☼ summertime

when the sun is shining, there's nothing better than 

a light cake with a cup of lady grey tea:

my creative friend Jenny sent me this tasty recipe:

 I have swapped her vanilla for lemon:

and she is right ~ never fails and is always supermoist!

thanks for sharing Jenny:

hope you don't mind my tweak:

coco-lemon cake

you will need ....

170g self raising flour ~ sieved from way up high:

1 rounded teaspoon baking powder:

170g caster sugar:

170g softened butter:

30g desiccated coconut:

3 eggs:

the grated zest of a lemon:

{or half teaspoon of vanilla for Jens original recipe}

100ml milk:

preheat your oven to 170°c/ gas 3:

grease and line the bottom of two round cake tins:

put all the ingredients into a big bowl and whisk on full

power {or maximum elbow}

until well combined and the mixture

drops off the spoon easily:

divide between the two tins:

bake for 30 ~ 35 minutes, until brown and springy:

cool in the tins for a few minutes before turning out 

to cool on a rack:

meanwhile toast a few teaspoons of coconut

either in a dry frying pan or under the grill:

watch it though as it burns really easily:

coconut buttercream

you will need ....

100g icing sugar ~ sifted:

60g softened butter:

1 teaspoon desiccated coconut:

a spritz of lemon juice:

{or a drop of vanilla essence}

mix together well with a spoon:

now spread some raspberry or strawberry jam on one of your cakes:

then sandwich them together:

cover the top with the coconut buttercream:

sprinkle with toasted coconut:

delicious!

✺ it's all relative

my daughters' papa has family roots in Germany:

we spent many times in Hamburg eating delicious cakes

made by his cousins wife ~ Gudrun:

she kindly sent me this recipe for my collection:

translated for me by her daughter Natascha ~

 she said 

"it is called topfkuchen and is the easiest

most famous German cake recipe I think"

while making it I realised that I inherited my food mixer

from my late mother-in-law Trudi:

so it is quite fitting to be using it to make this cake:

*and it is indeed a topmixer, don't you just love the fancy flan on the box?

topfkuchen

you will need ....

4 eggs

250g softened butter

250g flour

250g sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

heat your oven to 160°c/ gas 4:

grease and line a cake tin ~ any shape:

I used a loaf tin but I think they are often baked in a savarin

or bundt tin: 

in a bowl sift your flour and baking powder:

then stir in the sugar and salt:

add the eggs and butter and mix together until light:

* as children there was always a scuffle to be the one to lick these!

now you can add one of these flavours as suggested by Gudrun ....

the zest and juice of a lemon

and/or

100g raisins

or 

50g chocolate chips

I added choc chip as directed Libbie:

bake for an hour, testing with a skewer to make sure

it's cooked in the middle:

cool in the tin for a short while then turn onto a rack:

schmeckt gut as they say in Germany:

^_^

here's hoping she will next share her fabulous cake with 

custard and whole apples!

☕ a little bird told me

sometimes a treat is in order:

no not a cake, but a book:

from the hummingbird bakery :

their cake making methods are quite different from

any I have used before:

so I decided to try it their way:

chocoNana muffins

you will need:

two over ripe bananas ~ mashed:

120g plain flour:

120g caster sugar:

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon:

80g softened butter:

2 eggs 

100ml milk:

*icing ingredients ....

250g sifted icing sugar:

100g softened butter:

50g cocoa powder:

about 50ml milk:

some grated chocolate 

heat your oven to 170°c/ gas 3:

line your muffin tin with cases:

in a large bowl add the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter:

with a handheld electric mixer, whizz slowly until you

get rubble ~ like this ☟

s l o w l y  add the milk and continue mixing:

then add the eggs and combine well, scraping the

sides of your bowl with a spatula:

stir in the mashed banana by hand then

spoon the mixture into your cases:

they should be about two thirds full:

bake for 20 minutes until golden and springy to touch:

cool on a rack then ....

carefully mix the softened butter to your 

sifted icing sugar + cocoa powder:

if you haven't disappeared under a puff of sweetness ....

add the milk, little by little until the mixture is

stiff but not too stiff:

then beat it into a light fluff and pile onto

your muffins:

top with your grated chocolate:

*I used green and blacks espresso 

tasty results:

what do you think about this method of

muffin making?

☼ sunny weekend tastes

how does the song go?

♫ mad dogs and englishmen, go out in the midday sun ♪

not this english girl:

midday is the perfect time to whip up this tasty treat:

it's my own take on Madeira cake:

madeera cake:

you will need:

250g plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

175g softened butter

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

the zest and juice of a large lemon

*or two small ones*

 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds

some sugar for sprinkling

line and grease a loaf tin:

preheat your oven to 180°c/ gas 4:

sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside:

cream the butter and sugar until light in colour & fluffy:

add the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each :

mix well:

stir in the fennel seeds, lemon zest and juice:

then carefully fold in the flour:

pile into your loaf tin, smoothing the top slightly

and sprinkle with some more sugar:

bake for 1 hour 15 minutes ....

{as usual test it is cooked by sticking a skewer through

the cake ~ if it comes out clean it is ready}

leave in the tin to cool slightly before turning out onto a rack:

this cake needs to be cold before slicing:

will keep for three or four days in an airtight tin:

think I might try this with crushed cardamon seeds next time:

྿ savouries for a change

sometimes it's really nice to make something a little different:

I had a party recently and these went down a treat!

the recipe has been tweaked and adapted by me

from a basic scone dough:

the fresh ingredients give subtle flavour:

indian scones

you will need ....

250g self raising flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

125g butter *cold and cubed*

1 tablespoon garam masala

a big handful of chopped fresh coriander

2 teaspoons of grated ginger

1 large egg ~ beaten

4 tablespoons buttermilk

*you can use 2 tbsps milk mixed with 2 tbsps plain yoghurt if you don't have buttermilk*

1 tablespoon milk for brushing

some mustard seeds or cumin seeds

preheat your oven to 200°c/180°fan/ gas 6:

line some baking trays with greaseproof paper:

now sieve the flour, baking powder and garam masala into a large bowl:

add the cubed butter, a pinch of salt and rub into the flour

until it looks rubbly:

add the fresh ginger, coriander and stir:

now add the egg, buttermilk and make into a dough:

carefully roll out onto a floured surface, to about 2cm thick:

then using a cutter *I used a 4cm* cut out your scones:

brush each one with a little milk and sprinkle on the mustard/cumin seeds:

bake for 10 ~ 15 minutes until golden and risen:

eat with onion or mango chutney:

best eaten within two days:

ᗧᗣ down under

probably the quickest and easiest biscuits to whip up:

store cupboard staples put to best use:

let's bake some ....

anzacs

you will need:

85g desiccated coconut

85g oats

100g plain flour

100g caster sugar

100g butter

1 tablespoon golden syrup

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

heat your oven to 180°c/ gas 4:

line some baking sheets with baking paper:

put the kettle on to boil some water:

add the coconut, oats, flour and sugar into a large bowl:

melt the butter and stir in the golden syrup:

in a small bowl, add the teaspoon of bicarbonate to 2 tablespoons of

the boiling water:

then add this to the butter mixture:

pour this over the dry ingredients and mix well:

put spoonfuls of the mixture onto your baking sheets:

*should make 18 - 20*

leave room for spreading:

bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden:

cool on a rack:

nom ^_^

☼ let the sunshine in

it's now officially British Summer Time here in the UK

although someone forgot to tell the rain:

so let's brighten up our tastebuds

with an easy peasy one pot vegetarian savoury 

and get them dancing:

caribbean rice and peas:

you will need:

1 large onion ~ chopped

1 butternut squash ~ peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

3cm piece of ginger ~ peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves ~ squashed

225g long grain rice *I use a mix of this and wild rice for bite*

400ml can coconut milk

300ml vegetable stock

420g can black eyed peas ~ drained and rinsed

*optional ~ a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

heat some oil in a large pan and fry the onion gently:

when onion starts to soften add the garlic and fry for a minute:

add the squash, ginger *and chilli if using* and cook for 3-4 minutes:

stir in the rice so the grains are coated in the oil:

add the coconut milk and stock:

give it a big stir then cover with a tight fitting lid:

 cook over a low heat for 15 minutes:

stir in the black eyed peas and cook uncovered until heated through:

season with salt and pepper to taste:

serve with some snipped chives:

and calypso ^_^