Home » 2012 » June

Pineapple Upside-down Cake (egg and dairy free)

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Requested for the latest birthday cake and duly made….

You will need -

250g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

1 large can of sliced pineapple in it’s own juice – it’s important when you drain the pineapple to keep the juice you will need it for the recipe.

100g golden caster sugar

2tbsp of dark brown sugar

2 ripe bananas

100ml rice bran oil

1tsp vanilla extract

 

Pre heat the oven to 170 C and prepare a cake tin – I just greased mine well.

In the base of your tin sprinkle the dark brown sugar then arrange the pineapple rings on top of it.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

In another bowl mash the bananas then whisk them together with the caster sugar, rice bran oil and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the flour along with about 100ml of the retained pineapple juice – and fold together (you may need a little more liquid, but I was okay with this amount).

Pour onto the pineapple rings and place in the center of the oven for 30-35 mins.

Let it sit in the tin for about 10mins then turn out.

Delicious warm or cold.

A greatly appreciated Birthday Cake – phew!

 

Cherry Cake tray bake (egg and dairy free)

1 comment
Cherries are the new favourite in our house so…….
You will need -
175g glace cherries
225g self raising flour
50g semolina
75g caster sugar
1 large ripe banana
pinch of salt
125ml rice bran oil
50ml water
1tsp vanilla extract
 

 

Preheat the oven to 180 C , grease and line a cake tin I used one 9″ square.

Sieve the flour into a bowl add the semolina, salt and cherries then mix gently together.

In a seperate bowl mash the banana –  to this add the caster sugar, vanilla, rice bran oil and whisk it all together -  add this mixture to the flour bowl then the water and fold the ingredients together.

Pour into the cake tin and bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 mins or until the top is a golden brown.

Place on a wire rack to cool – cut into slices and enjoy!

 

Elderflower Cordial

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A taste of summer.
You will need –

 

some sunshine!

around 30 elderflower heads

1.5 litres of boiling water

1kg sugar

150ml lemon juice

 

Pick your elderflowers on a sunny day and check for insects.

Place the flower heads in a bowl and cover with the boiling water – cover and leave over night to infuse.

In the morning strain the liquid into a large saucepan through a sterilised jelly bag or muslin (to sterilise put in some boiling water)

Prepare your bottles by sterilising them (I wash them with hot soapy water then put them in the oven on a low heat to dry)

Add the sugar and lemonjuice to the elderflower liquid and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved – bring to a simmer and keep it there for a few minutes.

Pour into your sterilised bottles and seal.

It will keep for about 4 months sealed but once open keep in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.

You can also freeze the cordial – it’s quite fun to freeze in ice cube bags to pop in cold drinks on a hot summers day!

Strawberry and Apple Jam

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It’s the season for strawberries again – there’s a lot of jam to be made! 

You will need -

2kg of strawberries

7 apples (peeled, cored and chopped)

1kg jam sugar

1kg granulated sugar

150ml lemon juice

150ml of water

 

Sterilise the jars you are going to use – I wash mine in very hot soapy water then put in an oven on a very low heat to dry.

Put a plate in the fridge to cool  - to use when testing for a set.

Prepare your strawberries by washing them then hulling and chopping them into

halves.

In a preserving pan put your chopped apples, water and lemon juice and heat gently until soft the mash to a pulp add 500g of the sugar and stir until it’s dissolved.

Add the strawberries and mash to a pulp (at this stage I blended mine – my son likes a smoother jam) add the rest of the sugar and dissolve it stirring all the time so it doesn’t stick to the base of the pan.

When it’s dissolved turn up the heat and let it boil rapidly for about 10 mins. To check for a set I use a thermometer but also double check by putting a little jam on my ready cooled plate –  leave it for a minute then if you push it with your finger it should crinkle.

Pour your jam into your warm jars and seal.

If your jam has a scum (bubbles) on top you could skim it off of stir it in before you pour into your jars. The scum that came off this jam was delicious – a bit like a mousse!

Honey and Banana Cake (egg and dairy free)

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If you love honey then this is the cake for you!

a slice of honey and banana cake (egg and dairy free)

You will need -

200g white self raising flour

100g wholemeal self raising flour

75g dark muscovado sugar

2 large ripe bananas

175ml rice bran oil (or alternative, see above)

150g runny honey plus a little for drizzling on top

 

Preheat the oven to 160 C and grease and line a cake tin – I used a 9″ square one.

In a saucepan put the oil, sugar and honey – heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then let cool for a few minutes.

Sieve the flour into a bowl.

Mash the bananas.

Add the bananas, oil, sugar and honey to the flour and mix until all the ingredients are combined.

Pour into the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 30- 35 mins – until a skewer comes out clean and it’s quite a deep golden brown colour.

Put it onto a wire rack to cool then drizzle a little more honey on top to glaze  (about 2tbsps).

It will cut into slices better when it’s totally cool.