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.

Healthy Banana and Blueberry Muffins

A low-fat muffin that tastes as good as it looks to counteract all the food from Christmas time. This scrummy muffin makes for a great breakfast with some fruit on the side.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 3 bananas
• 1egg 
• Drop of skimmed milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F Gas mark 4.) Place 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin.
• Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
• In a smaller bowl mash the bananas and add the egg. Mix into the dry ingredients.
• Add the skimmed milk until the mixture reaches your desired consistency, mix in the blueberries.
• Spoon the batter into the muffin cases. Bake for 16 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, provided you don't hit a blueberry.
• Take out of the oven, leave to cool and enjoy!  

 
 

 

Winter Solstice Star Cake

It's the shortest day of the year so I made a starry cake to celebrate the winter solstice. Unfortunately I didn't get into Newgrange to see it light up but I love this intensly chocolatey cake that makes up for it.

Ingredients:
For the cake
225g (8oz) melted butter
225g (8oz) caster sugar
175g (6oz) flour
50g (2oz) cocoa powder
1 egg
2 tbs milk

For the decoration
200g (7oz) icing sugar
2 tbs water
Fondant
Blue food colouring
Black food colouring
Gold shimmer spray

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 (356 Gas mark 4.) Grease and line two 20cm (8") circle tin.
• Mix together the butter and sugar. Add flour, cocoa, egg and milk mix untill smooth.
• Bake for 20m or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• As the cakes are cooling make the icing. Sift the sugar into a bowl, add the water and stir until smooth.
• Spread some of the icing over one cake, sandwich the other on top then smooth the rest of the icing over the cakes,
• Work the food colouring into the fondant until it reaches the colour of your desire. Roll out the fondant until there is enough to cover the entire cake. Smooth the fondant over the cakes.
• Roll out a small amount of white fondant, cut out a few stars using star shaped cookie cutter. Place the stars on greaseproof paper, spray the stars with shimmer spray. Stick the stars on with a bit of water.
• Cut a slice and eat that cake