Banoffee Cheesecake

How to bake in this heat, dare I say it ...you don't have to bake! It can be the case of combining flavours, artful mixing and assembling!

The heat has been ridiculous over the last few weeks, with. I live in West London and work in the East which requires a lengthy tube journey twice a day; I've been away from it for a week and I am slightly hesitant about hopping back into the routine. Unfortunately, I don't fancy a 2 hour bike ride each way, or have a scooter to weave my way through the traffic, or a parking space for my car...so tube it is for the foreseeable future.

This is so delicious you'll want to eat an unhealthy amount of it! Good job its nice weather so can eat as much as you like and then you have no excuse to take a run... life is a balancing act.

Serves 12

Chill for a total of 3 hours, minimum, in the fridge

You will need the following:

250g Marscapone Cheese

200g Cream Cheese

60g Caster Sugar 

350g Digestive Biscuits 

125g Butter

½Tsp Nutmeg

1 Banana

1 Pot of Caramel Dipping Sauce*

Method:

Place the biscuits in a bag and get out the frustration ... bash to smithereens 

Add the nutmeg

Add the butter & mix in till all crumbs are coated

Line the base of the cake tin with greaseproof paper

Pour the biscuits in and use a fish slice to flatten

Like so & place in the fridge for 1 hour

Spoon over the caramel sauce

Spread over the biscuit base and place in the fridge for 30 minutes

In a bowl place the marscapone, cream cheese & sugar 

Mix till combined 

Take the biscuit and caramel base out of the fridge after 30 minutes and smooth over the cheese topping

Smooth over using the spatula
Place in the fridge for 2 hours

Slice the banana and layer around the edge of the cheesecake and in the center

Warm the caramel dipping sauce in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drizzle over the bananas 

Enjoy... 

*cheat ingredient...it's not a sin to open a tin!

Courgette and Lemon Cake

I am currently on the annual grand family holiday in North Devon. Having a beautiful week relaxing from the humdrum of London. Devon, apart from baking, is my tonic for life. Staying at the beautiful Upcott Farm it is easy to unwind and of course, bake!

With a glut of courgettes having been bought from home, I thought I would share this deliciously moist cake, that is super easy to make, makes you feel good about getting one of your five-a-day and doesn't taste like a vegetable!

Serves 8-12

Depending on your generosity

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C

Bake to perfection for 45 minutes

You will need the following:

Cake Sponge

125g Soft Unsalted Butter 

50g Olive Oil

180g Golden Caster Sugar 

3 Free Range Eggs 

2 Medium-sized Courgettes, finely grated

Zest and Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

175g Self Raising Flour 

Filling

4Tbsp Lemon Curd

Icing

50g White Chocolate

50ml Single Cream

200g Icing Sugar

1Tbsp Lemon Curd for drizzling

8inch Spring Form Tin 

 

Method:

 In a bowl mix the oil, butter and sugar

Until pale and fluffy

Add in the three eggs, one at a time

Until combined 

Using the fine grater, finely grate the two courgettes. Keep the skins on the courgettes to create a bit of texture and colour in the cake. 

Gather the grated courgettes in your hands and over a sink, squeeze out the excess water

Fold in the grated, squeezed courgettes

Add the grated lemon zest and juice

Sift in the flour, adding a third at a time. Fold into the mixture

Pour your mix into the tin and bake in the oven, on the middle shelf 

Take your cake out of the oven to rest for 20 minutes. 

After 20 minutes remove the tin side and allow to cool for a further 20 minutes before taking off the bottom of the tin

Once removed from the base of the tin, cut the cake in half using a bread knife

Add the lemon curd to the base layer

Then sandwich the second layer ontop

In a bowl sift the icing sugar in and pour in the cream, then mix

Melt the chocolate for 1 minute and stir into the icing mix, leave to cool for 10 minutes  

Then decorate your cake with the icing sugar and drizzle with the extra lemon curd

Enjoy ...

All American Cookies

Independence Day tomorrow.... a great excuse to bake. Tomorrow for me means a day of not doing business with America and most probably dealing with the frustrating repercussions of a National Holiday over the pond.

I thought I would use it as an excuse to bake some much needed treats at work. It seems like the majority of my department are out on holiday so the rest of the force needs some extra sugar to keep up with the extra work! The housemates seemed to enjoy these too...

Strawberries, white chocolate and some squiggly blue icing make a perfect independence day bake...

Makes 12-15 Cookies

(depending on how much big you make your cookies and how much mixture you eat whilst making)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C

Bake to Perfection for 8 minutes

You will need the following:

190g Butter

190g Caster Sugar

225g Self Raising Flour

1tsp Vanilla Essence

125g of White Chocolate

6 Strawberries, finely diced

1pinch of salt

Blue Decorating Icing

Method: 

Melt the butter and mix together with the sugar & vanilla essence

Add in the flour & salt and mix well

Next add a pinch of salt

Add the chocolate and Strawberries

Spoon small dollops onto a tray roughly 1-2 inches apart

&

Bake to perfect for 8 minutes

Remove from the oven and allow to cool

Once hardened, artfully drizzle over some blue icing

Enjoy...

Lime Loaf

Freedom is sweet...

I finished my exams 3 weeks ago now which means I have my social life back! I celebrated my birthday, took a holiday, actually been out, caught up with friends, been home and had time to do some more baking!

We have actually had some nice weather, admittedly showered with rain and cold spells but summer is here and trying to force out the rain. Today has been a stunning sunny Sunday. My solution to eating cake in the summer...make it refreshing! This lime loaf is super zingy and perfect to satisfy that sweet craving on a summer's day...

Serves 10

Pre-heat oven to 180°C

Bake to perfection for 35-40 minutes

You will need the following:

Loaf
190ml Sunflower Oil

3 Eggs 

50ml Lime Juice

Zest of 1 Lime

180g Caster Sugar

180g Self Raising Flour

Icing

2Tsp Lime Juice
Zest of half a Lime
150g Icing Sugar
Water as required

Method:

Sift the Flour, Sugar and Self Raising Flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle

In the well crack the Eggs in and add the Oil

Add the Lime Juice and  Zest
 

Line a tin with baking parchment and pour the mix in. Pop in the oven to bake ...

Whilst the Loaf is baking make the Icing by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl

Remove the Loaf from the oven and let it cool before you take out of the tin

Let the Loaf cool on the side before icing 

Pour the icing over the Loaf and resist for as long as you can ...

Enjoy...