I am not the best cook in the world when it comes to cakes but want to make a couple of nice cakes for our breed show on Sunday. Has anyone any fail safe recipes they can give me. Possibly a rich moist chocolate cake, carrot cake, brownies or something truly mouthwatering please

Can't go wrong with Nigella's banana bread. Dead easy and delicious:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/recipe.asp?article=141

M.

Wrong thread to read when you're hungry....as I am......

Thank heavens Inchture's village shop sells really 'mingin' cakes or I'd be running (Well maybe walking!) around there now.

Do you like cheesecake? The dense, American style baked stuff. It's dead easy and people think it's really hard. Just cream cheese sugar and eggs, some cookie crumbs on the bottom.. If you fancy a go I'll PM you some recipes and ideas.

If you are not a confident baker you can make brownie sundaes. Use the box mix, Duncan Hines is the best brand I've seen over here. Then serve with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Easy and yummy.

I do have a bazillion recipes for all sorts of cakes but us Yanks cook with measuring cups not weight and they are all American style (think Starbucks). I convert things like butter weight but I'd have to weigh the dry ingredients. I have a good carrot cake recipe, some good chocolate cakes with very nice icing that's not too sweet etc. A nice touch is cream cheese icing flavored with liquour like Grand Marnier between the layers of a chocolate cake with chocolate icing on the outside.

There's a couple of ideas anyway.

Lori could you please possibly PM me the recipe for baked cheesecake I have done the other type but never baked.Thanks

mmmmm I LOVE CAKE! and i think people dont eat enough cake anymore. we should all eat more cake.

These are my 2 easy peasy failsafe recipes...

Banana & Chocolate Bread
1 cup caster sugar
125g unsalted butter (softened)
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
4 bananas (mashed)
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
175g chocolate chips 

Mix sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract & bananas together. Add the flour & baking powder and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.  Put mixture in greased 2lb loaf tin and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 1hr 15 mins.  Leave to cool in tin for 5-10 mins and then transfer to cooling rack.

Double chocolate muffins
100g plain chocolate
50g cocoa powder
225g self raising flour
50g soft brown sugar
1tsp baking powder
50g plain chocolate chips
50g white chocolate chips
225ml milk
4 tbsp olive oil
1 egg

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius
Break the plain chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water*. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.  remove the chocolate from the heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, chocolate chips (plain & white), milk, olive oil and egg until well blended.  Divide mixture between muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch.

*this is what the recipe (as given to me by my mother) states. In reality, I'm too lazy for all that so I wing the chocolate in the microwave and give it short bursts until it's melted, stirring every 30 secs or so ;)

I also have a recipe for the most amazing baked chocolate & lime cheesecake if you're interested :)

Has anyone got a good fruit cake recipe, one that gives a moist cake. The recipe I use always seems a bit dry

I make and decorate cakes as a little side line and I always use this recipeand it has never failed.  Although I have to admit that I use a lot more brandy than suggested when soaking the fruit the night before and add a bit more before adding to the mixture as well as a decent glug just before I put it in the tin.  As soon as it is cooked and still cooling in the tin, I feed it a little more then once a week for the next few weeks.  :D

can you pm me the recipe please for the lime and choc cheesecake.
I am also after a really nice choc cake recipe if you know of one.
thanks :)

Goto Tesco/Sainsbury's/M&S/local bakers - buy posh cake - remove wrapping, put on own plate - mess cake up slightly if it looks too perfect- stand back and wait for compliments ;-) - ok its cheating but who will know and you can spend all that extra time with your dogs :D

M
Member of the Association of Failed Cooks and Bakers :D

How dishonest ;)

Hi Star

Have PM'd you with recipes for the cheesecake, chocolate loaf cake (the moistest, most dense chocolate cake I have ever tasted :) ) and brownies (the type that make you pile on the pounds just reading the recipe )

Hope you find them useful :)

Enjoy :D

definately a girl after my own heart :)

Nigellas fruit muffins

60g butter(melted)
200g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
150g caster sugar
120 ml milk
1 large egg
150g fresh fruit of your choice

mix together the milk and melted butter in a bowl
mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl, then add the wet ingredients. Mix in the fruit, and bake at 200 degrees Celcius (gas 6) for 25 minutes

Makes 12 muffins. Good fruit combos are Blueberry; raspberry and lemon zest; strawberry and white chocolate chip;cranberry;blackberry and apple.

This thread is not helping my diet at all... :rolleyes: :D

ALL BRAN LOAF

Use a 250ml mug to measure all the ingredients

Soak for at least a couple of hours/overnight is better 1 mug Allbran[supermarket substitute works the same] 1 mug of dried fruit of your choice and 1 mug of milk[semi skimmed is what I use]

When all the milk has ben absorbed add 1 mug of SR flour + 2 tsp of baking powder stir thoroughly to a fairly stiff consistancy[may need a splash more of milk] and tip into a greased 2lb loaf tin and bake at 180C for one hour in the middle of the oven. Tip out of tin and leave to cool. Serve sliced with your choice of butter or low fat spread, can also be eaten without either making it very low fat and the sugar comes from the fruit.

It freezes well so I make one for now and one for later.

It works well with my diet,lost nearly 4 stone since the spring 06 and have one of tese at least once a month and I don't feel guilty.

Rhona

Thanks everyone..I have bought a whole load of ingredients and plan to have a mega baking session on Saturday afternoon :D

I'm free on Saturday afternoon/evening if you need someone to taste them just to make sure you've baked them right???  :D  ;)

:D  :D  :D Believe me I am not great when it comes to cakes which is why I was asking for decent recipes in first place. I never used to bake as we had an old aga and it was quite erratic. I now have a super electric range so I guess it needs to be used to its potential. Watch this space!!!

All these recipes!! only one question.... has anyone made their Christmas cake yet????LOL

Yep.  Made 3 already and another 4 to do!!!! :D

'cuse me, 4?  5, you mean?  You forgot me! ;)

LMAO!!!

OH not too impressed though!  By the time it comes to decorating our own cake, I am usually so sick of the sight of them that he would be lucky if I iced it, let alone decorate it!! :D:D

No I have not, I usually do it half term week,however this time I will be unavailable to make my cake.
I am going on a mediterranean cruise!
Never been before, so hope it will be great fun.
Please note I am saying this quietly in the middle of a different thread...
Karen

Anyone know a good one for Bread pudding ( the brown squishy cinammony one..not the soggy bread and milk one) <- if that makes sense????
Mmmmmm.. drooling reading this thread :P

Do you think Mrs Beeton's would fit the bill?

HG,

I am definitely expecting some of that in the post, I love Bread Pudding (As opposed to the horrid Bread & Butter sludge).

I did it!!! :D (and not in the King Alfred style!!)
I threw in some 5 spice and cinammon and soaked the sultanas in Cognac (Mrs beeton would turn in her Liberty Bodice I expect!! 'plain' bread pudding ..indeed! :p)

Christine: yes,yes...its in the post!! (like the cheque ;) ;) :P )
Isabel: Eggleston Hall needs you!! ;) thank-you :D