Espresso Caramel Sheet Cake

Today I have a fabulous treat for you, a sneak peek at a seriously delicious recipe from my new book One Tin Bakes Easy which has now been out in the UK, Aus and NZ for a month and from today is also on sale in the USA and Canada.

If you haven’t heard about the book yet let me give a quick 30 second explanation. Last year I released my book One Tin Bakes, a collection of 70 recipes that are all made in the same 9x13 tin. I was blown away by the response, the book became a bestseller and even a year later I still see you guys baking from it every single day. The book came out in the midst of the pandemic and right in the middle of lockdowns all over the world. People were stuck at home and baking became one the things they relaxed with, everyone and their grandmother was making banana bread or turning out loaves of sourdough. When people picked up a copy One Tin Bakes it became really clear to me, through the emails and instagram DM’s I was receiving, that so many people baking last year were doing so for the very first time. Even though the recipes in One Tin Bakes are relatively simple there was still some nervousness with new bakers around many basics of baking. Because of this and the success of the book I decided to write a second volume in the series, a collection of 70 brand new recipes that were even easier than the original book. I am talking one bowl cakes that use the all in one method, treats that are no-bake, recipes that only use 5 ingredients. 

One Tin Bakes Easy shares the same DNA as One Tin Bakes but the recipes are as simple as I could possibly manage. They may be easy but the recipes never compromise on flavour, they’re easy but delicious. If that sounds like something you’d appreciate the book is now available everywhere books are sold in America, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. You can also buy copies anywhere in the world via The Book Depository.

If you are thinking you’d like to buy a copy as a present (the holiday season is upon us after all) There are a number of places you can buy signed copies. In the UK Waterstones have a stock of signed copies that you can buy online and from some stores in person (check their site for availability. In the US the Book Larder in Seattle have signed copies and they can ship anywhere in the country. I am also working on trying to get signed copies in more countries so bear with me if you’re looking to get one elsewhere. 

The recipe I have chosen to show you is my Espresso Caramel Sheet Cake. The cake is an all in one affair made with sour cream and a very healthy dose of espresso (or the strongest coffee you can make at home). The topping is a truly heavenly mix of dulce de leche, cream cheese and cream whisked until billowy and soft. It is spread over the cake and finished with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt. Trust me when I say you need to make this.

Espresso and Caramel Sheet Cake
Recipe from my new book One Tin Bakes Easy

Note: as you will see the measurements in this recipe are in both metric and imperial and this is how they appear in the book so no matter what style of measurement you prefer you are covered

170g (6oz/11⁄2 sticks) very soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
320g (111⁄4oz/21⁄2 cups + 1 tablespoon) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 teaspoons baking powder 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
175g (6oz/3⁄4 cup + 2 tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar
175g (6oz/3⁄4 cup + 2 teaspoons) light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 100ml (31⁄2fl oz/1⁄3 cup + 4 teaspoons) cold espresso or very strong black coffee
75ml (23⁄4fl oz/5 tablespoons) sour cream Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling 

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

170g (6oz/3⁄4 cup) cream cheese, at room temperature
397g (14oz) can dulce de leche
240ml (81⁄2fl oz/1 cup) double (heavy) cream, chilled 

Preheat the oven to 180oC (160oC Fan) 350oF, Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease your 23 x 33cm (9 x 13in) baking tin and line it with a strip of parchment paper that overhangs the long sides, securing it in place with two metal clips. 

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and sugars in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla, espresso and sour cream and mix until a smooth batter forms. Pour it into the prepared tin and spread evenly. 

Bake for about 35–40 minutes, or until the cake springs back to a light touch. Set aside to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before using the parchment paper to lift the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the frosting, place the cream cheese and dulce de leche in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the cream and whisk until the mixture holds soft peaks. Spread the frosting all over the cold cake and sprinkle with flaked sea salt just before serving. 

The cake can be made a couple days in advance if stored in a sealed container, but the frosting needs to be made and served on the same da

Blueberry and Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake

This post is sponsored by Doves Farm Organic Flour

I don’t know about you but during lockdown the thing that has kept me smiling has been spending time in the kitchen, baking up a storm. Whether it’s sourdough, banana bread or any of the hundred things we have all made the last few months, I think we can all agree baking brings us joy. Today’s recipe is another collaboration with Doves Farm and celebrates summer, making something jam packed with berries but also something that can be whipped up minutes. Perfect for summer or to brighten up a grey London day, it’s also a nice tie in with Doves Farm’s new colourful feel-good packaging design which you’ll find in stores now. For those of you who don’t know Doves Farm, they’re a UK organic flour brand and they sell everything from plain flour to ancient grains like rye and buckwheat. Whilst it seems to me that flour shortages are much less frequent at this point if you’re still struggling to find flour and yeast, Doves Farm have also launched an ‘Organic Flour Baking Box’ (£11 plus delivery), available to purchase on their website and delivered direct to your door and contains a great selection of their organic flours - including plain, self raising, bread and specialty flours - plus yeast for making bread, you can find out more here. 

This week’s recipe could not be easier, it can be made as a one bowl or you can add one more little step to make it with two bowls, but regardless of what method you choose it is as easy as pouring some wet stuff into some dry stuff and stirring it all together. Its pure simplicity. For the recipe I went with blueberries and lemon but really this is a very adaptable recipe. Use whatever berry and citrus combination you prefer. Don’t have buttermilk? No worries use yoghurt, or sour cream thinned with a little milk. The recipe is also super bright and colourful, stained with the juice from the berries and topped with a simple blueberry glaze which, depending on the berries you use, will come out a vibrant pink or a beautiful violet. 

This week’s recipe uses Doves Farm Organic Plain flour which is available from Ocado, Sainsburys and Tesco.

Blueberry and Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake
Serves 12-14

265g golden caster sugar
zest of 2 lemons
185ml light olive oil
175ml buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
280g Doves Farm Organic Plain Flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda 
2 tbsp poppy seeds
300g blueberries

Blueberry Glaze
50g blueberries, plus extra for decoration
200g icing sugar
Few drops of lemon juice

To make the cake preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC Fan). Lightly grease, and dust with flour, a bundt pan (you can use anything 8-cup capacity or up). 

If making with my preferred method add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar has a moist texture. This releases the oils in the zest and makes for a more flavourful cake. Add the oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the Doves Farm Plain Flour, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the dry goods and pour in the buttermilk mixture, whisking the two mixtures together until smooth. Add the poppy seeds and blueberries and stir together to distribute evenly. 

If you want to make this as a one bowl recipe, add the Doves Farm Plain Flour, salt, baking soda and sugar to a large bowl and whisk together until combined. Make a well in the dry goods then add in the oil, buttermilk, eggs and lemon zest and whisk together until smooth. Add in the poppy seeds and blueberries and stir together.

Scrape the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and then bake for about 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the glaze (which is optional, the cake is plenty moist without it) use a hand blender to puree the berries then mix in the icing sugar and a few drops of lemon juice until you have a thick but pourable glaze. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and top with a few extra blueberries. 

Kept covered this cake will keep for 3-4 days.