Carrot Cake

Life is rosy once again, I have completed my law degree! No more exams, no more lectures, no more assignments and no more workshops. Due to the whirlwind that was life in the library revising, everything but the basics fell by the wayside. So the last few days I have spent getting my life back on track, enjoying being able to spend time with friends and getting on board with baking again. 

I also celebrated my 22nd birthday on Saturday ... I was lucky enough to have an incredible birthday cake made by my great friend Hannah; Chocolate cake sandwiched with crème fraîche, blueberries and strawberries topped with double chocolate molten icing.

It was bloody good!

If you want to impress someone with a carrot cake ... bake them this carrot cake! Its so simple and so moist and you really can't go wrong ...

Serves 12-15

(depending on how generous you are)

Pre-heat oven to 180°C

Bake to perfection for 25 minutes

You will need the following:

Cake:
225g Butter

225g Self Raising Flour

225g Soft Brown Sugar
100g Sultanas

4 Eggs

4 Carrots 

(medium sized - should equate to 225-250g of carrot)

2 tsp Ground Mix Spice
1Tbsp Baking Powder

Icing:
250g Icing Sugar
2Tbsp Natural Yoghurt
1/4 Fresh Lime


Measure out the sugar and butter

Cream together until a pale fluffy paste

Add in the eggs one at a time

Next add the flour and baking powder

Grate the carrots by using either a hand held grater or the grater fixture on a food processor
Fold into the mixture

Finally add in the ground mix spice and sultanas

Bake to perfection for 25minutes ...
Check the cake at 20minutes & see if it is done. It may need 5minutes more or less than 25minutes depending on your oven


For a lighter icing:
Whilst the cake is baking mix together icing sugar and yoghurt

Then squeeze in the lime

-

For a more traditional icing:

100g Marscapone 

200g Double Cream

85g Icing Sugar

2 Limes (Zest & Juice)

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl & spread in the same manner as the lighter icing 

-

Spread evenly over the cake once it has completely cooled

Cut into squares 

 

& enjoy ...

Brain Power Brownies

My answer to Scooby Snacks for those revising. 

Currently in the crux of final year exams, memory and cognitive ability is pretty high on the agenda in comparison to the norm.

The Problem: Whilst taking a break from revision in the new forum on Exeter Campus (which for the record is remarkably like and airport and yes, I do feel like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, having semi-moved in during this lovely time of year) I wanted to treat myself with something chocolatey for the revision I'd done during the day. I was however, stuck with manufactured food all of which I knew I would only feel guilty after eating them and non of which would do anything to help increase my chances of doing remotely better in my exams (I figure if something has a chance of benefiting my brain it balances out the negatives to my waist line!)

The Solution: I duly googled brain power foods and obviously, as I'm sure you're aware if you've done the same ... blueberries are pretty good for your brain, as are strawberries good for cognitive functioning and surprisingly so is dark chocolate; its good for making you feel less tired and mentally drained (I'm not going to question these web people that are clearly talking some good sense!) This lead me to one conclusion ... I might as well make a revision aiding brownie stuffed with blueberries and strawberries ... guilt free goodness!

The result I can assure you is worthy of a 1st!

You will need the following:

Makes 12 thick squares

(depending on how many squares you get, depends on how thick you want your brownies)

Pre-heat oven to 180°C

Bake to perfection for 50 minutes

You will need the following:

225g Granulated Sugar
200g Dark Chocolate
25g Cocoa Powder
75g Self-Raising Flour
100g Butter
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
2tbsp Milk
100g Blueberries
100g Strawberries

Method:

Mix the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, self raising flour and salt together

Melt the butter in the microwave for 1 minute, then add to the mixture

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, then add to mixture

Add the eggs one at a time

Next add the fruit

Then add the milk

Grease your baking tray

Pour into the tray and bake to perfection for 50 minutes

Allow to cool & enjoy with a bit of revision...

Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes

Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing ... the perfect spring sweet treat. 

It loathes me to say but baking has been through a dry patch due to the current inordinate amount of revision I have on my plate. However, I got fed up the other day and so decided rather than visit a tried and tested recipe I would go out on a limb and try a bit of inventing. Ok, so absolutely nothing new about these flavours or the recipe I used but anything slightly non-law related at the moment seems like a little miracle! You'll notice that the majority of this recipe is the same as the Lemon Drizzle Cake as seen previously on The Perfect Bake. Remember the golden rules  of baking cakes when making these cupcakes.

Perfect for popping out at an afternoon tea or to have stored away in a cake tin for continual grazing ... you may not want to share these! 

Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 fairy cakes
(varies on how much mixture you eat)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

Bake to perfection for 
15 minutes (fairy cakes) or 20 minutes (cupcakes)

You will need the following:

Cake

225g Butter

225g Caster Sugar

225g Self Raising Flour
4 Eggs

2 Lemons ... juice & zest

30g Poppy Seeds (optional)
3tbsp Raspberry Jam

Icing

75g Butter

2tbsp Natural Yoghurt

75g White Chocolate

250g Icing Sugar (sifted)
1tbsp Demerara Sugar (for effect)

Method: 

Cream together the butter and sugar

 

Add in the eggs one at a time

 

Next stir in the flour

 

Until it forms a smooth texture


Grate the zest of two lemons 

Add the zest of the two Lemons & squeeze in the juice of the lemons

stir until combined well

 

Then stir in the poppy seeds, if you've decided to have them

Finally take 3tbsp of jam and carefully dollop over the mixture, gently fold the mixture over the jam...

Only do this once or twice so the jam threads remain in tact & don't blend into the mixture


Follow the golden rule of baking number five and fill your cupcake or fairy cake cases
Bake to perfection for 15 or 20 minutes depending on the size of your cakes
...

Whilst the cakes are baking you can start on making the icing...

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, stir the chocolate at 30 seconds

Combine the butter, yoghurt and icing sugar together
Tip for perfection: sift your icing sugar, doing this ensures a smooth icing with no lumps and bumps

Pour your melted chocolate into the mix and stir in

Spread over the cakes, you will need roughly a teaspoon and a half of icing per cupcake or fairy cake

Sprinkle some demerara sugar on each cupcake

Try not to eat all at once

Enjoy ....