Friday Fave: How to Transport a Cake

After baking the scrumptious chocolate cake for James' birthday I was left dumbfounded. How could I transport my masterpiece during a half hour drive without it getting damaged? 

I tore out the cupboards until I came across the perfect instrument... A pasta bowl!

This Tupperware bowl fits underneath a colander and the snap on lid keeps the pasta warm (a ridiculously good invention!) The beauty of it is it's so big, the dome is huge so it doesn't touch the cake below.

Be careful using Tupperware, snapping the lid onto the bowl- it's a spring action technique that is supposed to be done when the bowl is standing upright so it's a little fiddly when there's weight on the lid.

Have a root around your kitchen some day when you have time on your hands and figure out what container is the best for transporting a cake- so when all the hard work of baking and decorating is done you don't have to panic over how what to store it in!

Stay sweet!

Time to get Baking!!

Six weeks til D-day, or should I say C-day? 

My favourite time of year is upon us, and it's time to get baking! 

Christmas Cakes and Puddings both have to be made well in advance, so for my radio show last week I spoke of the dos and don'ts when festive baking! 



The recipes I used are Irish chef, Neven Maguire's and are fantastic!

As always, I'll be on air live tomorrow, 11am Irish time on 98.3fm if you're in Cork, or you can listen online at http://www.ucc.ie/983fm/ 

A taster of the end point of pudding-making! Pour some brandy over the pudding and strike a match! Turn off the lights for maximum impact!

Until then, stay sweet! x

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Calling all chocolate lovers!!

For my boyfriend's birthday two weeks ago, I wanted to make something a little different than the regular cocoa-sponge and cocoa-buttercream (he loves chocolate almost as much as I do!)

When I was in Harvard back in 2011, I purchased the 'flour' cookbook by Joanne Chang. Joanne was a Harvard business grad turned pastry chef who has three neighbourhood cafe-bakeries in Boston (which I am ashamed to say I have not visited...yet!) 

This book would be a great Christmas present as it is innovative, indulgent and takes the fear out of more complicated projects such as homemade pastries (watch this space!) It's a beautifully laid out book, with a practical gloss-hardback cover and really is a foodie's dream!

Due to lack of certain ingredients, and wanting to bake a cake and not cupcakes, I made numerous adjustments to the recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Crispy Magic Frosting.

*Note that the book requires Dutch-processed cocoa (or alkalized unsweetened cocoa poweder); this is treated with an alkali so that its natural acidity is neutralized and it has a stronger flavour. It does not react with baking soda- which is why it must always be used with baking soda and is not interchangeable.

Not a huge fan of red... :P

This recipe is also known as 'dump cake' because it's so easy, you just dump everything into the one bowl! :) However it does need to sit for at least an hour in order to thicken the batter. This is not a cake to be made in a hurry- you've been warned!

The air bubbles will also disperse once the batter sits.

Ingredients:
56g good quality chocolate (I used Lidl's 76%), chopped
30g Bourneville cocoa
200g ganulated sugar
114g unsalted butter
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk (keep the egg white as it can be used for another recipe within the next day)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
140g self-raising flour

1. Grease two 6-inch cake pans.
2. In a Pyrex bowl, combine the chocolate and cocoa powder.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, butter and water over medium high heat, whisking occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until butter is melted and sugar is totally dissolved.
4. Pour hot mixture into the chocolate and cocoa bowl and whisk (using a handheld mixer) until chocolate is completely melted and the ingredients are fully mixed.
5. Whisk milk, egg, egg yolk and vanilla into the mixture until thoroughly combined.
6. Dump the flour into the bowl and mix until combined.
7. Let batter sit for at least one hour to allow the batter to thicken. It can sit in an airtight container for up to three days in a fridge.
8. 20 mins before baking, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
9. Bake for about thirty minutes or until the top of the cake is springy to touch.
10.  I used ordinary buttercream icing, as you've seen on the blog before. As per usual, ice when cool.
11. To decorate I used miniature chocolate chips, I think these reflected the intense chocolate flavour of the cake. Of course you could also pipe a sentiment if time allows.

This cake is guaranteed to make the birthday boy or girl smile!

Movie Night Munch

Sick of your regular movie night plans? On last week's broadcast of sUCCulent, we discussed some alternatives to the traditional popcorn and take-away!

Enjoy, and don't forget to tune in tomorrow to UCC 98.3fm in Cork, Ireland and for international listeners at 11am local time on http://www.ucc.ie/983fm/ :)

Until then,

Stay sweet! 

Happy Halloween!!!

Hey guys,

I hope your day has been spooktacular! :)
Here are some easy, achievable ideas for tonight's trick or treaters!

You might notice a different format to the usual picture tutorial... I have some Very exciting news! As of last week I am now hosting a foodie show on my campus radio (UCC CCR) which broadcasts live each Thursday 11am-12 noon Irish time on 98.3fm! You can listen live online at http://www.ucc.ie/983fm/

Here's the podcast of my very first live show! Hope you enjoy!

Rawwwwr! Happy Halloween! :)

Sophisticated Sunday Snack... Monochrome Krispie Cakes!

As you may have seen here, I love Rice Krispie cakes- especially when made with white chocolate!! What could be better?? Making them with BOTH white and milk chocolate! 

Introducing the stylish Monochrome Krispie Cake! 

I expected these to take a long time to make, but they are in fact relatively fast and easy!
The colour contrast packs a powerful punch here, and they were the perfect treat to whip up for a loyal follower's birthday! ;) Plus, monochrome is so in vogue right now, you just can't help but love these!

Recipe:

1. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
2. Melt bar milk chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water on the stove (don't boil water as it will burn the chocolate and spit out steam/water at you!) Stir continuously.
3. When fully melted mix in Rice Krispies.
4. Pour this mixture into the cases. 
5. Allow to set for a few moments (you don't want to melt this layer with the next batch!)
6. Wash bowl and dry thoroughly. 
7. Repeat steps 2 & 3 using a bar of white chocolate (lesser quantity will suffice).
8. Pour mixture into cases holding chocolate mixture, allowing the milk chocolate to peak through, or place white chocolate mixture to one side!

Enjoy- I know for a fact you will!

Milis in Mallorca

A trip to Mallorca for a much-needed dose of sunshine, sea, sand and relaxation proved surprisingly fruitful for sweet treats!! Thankfully the heat which reached up to 29degrees Celcius had us working off the excess calories from the treats featured below! :)

Indulgent Breakfasts....

Chocolate Pancakes from Restaurant Dutchie, Santa Ponsa.

Store-bought brioche, enhanced with scrumptious Nutella!

Snacks

Why do we not have these in Ireland?! 

This was my second time tasting this ice-cream and it exceeded my expectations from memory!! 

 Creamy white chocolate, tangy strawberry ice-cream... The stuff of dreams!!!

Another two products which should be brought West! Haribo sweets are always top of my list when it comes to snacks, but these fruit-themed varieties were delicious! 

Soft and foamy so they didn't hurt your teeth, or give you a belly-ache; yet so intensely flavoursome that you couldn't help but eat almost the entire bag in one sitting! 

I really do hope they export them here, I feel life will never be the same again after tasting these fruity sensations!!

And finally....

Mecca!