This week, we’re diving into a cosy bake that’s just right for tea time gatherings or as a birthday spoil. My husband and I celebrate our birthdays this week so a cake theme seemed fitting! This one’s a goodie – soft chocolate cake meets juicy and sweet pears, all topped with a crispy and buttery chocolate crumble. It’s a cake recipe that brings simple elegance to your table.
Ahoy! The inspiration for this birthday cake comes from the official birthday cake handbook of the eighties (and beyond), “The Australian Women’s Weekly Kids’ Birthday Cakes”. How many of you can remember paging through this book as children, ogling all of the beautiful birthday creations? Talk about nostalgia. My copy of the book is not the original but a later version, however it but still features its legendary bakes like the train cake, the princess castle and the swimming pool (if you know, you know).
Here’s a small nod to the festive season without me getting too Christmassy on you…for now. *wink* No Christmas is complete without a gingerbread flavoured bake, and (me being me) I decided to try and make a chocolate version of my favourite gingerbread cake. It worked so well that I had to share the recipe here.
Here’s an Easter bake inspired by the traditional simnel cake. It’s a fruity chocolate cake with a layer of delicious homemade marzipan in the middle and a glossy ganache topping – perfect for some tea time indulging. Yes please!
I remember baking and photographing this particular loaf on a grey and rainy winter afternoon. The chocolatey aroma wafting from the kitchen was just heavenly, and the wait while it cooled and was being photographed felt like forever. This simple chocolate loaf cake is a delight with its soft crumb and crunchy pops of pecan nuts, all slathered in velvety chocolate buttercream.
We are counting down the sleeps until Christmas Day and there’s just time for one more Christmas recipe and my last post for 2018! This festive showstopper looks beautiful on the table and makes a decadent and delicious dessert. What is it exactly? My version is essentially a chocolate swiss roll filled with a walnut and cream cheese filling, smothered in chocolate icing and topped with chocolate curls. And in the mandatory log format! (Apologies in advance to your dentists and personal trainers… #sorrynotsorry.)
Helloo there. Welcome to March (say whaat?!) and my first blog post for the month. It’s a rather celebratory post and this recipe is inspired by one of my personal foodie icons, Yotam Ottolenghi. This easy chocolate cake recipe is adapted very slightly from one that appears in his book “Sweet” (co-written with Helen Goh) and the reason for this cake post is that this week Cupcakes and Couscous celebrates its fifth anniversary!
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Cupcakes & Couscous 