Small edible meringue mushroom decorations, with a hint of coffee and chocolate.
Tag: Cake
Upside-down pear, almond & honey cake
A light almond sponge with lightly caramelised honeyed pears. Utterly delicious!
Continue reading “Upside-down pear, almond & honey cake”
Lemon, pistachio & rose cakes
Rose, lemon and pistachio work so well together and my poshing-up of the classic fondant fancies – real, unashamed retro food – gives what I think is a delightful sweet treat. Continue reading “Lemon, pistachio & rose cakes”
Blackcurrant, lime & vanilla Angel Cake slices
With the return of Great British Bake Off, it is the Technical round that interests and excites me the most. This is my tangy take on Episode 1’s Angel Cake slices.
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Apple & blackberry cake (gluten-free)
A very seasonal and light sponge cake, celebrating the delighful pairing of apples and blackberries. A tangy blackberry buttercream and fresh blackberries finish off the cake. Continue reading “Apple & blackberry cake (gluten-free)”
Red velvet cake
With its light sponge, its generous hint of vanilla and chocolate and its tangy cream cheese and white chocolate vanilla icing, this red velvet cake – with very little food colouring – is seriously good for any occasion. Continue reading “Red velvet cake”
Rhubarb, ginger and white chocolate muffins
These very simple muffins give an incredible taste explosion in your mouth: gingery heat, tangy rhubarb and the sweet creamyness of white chocolate. And they are so quick and easy to make. Continue reading “Rhubarb, ginger and white chocolate muffins”
Date & walnut tea loaf
A tea loaf is a true classic and my fool-proof version, packed with dates and walnuts, is sublime sliced thickly and spread with salted butter. Continue reading “Date & walnut tea loaf”
sourdough Black Forest brownies!
Sourdough brownies might sound bizarre but these are a great way to use up sourdough starter that might otherwise get discarded, with the starter adding a subtle tang to the brownies. Certainly everyone who has tasted these has gone back for at least another brownie! Continue reading “sourdough Black Forest brownies!”
Chocolate and orange Panettone
This is my chocolate and orange version of panettone, which gives a wonderful chocolate hit that complements the buttery and light-as-air crumb that melts in your mouth effortlessly. Not to mention the enticing flavours of vanilla and almond…. Continue reading “Chocolate and orange Panettone”
Panettone
This is my take on the classic panettone: a rich, buttery but oh-so-fluffy sweet bread, adapted from a recipe by Andrea Tortora. Continue reading “Panettone”
Chocolate and raspberry roulade
A dessert classic with my own twist, this indulgent roulade is a sure-fire hit when served.
The best carrot cake!
I am not a fan of those carrot cakes that are overly laden with spices, resulting in a cake that tastes almost medicinal. This carrot cake is gently spiced, has a very moist sponge and the most luscious melt-in-the-mouth icing that is slightly sweet with a hint of sharpness.
5-minute cheat’s trifle
This is such a simple and quick dessert: kind of Eton Mess meets trifle. And there is no fussing about with custard: just lemon curd and cream…… Continue reading “5-minute cheat’s trifle”
Sticky ginger & lime cake, and my YouTube debut!
This is an incredibly simple (dare I say “fool-proof”?) ginger cake with a mixture that is made up in seconds: it is very moist, with a nice gingery kick from both ground ginger and stem ginger. A simple lime drizzle finishes off this cake beautifully. Continue reading “Sticky ginger & lime cake, and my YouTube debut!”
How to rescue a curdled buttercream/frosting (with video)
If, like me, you like adding extras to your buttercreams to get great flavour – for example: alcohol, fruit purées and the like – you often need to add a lot to allow your buttercream to pack a real flavour punch….and, of course, the buttercream is then prone to curdling into a horrid mess! Continue reading “How to rescue a curdled buttercream/frosting (with video)”
Raspberry curd (and a top buttercream tip!)
I have always been a fan of fruit curds: they liven up any scone and cake. They are so simple to make and they taste far better than any curds you can buy: even the luxury ones that cost a small fortune at farm shops. This is my recipe for raspberry curd. Continue reading “Raspberry curd (and a top buttercream tip!)”
Harry Potter Spell Book birthday cake
This is my Harry Potter-themed cake for the daughter of one of my colleagues. Chocolate sponge and salted caramel buttercream, with various fondant Potterisms I made….. Continue reading “Harry Potter Spell Book birthday cake”
Cascading Maltesers cake & chocolate wraps!
Maltesers have always been one of my favourite sweets: honeycomb and chocolate – a perfect match, and I often make chocolate cakes using Maltesers. This particular cake was made for my 6th formers at school. Continue reading “Cascading Maltesers cake & chocolate wraps!”
Rhubarb and ginger crumble cake
I always make many batches of this cake around this time of year when my rhubarb is prolific. It is a very easy cake, taking moments to “throw together” before getting baked, and it will have you coming back for another slice! Continue reading “Rhubarb and ginger crumble cake”
Lemon and elderflower cake
A simple cake: tangy, refreshing and with the level of indulgence needed to satisfy any cake craving! Continue reading “Lemon and elderflower cake”
Guinness and chocolate cake
This is a suitably rich cake with the deep, but not over-powering, flavour of Guinness and the refreshing topping of white chocolate, tangy crème fraîche and cream. Easy to make, it is a cake that demands more than one slice…..or maybe that is just me being greedy!! Continue reading “Guinness and chocolate cake”
Lime & ginger Battenberg cake
Having not made a Battenberg cake in a long time, I felt it time to re-visit this very firm favourite of mine. This time I went for the wonderful flavours of lime and ginger: two ingredients that go so well together.
Mocha walnut loaf cake
My rich chocolate loaf cake with a kick of coffee and the crunch of fabulous walnuts: a combination that makes what I think is a perfect tea-time treat! Continue reading “Mocha walnut loaf cake”
Lemon and poppy seed cake
This is a cake that revels in its simplicity (you just mix the sponge ingredients together and bake!) and it tastes wonderful. A very easy crowd-pleaser, it is perfect for so many occasions.
Salted mocha Opera cake
Multiple layers of liqueur-kissed almond sponge cake, salted mocha buttercream and chocolate ganache: very much a cake for when a special treat is needed. And with elements that can all be made in advance, this becomes a matter of gentle assembly rather than frantically using a whole day or so in the kitchen! Continue reading “Salted mocha Opera cake”
Chocolate orange mini rolls
I couldn’t resist making the Technical Challenge from the first episode on this new series of Bake Off. And this recipe really does give a rich, moist and oh-so-wicked sweet treat.
Spiced orange & rum cake with mirror glaze
This cake is a cross between a blonde Sachertorte(!) and a Victoria Sandwich: you get the richness of the Sachertorte with the almonds and ganache, and the lightness of the Victoria Sandwich with the key flavours of ginger, orange and rum. Continue reading “Spiced orange & rum cake with mirror glaze”
Blackberry and apple friands
Mini almond sponge cakes, with the rich flavour of browned butter and the wonderful bedfellows brought by the blackberry and the apple, these friands are a seriously delicious treat. There is something even more special using blackberries picked from the hedgerows and apples straight from the tree! Continue reading “Blackberry and apple friands”
Neapolitan gateau
This is a cake version of my partner’s favourite ice cream from childhood: a Neapolitan (or Harlequin), an ice cream block with layers of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream.
Orange and pistachio madeleines
Sweet, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth, madeleines are a treat for any occasion. I have gone for madeleines that are flavoured with ground pistachios and orange zest.
Salted caramel pistachio brittle
This very easy pistachio caramel is not only a great sweet to eat as it is, it so versatile for adorning all manner of cakes and sweet desserts: you just snap off pieces, put them in place and away you go.
“Death by chocolate” drip cake
Moist chocolate sponge, white chocolate & vanilla buttercream and dark chocolate with salted caramel ganache combine to give a somewhat naughty chocolate cake: but then a chocolate cake that is not naughty is rarely worth having!
Blackcurrant and mint fondant fancies
Blackcurrant and mint make a truly wonderful combination, and used together here you get what I think are particularly vibrant and refreshing treats. Continue reading “Blackcurrant and mint fondant fancies”
Chocolate and orange surprise cake!
Ok, the surprise might not be up there with the denoument of a great murder mystery story, but this cake always evokes “oohs” and “ahhs” when cut into. Granted, you might not have fallen off your chair with this reveal, but I can live with that! Continue reading “Chocolate and orange surprise cake!”
Pina colada fondant fancies
These miniature cakes are my homage to the classic pina colada – my favourite cocktail. Seriously, I never tire of this cocktail! Continue reading “Pina colada fondant fancies”
Orange and passionfruit fondant fancies
A shop-bought fondant fancy is very much a guilty pleasure of mine, but they are fun to make. And of course when making them you can go for whatever flavour you want, going for flavours that are not sold in the shops! Continue reading “Orange and passionfruit fondant fancies”
Crispy gingerbread cake bites
If you ever have left-over cake (“why would I?”, you might ask!), or have cake that is starting to go stale, these very easy bites will use up the cake for a delicious sweet treat. Continue reading “Crispy gingerbread cake bites”
Rhubarb & ginger Battenberg cake
The power of baking in evoking happy memories of childhood is one of the many reasons baking is such an addiction for me; a Battenberg cake never fails to transport me back to being a child again, when slices of Battenberg were handed out as a real teatime treat. Continue reading “Rhubarb & ginger Battenberg cake”
Spiced lime & poppy seed bundt drizzle cake
This very easy cake has bags of flavour. In my view, a bundt cake, as indeed any cake, should not be at all apathetic – no matter how ornate it looks: it absolutely needs to have the “wow” factor in the flavour, too. Continue reading “Spiced lime & poppy seed bundt drizzle cake”
Cake of Christmas Present!
While I sometimes love going “all out” when it comes to decorating cakes, when it comes to Christmas cakes, I tend to go for the simplest of approaches. Continue reading “Cake of Christmas Present!”
No-fuss sticky gingerbread cake
This is an incredibly simple gingerbread cake with a mixture that is made up in seconds: it is very moist, with jewels of stem ginger throughout and the underlying heat of spice from the ground ginger. The icing has a ginger kick with a nice lime zing to it – two flavours that are made for each other. Continue reading “No-fuss sticky gingerbread cake”
Mini Christmas cake bites
This is just a simple variation on a Christmas cake, going for individual mini bites of cake rather than making a large cake. Continue reading “Mini Christmas cake bites”
Lemon, strawberry & Prosecco cake
Although I made this particular cake as my gift for a colleague’s wedding, I have made smaller one-tier versions of this cake, without much in the way of elaborate decorations, on many an occasion. A case of when simplicity absolutely reigns! Continue reading “Lemon, strawberry & Prosecco cake”
Spiced chocolate and orange bundt cake
This easy, no fuss cake is deeply chocolatey (such a good thing!), with the sharp citrus kick of candied orange and a warming hint of spice. Continue reading “Spiced chocolate and orange bundt cake”
Lemon & thyme drizzle layer cake
This very refreshing cake pushes it way into dessert territory with its creamy filling. And that is no bad thing! Continue reading “Lemon & thyme drizzle layer cake”
Gluten-free orange & blackberry polenta cake: Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning
I love it as a budding food writer when you get exciting recipes to try out; when it is for a great cause, I love to be involved and do my little bit. Continue reading “Gluten-free orange & blackberry polenta cake: Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning”
Coloured mirror glazes
(Post updated: May 2019). As its name suggests, a mirror glaze is a very shiny covering for a cake or dessert that is so reflective you should be able to see your face quite clearly in it. There are several recipes for mirror glazes but I make what I think is one of the simplest – and it always gives me great results. Continue reading “Coloured mirror glazes”
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Cake: chocolate cake with Earl Grey tea buttercream
This is the cake I made for Sheila Dillon from BBC’s The Food Programme and a gathering of the 4th birthday meeting of the Clandestine Cake Club group I attend: the theme for this evening being Alice in Wonderland. Continue reading “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Cake: chocolate cake with Earl Grey tea buttercream”
Roasted coffee bean butter: a great ingredient for coffee lovers
I am so excited to share this post for roasted coffee bean butter. Coffee is one of my favourite flavours, almost beating chocolate for me. This butter, which is basically freshly ground coffee beans infused with hot butter, has a very rich, deep coffee flavour that you simply cannot get close to when using either instant coffee or even freshly brewed coffee in a bake. Continue reading “Roasted coffee bean butter: a great ingredient for coffee lovers”
Phil's Home Kitchen 