Kahlua Lamingtons

 

Very few things beat the charm of a Lamington. 

Kahlua Lamingtons

Makes 18

For the Cake:

230g plain flour

220g caster sugar

100g unsalted butter

70g vegetable oil

3 eggs, room temperature

150ml full cream milk, room temperature

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Icing:

180g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

200ml full cream milk

40g unsalted butter

200g icing sugar, sifted

20g cocoa powder, sifted

2 tablespoons Kahlua

2 tablespoons hot water

200g unsweetened desiccated coconut

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced. Grease and line a 20x20cm cake pan.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring jug.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.

With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl down after each addition.

Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture, alternating between each, starting and finishing with the flour mixture,

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before removing from the pan to cool completely.

Make the Icing:

Put the chocolate, butter and milk in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add the icing sugar, cocoa powder, stir until incorporated. Add the Kahlua and enough hot water until the mixture is the consistency of pouring cream.

Assembly:

Cut the cake into 18 fingers (or the size you prefer). Using two forks, dip each piece into the icing and letting any excess drip off, then dredge in coconut. 

Slightly adapted from here

One-Bowl Chocolate Dessert Cake

A super-easy, super-delicious, super-fudgy, super-chocolaty cake and only one bowl to lick... I mean wash.  I don't know about you, but I think that sounds like a perfect start to the weekend.




One-Bowl Chocolate Dessert Cake
slightly adapted from here

125g (1 stick) unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra for greasing
375g (13.23 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
175g (1 cup) brown sugar
35g (1/4 cup) plain flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons buttermilk
120g (1 cup) ground almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
5 eggs, at room temperature
cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 170C (325F).  Butter a 22cm round springform cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper. Set aside.

Put the butter and chocolate into a large heat-proof bowl and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Don't let the bowl touch the water.  Once melted and smooth, take the bowl off the heat.  Add the sugar, flour, salt, buttermilk and ground almonds.  Mix to combine.

Add the vanilla bean paste and then the eggs one at a time, mixing well to combine with each addition.  Try not the beat too much air into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover loosely with foil.  Covering with foil will allow the cake to bake evenly and keep the top of the cake nice and soft.  The original recipe says to bake the cake for 40 minutes, but I've baked this cake a number of times and it always takes at least an hour in my oven.  I suggest you start checking with a skewer after 40 minutes.  The cake is done when the skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Take the cake out of the oven, take the foil off and put it on a wire rack.  Leave it to cool completely in the pan.

Release the cake from the cuff and dust liberally with cocoa powder.  Serve with whipped cream.

Chocolate Three Milk Cake

 

 

 

 

 

I realise that this is technically a four milk cake with the addition of buttermilk in the batter, but I didn't want to confuse the issue, split hairs, gild the lily, or discombobulate you in any way.

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Three Milk Cake

For the Cake:
150g (1 cup) plain flour
40g (2 heaping tablespoons) cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
115g ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
160g (3/4 cup) brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
125ml (1 2/ cup) buttermilk

For the Milk Soak:
125ml (1/2 cup) condensed milk
125ml (1/2 cup) evaporated milk
125ml (1/2 cup) full cream milk
25g ( 1 oz)  dark chocolate, chopped

For the Topping:
200ml (1 cup) whipping cream
100ml (1/2 cup) sour cream

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter a 8cm x 8cm cake pan and dust with a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder. Shake the pan so that the cocoa powder sticks to the butter and coats the base and sides of the pan. Shake off any excess cocoa powder. This will form a non-stick surface and make the cake easier to remove from the pan. Set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes on medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again to combine.

Add one third of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the butter mixture and mix at low speed until just incorporated. Add another third of the flour and the remaining buttermilk and mix again until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix briefly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Make the Milk Soak:
Put all the milk soak ingredients into a small saucepan and put over low heat until the chocolate has melted. Leave the milk soak to cool for 10 minutes. Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke hole all over it with a skewer, going right down to the pan. Pour the milk soak over the hot cake. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, chill in the refrigerator overnight until cold and the milk soak has been absorbed by the cake.

Make the Topping:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and sour cream until firm peaks. Dollop it onto the cold cake and spread evenly to the edges with a spatula. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Savoiardi Cake with Almond Frosting

 

I had half a packet of savoiardi haunting me from my pantry and I knew if I didn't get rid of them I'd wind up dunking one after the other of these crumbly Italian sponge fingers into my hot coffee. So I decided to make a cake with them and eat them that way instead.


Savoiardi Cake with Almond Frosting

For the Cake:
About 12 - 16 (depending on size) savoiardi (Italian sponge fingers) blitzed in a food processor to give you 2 cups of crumbs
About 1 cup toasted raw almonds blitzed in a food processor to give you 3/4 cup of finely ground meal
1/2 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
225g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs separated, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup caster sugar

For the Filling:
Freshly whipped cream

For the Frosting:
120g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
1 - 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 175C and grease and line two 23 cm round cake pans with baking paper. Set aside.

Put the crumbed sponge fingers, toasted almond meal, flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat again. Reduce the speed to low and had a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Once just combined, add another third of the flour mixture followed by the remaining buttermilk. Gently add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Stop the mixer.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until frothy. Gradually add the caster sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold the whisked egg whites into the crumb batter and divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and salt and beat to incorporate. Add enough buttermilk to give you a spreading consistency.

Assembly:
Put one cake onto a cake plate. Spoon the freshly whipped cream into the centre and spread to the edges. Top with the other cake.

Spoon the frosting on to the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the cake and down and around the sides. Scrape the sides of the cake with the edge of the spatula to just smear the sides and give it an even look. Use the tip of the spatula to "draw" a spiral into the frosting on top of the cake. Now, put the kettle on.

Brown Sugar Apple Upside Down Cake with Apple Cider Caramel and Spiced Walnuts

 

 

 

 

I spent last week in gorgeous Glenelg, South Australia at the National Junior Beach Volleyball Championships watching my children and other talented kids play the game they love representing their home states. It was fun in the sun. Lots of sand, surf, sport and sunscreen... and I may have eaten a cake or two between games. But the holiday is over and while I'm no longer able to spend whole days on the beach, I can still enjoy a slice of something sweet with my morning coffee. So it's pretty much business as usual.

 

 

Oh, and here are some shots of Glenelg for you, if you're into that kind of thing:
 

 



 

 



Brown Sugar Apple Upside Down Cake with Apple Cider Caramel and Spiced Walnuts
slightly adapted from here
 

For the Apple Cider Caramel:
1 litre of apple juice (I squeezed my own apples, but you can use cold-pressed or cloudy apple juice)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Cake:
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced into wedges
140g unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups plain flour
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the Spiced Walnuts:
1 teaspoon almond oil
1 cup walnut halves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Make the Apple Cider Caramel:
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm round cake pan. Set aside.

Put the apple juice into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a lively simmer and cook the juice without stirring, until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and the salt. Pour half of the caramel into the prepared cake pan and reserve the remaining half.

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 180C.

Arrange the apple slices over the base of the cake pan in the caramel. I made a fancy fan pattern, but you don't have to. Set aside.

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat again.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by half the buttermilk. Add another third of the flour mixture and then the remaining buttermilk. Finally, at the last of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the cake pan, on top of the caramel and apples. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.

Make the Spiced Walnuts:
Heat the almond oil gently over medium-low heat in a frying pan. Add the walnuts and toss until they are slightly toasted. Add the spices and continue to cook for another minute, tossing to coat.  Set aside to cool completely.

Assembly:   
While the cake is still warm, top with the spiced walnuts and serve with reserved apple cider caramel at the table.  Would be killer with some vanilla ice cream.

Tiramisu Mud Cake with Mascarpone Frosting



A party cake! And if you're not having a party with the whole candles-and-balloons-and-streamers thing, then you can just have a party in your mouth.




Tiramisu Mud Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
adapted from here


For the Coffee Syrup:
1/2 cup hot strong brewed black coffee
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (optional)

For the Cake:
250g unsalted butter, chopped
200g white chocolate chopped
495g caster sugar
375ml strong brewed black coffee
300g plain flour
100g self raising flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:
250g mascarpone
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting
12 - 13 savoiardi (Italian sponge fingers) for decorating
Icing sugar for dusting

Make the Coffee Syrup:
Mix all the coffee syrup ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside to cool.

Make the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and line a 25 cm round cake pan and line the base and sides with baking paper.

Put the butter, chocolate, sugar and coffee in a saucepan and melt together over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the plain flour, self raising flour, eggs and vanilla. When smooth pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1hr  25mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting:
Put the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar into a bowl and whisk lightly until soft peaks form. If you over mix mascarpone it will become grainy, so go easy. Set aside.

Assembly:
Trim the top of the cake to make sure it is level.

Place the cake on a cake stand or plate and pour the coffee syrup over the entire cake. Once the syrup has been absorbed, spoon the frosting on top. Spread the frosting over the top and down the sides of the cake, making it as even as possible with a good thick layer on the edges.

Place a paper doily in the centre of the cake and sieve the cocoa powder over. Lift the doily off, revealing the pattern underneath.

Cut the savoiardi in half and dust them liberally with icing sugar. Press them onto the sides of the cake.