Chocolate Mug Cake

Sometimes you just need cake - fast!

This single serving cake is ready to eat in less than 5 minutes and is really simple.

Ingredients

4 tbsp self raising flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp caster sugar

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp sunflower oil

* in a regular sized coffee mug, mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Take special care to incorporate all the flour that might be sitting at the bottom

* microwave on full power for1 minute 45 (700W)

* eat! A spoon might be useful

If you want to be fancy you could also add chocolate chips or top with cream. I like mini marshmallows in mine

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

I got a Hummingbird Bakery cookery book for my birthday, and this recipe is my version of their cupcake recipes

Ingredients (makes 20)

For the cake:
70g unsalted butter, softened
210g plain flour, sifted
250g caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
210ml milk
2 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon

For the icing:
250g icing sugar, sifted
160g unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp lemon juice

Approx 60g lemon curd for filling

* heat oven to 170C
* put the flour, butter, sugar, baking powder and lemon zest in a big bowl and beat together with an electric mixer until the mixture looks like crumbs
* mix the eggs and milk together, then slowly beat into the flour mixture until it is smooth and free of lumps
* spoon the batter into muffin cases. I use my smallest measuring cup to portion out the mix so the cakes are all evenly sized
* bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and springy to touch
* leave on a wire rack until completely cool
* put the icing ingredients into a big bowl and whisk together with an electric mixer until well combined, light and fluffy
* with a sharp knife, cut a hole in the top of each cake. Fill the hole with a couple of grammes of lemon curd then replace the plug of cake to seal the hole
* top each cake with the icing

Gingerbread

Great British Bake off is back on TV tonight, so I felt inspired to do a bit of baking myself.

Ingredients (makes 18)
225g plain flour
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp mixed spice
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g soft brown sugar
100g unsalted butter
150g black treacle
75g golden syrup
150ml semi skimmed milk
2 eggs, beaten

* heat oven to 150C and grease a brownie tin
* sieve together the flour, ginger, spice and bicarb and stir in the sugar
* melt together the butter, treacle and syrup, then beat in the milk and allow to cool
* add the eggs to the mixture and beat in well, then beat the treacle mix into the flour
* pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 75 minutes

Nutritional info
Cal: 146, Fat: 5.3g, Carbs: 20.8g, Protein: 2.3g

Easter Nest Cakes

These are a bit of an Easter tradition in our house, ever since my daughter was little. She may be 18 now but it wouldn't be Easter without them.

Ingredients (makes about 18)
200g milk chocolate
100g plain chocolate
25g butter
4 shredded wheat
Bag of mini eggs

* melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water
* crush the shredded wheat very finely so it looks like little twigs and stir into the chocolate until well coated
* put spoonfuls of the chocolate mix into cake cases. Make a dip in the middle and put 2 or 3 eggs in
* leave to set

Christmas cake 2

Glazed fruits make a pretty alternative to the traditional marzipan and royal icing. I used cherries, pineapple and apricots, but any dried or glace fruits would work.

Ingredients
1 heaped tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp brandy
Dried or glace fruits of your choice

* in a small pan mix together the jam and brandy and gently heat
* brush the top of the cake with about 1/2 the jam mixture
* arrange the fruits over the top of the cake and glaze with the rest of the jam.

Christmas cake

I always used to make a really dark, rich cake with the traditional marzipan and royal icing. It tasted great, but it was a bit much. Last year I decided to try something different and came across this recipe from DeliaOnline which is lighter in colour and flavour. The apricots and pineapples make it really fruity.

Ingredients
100g glace pineapple, chopped
175g glace cherries, chopped
225g sultanas
110g dried apricots, chopped
3 tbsp brandy
110g walnuts, chopped
110g candied peel
75g crystallised ginger, chopped
225g butter
80g light muscavado sugar
145g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g plain flour
1tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp ground cinnamon

* mix together the apricots and sultanas with the brandy and leave to soak overnight
* add the other fruits to the bowl and mix well
* cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy
* add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one
* sift in the flour and spices, and fold in, then fold in the fruits and nuts
* tip the mixture into a lined 20cm round cake tin and level the top
* bake at 170C in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, then cover the top with a double layer of Brown paper, lower the oven temp to 150C and bake for another 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
* leave to cool in the tin

Butterscotch brownies

Ingredients (makes about 18)
225g butter
400g Brown sugar
3 eggs
10ml vanilla extract
240g self raising flour
50g choc chips

* heat oven to 180C
* melt the butter in a large pan then add the sugar and mix well
* allow to cool a little, then beat in the egg and vanilla
* sift in the flour and mix well, then stir in the choc chips (or chopped nuts if you prefer)
* pour the mixture into a greased brownie tin and bake for 30 minutes

Fruit cake

Ingredients
225g self raising flour
1tsp mixed spice
100g butter or marg
100g caster sugar
175g dried fruit (I used sultanas, cherries and apricots)
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk

* heat oven to 180C and grease a 7 inch cake tin or a loaf tin
* sift the flour and spice into a bowl and rub in the fat until it looks like fine breadcrumbs
* stir in the sugar and fruit
* beat eggs and milk together and mix in to a soft consistency
* pour into the tin and bake for 55 minutes

If the cake sounds bubbly when it comes out of the oven, it's not quite done so give it a few more minutes
Cool the cake in the tin

Banana Bread

Don't know why we call it bread when it's clearly a cake, but this is a classic way to use up over-ripe bananas.

Ingredients
225g caster sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
115g butter, softened
60ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
240g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt

* heat oven to 180C and grease a loaf tin
* put the first 6 ingredients into a large bowl and beat thoroughly until well combined
* stir in the flour and salt
* pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes
* allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack

Chopped nuts or chocolate chips are a nice addition.

Cream Egg Brownies

Not very seasonal right now, but they work equally well as ordinary brownies without the cream eggs.

Ingredients
185g Unsalted Butter
185g Dark Chocolate
85g Plain Flour
40g Cocoa Powder
3 lg Eggs
275g Caster Sugar
6 Cream Eggs cut in half. I froze mine to make them easier to cut

• Pre-heat oven to 160C and grease a brownie tin
• Melt together the butter and chocolate in a bowl over boiling water, then leave to cool down a bit.
• Beat together the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until they go thick and creamy. The mixture should have roughly doubled in size and gone quite pale
• Pour the chocolate mixture onto the egg/sugar mixture and fold together gently.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder onto the egg/sugar/chocolate mix and fold in until well mixed and an even colour.
• Pour into the baking tin and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and gently press the cream egg halves into the brownies, spacing them evenly.
• Return to oven and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes.
• Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into individual brownies.

Very naughty but incredibly nice!