baking ideas

Our traditional Battenberg cake is a delicious project for an afternoon in the kitchen. Bake this easy but impressive cake for a special occasion

Battenberg cake

butter

golden caster sugar

self-raising flour

ground almonds

½ tsp baking powder

eggs

vanilla extract

¼ tsp almondextract

x ingredients for almondsponge

pink food colouring,we used ½ tsp Squires rose food paste

apricot jam

x blocks white marzipan

little icing sugar,for dusting

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin with baking parchment (the easiest way is to cross 2 x 20cm-long strips over the base). To make the almond sponge, put the butter, sugar, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until the mix comes together smoothly. Scrape into the tin, spreading to the corners, and bake for 25-30 mins – when you poke in a skewer, it should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling while you make the second sponge.

For the pink sponge, line the tin as above. Mix all the ingredients together as above, but don’t add the almond extract. Fold in some pink food colouring. Then scrape it all into the tin and bake as before. Cool.

To assemble, heat the jam in a small pan until runny, then sieve. Barely trim two opposite edges from the almond sponge, then well trim a third edge. Roughly measure the height of the sponge, then cutting from the well-trimmed edge, use a ruler to help you cut 4 slices each the same width as the sponge height. Discard or nibble leftover sponge. Repeat with pink cake.

Take 2 x almond slices and 2 x pink slices and trim so they are all the same length. Roll out one marzipan block on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar to just over 20cm wide, then keep rolling lengthways until the marzipan is roughly 0.5cm thick. Brush with apricot jam, then lay a pink and an almond slice side by side at one end of the marzipan, brushing jam in between to stick sponges, and leaving 4cm clear marzipan at the end. Brush more jam on top of the sponges, then sandwich remaining 2 slices on top, alternating colours to give a checkerboard effect. Trim the marzipan to the length of the cakes.

Carefully lift up the marzipan and smooth over the cake with your hands, but leave a small marzipan fold along the bottom edge before you stick it to the first side. Trim opposite side to match size of fold, then crimp edges using fingers and thumb (or, more simply, press with prongs of fork). If you like, mark the 10 slices using the prongs of a fork.

Assemble second Battenberg and keep in an airtight box or well wrapped in cling film for up to 3 days. Can be frozen for up to a month.

Frangipane Mince Pies with homemade pastry - serve warm or cold.

Frangipane Mince Pies

flour

confectioners' (icing) sugar

g (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) unsalted butter (, chilled and cubed)

orange

90 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

100 g (1 cup) golden caster sugar (or use superfine)

tsp almond extract

90 g (1 1/2 cup) ground almonds (almond meal)

410 g (14.5 oz) jar mincemeat

tbsp flaked almonds

confectioners' sugar

First make the pastry - Place the flour, confectioners' sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the orange zest and egg and pulse again until it just comes together (add a couple of drops of cold water if it's still too crumbly to come together).

Place the pastry on a piece of lightly floured baking parchment. Squash together to form it into a ball, then roll it out to 1/4 inch thick with a lightly floured rolling pin.

Place in the fridge to chill for 30-60 minutes (cover with clingfilm if leaving in the fridge for longer - up to two days).

Whilst the pastry is chilling, make the frangipane. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat it together with a wooden spoon or hand mixer for a couple of minutes – until it goes paler. Stir in the egg and almond extract until mixed, then stir in the ground almonds. Place in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F

Once the pastry is chilled, cut out rounds using an 8cm/3" fluted cutter. Re-roll the pastry as necessary. You should get 18-20 rounds. Press each piece of pastry carefully into the hole of a 12-hole cake tin (a regular fairy-cake tin - not a muffin tin). You'll need two trays.

Fill each pastry- hole with a tablespoon of mincemeat, then top with a tablespoon of frangipane and smooth the top slightly (it will spread as it cooks, so you don&#x27;t need to be too neat). Be sure not to top with too much frangipane, as it will overflow. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Take out of the oven and leave to cool before sifting over a little confectioners' sugar, then serve.

Use up those leftover chocolates in these fudgy chocolate brownies!

📃 Chocolate Box Brownies Recipe

150 g (5.3 oz) good quality dark chocolate (or dark chocolate chips)

unsalted butter

265 g (1 1/3rd cups) golden caster sugar

60 g (1/2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

g (1/3rd cup) cocoa powder

60 g (1/2 cup) ground almonds

leftover chocolate box sweets

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f and line a baking tray that&#39;s approx. 20cmx20cm and 3cm deep with baking parchment. PRO TIP: Leave a little of the parchment overhanging the tray to make it easier to get the brownie out later.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (make sure the bowl isn&#39;t touching the water though). Stir and leave to cool slightly.

Once the chocolate and butter mixture has cooled slightly then add in the sugar and eggs and mix together using a whisk.

When the chocolate is thoroughly mixed in, sieve the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder over the mixture, and then add the ground almonds.

Fold into the mix gently, in a figure of eight. This will help to keep the air in.

Pour the mixture into your lined baking tray.

Arrange the chocolates on top of the brownie mix evenly, so there is 1 piece per portion of brownie. Push the chocolate into the mixture slightly.

Place the tray in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tray.

Lift the brownie out of the tray using the baking parchment and place on a chopping board. Use a sharp knife to slice the brownie into portions. It will crumble slightly when you cut it, but it crumbles less, the longer you leave it to cool.

Dust with a little icing (confectioners) sugar and serve. &lt; Optional.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/FrFVw77A.mp4

Use up those leftover Christmas chocolates in these fudgy chocolate brownies!

Chocolate Box Brownies

Zesty, fluffy scones with juicy cranberries - so good with a dollop of clotted cream!

Cranberry and Orange Scones Recipe

450 g plain (all-purpose) flour

level tbsp baking powder

tsp salt

tbsp butter

cranberries

oranges

buttermilk

tsp vanilla extract

milk

Preheat the oven to 400f/200c and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the flour, salt and butter into a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, cranberries and orange zest and give it a mix.

Break the egg into a small bowl, give it a quick whisk with a fork and then pour it into the flour mixture – reserving 1 tbsp of it for glazing the scones later.

Add in the ¾ of the buttermilk and the vanilla extract and use a round ended knife to work the mixture together. Add the rest of the buttermilk and work in gently until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Don't overwork, or you'll get tough scones.

Tip out the dough onto a floured surface and flatten it out with your hands into a round shape, about 1” (2.5cm) thick. Use a sharp knife and cut the circle into 8 wedges.

Place the wedges onto the prepared baking tray. Mix the reserved tbsp of egg with the splash of milk and brush the tops only (brushing the sides will impair the rising of the scones) with this mix and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, leave to cool and serve sliced in half with clotted cream and jam/jelly.

These Crème Brulee Bars are smooth, creamy and delicious - with a biscuit base and a crunchy sugar topping.

Crème Brulee Bars

g Unsalted butter (melted)

500 ml whole milk

115 ml double/heavy cream

tbsp cornflour

150 g caster sugar

g unsalted butter

tbsp fine granulated sugar

Start with the custard mix:

Add the milk, cream and vanilla extract to a large pan and heat on high until it just starts too bubble, then turn off the heat.

In a large bowl, mix the cornflour, egg yolks and caster sugar. Pour in a little of the boiled milk to the egg mixture and whisk quickly before the egg tries to scramble. Add another couple of splashes in and whisk. Now add the rest of the milk, and whisk. Give your milk pan a quick wash and dry (or grab a fresh pan), then pour the milk and egg mixture back into the pan. Heat on a medium heat stirring with a whisk all the time until the custard is very thick. It will take about 5-6 minutes and will thicken quite suddenly towards the end. Once thickened, turn off the heat and stir in the butter until incorporated. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then place some clingfilm/plastic wrap directly on top of the custard - so it's touching the top of the custard - and leave to cool completely (this prevents a skin forming on the custard).

Next make the biscuit base:

Line a 20cmx20cm baking tin with baking parchment.

Put the biscuits into a large bowl and crush into crumbs using the end of a rolling pin, then mix in the melted butter until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and push down so you have a tightly packed, level layer covering the bottom of the tin.

Spoon in the cooled custard mixture and flatten with the back of a spoon. Place some clingfilm on top (touching the custard) and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours (or overnight) to set.

Once set, take out of the fridge and remove from the tray (using the baking parchment to carefully lift it out). Place on a chopping board and slice into 10 slices. Wipe the knife after each slice to get a neat, clean slice for each bar.

Sprinkle half a tablespoon of granulated sugar on top of each bar and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Levelling the sugar in this way will ensure even melting of the sugar.

Ensure the bars are on a scorch-proof surface (such as a baking tray) and melt the sugar - using a blow torch on a medium heat setting - until the sugar browns and bubbles rapidly.

Leave to set for a minute, and then serve.

Blackberry Spice Bites - Sweet little muffin bites made with mixed spices and topped with a ginger and blackberry frosting.

Blackberry Spice Bites

120 g golden caster sugar

egg (lightly whisked egg

ml vegetable or coconut oil (melted and cooled)

115 ml berry flavoured yoghurt (ideally full

tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

tsp ground cinnamon

tsp ground ginger

mixed spice

blackberries

tbsp caster sugar

sugar

tbsp double/heavy cream

Preheat your oven to 200c/400f and line a mini muffin/petit fours tin with mini muffin cases. The recipe makes 28-30 cakes. So if you only have a 24-hole cake tin, you can spoon the remainder of the mixture into a large muffin case (this is your cooks treat - just cook for 7-10 mins longer) or cook the rest in a second batch.

Add the sugar and egg to a large bowl and mix using a fork or balloon whisk. Add in the oil and vanilla extract, stir, and then add in the yogurt and stir to combine. Next add in the flour and baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice and mix together using a wooden spoon. Gently fold in the chopped blackberries that have already been mixed with the 1/2tbsp of flour.

Take your mini muffin tin and fill each cake case with a heaped teaspoon of the cake mixture - so it comes almost to the top of the case. Try to evenly distribute the berries. If any of your cakes are mostly berry with just a little cake mixture, they'll collapse. Place in the oven and cook at 200c/400f for 9-10 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and cooling further on a cooling rack.

Whilst the mini muffins are in the oven, make your frosting. Take 15 blackberries, chop them in half and put to one side (for the topping). Chop the rest of your blackberries into quarters and place in a bowl with the caster sugar and ginger. Give a gentle mix and then leave to macerate for 10 minutes. Once the juices have been released, push this juicy mixture through a sieve and add approx. one quarter of the powdered sugar to the liquid. Whisk together until all lumps have disappeared. You're looking for a thick paste, so you may need to add a little more powdered sugar

In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the powdered sugar with the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of cream. Continue to add the cream whilst whisking until you have a thick frosting that will hold it's shape when piped. Add the blackberry paste to the vanilla frosting and give it a little swirl with a fork. Don't over-mix - or you'll just end up with plain pink frosting. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag with a wide round nozzle and pipe onto the cooled mini muffins.

Top each mini muffin with half a blackberry.

Making homemade Christmas gifts this year? Try my Chocolate Cranberry Amaretti Cookies! Naturally Gluten Free and super easy to make!

Chocolate Cranberry Amaretti Cookies

eggs eggs

280 g (3 1/2 cups) store-bought* ground almonds

cocoa powder

280 g (1 1/2 cups minus 2 tbsp) caster sugar

g cranberries

35 ml (2 1/4 tbsp) Amaretto liquor

icing sugar (confectioners' sugar)

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F (fan). Line two baking trays with a silicone mat or baking parchment.

Using a hand whisk or mixer, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Fold in the ground almonds, cocoa powder, caster sugar, dried cranberries, and vanilla extract.

Slowly stir in the amaretto. Add just enough so that the mixture is a thick paste that can be formed into a ball in your hand (it should be sticky, but should hold its shape).

Place the caster sugar and icing sugar for rolling on two separate plates. Using a teaspoon, scoop out a chunk of the cookie mixture and roll it into a ball in your hands (about the size of a walnut). Roll it in the caster sugar, then roll it in the icing sugar and place on the baking tray.

Repeat with the remaining dough until you&#39;ve used it all up. Leave a bit of space between the cookie balls as they will expand slightly during cooking.

Use your finger to squash the cookie balls a little, then place in the oven to cook for 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven, and leave to cool on the baking tray before serving.

Top 7 baking ideas recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Battenberg cake

Frangipane Mince Pies

📃 Chocolate Box Brownies Recipe

Cranberry and Orange Scones Recipe

Crème Brulee Bars

Blackberry Spice Bites

Chocolate Cranberry Amaretti Cookie...

Top 7 baking ideas recipes from across the web

The most viewed baking ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Battenberg cake

Frangipane Mince Pies

📃 Chocolate Box Brownies Recipe

Cranberry and Orange Scones Recipe

Crème Brulee Bars

Blackberry Spice Bites

Chocolate Cranberry Amaretti Cookie...

The most viewed baking ideas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine