Carrot Cake with Biscoff Buttercream for Easter

Yes, I know. Again with the Biscoff Spread!

Since discovering this caramelised biscuit spread, I have had many ideas for what I could do with it, apart from just using it as a spread. Adding it to a buttercream was one of them, and I can confirm it is delicious!

Since I don’t eat chocolate, I always need to think of something a little different to enjoy at Easter. I thought a carrot cake was quite a fitting alternative, especially decorated with a few pastel Easter eggs.

I have used panela sugar in this recipe as I love the caramel flavour it gives, however you can use the same quantity of brown sugar. I have also used some date syrup to add a little deeper flavour and colour to the cake, but if you don’t have any it can be substituted for more honey.

I hope you have a lovely long weekend, and get to enjoy a slice of cake, Easter egg or hot cross bun - or even better get to spend some time in the kitchen and bake some for yourself!

Carrot Cake with Biscoff Buttercream

Ingredients: 

110g panela sugar (or light/dark brown sugar) 

185ml canola/vegetable oil 

85ml date syrup

100ml honey

4 eggs 

1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste 

335g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp bicarb soda 

2 tsp Hot Cross Bun spice*

4 large carrots, grated

Ingredients for the Buttercream: 

150g unsalted butter, at room temp

190g icing mixture/sugar 

130g (approx. 1/2 cup) smooth Biscoff spread

pastel Easter eggs, optional

edible flowers, optional

Method: 

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line two 20 cm round springform baking tins with baking paper. 

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, date syrup, honey, eggs and vanilla.

Then add the flour, baking powder and Hot Cross Bun Spice. Sift in the bicarb soda and whisk together until combined.

Then add the grated carrots to the cake mixture and mix to combine. 

Equally divide the batter between the two prepared tins and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until each cake is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Leave the cakes the cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool completely. 

To make the icing, beat the butter using a stand mixer and the whisk or paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes, or until it is pale and creamy (if your butter is still a bit cold, you will need to beat it a bit longer than this). Add in the icing sugar, and beat for another 1-2 minutes or until the icing is fluffy.

Add the Biscoff spread and beat until combined.

Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand, and spread half the buttercream over the top. Top with the second cake, and spread over the remaining buttercream. Decorate with pastel Easter eggs and edible flowers if you wish.

Serves about 8.

*I have used the Hot Cross Bun Spice from Gewurzhaus, as they kindly sent me some. This spice is a combination of cassia, coriander, ginger and clove. You can substitute with your own mixture of these spices or just add 1tsp cinnamon and 1tsp mixed spice.

Quick Bakes for Snacking Emergencies

I’m not sure if anyone else encounters snacking emergencies as much as I do, but I am always looking for quick ideas that mean I can bake, but also not wait ages to actually eat some of it. So much so I wrote a whole book on it, but I think you all know about that already*!

I always end up coming back to baking myself, as I love it and no matter how tired or unwell I am or how busy, homemade bakes are ALWAYS better than store bought. I am perpetually disappointed by the things I buy out (a few pastries and breads notwithstanding, thank you Flour Shop 🧡🙏🏻), and am often frustrated by how unsatisfied store bought baked goods can be. 

I mean we all know that eating that much sugar and butter isn’t exactly good for us, so if I am going to eat it, it’s GOT to be worth it and I want to enjoy it and not feel like I just wasted my time/money/sugar intake with that random cookie or piece of cake that looked nice but did not follow through with flavour.

So with all that said, here are a few suggestions for quick, simple and tasty bakes that you can make even when you are low on time/energy/motivation/the desire to actually stand up for too long.

Get some bought shortcrust pastry (buy as good as you possibly can or the pastry may end up falling into my ‘store bought bakes aren’t good’ thing, see above) and make jam tarts (pictured above), which are as simple as cutting out rounds of pastry to fit whatever size cupcake type tray you have, fill with jam and bake at 180 degrees Celsius until the pastry has cooked (10-15 mins). Little free form jam tarts like hamantaschen are a great option if you find yourself without any cupcake type trays to use - just make sure you chill them before baking and yours will look better than mine did!

Messy but Easy Cheats Hamantaschen

Some homemade pastry is easy to make if you feel like spending a little more time in the kitchen, and can be easily frozen too. Some recipes like this sour cream one work for sweet and savoury bakes and would make a lovely free form tart. The anchovy twists are made using the sour cream pastry, the original recipe is in Now For Something Sweet by Monday Morning Cooking Club (video of them making them and this pastry here!).

Anchovy Twists using easy Sour Cream Pastry from Now for Something Sweet by Monday Morning Cooking Club

Super easy oil based biscuits are a great time saver that yield delicious results. One time I saw my friend make my Caramilk Cookies while her baby was napping, it was a mega nap (thank you nap Gods), but still, these cookies were prepared, out of the oven and partially eaten by the time said baby woke from her slumber and it would have still been fine if she ended up sleeping for less time (for the cookies I mean, not for her parents (obviously)). If you have my cookbook Everyday Bakes the Choc Chip Cookies on page 58 are also a super easy oil based biscuit. 

Caramilk Cookies

Easy cakes notably those that are oil based also make for a fuss free bake. Oil based cakes mean no waiting for butter to soften, or realising you have no butter so now need to go to the shops and this wanting to bake thing just got a whole lot less quick and easy. If you take a look at this Rose Cake, this is the kind of cake I am talking about. The I Love Lemon Cake in my eBook Cosy Winter Bakes also falls into this category, as does the Blood Orange Cake in my free eBook Seasonal Cakes and Bakes.  

Yoghurt, buttermilk, sour cream or creme fraiche can be used in this kind of recipe, and the size of the tin you use will determine the length of the cook time. So if you have time, bake in a 20cm round tin for 50 mins. If that sounds like too long for you, bake in a tray to make a slab/sheet cake and you’ll shave about 20 mins off the cook time. Same goes for cupcakes which would take about 20-25 minutes to bake!

Blood Orange Yoghurt Cake from my free eBook Seasonal Cakes and Bakes

* if you are new here, firstly Hi! It’s so lovely to have you. Secondly I wrote and self published a cookbook last year called ‘Everyday Bakes’ that contains recipes for bakes and a few snacks that won’t take up all your time but taste really good. Some of the recipes are a bit more involved than my suggestions above, but definitely still come under the ‘easy’ banner. There are still a few copies left, you can find out more and get yourself a copy here.

Biscoff Babka (Dairy Free)

It’s been a while since I ventured into making babka. I love my pistachio version, but the filling I used was unavailable here in Australia for the majority of last year, only coming back on the shelves in November or December. 

It was definitely time to try a new flavour, so when I bought a jar of Crunchy Biscoff Spread, it occurred to me that it could be a really good filling for a babka, amongst other things. I tried it, and can confirm it is delicious. It’s also something that is easily bought at many supermarkets (I bought mine at Woolworths), and is dairy free. And since I still believe that challah is the best type of bread, I again used that as my babka base, and that combined with the Biscoff spread makes this whole recipe dairy free.

You could of course use many other things as your babka filling, Nutella is another spread that is easy to come by. If using, you’d only need about 200g or so of it, since it has a smoother, thinner and even more spreadable consistency than Biscoff spread. 

And as a note, I am still exclusively using the Monday Morning Cooking Club challah recipe, as it genuinely works every time and tastes great made a traditional challah or adapted into something like this. The recipe is in their first self titled book (which I highly recommend, you can read more about it here), and can be found on their website here as well. 

Biscoff (Challah) Babka

Ingredients: 

500g plain flour, plus extra

250ml warm water

9g dried yeast

85g caster sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

63ml canola or vegetable oil

250-300g Crunchy Biscoff Spread 

cooking spray

Ingredients for the Glaze: 

50g white sugar

60ml water

Method:

Place the flour into a large bowl (one that fits your stand mixer if you have one). Make a well in the centre of the flour, then pour in the warm water. Add the yeast and 60g of the caster sugar and stir (don’t mix in the flour at this stage). Leave for 10-15 minutes, or until the yeast has become foamy. 

Then add the salt and remaining sugar, stir again (don’t mix in the flour at this stage), and wait 5-10 minutes for the yeast to become foamy again. 

Once the yeast is foamy, add the egg and the oil to the yeast mixture and combine. Then start to gradually incorporate the flour into the wet mixture. Once everything is combined, attach your bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, and knead on a medium speed for about five minutes. The dough will be smooth and a little sticky once done. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour (1-2 tbsp). 

While the dough is kneading, lightly oil a large bowl. 

Once the dough is ready, place into the oiled bowl and cover. Leave in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours, or until the dough has risen and doubled in size. 

Spray a 22 x 10 x 8.5cm (approx.) loaf tin with the cooking spray. 

Once the dough has risen, flour your work surface and tip the dough out. Lightly flour the top of the dough to prevent it sticking to your rolling pin. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle (approx. 20 x 5cm). 

Place the Biscoff spread in a heatproof bowl or dish, and put in the microwave for about 10 seconds. This will made it easier to spread over the dough.

Dust any excess flour from the top of the dough, then spread the Biscoff Spread over the surface of the dough. Don’t worry if your sough stretches as you spread the filling over, once the dough is rolled up you can gently push it from either end to make it a little less long.

Roll the dough tightly from one of the long edges to form a long log. Trim the ends off to neaten it up, and cut the log evenly down the middle. 

Turn the cut side of each piece of dough so it is facing up, then twist the two strands of dough together. Tuck the ends under, and gently squash the dough from either end to make it a bit more tight if it has become quite long. 

Place the dough into the prepared tin, cover and leave in a warm spot for about 30 minutes, or until the dough has risen. 

While the dough is rising, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Once the dough has risen, place in the oven for 40 minutes. Check after 20 minutes, and loosely place some foil over the top to prevent the babka from over browning. 

While the babka is baking, make the glaze. Place the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Allow it to come to the boil, and then simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 

The babka will be ready when it is golden on top, and sounds hollow when gently tapped. Remove babka from the oven, and place on a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the babka in about three layers of the syrup (this will help preserve the babka and stop it drying out), then leave to cool for 15-20 minutes. 

Once the babka has had a little time to cool, remove from the tin, and either cut into slices and serve immediately or allow to cool completely then slice. 

Babka like many homemade breads, is best eaten on the day it is made. If you won’t be eating all on day it is made, once the babka has cooled, cut into slices and freeze each individually.

Reference: ‘Monday Morning Cooking Club - The Food, The Stories, The Sisterhood’ by Merelyn Frank Chalmers, Natanya Eskin, Lauren Fink, Lisa Goldberg, Paula Horwitz and Jacqui Israel (HarperCollins, 2013), p.263.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2021

I know I posted a list of cookbooks a couple of weeks or so ago, but as a cookbook lover (or obsessive depending on your opinion), I felt it would be remiss of me to leave it too long into 2021 to discuss the cookbook releases we are waiting for this year. 

If we’ve learnt anything from last year, it’s good to have small things to look forward to. Books, with their physical assuredness and dependability can lift us into moments of joy and can continue to do so each time we open them.

And the prospect of new titles being released from my favourite cookbook authors and by some I don’t know so well, have definitely been added to my list of things to look forward to. In fact, they make up most of that list if I’m honest!

Here are the top five books I feel will be worth waiting for this year (a.ka. My cookbook wishlist for 2021!):

1. In Good Company by Sophie Hansen - I doubt I am alone in being excited about Sophie’s next book! I know many of us love her last cookbook ‘A Basket by the Door’, and I have a feeling we will all like this next one just as much! I also heard Sophie talk about the next book she is working on after ‘In Good Company’, which I hope she shares more about soon!

2. Chasing Smoke by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co - The restaurant Honey & Co was on my London restaurants to visit list (honestly, I know there is no point in this list anymore!), however a new book from Sarit and Itamar is the next best thing to visiting their restaurants. Check out this Instagram Story Highlight from Honey & Co which explains what this new book is about, it is certainly on my wish list now. 

3. Ripe Figs by Yasmin Khan - I love Yasmin’s books, and I was really excited to hear she had been working on another. Yasmin’s books focus on one country/geographic region and not only does she seek out all the amazing recipes, but all the amazing stories behind the food and the people who make it. This third book is set in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus and I just know the recipes will be delicious.

4. Jew-ish by Jake Cohen - This book is described as “an innovative take on classic Jewish recipes that was created with the modern millennial in mind.” By the sounds of it, this book is right up my alley. If you don’t follow Jake on Instagram, go check him out, it will give you a pretty good idea about this book and his cooking style.

5. Simply Julia by Julia Turshen - If you have any of Julia’s previous books, you will know this one is worth waiting for. Julia’s books always have such a comforting feel to them and she really guides you through each recipe with such care. The subtitle of this book is ‘110 Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food’ and while I wouldn’t usually buy books that claim to contain ‘healthy’ recipes, I think I will be in good hands with Julia.

Links to books on Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

The Best Cookbooks of 2020

While it does seem strange to have a list of anything that could be the best from 2020, the cookbook releases during that difficult year I dare say kept many of us going. Here are the ones I particularly enjoyed, and continue to do so.

What would you add to the list?

In Praise of Veg by Alice Zaslavsky

And here was me thinking I probably didn’t need another cookbook purely devoted to vegetables. How wrong I was! This book really surprised me in the best kind of way. It is vibrant, informative and really engaging. I like how Alice has divided, up the sections of the book into vegetable colours, it really is a completely new take on the world of veg.

Now for Something Sweet by Monday Morning Cooking Club

I love everything the Monday Morning Cooking Club does, and their most recent book has been no exception. I have really enjoyed the Coconut and Passionfruit Cake from this book, as judging by social media many others have too. This is definitely one to add to your collection, experienced baker or new to the game (or kitchen).

Beatrix Bakes by Natalie Paull

This cookbook is equal parts cosy and informative. Natalie’s way of writing a recipe means that, even though many of these bakes wouldn’t be considered simple recipes, she holds your hand and walks you through it all in a way that makes everything manageable. Even letting you know what to do when you have a bake-fail or what adaptations you could make to her recipes. Plus, for most of us it was the closest we could get to Melbourne’s famous bakery Beatrix in 2020, and it was a pretty good substitute.

A Year of Simple Family Food by Julia Busuttil Nishimura

I was slightly hesitant to get this book, I really haven’t made an awful lot from Julia’s first book ‘Ostro’, and wasn’t sure I should add this one to the collection. However, I am glad I did. This cookbook is completely different to ‘Ostro’, and I really like the recipe’s emphasis on the seasons. There are many recipes I want to make from this book, and they all look fairly simple to make yet very flavoursome.

Saturday Night Pasta by Elizabeth Hewson

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than being at home cooking a good meal. And the idea that this practice, done regularly could become some kind of cooking therapy, just adds a magical touch. While the premise of the book is to make your own pasta, even if you didn’t, the recipes and sauces to go along with the pasta are lovely and well worth making even if you don’t have the time or inclination to make your own pasta every time.

Caramilk Dried Cherry and Pistachio Cookies

These cookies came about as I have had in my mind for the past year that a dried cherry and pistachio nougat would be an excellent Christmas recipe, but as it always does by this time of the year, time did not allow for a thorough testing of the recipe. 

As it started to become clear that my nougat Christmas dreams weren’t going to come true, I decided my Plan B for a new Christmas recipe would be a cookie with the same flavours. 

Of course, a cookie and nougat are hardly comparable, but what cookies lack in finesse and wide eyed compliments on how much effort you went to, they gain on the fact that they don’t take much effort but are extremely delicious. 

Like the Caramilk Cookies I posted this year on which this recipe is based, these cookies require very little prep, and need no time to chill in the fridge. You could make these in about half an hour. Which at this time of year, sounds pretty good to me. 

You can swap the dried cherries (also labelled as sour cherries sometimes) for dried cranberries and you can use any type of chocolate you wish if you don’t have Caramilk - though I do highly recommend Caramilk for baking as it tastes so good and is considerably cheaper to buy than better quality caramelised white chocolates which I personally find can be a bit lost in baking (save those ones for snacking!). 

So if you have unexpected guests this festive season, or want to drop off homemade goodies if you are socially isolating still, these cookies will have your back and won’t eat up all your time!

Caramilk Dried Cherry and Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients:

120ml canola oil

225g caster sugar 

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 egg, beaten

290g self raising flour

120g Cadbury Caramilk, roughly chopped

120g dried cherries, roughly chopped

1-2 tbsp slivered or roughly chopped pistachios

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line three large baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, golden syrup, vanilla and egg.

Then add the flour and the chopped Caramilk and cherries, and mix to combine with a wooden spoon.

Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on the trays. The cookies will spread as they bake so leave enough room in between. 

Sprinkle the tops of each cookie with some of the pistachio, pressing it in gently so they don’t fall off. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate the trays in the oven about halfway through to ensure the cookies cook evenly.  

Allow to cool on their trays, then store in an airtight container (they will last 5-7 days). 

Makes about 30 cookies.