Category Archives: Cakes

Non-stick Cake Liners for Baking Tins

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NON-STICK CAKE LINERS FOR BAKING TINS

In this post, I explain how to make your own non-stick, reusable baking liners for circular cake tins from fibreglass grill mats.

I have recently started experimenting with cooking and making cakes in the breadmaker. I found a recipe for brownies that I liked but I wanted a quick method that could be whipped up in minutes, without the faff of having to prepare the cake tin. Although greaseproof paper was the easiest thing to use, I wasn’t happy with the fact that you have to buy it and you can’t reuse it, and so thought about the idea of reusable cake liners. When I started looking, these do exist,  but they tend to be expensive and I saw one for about 30 euros on an Australian site.

BARBECUE MATS AND OVEN LINERS

After a bit of thought, I came up with the idea of using the grill mats that you can buy to keep your barbecue or the bottom of your oven clean. These are generally made of fibreglass and can withstand high temperatures. They are also quite thin (2mm thick) and so can be cut with scissors. I knew from the size of the greaseproof paper that I used to line the cake tin that the mats would have to be at least 34cm wide. As I’ve got a round cake tin, I also bought a compass.

MARKING THE GRILL MAT

I set the compass to the internal radius of the cake tin (8.75cm) and drew a circle in the middle of the grill mat. I put the point of the compass on the diameter and marked the points where the compass crossed to divide the circumference evenly into six.

The internal radius was 8.75cm and the sides measured 10cm. Adding these two figures together, I set the compass to this new measurement and drew a second circle with the same central point as before.

I cut out the grill mat round the second circle.

Using a ruler, I lined up opposite intersecting points on the first circle. I drew a line through them to connect the two circles. I then cut down from the outer circle to the first circle.

 

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

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fudgy chocolate brownies

FUDGY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

For various reasons, I prefer to bake cakes without butter if at all possible and this recipe ticks all the boxes in terms of fudgy, chocolaty brownies. It is quick and easy to make and can be made on the BAKE program in the breadmaker.

 fudgy chocolate brownies

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies

This recipe is delicious and can be whipped up in no time at all.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup sunflower oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder & 1/2 cup plain flour or 1/2 cup self-raising flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

METHOD

  1. Line a round or square 7″ (18cm) baking tin with baking parchment or grease and flour the tin.
  2. Measure out the flour, salt and cocoa into a bowl.
  3. Cream the oil and sugar together in a bowl.
  4. Break in the eggs and beat well.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly.
  6. Spoon into the tin.
  7. Bake in the breadmaker on the 1-hour BAKE programme or in a hot oven for 20 minutes.

Gluten-free carrot cake

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Gluten-free carrot cake
Serves 24
In this carrot cake recipe, polenta and ground almonds replace the flour and olive oil is used instead of butter.
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Cook Time
40 min
Cook Time
40 min
CAKE
  1. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  2. 350g brown sugar
  3. 5 medium eggs
  4. 150g ground almonds
  5. 100g polenta
  6. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  7. 1 teaspoon salt
  8. 125g chopped walnuts
  9. 500g grated carrot
  10. 1 teaspoon baking powder
ICING
  1. 125g salted butter
  2. 250g light cream cheese
  3. 250g icing sugar
  4. grated zest of 2 large oranges
TO MAKE THE CAKE
  1. Heat the oven to 180ºC.
  2. Line a rectangular cake tin (25cm x 29cm) with baking parchment.
  3. Beat the eggs, sugar and oil together in a large bowl.
  4. Sprinkle in the polenta, ground almonds, salt and cinnamon and mix well.
  5. Add the carrots and walnuts and give the mixture a good stir.
  6. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes.
  7. Test with a skewer to check that the cake is cooked.
  8. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a baking rack.
  9. Leave to cool completely.
TO MAKE THE ICING
  1. Cream the butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
  2. Add the other ingredients and keep in the fridge until needed.
  3. Once the cake has cooled, spread over the icing.
Cortijo de la Plata https://cortijoblog.com/

Carrot and olive oil cake

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Carrot and olive oil cake

carrot and olive oil cake

By using extra virgin olive oil, this carrot cake had a great taste, was seriously moist and one of the nicest carrot cakes I’ve ever eaten. I’m a bit concerned about the amount of sugar in the cake itself as 500g seems a lot and so next time I might try using less sugar – possibly 350g.

I’ve just realised that I never say anything about heating the oven to 180ºC. When I bake cakes, I use the wood-fired oven after making pizzas for lunch so it’s more a case of waiting for the temperature to drop from over 350ºC to around 200ºC. Normally this takes about four hours or so and then the temperature will remain constant.

INGREDIENTS (CAKE):
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
500g brown sugar
250g self-raising flour
4 large eggs or 5 medium eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
125g walnuts, coarsely chopped
500g carrots, coarsely grated

INGREDIENTS (ICING):
125g salted butter
250g light cream cheese
250g icing sugar
grated zest of 2 large oranges

METHOD:
Line a deep-sided roasting tin with baking parchment. The size of the tin I used was 32cm x 22cm.

In a large bowl beat together the olive oil, sugar and eggs. Slowly add in the flour, salt and cinnamon and mix well. Add the grated carrot and walnuts and give the mixture a good stir.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile make the icing. Cream the butter in a bowl and then add all the other ingredients. Mix well and then keep in the fridge until needed.

Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before removing from the tin. Leave to cool completely and then spread over the icing.

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Cherry Clafoutis

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Cherry clafoutis

cherry clafoutisCherry clafoutis is a traditional French cake from the Limousin region of France. The classic recipe is made with a pancake or flan batter. You can either use self-raising flour or plain flour and baking powder. Traditionally, black cherries are used in the clafoutis but you can also make it with most other fruits. It also works well with red cherries, plums, pears or soft summer fruits (e.g. raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.).

The word clafoutis comes from the Occitan verb clafir which means to fill.  If fruit other than cherries are used then the clafoutis becomes a flaugnarde. Flaugnarde comes from the Occitan word flaunhard which means “soft” or “downy”. In the traditional French dish, the cherry stones are not removed as they contain an element called amygdalin which is found in almonds and they therefore add an almond flavour to the cake. It is your choice entirely whether you leave the stones in or not. Personally I prefer to take them out.

The cherries are softened for 5 minutes in the oven before the batter is poured over and the cake is baked.

It would also to be possible to cook this cake on the stove if you don’t have an oven. For a gluten-free version, see this gluten-free pear cake.

BATTER INGREDIENTS:
300ml milk
3 eggs
60g plain flour + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder OR 60g self-raising flour
60g sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHERRIES:
300 cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon sugar
icing sugar for dusting the cake with
butter or oil for greasing the cake tin

METHOD:
Heat the oven to 180ºC – 200ºC.
Beat the eggs with a whisk. Beat in the milk and then add the flour (and baking powder if using), sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.

Grease a cake tin and then arrange the cherries on the bottom of the tin. Cook the cherries in the oven for 5 minutes to soften.

Pour over the batter mix and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Check the cake after 15 minutes and turn the tin through 180º so that it cooks evenly.

Take out of the oven once the cake has cooked and leave to cool slightly. Dust the top with icing sugar. The cake is best served warm with cream if you like.