Category: Cakes/Cookies

Peanut butter chocolate cheesecake

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Apologies for the bad photo, only had my mobile at hand when plating the cake at work.

The last cake for work last month was another Nigella number. You can always trust her not to make something half-hearted or too healthy (and I mean that in a good way).

This chessecake is more of an all-in kind of cake with lots of everything. It was good, but I think I would like to improve a few things for next time. First of all I would like to bake the base so it keeps drier for longer. Also adding a bit more sugar to both the filling and the topping would be beneficial as the mixture goes a lot more sour when chilled, and this cake should be served chilled.

Peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, serves 10-12

Adapted from Nigella’s recipe. 

Base:

200 g digestives

50 g softened butter

Filling:

500 g Philadelphia

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

200 g caster sugar

125 ml sourcream

250 g smooth peanut butter

Topping:

25 ml sourcream

100 g milk chocolate, chopped

30 g soft brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 170C. Crumble the biscuits for the base in a food processor or in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. Mix with the butter and press it into a springform (lined with pachment paper in the bottom and around the sides. I would suggest prebaking it for 10 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a food processor or with an electric whisk. Pour the mixture into the springform and spread it out evenly. Bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour. Remove from the oven.

Heat up sourcream, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan until it has all melted and is incorporated. Spread onto the cheesecake and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on its tin. Place in a fridge for at least a few hours before serving. Leave it in its tin until it is time to serve. Powder with icing sugar before serving. 

Triple lemon yoghurt cake

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I have seen this recipe on most of the Swedish food blogs I read religiously, and now finally have I tried to make it myself as well.

The recipe is courtesy of fabulous Anne of Anne’s food, another Swedish food blog in English, and the cake is just fantastic.

It disappeared in a heartbeat at work and the combination of lemon zest in the cake with the lemon syrup and icing, this is just fab.

Triple lemon yoghurt cake, 8 portioner

After Anne’s recipe.

3 eggs
125 ml vegetable oil
250 ml natural yoghurt 
220 g caster sugar
zest form 2 lemons
0,5 tsp vanilla extract 
375 ml plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
0,5 tsp salt

Lemon syrup:

80 g caster sugar
100 ml fresh lemon juice

Icing:

250 ml icing sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Turn the oven on 175C. Beat eggs, oil, yoghurt, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together. Mix flour with baking powder and salt in a seperate bowl and add it to the mixture. Pour the batter into a buttered and lined dish. Bake for 50 minutes.

Meanwhile make the syrup. Let the cake cool a little before removing it from its tin. Once removed, prick lots of holes all over the cake with a toothpick or similar. Then pour the syrup onto the cake trying to get most of it into the little wholes. Leave to cool completely before making the icing and pouring it over the cake.

Nigella’s autumnal birthday cake

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The September cakes for work were three quite different ones. The first one was Nigella’s autumnal birthday cake which sounded amazing when I read the recipe, but I was rather disappointed actually.

It sponges were quite dry. Admittedly, mine was baked slightly too long because I followed the recipe, but it would have been dry anyway I think. The meringue frosting is lovely, but would have worked better with a more buttery sponge. And the addition of maple syrup to both cakes and frosting sounded wonderful, but didn’t actually taste much in reality.

I won’t make this cake again, but I could definitely use the frosting for something else. And doesn’t the cake look rather good, despite the very simple decorations.

Autumnal birthday cake, serves 8-10

After Nigella’s recipe.

For two sponges:

175 g softened butter

100 g caster sugar

3 eggs

350 ml maple syrup

500 g self-raising flour

175 ml hot water

Frosting:

2 egg whites

125 ml maple syrup

125 ml caster sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

Topping: 125 g pecans (I used only 40 g walnuts instead) chopped

Heat the oven to 180C. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at the time. Add the syrup gradually while stirring. Alternate the flour and water, adding while stirring. Divide the batter between two 20 cm springforms, buttered and lined with baking parchment. Bake for 40 mins (I think 20 will be enough). Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before assembling the cake.

Mix all the ingredients for the frosting apart from the vanilla in a bowl that fits a sauce pan. Fill the pan with water so it comes up just below the bowl. Bring to the boil and place the bowl om top. Beat with a handheld whisk for 5-7 minutes until stiff peaks. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Assemble the cake and coat it all around with the frosting. Sprinkle the nuts on top.

This cake is best the same day it is made.

Moist chocolate cake with frosting

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I love a good chocolate cake with frosting, partyly because I (like most people) really like chocolate, but also because of a dear childhood memory.

My maternal grandmother was a good cook and baker and when it was her or granddad’s birthday they would usually celebrate it the old-fashioned Swedish way with and afternoon cake party. Normally there would be seven types of cakes and cookies, including danishes or cinnamon rolls, a sponge of some form, and a proper birthday cake as the main attraction.

Some of these cakes could be quite grown-up in taste, so to please us grandchildren she would make a chocolate sheetcake with frosting, which we loved (well, I still do). And mind you, frosting didn’t even exist in rural Sweden in the mid-eighties, so she was well before her time.

But the cake was lovely and I think about it a lot. Unfortunately I never managed to get the recipe off her before she died, but my mother think she knows how she made it. I have yet to try that method for frosting, I think I have been putting it off because I so want it to be right.

But now, I can experiment again, because even if the recipe my mother has suggested turns out wrong, this Hummingbird Bakery frosting is so close to what I remember it tasted like, although containing completely different ingredients, that I am pleased either way.

My dear mommi Edith (my nickname for her when I was a child) – this is for you.

Moist chocolate cake with frosting, serves 8-10

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 boiling water

Mix the dry ingredients. Add eggs, butter and water, stir to incorporate. Pour into a greased springform. Bake in a low oven, 175 C for 35-45 minuten. Leave to cool completely. Cut in half with a serrated knife (bread knife).

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.

Divide the batch into two. Use half as filling in the middle. Use the rest to either cover the cake all around or to pipe decorations on top. Sprinkle with icing sugar (which I forgot). 

Crisp salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

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I found the recipe for these irresistible cookies on the Smitten Kitchen blog (do check it out if you haven’t already).

I knew immediately after seeing the recipe that I had to make them. I am not one who can resist white chocolate or the salt-chocolate combo. And it was equally difficult to resist eating say five when the first batch came out of the oven.

I really enjoyed these, they are really crispy on the outside and with salted butter and the added salt in the recipe they have the perfect salt balance to the sweetness I think.

Making these also gave me the opportunity to finally use my lovely cup measures I got from my birthday. They are in the shape of babuschka dolls and incredibly cute. 🙂

Since I for once followed the recipe, there is no need for posting it on here, instead use the recipe on Smitten Kitchen’s website. You find it here!


Blueberry cheesecake

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For the August birthdays at work I made lavender blondies and this blueberry cheesecake. I wanted to use summery flavours before autumn is here knocking on the door.

I found the recipe for this cheesecake on a Swedish food blog, Matplatsen and it is quite box standard. Making the filling I used a stick blender, and that worked, however a good processor would work even better. And make sure not to omit the top layer of creme fraiche, that is (literally) the icing on the cake and makes it so much nicer.

Blueberry cheesecake, serves 8-10

Base:
250 g digestives
100 g butter

Flling #1:
450 g Philadelphia cheese or other cream cheese
200 g blueberries
3 eggs
125 ml caster sugar 

Filling #2:
300 ml creme fraiche
3 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla sugar

Turn on the oven and set it to 180C. Crumble the biscuits and mix with melted butter. Press the base into a springform until firm. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes. Mix the ingredients for filling #1 until smooth and pour into the springform. Bake in a low oven for 25-30 minutes or until just set.

Mix filling #2 and spread it onto the cale. Bake for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool completely and refrigerate until serving. Decorate with fresh blueberries and icing sugar.

Anna’s lavender blondies

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One of my favourite Swedish blogs is Anna’s Scanian pantry (Skånska Skafferiet), partly because she lives in ‘my’ county but also because her recipes are wonderful. She combines the new with the old and comes up with interesting flavour combinations. One of these great combos is the white chocolate, almond and lavender one used in this blondie recipe – it truly is divine!

Anna’s lavender blondies, serves 16

200 g white chocolate (Fairtrade)

250 g butter

4 eggs

300 ml caster sugar

250 ml plain flour

a pinch of salt

Chopped:

100 g white chocolate

100 g blanched almonds

2 tbsp lavender
Turn the oven on 200C and cover the base of a rectangular baking tray with parchment paper. Break up the 200 g of chocolate and melt it together with the butter in a sauce oan. The chocolate must not be too warm and does not need to melt completely. Stir with a fork until a glossy mixture.

Add sugar and salt to the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the flour while stirring. Chop the remaining chocolate, lavender (not necessary really) and almonds. Pour the batter into the baking tray and scatter the chopped stuff on top. Press it down into the batter with a spatula.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 22-25 minutes. The top should be crispy and should have let go of the sides but the middle should be smudgy. Fill up the sink with cold water and place the tray there to cool down. Then place the tray in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting into squares.

Victoria sponge

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The quintessentially British cake must be the Victoria sponge, right?! Whenever I make it, people go crazy for it. I understand why, it is very good, but it is so easy to make it should create that much fuss.

I made this for work for the monthly birthdays a while back, and it disappeared in a flash. First when it was finished people looked towards the other cakes, a phenomenal frosted brownie and marzipan cake. Crazy, right?

My go to-recipe for an English sponge is Delia’s. We do these kind of sponges in Sweden as well, but the less buttery ones (some even completely without butter) are more common. They are bouncier and less sturdy, but very moist, but not suitable for this kind of cake. Here you want the firm, but moist, sponge that can handle the weight from the cream and jam and not absorb too much of the liquid.

I made this version slightly summery with some fresh strawberries in it, but you can just have jam and cream if you prefer. It is good either way?

Victoria 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 tsk vanilla

Filling:

300 ml whipped cream, sweetened with a tsp of sugar (or vanilla sugar)

100 ml strawberry or raspberry jam

100 g strawberries, slices – not necessary

Sieve the flour into a bowl. Add the other ingredients. Use an electric whisk to incorporate into a batter. Divide the batter between two springforms, greased, of the same size. Place in 175 C oven for about 35 minutes. Do not open the oven door before half an hour has passed so the cake won’t rise unevenly. Leave to cool comletely.

Spread the jam on one of the sponges. Place the sliced strawberries on top (if you want to use them) and then cover with the quite firmly whipped cream. Place the other sponge on top and powder with icing sugar. Keep in the fridge if not consumed immediately (because of the fresh cream). 

Brownies with the best chocolate frosting

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I like to bake for the office because that way I get to try new recipes and the cakes will get eaten (by others than me) and most people in my office like something sweet with a cup of tea.

Normally we buy cakes for the office once a month to celebrate that month’s birthdays, but in July I was asked to make them instead.

I suspected these brownies to a crowd pleaser, and they were. The deep chocolate dense brownie together with the sweeter fluffy frosting was absolutely amazing. The brownie would have been nice on its own as well, but the frosting made it so much better. This frosting is the best chocolate frosting I have come across so far. Very chocolatey, but not too sweet because of the cream cheese. In the future I will definitely try this on cupcakes and in other cakes.

The recipe is courtesy of the Hummingbird Bakery, from their first cookbook. The recipe calls for walnuts and some dark chocolate, but I substituted that for hazelnuts and milk chocolate which worked wonders, so use what you like.

Brownies with the best chocolate frosting, makes 18-20

5 eggs

500 g caster sugar

100 g cocoa

120 g plain flour

250 g melted butter

30 g roughly chopped nuts (i.e. walnuts or hazelnuts)

30 g roughly chopped chocolate (I used milk chocolate)

Frosting:

200 g icing sugar

75 g softened butter

30 g cocoa

150 g cream cheese, cold

Bear eggs and sugar fluffy and white. Add flour and cocoa, then the butter. Mix thoroughly. Fold in the nuts and chocolate and pour into a lined baking tray. Bake for 30-35 mins in 170C. Leave to cool completely.

Beat icing sugar, butter and cocoa with an electric mixer. Add the cream cheese and beat for five minutes, not longer. Spread onto the cold cake. Cut into squares and serve. 

Mazarin cake

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When my colleague Nicolas, who never eats cake because it is not his thing, tried this cake the response was not what I had expected. He loved it and said it was probably the best cake he had ever had. I was, as you might expect, quite surprised!

But the cake is good. Very good, even. It contains plenty of marzipan, and is full of flavour although it only contains a few ingredients and it needs nothing else, but if you want to serve it as dessert I would suggest lightly whipped cream and some fresh berries.

This is a very effortless cake, yet very rewarding and is perfect as the end of a casual meal among friends or when having people over for tea and coffee at the weekend.

Mazarin cake, serves 8

Crust:

125 g marzipan

125 g butter

250 g plain flour

1 egg

Filling:

300 g marzipan

150 g butter

2 eggs

To decorate:

Icing: 150 ml icing sugar and 1-2 tbsp water

sugar pansies

Crust: Mix marzipan and butter until smooth. Add egg and flour and pinch it together to a dough. Do not work the dough too much. Chill for 30 minutes and then either roll out the dough and place it in a pie dish or press it into the pie dish.

Filling: Mix marzipan and butter until smooth. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Pour it onto the unbaked pie crust and bake for 40 minutes in 175C. Leave to cool completely before icing.

Mix the icing sugar with water until smooth and runny. Spead it onto the cake. Place the decorations and leave for the icing to dry.