Coffee and walnut cake
This classic coffee and walnut cake is topped with an easy espresso-infused butter cream icing.
Ingredients
- For the cake
-
- 225g/8oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 4 free-range eggs
- 50ml/1¾fl oz strong espresso coffee
- 225g/8oz self-raising flour
- 75g/2½oz walnuts
- For the butter cream topping
-
- 125g/4½oz unsalted butter
- 200g/7oz icing sugar
- 50ml/2fl oz strong espresso coffee
- 12 walnut halves, to decorate
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until very light and pale.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well to completely incorporate each egg before adding the next egg.
- Add the espresso to the mixture and stir well.
- Add the flour and walnuts and stir well to completely combine.
- Spoon the cake mixture into two lined and greased 20cm/8in cake tins.
- Transfer to the oven to bake 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the cake is golden-brown.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
- For the butter cream topping, beat the butter and icing sugar together in a small bowl until pale and light.
- Add the espresso and mix well.
- Spread the butter cream over the top of each cake, then place one cake on top of the other.
- Decorate the top of the cake with the walnut halves and serve in generous slices.
Mice in jackets
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes
- 1 tbsp oil
- 30g/1oz butter
- 6 tbsp milk
- grated cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- cherry tomatoes
- chives
- raisins
- radishes
- spring onions
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Wash the potatoes and pat them dry. Prick the skins with a fork and put the potatoes on a baking tray. Brush them all over with oil.
- Bake the potatoes until they are soft. Medium-sized potatoes take about an hour.
- Cool enough to handle? Then cut off the tops and carefully scoop out the soft potato centres. You can throw away the lids (or eat them).
- Mash the soft centres with the butter, milk and cheese. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, then pop the mixture back into the potato jackets.
- Sprinkle with cheese and cook your potatoes under the grill for a few minutes until they are golden.
- Make a nose and whiskers with half a cherry tomato held in place with a cocktail stick and chives tucked behind.
- Finish decorating with raisin eyes, radish ears and spring onion tails.
Berry cheesecake in a glass
Hungry but in a hurry? This easy berrylicious cheesecake can be whipped-up in a flash.
Ingredients
- 150g/5¼oz mixed seasonal berries (such as blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries)
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 4 ginger biscuits
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 125g/4½oz mascarpone
Preparation method
- Heat the berries, caster sugar and one tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small pan, stirring well to combine, for 3-4 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have broken down. Set aside to cool.
- Place the biscuits into a freezer bag and crush using a rolling pin until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low to medium heat.
- Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter in a bowl until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the bottom of two large serving glasses.
- Place the mascarpone into a large mixing bowl and fold in the lemon zest, remaining lemon juice and icing sugar.
Throw-together banoffee pie
Ingredients
- 300g/10½oz oat or ginger biscuits
- 60g/2¼oz butter
- 450g/1lb jar dulce de leche (sweet toffee sauce), available from Spanish delicatessens and some supermarkets
- 3 large ripe bananas, peeled, sliced
- 350ml/12¼fl oz double cream
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- 100g/3½oz dark chocolate, grated, to serve
Preparation method
- Place the biscuits into a freezer bag and crush using a rolling pin until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low to medium heat.
- Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter in a bowl until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the bottom of a tart tin and press down to form an even layer.
- Spread the dulce de leche evenly over the biscuit base.
- Arrange the sliced bananas in an even layer on top of the dulce de leche. Cover the tart tin with cling film and chill in the fridge for one hour.
- When the banoffee base has chilled, whip the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Spread the whipped cream over the bananas.
Pavlova
Get perfect results every time with this quick and easy pavlova recipe. Top with whatever delicious fruits you have to hand.
Ingredients
- 8 large egg whites (at room temperature)
- pinch of salt
- 350g/12oz caster sugar
- 2 tsps/10g cornflour
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 1 tsp/5ml white wine vinegar
- 4 drops vanilla essence
- 300ml/½pint double cream, firmly whipped
- selection of prepared tropical fruit e.g. mango, pineapple, passion fruit.
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Draw a 20cm/8inch circle on the paper.
- Whisk the egg whites with half the sugar and the salt in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the remaining sugar until stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cornflour, cream of tartar, vinegar and vanilla essence and fold in gently with a metal spoon.
- Mould the egg white mix onto the paper within the circle. Flatten the top and smooth the sides. Place in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and cook for 1¼ hours.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar and allow to cool completely. Invert 'Pav' onto a plate, gently push down the meringue then pile on the cream and dress with the tropical fruit.
Lemon and lime pavlova
End your meal on a high note with this citrus centrepiece topped with tangy passion fruit.
Ingredients
- For the meringue
-
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- 3 free-range egg whites, whisked in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed
- ½ tsp sherry vinegar
- For the filling
-
- 2 lemons, juice and zest
- 3 limes, juice and zest
- 175g/6oz caster sugar
- 3 free-range eggs, plus 5 free-range egg yolks
- 150g/5oz butter, softened
- 200g/7oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed
- 12 passion fruit, pulp only, to serve
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- For the meringue, whisk the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, into the stiffened egg whites, until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Gently fold in the sherry vinegar.
Technique: Folding - Spoon the meringue mixture onto the prepared baking tray to form a circle about 20cm/8in in diameter. Spoon the remaining meringue in dollops around the edge of the meringue, forming swirls and peaks as you go.
- Transfer the meringue to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the meringue has hardened on the outside, but is still soft and chewy in the middle.
- Meanwhile, for the filling, place the lemon juice and zest, lime juice and zest, caster sugar, eggs, egg yolks and 75g/2¾oz of the butter into a heavy-based pan. Whisk over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Meringues with clotted cream and strawberries
Rick Stein shows how to make the ultimate meringue in this simple eight-step recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
- 350g/12oz caster sugar
- 300ml/½ pint clotted cream
- 900g/2lb fresh small strawberries
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
- Put the egg whites into a large clean bowl and add 110g/4oz of the sugar. Whisk together into soft peaks.
- Then, continuing to whisk, gradually add another 110g/4oz of sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Gently fold in the remaining sugar.
