Chocolate Éclairs with Crème Légère

Finished Éclairs

Today myself and Katie thought we'd make something that we've read a lot about and seen a lot of, but never actually attempted ourselves before; crème légère, which is essentially crème pâtissière, or custard (the thing we'd never made from scratch before) and whipped cream. It was a pleasant surprise how easy the crème pâtissière was to make, and how delicious it was with the extra cream folded through too! The éclairs recipe is adapted from a BBC GoodFood post, and was also surprisingly quick and simple to make, the effort is definitely worth it! 

Chocolate Éclairs with Crème Légère

Makes approx. 16 éclairs

Egg yolk mix before adding milk

Ingredients:

Éclairs:

140g plain flour

pinch of sugar

pinch of salt

125ml milk

125ml water

100g butter

4 eggs

Adding flour to choux mix

Crème Légère:

300ml milk

50g caster sugar

2 egg yolks

1.5tsp vanilla extract

4tsp plain flour

4tsp cornflour

300ml double cream

100g milk chocolate for coating

200oC oven/180oC fan oven

Method:

Chilling dough

1. Start by making the crème pâtissière filling; first heat the milk until almost boiling in a saucepan. Meanwhile, mix together the sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a bowl, then stir in the flours, a couple of tsp at a time, to a smooth paste. 

2. Once the milk is almost boiling, gradually whisk it into the egg yolk mix, pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over a high heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 mins until thick; keep stirring it vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. 

3. Pour into a bowl, lay a sheet of cling film directly on the crème pâtissière surface, then cool and chill until you’re ready to fill the éclairs.

Smooth dough with eggs

4. Put the milk, water and butter into a medium saucepan and gently heat so the butter melts but the liquid doesn’t boil. Once the butter has completely melted, increase the heat until the liquid comes to a fast rolling boil. 

5. Immediately turn off the heat, tip in the flour, sugar and salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until you a have a smooth dough that comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the pan and leave to cool until it's almost room temperature - to speed this up you can spread it over a large dinner plate and place in the freezer for one minute.

Piping dough

6. Once the dough mix has cooled, scrape it back into your pan. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then gradually beat them into the dough mix, approx a quarter at a time. Using your wooden spoon, beat after each addition until you have a smooth, shiny mixture.

7. Line a baking tray, or two, with baking paper and draw on 16/18 10cm long lines, at least 5cm apart. Turn the paper over so the lines are on the underside of the paper, or they'll transfer onto the bottom of the éclairs.

8. Fill a piping bag with the dough (use a 1/2cm nozzle), and pipe along the guidelines. Smooth any points on the éclairs down with a wet finger.

9. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 20/25 minutes, or until crisp and golden.

Eclairs after baking

10. Once baked, make a small slit in the base of each eclair with a sharp knife, turn upside down and bake for another 5 minutes to dry out the pastry cases. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

11. Whilst they're cooling, you can make the crème légère; whisk the double cream until thick and it stands in strong peaks. Fold the cream into your cooled crème pâtissière.

12. Once the éclairs are cool, spoon the crème légère into a piping bag (this time with a long, thin nozzle), and gently fill each éclair with a generous helping of the crème légère - they'll feel heavy when they're full.

Creme Legere before piping

13. Melt the chocolate carefully in the microwave in a shallow bowl and then dip each of the filled eclairs into the chocolate, so they have an even coating. Set on a plate and leave the chocolate to set - it's best to keep them in the fridge.

These won't keep for very long once they're filled, approx. 1 day before they go soggy, but they're so delicious and moreish they won't be around for long! There's lots of alternative toppings you can put on them too, such as sprinkling with flaked almonds or chopped hazelnuts - they're a great starting point for lots of experimentation.

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx

Finished éclairs!

This is just something I saw this week and fell completely in love with! Enjoy!

Ultimate Chocolate Celebration Cake

This is a recipe I've inherited from my Gran, which she has adapted from a Mary Berry recipe. It's my 'go to' chocolate cake for birthdays or special occasions, it's often requested! The plain chocolate in the ganache means this cake is rich, but not overly sweet, it's a more grown up flavour; a very popular one!

Ultimate Chocolate Celebration Cake

This makes a big cake, but it’s perfect for birthdays or other celebrations; it’ll easily cut into 20 generous helpings.

Ingredients:

4oz cocoa powder
12tbsp boiling water
6 large eggs
4fl oz milk
12oz self raising flour
2tsp baking powder
8oz marg/butter
20oz caster sugar

500g plain chocolate, chopped (good quality)
500ml double cream
(6 tablespoons apricot jam – optional)
Variety of chocolate sprinkles to decorate (optional)

160oC fan oven/180oC other ovens

2 x 8x10in rectangular baking tins (at least 3in deep) greased and lined

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl make a paste using the cocoa powder and water; add the water gradually and beat well after each addition until the cocoa comes together into a thick, smooth paste that looks like melted chocolate.
2. Add the remaining cake ingredients and mix well – it’ll form a thick batter. Divide the batter equally between your two cake tins and make a slight indent in the middle of the batter so they’ll rise level.
3. Bake the cakes in the middle of a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the cakes are coming away from the edge of the tin and a sharp knife or knitting needle comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake. (Check on them halfway through baking it check they’re not getting too brown).
4. Once they’re cooked turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely; don’t be tempted to ice them too early or your icing will melt and ruin your cake.
5. Once the cakes are cooled you can make the ganache for filling and topping your cake. If you like apricot jam you can heat the jam in a pan over a low heat until it melts and then brush over each cake, it makes the ganache stick better, but I don’t like it so I don’t bother – it makes little difference.
6. To make the ganache put the cream and chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir constantly as it melts. Do not let the mixture boil.
7. Once all the chocolate has melted take the bowl off the heat and leave it to cool until it’s tepid, approx 10 minutes – then you can assemble the cake!
8. Begin by covering one cake in ganache, put onto a cake board/large plate, put the other cake on top and cover in ganache. Start in one corner and fill in the gap between the two cakes with ganache, as well as covering the sides of the cake at the same time. Use a flat bladed palette knife to smooth the ganache.
9. Once you’ve covered the whole cake cover the top with sprinkles if you're going to and leave it for at least two hours in a cool place to let the ganache set. The cake will keep for at least a week in an airtight container, it’s great served with cream for a real treat!

This really is a crowd pleaser, the ganache icing gives it a real wow factor, and you can have fun with extra decorations too!

Happy Baking,


The Baking Ginger xx

Lemon Drizzle Bundt Cake with Raspberries and Cream

Ripples from the Bundt Tin

Another variation on the theme of lemon and raspberry - it's a good one!

This was for my brother's birthday, it makes a good celebration cake because it looks as good as it tastes!

Bundt tins are a bit old school, but the cakes they make look really cute, and are perfect for filling with cream on special occasions, what's not to love??

If you haven't got a Bundt tin this would also work as a traybake, with the cream spread on top.

Lemon Drizzle Bundt Cake with Raspberries and Cream

Bundt Tin

Ingredients

Cake:
4oz self raising flour
4oz marg
4oz caster sugar
2 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp milk

Extras:
zest and juice of 3 lemons

Batters ready to go

3oz sugar
1tsp red/pink food colouring
150ml double cream
2tbsp icing sugar
150g raspberries plus extra to decorate

Bundt tin
170oC fan oven/180oC other ovens

Method

1. Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl and beat into a smooth batter. Add the lemon zest.

Marbling done!

2. Divide the batter equally between two bowls and add the food colouring to one - make it as bright a colour as you'd like, they fade when they're cooked so be bold!

3. Thoroughly grease the Bundt tin with marg (use kitchen roll to apply it, or your fingers) and fill with alternate spoonfuls of each batter to get the marbled pattern. You can also then drag a skewer or knife through your batter to make the marbling even more pronounced.

4. Bake in the centre of a hot oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and coming away from the edge of the tin.

5. Leave to cool slightly before attempting to remove from the tin - tapping the bottom of the tin and gentle shaking are the best ways I've found to do this! Whilst it's cooling combine the juice from the lemons with the 3oz sugar in a small pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Mid drizzle

6. Once your cake is out of the tin pour over the lemon juice and sugar - this is the drizzle part of the lemon drizzle. Leave the cake to cool completely. You can get to this point a day or so before you need the cake and keep it in an air tight container and then fill with cream just before serving.

7. When you're ready to eat the cake whip the cream to soft peaks, sieve in the icing sugar and smash up the raspberries before adding them too. Fill the centre of the cake with the cream and pile it high! Decorate with raspberries if you want to. (You can do this a couple of hours before eating - just keep it in a cool place afterwards)

Completed cake!

Like I said this cake is great for birthdays or celebrations but it'd make a really special dessert too, it's one of our new family favourites!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

Two Way Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes

Finished cupcakes

I made these for some new neighbours who've moved in next door, just as a way to say hello; they were much appreciated!

I couldn't decide whether to make lemon cupcakes with raspberry cream or raspberry cupcakes with lemon cream so I decided to do both - if you want to make them all the same way just double the flavouring you use for the cake and the cream, but the basic ingredients stay the same.

Two Way Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes

Makes 12

Basic batter

Ingredients:

4oz self raising flour

4oz marg/butter

4oz caster sugar

2 eggs

1tsp baking powder

1 or 2tbsp milk

grated zest of 2 lemons

juice of 1 lemon

punnet (approx. 125g) raspberries

300ml double cream

Adding raspberries

2tbsp icing sugar

170oC fan oven/180oC all other ovens

12 hole bun tin, lined with cupcake cases

Method:

1. Combine all of the basic ingredients in a large bowl and beat into a smooth batter. You might need to add a splash of milk to get it to dropping consistency (when the batter drops off the spoon when picked up). 

2. Divide the batter in half. 

Ready for the oven

3. To one half add the zest of one lemon and the juice of half. Leave the other plain as you’ll add whole raspberries to it once it’s in the cases. 

4. Using teaspoons fill each cupcake cases until it’s 2/3 full of either the lemon or plain batters; to each case of plain batter case add a small amount of mixture then add 2 whole raspberries, then top up with the remaining portion of batter. 

5. Repeat until all of the batter is used then place the trays into the middle of a preheated oven for 10/15 minutes until the 

cupcakes are golden brown. 

Baked and cooling

6. Leave the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack whilst you make the toppings. 

7. Whip the cream to soft peaks, but ensuring it is firm enough to be shaped on top of the cupcakes. Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk gently until incorporated. 

8. Split the cream into two. To one half add the zest of the other lemon and a splash of lemon juice. In a separate bowl smash the remaining raspberries with a fork, add half of the sweetened cream and fold together so the cream starts to turn pink, whilst leaving some chunks of raspberry intact. 

Cream toppings

9. Once they’re completely cool top the lemon cupcakes with the raspberry icing and the raspberry cupcakes with the lemon icing.

These will keep for a day or two, if it’s warm keep them in the fridge so the cream doesn't melt. 

They're a really simple variation on a classic cupcake,very easy to play around with depending on what your fancy or the occasion you're baking for!

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx

Cakes on Gran's old cake stand

The Classics: Victoria Sponge with Jam and Cream

Sometimes the classics are the best, and you can’t go far wrong with a Victoria Sponge with raspberry jam and freshly whipped cream. I made this for our neighbour at our student house to say thanks for bringing our bins in for the past two years, and giving us vegetables from his garden.

It’s an all in one sponge, so is dead easy – literally put all of the ingredients in in one go and you’re done! The trick is not to mess around, I believe the key to a light and airy sponge is just to get on with it, so read the recipe first so you know what’s coming up.

Victoria Sponge with Jam and Cream

Classic Victoria Sponge

Ingredients:

6oz self raising flour

6oz caster sugar

6oz marg

1.5tsp baking powder

1 capful vanilla essence

3 eggs

Splash of milk

Filling/Topping:

caster sugar to dust

2/3 tbsp jam (raspberry is my fav)

250ml double cream (whipped)

2 x 8 in diameter cake tins (at least 2 inches deep), greased and lined

170oC fan oven, 180oC for all other ovens

Method:

1. Put the flour, sugar, marg, baking powder, vanilla essence, eggs and a splash of milk into a large mixing bowl.
2. Using an electric whisk (if you haven’t got one a wooden spoon and elbow grease will do!) beat the ingredients into a smooth batter, shouldn’t take longer than 2/3 minutes. I think the secret to a really light, moist sponge is not to over work the batter at this stage, so once everything is combined, stop mixing!
3. Evenly divide the mixture between your two greased and lined tins, cleaning the bowl out with a spatula so as not to waste anything. Using a palette knife smooth out the surface of the batter, and make a slight indentation in the centre of each to ensure an even rise.
4. Place side by side into the middle of your preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5. To test if the cake is ready insert a sharp knife into the centre of each cake (or, if you’ve got one, I use a knitting needle to leave as small a hole in your cake as possible), if it comes out clean it’s ready, if not put it gently back into the oven for another 5 minutes then test again.
6. Once cooked turn out of the tin onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold.
7. Once they’re completely cold pick which cake you want to be on top (I usually go for the one with the most even colouring/less visible holes from the knitting needle). On the cake making up the bottom of your sponge gently spread the jam, then move it to the plate you’re going to keep the cake on. You can also use a cake tin lid for this, and then use the tin upside to keep your cake in.
8. Whip the cream into soft peaks and spread over the jam. Put the top cake gently on top of the creamed cake, sprinkle generously with caster sugar (using a teaspoon and tapping the handle is the easiest way to get an even sprinkling). 

Like I said, you can't beat the classics, and there really is nothing better than a slice of this iconic cake with a cup of tea! 

Once you're happy with this basic recipe you can start to experiment with flavours, decorations and combinations of the two, but that's for another time!

Happy Baking,

The Baking Ginger xx