Pumpkin Kugelhopf Cake

Sweet and fudgy with  warming pumpkin pie spices; delectable with double cream.

Ingredients:

9 oz pumpkin puree (see method)

9 floz sunflower oil

10 oz light muscovado sugar 

3 large eggs

8 oz self-raising flour 

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

  Preheat the oven to 180C and generously butter a 9 inch kugelhopf tin.  

  Whisk oil and sugar together for two minutes.  Add the eggs one and a time, whisking well after each addition.

  Sift over the flour, spices, soda and fold in.  Gently stir in the pumpkin pulp and pour into the prepared tin.

  Bake for 40-45 minutes until well risen, springy to touch and slightly shrinking from the edges of the tin.  Leave to cool for half an hour before carefully turning out onto a large plate.  Can be served warm or cold; the spices seem to intensify after a day and the cake stays lovely and moist from the pumpkin.

Fruit Cake

Or Half Pound cake

Ingredients 

8oz butter

8oz caster sugar

4 eggs, beaten

8oz plain flour, sifted

8oz seedless raisins 

8oz mixed currants and sultanas

4oz glace cherries, chopped

pinch of salt

11/2 tsp mixed spice

1 tbsp brandy

whole blanched almonds, to decorate

Method

  Grease  and line a deep 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

  Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.  Fold in the flour, fruit, salt and spice, then add the brandy and mix in well to make a soft dropping consistency.

  Turn into the prepared tin, level the top and decorate with the almonds.  Wrap a strip of folded brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure with string (I find I have to do this as our oven is a little fierce and this cake takes a long time to cook!)  Bake at 150C for about 2 1/2 hours.  If the top gets too brown, cover with foil.  Leave to cool in the tin for at least half an hour, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

  A wonderful cake to serve  thickly sliced along with a hunk of cheddar cheese.  

    

Fig & Pear Galette

Picture to come.  It was devoured before I could photograph so I will have to make another especially for a picture; what a shame!

For the pastry:

60g plain flour

30g polenta, fine cornmeal

1 scant tbsp caster sugar

1/4 tsp salt

60 cold butter, diced

1-3 tbsp iced water

For the Filling:

4 fresh figs, finely slliced

1 large pear, peeled, cored and sliced

4 tbsps crème fraiche

Handful amaretti biscuits, crushed

  In a food processor, pulse dry ingredients, then add the butter and pulse until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Add enough water to form a dough and wrap in cling-film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

  Preheat oven to 190C and lie a baking sheet.  Roll pastry into a rough circle, transfer to the baking sheet and scatter with the biscuits, leaving a 6cm margin.  Top with the fruit and sprinkle with 2-3 tbsps sugar, then dollop with the crème fraiche.  Sprinkle more with sugar, dampen edges with water, then wrap them over themselves to form a knobbly rim.  Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until pastry is cooked through.  Serve warm with more crème fraiche or cream. 

  

In The Kitchen

Moist Apple Yoghurt Cake, Dappled with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Makes 8 large portions to have for dessert with lashings of double cream or can be cut into 16 slender slices to have with morning coffee or afternoon tea.

1 1/2 cups plain or Greek yoghurt
2/3 cup sunflower oil
1 lemon, juiced (about 1/4 cup) 
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 small tart apples
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided 

3 tablespoons ground almonds
3/4 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Whisk together the yoghurt, oil, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Peel and core the apples, and chop into chunks. Stir the chopped apple into the liquid ingredients.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain. In a small separate bowl, mix the remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon with the brown sugar, butter and almonds.

Pour half of the batter into the cake pan. Sprinkle the batter with half of the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture, dropping it on the batter in small lumps. Spread the rest of the batter over top, and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-brown sugar.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, covering with foil at the end if the top is browning. When a tester comes out clean, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with double cream.

Recipes

Galette 

or 

One Crust Apple Pie

Very quick and easy to make but looks beautiful and tastes divine.  Lovely with different kinds of filling depending on the season; rhubarb, plums, pears, peaches...

For the Pastry:

10oz self-raising flour

5oz cold butter, cut into cubes

Vanilla extract 

3-4 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

1 lb cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3oz sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg yolk

3-4 tbsp semolina

Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 200c.

In a food processor tip in the flour and butter and pulse until it resembles fine  breadcrumbs.  With the motor running add the vanilla and then gradually add the water until the mixture comes together into a nice lump of pastry.  Wrap in cling-film and place in the fridge until needed.

Prepare the apples and mix with the sugar and spice in a bowl .  Roll out the pastry into a rough 12inch circle and place on a large baking sheet. Brush with the egg yolk leaving a 21/2inch gap around the edge and sprinkle with the semolina (the semolina helps to soak up the juices, keeping the pastry nice and crisp).  Pile the apples on top and fold over the pastry edges so it overlaps in a neat circle.  Pour a dash of milk into the glass which had the egg yolk in and brush the pastry with it.  Finally sprinkle all over with sugar and cook in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and the apple is just soft and easily yields to a skewer being inserted.  Serve warm with cream. 

  

Blueberry and Lemon Curd Tumblers     

I have been making lots of 'tumbler desserts' recently.  They are so quick and easy and nice to do on a hot day when you don't want to be using the oven; except to maybe whip up a quick batch of shortbread to eat with them!

Just layer up fresh blueberries mixed with some dark jam, then lemon curd (bought or make recipe below) and some thick creamy Greek yoghurt.  Top with a swirl of lemon curd and a single blueberry. 

Lemon Curd

This is a quick easy version made in the microwave.

Ingredients: 

2 large eggs, well beaten

3oz fine caster sugar 

3oz butter

Juice and rind of two large lemons

In a microwave safe bowl put the finely chopped rind, juice, sugar and butter cut into cubes.  Microwave on full power, stirring often and not allowing it to get too hot, until the butter has just melted.  Vigorously beat in the eggs until thoroughly combined.  Then return to the microwave for two minutes.  Remove and beat again and allow to cool for a minute.  Then cook for a final minute and let stand until completely cold.  

Rhubarb

Our rhubarb has grown amazingly in the last week; double the size of this picture which is actually taken earlier in the year last year. So this past weekend I cut the first crop off it and made the recipe below.

Rhubarb Sour Cream Streusel Cake

 

A quick and easy cake to make for a delicious dessert served warm with cream or cut into squares to have with morning coffee or afternoon tea.  The crunchy streusel topping consisting of cinnamon, walnuts and sugar makes it especially delectable. 

Cuts into 18 squares.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 oz butter, at room temperature

2 oz caster sugar

31/2 oz walnuts, roughly chopped.

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

7 oz dark muscovado sugar

1 large egg

8 oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

284ml soured cream (or you could use Greek yoghurt)

11 oz rhubarb, cut into 1 cm pieces 

  Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 160°C .  Grease and line a 33 x 23 x 5cm baking tin.

  In a small bowl melt about 1/2 oz of the butter and stir in the caster sugar, nuts and cinnamon.  Set aside.

  Cream together the rest of the butter with the muscovado sugar and egg.  When smooth and creamy, stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the soured cream (or yoghurt).  Lastly, stir in the rhubarb.

  Pour the cake mixture into the tin and level the surface before sprinkling with the sugar and nut streusel topping.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  

  Keeps for 4-5 days in an airtight tin.

In The Kitchen

Plum Clafoutis

A delicious pudding of succulent plums baked in a custard like batter; wonderful warm from the oven!

Ingredients:

4 oz plain flour

4 oz caster sugar

4 large eggs

21 fluid oz milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

8 medium sized plums, stoned and cut into slices

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar

3 tbsp flaked almonds

Icing sugar for dusting

1. 
   
   Put the sliced plums in a small saucepan with the cinnamon, 1 1/2 tbsp of caster sugar and a dash of water.  Cook for five to ten minutes until the plums are tender and the sugar and water has made a syrup.  Set uside.
2. 
   
   Blend the flour, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg in a food processor and leave to rest for 30 minutes; give it a quick whizz again just before you pour it into the dish.
3. 
   
   Preheat the oven to 220°C ( fan oven 190°C).  Butter a medium sized oven proof dish and dust with icing sugar (sprinkle the icing sugar in and dust it round with a pastry brush).
4. 
   
   Spread the plums evenly on the base of the dish, pour over the batter and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden, risen and springy to touch (you may need to cover with foil if it browns too quickly).  Serve warm from the oven. 

In The Kitchen

Blueberry Streusel Cake

Makes 10 slices.

A gorgeous almondy cake topped with sweet blueberries and a nutty, golden crumble.

Ingredients:
6 oz butter, softened

4 oz caster sugar

9 oz plain flour

3 oz ground almonds

2 large eggs (or 3 small)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

350g pack of frozen or fresh blueberries

2 oz muscovado sugar

2 oz flaked almonds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. 
   
   Preheat oven to 190°C (fan 160°C).  Grease and line a 81/2 inch round spring-form cake tin.
2. 
   
   Cream butter and sugar together until smooth, them rub in the flour and ground almonds to a nice crumbly mixture.  Take out 7oz of this crumble and set aside.
3. 
   
   Beat the eggs, baking powder and vanilla essence into remaining mixture until soft and creamy.  Spoon into tin, spreading evenly.  Arrange fruit on top and sprinkle with muscovado sugar.
4. 
   
   Stir flaked almonds and cinnamon into reserved crumble and scatter evenly over top of cake.  Bake for 50-60 minutes (cover after 15 mins if browning) until an inserted skewer comes out clean.  Cool, then remove from tin and serve with double cream.