Baileys Eggnog Chocolate Layer Cake

This post is sponsored by Baileys

I’m calling it, Christmas baking season is officially started, so get the Christmas music playing and get in the kitchen. If you fancy something a little different this year how about this Baileys Original Irish Cream chocolate eggnog layer cake with chocolate reindeer and white chocolate gold drip? I think it would a fabulous alternative to a traditional Christmas cake and would be the perfect centrepiece for any Christmas parties you're having this year.

The cake is a classic buttermilk chocolate cake, nice and easy to make. The frosting is where this cake really shines though. I wanted to give the idea of eggnog so it first needs an alcohol element and as it’s Christmas what better than a little Baileys Original Irish Cream, backed up with the classic spicing of nutmeg which really helps bring that nutmeg flavour. To decorate, as it's meant to be festive, I have done a white chocolate Baileys Original Irish Cream ganache drip that I have used edible gold powder to turn a brilliantly shiny gold. But that's not enough, oh no, to give the cake its final flourish I am using the Baileys Reindeer to give it a little OTT glamour. In selected Asda stores you can buy a bottle of Baileys 1L Original Irish Cream and get a free reindeer, so if you fancy making this for yourself, you can find where to get your reindeer here. The reindeer is £12 during the Christmas period, whilst stocks last

Serves 12
[0.2 units per serve]

Chocolate Cake
110g unsalted butter, room temperature
100g dark chocolate
280ml hot coffee
3 tbsp cocoa powder
140ml buttermilk
280g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
340g light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Baileys Eggnog Buttercream
3 large egg whites
165g caster sugar
75g light brown sugar
360g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
100ml Baileys Original Irish Cream - 1.8 units

White Chocolate Baileys Drips
100g white chocolate
50ml Baileys Original Irish Cream - 0.9 units

Decoration
Edible gold lustre powder
2x Baileys Reindeer
50g dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC Fan) and lightly grease 3x20cm round cake tins, lining the bases with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and then set aside to cool slightly. In a jug whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder then whisk in the buttermilk and set aside.

Sieve together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a separate large bowl beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs a little bit at a time, beating until fully combined before adding more. Once fully combined pour in the cooled chocolate and mix briefly to combine. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared tins and spread into an even layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile place the egg whites and sugars into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar has dissolved (you can tell its ready when you rub a little of the mixture between your fingers and you can no longer feel any sugar grains). Remove the bowl from the heat and using an electric mixer whisk on high speed for about 7-10 minutes or until the meringue is stiff and glossy and at room temperature. With the mixer still running add the butter and little at a time until it has all been combined and a buttercream texture has been formed. Add the nutmeg and Baileys Original Irish Cream and mix to combine.

To decorate place one of the cake layers onto a serving plate and spread with a thin layer of buttercream, place the second cake layer on top and repeat. Place the final cake layer on top and spread most of the remaining buttercream over the tops and side of the cake. Place into the fridge until the buttercream is cold and firm.

In the microwave place the chocolate and Baileys Original Irish Cream and heat on short bursts until the chocolate has melted. Stir until the ganache is smooth and silky. Remove the cake from the fridge and pour the ganache on top, spreading it to the edges and teasing it over the sides allowing it to drip down the sides. Place the cake back into the fridge until the ganache is firm. To decorate mix a couple tsp of the gold powder with a couple tsp of clear alcohol like vodka to make a paint like consistency. Carefully paint the white chocolate with the gold (the alcohol will evaporate from the mixture leaving the gold behind and not making the chocolate wet).

To finish top the cake with the Baileys Reindeers, with the antlers chopped off. With any remaining buttercream pipe a few peaks around the reindeer and then set aside for the moment. Place the chocolate into a piping bag with the end snipped off and on a parchment lined baking tray pipe a few Christmas tree shaped decorations and place the tray in the fridge until the chocolate is fully set. Whip the cream with the Baileys Original Irish Cream and nutmeg until holding soft peaks and pipe into the top of the reindeer. Remove the Christmas trees from the fridge and carefully peel from the parchment sticking them into the top of some of the buttercream peaks.

Orange and Passion Fruit Chocolate Cake

Orange and Passion Fruit Chocolate Cake

This post is sponsored by Tate & Lyle Sugars

It has been 9 years and 10 seasons of Bake Off since the day I first stepped into that famous tent and it’s still hard to believe that much time, and that many bakers have passed through the tent, it still feels like yesterday when I heard those words ‘ready, set, bake’ for the first time. To celebrate 10 seasons I have paired up with Tate and Lyle sugars to create a recipe inspired by the season 10 finale. As one of the challenges was to make a chocolate cake I wanted to give you a recipe for an impressive chocolate cake that is achievable at home but still gives you the wow factor you’d expect from Bake Off. For that recipe I have turned to a simple one bowl chocolate cake and paired it with an orange and passion fruit buttercream which makes for a delicious flavour pairing. To make it extra special the cake uses a mainstay of the show, a mirror. glaze. Whilst mirror glazes are beautiful they’re often a cocoa powder gelatine mixture that to me isn’t the most flavourful so instead I am using a cheats glaze that is a simple ganache based glaze with some golden syrup to make the glaze nice and shiny. 

Chocolate Cake
250g plain flour
75g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
300g Tate & Lyle Light Soft Brown Cane Sugar
2 large eggs
100ml oil (you can use something neutral tasting or olive oil)
225g sour cream
225ml hot coffee

Passion Fruit Syrup
100ml passion fruit puree
75g Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar

Orange and Passion Fruit Buttercream
3 large egg whites
240g Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
360g unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp passion fruit puree

Cheats Chocolate Mirror Glaze
130g dark chocolate, finely chopped
250ml double cream
2 tbsp Lyles Golden Syrup
Edible gold leaf, for decoration

To make the cake lightly grease 2x20cm round cake tins (do not use thin sandwich tins, they need to be at least 3 inch deep) and line the bases with parchment paper. 

Sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Tate & Lyle Light Soft Brown Cane Sugar brown sugar into a large bowl and use a whisk to combine so everything is evenly combined. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the remaining ingredients and whisk together until a smooth cake batter is formed. Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cakes springs back to a light touch and are slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the syrup place the puree and Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. 

To make the buttercream place the egg whites, Tate & Lyle Caster Pure Cane Sugar

and orange zest in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar has dissolved (you can tell the mixture is ready when you rub a little between your fingers and you can no longer feel any grains of sugar). I use caster sugar for this but if you want a little more caramel flavour you can use Tate & Lyle Golden Caster Pure Cane Sugar. For this cake I wouldn’t use a brown sugar for the frosting as it will mask the fruity flavours we want to be the focus. Remove the bowl from the heat and use an electric mixer to whisk on high speed until the meringue is thick, glossy and cooled to room temperature. With the mixer still running add the butter a piece at a time. When all the butter has been added and the mixture has formed a buttercream like texture add the orange juice and passion fruit puree, beating for a couple minutes until fully combined. 

To assemble the cake use a serrated knife to slice each cake into two even layers. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake and brush with the passion fruit syrup. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of the cake and repeat with the remaining layers. Scrape the remaining buttercream on top of the cake and spread over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer, making it as smooth as possible. Place the cake into the freezer whilst you make the glaze.

Place the chocolate into a jug and the remaining ingredients into a small saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and set aside for a couple minutes before stirring together to form a smooth chocolate glaze. Set aside until room temperature but still pourable. Remove the cake from the freezer and place onto a wire rack set on a baking tray. Pour the glaze over the cake, allowing it drip down the sides making sure the entire cake is covered. Allow the glaze to set for about 30 minutes before decorating with the gold leaf. Carefully transfer the cake back to the plate or stand. 

Once assembled the cake will keep for about 3 days although the shine on the glaze will be strongest in the first day or so.  

Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake

Sponsored by Doves Farm Organic Flour

Nothing says summer to me more than strawberries, especially when British strawberries come into season and they are as flavoursome as you remember them in your head. I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner when they’re at their best. When baking with them I don’t really want to mess with them too much, I want to let them shine, but there are a couple things we can do to amp up the flavour and make this strawberry cake something special.

For this recipe I have gone with a sheet cake style, partly because it’s unfussy, partly so the ratio of fruit to cake is higher and partly because I just love a sheet cake. The cake is a very simple affair, a classic cake mixture using Doves Farm Organic Self Raising White Flour (LINKED) and sour cream for the perfect texture, almost like a moist pound cake.  The topping is built around strawberries that have been very lightly roasted in a little sugar and lemon juice to intensify their flavour (this a great recipe if your strawberries are not quite as ripe or flavoursome as you’d hope).  To marry with the strawberries I sprinkled the cake with flaked almonds for a little extra texture, a few small dollops of jam, to amplify the strawberry flavour and a little white chocolate. Now the chocolate, let’s talk about it for a second. Sure, white chocolate and strawberry is a classic combination, but take a closer look at the cake, the chocolate has browned a little. As the cake bakes the white chocolate actually caramelises a little, giving us hints of that caramelised white chocolate we all love.

Once the cake is baked you can serve it a few different ways; on its own, warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or maybe with some whipped cream and fresh berries. Whichever way you fancy it, once the cake is baked it needs serving with 2-3 days.

Doves Farm organic flours are available at Sainsburys, Tesco, Ocado and from www.dovesfarm.co.uk 

Roasted Strawberry Sheet Cake
150g unsalted butter, room temperature
300g caster sugar 
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
300g Doves Farm Organic Self Raising White Flour
200ml sour cream

Topping
400g strawberries, hulled and halved
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 tbsp flaked almonds
75g white chocolate, cut into chunks
2 tbsp strawberry jam

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) and lightly grease, and line with parchment, a 9x13 cake pan (the same one you use for brownies). 

Before you make the cake, prepare the strawberries. Toss together with the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour onto a small rimmed baking tray and roast for about 20 minutes or until the strawberries have softened a little, whilst still holding their shape, and have released some juice. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the beater attachment attached, beat the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Don’t underestimate this stage as if you under mix this part the cake will be denser than intended. Add the vanilla and salt and mix for about 30 seconds to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding another. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the four cream, starting and finishing with the flour. Once you have a smooth cake batter pour it into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. 

Scatter over the berries, reserving the juice, and repeat with the almonds, white chocolate and jam, placing small dollops across the cake. With all the toppings don’t press them into the batter as they’ll sink a little as the cake bakes, if you press them in before the cake goes in the oven they may sink too far. 

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown or a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Mocha Marble Bundt Cake

This Post Is Sponsored by Billingtons Sugar

Can we talk about the term coffee cake? I think in the US its generally understood that the cake doesn’t actually contain coffee, it’s a cake to be served with coffee, definitely a tad confusing. To my fellow brits coffee cake brings to mind that old fashioned British classic, coffee and walnut cake, a cake that I actively dislike and also had to make for my final audition all those years ago (hmm maybe there is a correlation there somewhere). No, ‘coffee cake’ is an umbrella term for cakes that are served alongside coffee, which is good as todays post is sponsored by Billingtons and there new Barista range of sugars. You know them as the makers of brilliant unrefined sugars and now they’ve launched a range of sugars perfect for your morning coffee. Aside from being great in coffee you could also bake with them. The crystal variety of the sugar has a larger crystal size than most UK sugars and is actually a little bit like a US ‘sanding’ sugar which would be great sprinkled on a cake for texture, like a larger brother to demerara. The classic coffee cake is the cinnamon crumb cake, normally made with sour cream and is the perfect accompaniment to a coffee. My favourite of the genre is a bundt cake and todays recipe, whilst not a cinnamon or a crumb cake, is my take on the coffee cake. White and dark chocolate swirled together to make a very tender, very simple cake that doesn’t need much adornment. I have left it naked, but you could add a simple icing sugar glaze or maybe a drizzle of chocolate, but for me this is the thing I want alongside my mid afternoon coffee, not too sweet and makes my break from work all the more enjoyable.

Mocha Marble Bundt Cake

Base Cake Mix
250g unsalted butter, room temperature
500g golden caster sugar
8 large eggs

White Chocolate
225g self raising flour
100g white chocolate, melted and cooled
100g sour cream
2 tbsp instant espresso powder, mixed with 1 tbsp boiling water

Dark Chocolate 
100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
200g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
120g sour cream

Use a spray oil to lightly grease a 10-15 cup capacity bundt pan, making sure the entire surface of the pan is coated, especially the central column as this is the part people often miss and it leads to a cake that will not release from the pan in one piece. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).

Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until lightly and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Don’t underestimate the time this takes, creaming the butter and sugar together is one of the most important steps, make sure you the mixture really is almost white in colour and light in texture. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding the next. Divide the batter equally between two bowls and set aside for a moment.

In a small bowl mix together the white chocolate, sour cream and espresso mixture. Add the flour to the first portion of batter and mix until combined. Add in the white chocolate mixture and then set aside for a moment.

In a small bowl mix together the cocoa with a couple tablespoons of the sour cream, mixing to make a smooth paste. Mix in the remaining sour cream and the melted chocolate. As before mix the flour into the batter followed by the chocolate mixture.

Dollop in alternate spoonfuls of the two batters into the pan then using a butter knife gently swirl the batters together. I find it’s best to do this very briefly and less aggressively than you think. The more you swirl the batters together the less definition the finished cake will have. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before inverting the cake to release it from the pan. Allow to cool fully before serving. Kept covered the cake will keep for 3-4 days