Fresh mint chocolate chip loaf

I just love mint and chocolate together! especially as a mousse (which I’m hoping to make soon) but in the mean time I remembered I still had some mint left over from my friend’s garden so I thought!…ummm why not put fresh mint in my chocolate chip loaf? So I did!  

The mint oil has really latched onto this cake batter and works incredibly! Different types of chocolate from cocoa to plain to white chocolate really makes this a chocoholic’s dream!

Thank god my little ones are napping at the moment or I wouldn’t have been able to take any pictures of a whole cake to show you but I would just have had a picture of the crumbs!!! Lol.

A very simple recipe to do when you’ve got some friends coming round for a coffee and thanks Anussha once again your mint has really transformed this cake! Come round I’ll have the coffee ready x

I’m also taking a few cakes to the Fiesta Friday over @ The Novice Gardener…where all of us get together and bring lots of delicious food, come on over!

INGREDIENTS

150g unsalted butter softened
170g granulated sugar
Handful of mint leaves and stems
Pinch of salt
140g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
100ml milk
4 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
50g chocolate chips
4 squares of white chocolate melted
4 squares of plain chocolate melted

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160ºc/325ºf/gas mark 3. Blend the butter, sugar,salt and mint together until nice and creamy

2. Mix in all the ingredients apart from the chocolate chips. Make sure everything is combined

3. Fold in the chocolate chips and transfer batter to a lined and greased loaf tin and level out

4. Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes until poked skewer comes out clean

5. Let the loaf cool in the tin for a while and then transfer onto a large plate. Using a tablespoon drizzle the white and plain chocolate separately to create decoration.

Try and wait until the chocolate topping sets and then slice up yourself a big chunk and DEVOUR!!!!

I couldn’t help myself!!!

No not really 😉 ~

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Caramelised orange ricotta cake

I have made lemon ricotta cake a couple of times before but this time I really wanted to change up the flavour and therefore made an orange ricotta cake. I didn’t fancy a plain ricotta sponge so I added some caramelized oranges slices to add extra fruitiness.

Looks like a very summery dessert but I thought as we seem to be having our last rays of an Indian summer here in the UK it would be perfect. I toned down the butter content as the ricotta really makes the cake seriously moist. I’m enjoying baking with fruit at the moment, this way I feel like I’m getting some of my 5 a day fruit portions lol!

Keep an eye out as more fruit make a special appearance in my recipes. I hope you enjoy this sweet and sour dessert!

INGREDIENTS

125g softened butter
150g caster sugar
Zest of 2 oranges
3 eggs separated
250g ricotta cheese
125g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Splash of milk

For cake topping
2 oranges sliced with no peel
40g brown muscavado sugar
25g butter

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°c/fan 160°c/gas mark 4

• Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, mix in the ricotta, zest and yolks. Fold in the flour and baking powder and splash of milk (2 to 3 tbsp)

• Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the orange ricotta batter

• grease a cake tin approx 20cm and cover the base with the sugar add the butter and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes until your left with a lovely dark brown caramel syrup

• Lay the orange slices on the caramel syrup, then gently pour in the cake mixture on top of it

• Bake in the oven for 40-45 or until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean

• Leave in the tin to cool for 30 minutes and then slowly invert onto a plate. You may wish to serve the cake warm with a little vanilla ice cream!

Easy chocolate fudge cake

This is the belated Valentine chocolate cake I made for my husband following on from the last blog of strawberry heart cookies. It is a Rachel Manley recipe and boy is it goooood! So moist, fudgy, decadent, divine…I could keep going on but why not try baking it and seeing for yourself. Please let me know what you think. A quick note when it states 250 ml boiling water don’t be alarmed this is the part of the recipe that really makes this fudge cake special once made! Enjoy with a little single cream, yummmmm!!!

INGREDIENTS

For the cake
225g plain flour
350g caster sugar
85g cocoa powder
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 free-range eggs
250ml milk
125ml vegetable/sunflower oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
250ml/9fl oz boiling water

For the chocolate icing
200g plain chocolate
200ml double cream

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.

2. For the cake, place all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, or electric whisk, beat the mixture until smooth and well combined

3. Slowly add the boiling water to the mixture until smooth. The cake mixture will now be very liquid!

4. Divide the cake batter between the sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean

5. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely, still in their tins, before icing

6. For the chocolate icing ~ 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

7. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins

8. Spread a little chocolate icing over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then carefully top with the other cake

9. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and ice the cake all over with the chocolate icing, using a palette knife

Recipe by Rachel Manley (BBC Good Food)