Avocado Chocolate Cake!

I was intrigued when this cake inspiration popped up on my Facebook page.  An avocado chocolate cake?!  Beetroot yes, carrot yes, even courgette, but I'd never heard of avocado in a cake before!  I wanted to give it a go as I have several friends who are vegan and I always find vegan cakes struggle to rise due to the lack of eggs and, as a result, I find the texture very dense.  I try every vegan cake recipe I stumble across, searching for that rare treasure, a light, fluffy vegan cake.  This one was a stunner!  Absolutely delicious, you cannot taste even the hint of avocado, rich, decadent and light as air - I definitely recommend.

Full recipe here - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-avocado-cake

Ingredients

• a little dairy-free sunflower spread, for greasing
• 1 large, ripe avocado
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
   (about 150g)
• 300g light muscovado sugar
• 350g gluten-free plain flour
• 50g good quality cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 400ml unsweetened soya milk
• 150ml vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 160C or 140C fan.  Grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins.  (Side note - you can now get 40 ready cut round cake liners of various sizes from Poundland!  I think £1 is a bargain for not having to fuss around cutting greaseproof paper up!)
2. Whizz the avocado and sugar in a food processor until smooth.  Add the rest of the cake ingredients (plus 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt) whizz again.
3. Divide equally between the tins and bake for 25 minutes (or until fully risen and a skewer comes out clean.)

Easy peasy simple pimple!

Now, I deviated from the recipe when it came to decoration.  As usual, I didn't have all the ingredients for the ganache and couldn't be bothered to go to the shops!  I used my favourite buttercream recipe.  I'm afaid I can't tell you the exact amount I used as I kept adding more until I had the right amount, but it was roughly these ratios...

• 1 cup vegan butter (I used Pure sunflower spread)
• 2 1/2 cups of icing sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• salt (to taste)

I always use salted butter in my non-vegan bakes, to offset the sweetness of the icing sugar.  I couldn't find salted vegan butter, so I added salt until it tasted right!

I didn't really have a plan in my head for decoration, I just made it up as I went along!

1. Put a little buttercream on your presentation plate to keep the cake still.  Set one cake on top of the buttercream and spread with a thicker layer of buttercream.  Top with the other cake.
2. Cover the whole cake in a thin layer of buttercream.  This is often called the 'crumb coat' as it sticks down all the crumbs and gives you a really smooth finish.  Chill the cake in the fridge (or the freezer if you're in a rush) until the crumb layer has firmed.  (This step is a little harder with vegan butter as it doesn't go as firm as dairy butter.  Maybe try the freezer to make it a little firmer!)
3. When the crumb coat is firm, remove the cake from the fridge.  Decorate with a thicker layer of buttercream (using a palette knife for a smoother finish).  Again, I reccommend chilling the cake before the next step.
4. There are several options for covering the cake with hundreds and thousands.  Some methods reccommend just pressing them against the cake but I found this very inefficient.  The most efficient method I found was to fill a tray with hundreds and thousands and roll the cake in them!  You want the cake to be really cold if you're trying this method.  Mine wasn't quite cold enough which is why it looks a little squashed!  Again, might be easier with dairy butter.
5. To make the chocolate decorations, I melted white vegan chocolate and milk vegan chocolate seperately and poured into piping bags,  It's very tricky to judge as you want the chocolate to cool down enough so it doesn't just run everywhere but you also want it viscous enough that you can actually pipe with it and that it doesn't block up the piping bag!  I piped the outlines first then squirted a load of chocoalte into the outline and used a skewer to spread it around.  I only made one at a time because they set quite quickly!  You want to let them set completely at room temperature, then put in the fridge to harden further.  Never put them in the fridge before they've set, you'll get white marks all over them and they'll look awful.
6. Arrange your chosen shapes in any way you want!  I did large at the back reducing in size to small at the front which I think looked quite effective!

My score: 4/5  Super easy to make but the vegan butter does make decorating a little more difficult.

Julia's Top Tips

• Be patient!  Let the cake cool and the chocolate cool as much as possible - they'll be much easier to work with!
• Experiment with decoration techniques - I originally piped rosettes over mine but decided it looked too 70s and spread it all out flat again!  Icing is very forgiving so don't be afraid to try different styles out before choosing your final finish.
• Always use salt in your icing - it balances the flavours and stops your teeth from aching!

Keeeeeeeeeeep baking!

Week One, Part Two: Blueberry, Mint and Lime Drizzle Cake

This cake combines my favourite summer flavours, making a sweet, light, fresh taste.

This was MUCH easier than the jaffas - I'll be making this one again!


Full recipe here - http://www.mykitchentreasures.com/2013/09/blueberry-lime-and-mint-drizzle-cake.html

Ingredients

• 115g very soft butter, plus extra for greasing
• 25g fresh mint leaves 
• 250g fresh blueberries
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lime (I would use 2 for a more zingy flavour)
• 250g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 225g caster sugar 
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 120ml whole milk
• 25g desiccated coconut
• 100g granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Method

Step One : Prepare the Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180 (160 fan) and grease and line your loaf tin.

Finely chop the mint leaves (I used scissors) and mix 1 tbsp of the mint with the blueberries.  Pour over 1 tsp of lime juice (I would use more next time, the flavour's very subtle) and leave to infuse.    Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Cream the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy (I used my trusty KitchenAid) then add the lime zest.  Add the eggs one at a time along with 2 spoons of the flour mixture each time.  This will stop the mixture curdling.  When it's smooth, fold in the coconut.  I didn't really taste the coconut, but I feel it contributed to the softness and moistness of the finished cake.

Step Two : Assembling the Cake

Spoon 1/3 of the cake mixture into the bottom of the tin, then sprinkle 1/3 of the blueberry, lime and mint mixture on top.  Repeat twice more, ending with the blueberries.  Bake for 60-70 minutes (check with a skewer - it should be clean)

Step Three: It's Drizzle Time!

Combine the rest of the mint with 2 tbsp of granulated sugar and grind into a paste using a pestle and mortar (or a rolling pin and a bowl!)  When the mixture resembles a paste, stir in the rest of the lime juice (remember, use 2 limes instead of 1) and leave to infuse.  When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool for 5 mins, then use a thin skewer or a cocktail stick to poke holes through the cake.  Be careful to poke through the soft areas - if you poke through the crust it will leave a noticeable hole!  Strain the drizzle mixture through a sieve then mix with the rest of the granulated sugar.  BE PATIENT as you are drizzling - otherwise the mixture will not go into the cake but will instead go all over your worktop!  Leave the cake to cool before you remove it from the tin and paper.

My score: 4/5 - Nice, easy bake.  My only reason for not giving it 5/5 is that I don't feel the mint and lime came through enough on the first tasting.  A day later was a different story - fresh and zingy!  But if you're looking for strong flavours on the day, it needs a lot more lime and mint.  The coconut didn't come through at all, but I do feel it contributed to the overall texture of the cake.  

Julia's Top Tips

• Use double the amount of lime and mint if you want a nice, strong flavour on the day of baking.
• Experiment with the amounts of sugar to suit your own palate - I might use less next time.
• Maybe bake it for slightly longer in a slightly cooler oven - was moist to the point of crumbling!
• BE PATIENT with the drizzle - or all you will get is a sticky worktop!

Keeeeeeeep baking!

Week One : Jaffa Cakes

My husband has begged me since Wednesday (Bake Off night) to bake him some Jaffa cakes.  I wasted hours (Ok, 5 minutes) looking for vegetarian orange jelly - couldn't find it anywhere. So I gave up - these are NOT vegetarian friendly!

Prior warning - these are not an easy bake!  Very fiddly and time-consuming - I was ready to tear my hair out by the end!  Here are my step by step instructions with pics, hints and tips - so you can learn from my mistakes!

Full recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mary_berrys_jaffa_cakes_58695 


Ingredients

For the jelly

1 x 135g packet orange jelly

150ml/5fl oz boiling water 

1 small orange, finely grated zest only 

For the sponge

unsalted butter, for greasing 

1 large free-range egg

25g/1oz caster sugar

25g/1oz self-raising flour, sifted 

For the topping

180g/6¼oz plain chocolate 

Method

Step One : Make the Jelly

Make the jelly as per packet instructions.  I had to stir mine for a loooooooong time - I ended up popping it in the microwave for a few seconds to get the last bits.  Also, I didn't have an orange so I used two clementines instead!

Pour it into a tray to set.  I had a LOT of issues getting it out of the tray when it had set.  I've since googled the issue and a lot of people suggest wiping the tray with vegetable oil so it doesn't stick.

Step Two : Make the Sponge

First, preheat the oven to 180 (160 fan) and grease a bun tin.  I also added a sprinkle of sugar to help the cakes come out cleanly.  This worked well so I recommend you try it.

Then, whisk the egg and sugar until it is pale and fluffy (should look almost white).  I used my trusty mixer  (£5 from Sainsbury's!) to save my arm muscles!  After that, fold in the flour. (I always use a metal spoon to fold)

Use a FULL dessert spoon to fill each well in the bun tray (about 3/4 full), then smooth the tops.  Bake for about 7 minutes.  THEY WILL NOT GO GOLDEN BROWN so you do need to do the 'finger' test (sponge should bounce back when pressed lightly with a finger) and not rely on colour (mine were dry because I left them in too long).

Step Three : Jaffa Cakes - Assemble!

Welcome to the fiendishly difficult part!  Up to now it's been relatively straightforward.  The jelly and the chocolate are a NIGHTMARE.

I always melt my chocolate in the microwave.  Some people may find this daunting but the trick is to do it in quick blasts.  Break 2/3 of the chocolate into a bowl and melt in 20 second blasts, stirring in between.  When it's melted, add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate and just stir - the remaining heat will melt the rest of the chocolate.  This reduces the risk of the chocolate spoiling and usually guarantees me a gorgeous shine.  Leave it to cool for a while until it is quite viscous.  Mine refused to thicken as it was so hot when I was making them.

My jelly was a DISASTER.  As I mentioned earlier, it stuck to the dish so I couldn't turn it out.  I was forced to cut the circles in the dish, which then meant they lost their shape as I transferred them onto my buns - very messy!  Definitely not the polished look I was going for!

Finally, spoon the chocolate onto the jaffa cakes and smooth carefully around.  I was NOT patient enough - my chocolate was still too runny and dribbled down the sides.  Also, I was forced to put my jaffas in the fridge to set as they refused to set at room temperature.  This meant they lost their beautiful shine and went misty.  The criss cross was a disaster too.  Again, I was impatient and dragged the fork across when it was still too wet, resulting in messy crosses.

My score: 1/5  This is far too difficult for the pay off involved.  They were absolutely delicious but frustrated me so much!  Don't do it.  Buy a pack instead! :)

Julia's Top Tips

• Wipe your jelly dish with flavourless oil before you begin so that your jelly doesn't stick.
• BE PATIENT - the chocolate will spread better if it's slightly cool and thicker.
• Don't bother with the criss cross - it looks rubbish!

Keeeeeeeep baking!