Raspberry Crumble

Raspberry Crumble

Shopping List:

For the filling:

500 gr raspberries (frambozen)
1 tablespoon golden caster sugar

For the crumble topping:

225 gr plain flour
110 gr butter softened in small pieces
75 gr light brown sugar

Double Cream (chilled) to serve with or vanilla ice cream


Preheat your oven to 180C.


First you make the topping. Place the flour in a large mixing bowl, then add the butter and rub it into fine crumbs. Then you add the sugar and again combine.

Arrange the raspberries in a (round) dish and sprinkle over the sugar, then the crumble mixture. Use a fork if you want to spread it all over the raspberries.

Place the crumble on a middle to high shelf in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is a golden brown.

                                                                 "Enjoy"

Caramelised Orange & Poppy Seed Cake

Caramelised Orange
& Poppy Seed Cake                                                              It's Delicious!





Shopping List:

For the cake:

2 oranges, zested and juiced
30 gr Poppy Seed ( Blauwmaanzaad)
100 ml milk
200 gr butter, softened
175 gr caster sugar
3 eggs, large, free range please
300 gr self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder ( backin Dr. Oetker)

Caramelised Oranges

125 gr caster sugar
2 Oranges peeled and sliced

Icing

100 gr caster sugar
left over orange juice


First we are going to make the caramelised oranges:

Put the caster sugar in a frying pan in an even layer and heat this until the sugar starts to melt and turns a golden colour. Tip the pan slightly from left to right. Once the sugar has turned a dark gold you can CAREFULLY add half the orange juice from the cake oranges. STAND BACK from the pan! Keep on the heat and add the orange slices  and heat gently for 5 minutes until thay have softened up. Drain, but keep! the caramel and slices for later.

Now you preheat your oven to 160C and grease or spray and line your cake tin. Beat the butter, orange zest and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Mix the eggs in one at a time. Then you sift the flour in with the baking powder and lastly add the poppy seeds and the milk. Stir until all is blended nicely. Spoon half of the mixture into your prepared tin. Add a layer of caramelised oranges and cover this with the rest of your mixture.

Put your filled up tin into your preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until your cake-tester comes out clean.

Whilst your cake is in the oven and nearly done, you can make the icing, by adding the sugar to the remaining orange juice and stir. Add this mixture to the caramel. The sugar does not need to dissolve. Pour over the hot cake straight out of your oven when it is still in the tin and lay the rest of the orange slices down the centre of the cake and leave it all to cool in the tin. Only turn out the cake when it is completely cooled !

This cake is delicious! Very refreshing on a warm summers day!

                                                            "Enjoy"

Goats Cheese, Pistachio and Prune Cake

Goats Cheese, Pistachio and Prune Cake

A recipe by Rachel Khoo from her book Little Paris Kitchen

Shopping List:

250 gr plain flour
15 gr baking powder (the little packets from Backin contain 16 gr so please weigh it)
about 175 gr goats cheese blanc 50+ roughly chopped
80 gr pistachios, roughly chopped
about 2 fresh prunes (100 gr) roughly chopped
4 large eggs, free range please
100 ml milk
150 ml olive oil
50 gr plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon salt and some fresh pepper


According to my daughter Stephanie, who came up with this recipe and made it herself, it is very nice and we have to agree!

An excellent lunch treat or a perfect starter for a dinner party.


                                                          "Enjoy"

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

Can be an overnighter, if you bake it late in the afternoon.


Shopping List:

8 digestive biscuits
50 gr butter, melted
600 gr cream cheese
2 tablespoons plain flour
175 gr caster (fine) sugar
a few drops of vanilla extract
2 eggs, plus 1 yolk, free range please
about 142 ml pot soured cream
300 gr raspberries ( i used frozen) divided 150 -150 gr
icing sugar



Preheat your oven to 180C. Crush the biscuits (plastic bag-rolling pin) and mix with the melted butter. Press this mixture into a 20cm springform tin with a the back of a dinner spoon and bake it in your preheated oven for 5 minutes. Let it cool.

Beat the cream cheese with the flour, the sugar, the vanilla, the eggs and yolk and the soured cream until light and fluffy and well combined. Stir in the 150 gr raspberries and pour this mixture into your prepared tin. Bake this in your preheated oven for about 40 minutes. When you check the cake it should be sort of set but wobbly in the middle. Leave it in the tin to cool down completely. I left it overnight in the larder.

The last raspberries are used for the topping, but first we will pick out the nicest and fullest for the top decoration. The rest we put in a small pan with the icing sugar and heat this until juicy. Squash it in a sieve with a fork and push through to get a raspberry sauce. Pour this over the cheesecake and top with the rest of the berries.

An excellent dessert or a Ladies Circle Coffee morning!


                                                              "Enjoy"

Peach Crumble

Peach Crumble

Old Fashioned and lovely with some ice cream!



Shopping List:
For the bottom:

About 8 peaches, sliced ( i used tinned) but when fresh: peeled
55 gr light brown sugar
3 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the topping:

150 gr plain flour
200 gr plain sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder (backin)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg, beaten lightly
110 gr butter, melted and cooled
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preheat your oven to 180C. Place the peaches in a greased shallow baking dish. Get your smaller bowl out and combine the brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon peel and cinnamon together and sprinkle this over your prepared peaches.

In another bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir in the beaten egg until the mixture will look like coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this over the mixture that is over the peaches. Pour the now cooled melted butter over the topping as evenly as possible.

Put your dish in your prepared oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until a golden brown. Serve with ice cream if you want.


                                                                 "Enjoy"

Dutch Strawberries & poppy seed Cake

Dutch Strawberries and poppy seed Cake

In the Netherlands poppy seed is called Moon seed. We use it on breads and desserts. it doesn't really grow on the Moon ofcourse, it's from the Poppy flower, we call Papaver.
Don't worry, it's just for taste, it doesn't do anything else, ;-)


Shopping List:

For the cakes:

4 tablespoons Poppy seed ( Maan zaad) Use only 3 first)
200 gr unsalted butter, melted and cooled
225 gr plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (backin Dr. Oetker)
4 large eggs, free range please
225 gr caster sugar (fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the syrup and the cream:

The zest and juice of 1 large Orange
100 gr caster sugar (fine) divided in 1/2
1 tablespoon Orange liqueur (typical Dutch) (but optional)
170 gr of full Greek Yoghurt
400ml créme fraîche
Big basket of Atalanta's or other Dutch strawberries
of which we use a little over 350 gr.
And some extra to serve with extra cream.


Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease or spray and line 2 x 20cm springform tins.
Mix together your flour and the baking powder and put this to the side. Get your electric whisk out and beat the sugar with the eggs until voluminously pale and frothy. Pour the cooled down butter and the vanilla in and whisk again. Then you sift in the flour and 3 tablespoons of poppy seed in the mix. Fold it in gently until well incorporated. Pour this mixture evenly into your prepared tins. Put your filled tins in your preheated oven and bake the cakes for about 25 minutes until they are golden and your cake-tester comes out clean. Let them cool in the tins for about 10 minutes, turn them out and let them cool further on your wire rack.

Warm the Orange juice and 50 gr of the sugar in your microwave for about 30 seconds or more to make the syrup. If you are using it, stir in the liqueur. Stir gently. To cut the cakes horizontally you can use a serrated knife, like a bread knife. Now you have 4 cakes. Get your syrup and spoon or brush the tops and sides of the cakes. Let it soak in nicely.

Get your yoghurt, créme fraîche and the rest of the sugar plus the orange zest into a bowl and whisk it until it has a spreadable texture to it. This will happen so be patient. Now you can assemble the 4 cakes (in any order eally).
Start with the cream, put the sliced strawberries on top, then gently lower the cake on top. Finish with a creamy layer on top. Scatter the last of the poppy seeds on top and decorate with some strawberries that you didn't eat.

Let the cake settle in a cool place for about 30-40 minutes before slicing triangles/diamonds onto a pretty plate. Serve with extra strawberries and cream on the side. Mmmmmm.


If you are going to have a dinner party, you can bake the cake (without the filling) and freeze (which will keep for up to 14 days or more) or make it the day before. The filling can be made the day before aswell. Makes things a bit easier i say.


It is rather delicious!

                                                                 "Enjoy"

Ordering a Cake

If you see a nice cake you would like, but are not able to make it yourself?  Or maybe you just don't want all the bother or mess in your kitchen: I'll bake it ! Just let me know.

They are not exactly HEMA or Albert H. cakes (not that there is anything wrong with that). I bake UnDutch cakes. A little bit different and home made. In a smoke free environment ofcourse.

If you want a cake without Milk or Butter? Gluten Free? No sugar? Kosher? Or maybe you have other wishes that concern a diet? Or an extremely special occasion? Let me know and i can tell you what i have in my recipe albums.

If you want to order a Christmas Cake: I start making them in September/October at the latest.

I have years of experience in baking. Just go through all the cakes, cupcakes and breads i have made up until now and see if there is anything you'd like.

Bestellen kan natuurlijk ook in het Nederlands!!!


See you soon!

 

 

Wimbledon Cake

Wimbledon Cake

This cake is perfect not just for Wimbledon, but for all summer occasions says Mary Berry. It uses no flour, and the semolina used instead gives it a slightly crunchy, close texture. The cake must be eaten on the day of filling.

I say: 

Game, Set and Match!

                                                                      "Enjoy"


If you want the recipe either buy Mary Berry's book or contact me.

Penelope's Pecan & Banana Fudge Cake

Penelope's Pecan & Banana Fudge Cake



Shopping List:

2 ripe (not too small) Bananas, mashed
2 eggs, free range please and beaten
100 gr butter, melted
100 gr toffee yoghurt (if you can get it) or greek yoghurt
100 gr light soft brown sugar
200 gr self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (backin Dr Oetker)
100 gr Pecan Nuts, roughly chopped and divided into 1/4 and 3/4
150 gr Werthers chewey toffees chopped roughly and divided into 1/2 and 1/2


Preheat your oven to 160C. Grease or spray and line your loaf tin. Mix the bananas, eggs, butter, yoghurt and sugar until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the combined sieved flour and baking powder. Gently fold it in. Fold in 3/4 of the Pecans and 1/2 of the toffees.

Pour this smooth mixture into your prepared tin and level the top if need be. Scatter the remaining nuts and toffees over your tin and put it into your preheated oven for about 50 to 55 minutes or until it is nicely risen and springy to the touch. use your cake-tester to see if it comes out clean.
let the cake cool in the tin. After that you can turn it out and peel off the paper and let it cool further on your wire rack.
If you want to keep this cake up to 3 to 4 days, keep it wrapped in baking paper in an airtight container.

It smells divine!

                                                               "Enjoy"

Summer Rose Bundt Cake

Summer Rose Bundt Cake



Shopping List:
335 gr butter, softened
225 gr Philadelphia or other cream cheese (mascarpone)
675 gr granulated sugar
6 large eggs
330 gr plain flour
2 teaspoons rosewater
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:

60 ml rosebud tea
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
240 gr icing sugar
1 tablespoon buttermilk

Decorate with any roses you like

Preheat your oven to 160C. Grease/spray and flour your Bundt tin.

Make the tea and let it cool.

Cream butter and cheese and gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Now slowly add the eggs one by one. Spoon  the sieved flour into the mixture, slowly, do not beat the air out of it. Stir the vanilla and the rosewater into the mixture.  Pour this into your prepared Bundt tin.

Put this into your preheated oven and bake it for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until your caketester comes out clean. Let it cool in the tin after which you can turn it out onto your cooling rack.

When the cake is completely cool you can make the icing: Mix all your ingredients until smooth and pour this gently over the baked cake. Decorate at will with roses, any will do and roses are edible.

                                                                  "Enjoy"

Minty Strawberry Tea Cake

Minty Strawberry Tea Cake

For Anne !


Shopping List:

120 gr golden caster sugar
1 tablespoon mint leaves
60 gr melted butter
2 eggs, free range please
120 gr sifted plain flour (all purpose)

For the filling:

1/4 jar strawberry jam, maybe more, maybe less
225 gr tub clotted cream or whipped cream
200 gr basket of strawberries (atalanta's)
100 gr icing sugar
Few drops of mint extract, if you want


Put the fresh mint leaves and the sugar into your food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
Grease or spray and line 2 sandwich tins (18cm) and preheat your oven to 180C.

Use your electric or tabletop mixer to mix the minty sugar and the eggs together for about 10 minutes until nice and frothy. Gently sift the flour over it and lightly fold it in the mixture being careful not to churn the air out of it.  Add a little more and a little butter alternating until everything is well incorporated. Gently pour the airy mixture into your prepared tins and bake them into your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are lightly browned and a little risen. Cool them in the tins for  about 5-6 minutes and then you can turn them out onto your wire rack(s).

Spread the base layer (whichever one) with some strawberry jam and layer some clotted cream or whipped cream on top of that. Slice some strawberries and layer them on top of the cream. Put the top cake on. Mix your icing sugar with some water, enough to make a glacé icing that you can spoon over the cake. If you want you can flavour the icing with some drops of mint exttract if you have it. Decorate the cake at will, with some strawberries and a nice pattern of the glacé icing. Even some fresh mintleaves from your garden.


                                                                 "Enjoy"


I baked this cake for Anne Johnson's birthday. She lives on the other side of the world. So she will have to guess how it tastes.

Black Forest Cherry Torte

Black Forest Cherry Torte


Shopping List:

175 gr salted butter or unsalted with a pinch of salt
200 gr dark chocolate 69% cocoa solids
300 gr plain flour
375 gr golden caster sugar
25 gr cocoa powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 medium eggs
200 gr buttermilk or natural yoghurt

To put it all together:

425 gr can or glass pitted cherries, 2 tablespoons reserved, rest drained
100 gr morello (if you can get it) cherry jam
4 tablespoons kirsch (optionional)
500 ml tub double cream
3 tablespoons icing sugar
a basket of cherries

Preheat your oven to 180C. and grease or spray and line 3- 20cm round cake tins or springforms.
Put the kettle on. Put the butter in pieces and 75 gr of the chocolate broken into pieces into a small pan and gently heat it, stirring, completely melting together.

Then you mix the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarb with a pinch of salt in one of your mixing bowls. Whisk the 2 eggs and the buttermilk or the yoghurt together. Scrape the melted chocolate out of your pan and the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Add 100ml of boiling water and quickly use your electric whisk until the mixture is without clumps and lumps.

Divide the mixture between the 3 prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes. Use your caketester to see if they are done. Prick the cakes a few times as you will want to drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice and the Kirsch (optional). Then you let the cakes cool off, turn out, and let them cool off further onto your wire rack.

In another bowl you mix the drained cherries with the jam and give it a good stir. Pour 200 ml of the double cream into a small pan and heat it on your hob until just below simmering point. Put the remaining chocolate, chopped into pieces, into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and keep stirring until it is all melted. Put it away until it is more spreadable. (Nutella like).

When your 3 cakes have totally cooled, whisk the remaining double cream and the icing sugar together in a bowl until softly whipped. Spread this over 2 of the cakes. Then you can spoon the JamCherries over the cream and stack the 2 cakes together.
Now you can spread the chocolate cream over the 3rd and last cake and put it on top of the other cakes.

Put a little mountain of the fresh cherries in and around the cake.
 

                                                             "Enjoy"

White Chocolate Mousse Cake with Dutch Strawberries

White Chocolate Mousse Cake with Dutch Strawberries


No oven required! Just a sleepover in the fridge!



Shopping List:
175 gr digestive biscuits
75 gr melted butter
400 gr white chocolate
400 ge strawberries (atalanta's)
300 gr  mascarpone or another full-fat soft cheese
200 ml double cream


Crush the biscuits in a bag or plastic bag with your rolling pin and add them to the melted butter.
Mix well and put this mixture into a 20cm lined loose-bottomed or springform tin. Smooth all with the bottom of your spoon and put it in your fridge for 30 minutes.

Melt 375 gr of the white chocolate either in your microwave or au bain Marie and let it cool slightly.

Get 6 even-looking strawberries and put them away for the next day. (not to be eaten).
Put the rest of the strawberries in your food processor and blitz them until they are smooth. Add them to your bowl that holds the soft cheese and the cream. Beat this either by hand or your handheld mixer until the mixture is thick, after which you add the melted chocolate. Stir well.

Pour this mixture on top of your biscuit case and smooth over the top. Place this in the fridge and let it chill and firm up overnight.

The next day you halve the strawberries and place them on top of the cheesecake, after you have removed (slid off) the bottom of the tin. Melt the remaining 25 gr of chocolate and drizzle over the top. Keep chilled until ready to serve.



                                                               "Enjoy"

New in the Neighbourhood Madeira Loaf Cake

New in the Neighbourhood Madeira Loaf Cake



What better way is there to meet and greet new neighbours then to offer them a moist Madeira Loaf and say hello!


Shopping List:

175 gr butter, softened
175 gr golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 drops of vanilla extract
200 gr self-raising flour
50 gr ground almonds

Preheat your oven to 170C and grease or spray and line your loaf tin with paper. Whisk your butter and sugar together until light and creamy and then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon zest with the vanilla and then you beat in the flour and almonds until you have a sturdy mixture. If you feel it is too thick mix in a little splash of milk.

Pour this mixture into your prepared tin and smooth over the top. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until your skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes. Turn out onto your wire rack and peel off the paper so it can cool down completely before you slice it. The loaf will keep fresh in an airtight container for 3 days. But i am sure by then the cake will be eaten already!
It is a simple and delicious cake!!!

It was the first cake i baked in our new house'  kitchen. Phew!


                                                        "Enjoy"