Simplicity Chocolate Cake

Resting on a classic milk white glass cake stand from

Notes

So quick and easy, a favourite Peel family recipe, perfect when you need something sweet in no time flat!

Ingredients – cake

1 cup self-raising flour – sifted
1 cup caster sugar – sifted
3 tbsp cocoa – sifted
2 eggs
60g butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients – icing

1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp cocoa
1-2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 20cm round cake tin. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 3min til well combine. Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25min.

Cake is ready when an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool in the tin for 10min then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

To prepare the icing, sift the sugar into a medium sized bowl to remove all the lumps. Rub the butter into the sugar with your finger tips. Sift the cocoa over the top. Add 1 tbsp of milk at a time and beat hard with a metal spoon till mixture is smooth and of a spreadable consistency. Spread evenly over the top of the cake, twirling your knife to finish the icing in a spiral pattern.

Pear Upside-down Cake

A delightful afternoon tea offering of pears fresh from the orchard simmered down then sweetened up, layered and cooked at the base of a light butter cake. A 1920′s Shelley, Queen Anne, Peaches and Grapes teacup trio, a crystal cake stand and a pair of spotted cotton tulle gloves complete this scene.

Notes

I have recently had the delight in collaborating with designer, writer and fellow vintage lover, Clare Press of Mrs Press, in a series of recipes and illustrations celebrating the launch of our favourite TV show, Downton Abbey series 2 to DVD. We celebrated as only one should, surrounded by delectable treats, champagne and tea, dressed to the nines at the Sir Stamford Hotel tea rooms, Circular Quay.

Over the following weeks I will be sharing with you Clare’s recipes and my accompanying illustrations. The first of these is this syrupy sweet pear upside-down cake, perfect for the abundance of winter pears in season now. An excellent accompaniment to an afternoon’s marriage plotting session in the ever so delicate Countess style of Cora and Violet.

PS, thanks to the lovely Jess from Madison for her article on our collaboration.

Ingredients – cake

125g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 2/3 cup self-raising flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Ingredients – topping

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
60g unsalted butter – softened

Ingredients – poached pears
3 pears
1/4 cup caster sugar
5 cups water

Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly grease a 20cm cake tin. Peel, halve and core the pears. To poach, place the water and 1/4 cup caster sugar in a medium sized saucepan, bring to a slow simmer, stirring til the sugar has dissolved. Place the prepared pears in the simmering water and simmer slowly for 20-25min until cooked through. Set aside to cool, then strain and slice thinly. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then gradually add the eggs beating continuously. Sift the flour together with the salt, add half to the butter mixture, followed by half the milk. Beat together well then add the remaining flour, milk and vanilla mixing til well combined. Set aside.

For the topping, mix the butter together with the brown sugar and spread across the base of the prepared tin. Arrange the slices of pears on top of the sugar mix in a spiral pattern. Pour the cake mixture on top and bake for 35-40min.

Remove from the oven and stand for 5min before inverting onto a cake stand. Delicious served warm straight from the oven.

Moroccan Cake with Orange Syrup

Rose tea glasses from the markets in Marrakech sit on a vintage embroidered place mat, curled around an English silver plated cake stand found on Ebay.

Notes

A number of years ago my sister and I spent a week in bustling Marrakech. Along with gold rimmed tea glasses, leather bags and poufs, amazing jewellery and a truck load of ‘silver’ I also took away with me this fabulous recipe.

Whenever I bake this cake it transports me back to that wonderful trip and the ridiculous amount of giggling and wild flinging of hand gestures that went on whilst trying to find our way out of the maze of the medina using our non existent, school girl French!

Ingredients – cake

1 1/2 cups caster sugar
100g butter, softened
4 eggs
1 cup ground almond meal
1 cup self-raising flour
4 tsp baking powder
zest 1 large orange
juice 1 large orange
2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients – syrup

zest 1 large orange
juice 1 large orange
1/2 cup caster sugar
double cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C and thoroughly grease a bundt tin. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy then add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add the almond meal then sift in the flour and baking powder and fold together. Add the zest, juice and vanilla and beat well to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for approx 40min. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 10min before carefully tipping the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the syrup, place the zest in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat for 2min stirring continuously so as not to burn. Remove from the heat, add the juice and sugar then return to the heat and continue stirring constantly for 3-4min till the sugar dissolves and becomes syrupy.

Place the cake on a plate and poke holes all over with a skewer then pour the syrup over the top. Serve with a dollop of double cream.

Chocolate Tart

Less is more when it comes to this decedent tart.

Notes

I made this tart for dessert one evening during our recent trip to France. The orchards surrounding the property where we were staying were laden with cherries, just dripping and heaving with them. What to do with such a fabulous load of scrumptious fruit? Why, stick them in a chocolate tart of course!

Now, whilst not the season for cherries in Australia right now, it is Bastille Day this Saturday and I felt like reminiscing…oh Provence! How wonderful you were!

Have a facebook peek at some snaps of this chocolate dream, tarted up with cherries!

Ingredients – pastry

180g unsalted butter, chopped
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup plain flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp iced water

Ingredients – filling

2 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup caster sugar
150g butter
240g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
cocoa for dusting
optional cherries
double cream to serve

Grease a 28cm round tart tin with removable base. To make the pastry, pulse the butter and sugar together in a food processor until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine. Add the sifted flour and cocoa, pulse, then add the water and pulse to combine. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and press evenly into the prepared tin. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 200C. Remove the tin from the freezer and cover the base of the pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Bake for 10min then remove the paper and weights, gently push the pastry back into the tin and bake for a further 15-20min until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven to 130C. To make the filling, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar together with hand-held electric beaters. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the pastry shell, if you want, you can now add in your cherries then bake for 15min until filling is set around the edges but still wobbly in the middle. Set aside to cool. Dust with cocoa (optional) and serve with a dollop of double cream.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

A wonderful find, these daffodil yellow, Japanese Noritake teacups were snapped up from my favourite haunt, Bacashes, Corryong VIC.

Notes

This is one of my favourite times of year. Winter has well and truly set in, the days are short and there is a bone chilling bite in the air. This is when layers of luxurious cashmere knitwear can be thrown on and snuggled into, pots of delicious slow cooked somethings simmer away on the stove top, the fire crackles up the chimney and I feel justified in adding to my protective winter coat in the form of chocolate fudge cake.

This delicious recipe comes from my gorgeous friend Rach’s Nana. A hot tip from Rach, they often double the fudge mixture to make a thicker filling. Wicked. I indulged this cake with vanilla ice cream and poured the extra fudge filling over the top of the cake, allowing it to seep and mix with the ice cream. YUM!

Ingredients – cake

1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa
1/4 cup boiling water

Ingredients – chocolate fudge filling

1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp butter
1 heaped tsp cocoa
1 1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp hot water

Ingredients – icing

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp hot milk

Preheat the oven to 160C, grease and line 2x 20cm round cake tins. In a large bowl beat the sugar and butter until thick and pale. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Dissolve the bi-carb soda in the milk and stir into the mixture. Sift in the flour and cocoa and fold to combine. Add the water and stir quickly til mixture is smooth. Evenly distribute amongst the two tins and bake for 20-25min. Remove from the oven and cool in the tins for 10min then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before icing.

To make the fudge sauce filling, place the boiling water, sugar, butter and cocoa in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. As the mixture is coming to the boil make a paste from the cornflour and hot water then add to the saucepan and whisk for 1-2min until it thickens. Strain the fudge sauce through a fine sieve, set aside to thicken slightly.

To make the icing, sift the sugar into a small bowl to remove all lumps then rub the butter into the sugar using your finger tips. Sift in the cocoa then add the milk and beat hard til smooth.

To assemble spread one of the cakes with a layer of fudge sauce then sandwich with the second cake and spread the icing on top. If you have any leftover fudge sauce, place it in a jug and allow guests to drizzle extra over the top of their slice.

Orange & Poppy Seed Cake

My favourite Donna Hay green glass cake stand is draped in antique shadow work cotton. Generous slices of the orange and poppy seed cake, dolloped with double cream, sit on a recent online china splurge, a Marchesa Painted Camellia by Lenox plate.

Notes

This recipe comes from our dear friends Tash & AK. An all-time family favourite of theirs they have been kind enough to share it with The Art of Afternoon Tea. Having lived in Canada for a number of years this lip smacking treat was whipped up whenever they felt the need to banish creeping homesick blues.

Happily they are now back in Oz as we all eagerly await the arrival of their best recipe to date, their first little bub!

Ingredients – cake

220g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp orange zest
90g poppy seeds
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
double or clotted cream to serve

Ingredients – syrup

3/4 cup caster sugar
juice of 2 large oranges

Preheat oven to 180C. Thoroughly grease and line a bundt tin. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, zest and poppy seeds. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture then gently fold in. Add the milk and stir until well combine. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45min until lightly golden.

Meanwhile to prepare the syrup, place the juice and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove saucepan from the heat and set aside.

Remove the cake from the oven and pierce randomly with a skewer. Brush the top of the cake with half the syrup then set aside to cool in the tin. Once cool, tip out of the tin and serve drizzled with the remaining syrup and a generous dollop of cream.

Chocolate Cheesecake

This decadent offering sits on a vintage glass cake stand which in turn sits on my very favourite Royal Doulton Moss Rose teacup saucer, both belong to my Grandmother.

Notes

Back in the land of the living this week and feeling the post holiday blues slowly creeping in. What better way to overcome such feelings and also have a little celebration (yep, it’s birthday time) than with cheesecake. Not any old cheesecake mind you, Chocolate Cheesecake.

This cheesecake has been adapted from a recipe given to me by Danielle Hudson a food blogger for Hungry House. Danielle’s love of cooking has stemmed from helping her Mum in the kitchen baking cakes.

In the spirit of trading recipes Danielle shared this from her personal files with a friendly warning…this cheesecake is incredibly rich and best shared with at least ten other people for your own sanity. Nothing like chocolate to make you feel better!

Ingredients

500g plain chocolate biscuits
130g butter
800g cream cheese – at room temperature
4 heaped tbsp icing sugar
100g dark chocolate
300g milk chocolate
100g white chocolate
fresh berries to serve

Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside to cool. Finely grind the biscuits in a food processor then add the cooled butter and squeeze together with the back of a wooden spoon. Tip the biscuit mixture into a 26cm spring form tin and push and flatten the mixture to form an even base and wall, 5cm up the sides of the tin. Place in the fridge till required.

In a large bowl blend the cream cheese and sugar together til smooth. Melt the dark and 200g of the milk chocolate together in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring til smooth then set aside to cool slightly. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the cream cheese and stir til mixed in well and smooth.

Remove the base from the fridge and pour in the cream cheese mixture. Place back in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.

In a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the remaining milk and white chocolate. Stir as little as possible to get a swirl in the colouring. Remove the chilled cheesecake from the fridge and pour the mixed melted chocolate on top, moving the tin around to spread the topping evenly. Place back in the fridge and chill til required.

Before serving, run a hot knife around the edges of the cake then gently release the spring. Allow to sit for five minutes before slicing with a very sharp knife to serve. Lovely served with fresh berries to create a contrast with the rich chocolate.

Carrot Cake

A generous serve of scrumptious carrot cake sits on a Villeroy and Boch Golden Garden side plate.

Notes

My vivacious aunt Rhonda, gave me this recipe at my bridal kitchen tea a few years ago. It came with a delightful message penciled at the bottom of the page; ‘I know James will never leave you if you bake this.’

Interesting advice… Funnily enough, I have recently discovered Jim’s love of carrot cake, or obsession would be a better word, so it appears that this is a match made in cake heaven!

Ingredients – cake

1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1 1/3 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Ingredients – icing

1 cup caster sugar
125g cream cheese
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 150C, grease and line a 20cm round tin. In a large bowl beat the sugar and eggs til thick and pale. Add the oil and vanilla and stir to combine. Sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, stir through then add the salt, carrot and walnuts and stir til well combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10min then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, beat the sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Spread thickly over the top of the cake to serve.

Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake

Sitting on a Patt English Garden 'Elizabethan' saucer, ensure you drizzle a generous amount of ganache over your piece for optimum pleasure!

Notes

I had my first Easter egg of the season yesterday! It inspired me to post this heavenly combination of chocolate and orange, dense, rich chocoholics dream cake. Mmm…

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate
160g butter, softened
2 tbsp grated orange zest
5 eggs, separated
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup cocoa powder to dust

Ingredients – ganache

200g dark chocolate
1/3 cup thickened cream
2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line a 22cm springform cake tin. Melt the chocolate, butter and zest in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring constantly until smooth, set aside to cool.

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy then fold in the almond meal and cooled chocolate mixture. In a clean bowl beat the egg whites till soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture then pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55min until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10min. Run a knife around the inside edge of the tin then gently release the catch and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache melt the chocolate together with the cream and juice in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring constantly until smooth. Dust the top of the cake with the cocoa powder and serve drizzled with the warm ganache.

Grasshopper Cheesecake

This oh-so-pretty 1930's Staffordshire 'Maytime' teacup set was left to me by Jim's Grandmother. She was a wonderfully elegant lady who would always join me in reaching for the sweets first. A lady after my own heart.

Notes

In celebration of St Patrick’s Day this Saturday I wanted to create something deliciously green. What better time to roll out a grasshopper green cheesecake recipe! This will tempt anyone with a love of that classic flavour combo, chocolate and mint.

The hubby has declared it the best cheesecake EVER! This coming from a man who only ever eats mint choc-chip ice cream, so an encouraging endorsement.

Ingredients – base

200g packet choc mint slice biscuits
25g butter, melted

Ingredients – filling

500g cream cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups thickened cream
2 tsp edible gelatine powder
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup crème de menthe liqueur*
optional extra – drops of green food colouring
dark chocolate for grating decoration

Lightly grease a round 20cm springform tin. Pulse the biscuits in a food processor until finely crumbed. Add the melted butter, mix together then press the mixture into the base of the prepared tin, smoothing flat with the back of a cold metal spoon. Place in the fridge for 20min to set.

Place the water in a small heat proof jug and sprinkle over the gelatine. Stand the jug in a saucepan filled with 2cm of simmering water and stir until the gelatine is dissolved. Remove the jug from the saucepan and set aside for a few moments to cool.

In a medium sized bowl beat the cream to soft peaks using an electric mixer, set aside. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar together with an electric mixer for 5 min. Beat in the gelatine mixture and liqueur. Fold in the whipped cream. Mixture should be a light green colour, if you wish to make it stronger, fold in a few drops of green food colouring until mixture is of desired colour. Pour mixture over chilled base, spreading evenly to create a flat top. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to set.

To serve remove from the fridge and allow to sit in room temp for 10min, then grate chocolate on top. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and gently release the spring. Cut using a very sharp kitchen knife to be able to slice neatly through the base. Lovely served with a side of vanilla ice cream.

* if unavailable, substitute 1/2 tsp peppermint essence and extra drops of green food colouring.