Birthday Cake Cookies

After buying the Birthday Cake cookies from Butterboy last year (read more about that here) I have been thinking about how I could recreate them. 

‘Birthday Cake’ is a strange name for a flavour to me as it gives no real indication of what it actually is. I know ‘Birthday Cake’ may mean something to those who’ve grown up in the US, as I think Birthday Cake is considered a type of cake/flavour there. Like a few other flavours that seem to have originated in the US - Red Velvet and Snickerdoodle come to mind - the name of the flavour or type of cake or cookie, doesn’t give me much idea what to expect when I might actually eat one of these things. 

I still remember over ten years ago, being in the US and trying to work out what exactly a Red Velvet cupcake was. Like what does red velvet actually mean? What flavours should I expect to taste when I bite into one? Everyone we asked gave us some iteration of the answer ‘Well you know, it’s just red velvet?!’. To two Australian’s who had never tasted anything red velvet, that was completely no help, as no, we didn’t just know! It wasn’t till we met up with a fellow Aussie that she said she’d seen her flatmate make red velvet cupcakes and she was sure they had chocolate in them. Once we finally tried a red velvet cupcake, we instantly knew it was chocolatey, and I guess heaped with food colouring to make it red! Finally an answer to our question. 

As for ‘Birthday Cake’ flavoured things, sprinkles seem to be a must. And maybe some element that makes the baked good taste like cake, when it’s not actually a cake. I’m not sure if ‘Birthday Cake’ and funfetti cakes are one and the same, or slightly different in some way, maybe it doesn’t really matter. In the end if you add sprinkles to something it’s instantly more fun and birthday-like even if there’s no birthday to celebrate.

For these cookies I have followed closely my inspiration from Butterboy and added malt to the dough. I think this is the ‘cake’ flavour element and it works well. I’ve also used Caramilk baking chips as not only do Butterboy use caramelised white chocolate in their cookie, but Caramilk makes every cookie excellent. You can also use regular white chocolate chips or white or caramelised white chocolate that is roughly chopped. 

Birthday Cake Cookie from Butterboy

Birthday Cake Cookie Cake from Butterboy

Birthday Cake Cookies a.k.a Cookies with Sprinkles, Caramilk and Malt

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter

200g caster sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

290g self raising flour

2 tbsp malt powder

3.5 tbsp large sprinkles (aka. Jimmies) 

120g Caramilk choc chips or roughly chopped caramelised white chocolate

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and three large baking trays with baking paper. 

Melt the butter over low/medium heat, then allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla and egg.

Then add the flour, malt powder, sprinkles and the Caramilk choc chips, and mix to combine with a wooden spoon.

Place bowl in the fridge to allow the dough to firm up a bit (at least 15 mins).

Roll medium sized balls of the dough (about a generously heaped tablespoon of dough per cookie) and place well spaced out onto the prepared trays.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown, rotate the trays in the oven about halfway to help the cookies bake and brown evenly. 

Allow to cool on their trays or on a wire rack.

Makes about 16 cookies.

Cookbooks Worth Waiting for in 2022

This time of year always makes me think, ‘I can’t wait till we get to March’. Not only as I hate Summer, and I have hopes that it might cool down in March, but it’s that month that we always see new cookbook releases flooding on to the shelves. 

March seems to be a popular time of year to release a new cookbook - something about it’s proximity to the lead up to Mother’s Day maybe? - but whatever the reason, I really enjoy having something to look forward to. And as you can see by my list below, most of the titles I think are worth waiting for this year come out in March.

All of these titles are by authors whose previous books I have very much enjoyed, so I highly recommend their previous works as well. 

I have linked each book to the listing on Booktopia. This is not sponsored or an affiliate link, that is just where I mostly buy cookbooks from. Links to Booktopia removed 15/07/2024.

Let me know in the comments below what cookbooks you are looking forward to this year.

1. Cinnamon and Salt: Cicchetti in Venice by Emiko Davies (30th March) - I love Emiko’s books. They are filled with stories as well as recipes, that transport you to another place, and sometimes to another time. I also really enjoy Emiko’s photography and the design of her books as well. And I suspect this next book will be no different. 

2. Around the Kitchen Table by Sophie Hansen and Annie Herron (29th March) - Sophie’s cookbooks are favourites of mine, with her recipes always being the kinds of things I really want to eat. And that combined with the calm reassurance of her Mum Annie’s guidance to all things drawing and creativity sounds like perfection. 

3. A Good Day to Bake by Benjamina Ebuehi (2nd March) - Benjamina’s first book, A New Way to Cake, is a favourite of mine for interesting and flavourful cakes. I really enjoy Benjamina’s use of flavour in her first book, and the fact that it wasn’t a baking book that resembled so many others. I am really looking forward to this new book and some new recipes from Benjamina. 

4. The Year of Miracles by Ella Risbridger (31st May) - I think we all loved Ella’s first book, Midnight Chicken. So naturally I want to see what Ella’s next book contains. Unlike many cookbooks, photography doesn’t play a part in Ella’s books, but her writing will be what transports you to her kitchen and give you a comforting and real look at how food and cooking has supported her in life’s hardest moments. 

5. Nistisima by Georgina Hayden (29th March) - Although this book is full of vegan recipes, which is not my usual go to, I trust that this book will be the exception to my general distain for all vegan cookbooks. Georgina has collated and researched vegan recipes from parts of the world where fasting from animal products for periods of time is part of the religious year. This to me makes the book so much more interesting, and I am really looking forward to seeing what types of recipes Georgina has in store for us. 

The Best Cookbooks of 2021

2021. Probably a year many of us would like to forget, and a year that we thought would go differently than it did.

Despite everything that year threw at us, there were still new cookbook releases. And so many good ones at that. These are my top picks for the best cookbooks of 2021, though there are more that I really enjoyed. 

The titles I’ve listed below are ones that I feel bring something more to the table, whether it be the quality of the recipes, photography, stories, themes or the fact that they brought something to my cookbook collection I didn’t know I needed. 

What would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.

Together by Jamie Oliver - I am really enjoying this new book from Jamie Oliver. I like that it doesn’t have a restrictive theme like some of his previous books, these recipes feel a bit like old school Jamie in a comforting way. The premise of this book is bringing people together, after being isolated for so long. Whilst bringing people together may still not be possible for many of us, the recipes look achievable and tasty and well worth trying even if you aren’t able to share it with many.

In Good Company by Sophie Hansen - I love Sophie’s books, and this one is no exception. The combination of Sophie’s recipes and photography is an utter joy. And while similar to Jamie Oliver’s book, the theme revolves getting people together which may feel a bit premature to some (I suppose we all hoped the pandemic would be firmly in the past by now), this book should be on your bookshelf and in your kitchen. The garlic, honey, rosemary roasted chicken pieces (p.76) has become a firm favourite in our house, and I have made the rhubarb and vanilla jam (p.157) about four times!

Home by Stephanie Alexander - This book really does what the title says, it feels homely and comforting. I really like Stephanie’s writing in this book, and the book is a mix of recipes with shorter and extended written pieces. I am rather ashamed to say this is the first book I own from Stephanie Alexander (please don’t judge me!), I know so many who consider her book The Cook’s Companion a staple in their kitchen. However, if you are now beyond the basics, I think Home is an excellent place to begin your Stephanie Alexander collection.

Middle Eastern Sweets by Salma Hage - I bought this book after someone recommended it to me. It was on my wish list, and it seemed all I needed was a small nudge to purchase! I love the flavours that are traditionally used in Middle Eastern sweets, such as rose, pistachio, dates etc, so I knew I would like this book. The recipes by Salma have been influenced by her family and upbringing in Lebanon, but also from the wider Middle East outside of Lebanon via Salma’s travels and food experiences over the years. There are so many things I want to try from this book, starting with the first recipe in the book for Barazek (Syrian Sesame and Pistachio Biscuits) on page 14. 

Advent by Anja Dunk - This book is filled with mostly sweet recipes that are enjoyed during the Christmas period in Germany. It’s interesting how different nations and cultures celebrate the festive season, and I am thoroughly enjoying learning more about how it’s done in Germany. I really like the design of the book, and the linocut prints that separate the chapters also created by Anja. There are now quite a few recipes I will need to add to my list for Christmas 2022, though I may not be able to wait that long!

Istria by Paola Bacchia - This book fascinated me as soon as I came across the preorder listing online. The area of Istria that, with the changeable land borders over history, has encapsulated parts of Italy, Solvenia, Austria and Croatia. Istria was an area I had not heard of and instantly wanted to know more about. This book is based on the recipes and stories of Paola’s father who was Istrian, and it’s filled with family history and thoughtful memories. The recipes have an Italian vibe, but with distinct influences from Austria, Solvenia and Croatia making the Istrian cuisine quite unique. 

Raspberry and Vanilla Snacking Cake

This cake came about because I bought 12 punnets of raspberries for $12 and then had a freezer full of raspberries. Not a bad problem to have, but amongst all the bread we also had in the freezer it felt like something needed to be used up! 

I liked the idea of just adding some of the raspberries to a nice plain vanilla cake and being able to snack on it whenever it felt necessary. This cake is fairly decent in size so you could definitely snack on it with a few other people as well.

The cake could have a few more raspberries in it than I have suggested in the recipe, maybe 200g or 2 cups if you would like it more filled with fruit. 

The cake could be iced with a simple glaze icing if you like, but I liked the simplicity and ease of a dusting of icing sugar. Plus I love the crisp top and sides of a plain cake like this one on the first day it is baked, which will get a bit lost if there is icing. It also means you don’t have to wait for the cake to be completely cool to eat it if you aren’t waiting to ice it - a win win in my books!

Raspberry and Vanilla Snacking Cake

Ingredients:

225g unsalted butter, softened

340g caster sugar  

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

375g self raising flour 

220ml milk 

150g (1.5 cups) frozen raspberries

1-2 tsp icing sugar, for dusting

Method: 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line a 23cm square cake tin with baking paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, sugar and vanillas until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. 

Then add half the flour mix to combine. Add the milk and mix (you might want to cover your mixer with a tea towel for the first few seconds while the milk begins to incorporate). Then add the remaining flour and gently mix on low speed until it is incorporated and there are no lumps.

Pour half the batter into the prepared cake tin, then top with half the raspberries and push them into the batter a little. Then cover with the remaining batter and top with the remaining raspberries (no need to push the raspberries into the batter, the batter will swallow them up as it cooks and rises).

Bake for about 1 hour or until the cake is nicely golden and a skewer comes out clean. 

Allow to cool in it’s tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool further. 

Once the cake has cooled down a bit, but is still a little warm dust over the icing sugar and serve (with nice cream if you have it). 

Serves 12 (at least), store in an airtight container, will keep for a few days. 

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Crema di Pistacchio Cake

I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe on the blog since it is quite similar to a few other pistachio cakes already on here. But when I shared this cake on my Instagram stories on the weekend, a few people asked for the recipe/expressed interest in making it so I thought it would be easiest to put it all here.

Both the cake and the icing are based on recipes that are already on my blog. The cake is based on this recipe (which in turn is based on one by Skye McApline which is referenced below). The only real change to the recipe is using the crema di pistacchio spread in place of the pistachio butter and melted white chocolate.

The icing is loosely based on this one I made last Easter with Biscoff spread, and I can highly recommend it as the pistachio flavour comes through really well in the buttercream.

The flavour in the cake is more subtle compared to using homemade or bought pure pistachio butter, as is the colour. If you don’t have a lot of crema di pistacchio, or can’t find it at all, I would recommend using the original recipe. Crema di pistacchio is still difficult to buy here in Australia, plus it can be quite a pricey thing to buy, so if you only have a small jar of it I wouldn’t recommend using the whole thing in a cake.

I have tried three brands of crema di pistacchio (or crema al pistacchio), and all have been very tasty. The colours vary a little, and sometimes the percentage of pistachio as well (I compare this based on whether pistachio is the first ingredient on the ingredients list).

I have pictured below the ones I have bought before, plus the original picture from Skye McAlpine’s Instagram stories back in late 2019 that initially set off my search for a jar of my own. That along with her original recipe for this type of cake, have set me on a real pistachio adventure the last couple of years - it has been tasty and expensive and I’ve loved every minute of it (despite the expensive part!).

I recently found where I could buy crema di pistacchio online here in Australia via La Dispensa. Which has been great since the importation of goods from overseas has been inconsistent and sometimes non-existent since the pandemic began, and the shops I know that usually stock it haven’t always had any as a result.

I was excited to find that La Dispensa sold 1kg tubs of crema di pistacchio which probably made my year to be honest. I got one, and decided that armed with so much crema di pistacchio I could use some to make this cake and try out a pistachio buttercream. Usually to make this cake, it would use a whole jar of the spread which makes it quite an expensive cake. I also didn’t think it was worth using a jar on just one thing since the flavour was subtle once baked, and there is so much joy in eating this spread on toast, crumpets etc etc.

The amount of the spread needed for the icing is much less, so you can always combine the original version of the cake with the pistachio buttercream and you will still have a very delicious cake.

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Crema di Pistacchio Cake

Ingredients: 

200g unsalted butter, softened

200g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

180g crema di pistacchio

3 eggs

120ml buttermilk / 120g yoghurt

200g self raising flour

Ingredients for the Buttercream: 

150g unsalted butter, at room temp

190g icing mixture/icing sugar* 

80g crema di pistacchio

Method: 

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a 20cm round cake tin (I find using a springform one is easiest). 

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add the crema di pistacchio and mix until combined. 

Add in the eggs one at a time, then add half the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Then add the buttermilk/yoghurt and mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until combined and the batter is smooth.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake for 50 minutes. Then cover the cake with foil (the cake will be quite browned by now) and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through. A skewer will come out clean when the cake is cooked through. 

Allow the cake to cool in its tin for a few minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to cool further.

To make the icing, beat the butter using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes, or until it is pale and creamy. Add in the icing sugar, and beat for another 1-2 minutes or until the icing is fluffy. 

Add the crema di pistacchio and mix until combined.

Spread the buttercream over the top of the cake and enjoy!

Serves 10.  

*I always use the CSR Soft Icing Mixture (the one in the pink packet) as it won’t need sifting before it is used. If you are using pure icing sugar it will need to be sifted first. 

Recipe note 15/07/2024 - you can also bake this cake in a square cake tin (20-23cm) and it will not need as long in the oven. It should take 40-50 minutes and you won’t need to cook for the further 20-25 mins with the cake covered in foil.

Reference: ‘A Table for Friends’ by Skye McAlpine (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020) p.232.

An Aussie Pav for Christmas

I have posted a handful of Pavlova recipes on my blog over the years. I love a Pavlova, it was my favourite dessert that my Grandma would make and it has been quite a permanent feature in my life.

Christmas in Australia is an excellent time for a Pavlova (or ‘Pav’ as we Aussies like to shorten it to!). The pavlova itself can be made in advance, and it is a nice light dessert after a filling Christmas lunch or dinner.

This recipe for pav is the more traditional Australian take on the dessert, compared to the previous recipes I’ve shared. It is based on my Grandma’s recipe which is always the recipe I turn to when I want to make a pav. I shared her original recipe here a few years ago. That one makes a slightly smaller pav and doesn’t have any toppings as that’s how I liked to eat it as a child. Times have very clearly changed since then!

Topped with cream, berries and cherries its delicious and makes the most if the excellent in season fruit we have here at this time of year. You could also top your pav with mix other types of fruit, like mango, kiwi fruit, strawberries, stone fruit etc. It’s really up to you and what you most like to eat.

I haven’t given quantities for the fruit as you can put as little or as much as you like, just go with what looks good. I tend to put a whole punnet of blueberries and raspberries and add in a few cherries, maybe some cut up strawberries and a few edible flowers if I can get any.

If you have any leftovers you can cover the pav and store in the fridge for about 2 days.

An Aussie Pav for Christmas

Ingredients:

6 egg whites

375g caster sugar

1.5 tsp white vinegar

1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

30g cornflour

For the Topping:

300ml pouring cream

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

mixture of berries, such as blueberries and raspberries

handful of cherries

edible flowers, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Trace a circle on to the baking paper, using a plate or cake stand that is about 26-28cm in diameter (you can use whatever plate you will serve it on later).

Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat using the whisk attachment for 5-6 minutes. Gradually add the sugar during this time, a tablespoon or so at a time.

Add the vinegar and vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is glossy and holding its peak.

Sift the cornflour over the mixture and gently fold into the meringue using a spatula until just combined.

Using your finger, place a tiny amount of the meringue mixture under two corners of the baking paper on the prepared tray. This will keep your baking paper in place whilst you shape the pavlova.

Place the meringue onto the prepared tray, keeping within the traced circle. Spread it out using a spatula, keeping the sides of the pavlova high and the middle a little lower (so it can hold the cream and fruit later!). I like to leave a little gap between my pav and the traced circle, rather than pushing the meringue right to the edges. The pav will expand a bit as it cooks, and if you’ve traced around the serving plate you will use later on, this way the pav will still fit on the plate rather than expanding past the traced circle, and therefore becoming bigger than your serving plate or cake stand!

Turn the oven down to 125 degrees Celsius and cook the pav undisturbed (don’t open the oven!), for 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, turn the oven off and leave the pav to cool completely in the oven (leaving it overnight to cool is best if you can).

Just before you are reading to serve your pav, whip the cream and the vanilla until the cream has thickened and forms soft peaks.

Spread the cream over centre of the pav, and decorate with the berries (or your fruit of choice), and some edible flowers if you wish.

Serves at least 10 (depends on how generous your slices are!).