Blood Orange Baby Cakes with Blood Orange Curd and Bay Leaf Buttercream
Blood oranges are in season so I’m obviously baking with them. This orange and almond sponge is one of my all-time favourites. Whole blood oranges are boiled and then pureed before being added into the cake batter. It makes for an incredibly moist and flavourful sponge. Plus its gluten free too!
Chocolate Love Cakes with Roasted Strawberry Buttercream
I don’t know anyone that wouldn’t be happy to receive one of these for Valentines Day. Moist chocolate cake, indulgent chocolate ganache, fresh strawberries and roasted strawberry buttercream. They’re the perfect size to split with your love, but this recipe makes more than enough for you to each have your own. I really think it’s worth putting the extra effort into the finishing touches. Fresh rose petals and gold leaf are my favourites to really make them special.
Chamomile, Blueberry & Ginger Swiss Roll
Swiss roll is the epitome of a light sponge that can carry an array of flavours. I flavoured mine with some lemon zest. I love the delicate flavour of chamomile when its infused into a cream and the sweetness of white chocolate pairs well. Along with the chamomile white chocolate cream; I made a punchy blueberry and ginger compote to add a pop of colour to both the aesthetics and flavour.
Plum, Orange & Cardamom Cake with Brown Sugar Crème Fraiche
Sometimes, all I want is a fresh piece of cake. Warm from the oven is best. Light as air and packed with buttery vanilla flavour. This cake is just that. A very simple cake recipe that you can whip up really easily. The added cardamom, ginger and orange just hum in the background, creating a wonderfully fragrant slice. Fresh plums are arranged on top before a sprinkling of pistachios adorns the top. Once its cooled, I like to dust it with a little icing sugar and serve it with a dollop of crème fraiche which has been slightly sweetened with some brown sugar. The slight tang works really well against the sweet, soft, warm sponge.
Sesame Sour Cream & Apple Cake
This has become my new favourite snack cake. A sour cream sponge made with tahini and toasted sesame seeds, that has a spiced sugar running through the middle and tart apples sitting on top. It’s then finished off with a maple tahini glaze that gets poured over the surface while the cake is still hot, so that it rests into all of its nooks and crannies. It’s moist and fruity but a little savoury from the sesame too.
All I kept thinking while eating my first warm slice was, ‘when can I make this again?’
Chocolate Chunk Espresso Muffins
When I dream of chocolate muffins, these are what I dream of. A moist and tender sour cream batter with big chunks of melted dark and milk chocolate. All nestled under a blanket of salty, crisp chocolate streusel and sweet coffee mascarpone cream. I think they're quite beautiful with their rough rocky surface and different shades of cocoa. My perfect chocolate muffin.