T - Christmas Cake Recipe 5

Finally the last 3 recipes!!!! I was saying something about me being happy.... Apart from the 2 weeks Christmas break, which will probably begin and end with me doing some studying lool. I passed the recent exam I wrote. Fully in celebration mode. I haven't forgotten about the reviews yet.... They will be up shortly.

Okay.... let's finish this up ^^

Cake 13: Party Cupcakes

Ingredient

espresso & brandy cupcakes:

185g (6½oz) unsalted butter, softened

185g (6½oz) golden caster sugar

3 large free-range eggs

1tbsp strong coffee

185g (6½oz) self-raising flour with pinch salt

for the buttercream:

150g (5oz) butter, softened

150g (5oz) full-fat Philadelphia

400g (14oz) icing sugar

5tbsp brandy

you will need:

12-hole muffin tin, lined with paper cases

Preparation

Heat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan, 350 F, gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar; beat in the eggs. Stir in the coffee; fold in the flour until smooth. Spoon mix into cases; bake for 20 minutes. Cool cakes on a wire rack.

Whisk the butter and cream cheese; beat in the sugar and brandy. Pipe swirls onto the cakes. Sprinkle with espresso powder.

Additional details

Makes: 12
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Skill level: Easy
Calories: 531 per serving
Freeze: yes

For mint chocolate chip cupcakes: Cake mix Use 130g (4½oz) flour, 50g (2oz) cocoa and 2tbsp milk. Omit coffee; add 150g (5oz) dark choc chips. Topping Swap brandy for 1tsp peppermint extract and 3 drops green food colouring.

For pistachio and saffron cupcakes: Cake mix Use 100g (4oz) flour, 100g (4oz) ground pistachio nuts. Omit coffee. Topping Beat 400g (14oz) full-fat Philadelphia and 300g (10oz) icing sugar, mixed with 8-10 strands saffron soaked overnight in 1tbsp hot water.

Cake 14: Apple Walnut Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Filing

Ingredient

For the cake:

280g (91/2oz) plain flour

125g (41/2oz) wholemeal flour

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp baking powder

3/4tsp salt

350ml (12floz) sunflower oil

400g (14oz) caster sugar

3 large eggs

100g (4oz) walnuts, roughly chopped

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm pieces

3tbsp brandy (Calvados if you have it)

For the caramel:

400g (14oz) caster sugar

225ml (8fl oz) double cream

For the frosting:

500g (1lb 2oz) cream cheese

225ml (8fl oz) of the caramel (above)

squeeze of lemon juice

For the caramel shards:

handful of whole walnuts

150g (5oz) caster sugar

you will need:

2 x 20cm (8in) sandwich cake tins

Preparation

Preheat oven to 170 C, 150 C fan oven, 325 F, gas 3. Grease and line the bases of the sandwich tins. Sift together the flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the oil and sugar together with an electric hand whisk until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the dry ingredients until it forms a thick, smooth batter. Fold in the walnuts, apple and brandy.

Divide mixture between tins and bake on the middle shelf for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the cake’s centre. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

While the cake is cooking, make the caramel. Dissolve the sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat. Once the caramel has gone deep amber, remove from heat and slowly add the cream. Stand back as you do it – it will bubble like mad. Return to heat and stir for a minute. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

For the frosting, blend the cheese with 225ml (8fl oz) cold caramel and the lemon juice using an electric hand whisk, reserving the rest of the caramel for decoration.

To make the caramel shards, lightly oil a sheet of foil and dot over the walnuts, spaced a little apart. Melt the caster sugar in a pan. Once it has caramelized, pour over the walnuts and allow to set. To assemble the cake: once the cakes are cool, use 1/3 of the icing to sandwich the two layers together. Spread remaining icing over the top and around the sides, using a palette knife. Drizzle the leftover caramel over the iced cake. You can do this with a teaspoon, a piping bag or a clean plastic ketchup bottle. Break up the hard caramel into shards and arrange on top of cake. 

Additional details

Serves: 16

Prep time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hr 20 mins

Skill level: Easy

Calories: 700 per serving

You can prepare the cake up to two days ahead. Wrap and place in an airtight container. The caramel and frosting can be made three days ahead and stored in the fridge. Once decorated, the cake will keep for four hours in the fridge, but drizzle over the caramel at the last minute. The cake won’t freeze well, though.

Cake 15: Snow Topped Holly Cake

Ingredient

200g dark muscovado sugar

175g butter , chopped

700g luxury mixed dried fruits

50g glacé cherries

2 tsp grated fresh root ginger

zest and juice 1 orange

100ml dark rum , brandy or orange juice

85g pecans

3 large eggs , beaten

85g ground almonds

200g plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

250g pack marzipan , halved

icing sugar , for dusting

2 tbsp warmed apricot jam

500g pack fondant icing sugar

8 glacé cherries

small holly sprigs, washed and dried

Preparation

Tip the sugar, butter, dried fruit, whole cherries, ginger, orange zest and juice into a large pan. Pour over the rum, brandy or juice, then put on the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring frequently to melt the butter. Reduce the heat and bubble gently, uncovered for 10 mins, stirring every now and again to make sure the mixture doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. Set aside for 30 mins to cool.

Stir the nuts, eggs and ground almonds into the fruit, then sift in the flour, baking powder and spices. Stir everything together gently but thoroughly. Your batter is ready.

Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Butter and line the base and sides of a 18cm square tin with baking paper. Spoon the cake mix into the tin and level the top with a spoon dipped into boiling water. Bake for 45 mins, then turn oven down to 140C/120C fan/gas 1 and cook for 1 hr more or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Will keep well-wrapped in foil for 2 months or freeze for 1 year.

Carefully cut the square cake in half and trim the edges so that you see the texture of the cake on all sides. Roll out each piece of marzipan on a surface dusted with icing sugar until the size of the top of each cake.

Generously brush the top of the cakes with jam, place jam-side down on top of the marzipan, then trim away the excess marzipan with a sharp knife.

Make up the fondant icing to a spreading consistency, then spread on top of the cakes so that it slightly runs over the edges. Top with cherries and holly, then leave to set. Will keep in a plastic container in a cool place for 4-7 days.

Additional details

Makes: 2 cakes, each serves 8

Skill level: Easy

Prep: 45 mins

Cook: 1 hr 45 mins

Freeze: Yes

Nutritional value: 584 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 97g, fat 20 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 2g, sugar 87g, salt 0.32 g

(Credits --- Womanandhome; bbcgoodfood)

I feel quite good to be able to see this to the end hehehe..... Have fun people with all these recipes!!!!