POPPY ROLL

Poppy cake is a must bake in my household every Christmas.

This year I wanted to try something new and I made this delicious and beautifull Poppy Roll. My family and friends loved it so I guess it will become a tradition.

With this recipe you will make three Poppy Rolls, perfect to share with your family and friends :)

Ingredients for the dough :

• 400 g flour
• 100 g sugar
• 20 g dry yeast
• 150 g melted butter
• 100 g warm milk
• 6 egg yolks at room temp. (leave the egg whites for the poppy filling)
• 2 tsp rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0,5 tsp salt

Sieve the flour into a large bowl and mix with the dry yeast.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with your hand. Make sure the milk is warm and the melted butter is not too hot.

Knead the dough until it's not sticky (about 5 min.) and form a ball.

If the dough is too sticky, add more flour. Cover the bowl with a linen or cotton cloth and leave aside in a warm place for an hour to rise.

Poppy filling :

• 500 g poppy seeds
• 100 g raisins
• 50 g finly chopped walnuts
• 150 g brown sugar
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp butter (room temp.)
• 6 egg whites
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Put the poppy seeds in a bowl and cover them with boiling hot water. When cool, drain the water well and grind twice in a meat grinder.

Put the raisins on a drainer and rinse them with boiling hot water. (this will make them very soft).

Whisk the egg whites till they are stiff. Mix all the ingredients together, add the egg whites at the end and mix in gently.

When the dough is ready divide it in three equal parts.

Sprinkle some flour onto your chopping board and roll the dough in a rectangle shape, about 3mm thick.

Divide the poppy filling on three, spread it on the dough leaving 3cm clean on both ends.

Roll the dough with the longer sides inwards.

Grease baking paper with vegetable oil and roll it around the poppy Rolls twice.

Place the Rolls on a baking tray with a 5cm gap between each other.

Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35-40 minutes.

You can now decorate the Poppy Rolls as you desire. Be carefull when moving them around cause it's easy to brake them.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and try it out! Merry Christmas! :)

MINI GINGERBREAD CAKE

What is Christmas without a Gingerbread Cake? The smell will fill your house with the Christmas vibe and after you try it, it will make you hungry for more. 

In this recipe I will show you how to make a 23 cm cake with three layers, as this size is more common. To make a mini 10 cm cake I have divided the ingredients in half and it has worked out beautifully.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 370 g flour
• 370 g brown sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 300 ml buttermilk
• 220 ml vegetable oil
• 120 ml milk
• 3 eggs
• 1,5 tsp vanilla extract
• 0,5 tsp salt

Sieve all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix using a whisk till all is combined. In a seperate large bowl combine all the wet ingredients using a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently till everything is combined. If you feel like the batter is too thik, you can add a bit more milk.

Divide the batter equally in three 23 cm baking pans. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 30-35 minutes or untill the toothpick comes out clean.

Ingredients for the cream cheese icing :

• 340 g cream cheese
• 150 g butter (room temp.)
• 400 g icing sugar
• 4 tsp  rum
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the butter in a mixer on high speed for 3 minutes, add the cream cheese, rum and vanilla extract and mix for another 2 minutes. Turn the speed on low and start mixing in the icing sugar. If the mixture is too thin add more icing sugar, if it is too thick add more cream cheese or butter.

Now all the decorating is up to you, have fun with it ;)

Hope you enjoy, Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS MINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

Mini cake is a perfect option if your having a friend over or if you want to make a small desert. It's quick and easy - just the way I like it ;)

Ingredients :

• 6 tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Add the milk, oil, egg, salt and vanilla extract to a bowl and whisk till combined.

Sieve in the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and whisk again till all is combined.

Share the batter equally between two 10 cm baking pans.

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes.

If you have just one 10 cm pan like me, bake one cake at a time.

For the icing between the cake layers I have used cream cheese icing, you can find the recipe for that in the Christmas Red Velvet Cake post by scrolling down ;)

I have topped the cake up with a cream cheese drizzle :

• 60 g cream cheese
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the whipping cream on low then high speed for about 5 minutes or till stiff. Seperatly mix the cream cheese with icing sugar and vanilla extract till you get a creamy consistancy. Gently add the whipped cream to the mixture and mix using a whisk till all gets combined.

Easy, quick, yummy! What else can you want from a cake :)

As always Enjoy!

CHRISTMAS RED VELVET CAKE POPS

Cake pops is a grate way to use up any remains of a cake or cupcakes. Here I have used some Red Velvet cupcakes to make these wonderful cake pops.

Ingredients :

• ready baked red velvet cake
• cream cheese
• chocolate of choice
• food coloring of choice

Crumble up your red velvet cake finely. Depending on how much cake you are using, add a few spoons of cream chees so the cake becomes sticky. I have used about 10 red velvet cupcakes and added about 2 tbsp of cream cheese.

The perfect consistency is when you can form balls which keep their shape. Use your hands to do so.

After forming balls (or shape of your choice), place them in the fridge for 15 minutes to let them firm up.

In a small bowl melt the chocolate (of your choice).

Take the cake pops out of the fridge, take a cake pop stick and dip it's end in the melted chocolate, then stick it into the cake pop about half way. Repeat with every cake pop, then place them in the fridge for another 15 minutes.

After that time take the cake pops out of the fridge and coat them in melted chocolate, tap them gently to get rid of the excess chocolate and place them horizontaly in a cup to dry. If you want your cake pops to be colorfull, add some food coloring to the melted chocolate.

Next you can decorate your cake pops any way you desire.

Have fun! :)

CHRISTMAS RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Cupcakes are such a grate thing to make on any occasion. They are delicious, easy to make and look beautiful. Plus their red color, already makes me think of Christmas!

Ingredienst :

• 270 g butter
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp buttermilk
• 235 g flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 250 g sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1,5 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp red gel food coloring

Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt into a big mixing bowl. Add butter at room temperature and start mixing on low speed. Start adding eggs one at a time and mix for one minute.

Separately, mix the buttermilk with vanilla extract and red gel food coloring. Add to the mixture and increase the speed to medium.

In a cup place the baking soda and add the vinegar. Let it sit for few seconds and add to the mixture. Continue mixing on medium speed for 1 minute, then stop the mixer and mix by hand to make sure all ingredients are combined.

With this recipy you will be able to bake around 26 cupcakes.

Fill your cupcake forms about half way full and bake at 170°C (338°F) for 22-25 minutes.

Ingredients for the cream cheese icing:

• 150 g butter
• 240 g cream cheese
• 700 g icing sugar

Mix the butter with the cream cheese on high speed for 2 minutes, change the speed to low and start adding the icing sugar in sections. If the icing is to thin for your liking, add more icing sugar, if it is to thick add more cream cheese.

Always make sure your cupcakes are cool before you put the icing on top of them.

Now it's time for decorating and enjoing the magic of these amazing cupcakes, Yumm... Enjoy! :)

CHRISTMAS RED VELVET CAKE

Ho ho how could I not make a Red Velvet Cake for Christmas! :)

Perfect in color, perfect in taste. Easy and fun to make. This baby here is my new addiction!

Ingredients :

• 250 ml buttermilk (1 cup)
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 220 g sugar (1,1/2 cup)
• 340 g flour (2 cups)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 120 g butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp red gel food coloring

Mix the butter with sugar on high speed for 5 minutes. Set the mixer to medium speed and start adding eggs, one at a time.

Add the buttermilk, vanilla extract and red food coloring.

In a small bowl place the baking soda and add vinegar, without mixing let it sit for couple seconds, then add to the mixture.

Turn the mixer down to low speed, sieve through the flour and cocoa powder. Let it mix on low speed for one minute.

Place The batter in two 23 cm baking pans. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool and place them in the fridge before adding the icing.

Ingredients for the creme cheese icing :

• 80 g butter
• 120 g cream cheese
• 400g icing sugar

(If you don't like your icing to be very sweet, you can add less icing sugar.)

Mix the butter with cream cheese for 2 minutes on high speed. Change the speed to low and start adding the icing sugar in sections, giving every section about 30 secounds to mix in well.

Before you add the icing to the cake, make sure the cake is cold so the icing can keep it's shape.

And there you have it! A perfect Christmas cake, hope you Enjoy!

CHRISTMAS GINGERBREAD  COOKIES

Christmas gingerbread cookies are perfect for decorating your Christmas table, cake or even Christmas tree. They will make your home smell beautiful and of course they are yummy!

Ingredients:

• 260 g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 150 g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
• 1,5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk

Sieve the flour on a pastry board and add 2 tbsp of hot honey, mix it with a knife by chopping. Start adding sugar, spices and baking soda. At the end add the butter and egg.

Knead the dough by hand and add a tsp of warm milk at a time. Do this for about 5 minutes, till the dough is smooth.

Sprinkle the pastry board with flour and roll the dough out till it is 1 cm thick. Cut out your desired shapes and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 180°C (350°F) for 10 - 12 minutes. Gather the remaining dough and roll it out again for more cookies.

I have used Royal Icing on top of my cookies to make them look even more gorgeous. Nice and simple as always! :)

COCONUT CAKE

Coconut cake is my new favorite! It will win the hearts of all who will try it. It looks perfect as a winter, snow cake, but is also great for any occasion and any time of the year. Give it a try!

Ingredients for the cake:

• 4 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 180 g cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 115 g butter
• 240 ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 115 g coconut flakes

Whip the butter with sugar in a mixer for 7 - 10 minutes.

Start adding one egg at a time. Add the coconut milk and vanilla extract. After that's all combined put the mixer aside. Sieve the flour and baking powder and add the coconut flakes into the mixture and mix it gently with a spatula.

For two layers of cake, share the batter in two 20 cm baking trays.

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 - 40 minutes.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 package of cream custard powder
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp starch
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 250 g butter
• coconut milk
• 1 tsp coconut or vanilla extract

Follow the instructions on the pack of the cream custard powder, mix it with the right amount of hot coconut milk (replacing regular milk). Let it cool. Mix the butter with flour,icing sugar and starch until all is combined. When the custard is cooled, start adding it in sections to the mixture, add the coconut or vanilla extract.

After adding the filling to the cake, place it in the fridge for an hour.

Simply must bake! :)

JELLY CUPCAKES

Super easy way to treat your friends and family.
Takes minimum effort to make and the end result is fantastic. Give it a try!

All you need is few bags of jelly of your choice. Mix each with hot water. Use half of the amount of water that is required in the instructions on the bag. When the powder has dissolved, pour the mixture into silicone cupcake molds and place in the fridge for 2 hours or over night.

Simply top them up with some whipped cream and the job is done! Enjoy :)

BLUEBERRY JAM PANCAKES

Some say breakfast, some say dessert, I say why not both! I love to treat my self with pancakes atleast once a week, and these American style pancakes with blueberry jam, topped with Maple syrop are the ones to go for!

Ingredients for the pancake batter :

• 200 g ap flour
• 1,5 tbls baking powder
• 0,5 tsp salt
• 3 tbls granulated sugar
• 450 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbls melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Sieve all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix together.

Seperate the egg whites from the egg yolks and beat them till stiff.

In a seperate bowl mix all the wet ingredients till combined, then pour the mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients and whisk till combined. Add the egg whites to the mixture and whisk very gently for no longer then 1 min.

Preheat a frying pan to medium/high heat.

Pour the mixture in sections and wait about 1,5 min. on one side and 1 min. on the other.

The size of the pancakes will depend on the amount of batter poured over the pan.

You can use any jam u like for these pancakes, my choice was blueberry jam and a drizzle of Maple syrop on top.

So here is my brekfast and dessert. Can it get any better? ;)

GINGER & LEMON CREPE CAKE

Crepe Cake is an excellent dessert which you can also serve as breakfast. There are endless flavors to choose from. My choice for an autumn Crepe Cake is ginger and lemon, layerd and topped with lemon flavoured whipped cream. Yummy!

Ingredients for the Crepe Cake batter :

• 750 g milk ( 3 cups )
• 60 g melted butter
• 8 eggs
• 375 g ap flour ( 2,5 cups )
• 2 tbls lemon juice
• 150 ml water (0,5 cup)
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 100 g granulated sugar (0,5 cup)
• 0,5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Sieve through all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk till combined. In a seperate bowl mix all the wet ingredients (make sure all are in room temperature). Pour the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk till all combined.

Preheat a frying pan on a medium/high heat and add a little bit of butter or oil so the cake batter doesn't stick. The size of the pan will determine the size of the cake.

Pour a thin, even layer of the batter and let it sit for 1min. - 1,5 min,

then turn it on the other side and let it sit for another 1 min.

Repeat this process till you use up all the batter.

Let the cakes cool on the side before you add the whipped cream.

Ingredients for the whipped cream :

• 700 ml whipping cream
• 2 tbls icing sugar
• zest of 2 lemons

Whisk the whipping cream with icing sugar till stiff (about 5 min.), then gently mix in the lemon zest.

Layer the cake with the creme and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Isn't this a beautiful way to serve pancakes? Enjoy! :)

HALLOWEEN CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

I am absolutely in love with this PERFECT chocolate cake! To make it extremely chocolatey, I have added whipping cream mixed with chocolate, cherry jam and topped it with chocolate ganache. Although, this cake is perfect by it's self aswell.

NOTE: This recipy is for two layers of cake baked in seperate    23cm trays, if you want just one layer, use half of these ingredients or a bigger tray.

Ingredients for the cake :

• 300 g flour (all purpous)
• 250 g butter (room temp.)
• 250 g dark chocolate
• 120 ml milk
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 4 eggs
• 550 g sugar
• 30 ml vegetable oil
• 170 ml hot water
• 3 tsp instant coffe
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 0,5 tbsp baking powder
• 0,5 tsp salt

Place a heat resistant glass bowl on a pot with simmering water. Add the butter, chocolate, sugar, coffe and hot water into the bowl and let it melt. Keep whisking the mixture untill all the ingredients are dissolved.

Remove the bowl from the pot, add milk into the hot mixture and start mixing with a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, next add the oil.

When that is all combined, stop the mixer and sieve the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder, then start mixing on low speed for 2 minutes.

Place baking paper on the bottom of your two 23cm baking trays, fill them up with the mixture and bake at 150°C (300°F) for 2 hours.

After taking the cake out let it cool for about an hour.

Ingredients for the chocolate whipping cream :

• 250 ml whipping cream
• 45 g dark chocolate

Place the cream and the chocolate in a bowl, heat up in the microwave for 30 sec. Mix to check if the chocolate has dissolved, if not put it back in for 15 sec. and mix again. Let it cool down and place in the fridge to cool completely.

When the mixture is cold, mix on high speed for about 5 minutes till it gets a thick consistency. You can use it to layer the cake.

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache :

• 50 ml whipping cream
• 100 g dark chocolate

As with the chocolate cream above, melt the ingredients together in a microwave till the chocolate is dissolved. Spread it on top of the cake.

Enjoy the best cake the world has known! ;)

HALLOWEEN COOKIES

Want to get creative this Halloween in a cheep and easy way? You should definietly try these delicious Halloween cookies! They are super easy to make,very affordable and you can get very creative by decorating them however you like. I have decorated mine with Royal Icing.

Ingredients for the cookie dough :

• 200 g granulated sugar (1 cup)
• 230 g butter (room temp.)
• 1 egg
• 360 g flour (all purpose)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder

Mix the butter with sugar in a mixer for 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix for another 2 minutes. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture and mix with a spoon or a spatula till all combined. Press the dough in your hands and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in a plastic bag or tin foil and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Sprinkle some flour on a big cutting board or your kitchen countertop and roll the ball of dough till flat. Don't roll it too thin so it doesn't fall apart. Cut out your desired shapes. Place baking paper on a baking tray, then place the cutouts on top. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Let the cookies cool before you start decorating them.

Ingredients for Royal Icing :

• 350 g icing sugar (3 cups)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

All you need to do is mix all the ingredients in a mixer for about 5 minutes. Add the desired food colouring and start piping. If the icing is too thick just add a little bit of water, if it's too thin add icing sugar.

So simple and easy, but the efect is stunning!

                        BLUEBERRY TART

For this tart I used blueberry jam which makes this a perfect tart for any time of the year. It has a rich taste and a beautiful colour. And because Purple reminds me of Halloween I just couldn's resist ;)

Ingredients for the cracker crust :

• 200 g crackers
• 6 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp sugar

Mix all the ingredients in blender till combined. Fill your 28 cm tart tray, pushing the mixture againts the sides of the tray. Bake for 10 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Ingredients for the blueberry filling :

• 400 g blueberry jam
• 200 g condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Whisk all the ingredients till combined. Pour the mixture onto the crust and bake for another 25 minutes at 180°C (350°F).

Let the tart cool completly on the side, then place it in the fridge for an hour. After that time prepare your chocolate ganache (optional).

Chocolate ganache :

• 200 g dark chocolate
• 100 ml whipping cream

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a bowl (make sure the bowl is not made out of metal so you can place it in the microvawe!), then pour the whipping cream over it  and put it into the microvawe for 30 secounds. Mix the mixture with a spoon for a few seconds, if it is not melting yet put it back into the microvawe for another 30 seconds. Mix till all the chocolate is disolved. When ready pour it on the tart and spread gently.

For the spider web effect I have used melted white chocolate.

Place the tart in the fridge for an hour and it's ready!

                          CARROT CAKE

Carrot cake is good for any time of the year and it will bring a  smile to anyone who will try it. If you haven't tried it out yet, it's about time!

Ingredients for the cake :

• 500 g grated carrots (about 5 medium sized)
• 400 g flour
• 500 g sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 5 eggs
• 350 ml vegetable oil

Sieve all the dry ingredients in to a big bowl and whisk till combined. In a mixing bowl mix the eggs for about 3 minutes. Mix in the oil and then start gradualy adding the dry ingredients while mixing on low speed. Add the grated carrots and mix for about 2 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Spread a little amount of butter all over the inside of a 23 cm baking tray and sprinkle it with bread crumbs, next pour the mixture into the tray.

Bake for an hour and 20 minutes then lower the temperature to 160°C (320°F) and bake for another 30 minutes.

This cake is very moist so check it in the center with a scewer if it is ready inside. If the scewer comes out wet keep baking for another 20 minutes and check again.

When the cake is ready put it on the side and let it cool for two hours.

Ingredients for the butter cream : 

• 200 g cream cheese
• 150 g caster sugar
• 100 g butter (room temperature)

Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl until cumbined.

Cut the cake into layers and spread the butter cream over each layer, put all the layers on top of each other and spread the butter cream all over the cake.

It takes a little bit of time but it is so worth it, enjoy ! :)