 tablespoons caramel

Decoration-

-1 package microwave popcorn (I used this brand,Butterkist Microwave Sweet Popcorn )
-2 tbsp caramel

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line two sandwich tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 

Gradually beat in the eggs.

Sift over the flour and then add the cinnamon and fold in until just before incorporated.

Add in the grated apple and fold in until everything is combined.

Divide between the sandwich tins and place into the oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool on a cooling rack completely before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour then gradually add the icing sugar and caramel until a spreadable consistency.

Spread a layer of caramel onto one sponge cake then top with half of the buttercream, sandwich on top the other sponge cake then spread on the rest of the buttercream.

Cook your popcorn in the microwave for how ever long the package tells you (burnt popcorn smells awful!)
then sprinkle all over the top of the cake.

Place the 2 tablespoons of caramel into the microwave for about 20 secs, enough so its easier to drizzle.

Then drizzle that caramel goodness all over the top of the cake, yum!

Pink Lemonade Cake

This weekend it seems that spring has sprung! (in Kent anyway)
We've had sunshine and blues skies all weekend and its been very welcome!

So I thought why not celebrate with a bright pink lemon cake!
Decorated with multicoloured sprinkles and ombre buttercream, this will definitely bring a smile to anyone's face.
It is lemon but doesn't actually have lemonade in it, strangely though it tastes like lemonade!

Ingredients:

For the cake-

• 200g unsalted butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 200ml lemon juice
• 2 tsp pink food colouring
• 350g self raising flour
• zest of 2 lemons 

For the buttercream-

• 400g unsalted butter
• 550g icing sugar
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• pink food colouring 

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line two sandwich tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Slowly beat in the eggs and lemon juice until incorporated. Then add in your pink food colouring until a vivid pink colour (may need more or less then I used.)
Sift over the flour and add the lemon zests. Fold in gently to combine.

Divide between the sandwich tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale in colour then add the icing sugar and lemon juice until a thick but spreadable consistency.
Divide into two bowls and add pink food colouring too each, so you have two shades of pink.

To decorate, sandwich each cake together with a bit of buttercream.
For the outside, start at the bottom of the cake and spread around the sides with the darker buttercream.
Then cover the top with the lighter buttercream and blend into the sides.

Top with sprinkles.

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

As valentines day is tomorrow I thought I'd get into the spirit and bake some cute cupcakes!

A milk chocolate sponge topped with white chocolate buttercream, the cake is incredibly moist,with the addition of buttermilk,and the frosting deliciously sweet.

Either give to your loved ones or just eat them all yourself! (Sounds like a day well spent to me...)

Ingredients-

For the cupcakes (makes 8)-
-150g unsalted butter
-150g light brown sugar
-2 eggs
-4 tbsp cocoa powder
-150ml buttermilk
-150g self raising flour

For the buttercream-
-200g unsalted butter
-400g icing sugar
-2 tsp milk
-200g white chocolate, melted

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 8 cases.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Sift in half the cocoa powder and half of the buttermilk and beat, then sift in the rest of the cocoa powder and buttermilk and beat to combine.

Sift in the flour and fold in gently.

Divide the mixture between the cases and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely once baked, before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until light in colour and gradually add the icing sugar, milk and white chocolate until a thick consistency.

Pipe or spread on top of each cupcake and decorate with any sweets you like!

Jack Daniels Chocolate Cake with Oreo Truffles

As you can probably tell from the photos, this was a birthday cake I made for my boyfriend, who looooves Jack Daniel's!

Filled with Jack Daniels buttercream, covered in chocolate ganache and decorated with Oreo truffles, this cake is definitely one to show off!

Ingredients:

For the Oreo truffles:
- one package of Oreos
- one tub of cream cheese
- 200g chocolate

For the cake:
-200g unsalted butter
-200g caster sugar
-3 eggs, beaten
-3 tbsp cocoa powder
-100ml jack daniels
-200g self raising flour

For the buttercream-
-250g unsalted butter
-400g icing sugar
-2 tbsp jack daniels

For the ganache:
-300ml double cream
-250g milk chocolate
-250g dark chocolate

For the truffles, place the Oreos in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin until you're left with fine crumbs.
Place into a bowl and mix in the cream cheese.

Roll into balls and place on a lined baking tray, into your fridge, for at least half an hour.
Once they're nice and cooled, melt your chocolate and roll each ball in it to cover them completely, place them back onto the baking tray, and put them into the fridge to set.
Decorate with whatever your fancy, I used white chocolate and crushed hazelnuts.

To make the ganache.
Heat the double cream in a small saucepan, until it starts to simmer in a small saucepan. Take off the heat, break up the chocolate and place into the cream, making sure it's mostly covered. Leave for 5 minutes to melt.

Once melted, stir to combine and leave to cool. I placed it into the fridge until I needed it, but had to microwave it for 30 seconds before using to make it easier to spread.

Preheat your oven to 180c, grease and line two sandwich tins with grease proof paper.

In a large bowl, best the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Slowly beat in the eggs.
In a mug combine the cocoa powder with a tiny bit of boiling water to dissolve, then mix in the jack daniels. Add this to the batter and mix well.
Sift over the flour and gently fold in with a metal spoon until combined.

Divide the mixture into each sandwich tin and place into the oven for 20-25, minutes.
To test if it's ready, stick a toothpick into the middle, if it comes out clean it's ready.
Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the buttercream, beat the butter until light and fluffy, slowly add the icing sugar and jack daniels until a thick but spreadable consistency.
Sandwich the cooled cakes with the buttercream then cover the whole cake with the ganache, I just did this with a spatula.

Place your Oreo truffles on top and then wallah!

Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes

After baking a few things the past couple of weeks, nothing to me was blogable. I like to put things on that I would want to see myself (quality over quantity, I'm aiming for), so I hope you like this one!

Lemon cupcakes, with lemon buttercream, filled with raspberry jam, these cupcakes are perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon and everyone seems to love them.

I still can't find my 1M Wilton tip that I basically use for ALL my cupcakes, and I think I'm going have to get a new one soon because someone has thrown it out (someone meaning my dad) so I just used a piping bag for the buttercream. They still look pretty though I think!

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes-
•180g unsalted butter
•180g caster sugar
•3 eggs, beaten
•zest and juice of 2 lemons
•180g self raising flour

For the icing and filling-
•10 tbsp raspberry jam
•200g unsalted butter
•400g icing sugar, sifted
• zest and juice of one lemon

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tray with 10 cases.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Gradually add your beaten eggs and then the zest and juice of the lemons.

Sift over the flour, and gently fold in with a metal spoon until incorporated.

Divide between the cases and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Once cooled cut a lid out of each and place a tsp of jam in each, then place the lid back on top.

For the frosting,beat the butter until pale in colour, then gradually add the icing sugar, lemon zest and juice until a thick consistency.

Pipe or spread on top of each cupcake, I decorated mine with white chocolate buttons.

Chocolate Caramel Torte with Peanut Brittle

I know I have only just posted a chocolate recipe, but really, who can get enough of chocolate? Or caramel... Which is why I have made this!

Looks difficult and a bit fiddly but is actually very simple and doesn't use too many ingredients.

Best served warm with cream or, my favourite, vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

For the torte-
•200g unsalted butter
•100g milk chocolate
•100g dark chocolate
•1 tsp almond extract
•4 eggs
•200g soft brown sugar
•200g self raising flour

For the caramel-
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
,
For the peanut brittle-
•80g caster sugar
• a couple of handfuls of salted peanuts


Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a 20cm springform pan with baking paper.

In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate, once melted stir in the almond extract and take off the heat.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until doubled in volume and light in colour. Slowly drizzle in the chocolate mixture and gently fold in.

Sift over the flour and again, fold in gently until incorporated.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes.

Once baked, leave to cool completely before removing.

To make the caramel, put all three ingredients into a frying pan and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and continue stirring until golden and thick.
Spread on top of the cooled torte.

For the peanut brittle, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Carefully melt the sugar in a medium saucepan, shaking the pan now and again, until it reaches a golden colour.
Add in the peanuts and then pour onto the baking tray to harden.

Once set break into small pieces and sprinkle on top of the torte.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I thought it was about time I made something gluten free and this was the perfect dessert to start with.

If you love chocolate (like I do) then this is the dessert for you.

Rich and decadent, I served it with a white chocolate and raspberry cream from tesco, but you can serve it with whatever you like!

Ingredients-

• 200g milk chocolate
• 120g unsalted butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• white chocolate, melted

Firstly preheat your oven to 150c and grease a cake tin with butter and dust with cocoa powder.

In a bowl over simmering water, place the chocolate and butter until melted, leave to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light in colour.

Pour a small about of the chocolate mixture in and stir, so as to not curdle the eggs.

Once combined add the rest of the chocolate mixture.
Pour into your tin and place into the oven for 40 minutes.

When baked, leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

I drizzled over the white chocolate and then dusted with icing sugar and served with the white chocolate and raspberry cream.

Snowman Cupcakes

This really is my favourite time of the year, specially because you can bake things like this!  I actually cant help myself.

I doubt here in Kent we will be making real snowman any time soon, as it's pouring it down as I write this,so I decided to make cupcake ones instead! (No getting cold and falling over in the snow, instead stuffing my face with cake, which is always the winner ;).

Ingredients:

Cupcakes-

• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g self- raising flour

Buttercream-

• 150g unsalted butter softened
• 300g icing sugar
• 1 tbsp milk

Decoration-

• Marshmallows
• Cadbury chocolate fingers
• Coloured fondant icing

Preheat your oven to 180c and line a muffin tin with 12 cases.

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.

Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Sift in the flour and fold in gently with a large wooden spoon until incorporated.

Divide between the muffin cases and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick

inserted comes out clean.

Once baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the butter cream, beat the butter until really light and fluffy (this is the key to great butter cream.)

Gradually mix in the icing sugar, and milk until a thick consistency.

Spread a mound of butter cream onto each cupcake.

Place a marshmallow on top, and break a chocolate finger in two for the arms.

Then decorate how you like with the fondant icing! 

Reindeer Cookies

After decorating the Christmas cake I had a ton of white fondant icing left, as I wanted to bake some Christmas cookies anyway, this is what I did. How cute are they?!

Almost too good to eat. I say almost as they went very quickly.

These are the type of thing everyone likes, so don't expect them to last long! They're soft sugar cookies so, even my little niece could enjoy them.

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g caster caster
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 320g vanilla plain flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Decorations:

• white fondant icing
• milk chocolate, melted
• red sweets

Preheat your oven to 180c, and line two baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.

Gradually add the flour and baking soda until a dough forms.

Leave the dough in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.

Once chilled, scoop out spoonfuls onto your baking tray, I managed to roll them into balls then flatten them but the dough is very sticky.

Bake them for 10 minutes until light golden in colour.
Once baked leave to cool on a cooling rack before decorating.

For the decorations, roll one bigger ball of fondant for the mouth, and two small balls for the eyes, then lightly flatten onto the cookies. Then add the chocolate eyes, antlers and sweetie nose! (I used a piping bag with a small round tip for the chocolate.)

Cherry Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

After having hardly any time to bake the past couple of months, I am back with a new recipe and will have many more over the Christmas period, yay!

These are my cherry filled cupcakes with a chocolate truffle topping, they didn't last long in my household so they must of been good.

The topping is actually a chocolate truffle mixture that I made, which may or may not have gone wrong and ended up too soft to make actual truffles... buuuut it was perfect for cupcakes!

Ingredients:

Truffle Topping-

• .120g milk chocolate
• 30g butter, chopped
• 100ml double cream
• 25g caster sugar

Cupcakes-

• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g self raising flour
• 100g glace cherries, rinsed and dried

Optional-

• chopped pistachios
• white chocolate chips

First of all make your truffle topping.

Break up the chocolate in a bowl with the butter and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream and sugar until the sugar has melted and until just boiling.

Pour over the chocolate and butter, and mix well.

Cover and place into the freezer for an hour to set.

Now for the cakes, preheat the oven to 180c and fill a muffin tin with 8 cases.

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the eggs, then the vanilla and beat well.

Sift in the flour and gently fold in with a metal spoon until incorporated.

Chop up the cherries and mix into the cake batter.

Divide between the cases, and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a knife inserted

comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a cooling rack, before decorating.

When your ready to decorate, whip the truffle mixture lightly to soften, and place into a piping bag.
Pipe a blob onto each cake, and sprinkle on your choice of topping, then enjoy!

Caramel Blackberry Cake

Since its been nearly 4 weeks (where has the time gone!?) since my last blog post, I really thought I must bake something blog worthy to feast your eyes on.

Bit of a strange combo, but they go oh so well.

I wanted to use some autumn ingredients and I had no apples, so this was it!
The blackberries give a sharp tang against the sweet caramel, which makes the perfect combination.

Ingredients:
For the cake-

• 180g unsalted butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 80g brown sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 180g self raising flour

Icing-

• 200g unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons caramel
• 100g icing sugar
• 150ml double/whipping cream

Blackberry coulis-

• 200g fresh blackberries
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar

Extras-

• chocolate shavings
• crushed amaretti biscuits.

Preheat your oven to 180c then grease and line two sandwich tins.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugars until creamy.

Slowly add in the beaten eggs.

Sift in the flour and gently fold in with a large metal spoon until incorporated.

Divide between the tins and place into the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a knife poked into the centre comes out clean.

While they're baking make the icing and coulis 

Place a saucepan on a low heat and add half the blackberries and the sugar, mix until the sugar has dissolved.

Put into a bowl to cool.

Beat the butter until light and creamy then add in the caramel and icing sugar.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks and fold in the buttercream.

Once the cakes are baked, leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before decorating.

Spread the coulis on one half of the cake and pop on the leftover blackberries.

Sandwich the other cake on top and cover the whole cake with the buttercream, I just used a spatula to do this.

Sprinkle over the chocolate shavings and crushed amaretti biscuits to finish. I also warmed up some extra caramel to drizzle on top, as, you can never have enough caramel.

Rolo Oat Bars

Tubes of rolos were on offer in Tesco, so obviously this is what happened.

Also I feel like I havnt baked something in agessss, or blogged about it, so I of course I had too.
We could pretend this is a healthy bake as its almost like a flapjack with the oats, but with the addition of the rolos and chocolate chips I think we can safely say its not!

Ingredients:

• 200g flour
• 90g rolled oats
• 170g brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 170g butter, melted
• 80g rolos
• 80g milk chocolate chips
• 80g white chocolate chips
• handful of chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 200c and and line a 20 x 20cm square tin.

In a large bowl add everything before the butter and mix together well.

Pour in the melted butter and mix to combine everything.

Place half of the mixture in the base of your tin and press down so its flat with your fingers.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

Once done, take back out of the oven and scatter over the rolos and chocolate chips.

Then crumble the leftover half of your oat mixture on top. Now sprinkle over the chopped hazelnuts if using.

Turn the oven down to 180c and place back into the oven for about 30 minutes.

You want the top to go a nice golden colour.

Once baked, leave to cool completely, before taking out of the tin and cutting into squares.

Cashew Nut and White Chocolate Cookies

Another rainy, miserable day in Kent, proceeds to another bake. This time, it was cookie time!
I knew I wanted to make thick, chewy cookies but what flavour...

My family don't really like anything too chocolatey or rich in cookies so, with them in mind, I searched around in my cupboards and came across salted cashews and a bar of white chocolate. Perfect.

Ingredients:
Makes 8-

• 55g unsalted butter
• 90g caster sugar
• 90g light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 180g plain flour
• 60g salted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
• 8 squares of white chocolate

Preheat your oven to 180c and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Melt your butter in the microwave and add to a large bowl.

To the butter, add your sugars and egg, mix well.

Next add the baking powder and flour, mix to combine.

Fold in your cashews.

Take 8 teaspoons of the dough, roll into balls and place onto the baking sheet.

Push a square of white chocolate into each.

Take another teaspoon of dough, flatten and place over the top of the white chocolate.

Place into the oven for about 10-12 minutes.

They may not look done when you remove them but they will continue to cook outside of the oven.

Leave on a cooling rack to cool, or enjoy warm!

Apple Souffle With Homemade Custard

As its coming into autumn, apples are also coming into season, so what better time to make a dessert using them.

Now I LOVE apple crumble, and would quite happily of made that, but my dad doesn't like it! (I know right, crazy) anyway, I wanted to try something new also, like I usually do, and this is what I made!

I was slightly worried as the only other thing I have tried to make like a soufflé was a chocolate lava cake, and well, that was a disaster. So I have shied away from this sorta thing usually, but this time I was triumphant!

They came out UH-mazing, seriously my parents couldn't believe how nice they were and neither could I!
Really the ingredients are so simple, but make such a delicious dessert. (Sorry again for the photos, it was evening so bad lighting.)

With two of the leftover egg yolks I made some custard (for the first time I might add) and it was the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients:
Serves 3.

For the souffle-

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 apples, peeled and chopped small
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 egg whites

For the custard-

• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tsp corn flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 30g caster sugar
• 350ml milk (I used semi skimmed)
• 150ml double/whipping cream

Start off by melting the 1 tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan.

Once melted, add in the apples and 50g of the sugar and stir to coat.

Cook on a low heat until the apples turn to a puree.

Place into a large bowl to cool.

Preheat your oven to 200c and melt the leftover tbsp of butter and brush your ramekins with it.

Then sprinkle in some caster sugar to coat the sides.

In a medium bowl beat your egg whites until almost stiff peaks.

Slowly add in the leftover 50g of sugar and beat together.

Fold a tablespoon of the egg whites into the cooled apple purée, then add the rest of the egg whites, a third at a time, whilst gently folding to combine.

Next divide the apple mixture into your ramekins and place into the oven on a baking tray for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn the temperature down to 180c and cook for another 7 minutes.

For the custard, place the egg yolks, cornflour, vanilla and sugar into a medium saucepan and whisk to combine.

Turn the hob to a medium-low heat and slowly pour in the milk and cream, and whisk well.

Cook for about 10 minutes, until the custard has thickened. It should not boil.

Once the soufflés have baked, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with the custard.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This is my dads favourite cake. If you ask him what to bake he will say this.

My nan usually bakes a couple every month, for him to work his way through (quickly) so I thought why not make one for him myself. Especially as I came across this post on 'The Londoners' blog when looking at recipes. Her photographs made it look so delicious I just had to make it.

I made it slightly differently but used the same ingredients and it tasted delicious! Just the right amount of lemon and lovely and moist.

I apologise for the naff quality of the photos, the weather is dark and dreary today and upon lightening the photos up it seems to have made them blurry!

Ingredients:
For the cake-

• 170g unsalted butter
• 170g caster sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• zest of 2 lemons
• 170g self raising flour

For the glaze-

• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp icing sugar (its supposed to be very runny so it seeps into the cake)

For the drizzle-

• juice of half a lemon
• 5 tbsp icing sugar (will vary on how juicy your lemon is, it should be quite thick and almost white)

Preheat your oven to 180c, and grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Slowely add in the beaten eggs and beat together.

Add the lemon zest and mix well.

Sift in your flour and gently fold in with a metal spoon until combined.

Pour the batter into your loaf tin and place into the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes turn down your oven to 150c, and leave for another 10 minutes.

Once baked (put a skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean its done.) leave to cool for 5 minutes before taking out of the tin and leaving to cool on a cooling rack.

For the glaze , mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar until smooth. 

Poke holes with a skewer into the cooled cake, and pour the glaze over the top, so that it runs down into the holes. Then for the drizzle, again, mix together the lemon juice and icing sugar (it should be a lot thicker then the glaze) and using this to drizzle back and forth over the cake.