Blueberry Cake Donuts

by giraffescanbake // May 10, 2014 // 20 Comments

Delicious blueberry cake donuts, baked not fried!

Today, May 10th, is World Lupus Day and these donuts are the perfect accompaniment for today, since the international lupus colour is purple! Today is a pretty big deal to me because not only do I live with lupus every day, but awareness is extremely important to the cause. There is currently no cure for lupus and in the last 50 years there has only been one drug developed to treat lupus (which isn’t available in the UK) we just borrow drugs from cancer and arthritis treatments. For more drugs to be developed and better diagnosis we need more research and for that we need funding and for that we need people to actually know and care about this disease so they donate money and raise funds, and despite at least 5 million people having lupus worldwide (probably a conservative estimate since lupus can go undiagnosed for years) most people don’t know what it is. That’s why days like today are so important! Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is the type I have and it’s an autoimmune illness that affects all parts of your body, the simplest way to explain it is your immune system attacking the healthy cells in your body (like your organs or joints). It is a debilitating disease that can be fatal. If you’d like to read up more on it please do so here and feel free to ask me any questions. If you have a few pennies spare and would like help further research and improve the lives of people with lupus you can donate here (UK) or here (US)

Thank you so much for reading that, now onto the fun part: Donuts!

Today is also Eurovision and I’m very excited about it! For those of you not in Europe, Eurovision is a song contest between a bunch of countries in Europe. Its weird and slightly politically passive aggressive but it’s a beloved tradition and most of Europe gets very into it. To get a feel of how weird and wonderful Eurovision is, watch Russia’s entry for 2012 below (it’s worth watching guys, just wait ’til you get to 1:32!) and no, this isn’t a one off crazy entry – this is the true essence of Eurovision!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOTBIJCAnKE]
So today’s post is also dedicated to Eurovision by being very American! There are few things I enjoy more than a blueberry cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, I could eat a mountain of them. Don’t give me the munchkins because I’ll eat two dozen in one sitting! Unfortunately, Dunkin’ Donuts are few and far between in the UK (probably more fortunately for my waistline and bank balance!). Naturally, I decided to make my own version at home!

I don’t really like blueberries by themselves, but put them in something and bake it? Yum! I don’t know why that is, but who am I to question the laws of yumminess? These donuts are great, they have a dense cake like texture to them and are bursting with juicy blueberries. They’re finished with a sweet and sticky blueberry glaze, I just drizzled mine on top but you could also dip them fully in it if you want them extra sweet!

I don’t know what they put in theirs at Dunkin’ Donuts or how they bake them, but I’m willing to bet these ones are much healthier! They have no butter in them and only a small amount of oil. They’re also baked, I don’t trust myself with a pot of hot oil (considering I fell down today and ripped part of my nail from it’s bed that was probably a good call!) which is one of the reasons I didn’t fry them. I used a donut pan to bake these, but if you don’t have one you can always use this recipe to make munchkins(a mini muffin pan would work great for that purpose!).

The secret to a great blueberry taste is orange, it really brings out the flavours of the blueberries and makes them extra yummy in anything! If you can, I would recommend making the glaze at least few hours ahead of baking so the blueberry flavour has time to develop with the orange.

This blueberry cake donut recipe is so easy to make and super yummy, I hope you enjoy them!

[recipe title=”Blueberry Cake Donuts” servings=”18-20″]

Ingredients

For the donuts:

190g plain flour
120g cast sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, room temperature
180g 0% greek yogurt
3 tbs milk
80ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of one orange
300g fresh blueberries

For the glaze

80g fresh blueberries
juice from 1/2 orange
250g icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and lightly grease your donut pan
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a bowl. Lightly mix with a balloon whisk to air out and remove lumps*
Put the greek yogurt, oil, egg, milk and zest in a bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually add the dry ingredients, whisking to combine and remove lumps.
Once all combined, fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed
Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and snip of the end (if you don’t have any piping bags, a zip lock bag will work fine) and pipe the mixture into the donut moulds.
Bake for 16-20 minutes, until the tops are a dark golden colour. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
To make the glaze, puree the blueberries in a food processor and add the orange juice, combine. Add the icing sugar a few spoons at a time and process until it’s all combined. Spoon the glaze over the top of the donuts and leave to dry on wire rack for 10 minutes – the glaze will stay sticky.

Notes:

*This is the cheats way of avoiding sifting! I like to dirty as few items as possible so I tend to use this method quite often!
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days
I wouldn’t recommend using defrosted frozen blueberries as they’ll have too much moisture

[/recipe]

Whipped Vanilla Frosting

by giraffescanbake // May 9, 2014 // 18 Comments

Incredibly light and creamy whipped vanilla frosting, perfect on any cake!

This frosting is so simple but the results are amazing! It’s no secret that I’m a great lover of swiss meringue buttercream, I prefer it to regular buttercream as it’s much less sweet. But oh, this frosting. It’s so sweet but so yummy, I can’t imagine any cake it wouldn’t go well with.

I originally made this frosting to go with a cake I made for the company I work for’s 3rd birthday, which was back in February. I’ve been waiting to post this recipe until I had the perfect white vanilla cake for it to go with, however I’m still working on perfecting that and I can’t wait any longer to share this recipe! This whipped vanilla frosting recipe made even the slightly lacking vanilla giant number 3 cake I made taste like it was made by angels, and made the hours of putting M&Ms on a cake worth it!

The secret to the lightness of this frosting is whipping the butter for several minutes, I whipped it for 10 minutes total. This turns it white and fluffy and makes it the perfect frosting base.

If I didn’t know that was just butter I want to lick it off!

Then the remaining ingredients are whipped in for a few more minutes to create a wonderful creamy frosting that feels so light but tastes so good. Anybody who says vanilla is boring hasn’t been eating the right vanilla goods!

It’s fun to make a post for a recipe I made a few months ago as I can really see how much my photography has progressed in just a few short months! I wish I was able to remake this recipe to take better photos for the blog, but unfortunately my budget doesn’t allow me to make frosting just to take photos of it (especially since a trip to the vet this week put my cat on a very expensive diet!)

This frosting is the perfect accompaniment to any birthday cake or party treat, so it’s only fitting I am bringing this along to my first Fiesta Friday! I can’t wait! Thank you so much to Jhuls for inviting me!

[recipe title=”Whipped Vanilla Frosting”]

Ingredients:

400g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
500g icing sugar, sifted
50ml milk
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 8-10 minutes on medium speed until pale and creamy
Add the remaining ingredients and whip on a low speed for a minute, then increase to medium and beat for 5 more minutes until very light and fluffy.

Notes

Best used right away
Makes enough frosting for a 2 layer 8″ round cake

[/recipe]

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

by giraffescanbake // April 26, 2014 // 9 Comments

Ridiculously gooey, fudgy brownies swirled with rich cheesecake, there’s only one word for these – AMAZING!

These cheesecake swirl brownies have to be my favourite brownie creation so far, if I had to eat one brownie for the rest of my life it would be these ones, no contest! I think I perhaps underbaked these a little and that’s why they were so decadently gooey but I wouldn’t change a thing and you shouldn’t either! The texture is perfect and melts beautifully with the creamy cheesecake

The brownie base for these is an adapted version of the cocoa brownies recipe, they’re still made with cocoa but I upped the eggs to make them moister (is that a word?!). I also added baking powder to give them a little rise and increased the butter to keep them fudgy! They’re then stuff full of chunky chopped chocolate, meaning they just ooze chocolate with every bite! I think I like this adapted recipe even better, but maybe that’s the cheesecake talking!

The cheesecake is a nice simple cheesecake mix, very rich and creamy making it the perfect brownie partner. And all you need to do is mix up the cheesecake ingredients and swirl it into the brownie batter. I find the best way to do this is run the back of a dessert spoon in lines down the brownie batter making little trenches, pour the cheesecake into the trenches and then use a knife to run lines in the opposite direction. Then you bake them until you have cheesecake brownie heaven! I adore this cheesecake swirl brownie recipe and I hope you will too!

[recipe title=”Cheesecake Swirl Brownies”]
Ingredients

For the brownies:

225g unsalted butter
500g caster sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla
160g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
190g plain flour
200g chopped dark chocolate

For the Cheesecake:

225g cream cheese, room temperature
80ml sour cream
115g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg, room temperature

Method

Grease and line 9″ x 13″ brownie pan and preheat oven to 180C/350F
For the brownies, melt the butter with the sugar in microwave in 30 second intervals, until all is melted, stirring between intervals. Allow to cool slightly
Add the cooled melted butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Add the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and flour and beat until all combined.
Stir in the chopped chocolate and spread batter into the pan.
To make the cheesecake, beat together all the cheesecake ingredients until smooth.
Make trenches (4 or 5) along the length of the brownie batter using the back of a dessert spoon and fill each trench with the cheesecake mixture. Run a knife in rows the opposite way to the trenches to “swirl” the cheesecake into the brownie batter
Bake for 30 minutes
Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to the fridge too cool before cutting into squares

Notes

Bake for about 40 minutes if you want a less gooey, underbaked texture.
Store in the fridge, they will last about a week in a sealed container (but you’ll be lucky if they last a day once people taste them!)
It’s important to make sure the butter isn’t too hot when you add the eggs or they’ll start to cook!

[/recipe]

Spiced Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns

by giraffescanbake // April 18, 2014 // 1 Comment

The perfect recipe for this Easter weekend!

I’d been thinking about what to bake for Easter for a while and my mind kept going back to hot cross buns, even though I’m not a huge fan of them. So my challenge was to make these traditional Easter buns even more festive and tasty, and so these spiced chocolate & orange hot cross buns were born, I think I did a pretty good job!

These sweet and sticky buns are loaded with chocolate just like the Easter bunny intended and warmed up with lovely spices and hints of orange. They’re finished off with a gooey, sticky orange glaze to give them that extra yum factor!

These do require a little patience to make, but with only two rising times you’re not doing too badly for a hot cross bun recipe! And even though they’re “quick”, you won’t see any decrease in yummyness (a technical baking term), they’re still soft and delicious! It’s a fairly simple recipe too, and a bit of a messy one while you’re rubbing the butter into the flour, cocoa, spices and salt with your fingers. Then it’s spoon city as you stir in the sugar and yeast and then beat in the eggs and milk. Knead. Rise. Knead some more (adding chocolate and orange!) and rise again until finally it’s time for the oven (but not before those all important crosses!), then you just glaze and eat! These are best served warm and with lashings of butter, preferably this cinnamon honey butter because it’s to die for!

Hot cross buns are traditionally served on Good Friday so I am a little late with this post, but let’s be honest you can enjoy these yummy buns all Easter weekend, even all year (I know, I’m just talking crazy now!!). It may be midnight in the UK, but it’s never too late to whip up a batch of yummyness, so get your apron on and get baking, you’re family will thank you!

[recipe title=”Spiced Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns” servings=”12″]
Ingredients

For the buns:

400g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
25g cocoa powder
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mixed spice
1tsp salt
85g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
100g golden caster sugar
2 sachets dried instant yeast (7g each)
1 large egg, room temperature
190ml lukewarm milk
75g dark chocolate, chopped
Zest of 1 orange
75g chopped candied orange peel

For the crosses:

75g strong white flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5tbsp cold water

For the glaze:

Juice of 1 orange
50g golden caster sugar

Method

For the buns:

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, spices and salt into a bowl. Add the chopped butter and, using your gingers, rub the butter into the flour mix until you get a breadcrumb texture. Stir in the sugar and yeast and make a well in the centre
Whisk together the warm milk and egg and pour into the well, quickly beat with a wooden spoon until combined.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for around 10 minutes, until you have a soft, smooth dough. Put in a large, lightly oiled bowl covered with oiled cling film. Leave to rise for an hour in warm place until doubled in size
Place the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and knead in the chocolate, zest and candied peel until it is all distributed evenly.
Divide into 12 equal balls and shape into smooth buns. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray, leaving a small gap between each roll. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. The buns should now be getting cozy and touching each other.
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F

For the crosses:

Mix the flour, oil and water together to form a smooth paste. Pop into a piping bag and snip the end off.
With a serrated knife, score the tops of the buns with a cross. Pipe the mixture along the lines, you can use your knife to cut off the flow.
Bake the buns in the oven for 15-20 minutes until firm to the touch

For the glaze:

Put the sugar and orange juice into a small pan and heat on low until all the sugar as dissolved
Bring to the boil and bubble until thickened, around 3 minutes.
Once the buns have been removed from the oven, turn out onto a cooling rack and glaze.

Notes:

The buns are best served warm
They will stay fresh in an air tight container for about 3 days, but buns that are going stale will still be great toasted
You can freeze them too, just wait to glaze them. Once defrosted, warm through and glaze before serving.

[/recipe]
Happy Easter Everybody!

Fig Bars

by giraffescanbake // April 12, 2014 // 6 Comments

When I think of Figs I think of my days at University and eating my body weight in Jacob’s Fig Rolls while I wrote last minute essays at 3am and somehow that still brings back warm and fond memories! Despite my love of figs I have never actually baked with them and when I came to that realisation I decided I had to fix that fast!

These fig bars aren’t your typical fig rolls (or fig newtons as they’re called in the US), they’re so much better! They have a pastry like crust then lots of yummy fig filling and have an nutty, oaty topping. I made these with dried figs as they don’t really come into season until Autumn and they’re hard to find when they are in season due to their short shelf life, besides you’re going to be cooking them down so I would recommend dried figs either way to keep the moisture. If you don’t want to make the filling yourself you can always use a fig butter or jam, I’ve heard good things about it if you get it from Trader Joe’s (for you American folk) so I’m sure they’ll be just as yummy. However if you do it like that they may be a little on the overly sweet side!

My favourite thing about these is the secret ingredient, orange! It really brings out the flavour of the figs and although it’s not a necessary ingredient I wouldn’t omit it, it brings them to a whole new level of tastiness! One of the great things about this fig bar recipe though is they’re so easy to make, they do require baking in stages but it’s so simple to do you won’t mind. And you can make the fig filling while the crust bakes, then you just quickly whip up the crumbly topping, sprinkle it on top and stick them in the oven for 15 minutes. It takes about 45 minutes start to finish! You will want to let them cool before you eat them though, as hard as that may be, that filling is going to be very hot!

[recipe title=”Fig Bars”]

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain flour

For the filling:

1/4 cup caster sugar
Juice from 1 orange
1 cup boiling water (you will not need the whole cup)
9oz dried mission figs, chopped

For the topping:

1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Zest of 1 orange

Method

Preheat over to 350F/170C. Grease and line a 9″ square pan.
For the crust, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla on a medium speed until combined. On a low speed, beat in the flour until a soft dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and bake for approx 15 minutes, until the centre is set and it is just turning a light golden colour
While the crust is baking, make the filling. Pour the juice of the orange into a measuring jug and fill up with boiling water until you reach 1 cup.
In a small saucepan heat all the filling ingredients over a medium/high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until figs are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Don’t be afraid to cook it for longer is need be, you want a jam like consistency, just make sure you keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Spread it over the cooked crust and set aside.
Now make the topping. In a small bowl mix the flour, brown sugar and butter using a fork or pastry blender until you have a crumbly streusel like texture. Stir in the oats, walnuts and orange zest. Sprinkle over the filling.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Leave to cool completely before cutting into bars.

[/recipe]

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