Clementine and Black Sesame Loaf Cake

Since making this salted chocolate and pistachio babka, I've wanted to make more in a different flavour combination per month. Black sesame and cinnamon sounded the perfect companion for a strong cup of coffee to start January with. So, off I went to the supermarket to stockpile as many black sesame seeds I could find. I prepped my dough using the tangzhong method which intend to create the softest, fluffiest milk bread possible: make a roux, add it to the rest of the milk for the dough. Simple? Yeah, alright then.

Nope. When I woke the next morning and leapt out of bed to excitedly spy on my overnight prove I found a massively underwhelmingly solid lump of dough with absolutely no rise at all. Perhaps I over-kneaded it, should have used a combination rather than 100% rye flour, or just did the tangzhong wrong. Not a great way to start the first bake of the year with.

I persevered and continued with the rest of the recipe hoping that a second prove in my toasty airing cupboard would help. Nope. Neither did some time in the oven. Absolutely solid and destined for the bin.

Determined to get something with all the black sesame seeds I hoarded I decided to change my game plan. Flick suggested I make black sesame ice cream sandwiches. Whilst it was a pretty epic suggestion, I have zero room in my freezer from batch cooking to add anything further in there. After my previous failure, I opted for something a little easier. Clementine and black sesame loaf cake. This recipe is super versatile, swap up the clementine for any citrus of your choice and the sesame seeds for poppy seeds or anything else similar.

C L E M E N T I N E   &   B L A C K   S E S A M E   L O A F   C A K E
(Recipe adapted from Call Me Cupcake, serves 12)

Clementine and black sesame loaf:

175g unsalted butter, softened

330g golden caster sugar

3 eggs

3tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted

1 1/2tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

330g plain flour

zest of 2 clementines

100ml freshly squeezed clementine juice

75ml full fat milk

Clementine glaze:

60g icing sugar, sifted

1tbsp clementine juice

small handful of black sesame to top 

• Heat the oven to 175 degrees and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
• Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating gently after each addition. 
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and continue to mix until smooth. Add the zest, juice and milk and mix once again until incorporated.
• Pour into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the top with the back of a spoon and bake for 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin to fully cool on a wire rack. 
• To make the glaze, combine the icing sugar with the juice, a little at a time, in a small mixing bowl. Once smooth, drizzle over the cooled cake and top with a scatter of sesame seeds.

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Bake Off Bake Along: Week 1 - Jaffa Cakes

And so there it is, the Great British Bake Off is back again for another summer in the tent of dreams. With week one starting as cake week, I thought the title of Star Baker would be an absolute steal.

I was super tempted to make a drizzle cake or something with a super glossy mirror glaze. But, in the name of challenge, I tried my hand at making my own jaffa cakes. Finesse and patience just isn't my way but that's exactly what I love about baking along with the show, you get to try things you wouldn't normally bake.

And do you know what? They aren't as difficult as they look. A super quick sponge bottom that bakes up in just 5 minutes, a homemade orange jelly and a coating of dark chocolate. The only difficulty is getting the perfect topping. Whilst these aren't the most uniform, there's absolutely no comparison to shop bought, sorry McVities!

J A F F A   C A K E S
(Recipe adapted from The Guardian, makes 12 jaffa cakes)

For the sponge:

1 large egg, plus one extra yolk

40g caster sugar

40g plain flour

zest of 1 orange

For the orange jelly:

100ml orange juice

juice of 1 lemon

zest of 1 orange

3 tbsp caster sugar

1 packet gelatine powder

2 tbsp thin cut marmalade

100g dark chocolate (I love using Lindt Excellence's dark chocolate with orange and almond in)

• Grease a 12 hole muffin tray and line the bases with circles of baking paper. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
• Beat together the eggs and sugar on a medium-fast speed until the mixture doubles in size and reaches ribbon stage, where a ribbon of the cake mixture sits on top for a few moments before sinking back in to the rest of the mix.
• Add the flour and gently fold until just combined before adding the orange zest.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin tray and bake for 5-6 minutes, until the cakes just start to turn golden and shrink away from the sides. Leave to cool in the tray.
• To make the jelly, add the orange juice, lemon juice and zest to a small saucepan. Add the sugar, marmalade and whisk in the gelatine and bring to a simmer on a low heat. Remove from the heat immediately and divide between the cakes. Leave to set in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.
• Use a small knife to run round the edges to release each cake from the muffin tray.
• Melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave to cool slightly before spooning over the jaffa cakes gently rounding off the edges as neatly as you can.
• Leave to set once more, in the fridge if you're short on time before serving.

F O L L O W   M Y   B A K E   O F F   B A K E   A L O N G...

     

Week 1 - Jaffa Cakes
Week 2 - Iced Doughnut Biscuits
Week 3 - Chocolate Twist Babka
Week 4 - Giant Churros
Week 5 - Cherry Bakewell Tart
Week 6 - Brownie Bottomed Coffee Mousse Cake
Week 8 - Cherry, Marzipan and Cherry Cake

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Recipe: Lindor Orange Truffle Triple Chocolate Loaf

Some of my favourite cakes to make are loaf cakes. Relatively quick to make and usually take a little while in the oven which is a perfect opportunity to get the washing up done and sit back with a cup of tea. They don't require much attention!

If we're talking loaf cakes, then the absolute ultimate loaf cake would of course be a chocolate loaf cake packed full of your favourite chocolate. The world is your oyster-loaf...pick whatever you fancy.

Each time Lindt release a new flavour of their Lindor Truffles, I think its my favourite. Except this time, I really do think their orange flavour* will have a very long reign, just like the Queen!

For this loaf I used a big bar of Dairy Milk Caramel...some would argue its not proper baking chocolate, but they haven't lived. You could always substitute this for proper chocolate because there's a whole box of Lindor Truffles too, seems a little extravagant. But again, you haven't lived until you try it.

So because orange really is the new black, I present to you - YOUR triple chocolate loaf, because it certainly isn't Terry's, silly!

Lindor Orange Truffle Triple Chocolate Loaf
(Recipe adapted from The Londoner, makes a 2lb loaf)

180g unsalted butter, room temperature

180g caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

125g self raising flour

100g ground almonds

1/2 tsp baking powder

100ml whole milk

4tbsp cocoa powder

200g milk chocolate, chopped into chunks

200g Lindor Orange Truffles

• Heat the oven to 160 degrees and line and grease a 2lb loaf tin.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually mix in the eggs, a little at a time. Gently mix in the flour, almonds and baking powder. Add the milk and milk to a smooth consistency. 
• Add the chocolate chunks and whole truffles, stirring as little as possible. 
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, a skewer inserted should come out clean of better (but maybe not chocolate!)

The caramel sunk to the bottom and the rest of the slice fell apart...all the more reason to serve warmed with ice cream. But if you like your slices a little more tidy then perhaps use plain chocolate.

* Sally c/o Lindt kindly sent me a pack over to give their new flavour a try. My passion for Lindor truffles is honest and my own.

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Orange Dondi Cake

   An orange dondi cake has been at the top of my 'to bake' list for a while. A list that seems to be out of control at the moment.

   My Welsh Grandmother, or Nain as we call her, always used to make this when we'd go and stay with her in Aberystwyth in the school holidays. This cake was served in those afternoon's where my brother, cousins and I were just too hungry to wait for dinner. I guess its the orange equivalent of a lemon drizzle cake, but to me it just seems 100 times better.

Another favourite of Nain's bakes is lemon meringue pie, no one can make it quite the same!

I made this for my Dad, loaf cakes are very easy to carry on the train, tube and take to lunch!

Orange Dondi Cake
     vegetable oil for greasing
     8 oz margarine, melted
     1/2 pint fresh orange juice
     10 oz granulated sugar
     2 eggs
     14 oz self raising flour, sifted

Cake Glaze
     6 rounded tbsp icing sugar
     3 tbsp fresh orange juice

• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper or a loaf tin liner.
• In a large bowl, stir in the orange juice and sugar into the melted butter.
• Beat in the eggs and flour until well combined, I just used a hand whisk for 2 minutes.
• Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour in the centre of the oven.
• Whilst the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring icing sugar into orange juice until a thin paste is formed.
• Once the cake is cooked, a skewer comes out clean, pour the glaze over the hot cake and leave to cool. 

Once cool the glaze should form an orangey thin crust to the loaf. I think next time, I may add orange zest to the cake batter to enhance the flavour.

This made enough to fill a 2 lb loaf tin and make 6 mini muffins.

Devilishly Delicious Deserts: Chocolate Orange Crème Brûlée

Another weekend rolls around and another excuse for desert. Not that I will ever complain. 

   I took these crème brûlées to my Grandparent's yesterday for an Easter Monday feast. My Grandmother made a Goan chicken curry and dahl which was amazing. I've yet to try dahl better than hers...feel free to send your versions for us to test and compare!

Chocolate orange crème brûlées

(serves 4-6)

     500ml Devilishly Delicious Crème Brûlée

     50g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

     zest and juice 1 orange

Pour the crème brûlée pack and chocolate pieces into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring regularly until the chocolate is fully melted. Add the zest and orange juice and stir well. Pour into ramekins or serving dishes and chill for 2 hours (I leave them to chill overnight to save time).

To serve I sprinkled with Demerara sugar and caramelised with a blow torch, you can also do this under a medium grill for 2-3 minutes.

   I've really enjoyed testing out these desert packs from Devilishly Delicious and trying my own variations. If you've missed any of my previous posts on them, then you can find Limoncello syllabubs here and chocolate Amaretto pots here.

   I've spotted these on my travels in my local Lakeland, but you can find your closest stockist here.

Stay tuned - I shall be posting my last desert on Thursday, panna cotta.