Bakewell cheesecake

Bakewell cheesecake

Ingredients

• 200g/7oz almond biscuits
• 100g toasted flaked almonds
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 100g butter, melted
• 3 x 300g packs full-fat soft cheese
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 200ml tub soured cream
• just over half a 300g jar cherry jam
• icing sugar and cream, to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin with baking parchment. Bash the biscuits and 75g of the flaked almonds to crumbs – try double-bagging in food bags and crushing with a rolling pin. Mix with the almond extract and melted butter, then press into the base of the prepared tin and bake for 10 mins. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
2. In your largest bowl, whisk the cheese with an electric whisk until creamy. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour, then the vanilla, the eggs, one at a time, and finally the soured cream.
3. Dollop spoonfuls of mixture into the tin, dotting in tbsps of jam as you go. Smooth the top as gently as you can.
4. Carefully place tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 mins. Scatter with remaining almonds. Decrease oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for a further 35 mins. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed and leave cheesecake to cool for 1 hr. Open oven door and leave it ajar for another hour (you can use your oven gloves to wedge it open). Cool for a third hour at room temp, then cover and chill overnight.
5. Remove from the tin and carefully peel off the parchment. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

Source: BBC FOOD

Chocolate fruitcake

Foto Chocolate fruitcake

Ingredients

• 200g butter
• 200g dark brown soft sugar
• 100g dark chocolate (we used 80%) broken into chunks
• 75ml brandy
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g raisins
• 250g currants
• 100g dried cranberries
• 100g dried sour cherries
• 100g mixed peel
• 200g self-raising flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 3 eggs, beaten with a fork

Method

1. Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, brandy, vanilla and dried fruits into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until everything has melted together. Remove from the heat.
2. Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep cake tin, 20cm round or 18cm square, with a double layer of baking parchment. Wrap a few layers of newspaper around the outside and secure with string.
3. Mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spice together. Stir the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture in the saucepan, followed by the flour mixture. Scrape into your prepared tin and bake for 1½ hrs- 1 hr 45 mins or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then decorate (see 'Goes well with', right, for decoration ideas). Greaseproof-wrapped cake will keep for 2 months in an airtight container.

Dense & dark chocolate loaf

Dense & dark chocolate loaf Picture

 

Ingredients

• 200g butter, plus extra for greasing
• 100g dark chocolate (use one that's 70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks
• 150g pot natural yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• 175g dark muscovado sugar
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the topping

• 100ml double cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5 and make sure there’s a shelf ready in the middle of the oven. Butter a large loaf tin (about 20cm long, measured from the top edge), then cut a strip of baking paper a few inches longer than the total length of the base and the two shortest sides. Press it into the tin. (When your cake’s ready, you can use the paper ‘wings’ at either end to help lift it out.)
2. Put the butter and chocolate in a large saucepan and heat very gently until melted, stirring now and again. Cool for 5 mins, then use a whisk to mix in the yogurt and vanilla, then the eggs and a pinch of salt.
3. Mix the flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl, squishing any big lumps of sugar with your fingers, then stir into the chocolate mix in the saucepan until even. Pour or spoon into the tin, then bake for 45 mins until risen and shiny (and probably with a nice crack along the length). Test if it’s ready by poking a skewer into the middle of the cake (see tip, below). Cool in the tin for 15 mins, then turn out and cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Put the cream into a small saucepan, bring to the boil, then add the butter and half the chopped chocolate. Take off the heat and leave to melt. Stir until smooth and shiny, then spoon over the cake. Scatter with the rest of the chopped chocolate and serve.

Source: BBC FOOD

Dark chocolate & orange cake

 

Ingredients

• 1 Seville orange
• a little melted butter, for greasing
• 100g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 3 eggs
• 280g caster sugar
• 240ml sunflower oil
• 25g cocoa powder
• 250g plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• orange candied peel, to decorate

For the chocolate ganache

• 200g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
• 225ml double cream

Method

1. Pierce the orange with a skewer (right through). Cook in boiling water for 30 minutes until soft. Whizz the whole orange in a food processor until smooth; let cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C.Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9in round cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave for 2 minutes on High, stirring after 1 minute. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, sugar and oil. Gradually beat in the puréed orange, discarding any pips, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate. Sift in the cocoa, flour and baking powder. Mix well and pour into the tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 55 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the middle. (Check after 45 minutes and cover with foil if it is browning too much.) Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make the chocolate ganache: put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until firm enough to spread over the cake – up to 1½ hours.
5. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Using a palette knife, swirl the ganache over the top. Decorate with strips of candied orange peel.

Source: BBC FOOD

Caramel ripple cheesecake cups

 

Ingredients

• 100g amaretti biscuits (about 20)
• 400g soft cheese
• 50g golden caster sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp caramel sauce, we used Carnation, beaten until smooth

Method

1. Crush the biscuits into large crumbs and divide between 4 ramekins or small glasses.
2. In a bowl, beat the cheese with the sugar and vanilla then add 4 tbsp of the sauce and beat until mostly incorporated but still streaked slightly. Carefully spoon over the biscuits and smooth the top.
3. Spoon the rest of the caramel over the top and use a teaspoon to swirl the top of the cheese layer with the caramel. Set in the fridge for at least 2 hours but up to 2 days before serving.

Source: BBC FOOD