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Today I am baking...

76 replies

LordFlasheart · 27/04/2012 08:07

Mary Berry's chocolate rum cake, but using cherry brandy instead.

I shall post pics and a review. Please do the same for your bakings!

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DaisyMaisyJessicaEmily · 14/05/2012 17:26

it's lush :) I had a piece still warm from the oven ( was a little bit too squidgy still) so had to have another piece cold later on and yes it's perfect :)

JD taste didn't come through but then am thinking that it might not have gone too well with the mixed spices anyway?

medjool · 15/05/2012 20:17

squashedbanana spinach and filo parcels sound yum - used to make them all the time before I was diagnosed as coeliac and I miss filo so much!

My cheesecake turned out well - although it took a bit longer to cook than usual - definitely going to cover over the cracks with lemon curd and I have some Tiptree lemon curd in the cupboard so will be using that! The recipe is really simple, but obviously I haven't really shared it Daisymaisyjessicaemily because it's my MIL's recipe - one of the only things she can make well and despite it coming from a book, it's a really old, out of print one so she's claimed it as her own! She wouldn't give me the recipe till I married DH!! Having said that, I didn't like cheesecake before this one.

The original recipe is for vanilla cheesecake - delicious. You can either make a cake base (4/4/4/2) or biscuit base, then the topping is:-

400g soft/baking cheese
tub of creamcheese e.g. Philadelphia
200ml sour cream or creme fraiche
1 cup (American recipe so American cup measure/tea cup) caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp vanilla extract

Use an electric whisk and combine thoroughly. Pour onto your base - best in an 8" deep tin - and bake at 180C for 45 mins to 1hour.

Can someone remind me for future reference how to prevent cheesecake cracking? Something to do with turning off the oven or leaving the door of the oven slightly open for the last bit of cooking?

Oh - and today I made a gluten free babka - a sweet-ish yeast cake (more of a bread) which was amazing. I've never made anything so bread-like from scratch since becoming coeliac. Delighted with a new American gluten free recipe book I've just acquired...

DaisyMaisyJessicaEmily · 16/05/2012 13:21

I think it's letting it cool in the oven maybe? Thanks for the recipe, got everything in but soured cream so will have to wait till the weekend now :) might have to get chocolate philly to try that out in it too

I ate all the bread pudding myself Blush

DaisyMaisyJessicaEmily · 16/05/2012 13:27

First remove the cake from the oven and onto a cooling rack. After a about ten minutes, run a paring knife along the rim of the cake to release it from the walls of the pan. This will reduce the risk of cracking as the cake contracts and tries to pull away from the walls of the pan

There you go :)

medjool · 16/05/2012 14:04

Thanks Daisy!

LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 19:43

Today I made more cinnamon buns (for work) and an iced lemon yoghurt cake, which was a bastard as you had to whip the egg whites. Nice though.

Daisy- well done on scarfing all the bread pud. Grin

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DaisyMaisyJessicaEmily · 17/05/2012 21:12

plum crumble today, with oaty crumble :) eating it now with Tesco value instant custard which is actually pretty damn nice I have to say :)

LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 21:12

I burnt custard last time I made it. Cartons all the way now.

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LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 21:13

Plum crumble sounds v nice.

I wish there was a 'home brewing topc' here too

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Taffeta · 17/05/2012 21:24

I made Nigel Slater's coffee walnut cake for the first time last week.

Its possibly the most delicious cake IN THE WORLD.

LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 21:27

Why!

Whats so special about Nige's cake, eh?

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LadyPeterWimsey · 17/05/2012 21:29

I made a hummingbird cake this week for this first time - but am dieting so didn't get a chance to try it. Sad I have it on good authority that it (and the chocolate chip cookies from Nigella's Kitchen) were excellent though.

LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 21:30

WTF hummingbird cake? I am intrigued!

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Taffeta · 17/05/2012 21:46

Hummingbird cake is like carrot cake on acid isn't it? Grin

Nige's coffee walnut was the lightest butteryist most flavoursome cake I have ever eaten. And I've eaten LOTS of cake.

Taffeta · 17/05/2012 21:47

butteriest. Chuh.

LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 21:49

Ok, I shall look out that recipe, thanks Taffeta Thanks

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Taffeta · 17/05/2012 21:51

Here. Make it and weep. Grin

LadyPeterWimsey · 17/05/2012 21:54

It is very like a carrot cake, but made with pineapple, coconut and banana, with a cream cheese icing. I used the Australian Woman's Weekly recipe.

LordFlasheart · 17/05/2012 21:58

Ok, that does look good LadyPeterW, but how did you convert the 'cups' that drives me nuts, how can you call 'cup' a measurement?!?!

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LadyPeterWimsey · 17/05/2012 23:14

I have a set of measuring cups from Australia (although I think you can buy them here too) which I can use, usefully marked with fluid equivalents, e.g. 1/4 cup=60mls - but the recipe book I got this from actually has the measurements in grams too. If you're thinking of trying it sometime I'll write the conversions in for you.

LordFlasheart · 18/05/2012 16:04

I would appreciate it - the cake looks very nice. If you have the time!

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Nolda · 18/05/2012 16:17

Today I baked Nigella's birthday custard sponge from her book Feast (even though it's no one's birthday). The cake is really yummy but the filling and topping were a bit too sweet for my taste. Would definitely make the cake again but would probably just put a bit of jam in the middle.

Coffee walnut cake sounds yummy but I'm the only one in this house who would eat it [fat emotion].

YouGoonie · 28/05/2012 20:55

I made Mary Berry's Coffee and Walnut cake yesterday. DH loved it. I hate coffee so won't be eating it!
I want to bake some brownies this week. I have the Fat Witch recipe book but can't decide whether to do normal chocolate brownies, blondies or sea salt brownies. Can anyone recommend a recipe?

Taffeta · 29/05/2012 22:11

The best brownie recipe in the world is Nigel Slater's.

(I am not Nige's PR but have done a lot of brownie research)

YouGoonie · 29/05/2012 23:12

Thanks Taffeta. I'll be trying it out this week then!