Showing posts with label Cakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cakes. Show all posts
As promised . . . today we have chocolate. Enough of salads!! You are banished for the weekend!!
And what a wonderful way to have chocolate this is! A delicious flourless Chocolate cake that is soooooo moreishly fudgy and wantonly scrumptious . . .
You will find yourself sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night just for . . . ONE . . . MORE . . . PIECE!! (Trust me on this.) This was sooooo good, I sent the leftovers home with the missionaries. It was far too dangerous to keep around!
I have made this a bazillion times over the last 10 years. As the personal Chef for an American family down south, this was often on a luncheon menu . . . you know how it goes . . .
♥Ladies who lunch♥♥♥chocolate♥
They go together like peas and carrots!
Believe it or not, as many times as I have baked this cake . . . yesterday was the first time I had ever eaten it myself! Wow . . . was I impressed. This is my new favourite chocolate cake!!!
At the Manor, I usually served it with some homemade raspberry coulis, and it was very good, yes it was . . . but yesterday we just had it plain, with a bit of icing sugar dusted over top . . . oh . . . and . . . um . . . some clotted cream.
I didn't get a picture of it with the clotted cream though . . . once we added that . . . it was quite simply . . . gone! Naturally!! (I can't believe I waited so long to make this for myself!!)
I am assuming this is ok for a gluten free diet as there is no flour, cocoa or leavening in this recipe.
*Flourless Chocolate Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe
There are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use. When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always requested.
There are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use. When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always requested. 8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into bits
4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped into bits (you want one that is at least 60% cocoa solids.)
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
9 ounces of caster sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large free range eggs, separated
Sifted icing sugar to serve
Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.
You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl.
Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar.
Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.
Beat the egg whites until stiff using clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.)
Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen.
Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.
Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.
I put my hand up. I love C A K E! I love it in any way shape or form. I love all kinds of cake. Sweet cakes such as a chocolate or a vanilla. Layer cakes. Single layer cakes. Savory cakes such as cornbread.
I love cake for dessert. Cake with a hot drink. Cake with a glass of cold milk. Cake instead of lunch. Cake for breakfast. Cake for breakfast? Where do I sign up!!!
It seems like the most indulgent thing in the world, and after you taste this delicious cake you will wonder where it's been all your life. Pineapple and coconut are the perfect pairing, and they really shine in this super moist coffee cake!
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
That's because in the UK when you talk about a Coffee Cake, you are talking about a coffee flavored cake. Cakes like my Coffee Cake. This double layered cake is filled with a coffee buttercream and is a really great celebratory cake.
Then there is my Iced Coffee and Walnut Cake. This is a delicious loaf cake, flavored with coffee and filled with walnuts, and topped with a lush coffee frosting.
You can see where the confusion comes in.
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
In North America a Coffee Cake is a term and is meant to refer to a cake that is supposed to be enjoyed with a hot drink. There needn't be any coffee in the cake at all, just in the cup.
They are rustic cakes. Super moist and dense cakes. Cakes that go wonderfully with a hot drink and cakes which are wonderful served for a special breakfast or a brunch!
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
So that is why I am calling this a breakfast cake. Because it is meant to be enjoyed for breakfast, or coffee break, brunch, elevensies . . . or yes, even dessert, especially with a scoop of coconut ice cream.
Moist, buttery and delicious, with a lovely pineapple and coconut filling, and topped with a lime glaze and more coconut. I can't think of an occasion that this would not be welcome at!
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAKFAST CAKE
There are three components to this cake. None are complicated and if you have every thing ready before you begin, it goes together in a flash!
For the pineapple and coconut filling:
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
- 2 TBS fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup (70g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (165g) pineapple chunks in juice, well drained
- 1 cup (95g) shredded sweetened coconut
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dairy sour cream
To finish:
- 2/3 cup (56g) icing sugar
- 1 TBS fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup (47g) shredded sweetened coconut, toasted if desired
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
The pineapple you are meant to use in this is the pineapple you find in the tin in the canned fruit aisle at the grocery store. Pineapple chunks. The ones in the pineapple juice not syrup.
Make sure you drain them really well. I put mine in a strainer and then press them to get as much juice of them as possible.
I always use large free range eggs. I refuse to support an inhumane industry. In fact I am lucky enough to be able to buy my eggs from a producer right around the corner from my house where I can actually see the chickens out in the run!
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE COCONUT BREAKFAST CAKE
It may seem like a lot of instructions, but that is only because there are three components to the cake. The cake itself. The filling. The glaze. None of it is hard or complicated!
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 10 inch square or round glass baking dish really well. Set aside.
To make the filling, combine the vanilla, lime juice, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix well together then add the pineapple and coconut to combine.
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
To make the cake cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla.
Sift together the flour and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture, alternately with the sour cream.
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Spoon the pineapple filling over top. Spread the remaining batter over the pineapple filling to cover.
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center with moist crumbs and some pineapple juice. Leave to cool completely.
Whisk together the icing sugar and lime juice for the glaze. Pour this over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the coconut immediately. Leave to set.
Store at room temperature, loosely covered.
.JPG "Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake")
It really is an easy cake to make and oh so delicious. I am not sure why but some days it takes longer to bake than others. Today it took an extra ten minutes, but that is probably because I was baking it in a round dish rather than a square.
I do not recommend baking it in a metal pan. It will get too brown in a metal pan.
Just check it at the recommended time and if it needs a bit more time to set in the middle return it to the oven and bake it for a bit longer. You will truly be rewarded with a wonderful family friendly, beautiful breakfast cake at the end.
Put on your coffee pot and kettle, fry up some bacon and get ready to enjoy! This delicious cake is a winner all round!
Pineapple Coconut Breakfast Cake
Yield: 9 - 12 servings
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min
This is a delicious moist cake with a fabulous coconut and pineapple filling. If you love pineapple and coconut you are going to really enjoy this!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
- 2 TBS fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup (70g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (35g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup (165g) pineapple chunks in juice, well drained
- 1 cup (95g) shredded sweetened coconut
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (120ml) dairy sour cream
To finish:
- 2/3 cup (56g) icing sugar
- 1 TBS fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup (47g) shredded sweetened coconut, toasted if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 10 inch square or round glass baking dish really well. Set aside.
- To make the filling, combine the vanilla, lime juice, sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix well together then add the pineapple and coconut to combine.
- To make the cake cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture, alternately with the sour cream.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Spoon the pineapple filling over top. Spread the remaining batter over the pineapple filling to cover.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out of the center with moist crumbs and some pineapple juice. Leave to cool completely.
- Whisk together the icing sugar and lime juice for the glaze. Pour this over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with the coconut immediately. Leave to set.
- Store at room temperature, loosely covered.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
One of my favorite flavors is Lemon. I just adore Lemon anything . . . cookies, puddings, pies, cakes . . . if it's lemon I am in taste heaven!
I love chocolate too, but when push comes to shove if I had to choose between the two, I think lemon would win every time!
That's why I am really excited to show you this recipe here today for Lemon Meringue Cake. This is a recipe I clipped out of a magazine many years ago and it is a real family favorite.
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
What you have here is a lovely buttery sponge cake bottom, topped with a lucious tart lemon filling The cake is iced with a sweet meringue and toasted in the oven.
It looks just like the pie, but it's not the pie. Its a cake. A lovely delicious Lemon Meringue Cake.
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
It tastes much like the pie actually except that there is no crust involved. Instead the cake provides a rich delicious base for the lemon custard filling.
The flavor of fresh lemon shines throughout. Both in the cake and in that rich filling. It truly is something special.
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
It had been years since I baked one and with us having my sister's birthday celebration today and with lemon being a family favorite, I decided to bake one for us to enjoy after our roast chicken dinner.
I can't wait to bring it out for everyone to dig into. I sure hope they leave room for dessert! If they don't, they will wish they had, and they might even over-indulge anyways because this cake is pretty difficult to resist!
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A LEMON MERINGUE CAKE
Its pretty simple really. Just every day ordinary ingredients. No blow torch, no special pans, just one 9 inch cake pan, a saucepan to make the filling and simple ingredients.
For the cake:
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) finely granulated sugar
- 1 whole large free range egg, plus 2 large free range egg yolks (Save whites for meringue topping)
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
For the lemon filling:
- 2 large free range egg yolks (save whites for meringue topping)
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 3/4 cup (150g) finely granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (47g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 TBS butter
For the meringue topping:
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup (100g) finely granulated sugar
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
There is no need to have any kind of specialized equipment. A hand mixer will get the job done and a 9-inch round cake tin, that's all.
I use salted butter and whole milk. Large free range eggs. Good quality lemon and vanilla extracts. Ordinary plain fresh lemons.
The fanciest I get is the use of a micro-plane grater to zest the lemon. It gets the zest to the perfect size without involving any of the bitter white pith!
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
HOW TO MAKE LEMON MERINGUE CAKE
Again, this is very simple to make and there is no reason why you can't have equal success in making this yourself.
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolks.
Sift together the flour and baking powder and then beat into the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla and lemon essences, mixing in well.
Butter and flour a nine inch round cake tin. Pour in the batter, level off and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit in the pan for five minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
You can make the filling while the cake layer is baking. For the filling combine the flour and sugar in the top of a double boiler. Mix together the lemon juice, water and egg yolks and then stir into the flour/sugar mixture along with the lemon zest.
Place over simmering water and cook, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool five minutes, then stir in the butter until melted. Set aside until cool.
Place the cake layer on a plate (one that can handle some heat) and spread the lemon filling over top.
Beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until the mixture begins to turn foamy, then continue to beat slowly adding the sugar until mixture is stiff, but not dry. Spread over the sides and top of the cake.
Place in a 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4 oven and bake until the meringue browns. (10 to 15 minutes) (I put the cake on the oven proof plate on a baking tray for easy of moving it in and out of the oven.)
Remove from oven and cool completely. Serve at room temperature, cutting slices with a wet knife. This helps to prevent the meringue from tearing as you cut it.
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
One tip I have about making meringue is to separate your eggs, one at a time, placing the whites into a separate bowl. Do this with each egg before adding the white to the other whites. That way if you somehow get some yolk into the egg white, you can either remove it safely, or discard the white without contaminating all of your egg whites.
Its a simple fact, whites with any yolk or fat added to them at all will not whisk up in the way that they should. That is also why you need to use scrupulously clean beaters. So make sure your beaters have been washed and dried before you start beating the egg whites.
.JPG "Lemon Meringue Cake")
This really is a delicious cake and a wonderful surprise to anyone who might be lucky enough to have you serve it to them! They are sure to love it.
If you are as crazy about lemon desserts as I am you might also enjoy the following:
SUGAR FREE LEMON PUDDING CAKE - If you are avoiding sugar and carbs, this is the perfect dessert for you. You have all of the beautiful flavors without any sugar or flour, or other things to cause you problems. And its delicious.
LEMON BUTTERMILK CAKE - With its full on lemon flavors, moist dense cake and impossibly delicious glaze, this is a cake that never fails to please.
LEMON BARS - Sweet shortbread cookie base. Tart lemon curd filling/topping. There is nothing about these that isn't moreish. Nothing.
Lemon Meringue Cake
Yield: make one 9-inch cake
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
All the pleasures of a Lemon Meringue Pie, in cake form. Delicious!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100g) finely granulated sugar
- 1 whole large free range egg, plus 2 large free range egg yolks (Save whites for meringue topping)
- 1 cup (140g) plain all purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the lemon filling:
- 2 large free range egg yolks (save whites for meringue topping)
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- 3/4 cup (150g) finely granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (47g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 TBS butter
For the meringue topping:
- 4 egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup (100g) finely granulated sugar .
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolks.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder and then beat into the creamed mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in the vanilla and lemon essences, mixing in well.
- Butter and flour a nine inch round cake tin. Pour in the batter, level off and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit in the pan for five minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- For the filling combine the flour and sugar in the top of a double boiler.
- Mix together the lemon juice, water and egg yolks and then stir into the flour/sugar mixture along with the lemon zest.
- Place over simmering water and cook, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool five minutes, then stir in the butter until melted. Set aside until cool.
- Place the cake layer on a plate (one that can handle some heat) and spread the lemon filling over.
- Beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until the mixture begins to turn foamy, then continue to beat slowly adding the sugar until mixture is stiff, but not dry.
- Spread over the sides and top of the cake. Place in a 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4 oven and bake until the meringue browns. (10 to 15 minutes)
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Serve at room temperature, cutting slices with a wet knife. This helps to prevent the meringue from tearing as you cut it.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!!
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