Ginger and Lemon Fruitcake

This is the recipe I developed for the body of my Christmas Cake Snowman.

100g unsalted butter, softened

100g dark muscovado sugar

2 medium eggs

130g plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

325g mixed dried fruit

50g crystallised ginger pieces

zest of 1 lemon

1 pint pudding basin

1.  Preheat oven to 140'C fan.  Grease basin and base line with grease-proof paper.

2.  Beat together the butter and sugar.

3.  In a separate bowl mix flour and spices together.

4.  Slowly add eggs to creamed mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients.

5.  Fold in dried fruit, crystallised ginger and lemon zest.

6.  Spoon into prepared basin and bake for approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes or until a skewer comes our clean.

7.  Allow to cool in basin before turning out.

Gingerbread Muffins

I found this delicious recipe via Pinterest and I'm saving it here as it was the best Gingerbread Muffin I have ever tasted!  I will definitely be making them again.  Here I have translated the recipe into English terms.  I had ran out of allspice so substituted ground mace instead and I upped the amount of ground ginger from 0.5 tsp to 1 tsp, because we like our ginger!

For the Muffins:-

0.5 cup/115g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

0.5 cup/100g dark muscovado sugar 

1 medium egg, 

0.5 cup/120ml milk, at room temperature or slightly warmed in microwave

0.5 cup/156g black treacle

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.33 cups/167g plain flour

0.5 tsp baking powder

0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

0.25 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

0.5 tsp nutmeg

0.25 tsp ground allspice

For the Buttercream:-

unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

icing sugar

milk

vanilla extract

Also:-

12 Muffin tin liners

Decorations

1.  Preheat oven to 180'C fan and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

2. Beat together butter and sugar, either in a large bowl with a hand held mixer or in a food processor.

3.  Beat in the egg until combined, then add in the milk, treacle and vanilla on medium speed. Don't worry about it curdling as the mixture will not fully combine at this stage.

4.  Mix together in a separate bowl the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.

5.  With the mixer/processor on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

6.  Fill liners two thirds full and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

7.  Allow to cool on wire racks and then decorate.

The original recipe supplied a choice of frostings, but I used my usual vanilla buttercream recipe.  I don't measure my ingredients, but the usual ratio is 1:2 butter to icing sugar, although I use only a small amount of butter and soften the mixture with milk.

Fudgy Cake Pops

Recently I bought a Cake Pop baking Tin from Lakeland.

 I am very impressed with it.  The Cake Pops baked well and turned out of the tin beautifully.

This is the recipe that came with the tin:-

For the Cake Pops

125g dark chocolate drops

120g butter

150g sugar (I used caster)

20g cocoa powder

 2 medium eggs

90g SR flour

0.25tsp salt

To Decorate

24 lolly sticks

chocolate or fondant icing

sprinkles or decorations of your choice

1.  Preheat oven to 160'C fan.  Grease and flour both sides of tin.

2.  In a medium saucepan (or microwave) melt chocolate drops and butter together.

3.  Pour into a medium bowl and add sugar and cocoa powder.  Mix together.

4.  Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.

5.  Add flour and salt and stir until well blended.

6.  Spoon mixture into bottom half of tin (without holes), filling each well so that it is mounded.

 7.  Place top half of tin onto bottom half and lock into place.

8.  Bake for approximately 12 minutes.  Test with a wooden toothpick through the holes in tin.  Toothpick should come out almost clean.

 9.  Remove top of tin and leave to cool for 3 minutes.

 10.  Remove from tin and allow to cool.

11.  Wash and prepare tin for next batch.

12.  Repeat from step 6 with remaining batter.  Makes 24 cake pops.

 13.  When completely cool, trim rim with a sharp knife and decorate.

 I coated my Pumpkins in orange-flavoured chocolate and a added a stalk and tendril.

The Ghosts are simply a circle of fondant icing with 3 circles cut out for eyes and a mouth, using a piping nozzle.

The Toffee Apples are coated in toffee with sprinkles shaken over them.  Set in fridge.

Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake

The original recipe for this cake is by Fiona Cairns and includes beetroot, but my husband and I weren't so keen on the taste, so I adapted the recipe for Halloween and used pumpkin instead of the beetroot.  I also added ground cinnamon and more cocoa powder.  My two posts about this cake can be found here and here. 

For the Cake

180ml sunflower oil

250g pumpkin - cooked, pureed and drained

3 medium eggs

250g caster sugar

190g SR flour

80g cocoa powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.5tsp ground cinnamon

For the Icing (optional)

250g icing sugar

water

food colouring

decorations of your choice

1.  Preheat oven to 160'C fan.

2. Grease and base line a deep, 23cm cake tin.

3.  In a large bowl or food processor, beat together the oil, pumpkin and eggs.

4.  Add the sugar and beat.

5.  Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon.  Add to the mixture and beat well.

6.  Pour into tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, use a skewer to test if cooked (it should be clean when removed from centre of cake).

7.  Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.

8.  Decorate as desired.

Vanilla Sponge Cake

For the Sponge

6oz caster sugar

6oz unsalted butter, softened

1tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

6oz SR flour

1tsp baking powder

For the Filling and Topping

Jam

Unsalted butter, softened

Icing sugar

Vanilla Extract

1.  Preheat oven to 160'C fan.

2.  Grease and flour sides of two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases.

3.  Mix together the flour and baking powder.

4.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, butter and vanilla extract (I use an electric hand-held whisk) until light and creamy.

5.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.  To prevent the mixture from splitting add a spoonful of the flour as necessary.

6.  Add the remaining flour and beat well.

7.  Divide equally between the two tins and level.

8.  Bake in centre of oven for approximately 18-20 minutes, until risen and lightly golden.  When cooked the sponge should spring back when lightly touched.

9.  Leave to cool in tins for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack.

10.  Once completely cool, beat together the butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar for the filling and/or topping.  I haven't given quantities for this as I never measure out my butter-cream.  Traditionally it is roughly half butter to icing sugar, but I prefer less butter and I often add a splash of milk.

11.  Smooth a layer of butter-cream onto one of the sponges.  Spread jam over the butter-cream and top with the other sponge.  Decorate top as you wish.

For special occasions I make a larger sponge base by adding another 2oz of butter, sugar and flour and an extra egg to the above ingredients.

The mixture can then be divided into three

or four layers.

To colour sponge, divide mixture equally into 3 or 4 basins and add food colouring.

I only have two sandwich tins, so I bake the mixture in batches. 

If making four layers the sponges are slightly thinner and may take slightly less time to bake.

Top can be dusted with icing sugar and sprinkles.  I think a little edible glitter looks good for special occasions.  Of course the sponge doesn't have to be flavoured with vanilla; I have also used lemon, orange and almond extract.  Also some of the flour can be replaced with cocoa powder.

Gingerbread Cake

225g SR flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tbsp ground ginger

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp ground mixed spice

115g unsalted butter, cubed

115g dark muscovado sugar

115g black treacle

115g golden syrup

200ml milk

1 medium egg

1tsp icing sugar (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 150'C fan and grease and line a 20cm round, deep cake tin.

2.  Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices.

3.  In a large saucepan heat together the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat.

3.  Beat the egg into the milk (whole or semi-skimmed) and stir into the liquid mixture.

4.  Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

5.  Pour into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 50-55 minutes, use a skewer to test if cooked (it should be clean when removed from centre of cake).

6.  Leave to cool completely in tin.  Can be dusted with icing sugar using a sieve.

Cheese Scones

Makes 6

2-3 tbsps fat-free natural yogurt

8oz SR flour

3oz butter, if using unsalted add .25 tsp salt

.25 tsp paprika

black pepper

1 large egg

2oz mature cheddar - grated, plus extra for topping

milk to brush tops

1.  Preheat oven to 190'C.

2.  Rub butter into flour.

3.  Add spices and salt if using and mix.

4.  Add grated cheddar and stir.

5.  Mix together egg and 2 tbsps of yogurt.

6.  Add to flour mixture to form a soft dough.

(Additional tbsp of yogurt can be added at this stage if necessary.)

7.  Gently roll out to a thickness of 1" and cut out scones.

8.  Place on a lined or greased baking tray.

9.  Brush tops with milk and add additional cheese.

10.  Bake for approx. 10-12 minutes, until risen and golden.