Unusual cherry and chocolate cake

I love to try all things new. Once I was talking to my friend and she called me "Culinary Casanova". That's because just like the famous (or shall I say infamous) Italian I am jumping from one dish to another, having a bite, savour it and then moving on to a new one. Well, at least I do not leave broken hearts behind me. Well, maybe broken plates, but that's it. :-)

This recipe comes from Ukraine. There it is called "Plyatsok", which means "half-cake". That's because the layers are made not from the cake batter, but from the dough which you would use to make cookies. Actually, the texture of a cake does remind you of very soft cookies. However, the layers are softened even further with creme-fraiche filling, so when you eat the cake it literally melts in your mouth. And of course chocolate and cherry is a classic.

I was intrigued when I saw this "half-cake" on the photograph and I immediately wanted to taste it. The result did not disappoint. I loved the taste and the texture. Needless to say, it looks stunning and can be a perfect show-stopper on your dinner table. Definitely give it a go, guys!

Unusual cherry and chocolate cake 

Recipe

For pastry:
1.5 Tbsp of cocoa-powder
15 fresh or canned cherries (stones removed)
2.5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1/8 tsp of salt
200 g of butter or margarine (I used margarine)
3 large eggs (or 4 small)
150 g of sugar
Milk chocolate for sprinkling on top

For cream:
250 g of creme-fraiche
250 g of cream-cheese
100 g of sugar

For pastry: mix flour with baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then fold in flour mixture. The consistency of dough will be similar to that of soft cookies. Divide the dough into 3/4 and 1/4.

Line a 23x33 cm tin with baking parchment and put 3/4 of the dough into the tin. Spread evenly, so that the dough is approximately 1 cm thick. Good tip: do it with wet hands. This way the dough does not stick to your fingers.

Bake in a pre-heated to 180C oven for about 25 minutes or till light golden in colour. Do not overbake, as the pastry will turn dry! It should stay soft(ish). Transfer to a wire rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely. Then using a serrated knife carefully cut the pastry into two rectangles: each 23x16.5 cm.

Add 1.5 Tbsp of cocoa powder to the remaining 1/4 of the dough. Divide it into 15 equal pieces. Fold a cherry into each piece and form a small ball. Put the balls onto a baking tray lined with parchment and bake at 180C for 20-25 min. Cool on a wire rack.

For cream: mix all ingredients together and beat using a blender.

To assemble: if you have adjustable walls in your cake tin, then simply adjust the size to 23x16.5 cm. My tin is unfortunately not adjustable, so to make sure the cream is not leaking out and the cake stays in place I created a construction using an orange juice carton, like that:

Line the part of the tin which will be used for cake assembly with cling film. Place the first half of the cake on cling film. Spread approximately 1/4 of the cream. Arrange cherry cookies on top. Pour another 2/4 of the cream on top of the cookies. (Reserve remaining 1/4 of cream for the next day - keep it in the fridge).

Place the second half of the cake on top of the cookies. Cover with cling film and put something mildly heavy on top, like a wooden chopping board or perhaps another carton of orange juice. Put in the fridge for 8 hours (or better overnight). Do not skip this stage as the texture of the final product depends upon it. Overnight the cream will soak through the layers and will make the cake soft.

Next day remove the cake from the fridge and spread the remaining 1/4 of the cream on top. Put in the fridge again for another couple hours.

Transfer on a serving plate or board. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings before serving.

Enjoy!

Hungarian beigli - poppy seed and nut rolls

Just last month I published a recipe of an unusual bun called Chimney cake. I learnt how to make it when I traveled to Hungary. And here's another recipe which I picked up during my travels to that country. Traditionally Hungarians would cook Beigli only for Christmas, but nowadays Hungarian bakeries offer them all year round. And thank goodness for that, otherwise I'd miss out on such an amazing treat! They are packed with flavours and taste amazing!

The rolls do somewhat resemble an English Yule log and I would imagine they would be ancient ancestors to the rolls which we all enjoy at Christmas now. But these poppy seed and nut rolls are definitely different in many ways. To start with they are made with yeast dough. And the filling is a rich combination of nuts, seeds, jam and raisins. Maybe this year you will decide make them for your Christmas table instead of a Yule log? Believe me, you and your guests will not be disappointed!

Hungarian beigli - poppy seed and nut rolls

Recipe (makes two rolls):

For the dough :
500 g of flour
230 g of margarine
25 g of fresh yeast (or 7 g of dry yeast)
150 ml of milk
1 Tbsp of sugar
2 eggs (plus 1 egg for egg wash)
a pinch of salt

For poppy seed filling:
150 g of poppy seeds
100 ml of water
75 g of sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon (it's a little bit more than 3 Tbsp)
50 g of any jam (I used apricot)
50 g of raisins (or sultanas)
1-2 Tbsp of rum or cognac for soaking raisins

For nut filling:
150 g of roasted nuts (traditionally the rolls are made with walnuts, but I used peanuts)
75 g of sugar
50 ml of milk
zest of 1/2 lemon
50 g of any jam (I used apricot)
50 g of raisins (or sultanas)
1-2 Tbsp of rum or cognac for soaking raisins

You will have to make the dough the night before, as it is so enriched with fat that it takes long time to rise.

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Mix flour with salt and sugar. Rub margarine into the flour till the mixture resembles crumbs (just as it would when you make crumble or streusel). Pour in the yeast mixture, add eggs and knead the dough for about 10 minutes till it becomes elastic. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover with cling film and put in a cool place (about 15-16C). In winter I just put in a closet where we do not switch on the heating. In summer you can place the bowl in a bucket of cold water. I have not tried to put the dough in the fridge, so I do not know what kind of result you will get.

Also the night before you will need to soak your raisins in rum or cognac. I used rum.

Next morning first finish preparing your filling. Whiz nuts  in a food processor till they resemble bread crumbs. Remove them from the processor. Now whiz your soaked raisins till they resemble paste.

For the poppy seed filling: mix poppy seeds with water and boil in a saucepan till all water evaporates (about 5-10 minutes). Cool to room temperature, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together.

For the nut filling: mix all the ingredients together.

Both fillings should be quite thick, but still of a spreadable consistency. If the filling is too thick add a tiny bit of water.

Now take your dough (you will see that it has risen) and divide it into 2 equal parts.Shape the first part as a rectangle and roll it with a rolling pin to about 5 mm thick. The length of the roll will depend upon how large your baking tray is. Mine is 35 cm long. So one side of my rectangle is 35 cm. As for the other side, it does not matter. I just will keep on rolling until the dough reaches 5 mm in thickness.

Take the poppy seed filling and evenly spread over the dough (leaving a couple centimetres from the edges). Carefully start rolling the dough from the 35 cm side, forming a firm roll. The firmer you roll the better the end result will be. Once you've finished pinch the dough together, pinch the edges and fold them under the roll. Transfer the roll onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment.

Repeat the same with the second piece of dough, using the nut filling.

My tray is 27 cm wide, so I can fit both rolls in it. In order to prevent them from sticking to each other while proofing and baking I fold baking parchment in an inverted V-shape in the middle. You can put the rolls onto 2 separate trays. Cover the rolls with cling film and let proof at room temperature (23-24C) for about 40 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated to 220C oven (gas 6) for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 200C (gas 5) and bake for a further 15-25 minutes until golden brown. Mine took 40 minutes to bake.

Cool on the tray for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Enjoy!

Spelt flour cherry cake

I've never used spelt flour before. But a friend suggested I should give it a try and I did, and the result totally surprised me. This cake is wonderful : it is soft and porous. But what got me is I only poured 1 cm of batter into the tin, but it raised 3 times higher! Look at the picture - isn't that amazing?

Now spelt flour is my favourite ingredient and I'll definitely use it for a few other recipes. And if you have an opportunity, definitely try it yourself!

Spelt flour cherry cake recipe

100 g of butter (or margarine)
350 g of fresh or frozen cherries (pitted)
175 g of spelt flour
100 g of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of lemon zest
3 eggs
1/8 tsp of salt
75 g of cornstarch
1 tsp of baking powder
50 ml of buttermilk (or youghurt, or kefir)
icing sugar for sprinkling on top

If you are using frozen cherries, defrost and strain the liquid.

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest till light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time.

Mix all dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk.

Pour the batter into the tin (mine was 24cm in diameter). Put cherries on top. Bake at 180C for about 45 minutes (or until the wooden skewer come out clean).

Enjoy!

Popcorn cake

If you think that it is a chocolate cake on the picture, think twice. Because it's not! This cake is made of popcorn. Yes, you heard me right - popcorn. I know it is unusual, but that's exactly why I chose to make it. Because I like trying unusual things.

I saw this recipe on the Tolerantvegan blog (it was adapted from the Taste of Home magazine). Being a vegan recipe this cake has all the goodness packed in it: no animal fats, no eggs, and to top it all up - no flour. So it is suitable for pretty much any person with any diet restrictions. Perfect, isn't it? And as if it's not enough, this cake does not require any baking!

And of course it's tasty too! Rich caramel, peanut butter, cocoa... What not to like? So, join me in this exotic (so to say) feast. I am sure you'll like it too!

P.S. I have made a few alterations to the recipe according to my taste.

Popcorn cake recipe

To make popcorn:
1/2 cup of corn
3 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp of salt

For the cake:
9 cups of popcorn
1 cup of roasted chopped peanuts
1 1/2 cup of cracker chunks
3/4 cup of light brown sugar
3/4 cup of golden sugar syrup
3/4 cup of peanut butter
1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3/4 cup of peanut butter
3/4 cup of vegetable shortening (or butter is you are not vegan)
1 1/8 cups of icing sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 1/2 Tbsp of milk
3 Tbsp of cocoa powder

We will start with making our own popcorn. You can use store-bought, but I always prefer fresh flavour of a home-made product. Honestly, there is no comparison!

You will need a large (approximately 4-5 litres) saucepan with a thick bottom. Heat the oil in the saucepan for about 4-5 minutes. Put your corn into the saucepan. Add salt, mix quickly and close the lid. Keep the saucepan on low to medium heat. Corn should be dry - do not wash it!

Wait for couple of minutes. And now it begins: first pop! pop! And then a few seconds later a real shelling: ta-ta-ta-ta-ta! Do not be tempted to open the lid at this point - it is quite possible that a popcorn can land right into your eye. Let alone the whole lot will fly around your kitchen.

Once it became quiet in the saucepan, switch off the heat and transfer your popcorn to a large bowl. Half-cup of corn will make approximately 12-13 cups of popcorn.

Additional preparations before we start making the cake: line two 9" (20-21cm) round cake pans with kitchen foil and grease generously with vegetable oil. (Do not line them with cling film, as hot caramel can melt it). Measure all the ingredients and have them at hand. When caramel is ready you will have to work fast.

Break crackers into chunks. Chunks should be approximately the size of popcorn. Roast and chop peanuts.

We can now start making the cake. Mix together popcorn, peanuts and cracker chunks, so that they all are evenly distributed in the bowl.

Mix sugar and syrup in a small saucepan, bring to boil. When it starts bubbling, remove from heat and quickly stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir till the mixture is smooth and pour it over the popcorn mixture. Mix all together and quickly divide between two prepared pans. Using a spatula press the mixture into the pans, so that the surface of each cake is flat. Leave to cool completely (you can put them in the fridge, but I left my cakes on a kitchen table).

To make the frosting: mix all the ingredients together (for better results they all should be at room temperature) and beat with the mixer for 2-3 minutes, till the frosting is light and fluffy.

Assembly: remove the cakes from the pans. Make sure no foil is stuck to them. Put the first layer on the serving plate, spread with frosting, put the second layer on top. Decorate with the remaining frosting and popcorn.

At this point disaster struck in my kitchen! While I was busy with cooking my husband sneaked in and took the bowl with the remaining popcorn - and ate it all! So I had to quickly come up with plan B. I decorated my cake with chocolate drops which are meant to remotely resemble popcorn. But the end result actually looked good, and I was happy with it.

So here's my popcorn cake.

Enjoy!

Cucumber muffins

When I first saw this recipe I was very hesitant. Cucumber? In a cake? Seriously? I've never tried anything like that before. However I decided to be adventurous and make it. And the result totally surprised me. The cucumber aroma comes through wonderfully, reminding you of summer evenings when you'd order Pimms in a pub and sit down in the beer garden with a bunch of friends. These muffins have the same refreshing quality, just like the Pimms has. They are soft, moist, with lovely texture. I totally enjoyed them! Hope you will too, guys!

The recipe below is adapted from Allrecipes.

Cucumber muffins

Recipe (makes 6 muffins):

1 egg
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of grated cucumber
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp of vanilla
3/4 cup of AP flour
1/4 cup of roasted chopped walnuts (or pecan nuts)
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of baking soda (dissolved in 1/2 tsp of vinegar)
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of baking powder

Mix all wet ingredients and sugar together. Whisk till a little frothy. Now mix all dry ingredients except nuts and baking soda. Combine wet and dry till the batter is smooth. Finally incorporate baking soda (dissolved in 1/2 tsp of vinegar) and nuts.

Line the muffin tin with paper cases. Divide the batter evenly between 6 holes. Bake in a pre-heated to 180C oven for approximately 25 minutes (or till the wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean). Cool for about 10 minutes in a tin, then transfer on a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Blackberry half-cheesecake

This year we had an enormous harvest of blackberries. I put blackberries into literally every dish I made: into fruit salads, milkshakes, smoothies, buns... This particular recipe was just an experiment: I was playing with ingredients trying to use another batch of blackberries which I picked in my garden, and the cake turned out so nice that my husband ate it all and demanded another one next day.

Why half-cheesecake? Well, because that's what it is: it is not exactly a cheesecake in a traditional view, but it does contain enough cream-cheese in it to claim some of the the fame.

Texture-wise it's so soft and tender that it melts in your mouth. And blackberries give it a fresh fruit ting, not to mention a stunning colour which will make this cheesecake a centrepiece on your table. I hope you will like it just as we did!

Blackberry half-cheesecake

Recipe

Cheesecake:
400 g of blackberries (I used fresh)
150 ml of double cream
250 g of cream-cheese
2 eggs (divided)
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of semolina
1/4 cup of AP flour
1/4 tsp of cream of tartar

Ganache:
150 ml of cream
100 g of dark chocolate
100 g of milk chocolate
3 Tbsp of agave nectar (you can replace it with any flower honey)

Heat blackberries in a saucepan over medium heat till they are soft and the juice released from the berries just start to bubble. Remove from the heat and puree berries with a blender. Strain through a sieve to get rid of seeds. To the puree add cream, sugar and cream-cheese.

Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Keep the whites for the time being in the fringe. Add yolks to the mixture and blend well.

Add semolina to the mixture and let sit for one hour. Do not omit this step! Semolina needs some soaking time in order to become soft. After one hour add flour to the mixture.

Finally take your egg whites from the fridge and whisk them with cream of tartar to stiff peaks. Using a spatula carefully fold whites into your batter. Pour the batter into a greased spring form tin (mine is 24cm in diametre) and bake for 55 minutes at 180C. Unlike a proper cheesecake where the centre should still be wobbly when you finish baking, this half-cheesecake should be springy to the touch.

Once the cake is baked, cool it completely in the tin.

Make ganache: melt all the ingredients together in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Pour on top of the cake and put it in the fridge. Chill for 3-4 hours (or better overnight).

Enjoy!

Chimney cake - Kurtos Kalacs

I first came across these unusually shaped buns when we traveled to Hungary. And they were not just shaped unusually. They were cooked in an unusual way too - on the charcoal, just as you would do a kebab on a stick. But for these cakes the sticks were more like thick pieces of wood (or giant rolling pins). The cook had to make sure the sticks constantly rotate, so that you do not end up with one side being burnt and the other still being raw. Bottom line: one needs a lot of special expertise (and equipment) to make chimney cakes at home. Or so I thought at the time...

However, the taste of a chimney cake really hit me. The dough is very soft, with nice cinnamon, nutty and caramel flavours. After trying them once I seriously focused my mind on how I could replicate this recipe in home conditions. Luckily, a friend of mine came up with a simple solution (and simplicity is always a sign of genius!). I tried her suggestion - and the result was, well, nearly as good as the original. So I am happy to share this treat with you!

The recipe itself is taken from the blog Joepastry. I have very slightly adapted it.

Chimney cake - Kurtos Kalacs

Recipe

Dough:
1 3/4 cups of AP flour
2 tsp of instant dry yeast
2 Tbsp of sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
42 g of melted butter
125 ml of warm milk
oil for greasing the moulds

Topping:
60 g ground roasted walnuts
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tsp of cinnamon

First of all you will need to make chimney cake moulds. To do that cut the carton which is in the middle of your paper towel roll into 2 parts (each about 11 cm long). After a few experiments with different lengths I found that 11 cm works perfectly for a standard oven. Wrap each cylinder in kitchen foil. Like that:

For this recipe you will need 6 moulds. Once the moulds are ready, grease them in oil.

Now we can start making the dough. Dissolve yeast in milk, let stand for about 20 minutes. Add all other ingredients and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Put it in a bowl and let rise in warm place till it doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a very long ribbon (about 40-50 cm long). Take your mould and wrap the ribbon along it, creating a spiral. Repeat the same with other pieces.

Combine all the ingredients for topping and spread the mixture on a shallow plate (or on a chopping board). Roll each cylinder in the mixture, so that topping sticks to the dough. Put all the cylinders vertically on a baking tray, let stand for 10 minutes, then bake in a pre-heated to 180C oven for approximately 15-20 minutes.

I had to turn the cylinders upside down once half-through the baking, as the tops started to brown, and the bottoms were still raw.

Cool them for a few minutes. The cakes come off the molds easily.

Enjoy!