Rhubarb and custard cupcakes

Last year, I bought The Love Bakery: Cupcakes From the Heart cookbook by Sam Blears in a clearance sale.  It is such a cute book, being pink and glittery and full of cupcakes.  The namesake Love Bakery closed in 2011.  However, its cupcakes live on in this cookbook, which has lots of wonderful sounding flavour combinations and cute decorating ideas for cupcakes.

I was a little obsessed with the sound of the Rhubarb and Custard Cupcakes, and this is the first (and so far only) recipe I have made from the Love Bakery cookbook.

I made these cupcakes quite some time ago, so I don't remember a lot about them, other than that I was somehow mildly disappointed with the flavour.  No matter.  They are super cute (don't you agree?), and the bright red and yellow colour combination would lighten up the darkest day.  In any event, they contain real rhubarb compote and custard, which are lovely flavours in themselves.

If you fancy trying these cupcakes yourself, you will need:

For the rhubarb compote:

2-3 sticks rhubarb
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar

Chop the rhubarb into 1cm pieces, and place into a medium saucepan.  Add the water and sugar, and simmer until the rhubarb has softened.  Strain the liquid from the rhubarb and set the rhubarb aside to cool.

For the cakes:

125g butter
125g sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
125g self raising flour
2 tablespoons milk

Ready made custard

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line a 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake papers.  

In a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then alternately beat in the flour and milk, starting and ending with flour.  

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake papers, and bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until risen, golden and cooked through.  Turn the cakes out  onto a wire rack to cool.

For the icing:

125g butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
250g icing sugar
1 tablespoon ready made custard

In a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is light and creamy.  Beat in the vanilla then gradually beat in the icing sugar on low speed.  Beat in the custard.  (I also added some yellow colouring to make the icing a bright yellow colour.)

Cut a cone shaped hole in the top of each cupcake and fill with a small amount (~1/2 teaspoon of each) of the rhubarb compote and ready made custard.  Cut the point off the cone shaped cutout of cake and pop back on top of the rhubarb and custard to form a lid.

Put the icing in a piping bag and pipe swirls on top of each cupcake, making sure to cover the holes.

Serve!

Middle Brighton Baths, Middle Brighton

A few months back, I turned another year older.  To celebrate that occasion, a friend took me to lunch at Middle Brighton Baths (the upstairs part).  The recommendation came from a work colleague of my friend.  From a list of possible lunch locations, I thought that this one looked the best.

We were fortunate in  being given a table overlooking Port Phillip Bay: 

We were entertained during our meal by the bathers who ventured into the chilly water, usually only for a brief dip before retreating to the warmth of the shore.   There were also two little girls who were a constant source of amusement with their antics in the sand.

We decided to share an entrée (so that we could fit in dessert!).  Our selection was the twice cooked pork belly with apple and ginger purée, red wine jus ($22), pictured at the top of this post.  The crispy pork skin gave way to the moist, delightfully fatty belly meat underneath.  The apple and ginger puree and red wine jus enhanced the flavour to the pork.

For my main course, I selected the pan seared barramundi with cauliflower puree, sultana and walnut dressing ($40):

The skin of the barramundi was perfectly crisp, and added a salty tang to the delicate fish beneath.

My friend ordered the Atlantic salmon with braised cannellini beans, samphire and broccoli puree ($39):

It looked pretty good to me.

We shared a couple of side dishes - the Koo Wee Rup asparagus with  hazelnuts and lemon dressing ($13):

and the heritage beetroot and macadamia salad ($12):

Both sides were delicious, and featured some of my favourite vegetables.

For dessert, I could not go past the chocolate fondant with griottine cherries, candied pecans and mascarpone ($16):

I had never had a chocolate fondant before, so this was my golden opportunity.

My friend ordered the Baths Eton mess with seasonal berries and berry coulis ($16):

While my friend's dessert was beautiful, light and good to eat, I think I was winning with my fabulously rich, oozy chocolate fondant:

The service at The Middle Brighton Baths was attentive and efficient.  Despite there being a number of functions on while we were there, we never felt forgotten about.

The Middle Brighton Baths is a lovely place to dine, and I'd definitely go back. 

Middle Brighton Baths

251 Esplanade

Brighton VIC 3186

Ph: (03) 9592 7350

Coconut and Pear Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Icing

I am a fan of Jordan Rondel's baking recipes.  Jordan is an Auckland baker who has also now expanded to L.A.  Some time ago, she published a recipe for Coconut and Pear Cake with Marmalade Icing.  This cake sounded devine, so I prioritised making it.

I was not sorry that I did.  This luscious cake combines moist pears with the sweetness of coconut, with a tangy cream cheese frosting.  I did not have any marmalade for the icing, so I used apricot jam instead.  I also only made half of the icing.

To make this cake, you will need:

150g butter
150g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
100g plain flour
50g dessicated coconut
50g almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
2 pears, cored and cubed

Icing

200g cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons apricot jam

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Grease and line 2 x 22cm round cake tins.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy.   Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Gradually mix in the flour, almond meal, coconut and baking powder.  Fold through the sour cream.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins.  Scatter the pears evenly over the top of each cake and press down lightly.  

Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool on the tin for 10 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.  

For the icing, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the vanilla and jam and beat until well combined.

Spread half of the icing on top of one of the cakes, then top with the other cake and spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake.

Slice and serve.

Merry Christmas 2019!

Arts Centre, Melbourne

David Jones Menswear, Melbourne

Federation Square, Melbourne

Work choir singing Christmas carols

Southgate Complex, Melbourne

Fleischer Cafe, Melbourne

State Library, Melbourne

Merry Christmas to you and your family!  May you have a blessed Christmas and a bright and happy New Year.

TWD - Touch-of-Crunch Chocolate Cake

The last TWD recipe for this year is Touch-of-Crunch Chocolate Cake.  This cake is baked in a pie plate, and cooks up with a crunchy, crackly top and a fudgy centre.

The recipe makes 12 servings, so I cut it down to a sixth to make something more my size.  The crunch in my cake came from poppy seeds.

I dusted the top of the cooled cake with icing sugar before serving with icecream (the red currants are decorative for a little Christmas cheer):

This cake was truly quite delicious.  It is a good one to have on hand, especially as it can be made in advance for guests.  It also doesn't require a stand mixer - it is all made in the bowl by hand.

To see what everyone else made this week and what they thought of it, visit the LYL section of the TWD website. 

Cherry Lime Bundt Cake

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Toys in every store

But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be

On your own front door

                                                       

                                                                         Lyrics - Meredith Willson

Christmas is nearly here, and it is still the season for festive looking bakes.  I didn't use all of my Morello cherries to make the Matcha and Cherry Financiers, so I needed to use them up.  I also had a few limes in the fridge which had seen better days and needed to find their forever home before they went to God.   

I did a search on the Web for cake recipes using cherries and limes, and found this recipe for a Cherry Lime Bundt Cake on Overtime Cook.  The recipe calls for fresh cherries, but my jarred Morello cherries worked as an admirable substitute.  Apart from using up the Morello cherries and limes, this cake is perfect for the Christmas season as it is in keeping with the red and green theme.  (I could have emphasised the red and green colour scheme by decorating with lime zest as well as Morello cherries.)

I really enjoyed this cake - the tartness of the lime tones down the sweetness of the glaze on top of the cake, and the cherries add moisture and colour to the cake.  I received some very good feedback on this cake from my work colleagues. 

My cake is posed on a gorgeous Christmas-themed teatowel from La La Land.

If you have some cherries in the house of any variety, I highly recommend making this lovely cake.

Matcha and Cherry Financiers

The holly and the ivy,
Now both are full well grown.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

                                                   

                                                                               The Holly and The Ivy, Traditional

It is  nearly Christmas, and we are in full swing with the season of red and green festivities.  In keeping with the red and green theme of the season, I decided to make the Matcha and Cherry Financiers that I had a hankering for.  I had opened my bottle of Morello cherries to raid the juice for Karen's birthday cake, and needed to use the cherries themselves, so what could be better than using them in these delicious little cakes.

I used this recipe for Matcha and Raspberry Friands from Jo the Tart Queen, as I was unable to find a recipe for Matcha and Cherry Friands, and baked them in a financier tin rather than a friand tin.  The end result was 8 cute, perfectly formed cakes: 

These cakes have the lovely red and green colour combination which is reminiscent of the Christmas season, so are perfect for right now.  They are also a breeze to make - no mix master required.

To make these cakes, you will need:

95g butter, cut into cubes
135g egg whites
150g white sugar
100g almond meal
60g plain flour
12g matcha powder
16 fresh, frozen, tinned or jarred cherries

Spray an eight hole financier tin (or use a friand tin or muffin tin) with olive oil spray. Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Put the butter into a small saucepan over low heat and cook until golden brown (ie browned butter).  Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the butter to cool while you continue with the remaining ingredients.

Whisk the sugar, flour, almond meal and matcha powder in a large mixing bowl.    Whisk in the cooled brown butter.  Slowly add the egg whites and whisk until combined.

Divide the mixture evenly between the holes of the financier tin, and decorate each financier by pressing two cherries lightly into the top.  Bake the financiers in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through.  

Remove the financiers from the oven and allow them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before running a knife carefully around the edge of each one and unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely.