Bara Brith Cake Recipe

Bara Brith is a lovely, light fruit cake, enjoyed throughout Wales. It literally translates as Mottled Bread and is traditionally served as a Welsh tea-time treat. Basically it’s a quick and easy recipe for a tasty, low fat, fruit cake.

By Gwen, Llandudno

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3

1. Rub the margarine into the flour

2. Add the remaining dry ingredients & mix

3. Add the beaten egg, treacle and milk

4. Pour into a lined, greased 6 inch baking tin

5. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes

Comments: You can double this recipe to serve 12, but you’ll need to bake it for 90 minutes in an 8 inch baking tin. To give the cake a touch of spice  add 1 tsp mixed spice.

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Simply make a sponge cake using our Victoria sponge cake recipe http://www.thecakerecipe.co.uk/easy-cake-recipe-victoria-sponge/ or chocolate cake recipe if preferred http://www.thecakerecipe.co.uk/how-to-make-a-chocolate-cake/

Fully ice your cake using ready rolled white and Ruby Red fondant icing. Top with The Cake Recipe’s One Direction Cake topper (simply moisten with a light mist and place on top) and decorate as required.

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Cream Horn Recipe

These cream horns use ready rolled puff pastry making a quick and easy recipe. Cream horns are traditionally filled with jam and whipped cream, but lemon curd can be used as an equally delicious alternative.

1) Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 4

2) Roll out the pastry to approx 3mm thickness

3) Cut it into long strips approx 1 inch (25mm) wide

4) Grease your cream horn mould’s well

5) Roll the pastry carefully around the cream horn moulds making sure they overlap well (start at the small end)

6) Brush with milk and dust with caster sugar

7) Place on a well greased  or silicone lined baking tray

7) Bake for approx 10 minutes

8) Cool slightly then gently remove the cases

9) When the pastry is cool fill with a teaspoon of jam , then with whipped cream

10) Dust with icing sugar

Comments: Ensure the pastry is not pressed down too firmly or the horns will be difficult to remove. When you’re removing the pastry loosen the wide end first using your fingertips.

Malt Loaf Recipe

Method:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 160C / 325F / Gas Mark 3

2) Mix all the ingredients together

3) Bake for 65 – 75 minutes or until golden brown and an inserted skewer / cake tester comes out clean.

4) Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling tray to cool completely

5) Slice and either eat as it is, or spread with butter!

Comments:

This is a great fat free baking recipe, ideal if you’re looking to bake an easy, fat free cake.

Easy Simple and Quick Eccles Cake Recipe

This traditional recipe can be modified using Cranberries instead of raisins. Eccles cakes originate from Eccles (nr Salford) Manchester, and are a famous North of England recipe dating back 100′s of years.

Instructions: 

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 5 

• Using Ready to Roll Puff Pastry – roll pastry to just thicker than a one pound coin 

• Cut circles approx 10cm diameter in pastry

• Optional – Add nutmeg sprinkling to raisins and mix in a bowl 

• Add (about two dozen) raisins / chopped cranberries in the centre of each circle 

• Sprinkle about a quarter of a teaspoon of sugar over raisins

• Add about a quarter of a teaspoon of butter on top  

• Fold circles inwards using a little water to carefully seal the folds – forming circular cakes

•  Turn cakes upside down and roll VERY gently until the raisins can almost be seen through the pastry

• Using a knife, cut 2-3 slits in top
• Brush with a little water (or egg white) and sprinkle with sugar

• Place on a lightly greased tray and cook for about 15 minutes (until lightly brown)

• Leave to cool (remember raisins/sugar will be hot) before eating. 

Bonfire Toffee Recipe

This is a really easy recipe, great for those starting out in toffee making! Traditionally served at Bonfire night, this treacle toffee is equally delicious all year round.

Method:

1) Melt the butter in a strong saucepan over a medium heat

2) Stir in the remaining ingredients (sugar, syrup & treacle)

3) Boil steadily without stirring until the mixture reaches the ‘hard crack stage’

4) To test the toffee has reached the ‘Hard Crack stage’ drop a teaspoonful of the hot mixture into a saucer of cold water. If the toffee starts to harden then it’s ready. If it doesn’t, keep boiling and testing it until this stage is reached.

5) Pour the toffee mixture into a lightly greased baking tray and leave to cool

6) Once cool, break into pieces with a toffee hammer and serve!

Comments: The longer you boil the mixture the harder the toffee will become. Make sure you boil it over a medium heat so it doesn’t burn. And remember, take extra care as the mixture will be extremely hot.

For a traditional Everton toffee recipe, simply omit the treacle and use 8oz (200g) golden syrup.

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Chocolate caramel shortbread, otherwise known as Millionaire’s Shortbread is thought to be of Scottish origin. It consists of three delicious layers of shortbread, caramel and chocolate.

By Anna, Lancashire

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 5
• Place the butter, flour and sugar in a food processor & process until the mixture starts to bind together
• Press the dough into a greased and lined 9 inch (23cm) baking tin
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden
• Leave to cool

Filling:

• Meanwhile make the filling
• Pour the condensed milk, butter, syrup and sugar into a pan
• Boil gently for 6 – 8 minutes stirring continuouslyuntil the mixture becomes very thick and caramelised
• Pour the topping over the shortbread and place in the fridge to set
• Once set, melt the chocolate either in the microwave (on full power for approx 60 secs) or place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water.
• Spread melted chocolate over the topping
• Place the chocolate caramel shortbread in the fridge to set
• Cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife and serve

Have you baked our Chocolate Shortbread recipe? We’d love to know your thoughts and suggestions? Please leave a comment below.

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Eton Mess Recipe

Eton Mess is a really easy English dessert, and not only tastes delicious, but looks fantastic too. It derives its name from Eton College where it’s traditionally served on 4 June. Here we’ve used meringues, raspberries and cream although usually strawberries are used in an Eton Mess dessert.

Method:

- Break your meringues into small pieces (approx 2 cm) * See Meringue recipe below*

- If using strawberries chop them into pieces (or if using raspberries leave them whole)

- Place half of the chopped strawberries (or half of your raspberries) into a blender and add the icing sugar (you can add extra icing sugar if the coulis looks too thin). Blend together until smooth and then press through a nylon sieve to remove the seeds

- Place the broken meringues in a mixing bowl and gently fold in the remaining chopped strawberries and cream

- Finally, place the whole lot into a serving dish, spoon over the purée and serve as soon as possible

- Optional: sprinkle with grated chocolate

Meringue Recipe:

Heat your oven to gas mark 1/4, 225°F (110°C). Measure out  the caster sugar ready, then place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks that slightly tip over when you lift the whisk. Next, add the caster sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, and continue to whisk until each tablespoon of sugar has been thoroughly whisked in.

Now take rounded dessertspoonfuls of the mixture and place them in rows on a lined baking tray. Place the baking tray in the centre of the oven and bake the meringues for 40 minutes. Then turn off the oven but leave the meringues in until the oven is completely cold (or overnight). This should give you the crisp outside and a  slight chewiness inside the meringue.

Treacle Tart Recipe

This delicious, light treacle tart recipe is an ideal Summer dessert, and uses Lyles Golden Syrup rather than the traditional black treacle version.

Method:

Treacle Tart Filling:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6

2) Put the syrup, lemon rind and  lemon juice in a saucepan and heat gently for 1 – 2 minutes to thin the syrup

3) Remove from heat and stir in the breadcrumbs

4) Leave to cool whilst you make the pastry base

Shortcrust Pastry Base:

1) Sift the flour and salt into a bowl

2) Cut the lard and butter into small pieces and add to the flour

3) Rub the fat into the flour using your fingertips (until it looks like fine breadcrumbs)

4) Sprinkle water over the crumbs and mix with a round ended knife (so it starts to stick together)

5) Draw the pastry together using your fingertips until it forms a ball

6) Roll out the pastry on a floured board

7) Use it to line a greased 8 inch (20.5cm) pie dish

8) Prick the base lightly with a fork

Pour the syrup mixture into the pastry liner and spread until even

Put the plate on a baking sheet and bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown

Serve warm or cold with cream