Italian Pear and Mascarpone cake

Tags

cake, fruit, gouter, mascarpone, Pears, teatime

This Italian pear cake is so elegant in its simplicity. Italian cakes, homemade-every-day-cakes were very rarely, if ever, frosted. But most of the times they are dusted with icing sugar or unsweetened cocoa. The addition of the corn starch makes the cake fluffy and airy, very Italian style.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups / 200g cups flour
• 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons / 50g cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup / 180g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup / 250g mascarpone
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 pears
• Icing sugar (to sprinkle/ decorate on cake)

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven 170°C / 340°F
• Lightly grease and flour a 9″ / 23 cm cake pan ( I used a spring-form pan)
• Peel the pears, 1 1/2 pears chop into chunks and the other pears thin slices, set aside
• Cream the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy
• Add the mascarpone and continue beating until smooth
• In another bowl, sift the flour, corn starch, salt, baking soda and baking powder together
• Stir in with a wooden spoon the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, stir gently to combine, then add the oil and stir to combine
• Fold in the pear chunks
• Pour into prepared cake pan
• Top with sliced pears and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar
• Bake approximately 45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean
• When cool sprinkle icing sugar on cake
• Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche

Enjoy!

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Courgette Cake with cream cheese icing

Tags

baby marrows, cake, courgette, cream cheese, frosting, icing, loaf, marrow, teatime, walnuts, zucchini

This is a wonderful, light anytime cake that’s not too sweet. Excellent way to use up all those giant courgettes from the garden!

It can be eaten plain or with a cream cheese lemon frosting, which bumps it up to the next level.

Ingredients:

• 200g (7 oz) grated courgette
• 150g (5 oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 125ml (4 fl oz) vegetable oil
• 200g (7 oz) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 8 walnuts, chopped roughly

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 160C / 325F
Grease a loaf tin
In a bowl, beat together the courgette, sugar, egg and oil
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder
Stir in the cinnamon, lemon zest and walnuts
Stir the flour mixture into the courgette mixture just until blended
Pour the batter into the prepared tin
Bake 45 minutes until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean
Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
Enjoy!

For a cream cheese frosting:
Mix together 1 packet Philadelphia cream cheese, 225g / 8oz, with 3 tablespoons mascarpone
Add the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon and/or zest
Blend well with 1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
Voila!

 

The lightest, fluffiest scones ever!

Tags

scones, teatime

These scones were a last minute decision. I was feeling peckish but did not know what to eat and I have been wanting to make scones for some time but always seemed to end up making something else instead. The crème fraîche really makes the scone incredibly light, way lighter than the ones I usually make with buttermilk, so you do not feel guilty when you reach for the third one and slather it with butter, jam and whipped cream:)

Make sure to use butter straight out of the fridge. I actually cut the cubes and put them back in for about 10 minutes. Maybe overkill but they did turn out really well so I will do that again next time. Do not over knead as this will cause the butter to melt and will result in heavy and dense scones. Apart from that, they are ready in no time and you can go from hungry to eating one in about 30 minutes – not bad. As they contain very little sugar, they are not too sweet and can work with savoury toppings too. We actually ate some later that evening with some fruit chutney and sharp, cheddar cheese – delicious!

Makes 12

Ingredients: 

500 g / 2 cups cake flour (self raising)
60 g / 4 tablespoons sugar
10 g / 2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
80 g / 5 1/2 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
250 g / 1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream 1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Milk & egg wash

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl
Add the butter
Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs
In another bowl, mix the cream, egg and vanilla
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and use a knife to mix until just combined
Transfer to a floured surface and knead gently 3 to 4 times
Roll the dough out to about 2 cm / 3/4″
Use a cookie cutter and cut out rounds
Place on a lined baking sheet
Brush each scone with the egg and milk mixture
Bake for 15 minutes
Serve with butter, cream and raspberry jam
Enjoy!