Simple Butter Cake

Simple Butter Cake

from Modern Classics Book 2: Cookies, Biscuits, Slices, Small Cakes, Cakes, Desserts, Hot Puddings, Pies and Tarts (Morrow Cookbooks)

Cake
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (127g) unsalted butter, very well softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (218g) berry sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ cups + 1 ½ tablespoons (225g) all purpose flour, sifted
½ teaspoon baking powder, sifted
¼ teaspoon baking soda, sifted
pinch of salt
½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature

Icing:
1 cup (140g) icing sugar, sifted
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 160°C; butter a 20cm (8in) round cake pan, line the bottom with baking paper and butter the paper as well.
Place the butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and milk in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until combined.
Scrape the sides of the bowl, then beat in high speed until the mixture is just smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until risen, golden and cooked through when tested with a toothpick. Allow to cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold onto the rack. Let cool completely.
Make the icing: place the sugar in a small bowl and gradually add the juice/water, mixing until smooth (add more liquid if necessary). Drizzle over the cake.

Serves 8

Cherry Almond Cheesecake No Bake

Cherry Almond Cheesecake No Bake, Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 digestive biscuit broken into bits or crushed hob nobs (you can also use Mcvites chocolate digestives which is my fave)

1/2 soft butter

1 1/2 cups cream cheese 

1/2  cup icing sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp teaspoon lemon juice 

1 cup whipping cream

1 10 oz jar Black Cherry Jam (St Dalfour Rhapsodie de fruits; try to be brand name specific it counts)

mixed with 1 cup thawed dole black cherries

clotted cream to taste

1/2 cup finely chopped and lightly toasted almonds

optional 1/4 cup finely grated milk chocolate as garnish when using Mcvites or 3 crushed Penguins wafers

Method:

• Whirl the biscuits in a food processor until beginning to turn to crumbs, then add the butter and whirl again to make the mixture moist and hold together lightly
• Press this mixture into a 8 inch springform tin; press mixture up the sides one inch as best you can
• Beat together the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth.
• Lightly whip the whipping cream, and then fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
• Spoon the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and smooth with a spatula. Put it in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
• At the time to serve the cheesecake, unmould it and spread with the cherry topping. **

Serves: 6-8 

** Cherry topping, fold thawed cherries into your French black cherry preserves, use immediately when serving. Top with 1 tbsp clotted cream per slice and finish with 1 tsp toasted almonds finely chopped and chocolate bits

Trompe l'oeil Cookies

Orange Slice Cookies 

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen and adapted by Lyndsay Zoratti

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Photography by Rachel Singer

Ingredients

3/4 3/4cup cup(175 mL) (175 mL) unsalted butter
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) icing sugar
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 1eggeggs
2 2tbsp tbsp(25 mL) (25 mL) finely grated orange rind
1 1tsp tsp(5 mL) (5 mL) vanilla + ** my add ins 1 tsp orange blossom water and 1 tablesoon lemon juice
2-1/2 2-1/2cups cups(625 mL) (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 1/4tsp tsp(1 mL) (1 mL) salt
1 1jar jarorange paste food colouring * I removed liquid food colour to avoid too much liquid with my changes to the recipe
1/3 1/3cup cup(75 mL) (75 mL) pine nutpine nuts
Icing:
1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) icing sugar
1 1tbsp tbsp(15 mL) (15 mL) orange juice

Preparation:

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with waxed paper; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with icing and granulated sugars until fluffy; beat in egg, orange rind and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt ; stir into butter mixture in 3 additions.

Tint dough with food colouring to desired shade. Divide in half; shape into discs. Wrap each and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Dust each disc with flour. Between waxed paper, roll out to scant 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Using 2-1/2-inch (6 cm) round fluted cutter, cut out shapes, rerolling scraps. Place on prepared pans. Cut cookies in half; press 3 pine nuts into each to resemble orange seeds. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or grease. Transfer cookies to prepared pans, arranging 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350°F (180°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until lightly coloured on bottom and edge, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool.

Icing: In small bowl combine icing sugar with orange juice, adding up to 2 tsp (10 mL) water to thin if necessary. Using paper cone or plastic bag with corner snipped off, pipe thin lines to resemble citrus segments on each cookie. Let dry completely. (Make-ahead: Store layered between waxed paper in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 weeks.)

**It did not take long for these to become a very fave of mine! The only slight change I made was I added 1 tsp of Neilsen Massey orange blossom water to the cookie dough to tame down the tart of the orange zest, and added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to citrus it up a bit. 

Little Bitty Bakes (Liz) Dark Chocolate Dipped POM Orange Cocoa Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Dipped POM-Orange Cocoa Cupcakes

Before I lose you in a sea of melted chocolate and pomegranate juice… I need your help!  I entered these cupcakes in the POM Wonderful Valentine Cupcake Contest.  To vote for my recipe, all you need to do is click this link and “like” my cupcakes. 
Since you can only vote once, I encourage you to spread the word.

***

After getting permission to link this to my blog I figured after you link up to the recipe HERE You could go to the top link above these gorgeous cupcakes and Vote for my pal Liz! Afterall she is sharing her delightful recipe with all of us. =o) Good Luck Liz, this is an awesome recipe xox

Valentine’s Mini Suksesskake

Valentine’s Mini Suksesskake

My darling friend Manuela in Norway always delights me each day with a new recipe and photos! I am not sure how she does it, but I am so grateful to her to try her Norwegian culinary expertise. The translation is quite simple but you do have to be aware of the deciliter =o) Happy Valentines day!

The recipes that Manuela makes are often very versatile and this one is fabulous for cake truffles or pops on a stick. Look at those roses LOVE!

Sugar Cookies by the Busy Baker Bunny and my daughter Jen aka "Cookie Face"

 We ordered these cookie cutters and can hardly wait to make them, I think they are perfect for weddings what do you think?

Sugar Cookies by the Busy Baker Bunny and my daughter Jen aka "Cookie Face"

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder on parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto parchment paper covered cookie sheets. OR divide dough in half and flatten into 2 disks easy for quick chilling and rolling.
3. Roll dough out to 1/4 inch think no thinner or the cookie edges will burn and you will be sad =o(  The high heat allows the cookie to "puff" and the crumb is very tender and flaky and that is a good thing.
4. Bake 5 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.
5. Decorate using your favourite technique or just use sprinkles on balls rolled before baking.
6. Be certain to have all your frosting tubes, tips, colours ready before you start to decorate or it just won't be fun =o)

Best Ever Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies or Pecan Maple You decide

 Ingredients

2/3 2/3cup cup(150 mL) (150 mL) butter, softened
1 1cup cup(250 mL) (250 mL) packed brown sugar
1 1eggeggs
2 2tsp tsp(10 mL) (10 mL) vanilla
1-1/2 1-1/2cups cups(375 mL) (375 mL) large-flake rolled oats
1 1cup cup(250 mL) (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) baking powder
1/2 1/2tsp tsp(2 mL) (2 mL) baking soda
1/4 1/4tsp tsp(1 mL) (1 mL) salt
1-1/2 1-1/2cups cups(375 mL) (375 mL) chocolate chips

* you can substitute vanilla for 1 tsp maple flavouring and switch choc chips for chopped pecans for a real Canadian Cookie.

Preparation:

Line rimless baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together rolled oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - stir into butter mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping 1 tbsp (15 mL), about 2 inches (5 cm) apart, onto prepared pans. Bake in top and bottom thirds of 375°F (190°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool.

Alton Brown's Yummy Marshmallow recipe

After I saw a post for a certain yummy Valentine's day treat on twitter by Paula from Just a bite desserts 

I was completely inspired and ready to go! Oh no wait, we do not have heart shaped Strawberry flavoured marshmallows by Kraft here in Canada! So being deprived I decided maybe next year. Then my new friend April from Apple Loves Orange told me all about Alton Brown's Marshmallow recipe. Okay so now no excuses after all I told my daughter I was on it and my good pal Lisa gave me a thumbs up and everything. Soooo I am off to find two accommodating cookie cutters in my overly vast collection of cookie cutters and will blog all about my Marshmallow event on my other blog where I ramble about everything else, other than my recipes. Cheers! and thanks to Paula and April and Alton!!

Ingredients

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Nonstick spray

Directions

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.
Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip. Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.
Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Brownie Pie

Bakers Chocolate put out quite a few recipe leaflets over the years and one I particularly enjoy is  Love Brownies. Mostly because it is full of new beginnings taken from old twists of baking. So a brownie pie can of course lent itself to a LOT of pretty fabtastical tasting treaties for your sweeties! I think of my friend City Down when I say treaties. She runs the Craft Bomb way down under in New Zealand but you can find her on Etsy too. So back to brownies and pie!

So according to Bakers you start with a basic brownie recipe and theirs is very good but I use canola oil in the place of the melted butter.You can click on each image to see a much larger version. ( I knew you would like that )








Then several add in and mix ins are suggested. Things like dates and raisin and cherries and coconut and chocolate chips. I am quite fond of dates but was on the fence when combined with chocolate but the brownies were sure moist just very sweet.

Then finally Bakers discusses the art of filling brownies. Lots of ideas in there for that too. Over the course of the last six months I have seen brownie pops inspired by Bakerella's cake pops that are literally popping up all over the nation. Really food on a stick is pretty awesome. I still remember talking to her online when she got her first new camera and was blogging camera hints Pretty awesome.

SO here goes, do you have a pet brownie project, something you are dying to share? If you do leave us a comment and send us your idea, If we love it we will contact you with the rest of our master plan! Love to hear from everyone Uploads of your brownies are permitted always to Our Baking Scene. Please use "Love Brownies" in your subject line so we know you want to be contacted. Have a great Brownie event in your life soon cos we want to know all about it. Cheers!

Chocolate No Bake Cookies/Cupcake Filling by Sweet Cuppin Cakes

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

 We use these was a cupcake filling that surprises most everyone who bites into our sweet Cuppin Choc Chipper Stuffed Cupcakes. *

Ingredients:

• 3 cups miniature marshmallows (about half of 10 1/2 ounce package)
• 1 cup (6 ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups quick or old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, rum extract or orange blossom water
  
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation:

In saucepan over low heat, melt marshmallows, chocolate chips, and butter, stirring frequently, until smooth. Stir in oats and flavoring. Spread mixture into a buttered 8-inch square pan; sprinkle with the chopped pecans. Chill thoroughly until set.
Store wee cookies in a cool dry place in covered container.* if using for cupcakes when almost set roll into balls.
** If you use as a filling DO NOT BAKE IN THE CUPCAKE! Hollow out the cupcake and place a 3/4 inch ball inside tuck half a maraschino cherry on top with a slight sprinkle of orange zest if you use orange blossom water, and a sprinkle of toasted coconut if you use rum or just plain old grated chocolate if you use vanilla Then frost over that with Italian butter cream. We garnished with a sour cherry ball candy for cuteness.