Cakes

Courgette and chocolate cake

| Too busy to make

image

Here is another cake made with grated courgette – please don’t stop reading now! This one is gluten free as it is made with rice flour and ground pistachio nuts. The sponge contains cocoa powder for a rich, dark chocolate flavour and it is sandwiched together with a cocoa flavoured butter cream. The grated courgette keep the sponge moist and the ground pistachio nuts give it a slight crunch. It seems strange to make a cake with vegetables and then say you can’t tell that they are there but don’t be put off – this is a delicious cake!

Courgette and ricotta cake

| Too busy to make

20160516_215402

I tried out a new recipe yesterday – a courgette and ricotta cake made with gluten-free flour and polenta. The green flecks in the sponge are grated courgette and thyme leaves, while the cake is topped with lemon juice, grated lime zest and thyme leaves. The polenta gives the cake a crunchy texture. This cake will definitely be going onto my list of those to make again.

Christmas preparations – cakes and panforte

| Too busy to make

P1050215P1050190

I am still taking orders for Christmas cakes and Panforte. All cakes and Panforte are baked to order so if you would like one, please contact me as soon as possible.

The Christmas cakes are made with butter, dark muscovado sugar, organic eggs and flour and a variety of dried fruits that have been soaked in brandy for at least 24 hours, as well as nuts and treacle. The spices used are cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and mixed spices. The cakes will last well into the New Year and in fact I used this recipe for our wedding cake and we used a layer at the christening of our daughter 5 years after the cake was baked – it was however, re-iced!

The Panforte are made with honey, soft brown sugar, dried figs and apricots, candied peel, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, ground almonds, flour, cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg.

Both can be made in a variety of sizes but these are the main ones offered :

£8.00 Panforte 800g

£10.00 Panforte 1200g

£15.00 Christmas cake 6″ round or 5″ square

£20.00 Christmas cake 9″ round or 8″ square

£30.00 Christmas cake 11″ round or 10″ square

Cakes can be covered with marzipan and icing for an additional cost – please contact me to discuss details on 01892 523912 or 07787 963896

A busy week- and a busy weekend

Link | | Too busy to make

400P1050214

Last Saturday, I went to Frant Primary School to sell preserves and Christmas food gifts at their Christmas Fair. It was my first opportunity to sell to the general public so I was interested to see how it went. I had 2 chutneys, a jam and a marmalade open to taste as well as samples of Panforte and Christmas cake. It was good to get such positive feedback and I was delighted to sell several jars and cakes.

Then on Sunday, I delivered an order to http://www.southdownscellars.co.uk for their hampers – oatcakes, almonds, biscotti, Panforte, chutneys, mincemeat and compôte. I hope the food will be enjoyed with the excellent wines.

There is still time to order a Christmas cake or a Panforte to enjoy at Christmas and I still have some jars of mincemeat if you want to make your own mince pies. Please email me at toobusytomake@btinternet.com with your requirements.

 

 

 

Christmas preparations – the cake

| Too busy to make

P1050200

Before I make my Christmas cake, I like to soak the fruit in brandy for a few days. This helps to plump up the raisins, currants, sultanas, prunes, dates, apricots, figs, cherries, candied peel, cranberries and stem ginger. I normally make a 9″ or 23cm cake for our family which will last us until next Easter – over 2lb of fruit goes into this cake.

Stir up Sunday is 22 November this year, so this bowl of dried fruit will be perfectly ready to add to the rest of the ingredients and baked. I will then feed it with brandy over the next month before covering it with marzipan and icing it just before Christmas.

Panforte

| Too busy to make

P1050190P1050185 P1050191

 

This Italian cake is make from dried apricots, figs, candied peel, nuts and spices with honey and sugar. It has a dense consistency with the crunch of whole hazelnuts and almonds. Serve it with coffee or an afternoon treat – a little will go a long way. It also makes a good alternative Christmas cake and a perfect gift!

No bake chocolate cake

| Too busy to make

P1050171

 

This is a rich fruit and nut chocolate cake containing hazelnuts, cherries, stem ginger, raisins, dried apricots and amaretti biscuits all coated in dark chocolate and butter. The dark coloured chocolate contrasts with the colour of the fruit giving this cake a jewelled appearance. It sets in the fridge and can be cut into small squares to use as petit fours with coffee or small slices for a rich dessert. The amaretti are wheat and gluten free making this a useful gluten free alternative.

Orange and olive oil cake

| Too busy to make

P1050165 P1050173

 

I was asked to make a cake for a friend’s birthday breakfast and made this as it can be eaten with yoghurt and fruit but is not too sweet. It also has the benefit of being gluten free and having no refined sugar added. It uses unsulphured apricots (the dark ones) and ground almonds together with a boiled orange. The cake is topped with orange slices. This also makes a great pudding.

Take one pumpkin ……

| Too busy to make

P1050178 P105018120151105_201123 20151105_201136P1050183

 

This year, I decided to make good use of the pumpkin I bought for Halloween. First, I made a pumpkin and corn bread with semolina and chilli flakes – it has a slightly gritty texture and heat from the chilli and goes well with soups. Next I made a sweet pumpkin cake, similar to carrot cake, with grated pumpkin and sultanas and flavoured with orange. I decided not to add the sweet cream cheese topping, although i can see that would make it a delicious pudding. Then I washed the seeds and dried them out in the oven before tossing them with salt, smoked paprika and olive oil. They made a lovely crunchy snack. For supper, I prepared a spicy pumpkin soup with harissa and chickpeas as I had seen an interesting recipe in the weekend newspaper. Finally, I made a pumpkin and raisin chutney with spices and pepper which goes excellently with cheese.