The Updated Version of Duckeys Carrot Cake

Like all good recipes sometimes you realise by making small tweaks along the way the outcome can be more successful, my favourite recipe is for my Duckeys Carrot Cake - here is my perfected version.

RECIPE: Moist succulent carrot cake delicately favoured with cinnamon pineapple and raisins, combined with walnuts topped with a cream cheese topping decorated with walnut pieces.

You will need:

60g unsalted butter
2 eggs (whisked and separating egg whites from the yolks)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2-3 large grated carrots
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
135g caster sugar
135g self raising flour
50g drained, canned, crushed pineapple
50g raisins
50g walnuts chopped

For the icing:

112g low-fat cream cheese softened
200g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

To decorate:

Walnut pieces

To make the cake:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees - Gas mark 4-5

2. Remove the unsalted butter and eggs from the refrigerator to allow them to warm to the room temperature

3. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy

4. Gradually add the caster sugar and continue to beat until the mixture until it has creamed


5. Then add the egg yolks mixed and whisk the egg white (which should be beaten in a separate bowl - this creates more volume


6. Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg and carrots


7. Sift the self raising flour, baking powder and salt in the mixture

8. Fold in half the flour mixture

9. Stir in the pineapple, raisins and walnuts


10. Fold in the rest of the flour mixture … the batter should be smooth, but do not overmix!

11. Coat a 10-inch round cake pan with non-stick spray

12. Pour the batter mixture into the pan


13. Bake until the cake is golden brown and set in the center, about 35 minutes

14. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan


To make the cream cheese icing:

1. In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla together until the mixture is smooth

2. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the icing on top of the cooled cake

3. Store the cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

4. Cut the cake into 12 pieces and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

This recipe has been modified from the original - I have changed a few of the ingredients and quantities but the Carrot Cake is still pretty healthy.

Clever little idea from Graze!

I have been thoroughly impressed with a little box that was delivered to me yesterday. On Sunday my partner James informed me about this company called "Graze".

They offer delicious, healthy, natural food; delicious nuts, seeds & dried fruits, tasty crackers & olives, freshly baked focaccia, as well as some well deserved flapjacks and natural treats. All put in a box for you - delivered first class to your door.

This has been great because during the week the box has given me a different selection to graze on all week long. Now I am not a huge lunch person so to keep a healthy diet this is just the right solution for me.

I highly recommend giving it a go! Its quite fun too!

Duckeys Duck Cake!

For Christmas, my partners brother and his girlfriend bought me the most amazing present, a Duck Cake Mold!

So of course I couldn't wait to try it out.

I found that because it was non-stick not matter how much the mold was greased it still was a nightmare to get out, so I almost had to surgically piece the Duck back together.

To say the least I just about managed it. But it didn't take long for my other half James to demolish it!

Bye bye Duckey!

Duckeys Chocolate Log!...

It is that time of year again when we see the return of festive recipes. Every year my friend and I have an annual Christmas party (complete with Secret Santa!) and as usual I have been asked to supply the dessert.

So what is more festive and yummy than a traditional chocolate log... but to make this one a little more challenging I want to create a lighter version!

RECIPE: A delicious Christmas Chocolate log... so light it will lift you up to the clouds and back again... so chocolaty you can't say no !

You will need:

FOR THE LOG

    * butter , for greasing
    * 5 eggs
    * 140g light muscovado sugar
    * 100g self-raising flour
    * 25g good quality cocoa powder such as Green & Black's or Oxfam Fairtrade
    * caster sugar , for dusting

FOR THE ICING AND FILLING

    * 285ml/9½fl oz carton double cream
    * 450g fondant chocolate , such as Lindt Lindor
    * icing sugar , for dusting


How to make it... 

1.  First things first you need to pre-heat your oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Then butter and line the base and sides of a 30 x 35cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment as shown below.

2. The next job is a trick to make this recipe extra light, this way you use less flower and use more air! Separate the eggs, putting them into two large mixing bowls.

In one add the sugar and 2 tbsp water to the egg yolks.

Whisk the sugar and yolks for about 5 mins until the mixture is light in colour and thick enough to leave a trail when the whisk blades are lifted.

 

The mixture should turn golden in colour. 

Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold in lightly, using the whisk blades or a large metal spoon.

3. Using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they are stiff,

Then fold into the cake mixture in three batches, again using the blades to preserve as much air as possible.

4. Pour the mixture evenly over the prepared tin, then carefully spread to the edges. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until the cake feels firm to the touch.

Put a large sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar. Turn the cake out onto the parchment and peel off the lining paper. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to cool completely.

Trim a little cake from all the edges, then score along the edge of one of the long sides of the cake and roll up from there, using the paper to help you, rolling the paper inside the cake.

5. To make the icing and filling, bring the cream to the boil in a small pan, remove from the heat, then break in 400g of the chocolate. Stir until it is melted and smooth.

Leave to cool, then chill until it is spreadable, about 1 hr. Chop the remaining chocolate, spoon a third of the icing into a bowl, then stir them together to make the filling.

6. Carefully unroll the cake, then spread all the filling over to within 2cm of the edges. Roll up the cake again using the paper to help you, then set on a board.

7. Cut a thick diagonal slice off one end of the cake. Transfer the larger piece of cake to a board or flat serving plate. Spread a little icing over cut side of the small piece of cake and fix it to the large roll to make a stump (as photo).

Spread remaining icing over the cake, then dust with icing sugar to serve.

I also added a decoration of edible holly and displayed the log on a Christmassy board! I used a fork to make some bark marks on the chocolate.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

The weather is turning cold, autumn is coming so I am getting my 'soup on' in the kitchen!

Recently I have bought what I call as "joosher" known to everyone else as a hand blender, a marvelous invention that makes my soup making very easy.

Actually making soup is very easy it is the preperation that can be the time consuming part.

So here is my Duckey recipe for this dish...

RECIPE: A heart warming spiced Butternut Squash soup with black pepper croutons and crusty bread.

You will need: 

1 onion
1 butternut squash
3 carrots
1 sweet potato
1 garlic clove
Spices - paprika, chili powder,  cumin, rosemary, tumeric (a good shake of each)
2 chicken stock cubes with 2 pints of water (hot)
Oliver oil (2tbspns) 

1. Cut and prepare your carrot, onion, sweet potato and butternut squash.

2. In a pan fry the garlic and spices in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Saute the vegetables in the spices and oil for about 2 minutes.

4. The add in half of the stock and simmer on a low heat.

5. When the stock has started to reduce add the remaining.

6. Then simmer for about 45 minutes until there is a little water left and the vegetables are soft.

7. Leave to cool and in a measuring jug use the "Joosher" hand blender to blend the soup.

Hey presto that it is - soup - done! I have to say my partner James enjoyed this soup so much it is all I have made for the last few weeks! Lucky its an easy dish hey!

This post was sponsored by Sauce Communications experts in Food Marketing.

Duckeys Famous Coffee and Walnut Cake...

This one is dedicated to my almost Father In-Law Richie!

I know that Coffee Cake is one of his favourites and he has helped James my partner and I a lot on the changes within our house.

So as a treat I wanted to 'keep the workers going' by making a little tea break snack!

RECIPE: A traditional Coffee and Walnut cake covered with light coffee buttered icing.

You will need: 

For the cake:

150g self raising flour
150g butter
150g caster sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1 egg
1 tspn of instant coffee mixed with a small amount of water (to a paste)
100g Walnuts

For the icing:

150g icing sugar
150g butter
1 tspn of instant coffee mixed with a small amount of water (to a paste)
Walnuts to decorate

1. Cream the butter and sugar together

2. Then add one beaten egg

3. Slowly sift in the flour

4. Add 1tspn of baking powder

5. Add the coffee mixture

6. Mix well and insert into two lined cake tins

7. Cook in the over at Gas 4 (180 degrees) for 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime make the icing - 

1. Add the butter and icing sugar and cream to a good consistency

2. Add the coffee mixture

Its as easy as that!

Once the cake is cooked and cooled, spread on a layer of the icing and a sprinkle of walnuts to one side of the cake... then sandwich together and cover the cake completely with the rest of the icing.

Decorate as you wish with the remaining walnut pieces!

And the cake went down very well, even thought Mrs P will probably tell me off for feeding Richie cake!

This post has kindly been sponsored by the Home Decor Company - Grand Illusions. 

Duckey LIVE in the kitchen - How to make chocolate brownies!

Takes a little while to load so bare with me... :) it was my first time!!




Ok so I have had a few requests to actually demonstrate how to cook my recipes so I have trialed this idea with my Duckeys Gluten free brownines!