Anniversary Cake

A colleague of David's hosted a little party for his parents' anniversary and asked if I would bake a cake.  Nothing fancy, just a sandwich sponge...something simple...was the info I was given.  I hummed and hawed over it for a while, and ended up making a lemon sponge filled with lemon curd and a lemony buttercream.  Topped with a ring of blueberries who could complain? 

The feedback was lovely...I just wish I had been able to have a bite myself!

Tweet

A Bundt for Charity

Did you know that if you eat cake for a good cause it is calorie free? Well it is...or so say those awesome peeps formerly known as the Edinburgh Cake Ladies and now known as the Edinburgh Bakers.  That's right...cake eaten for charity can only do you GOOD.  

This past week I joined a whole slew of keen bakers and eaters at the lovely Cafe Musa to raise a fork and some money for a local children's charity It's Good 2 Give.  Check out the official blog over at the Edinburgh Bakers website...drool over the pictures and congratulate them for a really fantastic event.  

Over 20 people pledged to bake a cake for the event and even more people pledged to eat those cakes (really hard promise to keep...)! When I pledged to bake ages ago I wasn't too sure what to make...it still felt like the middle of winter and I wasn't sure if I would even feel up to baking what with the dinosaur growing in my tummy.  In the end I decided that I would bake an old family favourite, a Lemon Blueberry Cake.  

I love this cake.  It reminds me of summer and picking blueberries.  It is light and fresh and tastes great even after being in the fridge.  My mum makes this cake in a spring form ring pan...I don't have one of those.  I borrowed a bundt tin from a friend...made sure I greased it well and hoped and prayed for the best! 

Even though it had a few minor cracks a thick layer of lemony glaze rounded it off nicely.  You really can't go wrong with lemons and blueberries.  

Tweet

Baby Shower

I've been awake since 5:45 this morning...I don't know if it is baby related or the fact that the sun is shining through my rather thick curtains...either way...I'm up. Yesterday some friends threw me a lovely afternoon tea baby shower.  It was gorgeous...along the lines of the one we had before Christmas at my house...everyone brought something and we sat and chatted, ate, drank tea and whiled away the afternoon.  

The Spread, including my savoury platter with gougeres and artichoke bites

tomato and bacon tart 

cheese scones 

pea and asparagus flan 

the infamous MTB

banana cream pie

fruit scones with all the fixings

pear and ginger cake

mini cheesecakes with an Oreo and pretzel base

A truly lovely afternoon with some fantastic ladies and one of the cutest little men (3 month old Alfie) in all of Edinburgh.  

Tweet

Marshmallow Salad

This is one of those desserts that reminds me of long weekends in May and summer holidays...it is one of my Grandma's signature dishes...and a firm family favourite.  A total doddle to throw together, it is more of an open packets and mix together kind of recipe than anything else.  

I call it Marshmallow Salad, I've heard it referred to as White Trash Salad...its proper name is Ambrosia  and hails from the Southern United States (apparently) so who knows how it came to be in my Grandma's repertoire.  All I know is it is comforting and ridiculously easy to eat.  

Basically the recipe goes something like this...drain a couple cans of fruit salad (preferably with extra cherries) and maybe a tin of mandarine oranges and some extra pineapple chunks.  Cover with a decent amount of sour cream, or in this case Creme Fraiche, sprinkle with sweetened coconut and 3 handfuls of mini marshmallows (or more).  Mix it all together and refrigerate until time to devour.  

Deliciously Trashy

Tweet

Cheddar Cheese English Muffins

I can't stay away, and the purchase of a new camera (for baby snaps) means that I have been taking pictures of food again...which also means I have something new to share.  

On Friday a friend of mine told me that she was going to make some English Muffins over the weekend and even though I had just baked a batch of gooey cinnamon-y cream cheesy brownies I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to make some too.  So, when I woke up Saturday morning I got down to the business of bread making.  

I've make English Muffins before using Dan Lepard's cider and yoghurt muffin recipe, which involves making a ferment the night before, and then bringing that to room temperature before making the dough and then proving, proving, proving...don't get me wrong, the muffins were excellent...but I just don't have the time for that. Instead, I turned to Delia's basic recipe and adapted it slightly.  

I used a combination of white and wholemeal bread flours (300g white to 150g wholemeal) and added a sprinkle more yeast and a couple extra Tbsps of milk to help the wholemeal along.  I also added a handful of grated extra mature cheddar to make these muffins a touch more savoury. 

I use my shallow cast iron casserole to cook my muffins...and I use the lid...it helps to keep the heat and moisture in the cooking area and I think it makes the muffins rise highhhher.  Like any homemade bread these muffins do take time, and patience...but well worth the wait! 

Tweet

Brown Velvet...Red Velvet Au Natural

The last few months have been pretty hectic over here in urban housewife world...we've officially moved out of our gorgeous (but totally freezing) rented flat and into our very own home.  We've been busy painting and buying furniture and trying to get things settled.  I say we...but really David has been doing most of the work because I've been busy baking...a bun! Between the new house and expecting a baby and all the organisation and work that comes with that and...oh our regular lives...I've just not had much inspiration lately.  

I can't decide if I want to stop posting altogether, or just take a break...or what. For the time being, though, I thought I'd give you a little look at the first cake baked in our new home...

I called this ridiculously heavy to carry (although light and fluffy) 3 layer monster my Brown Velvet cake.  It is, in reality, a red velvet without the food colouring.  In all honestly I had intended to make a red velvet cake...in fact I had my heart (and the baby's) set on a gorgeous 3 layer vivid red cake completely smothered in cream cheese icing...until I got to the grocery store and there was no red food dye to be seen.  Perhaps better for the baby in the long run...all those E numbers in combination with the sugar. 

Regardless, the cake turned out great.  It is terrifying baking in a new oven.  I am not happy that this oven in fan assisted with no option to turn the fan off (it is fan or grill or nothing)...but I remembered that I had read somewhere about turning the oven down 20 degrees for fan ovens (unless the temperature is given in the recipe). With fingers crossed and lots of hovering by the oven door I watched this cake rise nicely and retain it's domed top (triumph!).  A great first attempt, but I am sure disaster is lurking somewhere in the near future.  

Because all my cook books are still packed away somewhere in the many boxes crowding what will eventually becoming the nursery I used this recipe from Red Magazine online.  I liked that it used buttermilk (essential in any red velvet) and was pretty close to the Hummingbird Bakery recipe I usually use.  The recipe makes 2 20cm cakes in proper springform cake tines...not sandwich tins, so the finished cake is gigantic.  I ended up dividing the batter between 1 20cm tin and a 6 hole cupcake tin and then cutting the cake into 3 layers and saving the 6 cupcakes for the hard working David.  

Essentially *just* a chocolate cake...but totally not. 

Until Next Time...

Tweet

Quick Breakfast (or anytime) Muffins: Courgette and Sultana

Things are changing around here, and a lack of free time and the loss of my baking mojo has affected my blogging...in a major way.  This morning, however, as we lay in bed and David listed off the to-do list I found myself day dreaming about Courgette and Sultana muffins.  I don't know where the idea came from, I just know it was right there in my consciousness taunting me.  Thankfully, the first thing on David's list was a 45 min run (for him) leaving me with plenty of time to dust off the muffin tins and whip up a batch of muffins. 

These muffins are so simple.  They take maybe...10 mins to mix together, and about 20-25 mins to bake.  The most difficult part is letting them cool completely before devouring...well you don't have to let them cool completely, but then you might find half of the muffin still clinging to the paper case...it is up to you, really.  

I love muffins and have found it increasingly difficult to find a really good one shop bought muffin here in Edinburgh.  Perhaps I was spoilt for choice growing up in big town Canada...but really...a good, well risen, tasty muffin is no big feat. 

My breakfast (or anytime) muffins freeze well and I often freeze 6 or 8 from a batch to enjoy either for breakfast (defrosted on the counter the night before) or for lunch (normally fully defrosted by lunch time).  The original recipe comes from my well splattered Great Canadian Basics cookbook, which I have tweaked and added to over and over again.  The baking powder might seem like a lot, but the combination of brown and white flours need that extra oompf to really get a great rise.  

Quick Breakfast (or anytime) Muffins 

2 cups white flour (or 1 cup white, 3/4 cup brown, 1/4 wheat germ) 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt 

1 dessert spoon baking powder

1 cup of your chosen flavour: blueberries, frozen berries, grated carrot, grated courgette, chocolate chips, sultanas (or a creative combination) 

2 eggs

1 cup milk (whatever you have) 

1/4 cup veg, sunflower or rapeseed oil 

Pre Heat oven to 200C
Line 12 hole standard muffin tin

Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder in large bowl
*add 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp all spice if using carrots, courgettes or sultanas*
In separate bowl combine eggs, milk and oil
Add wet ingredients to dry and fold in.
Gently fold through your chosen fruit/veg

Fill muffin cases 3/4 of the way to the top of case (about 2 TBSP) and bake on middle shelf of oven for 20-25 mins or until tester comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack and devour.

If you find the mix is very dry (could happen if you use wheat germ and brown flour because they absorb liquid quickly) add a splash more milk, or orange juice. 

Today I added about 1/3 of a cup of sultanas with 1 cup of grated courgette and then topped the muffins with a sprinkle of slivered almonds before popping them in the oven.  

What other flavours could I try? 

Tweet