Bakewell Tart Fingers by London´s Hippest Baker

A Bakewell tart is a true British classic baked dessert tart. It consists of a buttery shortcrust pastry shell beneath layers of red jam, frangipane, which is a sponge cake-like filling enriched with ground almonds, and a topping of flaked almonds, all baked until golden brown. A Bakewell tart is a version of a Bakewell pudding and although closely associated with the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, there seems to be no evidence it actually originated there.

The Bakewell tart is a delicious, humble tart and one whose very name excites controversy. Although the terms Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding have been used interchangeably, each name refers to a specific dessert recipe. In Bakewell itself, it is definitely a pudding, made with a puff pastry base. Actually, the first recorded recipe dates from 1836.

For the jam go for the traditional raspberry one or as here, a combination of raspberry and strawberry - whichever jam you choose, use the best you possibly can. Homemade is great. But if that is not an option, buy a high quality jam or jams with a high fruit to sugar ration, as that will provide a beautifully sharp contrast to the sweet, fluffy frangipane above.

The frangipane in this recipe is made much the same way as one might make a sponge cake, creaming together butter and sugar, beating in eggs, then folding in dry ingredients. Using this method to make the fragipane will ensure a light and fluffy rather than a denser, moister frangipane. You will also be adding a little baking powder to the mixture too, for extra lift. And the traditional flaked almond finish provides a pleasing final crunch to every mouthful of your tart.

The recipe I chose for today hails from the very talented Claire Ptak, a California native, who has been called "London's Hippest Baker" by bon appétit magazine. She used to work as a pastry chef for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse before moving to London in 2005. She is an author and food stylist and since 2010 runs the Violet Bakery in London. She is also the author of the Violet Bakery Cookbook (can be ordered here). She recently had the pleasure of being included in the somewhat tongue-in-cheek Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks in New York, created by the widely popular American blog Food52.

She also writes a Saturday recipe column for the Guardian, always guided by her motto that "The seasons dictate what happens in the kitchen, and taste trumps appearance every time.“ (the Guardian)

Claire Ptak aptly calls her take on a classic British dessert tart an "updated Bakewell tart“. While her recipe is a bit different, it is still like a classic tart with a hidden layer of raspberry and strawberry jam and topped with fragipane. This is an amazing afternoon tea treat, but at the same time, it is also lovely as a dessert with some lightly whipped cream.

Bakewell Tart Fingers
(inspired by a recipe from Claire Ptak)

Ingredients for the Shortbread Base

• 250 grams (AP) plain flour (white spelt flour also works well)
• 100 grams icing sugar
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 200 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 6 tbsp raspberry jam (use the best you can)
• 6 tbsp strawberry jam (again, use the best you can)

Ingredients for the Topping

• 200 grams unsalted butter, soft
• 200 grams golden caster (superfine baking) sugar
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (I used a bit of vanilla paste instead)
• 3 eggs (M), organic or free range
• 100 grams ground almonds (or use almond meal)
• 100 grams plain (AP) flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 50 grams flaked almonds

Preparation

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200° C (400°  F).
2. Butter and line a 18cm x 30cm x 5cm (7 inches x 12 inches x 2 inches) baking pan with baking parchment.
3. For the shortbread base: combine all the ingredients, except the jams, in a food processor and blitz until the mixture has just come together into a ball.
4. Press the pastry evenly into the prepared pan.
5. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
6. Turn the temperature down to 180° C (350° F).
7. Let the base cool for 10 minutes.
8. Gently spread both jams over the pastry.
9. For the fragipane topping: beat the butter and sugar well.
10. Once creamy, add the extracts and eggs, then beat well.
11. Carefully fold in the ground almonds, flour and baking powder just to combine. 
12. Spread this over the jam evenly and sprinkle with flaked almonds. 
13. Return to the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden and set. 
14. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing into fingers. At this point you can dust the tart fingers with icing sugar. NOTE: These will keep well in an airtight container for up to five days.

You can call these teatime treats Bakewell Tart Fingers, Bakewell Tart Slices, Bakewell Tart Tray Bake or an Up-dated Bakewell Tart - call them whatever you want, they will always be delicious.

„Baking with the seasons, like cooking with the seasons, means nothing more than procuring the best possible produce of the moment, wherever you are, and coaxing out the best of its flavour through proper seasoning and preparation. Baking should not only look great, but taste great. This is so much easier to achieve when you stick to the seasons and – much like you do with savoury cooking – taste as you go.“ (Claire Ptak)

Teatime with Ottolenghi with Walnut & Halva Cake

Ever since I laid my eyes on this cake recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi´s „Plenty More“, I knew that I should be baking it. It is a delicious looking moist yellow sponge cake, with a layer of freshly cracked walnuts, coated in beurre noisette (brown butter) and cinnamon, then covered with chunks of vanilla halva, then another layer of sponge, and finally a topping of more walnuts, beurre noisette, dark muscovada sugar and cinnamon.

Unlike other Ottolenghi recipes, this recipe has a rather short list of ingredients and is not complicated at all. The only real "prep work" involves the browning of the butter which the nuts and cinnamon are stirred into. The flavor that this adds to the cake, is very definitely worth that little bit of extra effort. Beurre noisette (also called brown butter), adds a nutty, toasted flavor to sweet and savory dishes and makes this cake recipe even more irrestible.

For those of you unfamiliar with halva, it is a Middle Eastern confection typically made from tahini paste, nut butters and sugar. You may have to go to a specific shop to get this particular ingredient but generally, it is available at larger grocery stores and at Middle Eastern markets. While there are many different varieties of halva available, such as the chocolate-marbled one, you should try to use plain or vanilla Arab-style sesame halva for this rich cake. Arab-style halva is said to be the best tasting.

Lately, being inspired by many different and talented bakers and cooks, I have taken to baking different sweet treats with halva and have come to the conclusion that it truly is a baker’s best friend. Its salty, melt-in-the-mouth quality lends itself beautifully to this paticular cake and many other baked goods. Feel free to experiment with this lovely ingredient and make sure to stock up one one or more tubs if you enjoy its distinct nutty, sesame-infused taste.

Walnut and Halva Cake
(inspired by a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi)

Ingredients for the Cake Batter

• 85 grams unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 100 grams caster (superfine baking) sugar
• 2 eggs, (M), organic or free range, lightly whisked
• 200 grams plain (AP) flour (I used white spelt flour instead which I truly enjoy in my cakes)
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• 130 grams sour cream (I used natural 3.8 % yogurt instead)

Ingredients for the Topping

• 60 grams unsalted butter
• 120 grams walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 25 grams dark muscovado sugar
• 170 grams plain sesame halva, broken into large, 3 cm pieces

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 160° C (320° F).
2. Grease a 12 cm x 25 cm loaf pan with some butter, and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
3. For the topping: put the butter in a small saucepan on a low to medium heat. Leave to melt, then let it sizzle for a few minutes until it is light brown and smells slightly nutty. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
4. Once cool, mix the butter, walnuts and cinnamon, divide the mixture in two and stir the sugar into one of the portions.
5. For the cake batter: in an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on a medium speed until light and fluffy, then add the eggs a little at a time.
6. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt, and bit by bit add this and the cream alternately, making sure not to over-mix.
7. Spread half the batter on the base of the cake pan and evenly scatter over the sugarless nut mix. Dot the halva on top, and spread the remaining batter over this.
8. Finally, sprinkle the sugary nuts on top.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a wooden skewer comes out clean (mine took about 45 minutes).
10. Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then gently remove from the pan by lifting the greaseproof paper. Take off the paper and leave the cake to cool on a wire rack. NOTE: If you attempt to cut into this cake before it has had a chance to cool completely, it will crumble and you will not get neat slices.

And while we wait for spring produce to arrive at our farmers´ markets and in stores around us. And while we wait to finally bake all those fruit pies and berry tarts and crumbles and so much more, is it worth taking the time to bake this lovely Walnut and Halva Cake. You will be rewarded by a rich, spicy aroma during baking, but if you want to dive right in, you will need to hold off as this cake needs to be left to cool, in order to cut easily and nicely.

This cake is truly a sensation. The sugary walnut pieces add great texture with the sweet smell and warmth of the cinnamon coming through and the vanilla halva, which melts in the oven and creates caramelized pockets of nutty, sweet-salty goodness running through the center of the cake. Truly, it is the kind of cake you want to reach for in the afternoon when you need a pick-me-up. So very tempting and moreish.

Monkey Bread & Cuddly Toys

Sometimes inspiration for baking comes along in surprising ways. The other day I was sorting through some long forgotten cuddly toys and came across my hubby´s much hugged, stuffed, weary-looking stuffed toy monkey. Cleary, this toy monkey has been through thick and thin with his lovely owner. It did not take me long to decide that this particular little monkey desperately needed a special place in our living room. It is way too cute to be hidden away in a toy chest, and so it has finally found a new place, sitting high on one of our bookshelves, overlooking all that is going on around here. No longer hidden from the eyes of grown-ups and children anymore. I could not have asked for a better inspiration on a Monday morning, on the first day of school after the Easter break. Monkey Bread just seemed to be the perfect choice for dessert that day.

Monkey Bread, also known as pull-apart bread, is a well-known, much-loved American sweet treat that is sticky and spiced mostly with cinnamon and vanilla. At times it is even stuffed with pecans. I have versions with added maple syrup as well. It is a rather indulgent breakfast, brunch or dessert to share with the ones you love. And it is addicitve and comforting, the way just baked, warm cinnamon buns are. Monkey bread is a classic treat that is very easy to make. Usually you see it served in a Bundt (Gugelhupf) or round shape. But you could use just about any suitable baking vessel you please. The resulting bread is easy to pull apart into individual serving sizes.

Monkey Bread in a Vintage Gugelhupf Mold

Ingredients for the dough

• 200 ml milk (I like to use 3.5%)
• 85 grams (2.9 ounces) unsalted butter
• 2 eggs (L), free range or organic
• 550 grams (19.4 ounces) strong white bread flour, plus extra for kneading if doing it by hand
• 2½ tsp dried yeast
• 50 grams golden baking (caster) sugar
• sunflower oil, for greasing the bowl

Ingredients for assembly

• 125 grams (4.4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the baking pan
• 1 tbsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 225 grams (7.9 ounces) light muscovado sugar

Ingredients for the glaze

• 100 g (3.5 ounces) icing sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk (I like to use 3.5%)
• pinch of ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 2 tbsps unsalted butter, melted

Preparation

1. Start with the dough. Put the milk and butter into a medium pan and heat gently until the butter melts and the milk is at warm to the touch.
2. Cool for a few minutes, then beat in the eggs with a fork.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl with 1 1/2 tsp fine salt, then add the liquid and stir to a sticky dough.
4. Leave for 5 minutes, then transfer onto a floured worktop and knead for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and springy.
5. Use a little oil to grease a large bowl, add the dough, turn it in the oil to coat, then cover the bowl with food wrap.
6. Leave in a warm place for one hour or until doubled in size.
7. To assemble, grease a 25 cm Gugelhupf or Bundt pan with butter (you can also use a different baking pan).
8. Melt the rest of the butter in a small saucepan.
9. In a medium bowl mix together the spices and sugar plus a pinch of salt.
10. Spoon 2 tbsps melted butter, 3 tbsps spiced sugar into the bottom of the baking pan.
11. Pull the dough into about 65 small pieces and roll into balls. Taking 4 or 5 at a time, dunk the dough balls into the melted butter, let the excess drain off, then tip them into the spiced sugar. Roll to coat, then put haphazardly into the tin. Repeat until there is a full layer of dough in the baking pan, then carry on filling the pan with the coated dough balls. Tip any leftover sugar and butter over the dough.
12. Cover the pan with oiled food wrap then leave to rise in a warm place for one hour, or until risen and the dough no longer springs back when you touch it.
13. Pre-heat your oven to 180° C (375° F).
14. Bake the monkey bread for about 35 minutes, or until it is well risen and golden.
15. Let the pan cool for 5 minutes, then give it a sharp rap on the counter. Leave in the pan until just warm.
16. Whisk all of the ingredients together to make the glaze. It will thicken as the melted butter cools.
17. Turn the monkey bread onto a serving plate, then drizzle with the glaze. Let it set, if you can bear the wait.

Usually, Monkey Bread is best served warm. Because this version of mine has less sugar (and a bit more warm spices) than the traditional version, it will not keep as well and is best eaten the same day. You can rewarm it the next day in a low oven on a baking sheet wrapped in foil. It can also be frozen, if well-wrapped, for up to two months. But of course, it is preferable to eat it fresh and warm from the oven.

If you are planning on serving this in the morning, maybe a Sunday brunch, you can let the dough prove in the baking pan in the fridge overnight. Remember to let it acclimatize at room temperature for 45 minutes to one hour in the morning, to complete the proving, then bake as described above.

This Monkey Bread recipe is really lovely. The individual bites taste like mini sticky buns without the overwhelming sweetness that most have. We liked that we could have one small bite at a time, plucking off a bit of yeasty dough with just the right amount of sticky caramel goodness attached.

This simple Monkey Bread is a recipe that takes you back to simpler, gentler times. Which is a good thing every once in a while. And while you are baking up a Monkey Bread for the ones you hold dear, it might feel like the perfect time to re-kindle an old friendship.

The Cottage Cooking Club - March Recipes

The month of March marks the twenty-third month of our international online cooking group, The Cottage Cooking Club. As a group, recipe by recipe, we are cooking and learning our way through a wonderful vegetable cookbook written in 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, entitled „River Cottage Everyday Veg".

One of the declared aims of our cooking group is to make a decided effort to use as much regional, organic and seasonal produce as is sensible.

This month I prepared six of the ten designated recipes. I will write about each dish in the order in which I prepared them.

My first recipe for this March post is the Dressed Puy lentils (page 237) from the chapter "Store-Cupboard Suppers“. We are a lentil loving nation and I have had a lot of fun trying out different types of lentils lately – after all, 2016 is also the International Year of the Pulses (for more info, please go here).

After reviewing the contents of my cupboard, I noticed that I was out of Puy lentils – they tend to be a bit hard to find around here and I should really make a habit of stocking them. But I did stock up on one of my other favorite lentils, the utterly delicious and very elegant looking black Beluga lentils. Aptly named Beluga lentils, these beauties look like little beads of caviar. Not only do they cook quickly, but they also hold their shape during cooking.

What´s not to love about these black lentils in a salad with fresh spring greens and a simple dressing of olive oil, Dijon mustard, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and let´s not forget some local cider vinegar. There is an apple orchard not far from our home and they produce a lovely apple cider – all bottled in some very pretty glass bottles and adorned with a nice vintage logo. It tastes likes apples, smooth and a bit sweet – a perfect combination with the nutty taste of the lentils.

My second recipe this month is the Roasted new potatoes with harissa (page 225) from the chapter „Bready Things“. Although I am quite aware of the fact that the sweet potato is a root vegetable that resembles a potato, and although it is quite different in taste and texture and is not related to the potato - the new potatoes in this recipe had to make room for sweet potatoes instead – I had this vision in my head of roasted orange fleshed potatoes, blissfully caramelized with harissa -  for this recipe I used the dry version of the popular North African spice mix. A harissa spice mix usually contains cumin seed, coriander seed, dried chilli, smoked paprika, sea salt, and caraway seeds. Since Mr. Whittingstall did not specify wether he means the harissa paste or the harissa spice mix, I to chose to use the later, as it made more sense when roasting veggies with it.

The potoes were gone in a flash – this is a recipe I will most definitely make again with new potatoes as well as sweet potatoes. We enjoyed the harissa-roasted sweet potoes plain, no dip, but I might go for a nice feta dip with new potatoes next time I make this wonderful recipe.

The third recipe in March is the The vegiflette toastie (page 206) from the chapter „Bready Things“.

I love this recipe – I used my French Purple Potatoes. I was, of course, just waiting for another opportunity to show off my exquisite spuds. They have a rich, somewhat chestnutty taste and a dry floury texture which makes these ideal for adding them to a rich toastie treat like this one. Together with roasted spring onions and some wild garlic as well as Gorgonzola dolce, this is a true treat indeed. And as an added bonus their lovely violet color is retained during the cooking process.

The fourth recipe in March is the Potato dauphinoise (page 60) from the chapter „Comfort Food & Feasts“.

I will admit to being a potato gratin addict – I have made so many of them and I still cannot get enough of them. Ever. Sometimes I will mix different kinds of potatoes. Sometimes I will mix the thinly sliced potatoes with other veggies. Sometimes I will use homemade broth and for extra flavor, lots of fresh thyme from the garden. Sometimes I go for the creamy, decadent version like this one…but I will never add cheese to a potato gratin as the starch from the potatoes works its magic without the help from cheese.

There is not much to say about gratins other than that they are utterly amazing – this one from Hugh is no exceptuion. With loads of butter, double cream, garlic, freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper and salt who would not want to indulge every once in a while…it was Easter after all and I always serve potato gratin at this time of year alonside some lovely lamb roast. Bliss on a plate.

The fifth recipe that cought my attention this month is the Dhal (page 238) from the chapter „Pasta & Rice“.

That, on the other hand, is a recipe that I had never prepared before. This recipe calls for red lentils – easily found in stores around here. As opposed to the Beluga lentils that hold their shape during cooking, red lentils disintegrate into a thick, dry, yellowish purée when cooked. They rae best used for soups and spicy Indian dhals.

Hugh´s recipe is rather easy to prepare with ingredients I always have at home. Other than the lentils, you need only turmeric, salt, sunflower oil, cumin and an onion.

While we enjoyed this, I will make sure to prepare the Biryani alonside next time like I was planning to in the first place. For me a Dhal like this one makes for a great appetizer with a bit of a seasonal green salad alongside.

The sixth recipe is the Nachos with refried beans (page 190) from the chapter „Bready Things“.

This is a fun dish I expressely made for the younger crowds. I remember how much they enjoyed the Refried bean foldovers when we made them back in February 2015 - if you are curious to know how that dish looked liked, please go here.

The Nachos with refried beans is one easy, crowd-pleaser of a recipe with but a few staple ingredients such as tomatoes, cannellini beans, Spanish smoked paprika, onion, garlic etc.

Served with sour cream, sliced avocados, red onions and my baked corn tortilla chips – this is one recipe that I will return to many times. If you prefer an extra kick here - make sure to use the spicy version of the Spanish smoked paprika here and make sure it is the real thing from a trusted spice merchant. I love the depth of flavor from the paprika called "Pimentón de La Vera El Caballo de Oros" de (here). - just had to mention that fancy name.

In summary, we loved each and every dish this month - the kids were pleased as punch with the Nachos with refried beans, the Sweet potatoes with harissa and the Potato gratin but also enjoyed the other recipes quite a bit. We enjoyed all six recipes but loved the Dressed Beluga lentils and the Vegiflette toastie the most. Happy all around again. Th eonly regret I have is having been able to more of the recipes this month.

Please note, that for copyright reasons, we do NOT publish the recipes. If you enjoy the recipes in our series, hopefully, the wonderfully talented and enthusiastic members of The Cottage Cooking Club and their wonderful posts can convince you to get a copy of this lovely book. Better yet, do make sure to join us in this cooking adventure - we will be moving on to more of Hugh´s cookbook in May!

To see how wonderful all the dishes from my fellow Cottage Cooking Club members turned out this month, please make sure to take a look at their personal links and to do so, just visit here.

Baking with Vegetables - Springtime Carrot Cake

The star of the show today is one of my favorites veggies - the wonderful, naturally sweet, carrot. The lovely carrot is a root vegetable and as a member of the parsley family related to the parsnip, celery and fennel. It is good to remember that smaller or organic carrots only require topping and tailing and, of course, a quick scrub. Plus the smaller ones pack a lot more flavor than the larger specimen that need to be peeled.

Carrots come in different colors too. There are, of course, the bright orange ones, then yellow and purple ones. The purple ones are said to be the “original carrots”, meaning that today´s orange carrots probably resulted from a cross between the purple and the yellow carrots. I love the prominent nutty taste of the purple variety, they are best used for a grated raw carrot salad for example.

Carrots can be used not only in soups, stews and salads but also roasted, baked, juiced and puréed. And, of course, they are an excellent choice for adding to muffins, cupcakes, cookies, breads, puddings and the most wonderful and widely beloved carrot cakes - this cake recipe is for a European-style Carrot Cake, call it a more minimalist take on the carrot cake, far removed from an American-style cream-cheese frosted version.

This recipe is one of my favorite cake recipes of all times, I love the combination of the grated carrot and the ground hazelnuts. The natural sweetness that this vegetable brings to any kind of baking is unsurpassed and just utterly delicious. The warm spices add a wonderful depth of flavor and warmness to this treat of a cake. But when adding fresh spices to this cake make sure to keep your cake batter low key, to retain as much carrot flavor as possible – a bit of Ceylon cinnamon, ground ginger and cloves, which I happen to think go well with carrots, should do it.

This is an exceptionally moist cake and keeps for a good few days.


Springtime Carrot Cake


Ingredients for the Carrot Cake

• 300 grams  (2 1/2 cups) ground hazelnuts (you can substitute almonds or use half almonds and half hazelnuts)
• 4 eggs (L), free range or organic if possible, separated
• one pinch of fine sea salt
• 200 grams (1 1/2 cups) confectioner's sugar, divided in two portions of 100 grams (1/2 plus ¼ cup), sifted
• zest from an orange (organic or untreated)
• 2 tbsp Kirsch* (Kirschwasser)
• 25 grams (3 tbsp) potato starch
• 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 package pure vanilla sugar (best homemade)
• 8 smallish to medium carrots, organic if possible, finely grated (about 2 cups when lightly packed)
• a bit of soft butter for greasing the baking pan
• a bit of flour, bread crumbs or additional ground nuts for the baking pan

* Kirsch or Kirschwasser is a colorless Brandy made from the fermented juice of cherries. But feel free to leave out the Kirsch entirely and use freshly squeezed orange juice instead.

Ingredients for the first Glaze

• some high quality apricot jam, warmed and then strained

Ingredients for the second Glaze

• confectioner' s sugar
• a bit of Kirsch and milk or leave out the Kirsch and use freshly squeeezed orange juice instead

Decoration

• marzipan decorations (entirely optional)
• 1 tbsp ground unsalted pistachios, chopped (entirely optional, you can also decorate with chopped hazelnuts or almonds)

Equipment

• a 23 centimeter (9 inch) spring form pan or other round cake pan
• some parchment paper (unbleached if possible) for lining the pan as well as a few strips to avoid drips while glazing the cake
• soft bristled brush
• strainer

Preparation of the Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 180° C (355°F).
2. Butter your baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, butter that as well, Flour the pan and shake out the excess flour.
3. Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
4. In the bowl of your mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Then add 100 grams (1/2 plus ¼ cup of the sifted confectioner's sugar and continue to beat for a while until firm peaks form, set aside.
5. In another bowl, also with a whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks with the other half of the confectioner's sugar, the orange zest and the Kirsch until the mixture is thick and pale yellow.
6. To the ground hazelnuts add the starch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and vanilla sugar.
7. Switch to a spatula and add the nut mixture, alternating with the grated carrots, to the egg mixture.
8. Fold in the egg white mixture until no white streaks remain but do not over mix.
9. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes.
11. Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the bottom of the spring form pan.
12. Transfer the cake to a cake platter for decorating.
13. Before you glaze the cake, place a few strips of parchment paper under the cake to catch any drips.

Preparation of the first and second Glaze and Decoration (optional)

1. In a small bowl, heat a few tablespoons of apricot jam, put it through a strainer and using a soft bristled brush, glaze the cooled cake.
2. Let the apricot glaze set for a few minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk some confectioner's sugar together with one teaspoon of Kirsch or orange juice and a bit of milk. You need a thick but runny consistency.
4. Spoon this mixture evenly over the cake.
5. Decorate with little marzipan decoration and ground unsalted pistachios.

This Springtime Carrot Cake contains no flour and no butter, it is a very moist and nutty cake with no heavy frosting – the decoration that I chose here is also entirely optional, you could also leave this cake plain and serve it with a light dusting of confectioner´s sugar. Sometimes I chose to decorate this cake with tiny marzipan carrots but when I came across these marzipan fruits in a sweet shop, I thought that they would add a nice springtime touch to my carrot cake.

Carrot cake icing is one part of this fabulous cake that people seem to disagree on. I never really warmed to a tradition of a rich cream cheese frosting, beaten with butter and sugar. Although I enjoy some buttercream frosting every once in a sweet while, it adds a richness to a carrot cake which I happily trade in for a thin layer of homemade apricot jam and a glaze with confectioners´s sugar - sometimes less is just more - why not to let the sweet natural flavors of carrots and spices shine through.

Vanilla Bean Easter Bunny Cake

If you are anything like me, it is that time of year again when I dust off my rather extensive collection of various Easter baking pans and welcome spring with some whimsical cakes. Not only are these specialty baking pans fun to use once a year but they will also make your kids rather happy. Not to mention that the seasonally shaped cakes will make a brilliant centerpiece for your Easter table.

Sometimes I will use my Easter lamb cake pans to bake a Easter Lamb Marble Cake or Easter Lamb Coconut Cake (as can be seen here), today I have used one of my baking pans in the shape of the season’s signature rabbit. All you need to pull off this easy Easter baking project is, of course, one of those baking pans, plus a few everyday baking ingredients, no need to get too fancy here but the scraped seeds of a fresh vanilla bean or vanilla paste is a lovely addition to this simple cake batter and most definitely worth the extra splurge, it is Easter after all. Vanilla beans are the ultimate in flavoring and scenting baked goods. Their flavor is really intense and the extra perk of being able to see all those tiny black specks throughout the batter never ceases to amaze me. Vanilla bean paste can also be used here as a good alternative. Just make sure to buy a smallish jar of the scraped-out vanilla pod, and follow directions on each jar indicating proper equivalencies so you will get the fragrant, sweet, speckled end product you want. As far as conversions go, 1 vanilla bean will equal 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (which I prefer not to use but, of course, do feel free to do so).

Then, maybe with the help of some eager young kitchen assistants, decorate that bunny any way you like. Whether you sprinkle your Easter bunny with confectioners´ sugar, or drizzle him with a dark or white chocolate glaze or adorn him with some colorful icings, place him in the middle of your Easter buffet table or bring him along as a gift to a that Easter brunch at your friends´  house, the resulting Easter bunny cake will always be a charming addition to an Easter feast. Trust us on this one.

Vanilla Bean Easter Bunny Cake

Ingredients for the Cake

• 50 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, plus a bit for buttering the pan
• 50 grams superfine (caster) sugar
• 1 egg (L), free range or organic
• the scraped seeds of a vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• 50 grams almond meal (or grind natural almonds)
• 50 grams flour, plus a bit for flouring the pan
• 30 grams cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsps milk (I use 3.5%)

For the Decoration

• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional) or dark or white chocoale glaze or shredded coconut

Directions

1. Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
2. Position a rack in the lower third of your oven and preheat to 165° C (325° F).
3. Grease and flour all wells of an Easter bunny cake pan (or use an Easter lamb shaped pan) and tap out the excess flour.
4. To make the cake, put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. 
5.  Beat on medium speed light and creamy.
6. Add the egg and beat until blended and smooth, about 1 minute. 
7. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 30 seconds more.
8. Add the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste and beat some more.
9. In a medium bowl whisk together the almond meal, flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
10. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk.
11. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, filling about 3/4 full, and spread the batter so the sides are slightly higher than the center. 
12. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes.
13. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. 
14. If necessary, level cake by using a serrated knife to gently saw off any portion of the cake that rose above the edge of the pan.
15. Carefully unmold the bunny cake and place the bunny upright on a platter and lift off the pan.
16. Let the cake cool completely before dusting with confectioners´ sugar ot decoirating it to your heart´s content.

Hope you enjoy using your fun-shaped, Easter baking pans at this time of year and while you are at it, why not dye some lovely Easter eggs and place them next to the Vanilla Bean Bunny Cake. Happy Easter Baking!