Spice cake

Today I made some experiments with a spice cake. As you know I like very much to try something new, something different. That's why impatiently I started my new idea. Traditionally for a filling for a spice cake is used cream cheese frosting or buttercream.  And here came my new experiment . I used a little bit of cream cheese frosting. I added some sour cream (14%), some mascarpone (my favorite) , dessert cream and for flavor I added some strong coffee. Definitely today I wanted to escape from all traditional recipes and I arranged pineapple slices around the 8" spring form pan. The hole of each slice I filled with sweet cherries. I laid the first layer of my spice cake, I poured abundance of my coffee cream filling, then the second layer and on the top again abundance of coffee filling. Exactly how I like the cake - tender and flavored sponge cake base soaked in light and fluffy cream filling. The whole cake I sprinkled with ground cinnamon. I think that cinnamon is the most appropriate final  touch of each spice cake. I put the fondant square with the brown flowers on the top as an extra decoration.

I don't know if you like my idea for a spice cake but I would like to share something with you - it's yummy, very, very yummy. I liked it so much that I couldn't resist and I took a second piece...

Rice Crispy dessert

Today I'll show you an idea for a dessert with rice crispy and chocolate transfer sheet. I found the idea somewhere in the net and immediately I decided to make the experiment. My kids adore rice crispy. That's why I decided that it will be interesting to mix chocolate and rice crispy.

During the preparation I took some pictures and I hope they will give you an idea how to prepare that easy and quick dessert.

• First, we start with melting the chocolate chips. You melt 2/3 of the desired amount and after that you add the rest. Continue stirring until all the chips are dissolved.

• After that, cut the rice crispy bars into tiny pieces and add them to the melted chocolate chips. Stir well.

• Spread the mixture on the transfer sheet.If you make thinner layer it will dry quicker. 

• After a while the layer will be dry and you can carefully peel it from the acetate.On the next picture you can see how it looks like.

Here I would like to apologize for the pictures but while I was taking them I didn't pay any attention that they are so awful. I was concentrated on the chocolate transfer sheet...

• Then break the sheet into pieces with different irregular shapes.

• You can fill a bag and make a nice surprise to your kid, to the neighbor's kid,to some friends...

• Enjoy it!

Christmas mousse

It's light and fluffy. It's a nice dessert that makes you not to fill full and fat at the end of the last spoon. I used a small part of it as a filling for my Christmas cake. 

As I promised you I'll give you the recipe and I hope you will enjoy it.

Mint flavor mousse

2 cups (500ml) sour cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp green food color (I used 3 teaspoons but as you can notice I am far away form the green color)

1 cup whipping cream

I added 1 teaspoon of mint flavor. The flavor is your personal choice.

On the top I decorated with pieces of a Holly Leaves transfer sheet and some ground chocolate.

Classic Christmas Fruit Cake

Let's prepare something classic for the Christmas holiday. We made the Christmas cookies and now it's time for the fruit cake. The preparation is very easy and you can keep the dessert well for a couple of weeks if it's stored in an airtight container.

Just follow the recipe and you will have another dessert for the upcoming holidays.

Serves: 8 to 10

Preparation: 15 min.

Baking time: 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (175ml) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup (175ml) raw sugar

zest of 1 orange, finely grated

4 eggs

1 1/3 cup (325ml) all-purpose or cake flour

small pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) pumpkin pie spices

1 teaspoon (5ml) baking powder

2/3 cup (150ml) ground almonds

2 tablespoons (30ml) corn syrup

120 g each currants, raisins and sultanas

60g mixed peel

2 tablespoons (30ml) good quality brandy

Decoration: 1/3 cup (175ml) whole blanched almonds

In advance: Grease and line an 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan. Preheat oven to 150 C.

1. Beat the butter, sugar and orange zest together until light and fluffy.

2 Add the eggs and mix well.

3. Sift the flour, salt, spices and baking powder. Add ground almonds and syrup and mix.

4. Add the dried fruit and brandy and mix well.

5. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs.Half way through baking,arrange the whole almonds on top.

6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan before serving.

As you can see from my pictures I replaced the almonds on the top with walnuts. And I put some oranges and red cherries.

Bonbons "Santé"

The Christmas holidays are coming...and all the delicious challenges.We start thinking what we will prepare , what we will put on our tables, what new and unique desserts we will present to our family and close friends. Besides the traditional meals we would like to add something new and different, something stunning. Browsing in the net, exchanging ideas and recipes with friends and users from different forums is something common. The thrill is in the air. Everybody would like to prepare something unique and unforgettable. But at the end all of us start complaining how much we ate, how many calories we gained, how to find the incredible miracle to loose all this weight, how we can put on our jeans again...The nightmare is facing us!

That's why I will suggest you to prepare and try my healthy candies.No sugar, no self-rising flour, no confectioners' sugar...Just dried fruit, whatever you like, organic cocoanut oil, ground nuts and some finely ground organic cookies.

Here is what I used for my candies:

dried apricots

dries cranberries

dried dates

ground walnuts

ground almonds

a little bit of ground organic cookies

lemon zest

vanilla extract

carob powder - you can replace it with cocoa powder

organic cocoanut oil - helps to stick all the ingredients together

a little bit of water - just to keep consistency of the  mixture not too dry and falling apart. Instead of water you can add some cow's milk or almond milk which I prefer personally.

And don't worry about the measurements, how many cups of that, how many ml. of this... Everything is in your hands and depends on your personal taste. If you don't like dried apricots replace them with dried figs or whatever fruit you prefer. As you can see these candies are pretty easy to make.

At the end I covered half of the bonbons with cocoanut flakes.

And the most important - bonbons "Santé" are sweet and delicious. And last but not least, they are healthy and you won't worry about your weight after the holidays!

Enjoy them!

Carrot and Walnut Cake

I made that delicious cake couple of days ago for my family. The recipe I found in the book My Cooking Class - Cake Basics which by the way it's amazing. The book is very detailed and full of pictures for each step preparing your desserts. Honestly I was attracted by the photos and the ingredients. Carrots and Walnuts!

Here I'll write down the whole recipe and and if you like that type of light cakes, go for it.It's easy to make it and it's really very delicious.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Baking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 10 to 12

7/8 cup (225ml) unsalted butter,softened

1 3/4 (375ml) granulated or superfine sugar

4 eggs

1 1/3 (325ml) self-rising flour

1 1/2 teaspoons (7ml) baking powder

Pinch each of allspice, cinnamon and salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 3/4 cups (425ml) walnuts, roughly chopped

12 1/2 ounces (350g) carrots, grated

Topping:

1/3 cups + 2 tablespoons (100ml) mascarpone

1/3 cups + 2 tablespoons (100ml) cream cheese

7 tablespoons (100ml) confectioners' sugar

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2/3 cup (150ml) walnuts

In advance:

Grease and line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan. Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)

1. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

2. Beat the eggs.

3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and mix to combine.

4. Add the lemon zest, walnuts and carrots and beat well.

5. Spoon the mixture into the prepares pan and bake for about 40min.,until well risen and firm to the touch.

6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 min. before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7. For the topping, put the mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest and juice in a bowl and whisk for 1 minute.

8. Using a palette knife, spread the topping thickly over the top of the cake.

9. Lightly smash the walnuts on a chopping board with a rolling pin and arrange them on the top of the cake to decorate.

10. BON APPÉTIT!

Zebra cakes

Zebra cake

Today I will present you my new experiment - zebra cake. A friend mentioned me about that recipe a month ago.Her mother-in-law is a specialist of zebra cake. But at that time I haven't ever heard about it. I was very curious how you can create that effect. Accidentally, while I was browsing in the net I found this - a detailed explanation how you can make a zebra cake. Here you can find all the information for your  zebra masterpiece.

I was so excited that immediately I started the experiment and after two small cakes ( the blue and the pink) I continued with my experiments and I added more colors. I made one cake for my family with an "extra" zebra effect. I put on the top my favorite mascarpone cream with a lot of fresh raspberries.

And here are the two tiny zebra cakes that I made for my young friends Veni and Mitko. But them you can see only from outside. The pink one is covered with fondant,the blue one is with blue buttercream.