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Spiced Sweet Potato Carrot Cake with Muscovado Frosting

Spiced Sweet Potato Carrot Cake with Muscovado Frosting

by | Apr 30, 2014 | 0 comments

What's the best way to make sure you eat your 5-a-day? Stick them in a cake! Hidden vegetable cakes are big this year so whether you're tucking bright pink beetroot into a red velvet cake, grating courgettes into a carrot cake, adding mashed potato to chocolate cake (this is apparently a thing) or opting for sweet potato like my recipe below, the results are always deliciously moist and healthy (well, sort of!).

This is hands-down one of the most delicious cakes I've ever made. It's gently spiced, buttery, light, not too sweet and the sweet potato gives it a lovely moist texture. You could swop out the sweet potato with pumpkin or mashed butternut - I think that would be equally delish.  The brown sugar frosting is something a little different, using Muscovado sugar, which is caramelly and rich, imparts a crazy-good molasses flavour.  It's quite a looker this cake, and I wanted it sky-high with four layers for these photos but have adjusted the recipe below to make it two, as four is just impractical and results in HUGE slices of cake (now, depending on what kind of person you are, you may agree or disagree with this statement!). But I want to share a little secret when it comes to assembling layer cakes; freeze the cake layers. Wrap each cake in wax paper and cling wrap then freeze the night before. Make sure your frosting is at room temperature and then go about assembling your cake using the frozen layers. The cake will be rigid so it will be easy to spread (no crumbs!), the layers won't break and as you work, the frosting will set and you won't be left with a leaning tower of Pisa. Once you're done, allow the cake to return to room temperature before cutting and serving. Voila! You're welcome.

Spiced Sweet Potato Carrot Cake with Muscovado Frosting

This recipe makes a 2-layer cake, if you'd like 4 layers (as pictured above), double the recipe below. 

Serves 8-10

 

210g salted butter, softened

270g Demerara sugar

3 eggs

180ml cooked and mashed sweet potato

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g self-raising flour, sifted

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

120g finely grated carrots, squeezed well

1/2 cup sultanas (optional)

75g flaked almonds

 

Frosting

200g salted butter, softened

2-3 tbsp boiling hot water

75g Muscovado sugar

300g icing sugar, sifted

250g smooth full fat cream cheese

Toasted flaked almonds, to decorate (optional)

 

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line 2 x 20cm sandwich cake tins. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Beat in the sweet potato and vanilla. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices and stir into the cake batter. Stir in the carrots, sultanas and flaked almonds then divide between the 3 tins and bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes, comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool, upside down, completely then remove from the tin. For the frosting, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Pour the boiling water over the muscovado sugar to dissolve (pop in the microwave for a few seconds if needed) then allow to cool. Add the cooled muscovado syrup to the butter with the icing sugar and beat until combined. Mix in the cream cheese. Sandwich the cakes together with the frosting, leaving enough to cover the top. Decorate with nuts, if desired.

 

TIP This cake batter would make fantastic cupcakes! Just fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake until golden. Then top with the frosting.

Chocolate Milo Peanut Butter Cake

Chocolate Milo Peanut Butter Cake

by | Apr 1, 2014 | 2 comments

I think we all have a guilty food pleasure; whether it's putting odd things on toast or eating breakfast foods for dinner. Mine is sitting with a tin on my lap shovelling spoonfuls of Milo straight from the can into my mouth. Odd but oh so gooood. Milo is just heaven for me. That malty, milky flavour gets me every time. So as one does, I've created an ode to this drink-that-I-eat, and stuck it in a chocolate cake. Only The Best Chocolate Cake (recipe courtesy of the fabulous Alida Ryder). Did I mention it has peanut butter in it too? And espresso? It's like when the cake gods were handing out decadence, this cake stood in line twice. And then again. I must say that I did contemplate topping this cake with those crunchy malty whispers things, but then wondered if the poor cake would explode from chocolate sexiness... wait, who am I kidding? That would've been friggin' amazing! Now, go and make this cake so you can do what I was too weak to do!

Chocolate Milo Peanut Butter Cake

Based on Alida Ryder's recipe (simplydelicious.co.za)

Serves 10-12 (or just one Kate)

 

2 cups white sugar

450ml cake flour

200ml The Kate Tin Cocoa Powder

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 cup hot espresso

¼ cup Milo powder

¼ cup smooth peanut butter

115g butter, melted

 

ICING

½ cup smooth peanut butter

115g butter, softened

2 ½ cups icing sugar

100ml The Kate Tin Cocoa Powder

100ml Milo powder, plus extra for sprinkling

1 tsp vanilla extract

150ml cream

 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Prepare 2 springform tins (24cm each). Mix all the dry ingredients together. Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and add to dry ingredients. Combine coffee, Milo, peanut butter and butter and add to the mixture. Mix well. Divide between the cake tins and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting and allow to cool completely. For the icing, cream the peanut butter and butter until light and fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat well. Ice the cake and decorate with Milo powder and chocolate curls, if desired.

 

 

One Cup Yoghurt Passionfruit Cake

One Cup Yoghurt Passionfruit Cake

by | Feb 20, 2014 | 0 comments

Cake doesn't get any easier that this. Everything is measured using the cup the yoghurt comes in, which means no measuring cups required and that means less washing up. I mean, you're only going to have to wash a bowl, people! This recipe is just all kinds of awesome.

I was reminded of this cake while paging through my mom's old and tattered recipe book, which has so many gems in it! You can use any flavour yoghurt you desire so experiment with different flavours or whatever is seasonal. I chose passionfruit (or granadillas as we call them here in South Africa) because the bright purple orbs on my granadilla plant were finally ripe and ready!
The yoghurt really gives it a lovely moist texture and throwing everything in a bowl and mixing? Well that just makes this cake a winner in my books!

One-Cup Yoghurt cake with passionfruit frosting

Serves 10-12

 

1 tub (175g) passionfruit (granadilla) yoghurt

1 tub oil

2 tubs caster sugar

3 tubs self-raising flour

1 tub (3) eggs

few drops vanilla extract

ICING

1/2 tub passionfruit (granadilla) yoghurt

5 tubs icing sugar, sifted

Extra passionfruit (granadilla) pulp, for garnish

 

Preheat oven to 180C. Add all the ingredients into one bowl and beat well for 3 minutes. Pour into a greased ring or bundt cake tin and bake in the oven at 180C for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack. Make the icing by stirring the yoghurt and icing sugar together to form a thick, spreadable consistency. Spread onto the cooled cake then decorate with passionfruit pulp.

Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread Cake

Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread Cake

by | Nov 22, 2013 | 0 comments

This is one of those 'I've had a horrific week and I need to eat my body weight in copious amounts of chocolate and sugar to make it better' cakes. The cake itself is my absolute favourite and ticks all the boxes of the perfect chocolate cake: moist, not too sweet and easy. It has an absurd amount of water in the batter but rest assured, this is the secret to a deliciously moist cake as the flour absorbs all the liquid when you give it a chance and that's exactly what stops the batter from being dry. It's perfect for tray-bakes for church bazaars or even as cupcakes. As if the cake wasn't good enough on it's own, I've piled it with layers of chocolate, caramel and shortbread, inspired by my favourite millionaire treat. If this cake doesn't have the wow factor then I dunno.

Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread Cake

Recipe created for October issue of Food and Home Entertaining Magazine

Serves 8-10

 

Chocolate cake

1/2L water

240g vegetable oil

450g brown sugar

200g The Kate Tin Dark Baking Chocolate, chopped

115g The Kate Tin Cocoa Powder

4 large eggs

325g cake flour

5g baking powder

2g salt

10g bicarbonate of soda

 

Shortbread

500g butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup castor sugar

200ml maizena or cornstarch

2 cups cake flour

 

Chocolate topping

450g The Kate Tin Dark Baking Chocolate

1 cup cream

 

Salted caramel sauce, for drizzling

Chocolate shortbread biscuits, to garnish

 

Preheat oven to 160C.Boil water then add oil and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then pour over the chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. Whisk eggs lightly then stir in the chocolate mixture. Fold in the combined dry ingredients. Let mix stand covered for 1 hour. Place the batter into 2 x 24cm springform cake tins lined with baking paper and bake at 160C for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. For the shortbread, cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the combined dry ingredients to form a soft dough.  Roll out the dough and cut into a 24cm disc. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden.  Assemble the cake by starting with a shortbread layer, spread some salted caramel on the bottom then place the chocolate cake on top followed by the chocolate topping. Repeat this process finishing with chocolate and a drizzling of salted caramel. Decorate with the leftover crushed shortbread.

 

 

 

TIP Take a shortcut by buying ready-made caramel and chocolate spread instead of making your own!

Chai Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Chai Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

by | Apr 28, 2013 | 0 comments

Sugar and spice and all things nice - that's what the best cupcakes are made of!  While baking a test batch of vanilla cupcakes this week for a dear friend and bride-to-be I couldn't resist whipping in a sprinkling of spice. Since my two whirlwind work trips of the 'Spice Islands'; Seychelles and Zanzibar (which both happened in the space of 4 weeks - I know, I'm such a jet setter!), I've found my spice drawer overflowing with the most beautiful cinnamon quills, nutmegs, cloves, cardamom, juicy vanilla pods and white peppercorns.

The markets in Zanzibar and Seychelles are packed with spice stalls and the heady aroma hangs in the thick humid air - it's intoxicating! The vendors all haggle for your attention and you're encouraged to get the best bargain whether it be in Seychelles rupees, Zanzibar shillings or dollars. Compared to Seychelles, the spice sellers of Zanzibar are far more persistent and I found myself purchasing spices I didn't even need just so we could continue our tv shoot in peace!

Chai cupcakes with marshmallow frosting

The cinnamon quills were my favourite treasure - long, golden and perfectly curled they're unlike anything we get here in South Africa. Cinnamon is actually one of the spices first used in antiquity (along with frankincense and myrrh) which of course only adds to it's charm. I love how it laces everything it's added to with a deep warmth. Vanna Bonta said it perfectly; 'Cinnamon bites and kisses simultaneously'. And I don't know about you, but I quite like the idea of being kissed by a cupcake!

Chai Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Makes 12

 

125g butter

150g castor sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup self-raising flour

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp chai spice*

 

Marshmallow frosting

2 egg whites

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift over the flour and spices and beat again. Spoon into a muffin tin lined with cupcake wrappers and bake at 180C for 12-15 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Make the frosting by whisking the egg whites in a heatproof bowl until soft peak stage. Add castor sugar and whisk over simmering water until the meringue is hot to the touch. Remove from the heat and beat on high with a hand mixer until cool. Whip in the vanilla. Place in a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes immediately.

 

TIP To make the chai spice mix, combine 1 tsp each of ground cinnamon and cardamom then add 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves, ground nutmeg and ground white pepper. Store in a sealed jar. I like to grind the whole spices myself in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar as the flavour is far more punchy than the store-bought ground stuff.