Chocolate Chip and Orange Zebra Cake

It was my hubby's birthday and I wanted to make him a special cake, but this is a man that doesn't really appreciate baking in any form really...well he says he doesn't but normally when he has a bit of cake he enjoys it hahaha! So I decided that I would make a cake regardless of him and let everyone else enjoy it hehehehe :)) I really wanted to try something different and had seen this new idea of a zebra cake but I didn't want just plain chocolate and plain sponge and certainly not a pink version :))! So I came up with Chocolate Chip and Orange Zebra Cake and must I just say wow wow wee, it was fantastic!!!!

I came up with a new sponge and added the orange flavour as well some cocoa powder to half the batch and some good chocolate chunks (not chips, there are far too small) and it produced the most heavenly cake which received the comments "it's the best cake I've ever tasted!" And "it's like eating a Terry's chocolate orange...but in cake form!" I'm happy with those comments and for such a large cake, there wasn't much left hehe :) 

As mentioned this is quite a large cake but is a really fantastic celebration cake...so here's the recipe and I really hope you enjoy it :)

Chocolate Chip and Orange Zebra Cake

450g butter softened

300g caster sugar

150g soft brown sugar

450g self raising flour

70g ground almonds

2 tsp baking powder

6 eggs

300ml natural yoghurt

2 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 2 oranges

7 tbsp cocoa powder

100g chocolate chunks 

Butter and flour 3 x 20cm (8") cake tins

Pre heat the oven to 180/170c fan

In a large bowl add the softened butter and sugars and mix well.

Add the flour, ground almonds and baking powder and mix until incorporated. 

Add the eggs and mix them in, once incorporated add the yoghurt and vanilla extract and mix to form a nice smooth batter. Add the zest of the two oranges and mix in.

Pour half the mixture into another bowl and add the cocoa powder and stir this in until the cocoa powder has disappeared completely into the batter, then add the chocolate chips and stir in.

Line the three tins in a row and get the two batters ready

Get large serving spoons ready (2...1 for the plain orange batter and 1 for the chocolate orange batter) 

Starting with the plain orange batter, spoon (1 spoonful) some into the middle of the first tin, then repeat with the other two tins

Then spoon the chocolate orange batter on top of the plain orange batter and do in all tins

Repeat with the plain orange batter and spoon some on the chocolate batter, then the plain and then the chocolate...keep spooning each layer of flavour into the next. If you do the three tins at the same time, you should end up with the same amount of batter in each tin and the layers will be equal - if you struggle with this, feel free to just do a marble effect!

Pop into the pre heated oven for around 30 minutes (could be up to 40 minutes depending if the layers are equal)

Remove once a skewer inserted comes out clean

Allow to cool and remove from the tins 

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

140g butter softened

200g cream cheese

200g mascarpone

200g icing sugar

Zest of 1 orange

In a bowl mix the butter until lovely and soft 

Add the cream cheese, mascarpone and orange zest and mix with the butter until smooth (do not over mix as it will become runnier the more you mix)

Sift the icing sugar and mix until fully Incorporated (but remember...don't over mix)

Place one of the layers on a plate, cake stand or cake board

Spoon some of the cream cheese frosting on the top and with a palette knife smooth around the top of the cake

Place another layer on top of the bottom layer and again spoon some of the cream cheese frosting and smooth on

Place the final layer on top 

Now it's time to cover the cake, as the cake is darker underneath, it's worth getting a thin layer round the edge (crumb layer) and pop in the fridge to set to then finish off with another layer of frosting. The top is normally okay so cover the top with a good layer to begin with.

If you are preparing this a day before, pop the finished cake in the fridge and remove a couple of hours before serving so as to bring to room temperature.

And now it's time to enjoy :))

Sweet Orange Couscous with Cranberries and Pistachios

Following on from middle eastern inspired food, I fancied trying something a little different with an ingredient that is very reminiscent of Moroccan food...couscous! It's a staple food with tagine a etc but when my son asked for a pudding I decided to make it sweet, with the addition of some brown sugar and/or honey and some nuts and dried fruit, it was a huge hit especially served with a little vanilla ice cream :))

Sweet orange couscous with cranberries and pistachios

125g couscous

200ml boiling water 

2 tbsp soft brown sugar (you can use honey in place of all the sugar or half)

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Zest of one large orange

Handful of cranberries

Handful of pistachio nuts

Put the couscous into a bowl with the orange zest

In a jug pour in the boiling water and add the sugar (honey) and mix well. You can of course add the orange juice if you wanted to have a strong orange flavour)

Pour this onto the couscous and cover with cling film and leave to rest for around 5 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is light and fluffy.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the cranberries and pistachios and serve with a good dollop of ice cream :)

Quick and easy :)

Please feel free to add spices such as cardamom or more cinnamon or even some ginger :)

Cardamom, Orange and Walnut Banana Bread

I love to try something new with an old classic and when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to give it a go and I wasnt disappointed...this is now our favourite version. The flavours in this banana bread are not over powering, just subtle so don't be put off :))

Cardamom, Orange and Walnut Banana Bread

120g butter

200g light muscovado sugar

6 cardamom pods , seeds lightly crushed

2 eggs

260g plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

120ml milk

3 ripe bananas , mashed

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 1 orange 

60g walnuts , chopped

Pre Heat oven the to 180C/160C fan. Lightly butter a 900g loaf tin and dust with flour.

Beat the butter with the sugar until smooth, then beat in the orange zest and cardamom and vanilla extract. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Sift in half the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt, and beat again. Mix in the milk, then the remaining flour. Stir in the mashed banana, and walnuts.

Tip the mixture into the loaf tin and level the top. Pop into the oven and for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean and not sticky. 

Allow to cool and enjoy :))

 

 

 

Quick and simple Cinnamon Rolls :)

Me and my son were visiting a friend and I never like to go empty handed but with the crazy busy week we have had I didn't really have much time to make anything too elaborate. I really wanted to make some cinnamon rolls (I had a slight craving for them haha) but with limited time, I found this fab recipe which required about half an hour of my time which was perfect and with a few of my own alterations the end result was magnificent...okay they are slightly more doughy than your regular cinnamon rolls as this is a no yeast recipe but the outcome is wonderful and its perfect to make with kids...ticks all the boxes for me :))
Add a cream cheese frosting like I did and it definitely is like eating a real cinnamon roll.

No Yeast Cinnamon Roll

Dough
3 cup plain flour
1 cup buttermilk,
(or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice added)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Filling
2 1/2 tbsp butter melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Orange glaze
Juice of half a large orange
4 tbsp caster sugar

Cream cheese frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Measure the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg into a mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk. Stir until thoroughly combined and form a dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or until smooth.
Roll the dough into a 12-inch by 24-inch rectangle. Spread the melted butter over the entire rectangle. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon all over.
Roll the dough into a log beginning at the wide side. Cut into two-inch pieces and put the pieces into a 7" pan.
Bake at 180/170c fan for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Heat the juice and caster sugar in a pan until the sugar is dissolved and spread over the cinnamon rolls as soon as they come out the oven.

Mix all the frosting ingredients together until soft and smooth.

Allow the muffins to cool for 15 minutes and spread over the cream cheese frosting

Another great alternative is to place the cinnamon rolls into muffin tins and then place in the oven...individual cinnamon roll muffins :))

Why not add pecan nuts to the sugar and cinnamon filling...yummy :))

Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns

It's Good Friday and a perfect time for some easter baking. Hot Cross Buns are a perfect easter treat but I'm going to be honest...I'm not a big fan of raisins and currants :( so I normally stay away from them but this year I decided to make my own but with a twist so that I could eat and enjoy them....chocolate and orange hot cross buns! They were out of this world...don't just take my word for it, definitely give them a go :)

Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns

450g strong white bread flour
25g cocoa powder
7g fast action yeast
60g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (ground)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
40g butter
300ml milk
100g chocolate chips
Zest of one large orange

Crosses
75g flour
75ml water

Glaze
3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp orange juice

Pour the milk into a pan and add the milk and heat gently until the better has melted (try not to boil the milk), add the vanilla extract and set aside. It needs to be like warm.

Place the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, orange zest and cinnamon into a bowl and slowly add the milk/butter mixture. Mix until you get a soft dough and then add the chocolate chips.

Knead for around 10 minutes or 5 minutes if using a stand mixer

Place in an oiled bowl and leave to prove for around 1 1/2 hrs or until doubled in size

Turn out onto a lightly oiled work surface and knock back. Divide into 12 balls and roll the balls gently to make them smooth and place on a lined baking sheet. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove again, until about doubled in size (about 45 minutes)

Pre heat the oven to 200/180c

Mix the flour and water together to a smooth spreadable paste and fill a piping bag fitted with a small holed nozzle.

Pipe crosses onto the buns and place into the pre heated oven for about 15 minutes.

While the buns are baking, make up the glaze by add the caster sugar and orange juice in a pan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Once the hot cross buns are cooked, remove from the oven and immediately brush the orange glaze over all the buns

Enjoy :))

Almond, Orange and Pine Nut Biscuits

Despite this awful weather we are having I'm determined to bring you some easter/spring inspired recipes. My recipe today is a lovely biscuit with wonderful fresh flavours (inspired by Spain)
Almond, Orange and Pine Nut Biscuits...easy to make and easy to eat haha :))

Almond, Orange and Pine Nut Biscuits

240g plain flour
125g ground almonds
Zest of 1 orange
200g salted butter
125g caster sugar
2 egg yolks
25g toasted pine nuts (more if you wanted)

Put the flour, ground almonds, orange zest and butter in a food processor and whizz until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolks and whizz to a dough. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead in the toasted pine nuts very gently or you can keep the dough in the food processor and whizz so the pine nuts are finely chopped. Shape into a log, Wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.
Heat the oven to 180C/160c fan. Cut the dough into biscuits and arrange on a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes and allow to cool on the baking sheet. (Due to the ground almonds they are fairly soft at first so allow to cool thoroughly.)

You can of course replace the orange with some lemon zest for a sharper fresher taste :)

The Best Carrot Cake Ever

This week has been so busy and today was no exception, swimming with my son, food shopping and we also had a friend over for lunch so of course i had to make something special but with limited time I opted for homemade focaccia with cold meats, cheeses, olives and homemade dips...all topped off with some gorgeous carrot cake!
This is probably one of my favourite cakes due to the fact that it is so moist and tasty ...and as its almost half carrot it must certainly be good for you and im sure it counts as one of your five a day hahaha, as I say to myself while tucking into my fourth piece :)))
My version, as so many, has nuts in but I haven't opted for walnuts or pecans..mine uses pistachios and with the orange zest...my goodness does it work well! The cake itself is so easy to make and the end result is amazing. I did it as a tray bake today but please feel free to use 2 x 8" cake tins and use the half the frosting to fill the two cakes and the remaining on top.

The Best Carrot Cake Ever with Pistachio Nuts

250ml vegetable oil
150g caster sugar
100g soft muscavado sugar
Zest ½ to 3/4 large orange
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon (ground)
3 large free-range eggs
250 self-raising flour, sifted
250g carrots, coarsely grated (about 3 large carrots)
100g pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

THE CREAM CHEESE ICING
150g cream cheese
150g mascarpone
75g icing sugar, sifted
Zest ½ orange

Heat the oven to 180C/170c Grease a shallow 20x30cm (8x12in) cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper, extending the paper 5cm (2in) above the tin.
Place the oil, sugars, orange zest and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer bowl and mix on a medium speed until well beaten. Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually add the eggs.
Sift over the flour and spices and gently fold in with a large metal spoon until smooth. Fold in the grated carrot and the chopped pistachio nuts. Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth the surface.
Bake for about 35 mins, or until golden and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin, then, with the help of the overhanging baking paper, lift the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To make the icing, mix together all the ingredients until smooth and light. Spread over the top of the cake.

Another loaf cake :))

Well this cold weather looks like its here to stay for a while...must say I'm sick of it now and desperate for some mild and warm weather but until then I'm occupying the cold days with lots of baking. Again I made a loaf cake but this was purely because I had some ricotta left over and didn't really fancy anything savoury haha! I found a recipe and although it looked good I made many alterations to make it my own and really glad I did as the end result was divine, moist, chocolatey, and very moorish!

Chocolate, Orange and Walnut Ricotta Loaf Cake

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 soft light brown sugar
8 oz whole fat ricotta cheese, at room temperature
Zest of one large orange
3 large eggs
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
½ cup (3 oz) chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 180/170c . Butter and Line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt into a bowl.
In another small bowl or a cup, combine the milk and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the ricotta and beat well to combine. Now add the orange zest and mix in.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Now add the dry ingredients in two additions alternating with the mix mixture, try not to over mix, just fold in enough to incorporate the ingredients. Stir in the toasted walnuts and chocolate chips.
Transfer the batter into the loaf tin, smooth the top and bake for about 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on a rack.

Sugar Crusted Orange Scones

I try to never miss an opportunity to do some baking and any excuse will do so today I had some friends over and with some leftover ricotta I decided to make my lovely sugar crusted orange scones...they are so simple to make and are very moreish, but try to refrain from eating them all before your guests arrive haha :)

Sugar crusted orange scones

175g ricotta
grated zest of 1 orange
100g caster sugar
200g self-raising flour
50g butter
1-2 tbsp milk , plus extra for brushing
demerara sugar for topping


Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan oven 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Tip the ricotta into a bowl and mix in the orange zest and half the sugar until combined.
Sift the flour and remaining sugar into another bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour mixture so it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Stir the ricotta mixture into the flour mixture, adding a tablespoon or two of milk if necessary to get a soft (but not sticky) dough. Tip the dough on to a floured work surface and knead very lightly a few times only - just until the dough loses its craggy look. If you overknead, the scones will be tough.
Roll the dough to about 3cm (they will rise) and cut out using a round cutter (or square )
Brush the top of the scones with milk, and then sprinkle with a little of the demerara sugar on each one Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and golden on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Perfect served with a sweet mascarpone cream