koky cooking

Photo: Carrot, apple and lemon drizzle cake recipe

Takes: 15 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook
Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the cake
200g caster sugar
100g butter
2 medium/large free-range eggs
300g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon allspice
3 small/medium carrots, peeled and grated
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped into small chunks

For the icing
150g icing sugar
juice of 1½ lemons

Preheat the oven to 170°C /Gas 4.

Lightly grease the sides of a loaf tin and line with baking parchment.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter and, using an electric whisk, beat until smooth. Once smooth, add one egg at a time, beating between each one until thoroughly combined.

Next, add the flour, baking powder and allspice to the bowl and whisk again until fully blended, then add the carrot and apple and stir together well.

Pour into the loaf tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven to bake for about 45 minutes. After the first 25 minutes of cooking time you may find you need to cover the cake with foil to prevent it from going too brown on top. To test if the cake is ready, insert a clean wooden skewer into the centre; if the batter is still gooey it will need another 10 minutes or so.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for half an hour, then transfer to a plate. The easiest way to do this is by holding a folded clean tea towel in one hand and flipping the cake onto it. Remove the tin and any baking parchment and replace with an upturned plate before carefully flipping the cake the right way up with the plate underneath.

In a small bowl, make your icing.

Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth (you may need to add a small dash of warm water if the icing is too thick), then pour the icing all over the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. You can do this while the cake is still warm.

Leave to cool completely before serving with a good cup of tea.

From Tesco Realfood 

Save and share Basil Labneh Sandwich with Refreshing Vegetables Recipe

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Photo: Carrot cake with walnuts recipe

Takes: 30 mins to prepare and 1 hr 15 mins to cook, 10 mins to cool
Serves: 10

Ingredients
  For the cake
350g (12oz) raw carrots, peeled and finely grated
225ml (8fl oz) sunflower or corn oil
275g (9oz) plain flour
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½tsp baking powder
1½tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
300g (10oz) granulated sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
100g (3½oz) walnuts, chopped
For the icing
100g (3½oz) soft cheese, room temperature
25g (1oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
250g (8oz) icing sugar, sifted
1tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

Preheat the oven to Gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8in) round cake tins. Mix the carrots and oil together in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer beat the eggs until frothy. Gradually whisk in the sugar and beat for 3-4 minutes until the batter is thick and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Fold in the carrot and oil mixture and walnuts using a rubber spatula or large spoon. Place the batter into the cake tin and bake on the centre oven shelf for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. After around 45 minutes you may wish to place a sheet on tin foil over the cake to prevent it from browning on top too much.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake onto the wire rack, remove the tin and lining paper. Cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the icing sugar, mixing on low speed. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Spread the top of the cake with the icing. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

From Tesco Real Food

Save and share Carrot cake with walnuts recipe

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Photo: Blackforest Cake recipe

Takes: 1 hr to prepare and 45 mins to cook
Serves: 7

Ingredients

3 cups of self-raising flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3g salt
3 teaspoon of cocoa powder or 1 whole bar of dark chocolate
250g Butter
2 Caster sguar
4 egg
1 1/2 Milk
1 teaspoon of coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract—this is optional.
2 small containers Double cream thick or Whip Cream
1 Sugar
1 cherries
1 Rasberry Jame
Preheat the oven to 350F/180 degrees/Gas Mark 4.

2. Grease two 9-inch round cake tins — it is better to use two cake tins because to cut a cake in the middle can be messy. If you only have one cake tin don’t worry. Just divide the mixture into two and bake one by one. Tip: use baking paper and butter it to keep the cake moist. If you pour the mixture straight into the tin it makes the edges hard.

3. In a small pan mix together the dark chocolate and ½ cup milk over a low heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool to room temperature.

4. In a bowl mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Make sure you take the time to do this as this, as it will form the base of how good the cake is.

5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Take the time to do this so that the cake rises well.

6. In a bowl sieve together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and the salt.

7. Stir in the flour mixture and milk alternately to the mix.

8. Mix in the melted chocolate or add 3 teaspoons of cocoa.

9. Normally black forest has to look black in texture. So in a small cup, mix a teaspoon of coffee with a little bit of water (just to dissolve it). Add to mixture.

10. Put the cake batter into the cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or if you using one tin bake for 60 minutes. Do not open the oven to check because it will sink in the middle. If the top is a little hard you can use a knife to slice the top off so it is soft and moist.

11. Use a fork to see if the cake is cooked, if it comes out clean then it’s ready, if it has some batter on it, cook it for a little longer.

12. When cooked, leave to cool in tins for 10 minutes, then take out and cool on a wire rack. You can ice the cake after two hours or you can freeze it and ice the next day. This prevents the cake from breaking and makes it harder.

For the icing: 1. In a bowl mix the double cream and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix again. This should be smooth so you have to mix for a while.

2. Put the other half of the cake on top. Use a spatula to cover the cake evenly with cream. Use cake bag to decorate the edges and place remainder of uncooked cherries on top.

3. Finally, decorate with grated chocolate.

Do not open the oven while baking the cake--the cake will sink. Check after 45 minutes atleast
 
From Tesco Realfood

Save and share Blackforest Cake recipe

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Photo: Apricot, almond and cranberry cake recipe

Takes: 15 mins to prepare and 1 hr 30 mins to cook, 10 mins to cool
Serves: 12

 Ingredients

For the decorations
1 orange
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
4-5 green grapes
6 bay leaves
2tbsp orange juice
For the cake
175g (6oz) butter
175g (6oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
300g (10oz) self-raising flour
100g (3½oz) dried cranberries
200g (7oz) ready-to-eat apricots, chopped
50g (2oz) ground almonds
grated zest 1 orange

Make decorations first. Using a potato peeler pare off one long strip of orange rind, grate the rest for the cake. Cut the long strip of orange rind into 3 or 4 strips and wind up tightly. Set aside.

Brush grapes and bay leaves with a little egg white (taken from one of the eggs and use remainder of egg in the cake) and dust with a little caster sugar. Leave to dry.

Heat oven to Gas 3, 160°C, fan 140°C. Line and grease a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs adding a little flour if the mixture curdles. Stir in flour with cranberries, apricots, almonds and orange zest.

Spread into the tin, smooth top and bake for 1½ hours until golden, risen and firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin.

To decorate baked cake put 2 tablespoons orange juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into a small pan and boil for 2 minutes until syrupy. Add remaining sugar, stir well then drizzle over the cake. Decorate with frosted grapes, bay leaves and curls of orange peel.

This cake will keep for a week in a cake tin.

From Tesco Realfood

Save and share Apricot, almond and cranberry cake recipe

Want to share this recipe with your family and friends? Click the button below to send them an email or save this to your favorite social network.