Saturday 3 August 2013

The Cakes and Bakes Den: The most scrumptious Chocolate Brownies ever!

The Cakes and Bakes Den: The most scrumptious Chocolate Brownies ever!: Without any shadow of doubt, these are quite literally truly scrumptious!  They are incredibly rich though, so try not to have more than...

Monday 3 June 2013

Orange Cheesecake - a semi healthy one too!

This cheesecake is a fairly healthy creation, no bake, and so easy, yet tastes so fresh and summery...the perfect accompaniment to a BBQ or salad lunch.

To make this you will need:

150 ml natural yoghurt
1 pack of jelly (orange flavour)
cheesecake minus 2 slices!  Not a good photo, sorry!
30 g butter
8-10 digestive biscuits
100 ml water (cold)
250 ml lightest cream cheese or mascarpone


Method:

1.  Crush the digestive biscuits to fine crumbs.  Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan, and add the crushed biscuits.  Ensure the melted butter has coated the crumbs thoroughly.  Then press the buttered crumbs into a flan dish to cover the base and sides of the dish.

2.  Put the jelly into a microwaveable jug or bowl, and add the 100 ml of cold water, and heat on full for 1 minute in microwave.  Leave to cool slightly

3.  In a bowl, mix together the natural yoghurt and cream cheese, then add the cooled jelly liquid, when thoroughly combined, pour mixture into the flan dish with the biscuit crumb lining the base and sides.

4.  Leave to set overnight in a fridge.



Monday 20 May 2013

Chicken a la Matt

This dish is my son, Matt's signature dish! Inspired by our favourite place to eat, The Cleveland Tontine,
where a similar dish (his inspiration) is called Chicken JoJo.  Vermouth or Noilly Prat is used to de-glaze the pan, and this gives a really lovely depth of  flavour, together with the tarragon.  It is quite simply delicious.  Matt takes a great pride in perfecting this dish each time he cooks it, and I think now it barely resembles the inspiration behind his dish, and he has made it his own!

You do need to use good quality chicken breasts which can be 'skin on' but do ensure you crisp the skin sufficiently if you decide on using 'skin on' chicken breasts.  For ease though, I would recommend using skinless (and indeed boneless) chicken breasts.

Serve with button mushrooms, roasted carrots, roast potatoes, or new potatoes :)  This dish is really something else, and special enough to justify being the centerpiece for a special meal! The above pic shows some roasted fennel and roasted green pepper too.

In Matt's own words here is his recipe...


OK, the naming convention is quite lame, but the dish is worthy of featuring upon the tables of Valhalla amongst the gods!
Whilst the Main and Sides are a tasty inclusion in this meal, the sauce is the linchpin for the success of this dish.
Ingredients for Main
1 x Chicken breast per person
2 trays of Button Mushrooms
Vermouth Wine
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic Puree

Ingredients for Sauce
1 tblsp. Butter
1 tblsp. Honey
2 tblsp. standard Flour
2 teasp. Dijon Mustard
1 Chicken Stock
80ml Milk (semi-skimmed) or Cream alternative
Tarragon
Pepper
Garlic Puree
125ml Boiling Water

Ingredients for Sides
Approximations:
1.5 large Potatoes per person
2.5 large Carrots per person
(+ Any other vegetables suitable)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Puree
Olive Oil

Sides
1.       Peel and slice all vegetables into generous portions; combine them in a freezer/sandwich bag with generous amounts of Olive Oil and Garlic Puree and shake the bag.
2.       Pour bag and all contents onto a baking tray and season with salt and pepper - try to get the smallest contact area of vegetable on baking tray to minimise on the vegetables stick to the tray. 
3.       Cook for a generous 1 hour at 200'C (Fan) 220'C (unassisted) until partially blackened and sweet.
4.       This should be sufficient time to complete the remainder of the dish...
Main
1.       Heat Olive Oil in large pan (30% dual-ring power or equivalent); when at temperature, add Chicken breasts (no marination or tenderising required).   Increase temperature to maximum of ring.
Note: The idea is to both cook the chicken breast and cause it to burn/stick to the pan, so feel free to leave it a little longer between turning the meat.
2.       When Chicken breast looks cooked (juices run clear when pressed), reduce the temperature to approximately 60% of total power and add the two trays of Button Mushrooms - these should be prepared by simply brushing off the compost; do not rinse-clean with water as this adds too much moisture to the meal.
3.       When Mushrooms have fried sufficiently with the Chicken, temporarily remove only the Mushrooms and Chicken Breasts from the pan whilst conducting the next step - leave juices and any residual bits of Mushroom or Chicken skin that may be present in the pan.
4.       Whilst maintaining the ring heat, add enough Vermouth wine to coat the bottom of the pan, and then some more for good measure.  Using a wooden cooking spoon, carefully scrape clean the bottom of the pan.  The Alcohol in the Vermouth will make this task very easy.  Be sure to clean it thoroughly, as it makes the cleaning process after the meal far easier as well as collecting more taste!
5.       Pour out the pan contents into a suitably middle-high volume cooking jug and then re-add the mushrooms and chicken to the clean pan.  Reduce heat to about 20-25% of total temperature and place lid on pan; it is time to move to the Sauce...

Sauce
1.       On a low heat, melt the Butter into a small pan.  When totally melted, take pan off the heat and add all the flour.  Combine carefully the butter and flour to produce a roux.
2.       Gradually add the Milk to the mix, be sure to whisk by hand all the lumps out of the mix to be left with a watery yellow liquid.  To this, add a generous helping of Tarragon and then return to the heat, which you will increase.
3.       Add the pan contents (Vermouth and pan stock) to this Sauce pan and notice the colour change to a darker yellow-brown; indicative of the richness and flavour captured in the sauce. 
4.       In a separate jug, combine the Honey, Dijon Mustard, Garlic Puree and Chicken Stock with 125ml Boiling Water until it is free of lumps.   This is then combined with the Sauce pan contents in the pan, still on the heat.
5.       This can be left to cook; depending on your preferences or palate, you can thicken the sauce by vigorously whisking flour into the mix (it will naturally thicken with heat and time), similarly, you can sweeten the sauce by adding more Honey, or make it more savoury by adding additional Mustard. 
6.       Final seasoning of Pepper will finish off the Sauce - leave it cooking on medium heat when 'perfect taste' to thicken up slightly.
7.       Eat.














Saturday 27 April 2013

Carrot, Orange, & Walnut Muffins

These not so tiny morsels of deliciousness are inspired by the recent Carrot & Orange Cake I baked.  Whilst the cake was absolutely superb, it was quite awkward to store (my storage boxes are the wrong size for the dimensions pre-slicing).  So, my answer to the storage issue is not to buy yet another storage box (you can have too many!), but make the recipe into muffins which will store perfectly in all my boxes!  They are simply more convenient to store and to transport too.

The carrot is not detectable in taste (for those of you who still have yet to be convinced that carrot cake is actually a sweet thing and not a savoury thing!), but does add to the moistness of the cake.  The cake is super fluffy, slightly spicy with ground cinnamon, and the combination of orange zest and walnuts adds a lot more depth of flavour than muffins/cakes without  these tasty ingredients.  The topping combination of cream cheese (low fat is fine, and is what I use), with orange zest, sweetened with icing sugar (but not overly sweet) perfectly compliments the flavours in the actual cake.  Top off with chopped walnuts to decorate! Perfect.

The recipe is exactly the same as the Carrot & Orange cake except obviously it is baked in 12 muffin cases, on 160 C Fan, for approx 20 mins (but do test with a wooden skewer to see if sufficiently baked through).

There is still the orange glaze on top immediately after they emerge from the oven; and there is still the cream cheese topping when they have totally cooled.

One word really sums up these beauties: Delicious!!


Excellent news !!

Following a recent inspection by the Food Standards Agency...The Cakes & Bakes Den is delighted to announce that the following certification has been achieved :


This of course means that our customers can now purchase from The Cakes & Bakes Den with every confidence, in the secure knowledge that we use only the best ingredients; produce delicious cakes, bakes and other delights; and that only the highest food hygiene standards are observed.

Sunday 21 April 2013

Carrot & Orange Cake

I first made a carrot cake many years ago, I think it had just made an appearance in the UK and was
catching on as the latest trendy edible to arrive here from across the pond!  I wasn't too thrilled with the result to be honest, and nor am I greatly enamoured with the many versions of carrot cake on offer in cafes.  Maybe it is the idea of there being carrots in a cake, which puts me off slightly; but it certainly wouldn't have been my first choice of cake to have with tea or coffee.

However, my husband has a penchant for carrot cake; it must fulfill one criteria, and that is it must be moist !  If it isn't moist then back it goes to the counter whence it came...he is unable to eat anything less than a moist carrot cake! :)

So, I have set about seeking and perfecting a recipe that gives a moist carrot cake.  I also wanted it to be slightly different to the more commonly available carrot cakes.  I didn't really want it to taste of spices such as nutmeg and ginger, although I did want a note or two of cinnamon to permeate through.  I wanted to add a different texture to the structural element, and opted for chopped walnuts, and added wholemeal flour as well as ordinary flour.  I didn't want it to be too rough and firm in texture, so I think combining both flours allows a nice, softer, yet slight firmness to the crumb.

I also wanted to add orange, not just the zest, which appears in numerous carrot cake recipes, but I wanted to incorporate the juice.  However, adding the juice to what is almost an exceptionally moist cake (the carrots give a lot moisture) would be too much for the cake to withstand.  So, I added an orange glaze to the baked cake; and just to be absolutely sure of a serious orangey flavour, I added orange essence to the frosting.  Result: a delicious, very delicious! MOIST, extremely tasty, carrot and orange cake.  The frosting adds a new depth of flavour,and is a perfect foil to the cake, in that it enhances the carrot, orangey, nuttyness!

You will need:


  • 175 g light muscovado sugar
  • 150 ml sunflower oil
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 160 g (fine to medium) grated carrot (approx 3 medium carrots)
  • Grated zest of 1 large orange
  • 100 g wholemeal self-raising flour
  • 75 g self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  (freshly ground cinnamon is best)
  • 40 g chopped walnuts
For the Orange Glaze:

  • Juice of 1 large orange
  • 2 tablespoons of caster sugar
For the Frosting:

  • 200 g cream cheese (low fat is better)
  • Icing sugar to taste (I have left the quantity for you to decide, some like it sweet, some prefer, like me, not so sweet)
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom essence
  • chopped walnuts to sprinkle over the top
Method:

1.  Heat oven to 160 C (Fan).  Put sugar, oil and eggs into a large bowl, and lightly mix with a wooden spoon
2.  Stir in carrots, orange zest, and nuts
3.  Mix flours, bicarbonate of soda, and cinnamon together, then sift into bowl and lightly mix.  Stop mixing when everything is combined
4.  Pour mixture into prepared tin (18 cm square loose bottomed, greased and lined with baking parchment)
5.  Bake for 45 mins, and a wooden skewer comes out clean
6.  Squeeze the juice of the orange into a pan (sieve to remove all that isn't juice), and add sugar, and heat slowly until sugar has dissolved.  As soon as cake is ready, brush the glaze all over the top of the cake and allow to soak in.  Leave cake to cool completely, then remove from tin.
7.  Mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and orange blossom essence.  Add more icing sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
8.  Spread the frosting all over the top of the cake, and swirl it a knife.  Add chopped walnuts to decorate.

Enjoy!

P.S.  since publishing the recipe on the Blog, the BBC Good Food web site has published my recipe.  YOu can see it here http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3104677/carrot-and-orange-cake-


















Wednesday 17 April 2013

Baileys & Vanilla Ice Cream - Delicious!!


The container on the left is 1 litre, and the container on the right is  800 ml



4 medium eggs - separated
100g caster sugar (white or golden, but I use golden)
300 mls double cream - you can use the lower fat variety by Elmlea (Delight) for a healthier version ;)
The seeds from a vanilla pod
2 tablespoons of Baileys Liqueur

1.  Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form when whisk is removed (remember to first clean your bowl with fresh lemon juice to remove any traces of fat/grease)
2.  Slowly whisk in the caster sugar, then continue to whisk until egg whites are stiff and glossy
3.  Whisk cream and vanilla pod seeds in a separate bowl until soft peaks form when whisk is removed (it is crucial to overall consistency that the cream is not overbeaten, stop before the cream is too firm)
4.  Fold the cream, egg yolks and Baileys Liqueur into meringue mixture until well combined (fold using a figure of 8 movement)
5.  Pour into a plastic container*, put lid on container, and freeze.  It will take at least 2 hours to fully set, but remember to stir it up, scraping in the frozen edges into the softer centre every 30 mins or so.

WARNING:  you may not buy factory-made ice-cream again after making this!!

* as you can see from the top photo, I have filled a 1 litre container to the brim, and not quite filled to the brim an 800 ml container

Creamy, smooth and very, very delicious Baileys & vanilla Ice Cream!



Chocolate Muffins with Mars Bar Pieces


Makes 12 good sized muffins

250g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder (Green & Black's is a good quality cocoa for all chocolate baking!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
175g golden caster sugar
175 ml milk
2 medium eggs (beaten)
100ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not essence)
2 Mars bars cut into small pieces (you can also add a square of any other chocolate you have or prefer)


1.  Heat oven to 170 c (375 F or Gas 5)
2.  Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin paper cases
3.  Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder
4.  Stir in sugar, then add remaining ingredients and lightly mix together (by hand)
5.  Spoon mixture into prepared paper cases, and then push a few pieces of Mars Bar deep into each case (the Mars Bar does tend to bubble to surface and overflow slightly, so pushing it well down into case should limit the amount of overflow!)
6.  Bake for approx 20 mins (don't be tempted to open over door before 20 mins)
7.  When they have risen, spring back to the light touch, remove and allow to cool for 10 mins before removing from tin
8. These are great as muffins, but also served with custard or ice-cream as a dessert. If using as a dessert you can reheat in microwave for about 15-17 seconds
9.  These will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Homemade lasagne


I'm sure most folk make their own Lasagne, as they do Spag Bol !  I must say though, I prefer Lasagne to Spag Bol, the flavour and texture have a greater depth, and it feels more substantial in a special way, than a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese! As with most cooking and baking, though, I am sure this a highly subjective area to debate :)  If you want to recreate my version of Lasagne you will need:


  • 500 g of minced beef (the better the quality, the better the results will be) 
  • 1 medium onion - chopped into small pieces
  • 10 (approx) medium mushrooms - halved and sliced 
  • 2 garlic cloves - crushed
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
  • 2 cans of plum tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons of red wine
  • a good turn of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of dried basil
  • 1 jar of white Lasagne sauce, or same quantity of home made bechamel sauce
  • 9 Lasagne sheets (your Lasagne dish should be roughly the same size as 3 Lasagne sheets laid side by side)
  • 150 g  mozzarella (grated)
  • Parmesan cheese (a few teaspoons sprinkled over the top)
Method:

1.  Brown minced beef in a large frying pan, no need to add any oil, but do keep stir the minced beef to break it up
2.  Add chopped onion to minced beef, and stir this in, put lid on pan, and cook on medium heat until onion is soft
3. Add mushrooms, stir well to combine, and add garlic, tomato puree, 2 cans of tomatoes (stir tomatoes in well and try to break them up into the minced beef etc), and wine
4.  Bring to the boil, then add black pepper, basil, sugar.  At this point if it's looking like it needs more liquid, add some boiled water from kettle (or pour some into one of the tomato cans and swish around to gather up remnants of tomato, and add this to pan)
5.  Turn off heat, and begin to assemble the lasagne by  first spooning in a sufficient quantity of the meat sauce to cover (but not to deeply) the bottom of your lasagne dish
6.  Put a layer of lasagne sheets on top of the meat sauce (3 sheets side by side)
7.  Spoon a layer of white sauce over the lasagne sheets (not too deeply just enough to cover them and spread over them)
8.  Repeat steps 5, 6, & 7 twice more, resulting in 3 layers of each of the meat sauce, lasagne sheets, and white sauce
9.  Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper over the white sauce topping
10.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top to ensure a good coverage
11.  Sprinkle a small quantity of dried basil over the top, and finally some Parmesan cheese grated finely over the top
12.  Stand lasagne dish onto a baking tray (in case it bubbles over) and place on top shelf of oven on 180 C (fan) for 40 minutes.  It should be a deep golden brown and beginning to form a crust on top (see photo).
13.  This should give you 6 decent sized portions; eat immediately or leave to cool, and slice into 6 portions, and when ready to eat, you can microwave each portion (in a dish covered in cling film) for approx 3 minutes.  Store any remaining portions in fridge, covered, but eat within 2 days.


















Thursday 11 April 2013

In search of the perfect Fairy Cake!

The title is not as crazy as you might first think; I have scanned my recipe books, and just about every recipe online for these little cakes, and the variation is immense!  Not only are the ingredients, and the quantities (even though most recipes are for 12 cakes) different across my research; but also the method differs, oven temperature, and cooking time!

There is a bit of background to my search...I will admit here and now that I am not a huge cupcake fan.  Well, that's not exactly true, I do like a good cupcake, and by good, I mean a tasty cake, and not just a foundation on which to build copious amounts of overly sweet, and in some instances, garishly coloured buttercream frosting.  Apparently, we have our American cousins to thank for this very popular trend, according to my research!!

The thing I do not like about cupcakes is the frosting;  and will actively remove it from the cake.  Now, I totally understand that this practice will not be shared by everyone, and I may well stand alone on this view, especially among other females!  But I would like to see a growing trend towards the actual cake part of the cupcake, and efforts to make it as good as it can be, and tasty too!  Too many are just too dry, fairly tasteless, and are completely overwhelmed by the over-the-top adornment of oh so sweet frosting.

Incidentally,  cupcakes are so called because once upon a time (in USA) cakes were made in coffee cups; why this was I don't yet know, but I will delve deeper to find out more about the origins of cupcakes, and why they require so much decoration for such a relatively small cake!

Anyway, I digress...my search for the perfect Fairy Cake continues!  Mary Berry advocates the all-in-one method which surely seems to defy the laws of science surrounding the art, or science, of baking!  I simply don't understand how the creaming method is strongly put forward in most cake recipes, yet it seems suddenly acceptable to dump all the ingredients into your mixing bowl for delicate and light Fairy Cakes!  Or am I simply being a purist?

Other methods do say to cream the butter and sugar together first, then slowly add the beaten eggs (with a little flour to begin with to prevent curdling), then gently folding in the remaining flour in order not to build up the gluten in the flour by over-beating at this stage.

There are recipes that say include baking powder, and recipes that say not to.  Some add vanilla extract, others do not.  Some say ONLY butter to be used, others say margarine.  So, no wonder we mere mortals who dabble on an amateur level into the world and its mysteries of baking get so confused!

Trying to be as objective as I can be, and in the spirit of objective scientific research, I have tried the all-in-one method as advocated by the Great baking Queen herself, and the cakes were passable.  They did have rise to them, and fairly light if somewhat dry-ish texture.  However I have to say they did taste as though something was missing from them (probably air!!).

I have tried recipes were the specific measurements for every ingredient has been given (i.e 100g of butter, 100g sugar, 100g self-raising flour, 2 eggs), and again they were passable.  Remarkably, they did have a much better aroma whilst baking.

Having made sponge cakes of the larger variety using the weight of the eggs (minus their shells) to determine the weight of the remaining ingredients, I decided to give this a try today to make today;s batch of Fairy Cakes.  The results were much lighter and indeed more airy.  I think, just how a Fairy Cake should be (which is why they are so-named...surely?).

I wanted a very understated and simple (and not too sweet) topping for my Fairy Cakes, so went with a simple glace icing...I did have an urge for a bit of experimentation and decided to add a drop (and I mean 1 tiny single pin head drop) of green food colouring to the icing mix, which gave a very pale pastel green hue.  very understated !  Just enough to make them interesting without being the central focus of attention (and taste).

You will need:


  • 2 eggs (I used medium) beaten(weigh them and write the weight down so you don't forget, as all other ingredients will need to weigh the same as the eggs)
  • Butter (or margarine, I used Utterly Butterly) - same weight as eggs
  • caster sugar - same weight as eggs
  • self-raising flour - same weight as eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder (added to flour)
Method:

1.  Cream together the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.  When you think it is beaten enough, beat for 5 minutes more!
2.  Add a tablespoon of beaten egg together with a tablespoon of flour, and mix in thoroughly before adding more egg.  If it looks like it may be curdling add a bit more of the flour
3.  When all egg has been beaten into butter and sugar, gently fold in flour, do not beat at this stage as you do not want to knock the air out of the batter
4.  When the mixture is smooth spoon it into your cake cases (12) which need to be placed in a 12 hole bun tin 
5.  Bake at 170 C (Fan) for 15-19 mins or until golden and springy to the touch
6.  Remove from oven and allow to cool, then decorate











Wednesday 10 April 2013

French-style chicken

This dish is so very tasty, and makes a very special plate of food, but can also satisfy weekday meals as well as it can for special dinner parties!  For special occasions you can add some extravagant vegetables to serve with the chicken; for my weekday meal however, I served it with roasted carrots and new potatoes.  I could easily imagine a Cheffy-style pureed celeriac dashed in a designer fashion on the plate, with some baby vegetables to enhance the appearance of this dish.  The sauce is very tasty, and quite a dark colour (getting the colour from the de-glaze of the pan, this is good, so don't discard any of that crucial flavouring before you de-glaze.

The recipe below was sufficient for 3 persons, if you are cooking for more than 3 please adjust the quantities accordingly.

You will need:


  • 3 fairly large chicken breasts(skinless and boneless), each one cut from one side through to just about the other, but not quite through to the other side, and open it like a book, or like a butterfly!
  • 1 leek, finely sliced
  • 6 mushrooms sliced (I used chestnut for their dark and earthy flavour)
  • A little olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons of creme fraiche
  • a couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
For the sauce:

  • 75 ml vermouth (or good quality white wine, or Noilly Prat)
  • 60 ml chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon creme fraiche
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • half teaspoon of tarragon (dried is best)
  • half a teaspoon of honey
  • half a clove of crushed garlic
  • half a turn of freshly ground black pepper
  • a sprinkle of flour to thicken
Method for chicken:

1.  Cover the chicken breasts with cling film, and pound with a rolling pin to flatten slightly, taking care not to over-pound as they may break up, and you need them in one piece so that they can be rolled up
2.  In a saute pan, saute the sliced leeks and sliced mushrooms in the olive oil, until softened and the moisture has all but disappeared
3.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the mushrooms and leeks, and heat through, and stir to combine
4.  Pour the mixture into a food processor until smooth
5.  Spread the smooth leek and mushroom mixture over the surface of each chicken breast (you may have some left over.  If you have ensured you have not touched the leek and mushroom mixture with any utensil that has touched the raw chicken, then you could store the surplus in a container in the fridge for a couple of days.  This could be used to top jacket potatoes!)
6.  Carefully roll up each chicken breast with the mixture spread evenly, but thinly over the surface.  Once you have a tight roll (or as tight as possible without forcing the leek and mushroom mixture out of the ends), tie each roll with kitchen string to secure the roll whilst cooking
7.  Using the same pan you used for sauteeing the leeks and mushrooms, put each rolled chicken breast into the pan which should be hot with a little olive oil added to help brown the chicken breast rolls to a golden colour, turn frequently
8.  Once you have achieved a good colour all over each roll of chicken breast, remove from the pan (and remove pan from heat, but keep as you need the caramalised juices to make the sauce), and place the rolls onto a baking tray cover in foil and place in oven (180 C Fan) for approx 10 minutes whilst you make the sauce

Method for sauce:

1.  Pour the vermouth into the sautee pan, and over a moderate heat, stir the caramalised chicken bits from the bottom of the pan into the vermouth, it should now be changing colour to a rich dark gravy, although this will depend on how long you panfried the chicken for, and the depth of colour you achieved on the surface of the chicken; but remember that this is where the flavour will be packed into your sauce so do try to achieve a good colour on your chicken, which in turns leave a good colour on the bottom of your pan!
2.  Once the bottom of the pan is clean and smooth, and the sauce looks dark with bits of chicken mixed in, add the chicken stock and bring to boil, then turn down heat to a simmer
3.  In a small bowl or ramekin, mix together the creme fraiche, Dijon mustard, black pepper, garlic to a smooth paste, add a little of the heated vermouth and chicken stock to the ramekin and stir this in well into creme fraiche mixture, add this then to the pan of vermouth and chicken stock, mix well to combine
4.  Brink this to a boil, then reduce heat to a mild simmer, if the sauce is a little think and not really coating the back of a teaspoon, add a sprinkle of flour to help thicken slightly, but not too thick.
5.  Add the tarragon and honey, taste to see if the balance between sweet (from honey) and the savoury element is right, adjust as necessary
6.  Remove chicken from oven, remove string, and slice the chicken into thick slices onto a serving plate, and spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken, add the vegetable of your choice, and serve!

Photo's to follow!



The Cakes and Bakes Den: Cupcake baking frenzy!

The Cakes and Bakes Den: Cupcake baking frenzy!: My son announced on Friday he needed enough cakes for his entire office to be taken in the following Monday! His 'treat' because ...

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Extremely tasty pasta dish...

This pasta dish is so delicious and versatile, it can make great tea time treat, a special supper, or very desirable dinner party dish! It is creamy and garlicky, with the tender crunch of fresh vegetables (the nutty flavour of just beginning to soften cauliflower and broccoli).

With the exception of the pasta, it's an all-in-one-pan meal, and can be reheated* (if you have any left over) the next day.

I tend to use the same vegetables each time I make this, however I do tend to vary the protein element, often choosing between tasty prosciutto ham, or smoked salmon or poached salmon with some very nice prawns. However, you could add any protein you wish, and indeed any vegetables you wish, having a sort of variation on a theme!  The recipe below gives 2 decent portions with a smaller amount left over for a quick lunch for one the next day!  Serve with pasta (fusilli or conchiglie) and hot garlic bread!

*I would not recommend you reheat this dish if you use shellfish or chicken

You will need:


  • 2 leeks, halved lengthways, and thinly sliced widthways
  • Approx 8-10 mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 courgette, medium slices or strips
  • Approx 5 florets of broccoli (try to seperate into smaller florets)
  • Approx 5 florets of cauliflower (try to seperate into smaller florets)
  • 2 cloves of crushed garlic
  • Approx 5 tablespoons of creme fraiche
  • a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
  • A sprinkle of flour
  •  2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
  • A small amount of single cream or milk
  • Small amount of olive oil
  • Prosciutto ham trimmed of all fat, and cut into strips (or your preferred protein element) 
  • A sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 
Method:

1.  Heat olive oil in a large sautee pan (with lid) and add all vegetables
Click on photo for a larger image and you can see the vegetables more easily!
2.  Stir occasionally, and sautee (without burning) until beginning to soften
3.  As soon as vegetables are beginning to soften, spoon the creme fraiche into a jug, and add mustard, black pepper, and garlic.  Mix these ingredients together, and add a little milk to make the sauce into a more pouring consistency
4.  Sprinkle a little flour over the softened vegetables and stir this in.
5.  Add the Prosciutto ham (add it in individual strips laid over the top of the vegetables as it has a habit of sticking together into a clump which is then difficult to separate)
the Prosciutto Ham before it is trimmed of its' fat, and cut into strips
6.  Add the sauce mixture and stir well to combine all ingredients
7.  Add the Parmesan cheese if using
8.  Add a few tablespoons of water from the cooking pasta to the sauce to make it more fluid, but it also has a thickening effect too, and gives the sauce a more coating consistency
9. Serve immediately with pasta (you can add a few spoonfuls of the cooked pasta to the pan if you wish), and garlic bread.

Enjoy!

Monday 8 April 2013

The simple things in life...

It is often said that the simple things in life are the best!  Well, I am inclined to agree...I have just made a batch of  extremely simple fairy cakes and the aroma in the kitchen and emanating around the house is delectable.  I added the zest of an orange to the cake batter, and the juice of half an orange to the buttercream (just to be a little different) and this adds another level to the beautiful smell.

I was going to top them with some equally simple icing, but decided on a buttercream so that I can use my new Wilton 1M nozzle to practice larger swirls.  These are the sort of cakes found at any self-respecting kids' party; and the sort of recipe mums can happily make with eager children, and let them go wild with the decorations such as Jelly Tots, Dolly Mixtures, Hundreds & Thousands (Sprinkles), or whatever else takes their fancy!

You will need:


  • 100g butter (or Utterly Butterly as I used)
  • 100g caster sugar (golden)
  • 100g self raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 medium eggs beaten
  • Optional: zest of 1 orange (or you could use lemon if you wish)
Method:

1.  Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and pale in colour
2.  Add beaten eggs a little a time so as not to curdle the batter
3.  Stir in (with a spoon) the flour and baking powder, and add zest
4.  Spoon into 12 cake cases that are placed inside a 12 hole cake tin
5.  Bake on 180 C Fan for 15 mins until a light golden colour and slightly firm to the touch
6.  Remove them from oven, and allow to cool before decorating

For the buttercream frosting:

  • 100g of Butter (or again, Utterly Butterly )
  • 225g icing sugar
  • juice of half an orange (or lemon if you used lemon zest)
  • Sprinkle with your chosen decoration and eat!  These cakes don't keep too long and are at their best eaten the same day as baking
p.s. I need to add that if the buttercream is a little too sloppy, add more icing sugar until you reach the firmness you desire.  The addition of the oranage juice and/or the use of Utterly Butterly do make the buttercream less firm



Saturday 30 March 2013

Raspberry Pavlova

This pavlova is so easy to make, and makes the most spectacular dessert.  You can use any fruit you wish,
and you will be limited only by your own imagination with the decorative part.  The important rule to remember is once you have decorated it, it really needs to be eaten within an hour or else it will dissolve before your very eyes!!

You will need:


  • 4 eggs whites (medium)
  • 250 g golden caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:

1.  Whisk the egg whites until stiff and stand in peaks (once it has reached this stage cease whisking and move on to step 2)
2.  Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, making sure that each addition of sugar is thoroughly mixed in before adding the next
3.  When the mixture has all the sugar added, and is thick and glossy, add the white wine vinegar, cornflour, and vanilla extract
4.  Preheat oven to 150 C Fan
5.  Line a baking sheet with baking parchment (or greaseproof paper)
6.  Spoon the meringue mixture onto the baking parchment into a free form circle, approximately 7-8 inches diameter
7.  Using a palette knife swirl the mixture and pile the sides of the circle higher than the middle, so that the fruit will not fall out when you are ready to decorate it
8.  Using a cocktail stick, you can twirl it through the outer edge of the pavlova to make small spikes which will crisp up in the oven
pavlova before baking
9.  Bake on the top shelf for 1 hour, turn down the temperature after 5 minutes to 140 C Fan
10.  After 1 hour, turn off the oven, open the oven door slightly, and leave pavlova in the oven to cool down with the oven cooling.  Leaving this overnight in the cooling oven will give better results
pavlova after baking and during its' cooling down time
11.  Decorate your pavlova as you wish, I have used raspberries and fresh cream on mine!  All berries, kiwi fruit, or passion fruit would be excellent toppers for your pavlova (photo of finished pavlova to follow)
The assembled pavlova (lined with whipped fresh cream, and topped with raspberries*)
* the raspberries in the above photo were bought frozen, and have defrosted quite mushy; with the benefit of hindsight, I would have used fresh raspberries for this, with a small amount pureed as a sauce!  Nevertheless it still got the thumbs up from everyone present for Easter Sunday lunch :)  Lurking in the background is a huge bowl of Sherry Trifle!

Some meringue tips to help you achieve the best results:
  • When separating the eggs, make sure no yolk escapes into the white.  If it does discard that particular egg from your meringue mixture as it will not foam up in stiff peaks
  • Make sure the bowl you use to whisk the meringue is spotlessly clean and free from any fat.  You can rub a slice of lemon around the bowl to ensure all fat residue has been eradicated
  • If you have left over egg whites from other recipes such as custard, brulee, or fondants, freeze the egg whites in containers (1 to each container so that you know how many egg whites you have).  Frozen then defrosted (at room temperature) egg whites bulk up better for meringues
  • When separating your egg whites use a small bowl to break the egg into, rather than break(and separate) into the main bowl; this way if you do get any yolk into the mixture, you do not have to discard all the egg whites
  • The addition of cornflour and white wine vinegar should give you a soft mallowy middle to the meringue (if you do not want a mallowy middle, then just eliminate them from the recipe)
  • A lower heat bake (say around 80-90 C Fan) will give you a whiter meringue
  • Using golden caster sugar will give your meringue a slightly caramel flavour and more golden colour
  • Make sure you do not add the sugar too quickly (a spoonful at a time) or it will 'bleed' after cooking.  Also make sure it has been well mixed in after each addition, by rubbing a small amount between thumb and finger, if it is grainy, it has not been whisked sufficiently between each addition.  Just extend the whisking time after each addition of sugar
  • Before adding the sugar, make sure you do not over whisk the egg whites, just until the mixture is stiff and stands in peaks is sufficient (you can test if it whisked sufficiently by tipping the bowl upside down over your head - this is the classic test...if it stays in the bowl, it is perfect!)
  • Don't decorate your pavlova until you are ready to eat it, or it will go soft and begin to dissolve!


Wednesday 27 March 2013

Spectacular Suze Cupcakes...

I might have mentioned about my wonderful friend Suze...she is the most excellent baker, and very unassuming about her obvious baking abilities.  Well. today Suze came to visit me, and brought with her 2 boxes of her amazing cupcakes from her latest recipe book.  The cakes are divine, topped with praline, and the most velvety smooth chocolate texture cake.  Anyway, sorry that you can;t taste them, but here is photo of them to tease and tempt you :)


If anyone is interested in recreating these beauties, the recipe is in the latest Hummingbird book!

a close up of the gorgeous crunchy hazelnut praline topping!

Saturday 23 March 2013

My Baking Frenzy!



Top left is the Sticky Gingerbread, it taste divine, the texture is perfect!
Top right is the Triple Chococlate Traybake, very moreish...two pieces eaten already!
Front centre is the Walnut Malt Loaf, yet to be eaten, but will report back for sure :)

Walnut Malt Loaf

This was a bit of an experiment, I once tasted malt loaf with walnuts in, on a trip to L.A a few years ago, and it was out of this world!  Served with slivers of smoked salmon and big slices of huge Californian tomatoes, it was a delicious breakfast!  Here's hoping I've managed to recreate the recipe :)  If not, I feel an email to the hotel coming on LOL !







The recipe is exactly the same as the one for Malt Loaf, but I added about 6 walnut halves, chopped fairly finely but not totally obliterated.

Classic Sticky Gingerbread

This is a Mary Berry recipe, completely 100% unadulterated, unmodified,  followed the recipe and ingredients to the letter!  The smell around the house is divine, warm, and quite spicy/gingery! Perfect for this freezing mid March day!  According to Mary, this cake will keep for a long while in an airtight container, or even you can even freeze it.  The other good thing is it gets better with age!

You will need:


  • 225 g butter  (or Utterly Butterly)
  • 225 g light brown sugar
  • 225 g golden treacle
  • 225 g black treacle
  • 225 g self-raising flour
  • 225 g wholemeal self-raising flour
  • 4 level teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 eggs (medium)
  • 300 ml milk
Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 160 C Fan.  Grease and line a traybake tin 12 in X 9 in
2.  Measure butter, sugar, golden syrup and black treacle into a medium pan and heat gently until the mixture has melted, stirring occasionally.  Allow to cool slightly.
3.  Put the flours and ground ginger into a large mixing bowl and stir together lightly.  Beat eggs into the milk. Pour the cooled butter and syrup mixture into the flour along with the egg and milk mixture and beat with a 
wooden spoon until smooth.  Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and tilt gently to level the surface
4.  Bake for about 50 mins until well risen, golden and springy to the touch.  Allow the gingerbread to cool a little in the tin.

Triple Chocolate Traybake Cake

I was in need of a chocolate fix, what more can I say!!

You will need:


  • 25 g cocoa powder (good quality such as Green & Blacks)
  • 6 tablespoons boiling water (from kettle)
  • 225 g softened butter (unsalted) or Utterly Butterly
  • 225 g caster sugar (golden may be better than white)
  • 300 g self-raising flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (level)
  • 4 eggs beaten (I used medium)
  • 2 tablespoons milk (I used semi-skimmed)
  • 1 teaspoon orange blossom essence (optional)
  • 100 g milk chocolate (good quality such as Menier Patisserie or Green & Blacks)
  • 3 tablespoons double cream
  • Some good quality crumbled or grated chocolate  
Method:

1.  Heat oven to 180 C Fan, and grease and line with greasproof paper, a traybake tin 12 in X 9 in
2.  Put cocoa powder into a cup and stir in the boiling water until a smooth paste (it should not be too thick as it will be difficult to combine into mixture)
3.  Put butter and sugar into mixing bowl, and beat together with wooden spoon until combined together
4.  Add cocoa paste then add flour and baking powder, and combine well to mixture
5.  Add beaten eggs and milk, and essence if using, and beat the mixture until everything is well combined and smooth
6.  Pour into prepared traybake tin
7.  Bake for approx 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean
8.  Leave to cool in tin (I tend to keep mine in the foil tin and cut into suares as required)
9.  Break the milk chocolate into small pieces and put into a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, add cream, and stir infrequently to combine, until melted
10.  Using a palette knife spread the melted chocolate over the top of the cooled traybake, then sprinkle over the crunbled chocolate
11.  Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days

Sunday 17 March 2013

Delectable Chocolate Fondants

These deliciously, decadent desserts look as though they should come with a health warning, yet the ingredients are not too unhealthy...well ok, if you discount the chocolate, and substitute the butter for Utterly Butterly (which I have done with the batch I am currently making, and have yet to taste, but will report back my findings!).  However, apart from that I think these gorgeous desserts served with a side dish of fresh fruit such as raspberries or strawberries (or both to go really healthy!) will certainly make your dinner party dessert very special indeed.  I'm making them to eat after our Ritzy Chicken (not quite the grand supper which would normally befit such decadence) because I wanted to try them without butter, and replace it with Utterly Butterly.  If the Cook's Perk of licking the spoon is reliable, then I think they will taste delicious!

The recipe below will give you a sufficient quantity for 2 fondants.  If you want 4 then simply double up on the ingredients (I actually have enough left for a further 2, so by doubling up I will have enough to make 6 fondants!).

You will need:


  • 60 g unsalted butter (cut into small cubes) (or replace butter with Utterly Butterly)
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 60 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk (you can freeze the spare egg white until next time you make meringue)
  • 60 g caster sugar (golden is best)
  • 1 tablespoon of plain flour
Method:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 200 C (fan).  Put in a baking sheet on middle shelf.
2.  Butter the insides of 2 small ramekins or pudding moulds, and then put cocoa in one and turn it to coat inside, holding it over the second mould to catch any that escapes
3.  Put the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (take care not to let water touch the bottom of the bowl) stir occasionally until melted.  Allow to cool slightly
4.  Vigourously whisk egg, yolk, and sugar (add a pinch of salt) until pale and fluffy.
5.  Gently fold in melted chocolate/butter, and then sieve in the flour over the top of the mixture.  Ensure well combined, but ease it in gently
6.  Spoon into prepared moulds, about 3 quarters full as they will overflow if filled too much
7.  Put the filled moulds onto the hot baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes
8. Remove from oven, and leave to stand for about 30 seconds before removing from moulds.

p.s. the Utterly Butterly substitution for the butter is equally delicious and is not noticeable by its' absence!


Buttermilk Devon Scones


But first a bit about buttermilk...


Despite its name and thick consistency, buttermilk is not loaded with butter (or fat). The name merely reflects its butter-making beginnings—it was the milky liquid left over after butter was churned.


Buttermilk brings a pleasant tang to cakes, breads, biscuits and other family favorites while adding very little fat. Because this rich-tasting milk is an acidic ingredient, like yogurt and sour cream, it also helps tenderize the gluten in batter, giving baked goods a softer texture and more body. Plus, it helps quick breads rise.


Most buttermilk you find at the supermarket is low-fat and sometimes nonfat. The milk tends to get thicker with time, so remember to shake the carton before using.

You will need:

  • 450 g self-raising flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 100 g cold butter (diced)
  • 45 g golden caster sugar
  • 284 ml buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • splash of milk
Method:


1.  Heat oven to 200 C Fan, and lightly flour a baking sheet

2.  Put flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse until feel (or see) any lumps of butter.  Add sugar
3.  Gently warm the buttermilk (keep the pot) and and add vanilla to pan
4.  Use a large bowl and quickly tip in some of the  flour mix, followed by buttermilk mix, repeat until everything is in the bowl.  Use a knife to quickly mix together to form a dough (try not to handle the dough too much as it makes for a tougher scone)
5.  Tip onto a floured surface, lightly bring together with your hands a couple of times
6.  Press (don't use a rolling pin) out gently to about 4 cm thick and stamp rounds with a 6 cm cutter. Reshape the trimmings until all the dough is used
7.  Spread out on a lightly floured sheet.  Add a splash of milk into the milk into the buttermilk pot, use as a glaze for tops of each scone
8.  Bake for 10-12 mins until golden and well risen

Serve with strawberry jam and clotted cream! 

Monday 11 March 2013

Bara Brith (Tea Loaf or Malt Loaf by any other name!)

In the continuing pursuit of satiating my husband's desire for 'Soreen', and baking an equally low fat, tasty alternative to the shop bought loaf, I came across this recipe in a book  gifted to me by my friend Jane.  :)

It is a Mary Berry *recipe for Bara Brith (the Welsh version of Tea Loaf) and the non-yeast version which means it keeps much better, for much longer, and actually improves in texture and flavour as it matures.  Having said that, I don't think it would keep well beyond a week or so, although they never seem to hang around that long, so can't really comment on its longevity beyond a few days!

You do need to start this the night before in order for the fruit to plump up with the tea, and after that it is plain sailing! Easy peasy!
*slightly adapted to include black treacle!


You will need:


  • 175 g currants
  • 175 g raisins (or sultanas)
  • 225 g light or dark Muscovado sugar
  • 300 ml self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon black treacle
  • 1 medium egg (beaten)
Method:

1.  Measure fruit and sugar into a bowl, pour in the hot tea, and cover, leave overnight
2.  Preheat oven to 130 C Fan and grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin
3.  Stir in flour and egg into fruit mix and mix thoroughly
4.  Pour mixture into prepared tin
5.  Bake 1 1/2 hours, allow to cool before removing from tin
6.  Serve sliced with butter
7.  Store in an airtight container, wrap loaf in double cling film to ensure it keeps moist

Enjoy!

Parmesan, Walnut, and Basil Shortbread Nibbles

 These are extremely tasty little morsels to serve as an aperitif, to have with cheese, or to simply snack on as the fancy takes you!   The recipe makes approx 30  rounds, depending on how liberal you are with the slicing!  However, you can freeze the unbaked rounds if you feel there are too many to bake and eat at one time.  The keeping quality of these will be like other shortbread biscuits , in that the closer they are to the day they were baked, the better they will taste.  Alternatively, the unsliced and unbaked dough  will keep in the fridge (wrapped in cling film) for up to 3 days.

You will need:


  • 150 g of plain flour
  • 75 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 100 g of unsalted butter (softened)
  • I egg yolk
  • a couple of grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 4-5 walnut halves, finely (but not too finely) chopped
Method:

1.  Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl, and stir with a wooden spoon until a clump of dough starts to form
2.  Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for a couple of minutes (not too much, less is more!)
3.  Using a knife, cut the dough into two halves, and work with one half at a time, roll with your hands into a cylindrical shape (approx 6 inches in length, and approx 2 inches diameter. Wrap the cylinder in cling film, twisting the ends nearest to the cylinder, to resemble a Christmas cracker, then put in fridge for approx 45 mins
4.  Repeat step 3 with remaining half of dough
5.  When the dough is ready to be baked, remove from fridge, heat oven to 180 C (Fan).
6.  Remove cling film from cylinder, if the ends are a bit rough, slice them off with a sharp knife, then slice the cylinder into roughly 1 cm rounds (I baked the end slices as I didn;t want to waste them)
7.  Place the sliced rounds onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment
8.  Put into oven for 15-20 mins, and remove (they should be no more than a pale gold colour at the edges) 

These have just emerged from the oven, and they smell divine, and taste wonderful (slightly warm)!

As you can see from the photo, a couple of biscuits have a crack running through them, they are holding together though after baking, but to avoid this in future, I would try not to fold the dough after turning out of bowl for the kneading process.  The dough clearly doesn't meld together too well and would rather stay in the position it is in when in the bowl.  But they're still delicious and perhaps look a little on the home-baked, rustic side which adds to their appeal in my humble opinion!!

p.s. they are extremely moreish!




Friday 8 March 2013

50 tips for baking...


Recipe Ingredients:         
1. Ingredients for cakes should be room temperature (can take out of refrigerator approximately 60-90 minutes before needed).
2. To check freshness of eggs, put in a bowl of water–if they sink, they’re fresh. If they float and stand on one end, they’re not.
3. ”Eggs” typically means Grade A, large eggs.
4. “Milk” typically means homogenized.
5. You can substitute milk with yogurt or sour cream, to experiment with different textures.
6. To create a replacement for buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon vinegar for every cup of homogenized milk and stir.
7. Weighing ingredients with a digital kitchen scale is the most accurate method of baking.
8. 1 large egg white = 37 grams, 1 large egg yolk = 20 grams. Eggs separate best when cold, but whites whip best when room temperature or warm.
9. Egg whites in carton freeze well–just pull out of freezer night before you need them.
10. For best results, use pure vanilla extract (not from grocery stores)–what a difference! Heck, don’t even be afraid to double the vanilla quantity.
11. To bring cold eggs to room temperature quickly, you can put the whole eggs into a bowl of lukewarm water (not hot) for 30 minutes.
12. To bring butter to room temperature quickly, you can cut into small cubes on a plate for about 15 minutes.
13. Semisweet Chocolate = Dark Chocolate.  Bittersweet Chocolate = Extra Dark Chocolate.
14. Semisweet & Bittersweet Chocolate are interchangeable.
15. Unless otherwise listed, use unsalted butter for cake recipes.
Mixing:
16. Incorporate dry ingredients together with whisk before adding to wet ingredients.
17. When creaming butter and sugar, get the mixture very pale yellow and fluffy–will take several minutes (around 5).
18.  Always start and end with dry ingredients when alternating with wet ingredients (3 dry additions, 2 wet).
19. Don’t overmix once dry ingredients are added. Just mix on low speed until incorporated.
20. Kitchen stand-mixers don’t need to run at full-speed. A small mixer should run no more than speed #4, for most things. A large mixer no more than speed #6. You will add years to your mixer’s life!
21. Be careful with your sugar–too much can cause a dark crust (one of several possible causes), too little can cause too light a crust or tough texture.
22. Watch your flour–too much can cause a cracked top (one of several possible causes).
23. Beat egg yolks with fork before adding to batter.
24. To retrieve stray eggshells in mixture, use the emptied half-shell–eggshell sticks to eggshell. If you don’t get them all, they will sink during baking, so you can turn baked cake over when cool and retrieve them.
25. A pinch of salt brings out the flavours in sweet baked goods.
26. When folding, you should always add the lighter of the two mixtures on top, using a gentle folding motion, to avoid deflating batter.
27. When mixing egg whites for meringue, wipe all untensils and bowl with vinegar or lemon juice on a paper towel before they come in contact with the egg whites (including the mixer whisk attachment). Any trace of grease, will likely jeopordize your meringue.
28. Keep an extra set of rubber spatulas that you use strictly for meringue.
29. Use the electric mixer’s splashguard for liquidy batters–that’s what it’s for!
30. If incorporating more than one flavour into a batter or icing, always start with the vanilla; vanilla enhances most flavours.
Baking Cakes:
31. For evenly-baked cakes, no domed tops, and no-fuss assembly, bake “layer-by-layer.”  This means if you’re baking a 3-layer cake, use 3 of the same size/shape pan, and bake 3 shorter layers at same time.
32. Use a small offset palette knife to spread batter evenly in pans. Don’t fill more than 1/2 full–2/3 at the most.
33. Get a separate oven thermometer for an accurate temperature reading–most ovens are either “hot” or “cold.”
34. Always wait for oven to reach necessary temperature before putting cakes in oven.
35. Keep cakes away from sides of oven, and if possible a few inches from each other (when more than 1 baking at once).
36. Rotate cakes after 20  minutes in oven (don’t disturb before 20 minutes).
37. Use middle rack, unless otherwise stated in recipe.
38. Typically, when in oven, cakes are nearing done when you can smell cake in the kitchen. Sounds weird, but you’ll see!
39.  Leave cakes in oven when testing for “doneness.” When a skewer comes clean from center of cake, it’s done.
40. Don’t overbake! This is one sure way to end up with a dry cake.
Cooling & Frosting:
41. Let full cakes cool in pans on wire racks for 20 minutes before removing from pans.
42. Remove cupcakes from pan immediately, placing individual cupcakes on wire rack to cool.
43. Once completely cooled, wrap cake layers in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes before cutting and/or icing.
44. Always place cake on a thin foil-covered cake board the same size/shape as the cake for ease of icing/serving, etc.
45. Brush away any stray cake crumbs with silicone pastry brush before icing.
46. Apply even layers of filling using an 18″ pastry bag and large round tip.
47. Apply thin layer of icing to seal in crumbs, then place in refrigerator for 30 minutes before second layer of icing.
48. Use an offset palette knife/icing spatula for frosting top of cake, and straight palette knife/icing spatula for sides of cake. Use a bench scraper for super-smooth edges.
49. If you don’t have time for frosting your cake, a good sprinkling of powdered sugar does wonders! Tastes and looks great on most cakes.
50. To give your frosted cake a glossy finish, you can use a hair-dryer on medium heat over the outside of the cake (right before serving).

'Borrowed from http://sweetapolita.com/2010/11/50-tips-for-baking-better-cakes/