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It’s finally Christmas Day!

No matter how you plan on celebrating, this cake is the perfect cake to make for any occasion – racially considering its the holidays!

The cake starts with 3 layers of chocolate sponge cake, brushed with a simple syrup then they’re filled with chocolate Italian buttercream and a chocolate orange spread and coated with  the same buttercream. Then applied an orange choc chip border around the bottom of the cake, a drip, piped rosettes on top. Then in-between the rosettes, slot in some Terry’s chocolate orange segments=, then on top of the rosettes sprinkle over some of the orange choc chip mix.

This cake screams out all chocolate orange flavours, mostly because its packed with as much orange as possible.

I can’t believe we have reached the end of Bakemas 2021 – this year has been something different but overall, it’s been a breeze. Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Cake:

375g butter.

375g granulated sugar.

2 large oranges, zested.

5 eggs.

1-2 tsp orange oil/orange extract.

325g plain flour.

50g cocoa powder.

2 tsp baking powder.

salt.

 

Italian buttercream:

I have a full recipe write up on this recipe, so why don’t you check that out? It’s right here.

 

Filling and decoration:

Orange choc chip mix.

Orange chocolate spread.

Terry’s chocolate orange, segments.

 

Method:

Before you get into making this cake, you’ll want to do some prep work. I personally like to start by weighing up all of the ingredients, lining 3×6 cake tins with some parchment paper, preheating the oven to 180˚c/350˚f and preparing any equipment such as a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and a spatula.

To start on the cake, you’ll want to grab your mixing bowl and place in the butter and granulated sugar. Beat the two together until they are lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency – this should take around 7-10 minutes but may take more time, depending on how you’re mixing them together.

You can then go ahead and give the bowl a good scraping down, this is just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Now you can go ahead and add in the eggs, roughly one at a time, beating well in between each addition. You may notice as the egg is added, that the mixture starts to curdle slightly and this is normal (you will be able to fix it at the next stage).

Don’t forget to give the bowl another scraping down, again just to incorporate any bits that haven’t been fully incorporated.

You can now go ahead and add in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, passing them through a sieve first (this is to remove any lumps that may be in the mix).

Start the mixture on a medium-low speed, working your way up to a medium-high speed, just until the flour has been incorporated. You may need to add some milk to help with the consistency (I find a tablespoon at a time works really well).

Give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully incorporated earlier on.

You can then transfer the cake batter into your lined cake tins, spread and level it out and then place into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre.

While your cakes are in the oven, its the perfect time to make the Italian meringue buttercream.

Allow the cakes to cool fully before you use them.

To start I start by levelling the cake, so you have two layers and then generously brush over the simple syrup. Leave the cake layers on a cooling rack until you need them.

To start the assembly, take your board/plate/stand and smear a small amount of buttercream into the centre. This is to secure the cake into place and ensure it stays there, then top a layer of cake on top. Top this with a liberal amount of buttercream and level it out, spread over a generous amount of chocolate orange spread and repeat the process until you have no layers of cake left.

Pipe buttercream all around the cake, then scrape away excess and place into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of choice.

Around the bottom of the cake, I take the orange choc chip mix and create a sort of border but this is optional.

Place the cake into the fridge and allow to cool. Now is the ideal time to warm the chocolate  orange spread, just enough to make sure it runs down the cool cake enough, if its too hot, let it cool down until its the right consistency.

Remove the cake from the fridge and apply the drip. I find adding the chocolate into a piping bags gives me the most control but you do it however works best for you. Allow the cake to chill in the fridge until he drip has firmed up some.

Now you can take the  excess buttercream and pipe rosettes on top of the cake, filling the centre with chocolate orange spread and topping the rosettes with the matching orange choc chip from the bottom edge. In between the rosettes, I like to place Terry’s chocolate orange segments, to further enhance that chocolate or age flavour

Then chill until needed.

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

Twas the night before Christmas ands someone forgot the dessert… That’s silly but its never too late to make a dessert. Thats why I’m sharing my recipe for the easiest no-bake cheesecake, ever.

If you’ve been scrambling through the supermarket, working or just relaxing, you may have forgotten about dessert to enjoy after dinner tomorrow – its easily done. Don’t worry, a few simple ingredients and you can have a delicious no-bake dessert.

The recipe uses mostly pantry and fridge staples – its a no brainer. You can have a treat whipped up in no time, perfect for the holidays. Although this can be made anytime of year, don’t just keep it for the holidays!

I know some people out there don’t believe that no-bake cheesecakes aren’t actually cheesecakes but honestly, they are. Although it’s a quick process, the chilling time is the longest factor – ideally 6-8 hours or longer, especially considering this cheesecake doesn’t contain any setting agent other than double cream as a thickening agent.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

125g Bourbon biscuits (or other chocolate cream filled biscuits).

35g Butter, melted.

 

Cheesecake:

100g Kinder chocolate bars, broken up and melted. Allow to cool before using.

300g Soft cheese.

75g Icing sugar.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

200ml Double cream.

 

Topping:

200ml Double cream.

1tsp Vanilla extract.

25g Icing sugar.

 

Decoration:

Kinder bueno pieces.

 

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Weigh up all your ingredients, get any equipment you may need such as a mixing bowl and whisk. Just make sure there is room in there fridge, as this doesn’t require any cooking.

To start on the recipe, melt the chocolate.

Simply take the kinder chocolate bars and melt them in the microwave, ensuring the bowl is heatproof.

Take your biscuits and place them into a food safe bag, then take a rolling pin and gently press it into the biscuits until they break down using a rolling pin until a crumb or sandy looking consistency is apparent. If you’re doing this by hand, its okay to have a few big chunks in the mixture, don’t worry too much. You can also do this in a food processor – it makes life so much easier.

Melt the butter in either in a saucepan on the hob or in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave.  Add the butter directly into the biscuit crumbs and mix the two together until fully combined – it will resemble wet sand.

Take your 6 inch round cake tin and pour the mixture straight into it, then compress it down using a small cup measurement or the back of a spoon, until its compressed and level, then place into the fridge to chill while you make the cheesecake filling.

Start by taking a large mixing bowl and placing the soft cheese, icing sugar and melted chocolate and whisk them all together until they are fully combined. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape and not be too loose. It will look and smell fairly chocolatey at this stage.

Now you can go ahead and add in the apple and whisk it in until its fully incorporated. Then you can add in the double cream and whisk until the cream has been worked in and the mixture has thickened – it should be able to hold its shape well.

Remove the cheesecake base from the fridge and add the cheesecake filling directly on top of the base, then spread it out to get it smooth and level as possible. I find a small cranked/offset spatula or the back of a spoon works best.

Place into the fridge and chill for a minimum of 6-8 hours but feel free to leave it for longer.

Once you’re ready to serve the cheesecake is when you can finish the cheesecake off.

Simply make your whipped cream topping which is just the double cream, icing sugar and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisked until it reaches a stiff peaks consistency, transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with your nozzle of choice – I went with a 5mm open star (my personal favourite).

Pipe as many or as few rosettes on the top and top them with kinder bueno pieces and enjoy!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

We are just days before Christmas – how are we here already?!

This isn’t the simplest recipe but its all straightforward recipes, to make these easy wagon wheels. If you have ever had one of these, you would know how they’ve changed and become smaller and less impressive – where as now, you can not only impress but shock your friends and family this holiday season.

I have had this recipe in my bank for quite a while, I wasn’t sure when would be the perfect time to share, now the holidays are here, it seems like the right time – so here it is.

I was inspired by George’s Bakery on Instagram after I saw he made something similar (probably better but this is my interpretation of the recipe). This is a darn tasty treat either way, so why don’t you give them a try today?

Anyway, let’s get in with the recipe, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Linzer biscuit base:

300g plain flour.

200g butter.

100g icing sugar.

1 egg yolk.

 

Marshmallow filling:

175g granulated sugar.

75g liquid glucose.

4 leaves of gelatine.

125ml water.

1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

2 egg whites.

2g salt.

 

Biscoff coating:

250g biscoff spread.

250g white chocolate chips.

 

Decoration:

Biscoff biscuits.

 

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by weighing up all of your ingredients, lining a baking tray with parchment paper and getting any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and a medium size saucepan. Don’t forget  to preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

Start by placing the butter and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and beat them together until they are well combined.

Next add in the egg yolk and mix until it’s fully incorporated. You can then give the bowl a good scraping down, just to incorporate any bits that nay not have been worked in from earlier on.

Then go ahead and add in the flour and mix until its fully incorporated – try your best not to over-mix as this will make the biscuits tough in texture.

Bring your dough into a rounded disc shape, which is around 3-4cm thick. As this dough doesn’t need to be refrigerated before using it, you can process it straight away.

Roll the dough out until its around half a centimetre in thickness, then using a 9cm round cutter, cut as many rounds out as you possibly can (when it comes to re-rolling the dough, only do this once, as you don’t want to overwork the gluten). Then place the rounds onto a lined baking tray and place into your preheated oven and bake for 11-12 minutes or until they are slightly coloured around the edges – you’re not looking for them colour too much.

Once baked, allow to cool fully.

While your cookies are baking, you can make the marshmallow filling.

Now to make the marshmallow – it’s super easy and takes next to no time to make.

To start, place the sugar and glucose into a saucepan and stir well. Place on the hob over a medium-high heat and allow to come up to 118˚c (or better known as soft ball stage). As the mixture comes up to temperature, you don’t want to stir it as that may cause crystallisation – which will ruin your mix.

As soon as the sugar is boiling, prepare the other ingredients. Soak the gelatine leaves in water until softened. Squeeze out the excess water and then place the gelatine and 250ml water and place over a low heat, stir constantly until the gelatine has melted.

Transfer the mixture into a mixing bow and add in the egg whites. Whisk everything together over a medium-high speed until the egg whites reach a soft peak consistency.

When the sugar has come up to 118˚c, you can go ahead and lower the speed of the mixer and carefully pour the hot sugar mixture down the side of the bowl – don’t pour directly onto the whisk, as if this touches your skin, it will burn you.

Once it has been added, turn up the speed to a medium speed and mix for 2 minutes before cranking the speed up to high and whisk for a further 10 minutes. By the end of the time, the marshmallow mixture should be fully and glossy.

Low the speed back dow and add in the vanilla and salt, whisk for a further 1 minute and then transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium round piping tip.

Pipe the marshmallow around the edge of the biscuit, ensuring you have a gap in the middle (this is where the filling will go). Repeat for the remaining biscuits, filling the centre with biscoff spread. Once you have piped the marshmallow, you will want to allow the mixture to skin over a little, so leave them for a short while until a skin forms. They will still be sticky and stretchy but won’t break when pressed.

Now is the perfect time to make the coating. Into a heatproof bowl, place the biscoff spread and white chocolate chips, then place over a saucepan of simmering water and allow everything to melt a little. Once you see everything starting to melt, m start stirring everything together until the mixture is melted, smooth and glossy. If you find the mixture may be too hot, allow to cool a little before using.

You then coat the biscuits in the biscoff coating -you can pour the mixture over or even easier, place into a piping bag, then pipe it over, ensuring a good coating all over.

Allow to firm up, place in the fridge to help this. Then you can enjoy!

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

Although Christmas is only a few days away, it doesn’t feel that festive, right? Maybe it’s just me but hey, this isn’t the most festive recipe.

If you can’t get festive, why not get a little slutty – like these brownies?

Now, I know this may not be for everyone but if you like the elements separately – you’ll love them together. You get the soft and slightly chewy cookie base, double stuff Oreo’s biscoff creme biscuits.

The first time I tried this traybake was when I visited Crumbs & Doilies on a visit to London, it was so good and after that I was working on my own version but it took me around a year to formulate a recipe that worked and thats the one I’m sharing with you today.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Brownie:

140g Butter, melted.

45g Cocoa powder.

225g Granulated sugar.

2 Eggs.

90g Plain flour.

100g Chocolate, chopped.

100g biscoff biscuits, roughly broken.

80-100g biscoff spread, warmed – for the swirl on top of there brownie.

 

Fillings:

16 creme filled biscoff.

 

Cookie Dough:

75g Butter.

75g Light brown sugar.

75 Granulated white sugar.

1 Egg.

175g Plain flour.

Pinch of salt.

100-150g chocolate, chopped.

100g biscoff biscuits, roughly broken.

 

Method:

Before you start making anything, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by weighing up your ingredients, preheating your oven to 180˚c/350˚f and getting any equipment you need ready (like your stand mixer and bowls).

Start by adding the butter, light brown sugar and granulated white sugar into your mixing bowl (I’m using my stand mixer but feel free to use a hand mixer or wooden spoon, it may just take longer), then beat them all together until they are well combined, this normally takes a few minutes.

Once they are all combined give the bowl a scraping down, then add your egg into the mix and mix until its fully incorporated. Give your bowl another good scrape down, this is to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Sift your plain flour and salt into the mixture and give that a brief mix to start incorporating it, then add in the chocolate and biscoff biscuits. Mix until the flour is fully incorporated and the chocolate is well dispersed in the dough.

Now that you’ve got the brownie and cookie dough sorted, get your 8×8 inch square baking tin and line it with greaseproof/parchment paper, then you can place the cookie dough down and press it into the corners and get it as level as possible.

On-top of the cookie dough you can place the Oreos, I got 4 into each row, so I had 16 in total, make sure you press them into the cookie dough a little. Set aside in the fridge while you make the brownie batter.

To start on the brownie batter, you’ll want to add your melted butter and cocoa powder sugar into large mixing bowl and whisk the two together until well combined.

Then go ahead and add in the granulated sugar and mix it in until it’s fully incorporated. Give the bowl a good scrape down, this is just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in.

Add your eggs and vanilla extract. As the eggs are incorporated, the mixture will become smoother and glossier.

After that you can add in the plain flour, chocolate chips and biscoff biscuits, fold those in using a spatula, this will stop you from over mixing the brownie batter. Once fully combined, set aside until needed later on.

Then finally you can place the brownie batter on top, smooth and level that out as best you can.

Dollop the biscoff spread on top and will it around to get a swirly pattern on top – this may be a little difficult due to the amount of filling in the brownies.

Place the tin into your preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean).

Once fully baked, allow to cool fully before placing the fridge for at leats 8 hours (or overnight) to achieve the the densest and fudgiest end result.

You can slice the traybake up however you like but I went with 9 generous portions.

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

How about these Nutella filled gingerbread man shaped doughnuts (thats a mouthful, right?) may just be the best thing to make and share this holiday season.

They may take a. little bit of time to make but boy, are they worth it. It’s only simply ingredients and time… While you may not have all the time in world, don’t worry. This is one of those recipes you can ,make and leave, as long as you check on it now and again.

Let me tell you that home-made doughnuts are always better than the store bought version you can get, honestly. It may seem like a time consuming challenge but once you’ve made them, you’ll realise how much you can get done while they’re proving and how customisable they are when it comes to the filling and decoration.

I have been making doughnuts at home ever since I made them for the first time at college back in 2013… I realise thats ages ago but it still feels so recent.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Dough:

450g Strong white bread flour (not plain flour).

1 tsp Salt.

7g Dried yeast.

60g Butter.

1 Egg.

60g Granulated sugar.

150ml Milk, slightly warmed.

100ml Water, slightly warmed.

 

Filling and coating:

Nutella, in a piping bag.

Sugar, to coat the doughnuts.

Ferrero Rocher, to top the Nutella filling – optional.

 

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by weighing up all of your ingredients, getting any equipment you may need, such a stand mixer and spatula as well as finding a warm space.

To start on the doughnuts, you’ll want to get yourself a mixing bowl (I’m using my stand mixer, but you can use whatever you’d like to). Into the bowl, you’ll want to place the flour and salt, then give it all a good mix until its incorporated.

After that you can add the remailing ingredients, which are; dried yeast, butter, egg, granulated sugar, milk and water, then give it a good mix on a low speed. Once a dough starts to form, you’ll notice the dough is quite soft and may be a little sticky to the touch (this is okay, it’s an enriched dough).

Briefly knead the dough on a floured surface until its smooth and elasticated (this is a good sign that the gluten is developing correctly).

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, I used vegetable oil but you can use any flavourless oil you have. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow to sit for around an hour or until its doubled in size (this is the first proof, allowing the yeast to do its thing and for the gluten to relax).

Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and knock it back on a lightly floured surface. The process of knocking the dough back is where you remove the gases that have built up in the dough while it was proving the first time around.

Roll out your dough, using a rolling pin. Ensure the dough is still around 1-2cm thick – remember that they will proof up, so leave some space around each doughnut. Cut the gingerbread men out using a cookie cutter, I found the medium one from a set of three works best.

Cut out as many from your first roll, then roll once more but don’t do it more than twice. Discard any remaining dough (There shouldn’t be much, if any). Place each cut out onto a piece of parchment paper and place onto a baking tray, place as many as you can (with space to increase in volume). Cover loosely with clingfilm and leave somewhere warm to prove for a second time – allowing them to prove up well, not quite double in size. You’ll know when they’re ready, as when they’re gently pressed, the dough springs back.

While you wait for the doughnut to proof, preheat your oil to 180˚c/350˚f. I recommend using a thermometer to ensure that the oil temperature is correct.

Once the doughnuts have proved and are ready, take two doughnuts and place them into the oil and fry off for around 60 seconds each side or until they are golden brown and baked through. Once removed from the fryer, place on kitchen roll to absorb some of the excess oil.

Allow them to cool a little, then use a skewer or something similar, then fill toss them in sugar until coated and generously fill with Nutella.

Then you’re good to go – I recommend eating these within 24 hours of making them, otherwise they’ll go stale and they’re not enjoyable that way.

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.

 

It’s almost the end of bakemas 2021 already but before we get there, I still have a few recipes to share – including this poached pear loaf cake.

While pears are still season, you may as well make use of them. They’re super juicy and ripe – which is even better for this recipe. You’re looking for something when you press it, its soft but not so ripe its damaged.

I love this cake as its perfectly spiced, light and fluffy and then you get the delicious juicy pear. In each slice, you’re guaranteed to get some of the pear – which is super juicy and moist without being too much for the cake.

If you likes something a little different to what you can buy in the supermarkets, why not give this a try – I promise you won’t look back. Homemade is always good and with a little time and effort, you could have a homemade holiday treat in no time!

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Poaching liquid:

200g granulated sugar.

200ml water.

 

Cake:

200g butter.

200g granulated sugar.

5 eggs.

1 tsp vanilla extract.

200g plain flour.

1.5 tsp baking powder.

pinch of salt.

1 tsp ground cinnamon.

1/2 tsp ground ginger.

1/2 tsp ground mixed spice.

1/4 tsp ground cloves.

 

Decoration:

Apricot glaze (or jam).

Flaked almonds.

 

Method:

Before you get started on this cake, you’ll want to do some prep. start by weighing up your ingredients, lining your loaf pan, preheating the oven to 180˚c/350˚f and getting any equipment you may need such a stand mixer and spatula ready.

To start on the recipes you’ll want to make your poached pears – simply take a saucepan and place in the water and sugar, combining to two together. Then place on the heat, over a medium-high heat until it almost reaches a boil. Then go ahead and place in the pears and leave them to poach for 5-10 minutes – you’re looking for the pears to soften a little but not become mushy. Set aside once poached, out of the liquid – reserve the liquid to use later on.

To make the cake part, simply take a bowl and place in the butter and sugar – beating the two together until lighter and fluffier in colour and consistency.

Then add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. Repeat this with the remainder of your eggs, until you have none left. You’ll also want to add in your vanilla at this point.

Give the bowl a good scraping down, this is just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in from earlier on.

Then sift in your dry ingredients – sometimes dry ingredients are known to be a little clumpy. Discard any lumps in the bin. Incorporate the dry ingredients on a low speed to start with, working your way up to a medium-high, just until a clear cake batter has formed.

Take your loaf pan and spread a thinnish layer (roughly 1cm thick) cake batter – now take your pears and place them on top of the cake batter, spacing them as evenly as possible.

With the remaining cake batter, transfer into a piping bag and pipe around the fruit, leaving just the very tip exposed,. Spread and level the batter as much as needed before placing in your preheated oven and baking for 45-50 minutes – a tester should come out clean when inserted into the centre.

Once baked, you can allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then brush over some of that excess poaching liquid – this adds moisture and prevents wastage.

Now the cake has been baked and is cooled, brushed with the poaching liquid, you can brush it over with apricot glaze, then scatter flaked almonds in rough line down the centre. Leave for a little while, then enjoy.

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.