Chocolate Cake – Tabithas 4th Birthday

So it turns out my good blogging intentions have not been with me the past two months but I have been truly enjoying the summer and a lot of baking has still been going on which is the part that brings me true joy, both baking and eating that is. This cake was one that was truly enjoyed so here is how I made Tabithas 4th birthday cake:

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200g Butter
• 200g Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 100ml Vanilla Yoghurt
• 165g Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 30g Cocoa Powder
• 50g Chocolate Chips

For the frosting

• 150g Butter
• 225g Icing Sugar

For the decoration

• 150g Butter
• 200g Icing Sugar
• 25g Cocoa
• Smarties
• Cadbury’s Chocolate Fingers

 

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190C Fan
2. Line an 8″ cake tin with baking paper and set aside
3. Then begin by creaming the sugar and  butter together
4. Once smooth add the eggs and yoghurt and whisk until combined
5. Then gradually add the flour, baking powder and cocoa whilst folding in with a spoon
6. Once you have a batter add the chocolate chips and stir in
7. Transfer mix to the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes
8. When the cake is baked, allow to cool
9. Whilst cooling prepare the two frostings by mixing all of the ingredients together until smooth and setting aside
10. Then, once the cake is cool cut in half and place a layer of vanilla frosting between the two sandwiches
11. Then use the chocolate frosting to cover the top and the sides of the cake as this will act as your glue for the decoration
12. I placed the chocolate fingers around the sides first before topping with the smarties
13. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to let it all set
14. It is then ready to be enjoyed

I really wanted to share this recipe with you because I was really proud of how it came out and most importantly Tabitha was really happy with it too!

Chantelle x

Chocolate and Walnut Cookie Recipe

As promised, here is the second recipe for the cookie I made before Christmas, Chocolate and Walnut Cookies:

Ingredients

• 250g of Plain Flour
• 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 170g of Butter
• 200g of Brown Sugar
• 100g of Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 200g of White Chocolate Chunks
• 200g of Walnuts (crushed up)

Chocolate and Walnut Cookies

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 170C
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper
3. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside
4. In a bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar
5. When smooth beat in the eggs until light and creamy
6. Mix in the flour mixture gradually and combine together
7. Finally add the chocolate chunks and walnuts and mix through
8. Spoon dough onto the baking tray – I used a heaped tablespoon for each – do not flatten
9. Make sure that each cookie is a few centimetres apart to allow for baking as they will spread
10. Bake for around 13-15 minutes
11. Once cooked take out of the oven and leave on the baking tray to cool

If you are a fan of cookies, these were also really yummy, the best thing about these recipes is that you can actually freeze the batter too. Just roll it into a tube and wrap in cling film, then when you want a cookie of 5, just cut it into slices and bake as above, isn´t that just a genius idea?

It was really nice to be baking again, I really need to find time to do it more this year, maybe I will get the baby involved too! Is there anything you would like to see me do? As always, let me know in the comments.

Chantelle x

Double Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Just before Christmas it was my Husbands birthday, normally I like to surprise him with a cake, however, this year it was not going to be that simple. My toddler is not a great assistant in the kitchen and so I would need him to watch her whilst I baked. So I thought I would leave it up to him to choose what he wanted for his birthday and he chose cookies:

Ingredients

• 200g of Plain Flour
• 50g of Cocoa
• 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 170g of Butter
• 200g of Brown Sugar
• 100g of Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 400g of White Chocolate Chunks

Double Chocolate Cookies

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 170C
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper
3. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside
4. In a bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar
5. When smooth beat in the eggs until light and creamy
6. Mix in the flour mixture gradually and combine together
7. Finally add the white chocolate chunks and mix through
8. Spoon dough onto the baking tray – I used a heaped tablespoon for each – do not flatten
9. Make sure that each cookie is a few centimetres apart to allow for baking as they will spread
10. Bake for around 13-15 minutes
11. Once cooked take out of the oven and leave on the baking tray to cool

I made these and one other type of cookie, I will share that recipe next week, totally almost 70 cookies! It would have actually been quicker and easier to bake a big cake I think. Although I liked the impact of how that many cookies looked in the tin. I thought the other combination of flavours that I made would be my favourite, however I was pleasantly surprised with how these turned out, they were really delicious.

What is your favourite type of cookie? Let me know in the comments.

Chantelle x

Banana Cake Recipe with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

From time to time I do actually get  little bit of time to do some baking, more often than not, when we have black squidy bananas! I have made this recipe more than anything else since Tabitha was born and it is pretty fool-proof so should you have to comfort the crying baby or get distracted cleaning up some spit up (random daily events of a mother) the cake can handle 10 extra minutes in the oven, which makes it the perfect cake right? Here is how you do it:

Ingredients

• 285g of Flour
• 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 110 g of Butter
• 225g of Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Bananas – Mashed
• 85ml of Buttermilk
• 100g of Chocolate Chips
• 120g of Crushed Walnuts

Banana Cake

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan)
2. Start by sieving the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and set aside
3. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy
4. Add the eggs, mashed banana and buttermilk to the mixture and stir thoroughly
5. Then fold in the flour mixture until mixed well
6. Then add the walnuts and chocolate and stir in
7. Grease a cake tin, line the base with baking paper and pour in the mixture
8. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until risen and brown
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving

It is delicious every time I make it and I love the fact that it does not need to be frosted or iced because if it did, it might just not get done in this household.

Please remember that this one is not baby friendly! But let me know your favourite (non-baby friendly) cakes in the comments below.

Chantelle x

Banana, Chocolate, Walnut and Marzipan Muffin Recipe

Somehow we end up with quite a lot of brown bananas in this house, to some, a waste, to me, time to make Banana Bread again! But this week I felt like doing something a little different, so with the help of my usual, what is in the baking cupboard I decided on Banana, Chocolate, Walnut and Marzipan Muffins. And here is how I did it:

Ingredients

• 285g of Flour
• 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 110 g of Butter
• 225g of Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Bananas – Mashed
• 85ml of Plain Yoghurt
• 100g of Dark Chocolate Chips
• 100g of Crushed Walnuts
• 100g of Marzipan Chunks

Banana, Chocolate, Walnut and Marzipan Muffins

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan)
2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and set aside
3. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is smooth
4. Add the eggs, mashed banana and yoghurt to the mixture and stir thoroughly
5. Then fold in the flour mixture gradually until it is all well combined
6. Then add the chocolate, walnuts and marzipan and stir to spread through the mix
7. Grease your tin, I used my cupcake tin without cupcake cases to make individual muffins
8. Then evenly pour in the mixture
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until risen and brown
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
11. Then enjoy!

Note: This recipe made 20 muffins

Quite honestly there is not much to say, this recipe is pretty foolproof and results in yumminess every time and these Banana, Chocolate, Walnut and Marzipan Muffins were no exception! I am already looking forward to my next lot of brown bananas!

White Chocolate Cornflake Nest Recipe with Dark Chocolate Drops

I have been baking a lot this week and when I am in the mood I just cant stop, however I am sometimes hindered by a lack of ingredients. So this recipe for White Chocolate Cornflake Nests with Dark Chocolate Drops is based on ‘stuff I had leftover in my cupboard’ which is sometimes the best way:

Ingredients

• 200g of White Chocolate
• 200g of Cornflakes
• 75g of Dark Chocolate Drops

White Chocolate Cornflake Nests with Dark Chocolate Drops

Method

1. Start by putting your cupcake cases into your tin (12)
2. Then melt the white chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water (or a microwave if you have one)
3. Once the chocolate has melted, take off of the heat but leave over the boiling water
4. Add the cornflakes gradually whilst stirring to ensure that they all get covered in chocolate
5. Then divide evenly into your cupcake cases and gently push down
6. Sprinkle the chocolate drops over the top of each
7. Place into the fridge to set for 1 hour
8. Once set, enjoy!

Note: This recipe makes 12  nests

As always these White Chocolate Cornflake Nests with Dark Chocolate Drops were super easy to make but they are always super yummy so who cares?  (no one, if you were unsure), and the plus side, I still have some cornflakes left….

White Chocolate Cornflake Nest Recipe

Whilst I was making the milk chocolate version of these, I noticed some leftover white chocolate in the cupboard and thought as I was in the flow, I should make a few more, so my second Easter themed recipe is White Chocolate Easter Nests and here is how I did it:

Ingredients

• 100g of White Chocolate
• 100g of Cornflakes
• Mini Eggs (I used 2 per nest)

White Chocolate Easter Nests

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water
2. Once melted take off the heat but leave the bowl over the pan
3. Then gradually add your cornflakes whilst stirring to make sure they all get covered in chocolate
4. Spoon out evenly into your cupcake cases before adding the mini eggs to decorate
5. Pop into the fridge for an hour before enjoying

Again, these White Chocolate Easter Nests are so easy to make but so much fun and who doesn’t love them? We are fans of white chocolate in this house so these went down very well!

I love Easter time and the baking that comes with it, so look out for the rest of my recipes over the next few days!

Milk Chocolate Cornflake Nest Recipe

For me, Easter is about Family and Chocolate and there is nothing that used to combine the two better than the day we made Chocolate Cornflakes Easter Nests. So with Easter just around the corner, it was about time I made them and here is how I do it:

Ingredients

• 300g of Milk Chocolate
• 300g of Cornflakes
• Mini Eggs (I put 2 on each nest)

Chocolate Cornflakes Easter Nests

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water
2. Once melted take off the heat but leave the bowl over the pan
3. Then gradually add your cornflakes whilst stirring to make sure they all get covered in chocolate
4. Spoon out evenly into your cupcake cases before adding the mini eggs to decorate
5. Pop into the fridge for an hour before eating

These Chocolate Cornflakes Easter Nests are super simple but always make me think of Easter Time, especially making them with my family when I was little. In fact, I think this is the perfect recipe to make at home with kids to get them involved!

Tomorrow I will be sharing my second version of these!

Banana, Walnut and Chocolate Bread Recipe

What do you do when the world gives you brown bananas? You make Banana Bread!

I have shared this recipe on here before but not for almost 4 years and actually I haven’t made it for a while either. However, I do often make banana cake/cupcakes/oatcakes regularly but this week when I had some bananas at the end of their shelf life, there was only one thing I wanted, so here is a flashback to my Banana Bread Recipe:

Ingredients

• 285g of Flour
• 1 tsp of Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 110 g of Butter
• 225g of Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Bananas – Mashed
• 85ml of Buttermilk
• 100g of Chocolate Chips
• 120g of Crushed Walnuts

Banana Bread

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C (Fan)
2. Start by sieving the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl and set aside
3. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy
4. Add the eggs, mashed banana and buttermilk to the mixture and stir thoroughly
5. Then fold in the flour mixture until mixed well
6. Then add the walnuts and chocolate and stir in
7. Grease a loaf tin and pour in the mixture
8. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until risen and brown
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving

As always the Banana Bread came out moist and so more-ish, in fact a little too more-ish!

I think the best thing you can do as a home-baker is to build a collection of your best and favourite recipes and keep making them until you perfect them. I think this Banana Bread Recipe will be one of mine for years to come!

What are your fool-proof/favourite recipes?

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake No Bake Recipe

This weekend we had friends over for dinner and as usual I like to make something delicious for dessert, for some reason a cheesecake sounded nice so I decided I would try a new flavour, so this week I made No Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecake and here is my recipe:

Ingredients

• 400g of Chocolate Digestives
• 75g of Butter
• 600g of Cream Cheese (use full fat)
• 4 Heaped Tbsp of Icing Sugar
• 300g of Milk Chocolate
• Zest of 1 Orange
• Juice of 1/2 Orange

No Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Recipe

Method

 

 

1. Ground the chocolate digestives until fine
2. Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly
3. Mix the butter and ground biscuits into a bowl and squeeze together with the back of a wooden spoon
4. Tip into your greased spring form tin (mine is 26cm but slightly bigger or smaller is OK too)
5. Push down gently in a flat even surface
6. Mix the cream cheese and icing sugar together gently (this does not take long)
7. Melt the milk chocolate in a glass bowl over boiling water
8. Add the cream cheese dollop by dollop into the chocolate, continually stirring until you get an evenly coloured mixture
9. Poor on top of the biscuit base then smooth and flatten
10. Chill for 1 hour at least before serving

Note: To serve, I run a sharp knife under hot water before using to loosen from the edges of the tin

This No Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecake Recipe is my best yet, not to blow my own trumpet, but one, I made it up as I went along and two it was light and fluffy and yummy so basically, yeah, I am saying I am awesome!

I recommend making it so you can see for yourself!