Dayrecipe Food Community

I love both the taste & the health benefits of Matcha tea. Not only do I enjoy drinking the tea but also baking with it – it is actually extremely versatile…why not give it a go? These little cakes are a gorgeous pale jade green colour & the extra sparkle on the top makes them perfect for a special occasion.

Makes 12-15 mini cakes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Mini Cakes

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon
• almost 1/2 cup skimmed milk
• 1.5-2 tsp matcha tea (Japanese green tea powder).

For the Buttercream Topping:

• 1 cup homemade or store bought buttercream
• 1 tsp matcha tea
• 1/2 tsp bronze edible glitter
• 1/4 tsp matcha tea

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the margarine, matcha tea, eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand held mixer beat the mixture until light and creamy.
2. Finely zest the lemon and add to the bowl along with the baking powder and salt.
3. Cut the lemon in half & squeeze the juice into a measurement cup, top up the lemon juice with the skimmed milk until you have a total of 1/2 cup of liquid.
4. Pour the milk mixture into the bowl & whisk on high for a few minutes.
5. Sift the flour & gradually add to the miture, mixing well until completely combined.
6. Set the oven to 180c & allow the mixture to sit until the oven is preheated, preferably 10-15 minutes.
7. Spoon the mixture into a muffin pan lined with paper cases (until two thirds full).
8. Place in the oven & cook for 22 minutes – or until just set & springy to the touch.
9. Once cooked, remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
10. Once cooled, beat the matcha tea into the buttercream until it is an even green colour and fluffy consistency.
11. Spread a generous amount of the buttercream on top of each mini cake. Top with a sprinkling of matcha tea and the bronze glitter.

TIPS:

1. You can increase the matcha tea in the mini cakes by 1/2 tsp or more if you like a stronger taste & deeper green colour.
2. Try using lime instead of lemon for a slightly different citrus zing!

Inspired by Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’, here is a seriously delicious, moist & flavourful lemon cake. The purple rain here comes in the form of juicy fresh blueberries & tiny little poppy seeds. Serve with a cup of tea or freshly brewed coffee or even as a dessert with custard or ice cream!

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

• 8oz self raising flour
• 8oz margarine
• 6oz granulated white sugar
• 3 free range eggs
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 large lemons or 3 medium lemons
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

1. Heat the margarine in the microwave or in a pan until just starting to soften & melt. Beat the sugar and the margarine together until creamy then beat in the eggs.
2. Add the flour and the baking powder and mix well to combine. You can sift these if you’re worried about lumps but it’s not essential to get a lot of air into the batter.
3. Gently mix in the blueberries. Finely grate the lemon zest and add to the batter, stirring well.
4. Finally, squeeze the lemons and stir the lemon juice into the rest of the ingredients.
5. Pour into a well greased cake tin – I use a round 12″ cake tin to produce a large cake around 1.5″ in height.
6. Bake in an oven preheated to 180c for 45 minutes.

 

 

TIP:

Finish the cake with a dusting of icing sugar or a generous helping of lemon drizzle icing (icing sugar mixed with lemon juice).

Pastel des Tres Leches con Rompope

This special-occasion cake from the state of Sinaloa is spiked with rompope, a rich Mexican eggnog liqueur. It is heated with the tres leches until the mixture is reduced to a syrup that is poured over the hot cake.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• rompope syrup
• 1 1/2cups rompope
• 1cup evaporated milk
• 1cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1cup whipping creamcake
• 5large eggs
• 3/4cup sugar
• 3/4cup cake flour
• 6tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled to lukewarmfrosting
• 1 1/2cups chilled whipping cream
• 3tablespoons sugar
• 11-pint basket strawberries, halved
• fresh mint sprigs (optional)
• 11-pint basket strawberries, hulled, sliced

DIRECTIONS For rompope syrup:
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Pour half of liquid into heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until mixture is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring frequently, about 17 minutes. Whisk in remaining half of liquid. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Rewarm just until lukewarm before using.)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment. Whisk eggs and sugar to blend in large bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Using electric mixer, beat mixture constantly until thick, pale yellow, and tripled in volume, about 9 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Continue to beat mixture until cool, about 6 minutes. Sift flour over egg mixture in 3 additions, gently folding in each addition. Transfer 1 cup batter to small bowl; fold in melted butter in 3 additions. Gently fold into batter in large bowl, being careful not to deflate batter. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until top is deep golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto deep platter at least 2 inches larger than cake. Remove parchment paper. Using wooden skewer, pierce cake all over top, spacing piercings 1/2 inch apart and pressing skewer down to bottom of cake.

Gradually pour half of lukewarm rompope syrup over top of hot cake, spreading over cake with spatula and allowing rompope syrup to soak into cake before adding more. Invert cake onto another large deep platter. Pierce cake all over top, spacing piercings 1/2 inch apart and pressing skewer down to bottom of cake. Gradually pour remaining rompope syrup over cake, spreading with spatula and allowing syrup to soak in before adding more. Let cake stand at room temperature until cooled completely, about 2 hours, occasionally spooning up any rompope syrup that collects on bottom of platter and drizzling syrup over cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in large bowl until peaks form. Spread frosting over cake. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Garnish with halved berries and mint, if desired. Serve with sliced berries.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup blackberry jam
• 4 egg whites, beaten

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 300°. Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Cream butter and
gradually add sugar; add egg yolks. Sift together flour and spices. Add to
creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Add vanilla and jam.
Fold in the beaten egg whites. Bake in a well-greased, deep 10-inch tube or
Bundt pan in a 300° oven for 15 minutes, then at 350° for 15
minutes, and then at 360° for 30 to 40 minutes. Test with cake tester
before removing from oven. Remove from oven, unmold cake to a rack, and cool.

Coffee cakes rank among the most popular of comfort foods, welcomed at breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and as the name indicates, coffee breaks. A coffee cake batter is generally more liquid than a quick bread one and contains a bit more sugar, and as a result, the final product is lighter and moister. On the other hand, coffee cakes tend to be less sweet than butter cakes. There are many versions of kuchen, this streusel-topped sour cream type being a very popular one. It is commonly served at the meal following Yom Kippur, or Shavuot, and on Sabbath afternoons or the melaveh malcha (“accompanying the queen”) party following the Sabbath. For the later occasion, spices are added to the batter and topping, reflecting those used during the havdallah ceremony signaling the end of the Sabbath.

One 9-inch square or Bundt cake; 6 to 9 servings

INGREDIENTS

• streusel topping:
• 1/2 cup granulated or brown sugar, or 1/4 cup each
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cloves (optional)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, grated coconut, golden raisins, or chocolate chips, or 1 cup any combination (optional)
  batter:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup granulated or brown sugar or 1/2 cup each
• 4 large egg yolks, or 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional) glaze (optional):
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or water

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F if using a glass pan). Grease one 9-inch square pan,9-inch Bundt or tube pan, or 9-inch springform pan. Line with parchment or waxed paper, grease again, and dust with flour.

2. To make the streusel: Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg if using. Cut in the butter to resemble coarse crumbs.If desired, stir in the nuts.

3. To make the batter: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and zest if using. Stir in the flour mixture.

4. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan.Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Carefully cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining streusel.

5. Bake unitl the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 50 minutes. Set on a rack and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Wrap the kuchen in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

6. To make the glaze if using: Combine all the glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth and of pouring consistency.Drizzle over the cake and let stand until set.

HINT: When baking and storing a cake containing acidic ingredients such as sour cream in an aluminum pan, line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent the juices from reacting with the aluminum and creating a metallic flavor.

VARIATIONS
Single-Layer Coffee Cake: Spread all the batter in a 13-by-9-inch pan, sprinkle with all of the topping, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Fruit-Filled Coffee Cake: After adding the middle layer of streusel, top with 1 cup peeled, cored, and thinkly sliced cooking apples, 1 cup peeled, pitted, and sliced peaches, or 1 cup pitted cherries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries.

Cheese Coffee Cake: Combine 8 ounces softened cream chees, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread over the top of the batter, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. If desired, spread 1/2 cup melted blueberry, cherry, raspberry, or strawberry preserves or pie filling over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the streusel.