Carrot Cake

 Carrot cake 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake

* 2 1/2 cups self rising flour

* 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp nutmeg

* 1/2 tsp ground cloves

* 1/4 tsp allspice

* 1 tsp baking soda

* 2 cups granulated sugar

* 1 cup vegetable oil

* 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste

* 4 large eggs

* 3 cups grated carrots

* 1/2 cup crushed pineapple you can omit this if you want but I think it is essential

* 1 cup chopped roasted walnuts optional

For the Frosting

* 1/2 cup unsalted butter

* 16 oz cream cheese somewhat softened but still a little stiff/ 16 oz is 2 (8 oz) packages

* 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar if you want the frosting more stiff, add another 1/2 cup going up to 4 cups total

* pinch of salt

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cake

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


* Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and baking soda and set aside.


* Next line the bottoms of 3 9” inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease.


* In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat sugar, oil and vanilla together at medium speed. Next add eggs, one at a time, blending after each incorporation.


* Next slow down the mixer to lowest speed and add flour mixture in increments.


* Fold in carrots, crushed pineapple if desired and walnuts if desired.


* Evenly pour batter into cake pans.


* Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


* Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes then flip cakes onto cooling racks to cool completely.


For the Frosting

* In a small saucepan, add butter and melt over medium heat. Once the butter has fully melted, a white foam will begin to appear over the top of the butter.


* Watch carefully as the butter’s color changes to brown and the smell of the butter becomes somewhat nutty.


* As soon as the butter is an amber brown color, remove from heat and cool in the refrigerator until it the butter has become solid again (can take about an hour or so).


* Add cooled brown butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your mixer and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken and fluff.


* Next slow down mixer and carefully add in confectioner’s sugar. Once all sugar has incorporated, turn mixer back to high to continue whipping.


* Add salt and vanilla extract and continue whipping until it is smooth.


* Spread frosting between layers and around cake and serve.

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

 

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding’

Prep 10 mins

Cook 30 mins

Total 40 mins

 

A classic chocolate self saucing pudding! One batter magically transforms into a moist chocolate cake AND a chocolate sauce. The sauce has the consistency of maple syrup - never watery, never gluggy. This is easy and fast to make. Serve it up straight away otherwise the sauce gets absorbed into the cake!

Course: Dessert

Servings: 5 -6

Calories: 321 kcal

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Topping

• 
1 cup (175g) brown sugar , loosely packed (Note 1)

• 
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)

• 
1 1/4 cups boiling water

Batter

• 
1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour) (150g)

• 
2 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 
1/3 cup (110 g) caster sugar (ordinary white sugar ok)

• 
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder , unsweetened (Note 2)

• 
Pinch of salt

• 
1/2 cup (125ml) milk

• 
50 g / 4 1/2 tbsp butter , melted

• 
1 egg

• 
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170C/335F (standard) / 150C/305F (fan forced / convection).

2. Grease a 5 - 6 cup baking dish with butter. (Note 3)

3. Topping: Whisk brown sugar and cocoa in a bowl, set aside.

4. Whisk flour, baking powder, caster sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl.

5. In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the butter and milk, then whisk in the egg and vanilla.

6. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Mix until combined - it will be a thick batter.

7. Spread into baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar / cocoa mixture. Shake gently to spread out thinly.

8. Carefully pour the hot water over the back of a dessert spoon all over the top of the pudding - see photo in post or video below recipe. (Note 4)

9. Transfer to oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when poked lightly. The top will be a bit crusty, like the top of brownies.

10. Remove from oven, stand for just a few minutes (no more!), then serve immediately. (Note 5)

Notes

1. Light or dark brown sugar is fine.

2. Use Dutch Processed cocoa powder if you can. It's the up market cocoa powder, it's darker and has a more intense flavour. But normally I just use run of the mill cocoa powder.

3. 5 to 6 cups is around 1.25 - 1.5 litres / quarts. The dish pictured is 25 x 20 x 4.5 cm / 10 x 8 x 2.75". I often make this in a 20 x 20cm / 8 x 8" square pan or baking dish which yields a slightly thicker cake.

4. The purpose of pouring the water over the spoon as you pour it over the top of the pudding is to try to try to make the water pour gently onto the surface so you can a smooth surface. As you can see from my photos, I am hopeless at this and I have no shame about the nubbly surface of my pudding. In fact, I rather like it it - more crackly brownie-like bits!

5. The pudding needs to be served warm because the longer it stands, the more the sauce is absorbed into the cake and thickens up. Leftovers are lovely if reheated in the microwave because the chocolate becomes all melty again, but you don't get as much sauce as when it is made fresh.

I like to serve mine with ice cream or cream and strawberries. Sometimes I dust it with icing sugar / confectionary sugar to make it look prettier’

Sticky Date Pudding

 Sticky date puddin



• 0:35 Prep

• 1:15 Cook

• 8 Servings 

INGREDIENTS

• 250g pitted dates, chopped 

• 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda 

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water 

• 125g unsalted butter, softened 

• 1 cup brown sugar 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 2 eggs 

• 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted 

CARAMEL SAUCE

• 1 cup brown sugar 

• 300ml thickened cream 

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 60g butter

METHOD

• Step 1 
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 7cm deep, 22cm (base) cake pan. 

• Step 2 
Place dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for 20 minutes. 

• Step 3 
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold through date mixture and flour until well combined. 

• Step 4 
Spoon mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn onto a plate. 

• Step 5 
Make sauce Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until sauce comes to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 minutes. 

• Step 6 
Pierce pudding all over with a skewer. Pour 1/2 cup of warm sauce over warm pudding. Stand for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.