Saturday 31 December 2022

Vegan Mince Pie Banana Bread

Transform your banana bread with a festive twist and the flavours of mince pies!

Chocolate Gingerbread Tart

This tart has a gingerbread pastry crust and a silky chocolate ginger filling perfect for a Christmas Dessert!

Vegan Terry's Chocolate Orange Brownies

Vegan Terry's Chocolate Orange bar makes a feature in these fudgy brownies!

Gingerbread Blondies

Festive blondies stuffed with white chocolate chips and topped with gingerbread men!

As I write this I have The Santa Clause playing in the background - which if you haven't seen, nor heard of you, are really missing out. I always watch this film at the beginning of December, it makes the true start of Christmas for me. Not only is Tim Allen possibly the best Santa, the North Pole, the elves, everything feels so delicately magical and it's a must to watch every year. Even more the perfect time to talk about these delicious blondies. Gingerbread is of course the essence of Christmas, the ginger spice, the gingerbread man, it is one of my favourite festive bakes. Paired with white chocolate for extra sweetness, this is the perfect traybake to share around Christmas time. It may even make a quick and easy Christmas Day dessert if you want something low key - I can guarantee they taste wonderful with vanilla ice cream, maybe even thick custard! I am so pleased with this recipe, all I wanted was a fudy blondie that isn't white chocolate base (like my white chocolate raspberry blondies) I wanted something different, and these did not disappoint.

I wouldn't recommend any swaps for this recipe. It works perfect as it is, the ginger is what gives it its depth and the white chocolate chips add to that fudginess which is necessary for the right texture. Though I might suggest if you have more time, you could make your own gingerbread men. As long as they are the right size, making fresh gingerbread dough would elevate this recipe and I have an easy recipe for you to follow here - I didn't make my own this time but I know it would have lots more ginger flavour. But you could use any gingerbread men you find as long as they are small to fit on top :)

If you love gingerbread men and blondies....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Serves: 12

Notes:

Try not to overtake these blondies as it can make them really cake and lose their fudgy texture. Unless you want cakey blondies.
Swap the white chocolate for milk or dark chocolate chips for different flavours.
You can always chop the mini gingerbread men up and stir through the batter for more crunch.

Ingredients

210g plain flour
100g light brown sugar
90g dark brown sugar
150g butter, melted
150g white chocolate chips
1 egg
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
2tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2g salt
12 mini gingerbread men

Method

Preheat the oven to 160℃ and grease and line an 8x8 inch baking tray.
Mix together the flaxseed and water and leave for 5 minutes to make a 'flaxegg'.
In a large bowl beat together the melted butter and sugars until smooth.
Add the egg and beat until combined.
Mix in the flour, cornflour, spices and baking powder until a thick mixture is made.
Fold in the white chocolate chips then spoon into the lined baking tray and spread evenly.
Top the mixture with the mini gingerbread men.
Bake for 25 minutes until there is a slight wobble in the middle and the top is golden brown.
Leave to cool in the tin completely - ideally set in the fridge for about an hour to achieve an even better texture.
Cut into slices and serve.
Best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Christina

Pumpkin Spiced Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

A spiced pumpkin sheet cake with a vanilla cream cheese icing perfect for sharing!

This was the only pumpkin I got to make this year and whilst I'm sad I didn't get to make more, this cake was crowd-pleaser so I know you will just love this recipe. as much as I love a layered cake, when you don't have as much time about being precious with the looks of a dessert, a sheet cake is much easier; a simple cake, then spread on some icing and you're good to go. If you're looking for a prettier cake, be sure to check out my pumpkin spiced layer cake for more of an occasion. The pumpkin makes this cake so moist and the spices marry perfectly with the tangy icing. Hopefully next year I can create more pumpkin recipes for you, but for now enjoy this cake :)

If you love pumpkin and cakes....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 25 minutes

Serves: 12-16

Notes

If you have leftover icing you can copy the pumpkins I did by colouring some orange and some brown then pipe with a small star tip and a small round tip for the stem. I followed an image on google!
most rectangle baking trays are measured 9x13 inches but mine was a little smaller. You can use your tray but the cake might be slightly thinner.
I suggest making your own pumpkin purée if you are not able to find a can. There are lots of easy recipes online just make sure your puree is well drained as you do not want the excess water.
Make this cake vegan by using dairy free butter and cream cheese.

Ingredients

Cake

300g self-raising flour
160g light brown sugar
100g demerara sugar
4g bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
2g salt
300g pumpkin purée
175g butter, melted
120ml soya milk + 10ml apple cider vinegar

Icing

165g cream cheese
140g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
500g icing sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 170℃ and grease and line a rectangle baking tray - mine measured 8 x 11 inches
In a jug mix together the soya milk and apple cider vinegar and leave for 5 minutes to create a 'buttermilk'.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugars and butter then whisk in the pumpkin purée and the 'buttermilk'.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.
Gently stir in the dry ingredients into the wet and then spoon the batter into the prepared baking tray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack before spreading on the icing as it will melt.
Make the icing. In a standing mixer or with an electric whisk, beat the butter until smooth. Then mix in the cream cheese and vanilla until combined.
Gradually add in the icing sugar to the desired sweetness. I like to refrigerate my icing for an hour so it thickens a little.
Spread the icing on the cake then serve. Best stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Christina

Salted Caramel Loaf Cake

Homemade salted caramel to use in a delicious loaf cake topped with buttercream!

I often found myself putting off the idea of a salted caramel loaf cake with salted caramel buttercream because there's a lot of people I know who would consider it too sickly. They're probably partially right, caramel is quite sickly because of how sweet it is and when you consider the double whammy of a caramel cake AND buttercream perhaps they have a point. But then I think 'to heck with that!', if I want a salted caramel loaf cake then I shall make one! So a long-story short, I made one and it was incredible and I gave a lot of it to my friend who is caramel-obsessed - my favourite kind of person. I needed to make sure this cake was perfectly moist, you do not want a dry caramel cake. And I believe I mastered it. Plus stirring through the caramel into the buttercream to make it even more silky smooth is the cherry on top. I did contemplate topping the cake with some popcorn or fudge like I have seen others do, but I really just wanted the caramel to be the hero of this recipe.

If you love loaf cakes and salted caramel....

Check out my other recipes for more inspiration!

Recipe

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: 50 minutes

Serves: 8-10

Notes

I highly recommend making the salted caramel yourself if you feel confident enough. It's very rewarding when it goes right and it will taste even better fresh.
If you do not have time or can't make the caramel, any store bought will do.
The salted caramel needs to be cooled before you can use it in the buttercream otherwise it could split.

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce

240ml double cream
225g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tsp water
1 tsp flaked sea salt

Cake

300ml soya milk + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
75ml vegetable oil
300g self-raising flour
200g light brown sugar
50g demerara sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp salted caramel sauce
Pinch of salt

Buttercream

125g butter
250g icing sugar
1-2 tbsp salted caramel sauce + more on top

Method

Make the salted caramel first to allow it to cool. Pour the water into a saucepan and then pour the caster sugar on top.
Place on the hob on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes - without stirring!
The sugar needs to dissolve into the water but cannot be stirred as it can make the sugar crystallise. To help the sugar dissolve you can swirl the saucepan but very gently.
The water will start to evaporate and the sugar will start to brown with tiny bubbles on the surface.
When it gets to a deep amber colour you can remove the saucepan from the heat.
Gradually and carefully pour the cream into the saucepan whilst constantly stirring. It will steam and bubble up but eventually will stop.
Sprinkle in the sea salt and stir well.
Ideally pour the salted caramel into a sterilised jar to help it cool down before you use and leave at room temperature.
Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 170℃ and grease and line a loaf cake tin.
Mix together the soya milk and apple cider vinegar to create a 'buttermilk'.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and vegetable oil.
Stir in the 'buttermilk' and the salted caramel sauce. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt then stir this into the wet ingredients ensuring there aren't any lumps.
Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 50 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly you can place some foil over the cake for the last 10 minutes.
Once baked, leave to cool completely in the tin.
Make the buttercream. Beat the butter with an electric handheld whisk or in a standing mixer until pale and fluffy and spreadable.
Gradually beat in the icing sugar, making sure to scrape in and around the bowl so that the sugar is mixed throughly into the butter.
Add the caramel and mix.
Once the cake is cool, pipe or spread the buttercream on top then drizzle with more of the salted caramel sauce.
Place in the fridge to set the buttercream, about 30 minutes or serve straight away. Best stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge up to 5 days. Enjoy!