The Recipe Room

These deliciously satisfying pecan squares are a fantastic solution if you’re looking for an interesting dessert for a dinner party or brunch.  Use the best quality pecans you can get and keep a close eye while baking to avoid burning.

I also suggest you try my apricot and pecan cake. It makes a fantastic breakfast option!

 

 Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate – what more do I need to say about this triple chocolate cake recipe?!  Get baking and enjoy. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

For another rich chocolate dessert to be eaten by the spoonful, try these intense little chocolate pots. They are sinfully tantalising!

 

This delicious date and raisin biscuit recipe was given to me years ago by a neighbour who was a real baking aficionado, and they instantly became one of my favourite biscuits!  I remember her house (and mine, as I lived right next door) used to always smell of cakes and biscuits at the weekends, which always left me with my mouth watering and wondering if it would be too cheeky to go over and ask for a sample!  Luckily, I never had to, as she eventually came over and offered me some of these delicious biscuits, and many other treats over the course of the years that I lived next to her.

To keep with the date theme, you could try this curly asparagus salad with goat’s cheese and Medjool dates as a meal before these biscuits. After all, you will probably need some healthy food to offset the sugar in this recipe!

As with most biscuit recipes, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. Just make sure you mix everything well and remember that the longer you let the dough sit in the refrigerator, the better they’ll turn out.  Enjoy!

 

This is a recipe for traditional pound cake, just like Grandma used to make!  The reason it’s called pound cake is because of the original quantities of the main ingredients in the old imperial measuring system – a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of flour and a pound of eggs.  My now, doesn’t that sound healthy!?!

Well, be that as it may, this recipe has been a classic for ages, and it’s easy to see why.  Aside from being easy to remember and easy to make, it’s also very moist and delicious and loved by almost anyone with a sweet tooth!

I top my cake with icing sugar, but if you have a preference for chocolate, you could make this dark chocolate ganache to cover it.

Ingredients:

• 115g butter, softened
• 190g cake flour
• 300g granulated sugar
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• Icing sugar for dusting

                                          

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC.
2. Grease and flour a 25cm x 15cm x 7cm loaf pan, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter on medium speed in an electric mixer. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat until light in colour.
4. Add the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl in order to make sure mixture is well-blended.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend in the flour, baking powder and salt just until blended.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out with just a bit of crumb on it.
8. Remove the pound cake from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
9. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack until it’s completely cool. Remove and discard the baking parchment.
10.  Dust the top with the icing sugar and serve in slices.
11.  Any unused cake can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature, or it may also be frozen for later use.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  55 minutes

Serves:  6-8

Difficulty:  Easy

This nutty meringue cake is a light and nutty delight that makes for a perfect treat on a hot summer’s day. Although the end result is quite impressive and looks like it was difficult to make, the process itself is actually rather simple.  Just be careful to not leave the meringues in the oven too long so that they don’t burn!

For a fruity meringue flavour, try this iced fruit mountains and hot chocolate snow recipe.

 

If you thought that maple syrup was only good for drizzling over your pancakes, then get ready for this one!  This upside-down maple cake is chock-full of scrumptious maple syrup and rich double cream, and while it may not be the best thing for your waistline, it’ll definitely get your taste buds tingling and your stomach rumbling as you wait for it to bake!

The hardest part of making an upside-down cake is turning it over.  Make sure you separate the cake well from the edges before flipping and shake the pan a little to help loosen it from the bottom.  If you want to play it extra safe, you can try greasing the pan before adding the ingredients.  This shouldn’t be necessary, however, as the maple syrup forms a natural barrier between the cake and the pan.

When you get a little practice with the flip, try this apple tarte tatin.

If you want to make the presentation even fancier, try sprinkling some pecan halves or chopped walnuts on top before serving.  Good luck and good baking!

Ingredients:                                        

• 250ml pure maple syrup
• 2tbsps butter, softened
• 3tbsps granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, well beaten
• 125g sifted all-purpose flour
• 2tsps baking powder
• 1/4tsp salt
• 125ml whole milk
• 250ml double cream
• 20g icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
2. Heat the syrup to boiling and pour it into a 15cm by 25cm, 5cm deep glass baking dish.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy.
4. Beat the egg into the creamed butter.
5. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
6. Sift into the butter mixture a third at a time, alternating with additions of milk.
7. Pour the batter onto the hot maple syrup.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes.
10. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake and then flip it out onto a hot platter.
11. Sprinkle the icing sugar over the cake.
12. Cut into portions and serve with the double cream, lightly whipped if you prefer.

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cooking Time:  25-30 minutes

Serves:  6

Difficulty:  Medium

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably always got lots of apples in the kitchen at the point of going bad.  As far as I’m concerned, this is a good thing, as it gives me the perfect excuse to bake them into something even yummier.  The great thing about most apple-based desserts is that they’re very easy to make and require little time and effort to prepare.  And this apple crumble recipe is probably the easiest of them all! I also recommend a sliced apple cake. You know what they say: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”

There’s a lot of debate about exactly which variety of apple is the best for cooking; some prefer Gala, while others swear by Granny Smith or Gravenstein.   Personally, I think the point is moot, as the absolute best way to make the perfect cooked apple dessert is to mix as many different kinds as possible together for a full-on taste explosion and a different nuance in every bite!  So go ahead, grab 6 different apples and start peeling!

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 6 cooking  apples (or any apples will do)
• 75g granulated sugar
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 2tsp unsalted butter, melted

For the crumble:

• 4tsp unsalted butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 65g all-purpose flour
• 125ml rolled oats

Instructions:

For the filling:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC.
2. Peel and slice apples and lay them on the bottom of a non-stick or greased baking dish.
3. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples.
4. Pour the melted butter over the apples.

For the crumble:

1. Blend the butter into the brown sugar.
2. Mix together the flour and rolled oats in a separate bowl.
3. Add the flour and rolled oats to the butter and sugar and mix well.
4. Spoon this mixture onto the apples.
5. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake for another 35 minutes or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender.
7. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cooking Time:  50 minutes

Serves:  4

Difficulty:  Easy

This  apple cake recipe is delicious warm from the oven, but also makes for a good breakfast the next day. You can serve the cake plain or add a scoop of whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream for extra enjoyment, or you could even drizzle some caramel sauce or condensed milk over the top.

You can use any type of apples in season. Personally, I like to use a mixture of different varieties of apples. The recipe calls for 4, so why not use 4 different kinds? The cake will taste a little bit different every time, but that’s really the great thing about it!   The cake can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (Also try this apple tart tatin recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 300g plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 250g chopped walnuts
• 6 eggs
• 125ml vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• Grated rind of 1 lemon
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 250g flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (about 1 litre)
• 1 litre vanilla ice cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC.
2. Line a 23cm circular pan with baking parchment. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon. Set aside.
4. In an electric mixer set on medium speed, mix the eggs, 300g granulated sugar, the oil, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla.
5. On low speed, add the flour and baking powder. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth.
6. Pour the apples and walnuts into the batter and mix well.
7. When all blended together, gently fold the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Smooth it out so that it lies evenly, with no apples peeking out from the top.
9. Next, top and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar.
10. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on wire cooling rack. Make sure that the cake is very cool before you remove it from the pan.
12. Discard the baking parchment and serve, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  65 minutes

Serves:  10

Difficulty:  Medium

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me to make a cake for her daughter’s birthday party,  but it turned out that her daughter didn’t like chocolate, vanilla, or any of the other typical birthday cake flavours.  At first I was at a bit of a loss about what to make, but after a bit of thinking, inspiration struck.  This banana cake with orange frosting was the result, and her daughter absolutely loved it!

The cake is really just a traditional banana bread recipe, but doubled and baked in a round tube pan instead of its usual rectangular shape.  The frosting is cream cheese-based and flavoured with the juice and rind of a fresh orange.  If you don’t happen to have any fresh oranges at hand, you can substitute with store-bought orange juice.  It won’t be quite as tasty and tangy, but it’ll do in a pinch.

If you prefer veggies over fruits, you can try this carrot cake recipe, which tastes very similar and is absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

• 6 very ripe bananas
• 400g granulated sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 370g flour
• 1tsp salt
• 2tsp baking soda
• 8tbsp melted butter
• 1tsp cinnamon

For the frosting:

• 200g of cream cheese
• 320g (2 ½ cups) of icing sugar
• Juice from one medium orange
• 1tsp orange zest

Instructions:

For the sponge:

1. Preheat oven to 175ºC.
2. Butter and flour a 27cm diameter round tube cake pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas into the sugar with a fork or potato masher.
4. Beat in the eggs and mix well.
5. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
6. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture and blend well.
7. Pour the mixture into the buttered and floured pan.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the side comes out clean.

For the frosting:

1. Combine all the ingredients and blend very well, either by hand or with an electric mixer.
2. Cool the icing in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  If it is too runny, add more icing sugar.
3. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and serve.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  60 minutes

Serves:  10-12

Difficulty:  Medium

Chocolate and mint, it’s a combination made in heaven!  This mint chocolate cake with almond frosting is so delicious it’s hard to resist a second or even third serving, so if you’re watching your waistline, you’ve been warned! (Also try these chocolate lava cakes.)

I used to make this sponge with mint chocolate frosting too, but I eventually had to admit it was too rich even for my taste and decided to try almond flavour frosting instead.  I think the result speaks for itself, so get baking and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

• 220g butter
• 600g granulated sugar
• 3tbsp instant coffee granules
• 2tsp coffee liqueur
• 3 eggs
• 285g cake flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1/4tsp salt
• 250g cocoa powder
• 315ml buttermilk
• 2tbsp fresh mint  leaves

For the frosting:

• 375g icing sugar
• 6tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 60ml water
• 1tsp almond extract
• 20g almond shavings

Instructions:

For the sponge:

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
2. Grease and flour a 23cm cake pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually add the sugar and beat until it turns light in colour.
5. Add the coffee granules and liqueur and mix well.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.
8. Add this flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Stir in the mint leaves. Mix until just blended.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
11.  Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
12. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in its pan on wire cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
13. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack.
14. Remove and discard the baking parchment.

For the frosting:

1. Blend the icing sugar, almond extract, cocoa powder and water with an electric mixer until just blended.
2. Beat on medium speed until thick and smooth.
3. Spread on the cooled cake with a spatula.
4. Sprinkle the almond shavings on top.
5. Serve immediately.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  70 minutes

Serves:  10

Difficulty:  Medium