Cheese, Pistachio and Apricot Cake

Recipe adapted from Rachel Khoo from UK. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cheese_pistachio_and_85849

Savoury cakes are very popular in France, they appear in boulangeries and with a side salad on lunch menus in chic cafés, but they’re most likely to appear at a picnic.

Ingredients 

250g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
150g soft goat’s cheese, cut into small pieces
80g pistachios, roughly chopped
100g  dry apricot, roughly chopped
4  eggs
150ml olive oil
100ml  milk
50g  plain yoghurt
1 tsp salt
pinch freshly-ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a loaf tin measuring 8½ x 4¼  with baking paper. 
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cheese, pistachios and apricots. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy and pale in colour. Then gradually whisk in the oil, milk and yoghurt. Season with the salt and freshly-ground black pepper. 
4. Fold the flour mixture into the whisked eggs. Try not to overbeat as this will make the end result tough (it’s better to undermix). 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. 
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. 
7. Leave to cool in the tin.

You can also find her other recipes in this book.

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History of Pavlova

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova.It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside.

The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source.

The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time, but is eaten all year round in many Australian and New Zealand homes.

Source retrieved from Wiki

I follow the Pavlova recipe from this book:

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The cake's ruby top is a mixture of tart cranberries and sweet raspberries, the Raspberries both sweeten the cake and also creates a more luscious texture. Underneath is a rich cake with butter and almond flour. It is best served with ice cream along with tea or coffee.

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On top of that, blueberry has the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit, which easily boost up your immune system and prevent infections.

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Now I can make a 6-inch or 8-inch for you, for more details, visit here.

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Carrot cake was derived from carrot pudding in Europe. In the Middle Ages of Europe when sugar was expensive and short, carrot was used as sweetener because of the sweetness in carrots.

Carrot cake recipe
6 Eggs
180g Sugar
A pinch of salt
25g Lemon juice
25g Rum
2.5g Vanilla extract
375g Shredded carrots
50g Bread flour
7.5g Baking powder
5g Cinnamon
100g Bread crumbs
150g Ground almonds

Cream cheese icing recipe
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100g Icing sugar
25g Lemon juice
250g Whip topping

Directions
1. Place eggs, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl and heat over a water bath until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Whip the eggs on 3rd speed to soft peak.
3. Turn the mixer to 2nd speed and continue mixing to firm peeks.
4. Add the lemon juice, rum and vanilla to the above, continue mixing until blended.
5. Fold the shredded carrots into the above and mix by hands.
6. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together, then mix with the bread crumbs and almonds.
7. Gently fold the above ingredients into the egg mixture just until blended.
8. Divide the batter evenly into 2 lined 9-inches baking pans.
9. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes; until the cake springs back when touched.

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I start working on cakes and expand my range this year, ranging from icing, fondant to elegant wedding cake. This is a buttercream icing with marzipan roses, just to welcome the spring.

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Ingredients: green tea powder, cream cheese, sour cream, egg and sugar.

Check it out at Bakery 22

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Ingredients: Sultana, raisin, currant, galcé cherry, mix peel, brandy, cinnamon, mix spice, nutmeg, almond extract, lemon zest, orange zest, brown sugar, egg, butter and unbleach-flour

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100g sultanas
75 ml water
175g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
125g unsalted butter, melted
130g sugar
2 large eggs
4 small, very ripe bananas, mashed
60g chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the sultanas and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for an hour, or until the sultanas have absorbed most of the liquid, then drain.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar, beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Stir in the walnuts, drained sultanas and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture,a third at a time, stirring well after each bit. Scrap into the loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours. When it's ready, an inserted toothpick or fine skewer should come out clean. Leave in the tin on a rack to cool.

Makes 8- 10 slices.

Apple Walnut Cake

This is not a fancy cake, but an apple cake with olive oil. I read this recipe from Nigella Lawson's book, she suggest use rum to cook down the sultana and use walnut oil. Well, I think the rum's flavour will cover most of the cake and walnut oil is hard to find as well. Thus, I follow her side path to use olive oil and water to cook the sultana instead.

Ingredient: Sultana, walnut, lemon zest, cinnamon, egg, apple and flour.

$18 for a 8 inch. cake.

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$15 per loaf

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