Cakes from the past few months

Until I get a better chance of updating my blog and getting the look I want for it, here are some of the cakes and other delicious bakes from the past few months. I hope you like it. For a more up to date stream of my life baking and living visit my instagram account @ Lisubettan. Much appreciated. :)

Little Enzo's christening cake with raspberries and whitechocolate

Light pink cupcakes for my sweet niece

Miniature versions

Carrot cake, always a favourite

Hersey's kisses on top of an orange flavour buttercream layer cake

Baguettes with linseeds and oats

Malted loaf, made with a poolish

Lemon and milk curd flan

Another hearty bread, just the way I like it!

Sweet cardamom shrovetide buns with raspberry jam and whipped cream

Little Minea's christening cake <3

Pearls for girls - Helmi's cake for her 5th birthday

Ham, sweet pepper and chili sandwich cake

Ham and chive sandwich cake

Super positive Spongebob Squarepants cake for my son's 5th birthday. <3<3<3

Baby's first cake

For the past months I have mainly been posting pictures of my cakes and other creations on Instagram. I find it quick and easy to add them onto the site without having to take the time to write a complete blog post.
I do want to continue update this blog, so I shall try my best to get back on track and bring my recipes and photos over here as well.

My friend wanted me to create something dainty for her second daughter's christening. She wished for a pale pink cake, with a baby as a cake topper, but she left the rest of the decoration up to me.
The cake consisted of a chocolate sponge with two layers of filling - raspberry mousse and white chocolate mousse.

My friend was more than delighted with the cake, so for me this was a job well done. Happy. <3   

Carrot cake (no added sugar)

A healthy cake, with no added sugar. Stays nice and moist and would probably get even tastier if it lasted to the next day! Unfortunately the cake is toooooo delicious and moorish so it was devoured in a matter of hours!

Healthy Carrot Cake 

3 eggs
1 banana
15 soft dates (~100grams)
6tbsp rapeseed oil
1,5dl ground almonds
1dl spelt flour
1,5tsp baking powder
3tsp cinnamon
1tsp cardamom
3 carrots, finely grated
1dl dessicated coconut
1dl assorted nuts, roughly chopped
1dl raisins/sultanas

+ margarine and dessicated coconut to bread the cake tin with

1. Preheat the oven to 175degrees. Prepare a round cake tin (or any oven dish that's handy). The cake does not rise or expand a whole lot, so a tin that just about holds the cake batter is sufficient.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside to wait, while mashing the banana together with the eggs, oil and the dates (using a stick blender helps!). Add all of the ingredients together, finishing with the grated carrot and raisins.
3. Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a skewer/toothpick comes out clean. Between 40-50mins, if I remember correctly! ;)

Tastes great as is, but for a special occasion a cream cheese frosting suits this cake perfectly. My favourite is one flavoured with fresh orange or lemon juice!

Wholesome and scrumptious comfort food for rainy days like these! x

Graduation Cake

I have been a little bit more than busy this spring and therefore also been prioritising baking over blogging. The simple reason is, I have not taken the time to sit down and make the effort to write new posts. I do bake a lot and that is the most enjoyable thing...sharing my creations, recipes and pictures is fun, but does come second to the work I do in my kitchen.:)

Nevertheless, I have some recipes and photos that I do want to share and intend to get on to this site...just as soon as I get the time for it.;)
Here is one cake I made for a friend's daughter to celebrate her graduation. (In Finland we normally use the term matriculation examination).

As requested the cake is a chocolate sponge/pound cake with two layers of blueberry & raspberry mousse. The cake is coated with a basic butter cream and covered with a vanilla flavoured fondant. All details are fondant as well. Because I made it for a young lady, I took the liberty to spray it with some pearl glitter!;) 

Sponge/Pound cake recipe (for a 24cm round cake tin)

240g butter

240g sugar

200g plain flour

40g dark cacao powder

4 eggs

1,5tsp baking powder

2tbsp milk

This sponge needs approximately 50mins in a 150degree oven. (depending on the oven in use of course) Best way is to test with a toothpick or skewer. 

Blueberry & raspberry mousse

400g plain cream cheese

250ml whipping (or double) cream 

300g berries 

6 leaves of gelatine

(0,5dl sugar, optional)

+ a splash of juice to heat up for the gelatine

I moistened the three layers of sponge with some cordial (any sweet juice or milk will do). The filled cake needs at least 6hours to set, preferably over night. 

 

Congratulations on your graduation Anni! :)

 

Hearty bread with leftover oatmeal

There are only a few things that annoy me more than having to throw away food that the children refuse to eat. So for the past few weeks I have made some healthy home made bread out of the leftover porridge that our youngest one decided not to eat. I made three slightly different loaves and this is the first recipe and the only one that has added syrup to give the bread a little sweetness. (for future reference, no added sweetness needed. In my opinion much tastier without the syrup, although this was utterly delicious anyway!)

Wholegrain oat bread (1 round loaf)

1 portion of leftover cooked porridge (this had a little apple purée mixed in it)
2,5dl of hot water
1 sachet of dry yeast
2dl plain flour
30grams poppyseeds
0,5dl olive oil
2tbsp honey
0,5dl dark syrup
pinch of salt
wholegrain wheat flour (did not measure the amounts, just enough so that the dough isn't too sticky and easy to knead)
+large rolled oats on top

1. Place the leftover porridge into a bowl, add the hot water, honey, olive oil, syrup, salt and the plain flour that has the dry yeast mixed into and let it sit for 10mins or so until it starts bubbling a little.
2. Continue by adding the poppy seeds and the wholegrain flour. Whether you are using a kitchen appliance or good old fashioned elbow grease, keep adding flour until the dough reaches a nice pliable consistency, soft but not sticky. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and place in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
3. Tip the proven dough onto a floured surface and give it a good knead for about 10mins. Shape it into a round loaf (or whatever shape tickles your fancy) and place it onto an oven tray lined with parchment and cover with a tea towel. Let it rise for another half an hour, while preheating the oven to 200degrees.
4. Brush the top of the loaf with some water and sprinkle with large rolled oats. Bake it for 20-30mins (depending on how hot your oven is) until the bread is brown and has a hollow sound when tapping at the bottom of it.

Simple and delicious!

Lovely afternoon coffee break!

    

Meringues

Our younger son turned four last thursday and I wanted to make something quick and easy for him to treat the other children in his group at the nursery. Unless you suffer from an egg allergy, these are pretty safe for almost everyone. (Obviously not very tooth friendly, but these are treats after all.)

Basic meringue recipe

4 large egg whites
2,5dl granulated sugar

Whip the egg whites until slightly frothy, then start adding the sugar a little at a time. Continue whisking until the meringue is stiff and glossy. (Add food coloring if desired, I had Wilton's royal blue)

Pipe the meringues onto a baking tray lined with parchment and bake for 1h 15mins at 90degrees. You will end up with a dry and crunchy meringue.

Winter Wedding

My dear friends got married last week and on Saturday it was time for the blessing of their marriage and to join them in the festivities. The celebrations went perfectly and the entire day and night was a delight to be a part of. I was absolutely chuffed to bits when my friend a year ago asked me to bake the wedding cake for their special day. Together we decided on a rich chocolate sponge cake, filled with a chocolate - baileys mousse. The style we had in mind, was elegant and simple. Here are some snaps of the cake and the evening. 

Simplicity

 

Time to taste

Pure Joy!

Utter decadence!

more for the guests

Dairy- and gluten free treat

The beautiful bride and the baker

Perfect wedding flowers

Cream Cheese & Chives Scones

The third scone recipe comes here. This is a very delicious savoury scone and it goes perfectly together e.g. with a spicy soup or simply as a snack on its own.

Cream cheese & chives scones (6 large or 9 medium)

60grams butter, cold and cubed
1cup plain flour
half a cup of rolled oats
half a cup of wholegrain flour
pinch of salt
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarb of soda
1tsp brown sugar
185grams cream cheese (natural or with chives)
150ml buttermilk, cold
+handful of chopped chives

1. Start by mixing the flour, oats, leavening agents, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Take the cold butter and quickly rub it into the dry ingredients. Using a knife or your hands (I was hands on!) keep rubbing (without over working it and softening the butter too much), until it is a sandy crumb like mixture. Add the cream cheese and chives firstly and then the buttermilk. Give it a good mix, but do not over mix, that will only make for hard scones.
3. On a floured surface, knead the dough a couple of times, then pat it into a plump rectangle piece of dough and using a metal cutter, make the scones. (for nice high scones, make sure not to twist the cutter when cutting out the scones, just press down once.)
4. Place the scones on a lined baking tray, brush them with some milk (only the tops, not the sides) and bake for ~15mins at 175-200degrees, until golden and fluffy. Cool the scones on a wire rack and once cooled, keep covered.

Cranberry Scones

I made these scones with dried cranberries and oats, mainly because I wanted to try different combos and to keep things simple. The scones with lavender, were fragrant enough as is and adding more flavour would have just been an overkill in my opinion. Both the lavender and cranberry scones are on the sweet side, but I think they are an ideal choice any time - for breakfast, high tea with friends or just simply with your favourite hot beverage as an evening snack.

Cranberry Scones (6 large ones or 9 medium ones)

80grams cold butter, cubed
250ml milk or cream (this recipe uses half and half)
300grams plain flour
0,5dl rolled oats
0,5-1dl dried cranberries (these ones were sweetened with apple juice)
1tbsp brown sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarb of soda
+milk to brush the tops

1. Start by mixing the flour, oats, cranberries, leavening agents and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Take the cold butter and quickly rub it into the dry ingredients. Using a knife or your hands (I was hands on!) keep rubbing (without over working it and softening the butter too much), until it is a sandy crumb like mixture. Add the milk and/or cream and mix, but only just to bring it together.
3. On a floured surface, knead the dough a couple of times, then pat it into a plump rectangle piece of dough and using a metal cutter, make the scones. (for nice high scones, make sure not to twist the cutter when cutting out the scones, just press down once.)
4. Place the scones on a lined baking tray, brush them with some milk (only the tops, not the sides) and bake for ~15mins at 175-200degrees, until golden and fluffy. Cool the scones on a wire rack and once cooled, keep covered.

Mmm!

Lavender & Vanilla Scones

I finally got to do some relaxing baking to bring a bit of comfort to these cold winter days. It really has been busy, with the little ones not feeling entirely well and the bigger boys going back to school and nursery. I fancied something homely to start the new year off with and here is the first recipe out of three.



Lavender and Vanilla Scones (6 large or 9 small)

80grams cold butter, cubed
250ml milk or cream (I had half and half)
300grams (2cups) plain flour
1tbsp brown sugar
1tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarb of soda
2tsp vanilla extract (actually had some homemade this time)
1 tsp dried lavender buds
+milk to brush the tops

1. Start by mixing the flour, leavening agents and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. Pour the milk/cream into a jug and add the vanilla extract and lavender. Leave it to infuse while continuing with the dough.
3. Take the cold butter and quickly rub it into the dry ingredients. Using a knife or your hands (I was hands on!) keep rubbing (without over working it and softening the butter too much), until it is a sandy crumb like mixture. Add the vanilla and lavender infused milk&cream and mix, but only just to bring it together.
4. On a floured surface, knead the dough a couple of times, then pat it into a plump rectangle piece of dough and using a metal cutter, make the scones. (for nice high scones, make sure not to twist the cutter when cutting out the scones, just press down once.)
5. Place the scones on a lined baking tray, brush them with some milk (only the tops, not the sides) and bake for ~15mins at 175-200degrees, until golden and fluffy. Cool the scones on a wire rack and once cooled, keep covered.

Happy New Year 2013!

I want to wish all of you a very happy and fulfilling new year 2013! It has been a wonderful year, full of good times and unfortunately (even in the past week) very sad times. I am still looking forward to another exciting year with my family and friends!

Gingerbread Cheesecake & Mulled Wine Glaze

A cake with a rich taste and strong flavours, yet still fresh and not too overpowering or sweet. The gingerbread base is thin and the creamy cheese filling has a light texture from added citrus fruits. The mulled wine glaze gives the cake a little contrast that goes well together with the filling.

Gingerbread Cheesecake

200grams gingerbread biscuits
60grams butter, melted
400grams cream cheese (full fat)
250ml whipping cream
orange zest
lemon juice
5 leaves of gelatine
0,5dl sugar
+ a splash of hot orange juice for the gelatine

Mulled Wine Glaze

3dl mulled wine or glögg of your choice
3 leaves of gelatine
+ a splash of hot wine for the gelatine

1. Put the leaves of gelatine in plenty of cold water to soften for 10mins. Crush the gingerbread biscuits and pour in the melted butter. Pat the crumble into a 24cm loose-bottomed round cake tin to make the base. Chill in the fridge while making the filling.
2. Soften the cream cheese in a bowl, add sugar, orange zest and lemon juice just enough to achieve a silky smooth mixture. Whisk the whipping cream separately in a clean, dry bowl and set aside to wait.
3. Heat up a small amount of orange juice, then squeeze the cold water out of the gelatine and place the leaves in the hot juice. In a thin string pour the gelatinous juice into the cream cheese and give it a good mix. Lastly fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese and pour into the cake tin. Spread it out evenly and let it set in the refrigerator until set, at least 5 hours.
4. Once the cheesecake is set, make the mulled wine glaze. Again start by placing the leaves of gelatine in plenty of cold water to soften. Heat a tiny amount of mulled wine, squeeze the leaves and pop them into the hot liquid. Using a spoon, pour the gelatinous wine into the room temperature mulled wine. This will be very runny, so take care when pouring it over the cold cheesecake. To end up with a nice glossy glaze, without any air bubbles, do not use a wire whisk to mix the gelatine into the wine.
5. Leave the cake to further chill in the fridge, preferably over night. The glaze is best not too solid, it should have a slight wobble to it, that way it has a nicer feel to it while eating it.
(The flavours and spices in the cake will come through more intensely if the cake is enjoyed after a couple of days of making it.)

     

Sweet potato pie - Batatlåda

My version of a savoury sweet potato pie, a dish we enjoyed at our Christmas dinner. Local supermarkets have already some years ago brought in their own take on sweet potato casseroles, to accompany the other very traditional foods that people in this country like to feast on during Christmas...but this one is just a very simple bajan style potato pie, made to comply with my husband's taste buds!:)

Sweet Potato Pie  (makes one 1,5liter casserole)

2 large sweet potaoes
half a clove of garlic, minced
half an onion, finely chopped
cayenne pepper
black pepper
white pepper
salt, to taste
butter
splash of whole milk
olive oil
(optional pinch of nutmeg/cinnamon/cloves)
+ breadcrumbs to top

1. Peel and chop the sweet potato into evenly sized pieces. Cook until tender, but not too soft. Drain almost all of the cooking liquor, but leave some in with the potatoes. Keep the pot covered and throw in a good knob of butter.
2. If not prepared in advance, chop the onion and crush the garlic.
3. Season the potatoes (as little or as heavy handedly as desired) and give them a good mashing. Add the garlic and onions and give it another mix. Add some olive oil and milk to get a consistency that isn't too loose or too dry, then pour the whole thing into an oven proof dish (any kind will do) and sprinkle with some breadcrumbs.
4. Bake the pie at 200degrees until golden brown and slightly caramelized around the edges. It will sizzle a little when done.

A nice and healthy option for dinner all year 'round!

Baklava

I wanted my first attempt to make baklava to be for Christmas. The process is not a very difficult one, but it is quite time consuming and laborious. The best way to go about it, is to have everything prepared and ready on the work surface before getting started. My photos of the actual assembly are not the greatest, but hopefully it will give a small insight into how this sickly sweet fragrant pastry is made.

Baklava

1 packet of filo pastry (450grams frozen)
300grams salted pistachios, shelled
200grams roasted hazelnuts, unsalted
250grams butter, melted
1tsp cinnamon
1dl sugar
(pinch of ground cloves is optional)

Syrup 

2,5dl water
2,5dl sugar
1,25dl honey
2tbsp honey
1 cinnamon stick

1. Thaw the packet of filo pastry sheets at room temperature for at least 2hrs before starting.
2. To make the filling, put the pistachios and hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz until the nuts resemble a small crumb. Little cubes sort of. Combine with the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a bowl in the microwave.
4. Roll out the thawed pastry sheets and cut them in half to make sure they fit into the pan. Keep the pastry sheets covered with a damp cloth, they must not dry out.
5. Make the first layer of pastry 7-8 sheets thick, making sure to brush each sheet of filo pastry with the melted butter.

6. Spoon a thin layer of the nut mixture on top and cover with two sheets of filo, each brushed with the butter. Repeat until there is no more filling left.

Keep count of the number of sheets, so that there are about 7-8 sheets left for the top layer. Finishing off the top layer, make sure that each sheet is brushed with the melted butter. There should be no dry pastry in sight!:)
7. Brush the top layer with more butter and then using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into small squares. Bake for 30-35mins at 175degrees until golden and crisp.
8. Meanwhile make the syrup. Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Let it simmer on a medium low heat for 7 minutes or so, until slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow it to cool.

9. Pour the syrup over the hot baklava and leave it to cool for at least 4 hours before tucking in. Store the ready made baklava in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. (ours was all gobbled up in less than a week!:))  

Waiting to be eaten!