For the finale of our Summer Solstice feast Deborah made this cake from Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry. With classic Middle Eastern flavours it was a perfect way to end the meal. For the biscuit base, bash 150g (5 ½oz) of sweet biscuits and 55g (2oz) blanched almonds together in a plastic bag using a…… Continue reading yoghurt, honey and pistachio cheesecake with oranges in cardamom syrup
Category: cakes
lemon and blueberry polenta cake
A lovely lemony cake with pockets of moist blueberry and no wheat. This recipe makes one small 15cm (6″) cake. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350ºF) and grease and line your cake tin with baking paper. Cream 100g of unsalted butter with 100g of caster sugar until soft and pale. Beat in 2 eggs, one at…… Continue reading lemon and blueberry polenta cake
hazelnut, ricotta and chocolate cake
Here’s another cake from Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s SWEET. Instead of mini cakes with chocolate ganache I opted for one 6″ cake and kept it plain. This cake performs a balancing act between hazelnut cake and baked ricotta cake. With little dots of dark chocolate throughout it’s dense, super moist and keeps incredibly well.…… Continue reading hazelnut, ricotta and chocolate cake
pie
While in Pittsburgh I took part in a cooking and baking day. We all cooked food that we had grown up with which resulted in a delicious array of savoury and sweet dishes from Australia and the US. The final dish was the star – a blueberry pie made by Jon. Pie is the quintessential American…… Continue reading pie
sultana yoghurt cake
Just part of a wonderful lunch with friends, Caroline baked this cake from Turquoise: A Chef’s Travels in Turkey by Greg and Lucy Malouf. Dotted with plump sultanas, the texture was somewhere between custard and cheesecake with a subtle not-too-sweet yoghurt flavour. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease and line a 20cm (8″) springform cake…… Continue reading sultana yoghurt cake
hazelnut, apricot and mascarpone layer cake
I saved this recipe so long ago that I’ve forgotten where I found it. I’m glad I finally made it. The hazelnut cake was a little chewy and meringue-like and the combination of flavours was wonderful. It looked good too! I made the four layers of this cake in two 15.25cm (6″) cake tins. To make…… Continue reading hazelnut, apricot and mascarpone layer cake
yoghurt honey cheesecake
I agree with Yotam Ottolenghi about cheesecakes – baked is always the best. So when he described this set cheesecake in glowing terms, he piqued my interest. He wasn’t wrong – absolutely delicious! Before you start this cake, place 500g (17½ oz) of Greek style yoghurt in a clean cloth, tie it together and hang it…… Continue reading yoghurt honey cheesecake
pandan chiffon cake
Here’s a wonderful Asian treat. This amazingly green and fantastically light sponge cake is popular throughout South-East Asia. Pandan leaf is often used to flavour desserts and, as in this cake, is often paired with coconut. I’ve bought excellent versions of this cake at Asian grocery stores but for a while there was a shortage…… Continue reading pandan chiffon cake
flourless mini chocolate cakes
Another recipe from SWEET by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. We ate these delightful little cakes while they were still slightly warm. With a thin crispy crust, they were moist and light on the inside and had a wonderful deep chocolate flavour. The amazingly glossy chocolate ganache was not so easy to make but tasted great…… Continue reading flourless mini chocolate cakes
sultana and sour cherry fruitcake
Almost all fruit, this simple one-bowl cake has a nice tartness and a good hit of rum. Preheat your oven to 160ºC (320ºF) and line a 22cm (8″) tin with baking paper. Measure 500g (17½ oz) of sultanas and 250g (8¾ oz) of sour dried cherries into a mixing bowl. Gently heat ⅓ of a…… Continue reading sultana and sour cherry fruitcake
michelle picker cooks 