Banana, Walnut and Caramel Cake

Another version of my Banana, Walnut and Caramel Cake

Mochacino Cake

Mochacino Double-layered Cake filled with Chocolate Ganache and iced with Chocolate Buttercream and topped with Caramelized White Chocolate and Hazelnuts

This is my family recipe for Mochacino Cake. Very simple and quick, this is a very wet mixture but it makes a lovely moist cake that keeps for days.

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

125g melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 orange (optional, it would give the cake a more jaffa-like flavour)

Beat in this order adding ingredients

Sift together and add to the above mixture:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Add 1 cup of very strong black coffee

The mixture will be very runny, but don't worry! Just make sure your 18cm greased and lined tin is water-tight.

Bake at 180ºC for 1 hour or until cake springs up when lightly pressed.

When cool, cut in half through the middle and sandwich the two halves together with dark chocolate ganache

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

(You can make as much ganache as you desire using this ratio of chocolate to cream.)

Makes 1 cup

200g good-quality dark chocolate (I use 70% cocoa or more)

1/2 cup cream

Heat in a heat-proof ceramic or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water until smooth. Make sure not to have the heat up too high otherwise you will cook the ganache and you'll have to start again.

Chocolate Buttercream:

100g butter, softened 

approx. 2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp boiling water

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add half of the icing sugar and the vanilla beat to combine. Slowly add the rest of the icing sugar until thick. Dribble in the water. (You can alternate more icing sugar and water until you reach a spreadable/pipe-able consistency.)

Spread or pipe the Chocolate Buttercream onto the cake and garnish with Caramelized White Chocolate and Hazelnuts.

Caramelized White Chocolate:

100g white chocolate

Bake at 180ºC until golden then blitz in a food processor. 

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with White Chocolate Ganache and Marshmallow Frosting

I kind of made up this recipe as I went along. It turned out to be a delicious, light, fluffy cake that is absolutely irresistible! I prefer the marshmallow frosting for this particular cake as the cake itself and the ganache is quite rich and the marshmallow balances it quite nicely. Of course you could also use a buttercream or cream cheese frosting instead. This is best eaten the day it's made as the marshmallow's texture changes a little overnight (how convenient!)

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with White Chocolate Ganache and Marshmallow Frosting

For the Cake:

250g butter, softened

1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 cups flour

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup white chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180ºC and grease and line two 22cm tins

1. Beat butter until pale and creamy then gradually add sugars and vanilla essence

2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition

3. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix to combine

4. Mix in 1/3 of the dry ingredients until just combined and then 1/3 of the milk. Continue alternating until all the milk and all the dry ingredients are well incorporated

4. Fold through raspberries and white chocolate

5. Pour mixture into the two tins and bake for 50-60 minutes (check at 45minutes)

6. Let cool in tins for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack

For the Ganache:

250g white chocolate (block or buttons)

1/2 cup cream

1. Melt the chocolate and cream in a heat-proof ceramic or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring constantly

2. Remove from heat when the chocolate is almost melted as the heat from the bowl will melt the remaining little pieces and you do not want to cook your ganache.

3. Refrigerate until thickened

For the Marshmallow Frosting:

125g caster sugar

2 large egg whites

1 tsp vanilla essence/extract

1. Lightly mix sugar and egg whites and vanilla in a heat-proof bowl.

2. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature, stirring occasionly

3. After 3-4 minutes when the mixture is around 40ºC, rub a bit of mixture between your fingers to make sure it is smooth and that there are no sugar grains left.

4. You can either use it now if it is ready or keep heating it until all the sugar is dissolved

5. Pour the mixture in a stand-mixer or use an electric hand whisk and whip on medium/high until the base of the bowl is no longer hot and you have stiff, glossy, white peaks.

To assemble:

1. Spread the ganache on the top of one of the cakes and place the other cake on top. Lightly press down on top to sandwich the cakes together

2. Dollop the marshmallow frosting on the top of the top cake and spread to the edges then finally decorate with toppings of you choice. (I used freeze dried raspberries, chopped white chocolate and silver cachous.)

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I felt like the classic chocolate chip cookie needed a little sprucing up, and what better to do just that, than coconut! Chocolate chip cookies are quite a wintery treat so coconut is a perfect summery accompaniment to balance out the rich, deep tones of the chocolate. I love my cookies crispy around the edges and gooey in the centre so I bake them for around 8-10 minutes on 180ºC.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes approx. 16 cookies

125g butter, softened
1 1/4 cup tightly packed soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence or paste
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
150g roughly chopped, good-quality chocolate
1/2 cup shredded or desiccated coconut

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy then gradually add sugar. Continue beating until pale brown in colour
3. Add egg and vanilla while mixing
4. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine
5. Fold through chocolate chips and coconut
6. Place even amounts of dough on tray and flatten with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes for chewy cookies (10-12 for crunchier cookies)

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place :)