Chocolate Cake with Salted Buttercream Icing

So, I think it's safe to say this doesn't come close to being classed as clean and lean. But look at it! It's a strong-crumbed chocolate cake, not too sweet, that allows the sweet and salty caramel icing to come through. You really don't want to make a sweet chocolate cake as it would be too much with the icing.

I made this to take along to a Clandestine Cake Club meet-up. It's the first one I've been to but it was great fun and I got the chance to meet some lovely people and eat some great cake. I had originally planned to take this along to a Cheap & Cheerful event (cakes under £5) but got my dates mixed up and missed it! Fortunately another nearby group was hosting a Valentines themed day and allowed me to come along. Hence why I have some very hastily made chocolate heart decorations going on!

Before you get going on this recipe bear in mind that you're going to need to make a caramel and therefore dedicate a fair whack of time to this cake, it's a labour of love but well worth it. Just try not to think of all the butter in it as you're serving yourself a slice...

Salted Caramel Icing

Ingredients:

• 100g granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 120ml double cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 230g unsalted butter, softened
• 230g salted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, crushed (I used Maldon salt)
• 600g icing sugar

1. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and stir until the sugar has all dissolved. As soon as it's dissolved stop stirring!
   
2. Bring to medium-high heat and watch it boil. Don't walk away, instead keep a keen eye and wait for it to turn a deep amber colour. 
3. As soon as it hits the right colour remove it from the heat and begin to pour in the double cream. Add it gradually, stirring all the time and then add the vanilla. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, I used my kitchenaid with a beater paddle, begin to beat the butter and icing sugar together until you have a light and fluffy buttercream. 
   
5. Once cool at the caramel slowly and add the salt. Beat for a further 2 minutes or so until all combined. 

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 350g granulated sugar
• 170g unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 240g plain flour
• 60g cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 350ml milk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Beat the sugar and butter together for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy
2. In a separate bowl sieve the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder together
3. Once light and fluffy add the eggs to the butter mix, one at a time, ensuring it is mixed thoroughly between each one
4. Add half of the flour mix, then half of the milk, add the remaining flour and then the remaining milk. Beat slowly until well combined. 
   
5. Finally add the vanilla, split the mix between three 8" pans. 
6. Cook at 160c for around 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when pushed into the middle of the cake.
7. Once cooked, leave to cool before levelling the cakes off.

Once the cakes are cold it's time to assemble the cake! This can be done to your preference but I preferred to do a thin crumb coat before popping it in the fridge and covering it in another layer of butter cream. 

Read More

Sunday Seeded Bread

Every Sunday, without fail, I bake a loaf of seeded bread. Sometimes I bake two. It all depends on whether we can resist wolfing down the freshly baked loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Our favourite loaf of bread, without doubt, is made with Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Wholegrain Seeded Flour. Although it's slightly pricier than your average bread flour (£1.10 bag makes 2 loaves) it's much more filling and satisfying to eat as it contains sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and linseeds.

This is a really basic recipe but it makes for such a tasty loaf and it never fails to impress me that a handful of such simple ingredients can create such a wonderful smell throughout the entire house. Bread making is certainly a type of magic in my eyes!

Ingredients:
500g seeded flour
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
25g butter
300ml tepid water
Small amount of olive oil for greasing bowl

1. Put the flour, yeast, salt and butter into a bowl. Ensure that the yeast and salt are at opposite ends of the bowl. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the mixture until it is all rubbed in.

2. Place your bowl on the KitchenAid fitted with a dough hook. Turn it onto a low speed and slowly add the water. Continue until the bowl is clean of flour and you have a rough looking dough.

OR

Slowly add the water and begin to bring the dough together with your hands. Continue to add the water until the sides of the bowl are clean and you have a rough dough.

3. Turn the speed up to medium for about 7 minutes. Keep an eye on it though as the dough will 'creep' up the sides of the bowl and not be kneaded by the dough hook - just stop for a second and push it back down. After 7 minutes check that you have a soft and elastic dough.

OR

Turn out your dough onto a clean surface that you have lightly covered in olive oil, this prevents you adding more flour to the mix and drying out the dough. Knead for around 10 minutes until you have a soft and elastic dough. 

4. Form into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel or a piece of cling film that you have oiled. Leave it to prove somewhere warm for at least an hour, until it has doubled in size.

5. Tip your dough out and knock the air out of it by pushing down. Knead for about 30 seconds and then form a rough oblong and place it in a loaf tin.

6. Again, cover and leave to rise for approximately 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat your oven up to 220c.

 7. Finally place your beautiful loaf of bread in the oven for 30 minutes. You want a nice deep coloured crust on your loaf. Remove from the oven and tip it out of its tin. Tap the bottom of the loaf, you want to hear a hollow sound, to check that the loaf is cooked. Leave to cool for as long as you can resist!

Read More