Autumnal

Cinnamon Rolls

Today I’ll be showing you how to make cinnamon rolls, my personal favourite baked good!

October is my birthday month, so I thought I’d make a few of my favourite baked goods – starting with this week’s recipe for cinnamon rolls.

These are easily my favourite baked good, it starts with a fluffy bread dough which is filled a cinnamon brown sugar filling and once baked, topped with a cream cheese icing. If you think the store-bought ones were good, wait until you try these.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Bread:

500g Strong white bread flour.

50g Fresh yeast.

75g Butter.

75g Granulated sugar.

15g Milk powder.

1 Egg,

350ml Water (Luke warm).

Cinnamon Filling:

250gg Light brown sugar.

250g Butter.

25g Ground cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Icing:

85g Soft cheese.

60g Butter.

200g Icing sugar.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

Methods:

Before you get into any baking, you’ll want to do some prep work first. Take the time to weigh up all the ingredients, lightly oil a bowl and get any equipment ready. When the time comes, preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

Bread:

To start on the bread dough, place the bread flour and salt into a bowl and give it a good mix to incorporate the two together.

Then place the remaining ingredients into the bowl, then mix them all together on a medium-low speed until a dough has formed. The dough should be soft, if it’s sticky, add a little flour.

Flour the work surface with a generous amount of bread flour and place the dough onto it. Knead the dough until the dough is smooth and elasticated. This takes around 5-7 minutes, depending on how well mixed it was in the first place.

Place the dough into the lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with cling-film and allow to proof/prove for around 60 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

While the dough is proving, you can make the cinnamon sugar filling. Into a bowl, place the butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon into a mixing bowl.

Beat all the ingredients together until they are all well combined, they should come together and form a cinnamony-brown coloured spreadable paste.

Once the dough has completed its first proof/prove, you’ll want to generously flour your worktop and place the dough onto it. You can then knock the dough back, this is just the process of removing the gases that had built up.

Now the dough has been knocked back, onto a floured worktop, bring the dough into a ball shape and start to roll the dough out using a rolling pin. The dough may resist being rolled out, this is a sign that the gluten has formed, this is a good sign. You’ll want to roll the dough out to roughly 40cm x 60cm.

Take the cinnamon sugar filling and spread it all over the dough, until you have a generous and level amount spread on the dough.

Take the long side of dough (the one nearest you) and start to roll it up. Start by rolling around 2cm of the dough into the first roll and then just continue the rolling until you’ve fully rolled the dough. Make sure that you keep each roll of the dough tight.

Slice the dough at around 1 inch for each roll. Do this for all your rolls.

Place the rolls into a deep sided tray, my first tray I got 6 into it but you may be able to get more-or-less depending on the size of your tray.

Cover the tray/s with cling film and allow to double in size. Prove for around 30-45 minutes – these will batch while baking, this is normal.

Bake in your preheated oven at 180˚c/350˚f for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

While your cinnamon rolls are baking in the oven, it’s the perfect time to make the cream cheese icing which will top the rolls.

Into your mixing bowl of choice, place the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Beat together on a medium-high speed until all of the ingredients have become fully combined.

Once you have been mixing the cream cheese icing together for around 4-5 minutes, you should notice that the mixture goes from a yellowish colour to a lighter yellow but more white colour and should be much lighter and fluffier in consistency.

Set the cream cheese icing aside until its needed later.

Now that the cinnamon buns are baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool down, almost fully before you finish them off.

Once the cinnamon rolls are almost cooled down, you can start to add the cream cheese icing on to the buns. I start with a little on each and adding more as its needed – add as much as you’d like.

Then to finish the rolls, you’ll want to give them a light dusting of some ground cinnamon. This is optional but I really like cinnamon, so why not?

Well, that’s how you make cinnamon rolls my way. They are (fairly?) quick and easy to make, which makes them that bit more enjoyable. If you make too many, bake them off, then wrap them with some cling film and place into the freezer. You can keep the rolls in the freeze for up to 3 months, just make fresh cream cheese icing when you take them out.

That’s all for this week 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 next week with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my Instagram and Twitter. The YouTube video will be linked down below.

Pumpkin Spice Meringue Pie

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

It’s now officially Autumn, so it’s officially time to have all things pumpkin spice. Starting with this pumpkin spice meringue pie, let’s get started, shall we?

Now that Autumn is in full swing, it’s acceptable to enjoy all things seasonal. Starting with autumnal food and drinks (including pumpkin spice latte), if you like pumpkin spice latte, this recipe is perfect for you.

Starting with a shortcrust pastry case, filled with a pumpkin spice pastry cream and topped with a meringue which is toasted. A perfectly seasonal recipe, believe me. The flavour combinations may not sound like they’ll work, but they do.

Let’s get start on the recipe, shall we?

Ingredients:

Pastry:

Here is how to make the pastry.

Pastry cream:

500ml Whole milk.

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

2 tsp Coffee granules.

2 tsp Pumpkin spice.

100g Pumpkin puree (homemade pumpkin puree recipe also available)

120g Egg yolks.

100g Granulated sugar.

60g Plain flour.

Meringue:

160g Egg whites.

320g Granulated sugar

1 tsp Vanilla extract.

Methods:

Before you get into making any element of the pumpkin meringue pie, you’ll want to do some prep work. Start by weighing up all your ingredients, preheating the oven (before its needed) and getting any equipment you may need ready, so it’s at hand.

Pastry:

Start by following my recipe on how to make the pastry.

You can then bake the 8-inch pie case off at 180˚c/350˚f for around 20 minutes, then remove the baking beans and egg wash, then bake for a further 10-15 minute until golden brown.

Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool fully, before you intend on using it.

Pastry Cream:

To start on the pastry cream, get yourself a medium or large saucepan and place in the whole milk and vanilla then whisk to combine. Then you can add the coffee granules, pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree, whisking well in-between each addition.

Place the saucepan onto the hob, over a medium-high heat, allow it to come to a boil. Then into a separate medium sized bowl, place the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until they are well combined (the mixture should be smooth, not granular and paler in colour), then you can add in the plain flour and whisk to combine.

Once a boil has reached, remove from the heat and pour around a third of the hot milk mixture over the egg mixture and whisk the two together until they are fully combined. You can then steadily pour the remaining milk over egg mixture until the two separate mixtures are fully combined.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place back on the hob over a medium-high heat, stirring continuously until the mixture has thickened (you’ll know when it’s ready when the whisk trails remain there after you’ve moved the whisk). You can take the mixture off the heat and pour onto a shallow sided baking tray and cover with cling film/plastic wrap making sure it touches the surface, preventing a skin from forming. You can then place this somewhere to cool down fully, before you either use it or place it in the fridge (never place anything hot/warm in the fridge).

Meringue:

To make the meringue topping, you’ll want to place the egg whites into your bowl and whisk them together until they are foamy/frothy.

At this stage, you can start adding your granulated sugar, roughly 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisking well in-between each addition, ensuring the previous amount of sugar has been fully incorporated. Repeat until all the sugar has been incorporated, it should be a smooth and glossy mixture.

Add in the vanilla extract and whisk until it’s been fully incorporated. Use immediately, only make the meringue before you intend on serving.

Assembly:

Take your pastry cream and scrape it from the shallow sided tray and place into a small-medium bowl and whisk it just until it’s a spreadable consistency. Add into the baked pastry case and smooth it out as best you can, using an offset/cranked palette knife, set in the fridge until it’s needed, later.

Make the meringue topping. Then you can place it on top of your chilled pie or feel free to do it the way I did mine, by placing the meringue mixture into piping bags and pipe different shapes on top.

Torch the meringue topping using a culinary blowtorch or place under the grill for a few minutes until toasted.

Serve and enjoy – best eaten on the day it’s made.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Tray Bake

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

Autumn is just around the corner, so why not prepare by making yourself a tray of this sticky toffee pudding tray bake?

This is the perfect recipe to make when you have a little extra time, not loads just enough to make dinner and cake, y’know? It’s a quick tray bake cake, packed with dates and sultanas, then topped with a pecan caramel sauce. You can enjoy this fresh from the oven or the day after, reheated. Either way, it’ll taste good!

The addition of pecans isn’t all that traditional or important but I like the taste and texture they add, so feel free to skip these if you don’t like or can’t have nuts.

Without any further ado, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Sticky Toffee Pudding:

150g Sultanas.

300g Stoned dates, chopped small.

2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda.

50g Butter.

400g Light brown sugar.

4 Eggs.

400g Self raising flour.

Caramel Sauce:

50g Butter.

350ml Double cream.

400g Light brown sugar.

50-100g Pecans.

Method:

Before you get started on any element of the recipe, it’s best to do some prep work first. Start by preheating your oven to 180˚c/350˚f, line your 9×13 baking tray, boil the kettle and weigh up your ingredients.

Start by working on the sticky toffee pudding, place the chopped stoned dates, sultanas and bicarbonate of soda into a small/medium bowl, then pour enough boiling water in to cover the contents of the bowl (You place the fruit and bicarbonate into the water to help soften the skin, making it not so chewy and easier to digest, so it’s an important step. Don’t skip it).

Place the butter and light brown sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until they are combined. They won’t be light and fluffy; the ratios aren’t correct for this to work.

Once combined, add your eggs one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. You will notice that the consistency of the cake batter becomes much more liquid like, this is completely normal.

Next, it’s time to add the flour, but first you’ll want to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, this is to incorporate any bits that haven’t been fully worked in.

Now you can add the flour, passing through a sieve first. Mix in on medium-high speed.

Drain the water out of the fruit and then add the fruit into the mixture and fold/mix it in until its well distributed.

You can then take your cake batter and add it all to the prepared 9×13 cake tray, levelling it out using a small cranked/offset palette knife. Then place into your preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean when inserted).

Once the cake has around 5-10 minutes baking remaining, it’s the perfect time to make the caramel sauce. To start on the sauce, you’ll want to get a small-medium saucepan and place in the butter, double cream, light brown sugar and pecans. Place it on the hob over a medium-high heat. Stirring occasionally until everything is melted and started to combine, then you can start stirring continuously until you have a smooth (and nutty sauce).

Once the cake is out the oven, pour over the hot caramel sauce. Spreading it out as best you can using a silicon spatula, you can enjoy this now while it’s warm or enjoy the following day either cold or reheated.

Coffee and Walnut Cake

by bakingwithelliott Leave a Comment

Today I’m showing you how to make a simple but classic coffee and walnut cake, this is always a winner when made. What are you waiting for?

I know it’s not officially the start of Autumn (unless you follow meteorological season) until later in the month but as soon as August end and September starts, it’s basically autumn… Don’t even come for me.

A coffee and walnut cake may not be the most seasonal cake, especially seeing as its made all year round by most but the colours that make up the cake are for me seasonal… I’ll be honest, this cake isn’t my favourite but I know others who enjoy it.

If you haven’t tried this cake before, I’ll tell you a little about it. It’s a sponge cake that is flavoured with coffee and has walnuts in it, filled and topped with coffee flavoured buttercream and an optional finish is to pipe rosettes on top and top them with some more walnuts.

Almost 3 years ago, I made this cake in cupcake form. I’ll link the coffee and walnut cupcake recipe, if you’re interest in it.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

Coffee:

15g Instant coffee.

45ml Boiling water.

Cake:

175g Butter.

175g Plain flour.

3 Eggs.

2-3 tbsp coffee mixture.

75g Walnuts, chopped.

Buttercream:

200g Butter.

450g Icing sugar.

2-3 tbsp coffee mixture.

Methods:

Coffee:

To make the coffee mixture, you’ll want to add the instant coffee into a bowl and boil the kettle of water until its boiled.

Into the bowl with the instant coffee, add in the boiling water and give it a good mix until the coffee is fully dissolved in the water. Set aside until cool enough to use.

Cake:

To start on the cake batter, you’ll want to get yourself a mixing bowl and into it place the butter and sugar. Beat the two together on a medium-high speed until they are very well combined.

Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl, this is to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in earlier on.

Now you can start adding your eggs, one at a time, beating well in-between each addition. Don’t add the eggs too quickly, otherwise you may scramble the mixture.

Next, you can add in the coffee mixture and mix it in just until its incorporated. If the mixture scrambles here, don’t worry too much, the dry ingredients will fix it.

Give the bowl a good scrape down, again this is just to incorporate any bits that may not have been fully worked in.

Add the dry ingredients into the bowl, passing them through a sieve first. Doing this removes any lumps in the dry mix and helps to create a lighter cake texture. Mix on a low-medium speed until the dry ingredients have been fully worked in.

Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, add in the chopped walnuts and mix until they are fully incorporated.

Split the cake batter between your 2 x 6-inch cake tins and level it out using a cranked/offset palette knife. You can then place the cake tins into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a tester when inserted comes out clean).

Buttercream:

To make the buttercream it’s easy. Place your butter into a mixing bowl and beat it until its lighter and fluffier in both colour and consistency.

Then add half of your icing sugar and beat it well until its fully incorporated, repeat with the other half of the icing sugar. Add in the vanilla and give it a good mix until it’s fully incorporated.

At this point you can add your coffee mixture, roughly a tablespoon at a time, you will want to add the right amount so not only the flavour is there but the consistency doesn’t change too much. That’s why I recommend using 2-3 tablespoons, you can vary the amount.

Once you’ve made the buttercream, you can use it or store it in the fridge for a few days.

Assembly:

Take your cooled cakes out of the tins and set aside while you transfer the buttercream from the bowl into a piping bag. Using a piping bag is my personal preference, feel free to spread it out on the cake using a cranked/offset palette knife, whichever method works for you.

Take your first layer of cake and pipe or spread over a generous amount of the coffee buttercream, then layer the second layer of cake on top, pressing down slightly to secure it in place. Then on top of that, you can pipe or spread out the buttercream and add walnuts (oh and I added chocolate sprinkles purely for decoration but this is completely optional).

You can decorate this cake however you like, I just went with my typical look on the cake.

Sticky Toffee Cupcakes

by bakingwithelliott 2 Comments

If you’re looking for an autumnal cupcake recipe, look no further. This week’s recipe is for sticky toffee cupcakes, let’s get started shall we?

I know that normally around this time of year everybody goes crazy for pumpkin and pumpkin spice, not from me (well this week anyway, perhaps next week? 🤔).

Anyway, these cupcakes are made up of a traditional sticky toffee cake base, which is filled with a caramel pecan filling and topped with slightly salted caramel buttercream (which works very well) and finished with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Who wouldn’t want one of these?

These cupcakes aren’t exactly hard, there is step that you don’t have to do with other cakes and this is to soak the chopped dates, sultanas and bicarbonate of soda in boiling water. You may ask why you do this. Well, it’s to soften the skin on the dates as they can be quite tough in texture and it helps to make them taste less like dried fruit and have a more ‘toffee’ flavour, somewhat. Apart from this stage, the rest is the usual method.

As always, just before you intend on baking you’ll want to do some prep work. Line your muffin/cupcake tin with cases and set aside until its needed later, you’ll also want to weigh up all your ingredients (this saves you making mistakes later and stops you faffing about) and preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

The final bit of prep you’ll need to do is preparing your dried fruit. Place your sultanas, chopped dates and bicarbonate of soda into a small/medium heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water on top to cover and leave to soak while you carry on and make your cupcake batter. Once you need them, simply pass them through a sieve and add the fruit mixture into the cake batter.

Now you’ve got your prep work done, you can start making your cupcakes. Start by getting yourself a large bowl and placing your butter and light brown sugar into it, then mix the two until they are combined. Then add in your eggs, 1 at a time, beating well in-between each addition. Try your best to not scramble the mixture at this stage, you will also notice that the consistency will change at this point, don’t worry. Give your bowl a quick scrape down before continuing.

Next, you’ll want to sieve your dry ingredients into your mixing bowl and mix on a low-medium speed until the flour is just about incorporated, once you’ve achieved this, you can add in the drained date mixture and then incorporate that by hand using a silicon spatula or whatever you have. Just mix until it’s fairly distributed, try not to over-mix at this stage, otherwise your cupcakes will be tough textured.

Divide the cake batter between your 12 cupcake cases, I used 2 spoons but feel free to use whatever you have or find easiest to work with. Then place the tray into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes (or until golden brown and well risen, a tester works well too!). While your cupcakes are in the oven, you can make your caramel pecan filling.

To make the caramel pecan filling, you’ll want to get yourself a small-medium saucepan and place the butter, light brown sugar, double cream and chopped pecans into it and place on the hob until it’s melted and come together. Ensuring that you’re stirring constantly once it starts to melt, once everything has come together and the mixture is smooth, transfer the mixture from the saucepan into a small heatproof bowl and allow to cool completely before using it.

Depending on how much time you have left, you can start making your buttercream, this is really quick and easy. Into your mixing bowl of choice place your butter and half of your icing sugar and mix on a low speed to start with, just to get them combined, then work your way up to a medium-high speed and mix for a couple of minutes, until roughly light and fluffy. Give your bowl a quick scrape down and add the other half of icing sugar. I used half normal icing sugar and half salted caramel flavoured icing sugar (available at most supermarkets, craft shops and online). I then repeat the mixing process until I have no icing sugar left and the mixture is looking light and fluffy, set aside until needed a little while later.

Now that every element behind the cupcakes has been made, you just need to allow everything to cool completely before using anything.

When you’re ready, you’ll want to do some prep work. Get yourself 3 piping bags, 1 for the caramel pecan filling, 1 for the salted caramel buttercream (fit the piping bag with a piping nozzle of choice, I opted for the 1cm open star nozzle but choose what you like) and 1 for the caramel you’re going to drizzle over the cupcakes (for this you can make your own caramel or use some from a can, which is what I went with on this occasion). Doing this now saves you time in a little while and allows you to crack on when you’re finishing the cupcakes off.

So, to finish the cupcakes, you’ll want to start by getting your cupcakes in-front of you and using a shaping tool (or something similar), make a cavity in the middle of the cupcake. Snip the end off your caramel pecan piping bag and pipe a generous amount of the filling into the centre of the cupcakes (a small blog may appear on top, don’t worry to much about this, it’ll be alright). Now be aware and make sure that you’ve used a good piping bag and have snipped a big enough hole in the piping bag an aren’t applying too much pressure, otherwise you’ll make your bag explode and it’ll make a mess, like a serious amount. GRR!

Onwards and upwards, eh?

Fill each of your cupcakes with a generous amount of the filling and then get your buttercream piping bag ready and pipe a good amount of it on top of each cupcake, this is where you have control and can pipe onto each cupcake the amount you want, so it’s fully customisable. To finish the cupcakes, use the final piping bag containing the caramel and snip a small hole in the end of the bag and drizzle over as much or as little as you’d like onto each cupcake.

That’s how you make the cupcake, which sounds like a lot of work but when you consider that you’ve made almost all the elements to the cupcake it’s all worthwhile!

Ingredients:

Cupcake:

75g Sultanas.

150g Stoned dates, chopped.

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda.

25g Butter.

200g Light brown sugar.

2 Eggs.

200g Plain flour.

1 tsp Baking powder.

Caramel Pecan Filling:

25g Butter.

175ml Double cream.

200g Light brown sugar.

50g Pecans, chopped.

Buttercream:

250g Butter.

250g Icing sugar.

250g Salted caramel icing sugar.

Canned caramel (for the drizzle).

Methods:

Do some prep work before you get started, prepare your cupcake tin with some cupcakes cases, use whichever you like or have. Weigh up all your ingredients and preheat your oven.

The other bit of prep you’ll want to do is placing the sultanas and chopped dates into a bowl and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda then cover it all with enough water so its submerged. Allow to soak until you need it, a little later in the recipe.

Cupcake:

Place your butter and light brown sugar into a mixing bowl of choice and beat until they are combined.
Add in your eggs, 1 at a time, beating well in-between each addition. Repeat this with method with both eggs and try not to scramble your mixture at this stage.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl quickly.
Add in your flour and baking powder and mix on a low-medium speed just until combined, be careful not to over mix at this stage.
Drain your fruit mixture and add into your cake batter and fold in by hand until its fairly distributed.
Divide the mixture between your 12 cupcake cases, trying to get it as equal as possible. Then place the tray into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean).
Allow them to cool completely before using them.

Caramel Pecan Filling:

To make the filling is really easy. Get yourself a small-medium saucepan and place in your butter, light brown sugar, double cream and chopped pecans and place on the hob over a medium heat.
Once the butter and sugar start to melt, make sure you’re constantly stirring the mixture so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once everything has melted and has combined, you’ll be left with a smooth (apart from the lumps from the pecans) mixture.
Transfer from the saucepan into a small heatproof bowl and allow to cool before using.
Once the mixture has cooled completely, you can transfer it to a piping bag and use accordling.

Buttercream:

Get yourself a mixing bowl and place in the butter and half the icing sugar, mix the two together on a low speed to start, once combined then crank up the speed to a medium-high just until it looks lighter and fluffier, then add in the second weight of icing sugar and repeat the process with the remaining icing sugar.
Set aside until later on, where you’ll want to place it into a piping bag fitted with your choice of piping nozzle.

Assembly:

Make a cavity in each cupcake by using a shaping tool or something similar, then fill each of them with a generous amount of the filling.
Onto each cupcake, pipe a good amount of the salted caramel buttercream. Use as much or as little as you’d like, it’s really up to you.
To finish the cupcakes, get your final piping bag which has some canned caramel in it and drizzle over as much or as little as you’d like.
That’s it, you’re done! Congrats – what do you think of these cupcakes?

Autumnal

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