Some Birthday Cake?

I’ve been wanting to make Lamingtons, for quite some time now but when my son said he wanted a chocolate cake with coconut for MY BIRTHDAY…then that worked for me!  I’m just really happy we like the same sweet things lol!

A massive chunky, glossy ganache covered chocolate fudge cake topped off with naturally crunchy sweet coconut! Ummmm loved it! We all did!

I had to share some cake with you all…I hope you enjoy it, as much as we did!  Have a beautiful day friends! See you soon! Much love, D x

Click on the blue link below for the recipe…

My favourite chocolate fudge cake recipe…just top with extra coconut!

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Baked after a while…

Omg! The Lemon drizzle cake has made a comeback!

Recipe @ https://shivaaydelights.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/omg-lemon-drizzle-cake/

Cocoa Banana Sponge

Cocoa & Banana both from the tropics is an amazing combination! This sponge cake came out super moist, light and airy.

Both my son and his grandfather enjoyed it. It’s great, that it’s low in fat and the moisture and decadence comes from the lush bananas. Do let me know how you like it. Have a wonderful day, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

150g sugar
2 large ripe bananas mashed
1 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
50g butter
2 eggs
180g self raising flour

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°c, line and grease a square cake tin

Cream together the sugar and butter in a food processor,  then add in the mashed banana.  Combine well into the mixture

Whizz in the eggs then fold in the flour with the cocoa powder

Pour the mixture into a square cake tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake sponge

Once done, slice snd serve with a little vanilla ice cream

Mary Berry’s Chocolate Cupcakes

I adore Mary Berry, the absolute Queen of Baking here in the UK. A beautiful person, so extremely talented and has dedicated her career to help us perfect our home baking. I just know that when I use a “Mary Berry Recipe” I will have fantastic results everytime.

Here is one of our favourites…I put the chocolate icing onto the cakes whilst they were still warm and this way it melted into a rich chocolate sauce with an ultimate moist cake centre…ummm chocolate heaven!

Enjoy friends…Have a wonderful day! Much love, D x

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE RECIPE
@ http://www.bakingmad.com/mary-berry-chocolate-cupcake-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE CAKE
4 tbsp water boiling
40g cocoa powder
3 eggs
175g butter (unsalted) softened
165g caster sugar 
115g self-raising white flour
1 tsp baking powder 

CHOCOLATE ICING
60g butter (unsalted)
30g cocoa powder
3 tbsp milk
250g icing sugar 

METHOD

1. Line two 12-hole muffin tins with paper cases. Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl, pour in the boiling water and mix into a thick paste. Add the remaining cake ingredients and mix with an electric hand whisk (or beat with a wooden spoon)

2. Divide the mixture equally between the 24 paper cases. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 10 minutes until well risen and springy to the touch. Cool in the cases on a wire

3. To make the chocolate icing melt the butter and pour it into a bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and stir in the icing sugar a little at a time to make a glossy and spreadable. If the icing is too thick, gradually add the milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Using a palette knife spread the icing over the cakes and leave to set before serving

Loving My New Cards…

I finally got round to designing my name cards. From being an optician to writing about food…What a career change! But I would have it no other way! I am really loving exploring and cooking all types of vegetarian food. I can’t wait to get into my kitchen and start cooking some more.

Hope you are all well friends. Do please come join me on Facebook and Twitter for lots more foodie interaction!

Have a beautiful day friends..Much love, D x

Springtime Treat…

Our banana and coconut bread finished so quickly! That this morning I made another batch.  However I wanted,  “actually rephrase”  My four year old wanted a lemon drizzle cake and there was NO WAY! he was going to have lemon drizzle cake for breakfast !!  So yours truly, came up with an alternative in the form of a lemon and banana shiny drizzle bread!

I must admit to myself that this is a really really good tasty and healthy recipe and can definitely be eaten for breakfast by all.  He was satisfied with the lemony tang and I was ecstatic with the banana content, which will see him through his day

The recipe is simply My Banana Coconut Loaf but omitting the desiccated coconut and adding a lemon sugar syrup at the end whilst the bread is still hot

To make the lemon syrup : Melt 3 to 4 tablespoons of icing sugar in the juiceof one fresh lemon on a slow heat.  Once all dissolved,  just pierce the bread with a fork and pour over the syrup,  this way it will absorb into the bread and a yummy combination will emerge.

Enjoy this bread as much as we are friends, have a beautiful weekend, see you soon!  Much love, D x

A Banana & Coconut Loaf

When I see potential ingredients waiting to be used, I don’t hang about! I had to turn a couple of lonely ripened bananas into something more yummy. Then the ideas started flowing and I decided on a banana loaf with coconut. Quick, satisfying and a sweet comfort on this winter morning that looks like spring time but is still holding onto the winter temperatures!

I distributed most of it amongst some friends, I hope they enjoyed it! It’s great that it’s low in fat and the moisture and decadence comes from the lush bananas. Do let me know how you like it. Have a wonderful day, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

150g sugar
2 large ripe bananas mashed
40g desiccated coconut
50g butter
2 eggs
180g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°c, line and grease a loaf tin

Cream together the sugar and butter in a food processor,  then add in the mashed banana.  Combine well into the mixture

Whizz in the eggs then fold in the flour, baking powder and coconut

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the bread

Once done, slice snd serve warm with some creamy butter

It’s all about the chocolate topping!

That gooey chocolate topping on a cake or traybake really makes the moist sponge that you’ve prepared sing! You can choose any sponge recipe but one of my favourites is a chocolate sponge recipe by Mary Berry. The chocolate topping recipe is mine which is one I have used time and time again and is delicious even though I say so myself. I sprinkled a generous amount of white metallic sweet pearls on my traybake, to give contrast and make it look pretty! I was in a very girly mood over the weekend! Enjoy, much love D x

INGREDIENTS

For the sponge

50g  cocoa powder
6 tbsp boiling water
100g baking spread or soft butter
275g caster sugar
3 large free-range eggs
125ml  milk
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the chocolate ganache topping

200g plain chocolate
180ml double cream light

METHOD

~ Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 (160C fan).

~ Put the cocoa in a large bowl, add the boiling water and mix until smooth. Add the baking spread or butter and beat into the cocoa until smooth, then add the remaining cake ingredients and mix until combined – this can be done in a mixer or by hand.

~ Pour into the tin, spread evenly and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until well risen, just firm to the touch and shrinking away from the sides of the tray. Leave to cool completely in the tray

~ For the chocolate ganache topping ~ heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low flame until the chocolate melts

~ Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth, glossy and thickened. Set aside to cool for 1-2 hours, or until thick enough to spread over the cake

~ Pour the chocolate fans ganache over the top of the chocolate sponge base

~ Using a palette knife, evenly spread the ganache and set aside in the fridge to set

~ Once set, carefully slice the traybake into 16 equal squares. They are now ready to be served

Lemon pop pop…poppy seed muffin cakes

HAPPY NEW YEAR to EVERYONE!  With the start of 2015, I bring you something to sweeten your tastebuds. I have been wanting to make these lemon poppy seed muffins for a long time.  My son always opts for them when we go to Starbucks and are definitely his next favourite after my double chocolate muffins.

I wanted to add a tart lemon curd in the centre of the muffin but in the end found a great recipe online. I used the base cake recipe, left out the icing and made a lemon drizzle syrup to coat each muffin instead.  This gave the muffin a tantalising sour note with just the right amount of sweet and stickiness!

I hope you enjoy them as much as we are…wishing you all a fantastic 2015! Lots more food coming up here @ ShivaayDelights.com

Until next time! Much love D x

A recipe by Sarah Cook. BBC Good Food

INGREDIENTS

225g self-raising flour
175g golden caster sugar
zest 2 lemons
1 tbsp poppy seeds toasted
3 eggs
100g natural yogurt
175g butter, melted and cooled a little

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°c/160°c fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake or muffin cases

Mix the flour, sugar, lemon zest and poppy seeds together in a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs into the yogurt, then tip this into the dry ingredients with the melted butter

Mix together with a wooden spoon or whisk until lump-free, then divide between the cases

Bake for 20-22 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean – the cakes will be quite pale on top still. Cool for 5 mins in the tin, then carefully lift onto a wire rack to finish cooling

For the Lemon Drizzle syrup

Take the juice of 1 lemon and 5 tablespoons of icing sugar. Melt and stir in a saucepan over a slow heat. Once the sugar has melted..turn off and put aside

Spoon on the warm syrup onto the individual cakes so that they are all shiny and ready to eat