blueberry syrup cake

It's the 100th post! Therefore, a special celebration cake :)

I've been meaning to make this cake for about a month now. Between planning two trips and planning sweet delicacies for two weddings, on top of all the usual things, it's been a rather hectic time. Scratch that - I'm halfway down the road with May and I barely have time to sleep. But it's okay - exciting things keeping me up at night. Skyping with friends, writing, lovely movies, and just a tiny bit of the easy entertainment the internet offers in abundance. But this weekend is finalizing my preparations, most of to-do list crossed out, so I had time for a cake.

As the base I used one of my favorite and most customisable cake recipes (it's the same as spelt chai cake and a few others I've made) which is beautifully dense and moist and with blueberry syrup inside carries a distinct fruity flavour. The buttercream is soft and fluffy, also tasting of sweet blueberries. The crispy balls I used for decoration are the only candy I ever get in pick & mix stations in Ikea - mostly for the purpose of decorating though they are really yummy. Their glaze really tastes of summery raspberries. Chrysanthemum was an entirely aesthetic choice: I simply liked the colours and in my head they matched well with blueberry flavour. 

The cake with real flowers need to be decorated the same day as eaten but it's quick and simple and definitely worth it - it would do great as a birthday or anniversary gift, and could easily be turned into elegant wedding cake. But if you're celebrating little things - it works perfectly, too! So here I am, celebrating my 100th post :) I shall cut myself a slice and enjoy with a cup of white tea.

blueberry syrup cake

(tall 18 cm/7” cake)

225 g softened butter

200 g sugar

240 g plain flour

4 eggs

100 ml blueberry syrup (hello Ikea!)

2 tbsp baking poweder

cream the butter with sugar

add eggs, one at time, each time mixing until incorporated – it will be a bit lumpy at the end

add flour sifted with baking powder, then add syrup, mix on low speed until smooth

divide the batter into two, pour into cake tins lined with baking parchment paper, and bake for 40 min at 180C

blueberry syrup buttercream

3 egg whites

150 g sugar

20 ml blueberry syrup

180 g room temperature butter

in a metal bowl mix egg whites, syrup and sugar

place the bowl over a pan with boiling water (bain marie) and beat the eggs until stiff with mixer, starting with low speed and gradually changing it to high speed (it should take about 5 minutes, the eggs will stiffen and thicken with time)

put the bowl into cold water to prevent the eggs from getting hot from hot metal/glass and cool down, mixing for a few moments every few minutes for the best texture

beat the butter until it is pale, fluffy and soft

add meringue in 4-5 portions, mix until well incorporated each time

assembly

both cakes, slices in half

a batch of buttercream

50 ml blueberry syrup diluted by 100 ml water

flowers (I used chrysanthemum, make sure they are not poisonous ;)

raspberry crispy balls (hello Ikea again! – or any similar type crunchy candy)

place the first cake layer onto a plate/cake stand, pour 2-3 tablespoons of syrup over it to moisten the cake, spread a thin layer of buttercream

repeat with the remaining cake pieces

roughly spread the rest of buttercream around the cake, the rustic look is what you are looking for

decorate with flowers and candy to your taste

refrigerate but remove from fridge about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture of buttercream

peach cream cake

peach cream cake

sponge cake 
(for 1 round 22cm / 9” cake, to be cut in 2 layers) 
4 eggs, separated 
1 cup flour 
2/3 cup sugar 
1 tbsp baking powder 
salt 

whip the egg whites with salt until foamy, then continue adding sugar in 3-4 portions and beat until stiff 
beat egg yolks with mixer (in small bowl would do) until pale and fluffy 
mix the two on low speed 
add flour sieved with baking powder and mix delicately with rubber spatula until there are no more flour lumps 
bake for 35-40 min in 180°C (i don’t preheat my oven when i bake sponge cakes, it helps the top to be more flat as the sides seem to raise more easily) 

whipped cream 
500 whipping cream 
4 tbsp powdered sugar 
2 tsp gelatin 
vanilla essence 

soak the gelatin in 2 tbsp milk 
whip the chilled cream (cooling the bowl in fridge for some minutes helps), when it is thick and fluffy add sugar and continue beating until it gets stiff – take care not to overbeat 
melt the gelatin in water bath and cool down until it’s lukewarm, add slowly to the whipped cream mixing on

high speed to prevent lumps from creating as it’s cold and the gelatin will settle 
add a splash of vanilla essence and mix until incorporated 

soaking mixture 
200 ml peach juice  
juice of 1 lemon 

mix everything until the sugar dissolves, leave to cool down 

assembly
a can of peaches

coconut flakes

slice the peaches into neat pieces
cut the cooled cake in 3 even layers 
soak each layer with mixture, be careful not to soak too much, but it must be rather moist so don’t be afraid!, then spread some whipped cream and place a layer of peach slices
make a nice pattern of peach on top of the cake, I filled the centre with a layer of coconut flakes for nice texture & colour

spelt chai tea cake with chai tea buttercream

I have just stumbled upon this song (Dream Cave by Cloud Control) which made my smirk a little, reminding me of a chat I recently had with a friend. I unexpectedly had three matcha drinks in a day (yay for the blessed London) and I said, I swear sometimes my life consist in fifty percent of matcha, and in fifty percent of chai tea. In my dream cave that would be a constant state of affairs, I realized upon listening to the song for about thirtieth time, and stirring some honey into my tea. 

Many people I know labeled my as the most random person they know, and who am I not to agree? My thoughts fly down strange paths (maybe my neuronal connection map would be quite extraordinary) and I officially made a thing out of sharing a random fact of a day with whoever is in proximity. Every day, very random. All of that has to be somehow anchored, though: otherwise I'd be in a great mess. I think repetition is my anchor: I listen to the same songs thousands of times over years, love visiting places I've been to, I re-read my favourite books until I can quote the characters, and I love having the same foods over and over. Sushi rice. Avocados. Liquorice tea. Homemade pasta. Udon. Prosciutto. Peaches. Matcha. Chai tea. It all comes to an infinite loop of goodness, and I am content.

Hence a comfort chai tea cake. The spelt flour & brown sugar give it richness and nuttiness, then it gets topped with abundance of milky chocolate, sour pomegranate, and crunchy cookies, looking like a heavenly indulgence it is... I shall repeat it on an occasion more special than wait I haven't made a tier cake in two years, but it was a very great occasion nevertheless.

spelt chai tea cake with chai tea buttercream

spelt chai tea cake

(makes one 18cm and one 10cm)

175g butter, room temperature

100g light brown sugar

75g caster sugar

100g spelt flour

75g wheat flour

1 heaping tbsp baking powder

3 eggs

75ml strong brewed chai (I used 2 bags for 75ml water)

1 vanilla pod

cream the butter with sugars

add eggs, one at time, until the batter is smooth

add the flouri, baking powder, scraped vanilla seeds, and chai tea, mix in until incorporated 

line the pans with baking paper

bake in 180C for 30min (smaller cake) and 45min (bigger cake)

chai tea american buttercream

200g softened butter

200g icing sugar

50ml strong chai (one teabag)

beat the butter until cream and pale, add sugar and chai, mix until smooth

leave in room temperature

assembly

cakes

buttercream

milk chocolate

milk crumbles / crumbles cocoa shortbread

amaretti

pomegranate

cut the cakes in two layers 

spread a few tablespoons of buttercream between cake layers, put together

place the small cake on top of the big one, “sticking” is using buttercream as “glue”

spread the buttercream around the cake in a thin layer – it shouldn’t be thick and perfect (too much icing makes the cake far too sweet), rather rustic and simple

melt the chocolate in double bath, when cooled down to warm drizzle over the cake

sprinkle with crumbled cookies and pomegranate, use the remaining chocolate to stick the decoration to the cake

chill in fridge for at least 3 hours before serving

matcha crepes / blueberry / dulce de leche

I promised myself the next post wouldn't involve matcha... but I couldn't help it. I needed something simple and pleasurable to eat for today's brunch and somehow, all the ingredients were just there, begging to be combines. Frankly, they are all high on top of my favoruite foods, so it was an easy decision. The combination is more than perfect.

matcha crepes

(makes 8 of 18cm diameter)

100 g flour

200 ml milk

1 eggs

1 tbsp matcha powder

pinch of salt

rapeseed oil to fry

combine all ingredients in blender, mix until smooth

let the batter rest for two hours (the crepes won’t be rubbery)

use a non-stick frying pan (crepe pan is not necessary) – I had my ceramic 18cm diameter one – and make sure that the pan is very hot 

add just a few drops of oil each time, let it heat up for a moment, and half a ladle of batter , swirling the pan around quickly to help spread the batter into an even thick layer

fry about 45 seconds on each side

use hot or cold (remember to ensure the crepes don’t get left out for too long, they get dry quickly)

assembly

dulce de leche (use either store-bought, as I did, or homemade from condensed milk – just cook a non-opened tin of sweetened full fat condensed milk for 2hrs, all the time covered in water, then let cool down overnight and open when the can gets cold – ready to use!)

blueberries

matcha powder

spread a thin layer of dulce de leche, make a single row of blueberries and roll the pancake around it to make a crepe wrap

dust with matcha powder

serve immediately (dulce de leche might get runny because of blueberry juice)

Thursday lunch sandwich & anchovy mayo

A mixture of flavors: soft white bun - anchovy mayo (yum & important!) - prosciutto - avocado - pea shots - strong cheddar. Simple, yummy, healthy, and beautiful. Oh - and of course some vanilla soy milk.

anchovy mayo

2 egg yolks 

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

200 ml sunflower oil

pinch of salt

lemon juice

3 anchovies (salted, preferably)

1/2 tsp fish sauce

mix the yolks with mustard until smooth

add oil very slowly, start with almost drop-by-drop, and whisk thoroughly after each addition, until smooth and thickening

keep adding oil until you use all of it - the mayo should be thick when you finish

season with small pinch of salt, a few drops of lemon juice

add the anchovies, chopped almost into paste, and fish sauce

mix until incorporated; if the mayo still seems too thick, add 1/2 tsp boiling water and mix it in

orange and white chocolate cups

orange curd

zest + juice of two large oranges

juice of one lemon

2 eggs

100 g sugar

2 tbsp cornflour

put all the ingredients in a pan, whisk until smooth (no lumps of flour)

cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickens and bubbles

leave to cool down

white chocolate mousse

300 ml whipping cream

150 g white chocolate (chopped or chips)

100 ml milk

2x2g gelatin leaves

bloom gelatin in cold water

bring the milk to boil, take off heat, toss in the chocolate and stir until melted and mixed smoothly with the milk

while the mix is still hot, add gelatin and mix until dissolved

whip the cream to soft peaks

add chocolate mix to cream in a few portions, mixing well each time – the best is to use whisk as it helps the aeration of the mousse

assembly/decoration

white chocolate

freeze-dried raspberries

spoon 1/5 height of the cup of orange curd

fill 3/5 height with white chocolate mousse

leave to set (about 30 min)

decorate with white chocolate pieces – I used homemade triangles – and freeze-dried raspberries (or anything of your choice that adds nice color contrast, eg. pomegranate seeds, dark chocolate shavings)

keep cool before serving

matcha madeleines

Everyone knows I love matcha. There are two little magical boxes sitting in my cupboard, surrounded by more and more tea, and teasing me every time I open the doors to make myself a cup. There is only a limited time one can resist temptation, hence the madeleines. They are subtle and delicate, matcha flavor pronounced but now overwhelming (as it can be for those not used to it perfect bitterness and dusty texture, I have learned by trying to introduce people to it with matcha bubble tea - not the greatest idea.) I substituted the original recipe's lemon juice with green tea brew - some liquid is necessary for the right consistency of the batter and the tea fits in perfectly, accentuating the green tea tones. Perfect served, of course, with a teapot of a sencha/matcha blend!

100 g butter

2 eggs

120 g sugar

120 g flour

½ tsp baking powder

30 ml brewed plain green tea

1 tbsp matcha

melt and cool down the butter

beat the eggs & sugar until fluffy and pale

add butter and flour sifted with baking powder alternately to the eggs, mix until smooth each addition

add matcha and the green tea

pour the batter into madeleine mould (i use silicone, if not butter and lightly flour it beforehand)

bake for 10 min in 220C

let cool down before removing from mould

optional: matcha glaze - combine icing sugar, a few drops of lime juice and a quarter tbsp matcha until smooth, drizzle over the cooled down madeleines