Cappuccino Squares

Another bake from Rachel Allen’s Cake. This time Cappuccino Squares, coffee sponge, vanilla buttercream and chocolate flakes on tip.  Well, actually the chocolate bit is chocolate that comes like that in a tin from Hotel Chocolat, which I keep on hand for decorating sweet things.  The cake needs very strong coffee flavouring. 

After Dinner Mint Cake

These are lovely, we as a family, but particularly Sophie and I love mint and chocolate, so when I saw this in Rachel Allen’s Cake  (Collins 2012) - it was a must make!

The chopped up After Eight (mints) in the cake sort of sink to the bottom of the squares and give a gooey sticky layer.  I change the topping a bit by omitting fresh mint leaves and lemon juice and adding in more mint extract and a tablespoon of water. I also topped them simply with a quarter of an After Eight chocolate. Easy, but effective. :)    Must make these again soon! 

Recipe link here.

Linda Lomelino’s Pavlova

I have a bit of Linda Lomelino obsession going on just now. I just love her cakes, her photographs, her styling, her website and her books! Oh her books…..  This pavlova comes from Lomelino’s Cakes, 27 Pretty Cakes To Make Any Day Special  by Linda Lomelino. English edition Roost Books 2014. 

I made Sophie’s birthday cake from this book last year, and I’ll post it soon.  Today though, the raspberries in the shop were looking so tempting, I had to make the most of them.  I prefer raspberries later in the season, they are just that bit sweeter.

 

This pavlova tower is three small discs of cocoa and chocolate meringues filled with whipped cream and raspberries, then a nice sprinkle of green pistachios on the top layer as the final flourish.  Such a pretty cake. 

I couldn’t find the recipe online, but I’d recommend the book, it’s a beauty!

Smartie Tray Bake

This is a cake that I have made often. For school teas, home teas and also it has been requested as a birthday cake.  It is essentially a chocolate tray bake with a chocolate icing and covered with Smarties.  It is quite a dark cake, but somehow that doesn’t stand in its way, it has child and adult appeal. I reckon it’s the glossy chocolate icing and the smarties that does it!   From Annie Bell’s Baking Bible, Kyle Books 2012.

Here it is as Sophie's birthday cake one year. :)