What Would Nigella Do?

I am joining in with a linky, Foto Friday, which requires a photograph of something you’ve cooked/baked this week.

I spent most of yesterday evening baking cakes for the Macmillan Coffee morning today.  Do click on the link and see what it’s all about – a great cause.

This is my Nigella chocolate cake…hope it tasted good!  I had a hell of a job keeping it safe from my 5 year old son – so much so, that I have promised to make one for him this weekend.  Ah well, you can never have too much cake.*

*Alas, this is not true.

 

To support and spread the word about the Macmillan Coffee Morning rate how you like your coffee on the widget below. After choosing entering your answers, you will then be given a coffee character which can then be shared through twitter. The tweet will have the #coffeemorning to help promote the event.

 

This is a recipe from Paul Hollywood’s new book ‘How to Bake’ which, by the way, is really good!  Every recipe I have tried so far has been spot on and in it lies the best lemon drizzle cake I have ever baked (saving that for another day).  However, I have been wooing my friends with these olive sticks, which look a bit odd (at a friend’s party I heard them referred to as ‘dog chews’.  She nearly got a poke in the eye from one….grr).  However, they taste lovely especially when dipped in some oil/balsamic.

The dough is really wet, so don’t be put off by it, but persevere.  You will need a mixer/kitchenaid for this recipe.

So, put 500g of strong white flour in a bowl and on opposite sides, 10 g of fast-action yeast and 10 g of salt.  Mix on a slow speed and gradually pour in 300 ml tepid water.  When the dough starts to come together add a further 100 ml of tepid water.  Using my kitchenaid, I mix for 5 mins on a slow/medium speed (no 3).  The dough should become wet and stretchy.  Then add 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix for another 2 minutes.  In my experience it now becomes very odd and flaps around the bowl, but don’t fret!

Drain a large jar of pitted green olives and add to the dough mixing slowly until they are well distributed.  Sort of.  Then put the whole lot into an oiled tub, clingfilm and leave for at least an hour until the dough has tripled in size.

While you are waiting line 3/4 baking trays with baking parchment and heavily flour the work surface and add a shake of semolina too, if you have some.

Tip the dough gently on to the floured surface and flour the top of the dough too.  Gently as you can, stretch the dough into a vague rectangle and then cut it into about 3cm strips.  I usually end up with 15.  Carefully transport each strip onto the baking trays, stretching it out to about 20cm.  Cover loosely with a plastic bag (or I stick two trays into a bin liner which works well) and leave to prove for 30 mins.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200ºC.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden and cool on a wire rack.  You may need to test one while they are still warm….just to make sure ;)

I have tied some with raffia and taken them to friends’ for drinks and nibbles or even presented the whole lot in a basket.  But usually, we just scoff the lot at home.  They are very moorish.  I did try them with black olives, but I think they are much nicer with green.  When I am feeling flush I might buy some better quality olives and see if it makes a difference..

Do try these – they are relatively quick and easy to make and are just soooo nice.  Well, if you like olives.

Yum

I was introduced to this cake at my favourite cafe, The Black Dog.  I had it there for the first time and was extolling its virtues to the waitress who duly fetched the recipe book they used and I was straight on to my Amazon app and ordering the book.  It is from the Hummingbird Bakery, but despite the shared name, it is a widely known cake and not invented by them.  It is supposed to be a triple layer cake, but I chickened out and went for two layers as my last attempt at 3 layers looked like an homage to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  This meant the baking time was longer, but it turned out well enough!

The bananas keep it moist and it has a lovely moorish flavour.  Initially, I wouldn’t believe that there was pineapple in it (convinced it was apple) but I was proved wrong and it all works very well together.  Unfortunately, I ran out of pecans, so the decoration is a bit sparse but it is definitely a cake worth baking.  And eating.  I might try it as muffins too….

You will need:

300g caster sugar

3 eggs

300ml sunflower oil

270g peeled bananas

1tsp ground cinnamon

300g plain flour

1tsp bicarb soda

½tsp salt

¼tsp vanilla extract

100g tinned pineapple, chopped up small

100f shelled, chopped pecans

 and for the icing:

600g sifted icing sugar

100g unsalted butter

250g cream cheese

 

Put the sugar, eggs, bananas, oil and cinnamon into a mixer and combine well.  Add the flour, bicarb, salt and vanilla and mix again until the batter is smooth.  By hand, stir in the nuts and pineapple then split the mixture into two lined cake tins and bake at 170ºC for about 40 mins (but start checking after 30 mins).

Let the sponges cool in their tins for a few minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.  I always put mine on upside down so the domed top is flattened more and it makes it easier to construct the cake.

Whilst the sponges are cooling make the icing by combining the sifted icing sugar (don’t skip the sifting – it leaves lumps in the icing.   I know from experience!) and the butter in a mixer then beating in the cream cheese and mixing for 4/5 minutes until smooth and light.

When cool, put one sponge on a cake stand and slot greaseproof paper under the edges.  These are removed after icing and keeps the stand clean.  Splodge about ¼ of the icing onto the sponge and spread over evenly.  Put the other sponge on top and repeat.  Use the rest of the icing to ice the sides of the cake, covering the sponge completely.  I always make a mess of this, but using a palette knife helps to spread evenly and without digging in to the cake!

Decorate the top with a dusting of cinnamon and pecan halves.  Then serve (do you like my new Emma Bridgewater comport?) with a cup of tea and enjoy!  Even my kids ate it, which is always a test of greatness – fussy little monkeys.  Just don’t count the calories….

Yum