2009-10-18 - LFGSS Cake & Bake Off

your courgete cake was da bizzness Emily- we can haz recipee?

nom nom nom

That was awesome guys, I'm craving salad and fruit now.
Pickle was a worth winner...but next year...scheme

oh and for those that asked - recipe for cashew nut brittle - sugar thermometers rule!

http://thefoody.com/sweets/peanutbrittle.html

oh and yes courgette cake recipe plz!

I'll show you mine if you show me yours...?

Courgette cake

Ingredients:

* 250g soft butter
* 450g sugar
* 4 eggs
* 350g self raising flour
* 2 squirts lemon juice
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 2 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh, but only because I had it lying around)
* 1/4 nutmeg, grated
* 350g courgette, grated
* 1 handful of any dried fruit (I used sultanas)

Method:

1. Grease and line tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat oven to 180°C (170°C for fan ovens).
   
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time.
   
3. Mix the spices into the flour. Fold 1/3 of the flour into the batter, followed by 1 squirt of lemon juice, and repeat this using the remaining flour and lemon, so that all the ingredients are well combined.
   
4. Stir in the courgette and fruit.
   
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and place on the centre shelf of the preheated oven. Leave the cake to cook for about an hour and a half* or until it has a decent crust. Turn the cake out on a rack and allow to cool.
   
   

(*NB. I took it out of the oven after the recommended time, and after a few minutes the middle had sunk, and I could see that it was still uncooked inside. So I put it back in again, and after at least another hour and a half, possibly longer, it was finally solid. The only reason I took it out when I did was that I was worried the top would start to burn. But all ovens are different, so this is FYI only.)

...or should this happen in a separate thread?

That was awesome guys, I'm craving salad and fruit now.
Pickle was a worth winner...but next year...scheme

Next year? Pssssht - next month! (Rose and I decided that it would be really good fun to have a brisk autumnal tweed ride, followed by afternoon tea - and a similar orgy of cake - sometime before Christmas. Now I just need to convince someone that it was really their idea, so that they'll shoulder the burden of organizing it.)

Oh, and the recipe for that huge quantity of cream cheese icing my cake was drowned in:

300g cream cheese
700g icing sugar

Combine the two. It doesn't look like that tiny amount of cheese will accommodate that huge amount of sugar, but it will, and more besides. You could probably get up to a kilo in there, and it might end up stiffer.

Flavour with vanilla, or lemon, or cinnamon, or whatever you fancy. (I used vanilla extract - about 2 tsp.)

Next year? Pssssht - next month!

that's what I was thinking - and I am in like Flynn!

Gutted that I missed the ginger & lime cheesecake, could you sort me out a recipe Konijn?
Already planning that little tweak, know what I mean Wayno? ;-)

the cheesecake was awesome Robb [a little dispute on whether it was technically a cheesecake bu it was lish nonetheless and won it's category]

I really want the cheesecake recipe too!

(Still on a sugar high.)

I did feel a little 'unsettled' on the ride home - cheesecake + polo gearing + going uphill is not a happy combo - had to have a cracker with some marmite on when I got in to try and counter all that sugary goodness

I just got in, what a jolly evening. Massive thanks to Steve and the staff at the C&H, Snowy, Oliver, everyone who baked cakes, everyone who ate cakes and all the people who sorted things out before I turned up late (oops). I didn't try half as many cakes as I wanted but then ones I did were super tasty.

Bed now

What a brilliant evening! and day altogether. a well deserved gorging of cake after a spin round the track.

I thought Natt's velodrome look amazing. I must say the lemon drizzle cake was moist and zingy tres bon. But orange chocolate cake Claire - Top marks! nom nom nom. . .
Oh and the vegan chocolate cake ouff, that chocolate sauce wow!
I think I missed the peanut butter cookies mind - but after trying lots of amazing food I was so full and sluggish but yet had a sugar high, i thought i was going to pass out with a sugar over load.

the ride after the pub was sugar fueled indeed

big congratulations to all the bakers, everything was top notch stuff, a real borough market vibe

this forum is fucking awesome

That was lovely. Perfect for me to taste all the vegan stuff on offer, and it was all delicious. Bakers of the night for me were Hugh and Nhatt. Both chocolate cakes, Nhatt's HH cake, and her cupcakes were fantastic. I've got a box full of stuff in my bag. It'll be a good start to the week. :)

FYI in case any of the Southies didn't hear--there's cake for Souths tomorrow at the C&H, just ask for it. Some lovely leftovers!

Well done for organising, Ed!

Well I didn't even bring anything to the table yet I left with sweet-stuffed tupperware to start off my week! Thanks Hugh and thanks to all for seriously competent baked-products.
Someone please post up a photo of Nhatt's Herne Hill spectacular: t'was something else.

Was i the only one that voted for this cake?

1 Attachment

Was i the only one that voted for this cake?

Yes. I overheard reeen saying that he wouldn't vote for his cake, as he thought that was wrong. :P

Yes. I overheard reeen saying that he wouldn't vote for his cake, as he thought that was wrong. :P

... since it was mine X)

man, i was never so sugar sicked and then ready to go kind of drunk on cider and still hacking it to to the point of busting nipples (yeah, again ... while accelerating) but the fastest ever is and will be timmeeeeh ... and i explicitly don't mean riding.

pffffffffffffffffT!

loved it ^ all of it! count me in next time, i'll get the icing right then :P

this forum is fucking awesome

is this the sugar talking?

anyway, i'd say . . . woooord!

Although no-one *specifically *asked for the recipe here is the awesome recipe for the vegan chocolate cake. Thanks Oliver - I would never have thought that the cake (and the icing) was going to be so fantastic. The secret is the vinegar/bicarb reaction.

Chocolate Cake

225g/8oz caster sugar
4 dssps cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
225g/9oz plain white flour
85g/3oz plain wholemeal flour
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
170ml/6fl oz vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla essence 4 tsp vinegar
350ml/2/3 pint cold water

Choc icing:
55g/2oz margarine 4tbsp soya milk 140g/5oz sugar
30g/1oz cocoa powder, sieved
1 tsp vanilla essence

Decoration:
50g/2oz plain chocolate

1. Mix thoroughly the sugar, cocoa, salt, flour and bicarbonate of soda in
   a mixing bowl.
   
2. Add the oil, vanilla essence and vinegar and pour cold water over the mixture. Beat well with fork.
   
3. Pour into two greased sandwich tins. Cook at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes or until the cake springs back lightly when pressed.
   
4. Cool thoroughly.
   
5. Make the icing: combine the first four ingredients in a saucepan and bring them to the boil slowly, stirring constantly.
   
6. Boil for 1 minute.
   
7. Remove from heat and beat until cold (you can do this in a bowl of cold water, but let it cool a bit first or the icing sticks to the bottom of the pan). Mix in the vanilla essence.
   
8. Sandwich the cakes together with a thin spread of hazelnut carobella and/or your favourite jam/fruit spread.
   
9. Put chocolate icing on the top, then flakes of chocolate (just cut the chocolate really finely with a sharp knife and/or grate the chocolate).
   

Ok so here is the award winning (well, 3rd place) Lemon drizzle cake recipe!

• 115g unsalted butter
• 115g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 100g ground almonds
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 200g self-raising flour

for the lemon syrup
• 100g caster sugar
• 90g lemon juice

for the lemon icing
• 225g icing sugar
• zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

Beat the butter with the caster sugar until creamy then add the eggs one by one, beating each in well. Add ground almonds, the lemon zest and juice and sift in the flour. Pour the mix into the cake tin with greaseproof paper, the bake for 35 minutes. Once its cooked put the cake on a rack to cool.

Make the lemon syrup by heating the sugar and lemon juice in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. Make lots of little holes in the top with a cocktail stick and pour the syrup over.

To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice then stir.
When your cake is almost cool pour the icing carefully over the top.

Easy peasy!

there were some amazing looking cakes, and i hear that the cupcakes were fantastic as well.

Well done to everyone for bringing such yummy stuff to the table and organising this.

Ginger and Lime Cheesecake:

(enough to make a monster cake, you'll need a very deep 20cm spring-form tin):

• 175g caster sugar
  
• 450g soft cream cheese
  
• 75ml fresh squeezed lime juice
  
• 175g crème fraîche
  
• 475ml double cream
  

• 1 or 2 packets of stem ginger biscuits (plus a small chunk of real ginger if you want)

• For the base, crush the biscuits and press into the bottom of a 20cm spring-form tin.

• For the filling, mix the sugar and cream cheese together. Whisk the lime juice with the double cream and crème fraîche to soft peaks. Fold everything together, and throw in some lime zest (and grated ginger if you're using it). Keep the mixture cool until you need it, but don't chill it

• Spoon or pipe a layer of cheesecake mix over the biscuit base, add in extra layers of biscuit if you want.

• Chill for at least 5 hours and keep chilled until you need to cut it.

The recipe is adapted from the Gordon Ramsey Chocolate Cheesecake one. I used extra light cream cheese, and half-fat crème fraîche and double cream for my cake though, which made it really light and a bit mousse-like, but it will slump if you serve it on a flat plate. If you use full-fat cheese and cream the cake will set much harder and will stand on its own on a plate.

Orange Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 Seville orange
  
• a little melted butter , for greasing
  
• 100g plain chocolate , broken into pieces
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 280g caster sugar
  
• 240ml sunflower oil
  
• 25g cocoa powder
  
• 250g plain flour
  
• 1½ tsp baking powder
  

• orange candied peel , to decorate

          **FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE**
  

• 200g plain chocolate , broken into pieces

• 225ml double cream

• Pierce the orange with a skewer (right through). Cook in boiling water for 30 minutes until soft. Whizz the whole orange in a food processor until smooth; let cool.

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C.Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9in round cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave for 2 minutes on High, stirring after 1 minute. Let cool.

• In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, sugar and oil. Gradually beat in the puréed orange, discarding any pips, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate. Sift in the cocoa, flour and baking powder. Mix well and pour into the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 55 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the middle. (Check after 45 minutes and cover with foil if it is browning too much.) Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

• Make the chocolate ganache: put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until firm enough to spread over the cake - up to 1½ hours.

• Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Using a palette knife, swirl the ganache over the top. Decorate with strips of candied orange peel.

Thank you to everyone who took time to bake and prepare. Sadly I didn't and felt guilty arriving with my mammoth tupperware. Truly delicious!

Like the Wayne, I had to go home and temper the sweetness with savory to calm down my bubbling brain.

Can we combine tweed with tea and cakes as suggested above? Please?!