Tag Archives: Baking

Chocolate Whisky Cake

Every Scottish baker has their own recipe for chocolate cake and this one incorporates whisky, which complements the flavour of the chocolate. There is also a hidden ingredient (a Scottish favourite), which helps give the cake its rich, moist texture.

Chocolate Whisky CakePreparation time – 25 minutes
Cooking time – 25 minutes
Calories per portion – 435 Kcal
Fat per portion – 24g of which saturated – 13.6g
Serving – 10
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Very dark plain chocolate 175g (6oz)
Unsalted butter 110g (4oz), softened
Light brown sugar 175g (6oz)
Cold finely mashed potato 75g (3oz)
Eggs 2, beaten
Self-raising flour 175g (6oz)
Salt 1⁄2 tsp
Milk 4 tbsp
Double cream 125ml (4fl oz)
Icing sugar 50g (2oz), sifted
Whisky 3 tbsp
Raspberry jam 3 tbsp
Raspberries to decorate

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 and grease and line two 20cm (8in) Victoria sandwich cake tins. In a heatproof bowl, break 50g (2oz) of the chocolate, and place over a pan of gently simmering water to melt.

2 In another bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until pale. Beat in the melted chocolate and mashed potato.

3 Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little of the flour with each. Sift the remaining flour and salt into the mixture and add the milk. Gently fold together until well combined.

4 Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins and smooth over the tops. Bake for about 25 minutes until risen and springy-firm to the touch. Turn onto wire racks to cool completely.

5 Melt the remaining chocolate as above and cool for 10 minutes. Add the cream, the icing sugar and the whisky. Carefully whisk together until thick and creamy. Spread the jam over one half of the cake and then spread half the chocolate cream on top. Sandwich together with the other half. Spread the remaining chocolate cream on top. Decorate with fresh raspberries before serving.

Cook’s tip
If whisky isn’t your preferred tipple, dark rum or brandy also works well with chocolate, or replace with orange juice for a non-alcoholic version.

Recipe taken from Around Britain Dairy Cookbook.

Black Forest Gâteau

A gorgeously retro celebration cake to cook for a special occasion

Black Forest Gateau recipe taken from The Dairy Book of Home CookeryServes 8–10
Preparation 50 mins
Cooking 25 mins
Per portion 613 kcals, 44g fat (24.3g saturated)
Suitable for feezing
Suitable for vegetarians

150g (5oz) butter, melted
6 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g (8oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) plain flour, sifted twice
50g (2oz) cocoa powder, sifted
4 tbsp Kirsch liqueur
450ml (3/4 pint) double cream
410g can black cherry pie filling
Chocolate curls (made with vegetable peeler)

1 Grease and flour bases and sides of three 20cm (8in) sandwich tins.

2 Strain melted butter through muslin or use Clarified Butter (page 183).

3 Whisk together eggs, vanilla and sugar over a saucepan of hand-hot water for 8–10 minutes or until mixture is thick and texture of softly whipped cream. Remove bowl from saucepan and continue whisking for a further 5 minutes.

4 Gently fold in flour, cocoa powder and melted butter, using a metal spoon.

5 Divide mixture between prepared tins. Bake at 180°C (350°F) Mark 4 for 10–15 minutes.

6 Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in tins, then place on a wire cooling rack to cool thoroughly.

7 Prick cooled sponge cakes all over with a skewer. Spoon Kirsch over cakes and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

8 Whip cream until softly stiff. Sandwich cakes together with some of the whipped cream and pie filling. Spread top with cream and spoon pie filling in the centre.

9 Decorate top with chocolate curls. Serve at once.

Chocolate Layer Cake

Perfect for birthday cakes or afternoon tea

Chocolate Layer CakeServes 8
Preparation 30 mins
Cooking 40 mins Per portion 430 kcals, 34g fat (19.1g saturated)
Suitable for freezing
Suitable for vegetarians

110g (4oz) self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
110g (4oz) butter
110g (4oz) caster sugar
25g (1oz) golden syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 tsp milk
200ml (7fl oz) double cream, whipped
Grated chocolate to decorate

1 Grease and line a two 18cm (7in) round sandwich tins. Sift flour twice with cocoa.

2 Cream butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla together until very pale, light and fluffy.

3 Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of sifted dry ingredients with each one. Fold in milk and remaining dry ingredients.

4 Transfer to prepared tins and smooth top. Bake at 180°C (350°F) Mark 4 for 20 minutes, or until springy to touch.

5 Turn out on to a wire rack, strip off paper and leave until cool.

6 Cut cake into 2 layers. Fill and cover top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate.

Recipe taken from The Dairy Book of Home Cookery

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Frosty Top Lemon Cake

Quick, easy and lemony lovely

Frost Lemon Top CakePreparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Calories per slice 136 Kcal
Fat per slice 6g of which saturated 2.9g
Makes 10 slices
Suitable for vegetarians and freezing

For the cake
Butter 50g (2oz), at room temperature
Caster sugar 75g (3oz)
Self-raising flour 75g (3oz)
Ground almonds 25g (1oz)
Egg 1 Lemon ½, grated zest only

For the topping
Lemon ½, juice only
Granulated sugar 50g (2oz)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4, then strip line and grease a 450g (1lb) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper or use silicone bakeware.

2 In a large bowl, mix together all the cake ingredients until smoothly blended. Spread the mixture in the tin and bake for 35 minutes until just firm to the touch.

3 For the topping, mix the lemon juice with the sugar and spoon it evenly over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave in the tin to cool for at least 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Slice for serving.

Cook’s tip
Leave out the lemon zest and topping but add 50g (2oz) dried fruit to the mixture and sprinkle the top with 25g (1oz) chopped hazelnuts before baking.

Clever Cooking for One or TwoRecipe taken from
Clever Cooking for One or Two
now available for just £7
from the Dairy Diary website.

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Kindergarten Cook

The second I return from a sneaky week’s escape, I am ‘persuaded’ in front of the camera for a video-shoot to show off our fabulous products.

I am no Fearne Cotton and I am not sure how many of the viewers will understand the Stoke Smurf dialect, but the books look good. See these televisual masterpieces soon on the website.

Apart from cringing at my virtual self, I have been busy visiting schools before this year’s application process begins. I have to say how impressed I am by the involvement the children have with the food they eat there.

At one school, they grow their own herbs and veg, raise their own chickens and even create their own school lunch menus – not bad for 5-11 year-olds!

In fact, my son has been nurturing seedlings and poultry from a tiny tot at his nursery. I hear time and time again how the ‘younger generation’ don’t know anything about food or cooking but I beg to differ.

All the children I know are intrigued with ‘fork to fork’ and love both growing and cooking. They may be fussier with the eating but the interest is there – it’s not just all about fast food.

So, let’s give our children a break – whatever their age – and applaud their culinary creativity. My three-year-old loved making these Cherry Cupcakes with me, but if your children are closer to 33 they will enjoy them too!

 

Cherry Cupcakes

Recipe taken from 2012 Dairy Diary.

 

 

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Cherry Cupcakes

Children will love them – if you don’t eat them first!

Cherry Cakes from the Dairy Diary 2012Makes 12 cakes
Time 30 mins
Calories 265 per cake
Fat 14g of which 8.5g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Butter 175g (6oz)
Caster sugar 110g (4oz)
Eggs 2, beaten
Self-raising flour 110g (4oz)
Glacé cherries 50g (2oz), chopped
Icing sugar 110g (4oz)
White chocolate buttons and halved glacé cherries to decorate

1 Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Spread out 12 paper cases on baking sheets, or put them into patty tins.

2 Cream 110g (4oz) butter and all caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggs, beating well after each addition. Fold in flour, then chopped cherries.

3 Fill paper cases half full and bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4 Beat remaining butter with icing sugar for butter icing and spread over top of cooled cakes.

5 Decorate with white chocolate buttons and glacé cherries.

Recipe taken from 2012 Dairy Diary.

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