birthday cake

So I recently had my birthday which isn't something I normally make much of a fuss about but it is a great reason to indulge in awesome food and drink. This year it was fairly low key but did involve celebrating with loved ones by drinking wine over-looking London, enjoying San Sebastian style pinchos in Soho and an awesome brunch of Turkish eggs at Kopapa in Seven Dials, Covent Garden. We also managed to fit in some tasty snacks down on the SouthBank at the yummy food market there and tea and tarts at the cafe at the Liberty department store. It was a proper foodies birthday. I felt spoilt and utterly indulged. To top the weekend off we decided to make my birthday cake rather than buying one. Nothing beats a special cake, homemade with love. The recipe is based on the same yummy chocolate fudge cake recipe I have used for some of my cupcakes (I doubled the quantities) but it was made even more special by filling the centre with rum cream and covered in a salted caramel buttercream frosting and some crumbled malteasers (whoppers). This cake was just grown up enough and truly rocked. Sorry about the blurry pictures, I blame the cocktails!

chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel no-bake cake

This decadent treat uses so many awesome ingredients it is well worth giving a go. I was inspired by this recipe from The Stone Soup. It's ridiculously easy but versatile. You could serve this for a mid-afternoon sugar hit with your tea or coffee or go fancy and serve it with a little extra cream and/or fruit for dessert at a dinner party. The great thing about this recipe is that there are so many possible variations. Try different biscuits or chocolate, perhaps some homemade almond butter...just have a go with what you fancy.

Ingredients serves 8-10

200g whipping cream
400g milk chocolate (I used Marabou)
200g biscuits (I used rich tea fingers)
approx 75g crunchy peanut butter

approx 75g tinned caramel/dulche de leche or similar

Sea salt (optional)

1. Bring cream to the boil in a small saucepan then remove from the heat.

2. Break the chocolate into small pieces then add to the hot cream. Stand for around 5 minutes or so until it has all melted together. Stir it together to ensure it is well combined and smooth.

3. While the chocolate is melting into the cream, line a loaf tin with baking paper.

4. Once the chocolate and cream mixture is all combined pour about a third of it into the bottom of the loaf tin.

5. Next add a layer of the biscuits across the chocolate mixture.

6. Using a teaspoon alternate dollops of the peanut butter and caramel until you have completely covered the biscuits. Sprinkle with the sea salt if using.

7. Add another layer of the biscuits then pour over the remainder of the chocolate mixture. 

8. Place your the tin into the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. If you want to speed things up a bit place in the freezer for a little while.

9. Once it has completely set, carefully remove from the tin, peel back the paper and serve. It will be easier to slice if you dip your knife in hot water first.

vanilla caramel cupcakes with salted caramel frosting

This recipe is another borrowed and adapted from Dan Lepard's excellent book, Short and Sweet. The vanilla cupcake batter smells amazing while cooking.

Ingredients
125g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, very soft
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Chocolate covered caramel pieces

1 quantity of salted caramel frosting.

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas 4 and place 8 muffin/cupcake cases in to your muffin tin.
2. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract for around 3 minutes on the highest speed until light and fluffy.
3. Next sift in the flour and baking powder and beat for another 30 seconds or so. You will end up with quite a thick batter.
4. Put a spoonful of the batter into each of the paper cases then top with the chocolate covered caramel pieces. I used Cadbury Caramel Nibbles and put three in each cupcake.
5. Finally cover the caramel pieces with the remaining batter then place the tray in the over for around 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm.
6. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating with the frosting.

 

(award winning) chocolate salted caramel cupcakes

Ever so indulgent but worth the calories. This recipe won me the judges prize in the recent Instructables cupcake contest. The batter is easy to make and incredibly moist and based on the chocolate fudge cake recipe from the Black Cat Cafe in Cambridge.  For a fruity variation on this recipe try my black cherry chocolate cupcakes.

I got 12 cupcakes from this batter.

Ingredients
100g plain chocolate
125g butter
1/2 cup water
1 cups caster sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 egg
3/4 cups self-raising flour
1 can nestle caramel, dulche de leche or other thick caramel.
Good quality sea salt

1 quantity of vanilla yogurt frosting.

1. Preheat the oven to 170C or 150C fan. Place the paper cases in the tray.
2. Break the chocolate up in to pieces and put in a heavy based saucepan. Add the water, butter, cocoa and sugar then heat over a low heat until the chocolate is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Cool for about 20 minutes.
4. Sift in the flour and add the eggs and mix thoroughly until combined. Pour a little into the each paper case so it come about 1/3 of the way up the case.
5. Put a generous teaspoon of the caramel into each case and sprinkle with a pinch of the salt.
6. Next cover the caramel with the remaining batter then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or so. Be careful not to over cook these cupcakes because you want them to still be moist inside.
7. Decorate with the vanilla yogurt frosting once they have cooled completely.

salted caramel frosting

Ingredients

100g butter, at room temperature

200g icing sugar, sieved

1-2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 tbsp tinned caramel
1 tsp salt

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft.
2. Gradually add the sugar until thoroughly combined, smooth and creamy.
3. Add the caramel, salt and vanilla and mix thoroughly
4. Finally add the milk bit by bit until you have your desired consistency.
5. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using.