Chocolate Fingers Celebration Cake with Red Berries

It is my friend's birthday today so true to traditions I baked her a birthday cake. I always wanted to make a similar cake but the chocolate cigarellos just way out of my budget range(for a small cake  it would cost 30-40 pounds at least). But, there is a cheaper alternative: Chocolate fingers! I modified my previous flourless brownie recipe (but added some flour to make it more sturdy) as I just couldn't have enough of it since yesterday.

Chocolate Fingers Celebration Cake with Red Berries

Ingredients for the cake
250 g dark chocolate broken into pieces (around 60%-70 cocoa solids)
250 g unsalted butter, diced
100 g golden caster sugar
4 medium eggs
100 g  ground almonds
50 g plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder, sifted
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cream and decoration
250 g mascarpone
100 g dark chocolate broken into pieces
2-5 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
2.5 box of Cadbury Chocolate Fingers

300 g raspberries
150 g strawberries

red ribbon for decorating
2 coloured pearl headed pins

Preheat the oven to 170C and prepare two 19 cm sandwich tin.

Melt the chocolate (250 g) with the butter in a bowl set over a pan with a little simmering water in it. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir to combine, then leave to cool slightly. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture, one by one, beating after each addition until the mixture is very glossy.

Gently fold in the ground almonds, flour, baking powder and cinnamon without overmixing.

Spread the chocolate mixture in the tins and bake for 25-35 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean with just a few moist crumbs on it.

In the meantime  you can prepare the filling. Melt the 100 g chocolate in a bowl set over a pan with a little simmering water in it. Remove from the heat then leave to cool slightly. Add the mascarpone and work it until fully incorporated then add Amaretto liqueur to taste (as this cake made for a birthday girl, I wasn't shy with the amount:))

When the cake is ready and completeley cooled, level with a cake leveller. Place one layer on the cake stand and spread some chocoalte filling and sandwich with the other sponge layer.

Cover the cake with the rest of the chocolate cream (leaving a thicker layer on the top rather than the sides) and start to press lightly the chocolate fingers to the sides. You should face the cake eye level otherwise after a few chocolate you tend to misplace the fingers and they won't stand straight.

I prepared the bow while baking the sponge. Just cut a piece of ribbon, tie it, then insert a headed pin from behind. Cut a bigger piece of ribbon, tie it around the cake and fix it with another headed pin(obviously please wash the pins before use, and just before cutting the cake remove the ribbon with the needles to avoid any accidents). When you happy with the position of the ribbon just insert the bow on top.

Place or arrange the washed fruits on top.............and you can start preparing for the birthday party.

and Happy Birthday Rimma!!!!!

Chocolate and Amaretto Madeleines

I received my Lakeland offer yesterday and I had to used at least half of the new kit:) The first on the list was the mini madeleines silicone form. I used the first recipe I come across on the BBC Good food website. The original recipe calls for hazelnut liqueur (sadly I didn't have any at home) but I replaced with Amaretto (almond liqueur).

Chocolate and Amaretto Madeleines

Ingredients (makes 12 normal size or 30 mini ones)
80 g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
20 g ground almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
75 g golden caster sugar
2 eggs
1 vanilla pod
2 tbsp Amaretto
90g unsalted butter, melted

Shift the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and cocoa with a pinch of salt. Butter the mini madeleines form.

Whisk the sugar and eggs with electric mixer until thick, pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the flour mix, vanilla seeds, Amaretto and butter. Cover the surface of the mix with cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200C. Fill each cavity to 2/3 and bake it for 10 minutes or until risen and springy. Tap the form to loosen and tip out. Dust with cocoa and serve warm.

Summer Field Rainbow Cake

It is my sister's 14th birthday!!!!!! As she is staying with me for a month, we had the chance to prepare her cake together! I had this vision before...with the grass, flowers and the butterflies.....that hides a rainbow cake underneath. I have to say it all turned out very well, but I am not truly happy with the cake sponge. I used curd cheese filling and white cake recipe-apparently it is really popular in the US (I never heard about that before). White cake usually used in rainbow cake recipe, as you should leave out the egg yolks, that creates a white sponge-so easier to colour. Anyway I share the recipe...maybe it is just my baking abilities....

I know the food colouring isn't the best for us...but you only have Birthday once a year!

Summer Field Rainbow Cake

Nyári Mezővel borított Szivárvány Torta

For the sponge

290gr plain flour

250g sugar

150g butter/fat

300ml milk

3 tsp baking powder

1tsp salt

1 tsp almond extract

5 egg whites

5 different food colouring

For the filling

150ml coconut milk

400g curd cheese

2 vanilla pod

60g dessicated coconut

85g cream cheese

100ml double cream

4 tbsp icing sugar

zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp Amaretto

green food colouring

For the butterflies and flowers

50g Gum paste/Flower paste

food colouring of your choice

For the grass

80g dessicated coconut

green food colouring

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Mix the flour, sugar, butter,milk, baking powder, salt and almond extract. When it is all mixed add the egg whites and mix it again. Divide the mixture to 5 bowls and add the food colouring to each one. Line the cake tin with baking paper and bake each layer for 20 minutes or until the top springs back if you touch lightly with your fingertip.

In the meantime you can prepare the butterflies and flowers. Divide the flower paste to 3 parts. 

Colour two of them and roll them out on a flat surface. Using your butterfly and flower cutters cut out the shapes. Place the butterflies on a folded paper, so when they dry out and harden the wings will hold their shape.

For the cream mix together all the ingredients with an electric mixer.

You can start layering your cake. When all layers are covered with cream I added some green food colouring to the leftover, so when I cover the cake, the outside layer will be green (in case the dessicated coconut wouldn't cover all surface). 

For the grass simply put the dessicated coconut into a bowl and pour on top the green food colouring(as much as it turns the coconut to green) and start mixing with a silicon spoon to cover all shreds. When you are happy with the result, put the grass on top of the cream (the cream should stuck on the surface as it is wet).

Place on top the butterflies and the flowers....and you are ready. Keep the cake in the fridge.

And you can see the smile on her face when she blew out the candle.

Strawberry Jam With a Twist

This is totally my creation, but I warn you: don't let your husband to finish it as he MAY not read carefully the description of the pectin and he MAY don't put enough in it.(I had to leave and get some more empty jars from a friend nearby, as I run out of them earlier than expected) Otherwise it tastes delicious....but my version slightly runny as my dearest and nearest put  1/10 of the pectin that was required. Anyway.....this is my:

Strawberry Jam with a twist

Ingredients
1.2 kg strawberry
0.8kg jam sugar (or use granulated sugar+pectin-amount of pectin depends on brand, always use the suggested amount)
1 tbsp cinnamon
5-6 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
2 vanilla pods, halved length ways 

1 lemon juice

Put a small plate into the freezer.
Hull and clean the strawberries. Smash half of the strawberries with a potato masher, but leave other half leave in quarters (to have some "whole" pieces in the jam).

Put the strawberries with the sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and the vanilla into a heavy based sauce pan and bring to the boil. Boil the jam for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly, checking the setting point every 2 minutes during the last 5 minutes. 10 minutes into the boiling you can add the amaretto liqueur, the alcohol will evaporate, but the taste will stay in the jam. 

To  test the setting point, take the cold saucer out of the freezer, put a little jam on it. Leave it for a minute then push your finger into the jam, if it wrinkles, then it's done. You may put some extra pectin in the jam if it doesn't want to set, but strawberry jam unlikely to set very solid anyway. 

Take off the heat and skim off the scum if needed. Pour into sterilised jars, seal and store.

To sterilise your jars:
Wash your jars in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely. Keep them warm. Alternatively, run the jars and lids thorough a hot dishwasher cycle, then let them dry.

Or like my mum did it: put your washed jars and lids into a massive saucepan filled with water and start boiling it, after 15minutes, just before filling take them out one by one. The jar should dry out within seconds as the remaining of the water evaporate immediately.

Marcarpone and Strawberry Mini Chocolate Cakes

I bought the Lakeland's 12 hole mini sandwich tin and I had to try it straight away. This cake recipe is originally from their website, slightly changed.

Mascarpone and Strawberry Mini Chocolate Cakes

For the cakes

175g unsalted butter, softened

125g soft light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 vanilla pod

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

50g cocoa

75ml buttermilk

75ml boiling water

For the filling

300g strawberries 

150ml double cream

200g mascarpone

1vanilla pod

3 tbsp Amaretto liqueur

2-3tbsp icing sugar

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Cream the butter with both of the sugars until pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla seeds.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa into the mixture and mix until almost combined. Add the buttermilk and boiling water and continue to mix until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the Mini Sandwich Pan so that each well is two thirds full. Bake on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cakes to rest in the tin for 2 minutes and then ease out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the cream whip the double cream to stiff peaks, add the icing sugar, mascarpone, vanilla seeds and Amaretto liqueur and mix it together. Wash and slice the strawberries.

Cut the cooled cakes in half and spread the bottom layer of each cake with the mascarpone cream, add some strawberries and some cream again.

Sandwich with the top layer then add some more cream on top and a slice of strawberry for decoration.

Amaretto and Raspberry Magic

I forgot we about to host a dinner party for our friends. I checked for a recipe that I can make quickly and I send my husband to buy the ingredients for it. He returned with half of them....claiming he forgot it. Well he did buy raspberries instead of strawberries, so I had some fruit and the rest was down to my cupboard. I can't complain as I have a fairly well equipped one, therefore I created:

Amaretto and Raspberry Magic

Ingredients

400g raspberries

250ml double cream

50g creamed coconut, chilled

40g ground almond

15 amaretti biscuit

80g cream cheese

6 tbsp Amaretto liqueur

50g flaked almonds

In one bowl whip the double cream until it holds its shape. Grate in the chilled creamed coconut, then add the ground almond and the Amaretto liqueur and mix it together.

In a separate bowl mix together with an electric mixer 2/3 of the raspberries with the cream cheese.

All left to do is assemble it. Fill the Amaretto cream into a piping bag and start layering the glasses. 

My layers were starting from the bottom: 

Amaretto cream, 

raspberry purée, 

1.5crushed amaretti biscuit(in each glass), 

Amaretto cream, 

some fresh raspberries, 

flaked almonds, raspberry purée, 

Amaretto cream

finished off with 1amaretti biscuit each some flaked almonds and the rest of the raspberries.

Chill it for at least 30 minutes then serve:)

Individual Strawberry Cakes

I made this dessert as we expected some guests and I wanted to wow them....Also I had some frozen Joconde décor paste from my Chocolate and Orange Mousse cake. But if you want to make it from stratch I adjusted the measaurements to that.

Individual Strawberry Cakes

You will need: 5 dessert rings or 5 tinned vegetable tins(this is a cheap alternative to dessert or food rings) *more on this at the Tricks and Recommendations 

Joconde décor paste
50g unsalted butter, softened
50g icing sugar
50g egg whites
55g plain flour
Sugarflair red food colouring
1tbs melted butter

Joconde sponge
90g egg whites, at room temperature
13g granulated sugar
115g ground almonds
115g icing sugar, sifted
3 large eggs
40g plain flour
43g clarified butter, melted

Filling
300g strawberries
200ml double cream
250g mascarpone
1 tbs gelatine
1dl milk
150g white chocolate
5tbs Amaretto liqueur

• Preheat the oven to 220°C, 200°C Fan
• Line two 45cm x 30cm (half sheet) baking trays with baking parchment and brush with the melted butter.

• Make the joconde paste:
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then gradually add the egg whites, beating continuously.
• Fold in the sifted flour then add the food colouring.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain nozzle.
• Pipe the mixture onto the buttered parchment in a swirl pattern and place in the freezer to harden.
• Make the joconde sponge:
• Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
• Add the granulated sugar and continue whisking until stiff peaks are formed.
• Scrape the meringue mixture into a bowl and cover with cling film to prevent the meringue collapsing.
• Beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs in the bowl for 5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Turn the speed down to low and mix in the flour.
• Gently fold in the meringue mixture using a large spatula.
• Put the melted butter in a small bowl and mix in a cupful of the sponge batter. Pour this back into the mixing bowl and gently fold into the rest of batter.
• Remove the baking trays with the decor paste from the freezer.

• Divide the batter evenly between the two baking trays, spreading it smoothly over the decorations and into the corners ensuring it is level. An offset spatula is useful for this.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the sponges are cooked and springy to the touch and have shrunk away from the edges of the pan.
• Turn out by covering the sponge with a sheet of parchment then flip the baking tray over onto the work surface. Peel off the paper to reveal the pattern, and lay it lightly on top of the sponge. Leave to cool.
• When cooled, cut 5 circle of sponges to line the base and lay it patterned-side down, in the bottom of the tin. Cut 5 additional circle to make the top of the cakes and set aside.

Cut the strawberries to half and stand them facing outward to the tins.

For the cream add the gelatine to the boiling milk and stir until it is dissolved. Set aside and leave it to cool slightly. In the meantime whip the double cream to stiff peaks then mix in the melted white chocolate, mascarpone and Amaretto liqueur. Mix the milk to the cream and wait until it starts to set(if you put to the forms too early the cream can leak in front of the strawberries...and that would ruin the cakes).

When the cream is almost set spoon between the strawberries and close each cake with a sponge, patterned-side up. Put the little cakes into the fridge for at least 1 hour, so the cream can fully set.

You can also use the Joconde sponge as the side of the little cakes. Here I cut them to size(first the sides and then the bottom-so it is hidden) and filled them with the same cream....

Mango shots

While experimenting with more exotic fruits and tastes, I created these little beauties. I bought 6 1dl glasses for £2.99 in TK Max and tested them straight after arriving home.

Mango shots

Ingredients for 6 1ld glasses:

1 Mango
0.5-1dl Passoá (passion fruit liqueur)
250 ml double cream
4 tbs icing sugar 
1 tbs Amaretto (Almond liqueur)
1 dl coconut milk
1 tbs dream topping


Quite easy to prepare,  will take about 20 minutes with cleaning:)
Peel the mango. 3/4 of the mango needs to be puréed(use food processor or hand blender), the other 1/4 will be the decoration on the top. For the decoration cut the mango into little squares.

Add the Passoá liqueur to the purée, depending on your taste adjust the amount. When the dessert will be cold you won't feel that much the alcohol so set it as just over the kick when it is room temperature. 

Whip the double cream until stiff peaks with the dream topping, then add the coconut milk, Amaretto liqueur and the icing sugar and mix it again. As usual, I would suggest to taste it. Somebody likes it really sweet, somebody likes it not so sweet so adjust the sugar if you need to.

Put the cream into a piping bag (avoid to make mess with the spoon on the side of the glasses when you try to fill it, believe me, I tried it and it didn't work.....use a piping bag)
Start layering the cream and mango purée. Start and finish with a cream layer. Put the chopped mango squares on top and chill  for at least 30minutes or more.