Mocha Buns

These beautiful chocolate cakes with just a hint of coffee are a personal favourite of my Aunty Claire. The butterfly wings although slightly tricky to make are a cute touch to these buns.

Ingredients:
For the buns:

• 100g (4oz) softened butter
• 100g (4oz) golden caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 75g (3oz) self raising flour
• 25g (1oz) cocoa powder
• 1 tbs of strong hot coffee

For the buttercream:

• 50g (2oz) softened butter
• 100g  (4oz) icing sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cupcake cases.
• Cream the butter and the sugar. Add the eggs 1 at a time, pour in the coffee and mix well.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder and fold them in.
• Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Take the buns out of the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack tray. Meanwhile make the buttercream.
• Sift the icing sugar into a bowl add the butter and vanilla essence, beat till smooth.
• Using a sharp knife carefully cut a circle from the top of each cake. Cut each circle in half through the middle.
• Spread some buttercream in the hole in each cake and gently push the half circles in to form wings.

If you want you can double the recipe and make a big mocha cake, just bake for slightly longer.

Mothers Day Cake

As Mother's Day is tomorrow I decided to make this

delicious moist buttermilk cake which is perfect for your Mum.

Ingredients:
For the cake
275g cream flour
1tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
125g butter
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
225ml buttermilk
1tsp vanilla essence

For the glaze
235ml cream
110g brown sugar
1tbs syrup e.g. maple, corn, agave
1tsp vanilla essence 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas mark 4.) Grease and line a 20cm (8") square tin.
•  Cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla.
• Beat in the eggs 1 at a time then slowly mix in the buttermilk.
• Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in 2-3 batches.
• Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• While the cake is cooking make the glaze.
• Boil the cream, brown sugar and syrup for 13 minutes. Add vanilla.
• Pour the glaze over the cake while it's still in the tin and still warm.
• Cut into pieces and enjoy.

Chocolate mousse cake

I absolutely adore this light chocolate cake with the gorgeous chocolate buttercream icing which makes for a delicious cake suitable for any occasion.

Ingredients
For the cake:
100g (3.5oz) melted unsalted butter
8 eggs
300g (11oz) caster sugar
200g (7oz) cream flour
75g (3oz) cocoa powder
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence


For the icing:
100g (3.5oz) dark chocolate
200g (7oz) unsalted butter
400g (14oz) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F Gas mark 4.) Grease and dust a 28cm (11") bunt tin.
• Mix the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk for 6 - 8  minutes.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and fold into the eggy mixture.
• Add the vanilla and the melted butter.
• Pour into the tin and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• While the cake is cooling make the icing.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl. Sift in the icing sugar and add the vanilla essence.
• When the cake and the icing are cool spread the icing over the cake, leave to set and enjoy.

Low fat chocolate cookies

I love these chocolate cookies and the fact that they're low fat makes me feel slightly less guilty. If you want the cookies chewy put the dough on to the tray in a sphere but if you want them crunchy cook them flatter and for a few minutes longer.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup agave, maple or corn syrup

2 egg whites

1 whole egg

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4.) Grease and line two large cookie trays.
•  Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until thick and sticky.
• Add a drop of milk if necessary.
• Place one teaspoon per cookie on to the cookie trays.
• Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until they look almost done as they will keep cooking on the tray after you take them out of oven.
• Cool on a wire rack tray and enjoy.

Chocolate cake

This delicous chocolate cake has a very surprising ingredient black beans. Black beans? In a cake? How does that work? You will have to trust me on this, this cake is so good.

Ingredients: 

For the cake

2 cups Drained black beans

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

1/2 cup Self raising flour

3 Egg whites

1/4 cup Cocoa powder

2 tsp Essence e.g. vanilla, coffee or mint

1 tsp Baking powder

Handful of chocolate chips

For the icing

3oz Light cream cheese

3oz Softened butter

1/4 cup Maple syrup

2 tsp Essence

Handful of melted chocolate chips

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F Gas mark 4.) Grease and line a 20cm squared tin.
• Place the black beans into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Pour the mixture into the square tin.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a little bit of wetness. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
•  While the cake is cooling make the icing. Place the butter and cream cheese in a bowl. Mix in the syrup, essence and chocolate chips.
• When the cake is cool spread the icing over the cake.
• Cut up and enjoy.

Orange Blossom and Vanilla Cupcakes

I love these orange blossom cupcakes with a crème pâtissiere filling and a smooth buttercream icing. It's the perfect little treat for after lunch or morning snack. If orange blossom doesn't take your fancy you can always try rose.

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes

125g (4oz) softened butter

125g (4oz) caster sugar

125g (4oz) flour

2 eggs

1 tsp orange blossom water

1 vanilla pod

For the crème pâtissiere

250ml (1/4 pint)

100g (3oz) sugar

60g (2oz) flour

1 egg

120g (4oz) cubed butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

Buttercream Icing

200g softened butter

450g icing sugar

1 tsp orange blossom water

Method:

• For the crème pâtissiere heat the milk and 1/2 the sugar in a sauce pan.
• In a separate bowl mix the rest of the sugar, the flour and 1 egg.
• Pour the flour mixture into the saucepan mix on a low heat until thickened.
• Take off the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool in the fridge.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F gas mark 4.) Place 12 cupcake papers into a cupcake tin.
• For the cupcakes cream the butter and sugar. Add flour and eggs.
• Seed the vanilla pod and combine it with the orange blossom in cupcake mixture.
• Scoop the mixture into the cupcake papers and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

• While the cupcakes are cooling make the buttercream.
• Place the butter in a bowl mix in the icing sugar and orange blossom.
• Take the crème pâtissiere out of the fridge and whisk with a beater, if it's nit stiff put it back in the fridge

•   Create a hole in the centre of a cupcake, fill with crème pâtissiere. Repeat until all the cupcakes are full.
• Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes and garnish as you wish.

With the leftover crème pâtissiere why not make pâte à choux swans or éclairs.