Mojito Bundt Cake

…or Virgin Mojito Bundt Cake to be exact. I thought of this cake after being asked if I would like to try out a new drink called LaimonFresh.

Laimon Fresh is a lightly fizzy drink that is flavoured with lemon, lime and mint -exactly as you would find in a mojito, a drink that I love. It has 100% natural ingredients, no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours.

The flavours go together really well even without booze. Having them ready to drink from a can or to add to rum or vodka is excellent. I tried mine with plain old vodka and loved it. I also tried it on it’s own and it tasted very refreshing. The drink is available in lots of UK stores.

I was also given a little cocktail book to try, but haven’t gotten round to trying these yet. But as I said at the top, I thought the flavours would work well in a cake. I had heard of a bundt cake flavoured with 7Up, so knew that this would work perfectly too.

And it did. The cake is a lovely light buttery sponge, delicately flavoured with the lemon, lime and mint. I added icing to the top flavoured with lime cordial and sprinkled lemon zest and chopped mint over the icing as it set.

Here’s how I made it.

Yield: 1 large bundt cake (3L tin)

Cake Ingredients:

340 grams unsalted butter, softened

675 grams granulated sugar

5 large eggs

300 grams plain flour

1 teaspoon lemon juice

190 ml Laimon Fresh

Adapted from MamaHarrisKitchen

Icing Ingredients:

155 grams icing sugar

2 tablespoons lime cordial

2 tablespoons cold water

Lemon zest and chopped mint to garnish

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Grease the bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar well, a good few minutes to incorporate lots of air. Add the 5 eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. The mixture may look a bit curdled at this point but keep beating and it will become smooth. Add the flour and stir through just until combined. Lastly add the lemon juice and Laimon Fresh.

Transfer the batter to the bundt pan and place into the oven for one hour. If the top begins to brown too quickly place tin foil over the top of the pan. It is ready when a skewer comes out clean from the cake.

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before turning out from the pan onto a cooling rack.

Make the icing by sifting the sugar and stirring in the cordial and one tablespoon of water. Add the other tablespoon only if the mixture is too thick. Drizzle this over the cake and lastly sprinkle lemon zest and chopped mint over the cake.

The cake is delicious and lightly tangy thanks to the Laimon Fresh. It serves plenty of people so may be one for a special occasion. Enjoy!

Disclosure Statement: I received the Laimon Fresh free to review. I was not asked to provide a recipe or a positive review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Black Forest Smoothie

Yes, it’s another of my dessert-based smoothies, which have been something of a hit. This Black Forest Smoothie has all the flavours you would expect in it - chocolate and cherries to be precise.

As always, these are very easy to make. I started with some frozen sweet black cherries, thawed or partially thawed and a frozen banana, again thawed. Freezing the bananas makes them super-sweet when thawed and become a perfect consistency for whizzing up in the processor.

I always think that a drop of almond extract also enhances the taste of cherries, so there is a wee bit of that in there too.

And of course, a dessert based smoothie is nothing without a drop of vanilla extract. I added a little bit of sweetness with a teaspoon of agave syrup. If you don’t have that on hand then a bit of honey would do the trick too.

And lastly - that chocolate taste, which comes from unsweetened cocoa powder. Not very healthy for smoothie you may be thinking, but unsweetened cocoa is actually full of minerals and flavonoids. It’s very high in antioxidants and one tablespoon, which is used here has only 12 calories!

Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients:

200 grams frozen black cherries, thawed (or partially thawed)

1 large frozen banana, thawed

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey

Milk, any kind – amount will vary

Method:

In your blender add all of the ingredients, except the milk and blitz until smooth. At this stage add milk so the contents of the blender jug reach 500ml. Blitz again.

And that is it. I frothed up some milk and spooned this on top to get a cream like effect on top. But this is entirely optional.

But the flavour of this smoothie is so unmistakably Black Forest Gateau like, that you may never reach for a slice of the actual cake again! Why have your cake when you can drink it?! Enjoy…

I'm also entering these into this month's Alphabakes - the letter is U - for Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Alphabakes is hosted by Caroline at Caroline makes and this month Ros the The More Than Occasional Baker.

Cheese and Pickle Bread

I wanted to make this Cheese and Pickle Bread after I bought some a while back in ASDA – fact did you know ASDA came from the name Associated Dairies?

Anyway, I digress! I loved the cheesy bread with the pickle built right into the bread. The taste combination was quite a revelation to me and I knew I would have to try making it soon. Cheesy bread on it’s own is good but with this addition of the tangy fruity pickle it took it to a whole new level.

I looked for a few cheese bread recipes, but tweaked one recipe I found that wasn’t so much bread (no yeast involved), but to me looked more like a scone recipe baked in a loaf tin.

I experimented and came up with this delicious loaf, which is very cheesy and had chunks of pickle running through out. Plus the tangy pickle taste is all the way through the bread. Delicious.

It’s quite simple to make too. The recipe I used makes two loaves so you can keep one and freeze the other to have at a later date. The bread is great on it’s own or with a wee spread of butter. I even tried it toasted. It held together well and accentuated the cheesiness. If you love cheese and pickle with your bread, you must try this!!

Note: Go for the strongest, tangiest cheddar you can find! (I used Orkney mature cheddar)

Ingredients:

350 grams plain flour

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

45 grams butter, chilled, cubed

150 grams mature cheddar, grated

150 grams pickle (I used Branstons)

440 ml buttermilk

Adapted from Shutterbean adapted from Rachael Ray

Method:

Grease and lightly flour two loaf tins, set aside and pre-heat the oven to 200C

Sift together the flour, salt and bicarb in a bowl. Rub 30 grams of the chilled butter into the flour until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheese and stir through. Add the buttermilk and with a spoon stir just until the liquid has absorbed the flour. Lastly, add the pickle and mix this through the ‘dough’.

Divide the dough (it is quite wet) in two and place each half into the loaf tins, smoothing the tops. Lastly, top each loaf with bits of the remaining butter. Place into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle.

Leave to cool in the tins for about half an hour before running a knife around the edges and turning out. The bread won’t sound hollow on the bottom like regular bread.

The loaf slices well and tasted even better the next day. Enjoy…

Macaron Kit Giveaway from Lékué

Yes, another giveaway from Cakeyboi. This time it’s a macaron making kit from the good people at Lékué. Lékué are a European company who sell kitchen equipment. Not just baking items, but all aspects of cooking. They have loads of funky silicon items and colourful gadgets.

I was asked if I’d like to try an item from their range and chose the macaron making kit. I have had problems in the past making macaron, but I am learning slowly. I kept reading that having a macaron mat was the secret, so I tried out the Lékué macaron kit which comprises a decomax - a silicone bulbous piping bag.

It comes with 6 interchangable nozzles and has way more uses than just for macarons. The kit also has the mat and a recipe booklet with a few recipes inside. The video below lets you see the Lékué macaron kit in action.

I made my macarons quite plain and sandwiched them with Nutella. They aren’t 100% perfect, but they are getting better! The kit certainly helped (and I plan to use the decomax for more than just macaron). Lékué have given me another Macaron kit to giveaway to one of my lucky readers. The kit, which is brown in colour, is worth £31.62 (38 Euro to be precise).

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, then enter via the Rafflecopter thingamajig below. The giveaway is open ‘til midnight on 31 March and to UK residents only. Good luck!

Disclosure Statement: I received the macaron kit free to try out. I was not paid to run the giveaway. Any opinions expressed are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

White Chocolate and Maple Pancake Cake

This White Chocolate and Maple Pancake Cake is for, of course, pancake day which is upon us next week. It’s thrown me a bit this year, being so late.

In my little head I associate Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday whatever you call it, with the Brit Awards. But that was last week. It really has gotten me out of kilter, never mind.

Those lovely peeps at OXO Good Grips got in touch to ask if I would like to try out their batter dispenser for pancake day, and their silicone omelette turner, also good for pancakes.

I decided to make a stack of pancakes and sandwich them with a gooey runny concoction of maple syrup and white chocolate. The idea being that you slice the stack of pancakes like a cake rather than have a whole pancake at a time.

I whipped up some batter and poured it into the batter dispenser. It was so easy to use! Just squirt some batter straight into the pan – no faffing about with spoons. And at the end it was easy to take apart to wash. The omelette turner was good too as it was very flexible, perfect for curved edges of frying pans, plus it withstood the high temperature of the pan. It would be best for crepe type pancakes or the omelettes, but was fine for my slightly thicker version.

I made about a dozen pancakes, give or take a couple and let them cool thoroughly whilst I made the ‘filling’. I don’t want to call it a ganache as it was too loose for that. It was like having a thicker syrup on your pancakes, but much richer than that. The white chocolate alters the taste of the maple slightly I think. My mum tried a bit and she liked it even though she is not a fan of maple!

The cake should be eaten right after assembly as it has a tendency to slide to one side after cutting the first slice and doesn’t hold together too well. But it is delicious nonetheless!

Pancake Ingredients:

100 grams plain flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

250 ml milk, any kind

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Filling ingredients:

500 grams white chocolate, melted

125ml maple syrup

125 ml sour cream

Method:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. I a separate bigger bowl mix together the milk and vegetable and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Lumps in the batter are fine. Transfer to a batter dispenser if you are using!

Pre-heat a frying pan about 6” diameter. Lightly grease the pan with vegetable oil and add enough batter to cover the base of the pan. When bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the pancake, flip it over. Once fully cooked transfer to a cooling rack and continue making more pancakes until all the batter is used up.

To make the filling, add the white chocolate and maple syrup to a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate and syrup together, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and transfer the bowl to the fridge to set.

When the mixture is spreadable, take tablespoon amounts and spread over each pancake and layer up until all the pancakes are used up. Lastly pour more filling over the top and let it run down the sides. Place the pancake cake into the fridge to let it set for a couple of hours.

When ready to eat, slice a wedge like you would a cake, and enjoy the delicious white chocolate and maple with all the layers of pancake. Enjoy!

Note: The white chocolate and maple will not set thick.

Disclosure Statement: I received the OXO items free to review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Treat Petite Round up February 2014

That's February at it's end and that means it's time for another Treat Petite Round Up! Loads of entries for the theme of 'Loved Ones'. There were some very lucky loved ones out there...

Katharine at Leeks and Limioni made beautiful mini vanilla bundt cakes, which she says are perfect for loved ones. She is being coy and not mentioning anyone inparticular! She, like me, shares problems with bursting kitchen cupboards after buying the bundt tray!

Getting in on the mini bundt action too was Caroline at Caroline Makes who gave us her mini rose bundts. Shaped like little roses these are perfect for loved ones. They would make a great gift.

Janice at Farmersgirl Kitchen exposed her naughty side and showed us her Strawberry and Champagne Aphrodisiac Cheesecakes. They are made with limited edition aphrodisiac jam which contains horny goat weed. This is a natural Viagra! After these I think anyone will be a loved one!

Elizabeth at Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary sent in her chocolate black bean brownies, using a tin of black beans she picked up a while back. Two of her children loved these and her youngest wasn’t too sure. Two out of three isn’t bad! I think I may have to try these too, very soon!

Claire at What Claire Baked made these cute SmartiesCookies. They are big and American style and were devoured by her loved one Mr WhatClaireBaked.

 Siobhan at Tasty Recipes And Other Stuff made these fantastic Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. Red Velvet just screams valentines to me and obviously Siobhan thinks so too. The pies are complimented by a white chocolate rcream inside. Need I say more?!!

Corina at Searching for Spice made these Banana and Chocolate Chip bars based on a recipe by Dame Mary Berry. She made these for her daughter who wasn’t too sure about them. Well, I think I should be sent the leftovers as they look delicious to me.

Laura over at I’d much rather Bake Than made this gluten free shortbread for her flatmate who is gluten-intolerant. She says that although they drive each other mad they are still good mates. I remember flat-sharing and driving each other mad is part of the ‘fun’!

Louise at Crumbs and Corkscrews sent in her uber cute Rosewater Love Hearts. Made like peppermint creams, these taste of roses instead. How much more Valentines can you get?!

Caroline at Caroline Makes also made these delightful mini treacletarts – they look so good with tons of golden syrup in them. Her boyfriend was the lucky recipient of these.

Ros at the More Than Occasional Baker gave us her Raspberry and Basil Financiers – I have had basil with strawberries before but not rasps. I am very intrigued. Ros made these after she was inspired by a Masterclass she was at where she made financiers.

Another heart inspired bake was these lovely looking Strawberry Jelly Hearts from Emily at Cooking for Kishore. These were packed with strawberry jam for her sweetheart!

Kate, The Gluten Free Alchemist gave us (and her husband) her darkly delicious looking chocolate truffles. She made these with pure cacao and they are slightly bitter, slightly sweet and intensely chocolaty! Heaven!!

My good friend Jac at Tinned Tomatoes loves her doughnut pan and made these easy Valentine donuts – easy sounds very appealing! They are made from a Victoria sponge mix, slathered in icing and sprinkled with sprinkles! Delicious!

Angela at Garden Tea Cakes and Me made these delightful chocolate hearts. Made from leftover chocolate and some candy hearts she was sent, these were shared with her lucky family.

Lucy at Supergolden Bakes made these heart shaped churros. I love churros and these look some of the best I have seen – the cinnamon sugar on the outside sounds up my street and the chocolate sauce to dip them in has a hit of chilli powder – very spicy!

Tina at The Worktop entered these double chocolate cookies with sea salt. They have a crispy edge, chewy centre and a sprinkling of sea salt. These were made for her loved one who is one very lucky guy!

Grace at Life Can Be Simple sent in her Sour cream Chocolate loaf complete with a heart in the middle. The loaf contains coffee, as well as chocolate and sour cream. Sounds scrummy to me!

Sarah James at Tales from the Kitchen made dark chocolate, sea salt and caraway seed shortbread hearts. I love the combination of flavours on offer here and must try and incorporate caraway seeds into my baking at some point!

Lisa at United Cakedom presented us with her Oreo Truffles – made from crushed oreos, cream cheese and candy melts, she decorated them with little hearts. Lisa likes Valentines so she can celebrate her love for all her friends and family, which fits right in with the theme of Loved Ones this month.

Choclette at the Chocolate Blog Log sent in her very unchocolaty but amazing looking Mini Blood Orange Sponge Cakes. These were made from a recipe in a book called – wait for it – Treat Petite! I should’ve claimed copyright on that name! The blood orange is in the cakes and the curd filling, so sound lip smackingly delicious!

Kat at the Baking Explorer has had a few problems on the laptop front this month so she sent me a picture of her decadent strawberryfudge. But her link is now live so pop on over to see how she made this gorgeous looking delight..

We had a couple of last minute entries. One from Gayathri at Spices Galore who made these very appetising vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. She shared these with her son on Valentines. Lovely to have new participants in Treat Petite!

Another one snuck in at the 11th hour was from Vohn at Vohn's Vittles. She gave us her strawberry and Chiili Jelly Sweets. They are made from fruit puree and have tabasco in them. Sweet AND spicy - brilliant!

And lastly my own entry. Little cookies that look like keylime pie slices. Disneyboi loves key lime pie, which inspired me to make these. Very cute and easy I’m sure you’ll agree.

Thanks to everyone for entering this month and stay tuned for March’s Treat Petite announcement soon!