Marmalade and Cardamom Drizzle Cakes

This is something I've been playing around with for a while, but the bitterness of the marmalade and the aromatics of the cardamom in these cakes work really well together, with quite a grown up flavour. I used some gorgeous little silicone flower moulds I got from my aunty for these, added a real special twist!

Ingredients:

Cake:

6oz self raising flour
6oz caster sugar
6oz marg
1.5tsp baking powder
3 eggs
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
Ground seeds from approx 15-20 cardamom pods
1 heaped tbsp marmalade

For the drizzle:

2 heaped tbsp marmalade (I used some without rind - your choice)
Zest and juice of 1 orange

Makes 12 mini cakes or 1 large tray bake
180oC oven

Method:

1. Combine all of the cake ingredients and mix into a smooth batter
2. Grease the tins/moulds you're using, and fill with the batter
3. Bake for 20-25 mins for mini cakes or 30-35 mins for a larger cake, until golden brown and coming away from the edges of the tin
4. Whilst the cakes/cake are baking, heat the ingredients for the drizzle in a pan and boil rapidly for 5 mins
5. When the cake is ready, remove from the oven and pour over the drizzle and leave the cake to cool completely
6. Once cool, remove and serve, easy!
This is great with a coffee for elevenses, or with custard as a dessert. It'll keep for 2/3 days in an airtight tin.

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger x

Carrot, Sultana and Mixed Spice Muffins

Finished carrot muffins

These are another type of muffin I've created to take to work with me. An adaptation of carrot cake, they're really moist, and heady with mixed spice, which I love, but if you're not such a fan you can always reduce the amount in it.

In another change from previous muffins I also decided to sprinkle some oats on top of the muffins, just for a different texture; they work really well I think!

Carrot, Sultana and Mixed Spice Muffins

Dry Ingredients

Makes 10/12 muffins

Ingredients:

100g wholemeal/wholegrain flour
50g oats
50g brown sugar
1 large handful of crushed branflakes
75g sultanas
0.5tsp baking powder
0.25tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.5tsp mixed spice

1 grated carrot (approx. 50g)
3tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
juice of 1 satsuma/clementine

Wet Ingredients

100-200ml milk (enough to make a loose, pourable batter)

180oC fan oven/190oC other ovens

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients (keep a small handful of the oats back to sprinkle on the top of the muffins before baking).

2. Mix the wet ingredients, apart from the milk.

3. Combine the two mixtures, beat into a batter and add enough milk to make a loose, pourable batter.

4. Divide between 10/12 bun cases in a bun tray and sprinkle on the left over oats.

5. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 15/20 minutes, or until a knife comes out of the centre of a muffin clean.

Combined Batter

6. Cool on a wire rack, store in an airtight container until you need them.

Like I said, these are delicious, really simple, and a sustaining snack for a busy day - perfect!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger

Ready to eat!

Ready for the oven

Supersized Carrot Cake

Finished slice of cake!

Today I made a massive carrot cake for a coffee morning tomorrow, it'll cut into 45 generous pieces, but I thought I'd just put the original recipe in here - I tripled it! It's an adaptation of the BBC GoodFood carrot cake recipe, but with extra carrots and spices to make it really moist and delicious!

It has the added benefit of being dairy free, so if you've got friends coming over with dietary requirements this is the cake for them!

Wet ingredients

Carrot Cake Traybake

 Makes approx. 16 generous portions

Ingredients

175g light muscovado sugar

175ml sunflower or veg oil

3 large eggs , lightly beaten

150g grated carrots (about 3 medium)

150g raisins/sultanas

grated zest of 1 large orange

175g self-raising flour

Adding dry ingredients

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp grated nutmeg

175g icing sugar

enough orange juice to make a thick icing

160oC fan oven/180oC all other ovens

Method

1. Line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment. The easiest way to do this is to cut a long strip of parchment and lay it across the bottom and up the sides of the tin, it also makes the cake easier to lift out when its cooked.

Monster cake ready to bake!

2. Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs; mix until combined. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins/sultanas and orange rind.

3. To the wet ingredients add the flour, bicarb and spices. Mix until everything is combined - it'll be a very runny batter.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. It'll be quite a dark golden brown colour because of the muscavado sugar and spices.

5. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Baked, pre-icing

6. Make the icing and cover the top of the cake with it. Leave to set then cut into pieces. 

This cake is best enjoyed with a cup of tea (what cake isn't?!), it'll keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container, but it's better eaten sooner rather than later - its too easy and tasty not to give it a go!

Happy Baking!

Iced - before slicing

The Baking Ginger xx