I Can't Make Brownies

I always seem to fail at brownies. I've made them countless times and they never come out how I want them to. Always edible, never quite right. Like the time I made Nigella's brownies. TOO MUCH CHOCOLATE. Made me feel sick. Most other recipes always seem to end up either too cakey or too gooey in the middle with the edge ones hard as a rock. So I thought that this time I'll try an American recipe. I used the recipe from a Hershey's cookbook that I picked up from the flagship store in New York. 

 I put some Hershey's chocolate chips (which you can now buy from Asda!) and salted peanuts in them. Sweet, chocolatey and salty. They tasted like how I imagine that cake from Matilda tastes.

They were fudgey in the middle but the ones near the edge of the pan had this odd crust. Rock hard, but only a couple millimetres thick. Weird.

Southern Humming Bird Bundt Cake

I've been meaning to try this recipe out for ages. I found it in a book of American recipes I got as a birthday gift a while back. It's been a traditional Southern cake since the 70s, and is basically a mash-up between banana bread and a carrot cake. But with pineapple instead of carrot... and some coconut. Oh, and cream cheese frosting. NOM. Easy to make, as over-beating or under-beating won't affect the crumb, and sifting isn't necessary. I will definitely make this again, I love it. However, it could use more coconut (but I'm obsessed with coconut). Recipe to follow.

 I used my Bundt tin because it doesn't get enough love. It's a huge big aluminium thing, cost a fortune but totally worth it. Cakes always come out completely evenly risen.

Hummingbird cake:


450g can of crushed pineapple
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup brown sugar (I used light Muscovado)
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup mashed banana (if they're really old and mushy, you might not want to use as much, the flavour can be over-powering)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 vegetable oil

• Preheat oven to 180C, grease a deep cake tin - 9-11 inch diameter
• Drain pineapple and save 1/4 cup of the syrup
• Sift dry ingredients together. Mix in pineapple, syrup, coconut, banana, egg and oil
• Mix until combined, then pour into pan
• Bake for around 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean

Cream cheese frosting:


30g softened butter
60g cream cheese 
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

• Beat together the butter and the cream cheese
• Add vanilla and slowly beat in the icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time
• Do not over-beat the frosting - this will cause the frosting to go runny
• Frost fully-cooled cake

Cocktail Cupcakes

After making the giant chocolate cake, I never actually got to try any. I was working and it went to a better home. So when I got back I decided to make blue/green coconut cupcakes instead! Should have put some lime juice in the frosting, but you live, you learn. I do love a little cocktail umbrella. 

Made with desiccated coconut and coconut milk. 

My Chocolate Cake Is Bigger Than Your Head

Happy Easter folks! Quick post to show you the uber chocolate cake. Triple layered, with chocolate buttercream frosting. I used about 700g of chocolate in this cake and the frosting... NOM.

Chocolate Celebration Cake

I was recently offered a job, and so thought I deserved a bit of chocolate cake. So I rustled this one up - dead simple, cheap (no eggs or butter in the cake) and super delicious. Chocolate orange celebration cake. Recipe to follow.

Chocolate orange cake -  


1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I always use Bournville)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons vegetable oil 
1 tablespoon white vinegar (could also use apple cider vinegar)
1 teaspoon vanilla OR orange essence
1 cup cold water

• Preheat oven to 175C and lightly grease a 9"x9" baking pan (or similar sized round pan).
• Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle.
• Mix wet ingredients together in another bowl, then pour into the well in the dry ingredients.
• Stir until just combined and no large lumps are left - don't over-beat or the cake will become dense.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 28 minutes, until centre springs back to the touch or a knife inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.

Chocolate frosting - 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2-3 tablespoons milk

• Beat together the butter and the cocoa until a smooth paste is formed. 
• Add icing sugar by the 1/2 cup until thick and doughy. Stir in the vanilla.
• Add some of the milk until the frosting is smooth, glossy and has the desired spreading consistency. Add more sugar for a stiffer frosting that can be piped onto the cake.

Just Like Mama Never Used To Make

One of my favourite things to bake for others are Cinnamon Rolls. They are comforting and satisfying in a sweet and bread-y way. I wish we could get Cinnamon Rolls in a can as readily as you can in the States. This time, the request was from my brother, who was about to leave for his shift at a local pub on a sunny Sunday lunchtime. Translation: hectic and sweaty lunchtime with screaming children and ridiculously demanding customers. So Cinnamon Rolls it was. I hope he likes them.

  

Drizzled with milk and maple icing sugar glaze.

Pink To Make The Boys Wink

Stole the colour theme from Cupcake Royale in Seattle - still one of the best cupcakes I've had. Who'd have thought lavender would go so well in cupcake frosting? 

Chocolate cupcake with pink vanilla frosting. And chocolate jimmies.