Apricot Layer Cake

Going to my sisters house, I always bring something baked by me. All of the family was invited and I decided to give this delicious looking layer cake with cream filling and apricot garnish a try, which I found in the baking book “Gyldendals store bakebok”. This cake is time consuming and you have to be patient while making it. The cake is filled with buttercream and garnished with caramelized almonds at the sides. The result came out to be quite succesful as I got good feedback.

Makes about 10 pieces
Calories: ~ 3507
each piece: ~ 351


I n g r e d i e n t s :


50 g butter or margarine
1 dl icing sugar
1 egg
1 tsp grated rind of lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
1 dl all-purpose flour
1 tbsp potato flour
1/4 tsp baking powder


Filling


1 dl sugar
1/2 dl chopped almonds
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 dl water
1 egg yolk
75 g butter or margarine
1/2 dl icing sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar


Garnishing


1 tin (800g) hermetic apricots (or you may use peaches)


1) Grease and sift a small, ring mould, ca. 1 liter.
2) Beat butter/margarine and sugar till pale in color
3) Add egg, grated rind of lemon and lemon juice
4) Sift together flour, potato flour and baking powder and mix in
5) Fill the batter in the form


Bake in a moderately hot oven at 175C for about 20-25 minutes at the lowest slot.


Let the cake in the form for some minutes. Turn it on a wire rack and let it cool under the form.


Caramelized Almonds


1) Cut the cake in three bottoms
2) Melt the sugar for the filling in a small pan. Let it come to to a slightl brown color
3) Mix in the chopped almonds
4) Pour the caramelized almonds on aluminiumsfoil, bakingsheets or a greased tray and let it cool
5) Crush the caramelized almonds roughly in a plastic bag with a mortar or hammer
6) Crush half of it more finely


Filling Cream


1) Make an even batter of flour and water in a sauce pan
2) Heat the sauce pan and stir till it cooks and have cooked for some minutes
3) Take off the sauce pan, add the egg yolk and cool the mixture
–
4) Beat butter/margarine smoothly with icing sugar
5) Stir in the cooked cream in butter-icing sugar-mixture, in small amounts at a time
6) Beat greatly so that the filling becomes light and fluffy
7) Taste with vanilla sugar and the finely chopped caramelized almonds


The Making


1) Sieve out the syrup from apricots / peaches
2) Cut half of them into fine pieces
3) Mix rest of them till pulp using an electric mixer
4) Put the pulp in between two of the cake bottoms
5) Put then on a layer of the buttercream and cover with the last bottom
6) Spread rest of the buttercream on the top and all around the cake
7) Garnish with apricots / peaches cut in slices and roughly chopped caramelized almonds on the sides

Chocolate Cake with Orange Flavour

This is the classic chocolate cake recipe that we have been using at home for years. It was my mom who used to make this chocolate cake years ago and then I have been following the same recipe. It turns out to be succesful every time. The recipe is actually from an old english baking book we got at home, from 1979 to be specific which I was talking about in my previous post. Being a norwegian, I am not fond of the norwegian way of making chocolate cake. All of the recipes contains milk and that makes the cake muddy without a soft texture. I know alot of people love it, but for me chocolate cake has to be moist, fluffy and soft. And I give this recipe 5 stars for being just as perfect as it requires to make a perfect chocolate cake. The recipe contains orange rind and orange juice, but you may omit it if you don’t want to put it. I use water mixed with some vanilla sugar or vanilla essence instead when I don’t want the orange flavor.





Makes about 10 pieces
Calories: ~ 2311
each piece: ~ 231


I n g r e d i e n t s :

2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp hot water
100 g butter or margarine
125 g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
100 g self-raising flour
1 tbsp orange juice ( you may omit and use water mixed with vanilla essence/vanilla sugar)
1 grated rind of orange (you may omit it)


Grease an 18 cm round deep cake tin and line the bottom and sides with greased greaseproof (waxed) paper.

1) Dissolve the cocoa in the water and leave to cool
2) Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy and pale in color
3) Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the cocoa mixture
4) Sift in the flour and fold in, followed by the orange rind and juice (or vanilla mixture)
5) Turn into the prepared tin

Bake in a moderately hot oven 180C at the lowest slot for 40 to 45 minutes or until firm to the touch. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate icing

50 g plain chocolate
25 g butter
25 g icing sugar, sifted


1) Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over hot water
2) Stir in the butter until melted and well mixed
3) Beat in the icing sugar until smooth and remove from the heat
4) Quickly spread over the top of the cake (you may make a swirling design if desired or garnish with shredded coconuts or whatever you may like) and leave to set

Tips

- If you want to make a larger quantity, you may double the recipe and use an rectangular pan about 30 cm x 20 cm
- You do not have to use greased or waxed paper, you may grease the tin/pan with butter (and sift with flour)

Almond Squares

Nigella Lawson must be my favorite when it comes to cooking and baking. I was watching her christmas program today and this lady is just gorgeous. Not only does she has great looks, but she simply loves what she is doing and shows her expressions for that in an amazingly way. Her love for every single spice and ingredient makes me view all this in a new and inspring way. I have seen a lot of cooks and bakers do their work, but Nigella has something magical going on when she makes food and goodies. You can feel the love in every word, movement and expression of her which can make anyone wish they could cook, bake and east as Nigella.
Anyways, back to reality and an amateur baker as me, I made these almond squares some time back. These sweet pastry-based cakes have a moist almond and glace (candied) cherry topping and are some lovely bites for coffee. The candied cherries I bought was canned and very dark in color which kind of ruined the beautiful color combination of the cakes. Try to look for candied cherries that are not canned or atleast nice red in color. I found the recipe in one of my favorite baking books "Cakes and Cake decorating" by Rosemary Wadey from 1979. Yes, this book is pretty old, but as they say "old is gold" and this recipe book is a gold discovery. My daddy brought it from England back in the 1970's and it has recipe of the best moist and perfect chocolate cake ever which I will post very soon.

Makes about 12 pieces

Calories: ~ 1816
each piece: ~ 151


I n g r e d i e n t s :


75 g allpurpose flour
pinch of salt
25 g sugar
50 g butter or margarine
75 g glace cherries (halved, rinsed and dried)
icing sugar for dredging


Topping


50 g butter or margarine
1 egg, beaten
50 g ground almonds
almond essence


Lightly grease a shallow 20 cm square cake tin.


1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the sugar
2. Add the butter/margarine and rub in until the mixture binds together
3. Press the dough into the bottom of the tin and arrange the cherries over it


Topping


1. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy
2. Beat in the egg
3. Mix in the ground almonds and a few drops of almond essence (extract) and spread over the cherries


Bake in a moderately hot oven at 190C for about 40 minutes or until just set and golden brown.
Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn carefully onto a wire rack. When cold, dredge with icing sugar and cut into squares.

Princess Bun Cake

I just love this bun cake! It is not only my favorite, but everyone at home loves it. This bun cake is also known as "sibling cake" and is yeasted semi sweet dough with vanilla cream filling. Some people love to add raisins, almonds etc. to this cake, but I love a lot and a lot of cinnamon which gives a great taste. I made this today, in fact I makes it almost every time my younger bro comes home as he desires for something with vanilla cream and this recipe is like so easy to follow and the cake bun can be made without any mess. So I went on baking it since he is at home for two days now in christmas holidays and wanted this cake.
I love to bite my teeth on yeast baking fresh and hot from the oven, but everyone has their own preferences and likes, most of my siblings likes to have yeast baking the next day when it's cold.
This recipe is really simple to follow and is just wonderful with a glass of cold milk.

Makes 9 pieces/buns
Calories: ~ 3093
each piece: ~ 344

I n g r e d i e n t s :

Dough

25 g yeast ( fresh)
1,5 dl cold milk
34 g sugar
1 egg
75 g butter, melted and cooled
6 dl allpurpose flour


Filling

38 g butter, ( room temperatured)
0,75 dl icing sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon powder (optional)

2,5 dl vanilla cream (custard)


Glaze

1 dl icing sugar
0,5 tbsp water

1. Crumble yeast in a baking bowl and stir it into the cold milk

2. Add sugar, egg, butter and most of the flour (use all of it if needed)
3. Knead into a smooth dough

Let dough rest for 15 minutes
Meanwhile: place a baking sheet on a spring-form 24-26 cm and grease the sides and stir butter and sugar together for the filling

4. Roll dough into a rectangle of 30x40 cm
5. Spread the filling (sprinkle on cinnamon if desired) and roll together from the short side
6. Cut into 9 pieces and place them in the spring-form, which of 7 on the edge of the form and 2 in the middle

Let raise for 1 hour in a warm place

7. Make a hole halfway down in each bun using fingers (stretch a little to make a bit wider holes)
8. Add a spoonful of vanilla cream (custard) inside the holes
9. Brush the bun cake with whipped egg

Bake in oven at 200C at lowest slot for about 25 minutes

10. When cool, glaze with icing sugar mixed with water

Kvæfjordkake "The World's Best"

I made "Norway's national cake" (nominated September, 2002), also known as "the world's best" for the very first time last saturday and it turned out amazing and really lives up to its name. The lovely combination of soft sponge topped with meringue and filled with cream in between is just heavenly!
The cake is called after the town "Kvæfjord" in Troms and the history of the cake can be dated back to mid of 1930s when the citizen of Kvæfjord Hulda Ottestad bought the recipe (King Cake) for her cafe. The recipe has been modified a bit since then and a less quantity of almonds are used now. This cake is easy to make and does not need much preparation.




Makes about 12 pieces
Calories: ~ 3607
each piece: ~ 300

I n g r e d i e n t s :

Cake

75 g butter
2 dl icing sugar
5 eggyolks
1 1/2 dl allpurpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp milk


Meringue

5 eggwhites
2 dl sugar
50 g almond flakes


Filling

2 dl whipped cream
1 dl vanilla cream (custard)


The making

Sugar cake

1. Grease an baking sheet and put it in a pan, 30x40 cm
2. Stir butter and icing sugar until fluffy and pale in color
3. Add eggyolks, one at a time and stir for a while between each
4. Mix flour with baking powder and stir in along with the milk
5. Spread the mixture into the pan

Meringue

1. Whisk egg whites till they form stiff, firm peaks
2. Add sugar and whisk a few more minutes
3. Spread the meringue unevenly over the batter (sugar cake) in the pan
4. Sprinkle the almond flakes

Bake in a moderately hot oven at 175C in the middle or at a lower slot until the meringue have color and sugar cake is dry for about 20 minutes.

Let the cake cool and remove the baking sheet. Divide it in the middle of the length or width, depending on what form is desired.

Filling

1. Whisk cream and stir in vanilla cream (custard)
2. Spread the cream on one of the cake bottom with the meringue side up
3. Put the other cake bottom on the top with meringue side up
4. Cut in suitable sized pieces

Peppernuts

Christmas is around the corner and tradition tells to bake a lot of cookies for these holidays.
Ice cold winter and snowfall makes it even more tempting and cozy to bake cookies and ofcourse eat alot and alot of them. Two days ago, I was having the desire to bake some cookies and ended up with making these peppernuts.
These small spicy cookies are traditional christmas cookies that can be gifted away and makes a good quantity. I only had one single peppernut cookie as I am watching my calories these days and I am rom now on going to put the calorie amount in the recipes to make it easier for everyone who wants to watch their calories.





Makes about 30 (you can make about 40 if you make the cookies even smaller) Calories: ~ 1836 each cookie: ~ 61


I n g r e d i e n t s :

100 g butter or margarine
1 dl sugar
1/2 tbsp syrup
1/2 egg
1/2 tsp cardemom powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder
3 1/2 dl allpurpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
Garnish
15 scalded and halved almonds


1. Stir fat, sugar and syrup
2. Add egg
3. Add the spices
4. Add flour mixed with baking soda
5. Knead the dough together
6. Roll the dough to small balls and put them on a greased tray or tray with baking sheet
7. Stick down an almond in each cookie

Bake in a moderately hot oven 175C in the middle of oven for about 20 minutes. The peppernuts should be dry and brown in color.