Category: Cakes/Cookies

Amazing lemon cheesecake

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On Friday it was once again time to bake for the office, as we have cakes once a month to celebrate that month’s birthdays. I usually make three cakes; one chocolate cake, one cheesecake and one other.

The most popular cake this time was a lovely lemon cheesecake that I found on this Swedish food blog.

When I tried the batter (bowl licking is essential) I knew it would be good, as the flavour reminded me of my mother’s lemon mousse.

I made a few changes to the recipe; for one I prefer to bake the base as I like the texture more that way. Just let it cool completely (10 minutes in the fridge helps) before adding the creamy layer. I also omitted the passion fruit from the jelly because they didn’t have any in the shop I went too. I also used a vegetarian jelling agent instead of gelatine in the creamy mixture, but I prefer to give you the recipe as I found it. The simple – but effectful – decorations are bought sugar pansies.

Lemon cheesecake, serves 10

Base:

12 digestive biscuits (half a packet)

75 g softened butter

Filling:

400 g Philadelphia cheese
300 ml sourcream
1 lemon (zest and juice)
250 ml icing sugar
5 gelatin leaves or similar jelling agent
50 ml water

Lemon jelly:

100 ml fresh lemon juice
100 ml icing sugar
100 ml water
the zest from one lemon
a few drops yellow food colouring
2 gelatin leaves

Mix the digestives with the butter into crumbs and press it onto a a greased springform base. Bake for 10 minutes in 175C. Leave to cool completely.

Place the gelatin leaves in water, squeeze out the excess water and let them melt in the water on low heat. Leave to cool. Mix the cream cheese, sourcream, icing sugar, lemon zest and juice with the gelatin in a mixer/with an electric whisk until smooth. Pour it over the base and leave to set in the fridge for at least an hour.

Place the gelatin leaves in water and squeeze out the excess water. Melt the icing sugar in a pan with the water, on low heat. Add the gelatin to dissolve. Leave to cool and add the lemon juice, zest and food colouring. Pour the yellow mixture onto the set cake and leave it to set in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.

Chocolate cake with mint chocolate frosting

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When it comed to chocolate I just love the Hummingbird Bakery frosting with cream cheese that reminds me of my mothers frosting for her chocolate cake. But because I use this frosting so much, it is fun to alter it a little sometimes, and the easiest way is of course to make a mint chocolate frosting. This version is not too minty, I still wanted the frosting to taste of chocolate, so for me this is perfect, but you can add more or less of peppermint essence to create the flavour you like.

I found this cake quite Christmasy because of the mint flavour and decorated it sparsley with candy cane sprinkles, which was an effective way to make a holiday cake.

Chocolate cake with mint chocolate frosting, serves 8-10

The cake, 2 sponges

400 ml caster sugar

330 ml plain flour

4 tbsp cocoa

2,5 tsp vanilla sugar

2,5 tsp baking powder

135 g melted butter

3 eggs

200 ml hot (recently boiled) water

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add eggs, butter and water and stir to combine. Pour it into one or two round 20cm springforms and bake in a low oven for 35-45 minutes in 175C. Leave to cool completely. Remove from the tin(s). If you only used one tin, but the cake in half with a bread knife.

Mint chocolate frosting

400 g icing sugar

150 g softened butter

60 g cocoa

300 g cream cheese, cold

2 tsp peppermint essence

Beat sugar, butter and cocoa with an electric whisk. Add the cream cheese and beat for about 5 minutes until you have a glossy frosting. Add the peppermint and beat to incorpotate.

Divide the frosting in four. Add the first 1/4 to spread onto the base sponge. Put the other sponge on top and use 2/4 to cover the whole cake with the frosting (both sides and on top). Use the last 1/4 to pipe decorations on top. Add candy cane sprinkles if you like.


Thursday’s canapés – the sweets

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We had some sweet canapés on Thursday as well, to finish off the evening. Th gingerbread spices, also known in Sweden as soft gingerbread. I made this in a rectangular roasting dish so I could cut it into squares, but you could also use a loaf tin and slice it up. You find the original recipe here.

I also made mini pannacotta in shot glasses, and since it is Christmas time I chose to flavour them with saffron. Original recipe here.

Lastly we had this gooey chocolate cake topped with a generous layer of chocolate frosting. I have used both recipes frequently here, but this is the first time I combined the two, but it is safe to say it is definitely not the last.

Sponge with gingerbread spices / soft gingebread, about 25 pieces

2 eggs
200 ml caster sugar
100 g butter
150 ml sourcream
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp baking powder
300 ml plain flour

Melt the butter and set aside. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add them into the egg mixture. Add the melted butter and sourcream. Pour the batter into a rectangular dish, greased and covered with baking parchment. Bake for 45 mins in 175C. Leave to cool and cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Saffron pannacotta, makes about 35 mini ones in shot glasses

1,5 l cream

1,5 g ground saffron

150 ml caster sugar

3 tsp gelatin powder

Defrosted raspberries to serve

Mix cream, sugar and saffron in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatine so it dissolves. Pour the mixture into a jug and pour the mixture into the shot glasses. Leave to cool and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Decorate with raspberries just before serving.

Gooey chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, makes 40 small squares

300 ml caster sugar

150 ml plain flour

4,5 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

2 eggs

150 g melted butter

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and add it to the bowl. Add the eggs and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a rectangular dish, greased and lined with baking parchment. Bake in 200C for 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool completely before covering with frosting

Chocolate frosting

200 g icing sugar

75 g softened butter

30 g cocoa

150 g cream cheese, cold

Beat sugar, butter and cocoa with an electric whisk. Add the cream cheese and beat until you have a glossy and even frosting. Spread it onto the completely cooled cake and cut into squares.

 

Anna’s baby shower

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My dear friend Anna is becoming a mother in January, and that is certainly worth celebrating don’t you think? After consulting her husband Ian we decided an all girls affair would be best (it could be his worst nightmare to sit in on a baby shower with lots of girls) and we wanted to surprise her if we could pull if off.

We most certainly did! When Anna walked throug the door with her mother after some shopping, she was very surprised to see that her friends had invaded the living room.

You see, Anna went shopping with her mother (who was in on the surprise) so Ian could let us girls into the house to prepare. Although some trains were cancelled, we all managed to be there before Anna and we had a lovely afternoon together.

Since I moved house the day before I asked my friend Jenny to help with the baking as well, and together we did manage to come up with a good spread of savoury and sweet.

Lots of photos and recipes below.

Sandwiches: Jenny’s with mozzarella, basil and tomato to the left and my plain smoked ham and wholegrain mustard to the right.
Mugs, plates and napkins – with a baby theme.
Salmon rolls with horseradish.
Chewy chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting (in Moomin cupcakes, perfect for a Finnish mother to be, don’t you think?!
Jenny’s vanilla cupcakes with blue and green frosting.
Chewy pear and pineapple cake with (store bought) custard.
Nilufar and Anna with a giant pressie.
We had a great time! Here Anna’s mother Olga (knitting a baby blanket) and her friend Jelena.
Jenny and Jelena

Salmon rolls with horseradish, about 40 pieces

ca 6 soft wheat tortillas

200 g cold smoked salmon

100 ml creme fraiche

grated fresh horseradig, as much or as little as you prefer

salt, white pepper

Mix creme friache with horseradish, salt and pepper. Spread onto the tortillas and top with salmon. Roll into tight rolls and leave in the fridge for a few hours. Slice into 1,5 cm broad pieces before serving and discard (i.e. eat) the ends.

Chewy chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting, makes 8 American-sized cupcakes

300 ml caster sugar

150 ml plain flour vetemjöl

1 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

2 eggs

150 g milk chocolate

150 g melted butter

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the chocolate and butter together. Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl as well as the eggs. Stir to combine. Fill the cupcase cases to 2/3 with the batter. Bake in 200V for 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool completely before covering them with frosting.

You find the recipe for the frosting here. 

Chewy pear and pineapple cake, serves 8

1 small tin of pears, sliced

1 small tin of pineapple rings, cut into four

2 eggs

300 ml caster sugar

200 ml plain flour

150 g melted and cooled down butter

Beat eggs and sugar until white and fluffy. Add the flour and then the butter. Pour the batter into a greased springform and press down the pineapple and pear pieces. Bake for 30 minutes in 175C. Serve with lightly whipped cream or custard.

Gooey chocolate cake with pecan brittle

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Pecans really says it is the holiday season for me, so the third (and last) cake I made for work to celebrate the November birthdays was a gooey chocolate cake with pecan brittle on top. It disappeared quickly and I will definitely make this cake during the holidays. Because it was at work I served it plain, but it would be great with either lightly whipped cream or vanilla icecream. This is the type of cake that only gets better after a day or two in fridge, if you can wait that long…

The brittle recipe is the same as this one, but I substituted the almonds with pecans.

Gooey chocolate cake with pecan brittle, serves 8

450 ml caster sugar

225 ml plain flour

6,75  tbsp cocoa

1,5 tsp vanilla

1 pinch salt

3 eggs

225g melted butter

Pecan brittle:

100 g butter

100 ml caster sugar

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp milk

100 g roughly chopped pecans

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the butter and eggs and incorporate. Pour the mixtured into a greased baking tin, bake for 15 mins in 180C, then remove from the oven.

Pour all the ingredients for the brittle into a saucepan and let it become thick and golden brown, while stirring. Spread it onto the half-baked cake and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake has just set. Leave to cool completely before serving.

 

Vanilla cheesecake with muscovado

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Sometimes it can be quite fortunate not finding what one is looking for. Like this cheesecake for example, I decided to come up with my own recipe when I couldn’t find the perfect recipe.

And this one turned out really good! The muscovado sugar adds a buttery flavour that contributes the vanilla. And with the raspberry syrup on top to cut through the creaminess, this is a winner, and if I may say so myself, pretty darn perfect!

This cake was the second one my colleagues go to try to celebrate the November birthdays, but I will make it plenty of times ahead I am sure.

Vanilla cheesecake, serves 10

200 g digestive biscuits

70 g softened butter

600 g Philadelphia cheese

150 ml light muscovado sugar

100 ml caster sugar

2 eggs

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp gelatine powder

Raspberry syrup:

170 g raspberries

75 ml caster sugar

1 whole star anise

2 gelatine leaves

Crumble the digestives in a food processor. Add the butter and mix thoroughly. Line the baste of a 20 cm springform with baking parchment and press the biscuit crumbs onto it. Bake in 175C for 15 minutes.

While the base is browning, mix the filling. Beat cream cheese with eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until smooth. Stir in the milk and the gelatine. Pour the mixture onto the springform and spread it out evenly. Bake in a low oven for 30 minutes. The cheesecake should be set around the edges but still gooey in the middle. It will set more while cooling. Leave to cool completely.

Put the gelatine leaves in a bowl of water, covered. Pour raspberries,sugar and star anise in a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the star anise and the kernels with a sieve. Pur the mixture back into the saucepan and add the gelatine. Heat it up until the gelatine has melted. Stir to combine and leave it to cool as much as possible without it setting. Spread it onto the cheesecake and place it in the fridge for a minimum of four hours for it to set.

Carrot cake with lime frosting

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Like previously, I made three cakes for work at the end of last month to celebrate the November birthdays.

The first cake was a carrot cake courtesy of Swedish TV chef Leila Lindholm, and it turned out just as nice as I hoped it would. And adding lime to the frosting makes this carrot cake an especially nice version.

Leila’s carrot cake with lime frosting, serves 8

3 eggs
300 ml caster sugar
300 ml plain flour
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp baking powder
1,5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
0,5 tsp ground ginger
150 ml sunflower oil
450 ml grated carrots
a pinch of salt

Frosting:
60 g softened butter
400 ml icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
100 g Philadelphia
zest from one lime

Beat eggs and sugar until foamy and pale. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the egg mixture. Add sunflower oil and carrots. Pour the batter into a greased  springform. Bake in the middle of the oven, 150C for about 55-60 min. Make sure not to open the oven until 30 minutes has passed (so it doesn’t sink in the middle like mine did). Leave to cool completely.

Beat all the ingredients for the icing, then spread onto the cake. Decorate with lime zest.

Lemon cake with raspberry curd

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This cake looks a bit old fashioned with the piped cream on top, and that was not really the way I had pictured it in my head. The reason for the piped cream is to hide the grated lemon zest in the frosting, because it made it a bit grainy.

Apart from that, I really liked this cake. And you can easily make a higher cake by adding another sponge and double the frosting recipe.

The frosting, although lovely and tart from the lemon zest but sweet at the same time, tasted lovely, but would work even better on the cupcakes it was intended for. The recipe is courtesy of the HUmmingbird Bakery and it is from their first cookbook.

Lemon sponge, serves 8

175 g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs at room temperature

175 g softened butter

175 g caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

the zest from 1/2 a lemon + 1 tbsp lemon juice

Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Beat with an electric whisk. Pour the batter into one or two round cake tins. If you make one it might need longer in the oven, and you need to cut it in half to assemble the cake. Bake in 175C for 35 minutes. Leave the oven closed the first 30 minutes, so the cake won’t fall flat. Leave to cool completely before assembling the cake.

RAspberry curd, makes 1/2 litre

170 g raspberries

100 g butter

200 g caster sugar

zest from 1 lemon

150 ml fresh lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)

3 eggs

Purée the raspberries and eggs in a blender.

Pour sugar, butter, lemon zest and juice into a sauce pan. Heat up until it has melted into one uniform mixture. Leave to cool for a bit. Sieve in the raspberry and egg mixture. Heat up the mixture gently while stirring as it thickens to the consistency or whipped cream. When thick, remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Leave to cool completely before using in the cake. Cover and keep it for a week in the fridge.

Lemon frosting, for 1 small cake

From The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook.

250 g icing sugar

80 g softened butter

2 tbsp lemon zest

25 ml milk

1 drop yellow food colouring

Pour everything but the colouring in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until you have a smooth and glossy frosting. Add the colouring and mix thorouhly.

Cake assembly

Make sure you have two sponges; either because you baked two or because you cut a large one in half. Place one on a cake plate and spread with 100 ml raspberry curd. Place the other sponge on top. Cover and coat with the lemon frosting using a spatula. Decorate with whipped cream and butterfly sprinkles or other decorations of your choice. 

Simple yet delicious chocolate cake with white chocolate truffle

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The second cake I made for work was this darling above. A dense, sweet chocolate cake with white chocolate pieced hidden inside, topped with decadent white chocolate truffle and decorated with non stop.

This went down a treat, and I hope you see why. It is even more wonderful than it looks.

The cake is easy to make, and what makes it stand out among other chocolate caked out there is the use of light brown sugar instead of caster sugar. This gives the cake a fuller flavour, more eathy and autumnal in its appearence.

The white chocolate truffle on top is so simple to make. Just heat up cream in a sauce pan and when it is hot, let the white chocolate melt in the cream. Let it cool and set, then spread it onto the cake with a spatula. Easy, peasy. Non? Just make sure you have good quality white chocolate on hand. I used Waitrose own brand Belgian white chocolate which worked very well and tastes lovely.

This recipe is courtesy of Annika at the blog smaskens.nu. Her blog is in Swedish, and I have therefore translated the recipe for you. I didn’t change anything in the recipe, so this is a pure translation. You fint the original recipe here.

Chocolate cake with white chocolate truffle, serves 8

Translated from this recipe.

2 eggs

300 ml soft light brown sugar or

2 tbsp vanilla sugar (which I substituted with 1,5 tsp vanilla extract)

1/2 tsp salt

100 g melted butter

4 tbsp cocoa

90 g plain flour

100 gram white chocolate, chopped very rougly

Heat up the oven to 175C. Line a springform or square tin with baking parchment. Butter the paper and the tin.

Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt very fluffy and pale. Add the melted butter. Use a sieve to add the cocoa and flour.

Pour the batter into the tin and scatter the white chocolate pieces evenly. Press them down into the batter.

Bake in a low oven for 35 minutes. Leave to cool, cover and leave the cake overnight if possible.

Make a truffle from 150 g white chocolate and 50 ml whipping or double cream. Heat up the cream in a sauce pan, add the chocolate and stir until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool and set and spread onto the cake. Store in the fridge until serving. Decorate it with non stop.

 

Dulce de leche (caramel) cheesecake

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This cheesecake is absolutely wonderful. It has the perfect balance of savoury and sweet in the cream cheese and dulce de leche mixture and the texture is velvety smooth – a bit like butter.

The recipe is based on this recipe for Dulce de leche cheesecake squares that I found at Smitten Kitchen, but I have changed both the base and the topping. There was no need to change the cheesecake mixture though, when I tasted the batter I realised it was pure perfection already.

I served this as a cake at work, just plain (although there is nothing plain about it) to celebrate the latest birthdays. But this would work equally well as the dessert for a dinner party or for any other occasion that needs a little pick me up.

I am making this again already next week, that’s how good it was! I hope you find it as amazing as I do. Out of the three cakes (the other two to follow) that I made for work, this was my own favourite and it went down a treat among the others too.

Dulce de leche cheesecake, serves 8

Base:

200 g digestives

75 g softened butter

Filling:

2 gelatine leaves

60 ml (1/4 cup) milk

225 g cream cheese

2 eggs

a small pinch of salt

235 ml (1 cup) dulce de leche (you can buy it ready made, or boil a can of condensed milk for 2 and a half hours)

Topping:

100 ml creme fraiche

what is left of the dulche de leche (if using a 397 g can it will be about 4 tbsp)

Mix the biscuits into crumbs into a food processor, add the butter and mix again. Line a springform with parchment paper in the bottom. Add the base-filling and press it onto the base of the tin in an even manor. Bake for about 10 minutes in 160C (without the fan on).

Place the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. Squeeze out the water and place them in a sauce pan with the milk. Warm gently until the gelatine has dissolved. Set to the side. Mix cream cheese, eggs, dulce de leche, salt and the gelatine mixture in a bowl with an electric whisk to incorpotate properly. Pour the mixture into the springform and place the tin at the bottom of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the mixture just started setting, it should still be quite wobbly in the middle. Remove from oven and make the topping. Just mix creme fraiche with dulche de leche and spread onto the cake. Bake for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool, then place in the fridge for a few hours until serving.  Decorate with small pieces of fudge.