Serves 6-8
Ingredients
150ml (5fl oz) sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
25g (scant 1oz) cocoa powder
1tsp baking powder
150g (5 1/2 oz) soft light brown sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
150ml (5fl oz) milk
For the icing
125g (4 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
25g (scant 1oz) cocoa powder
125g (4 1/2 oz) icing sugar
2 tbsp milk, if necessary
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease the tins and line the bases with baking parchment. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Mix in the sugar.
2. Gently heat the golden syrup until runny and leave to cool. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sunflower oil, and milk together using an electrical whisk.
3. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. Gently fold in the syrup and divide the batter between the cake tins.
4. Bake the cakes int he middle of the oven for 30 minutes or until springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
5. To make the icing, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the cocoa powder and cook gently for 1-2 minutes, then leave to cool completely. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl
6. Pour the melted butter and cocoa into the icing sugar and beat together to combine If the mixture seems too dry, add the milk, 1 tbsp at a time until the icing is smooth and glossy. Leave to cool for up to 30 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.
7. When thick, use half the icing to fill the cake, and the other half to top it.
Taken from Step-by-Step Baking
Makes 12
Ingredients
60g (2oz) unsalted butter
280g (10oz) plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
200g (7oz) caster sugar, plus 2 tsp for sprinkling
1 egg, beaten
250ml (8fl oz) milk
2 tbsp poppy seeds
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 220c. Melt the butter in a pan over medium-low heat, then leave to cool slightly. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre.
2. Put the egg in a separate bowl. Add in the melted butter, vanilla and milk, and beat the mixture until foamy. Stir in the poppy seeds, and the lemon zest and juice.
3. Pour the egg mixture in to the well in the flour. Stir to make a smooth batter, but do not over-mix Stop as soon as the ingredients are blended.
4. Place muffin cases in the muffin tin. Spoon the batter evenly between the cases and sprinkle with 2 tsp of sugar.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a skewer inserted in to the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Taken from Step-by-step Baking
Serves 10
Ingredients
250g butter, softened
300g golden caster sugar
4 large eggs
100g full-fat natural yoghurt
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
zest 4 large oranges
For the orange jelly
Juice of 5 oranges (500ml)
100g golden caster sugar
6 gelatin leaves (1 1/2 sachets)
To finish
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp apricot jam
zest 1 orange
Instructions
1. Make the jelly: a) Grease a 20cm roung cake tin and line with cling film. Remove the zest from 4 of the oranges and set aside for the cake. Tip the orange juice and sugar in to a saucepan and gently heat to dissolve the sugar.
b) Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for a few minutes until soft. Remove the gelatin from the water, squeeze out any excess and add to the warm orange juice, stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Pour the liquid into the lined cake tin and chill for at least 4 hours.
2. Make the cake: a) Heat the oven to 160c/140c fan/gas 3. Line a 23cm round cake tin with baking parchment. Tip all the cake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine with an electric hand whisk until smooth.
b) Spoon into the tin and smooth over the surface. Bake in the centre of an oven for 55 minutes. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
3. Make the ganache: Heat the cream in a small pan until hot. Put the chocolate in a small bowl and pour over the cream, leave for 10 minutes. Mix well. Leave at room temperature until the ganache cools and thickens a little.
4. Assemble the cake: Place on a cake stand and trim the top to give a flat surface. Warm the apricot jam in the microwave until a little runny. Paint it over the top of the cake, then flip the orange jelly out of its tin, and position on top. Using a palette knife, swirl the chocolate ganache over the orange jelly, letting it dribble down the sides of the cake a little.
Makes 12
Ingredients
230g butter
340g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
280g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp baking powder
240g white chocolate, chopped in to small chunks
4 tbsp dried cranberries
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Lightly butter a 23cm square cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in the sugar. Add the vanilla extract and whisk again. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the eggs to the butter mixture and stir well. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk the egg and butter in to the mixture, a little at a time.
4. Leave the mixture to cool slightly, then fold in the chocolate chunks and the cranberries.
5. Spoon in the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then cut in to squares before serving.
Taken from Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course
Makes 12
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter
250g self raising flour
150g muscovado sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
250g peeled ripe bananas (2-3)
3 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp hot water
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160 fan. Put the butter in the saucepan and melt gently over low heat. Leave to cool. Sift the flour and sugar in to a mixing bowl and stir to break up any lumps.
2. Add the eggs to the cool butter and mix well with a fork. Use the fork to mash the bananas on a plate. Add the egg mixture and the bananas to the flour mixture and mix well with the wooden spoon. Spoon half of the mixture in to another mixing bowl.
3. Put the cocoa in to a heat proof bowl and carefully stir in the hot water to make a smooth paste. Stir the cocoa paste in to one portion of the banana mixture.
4. Add alternate spoonfuls of the banana mix and cocoa mix to the muffin cases. Swirl the two together using a small toothpick or the end of a spoon.
5. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Taken from Great British Bake Off, Learn To Bake
