Feijoa and White Chocolate Cake

As I mentioned on my last post. It's crazy feijoa season here. There's about 2 months of the year that NZ has an overflow of feijoa, and then we don't see them again till the next year. Which is good, because when they are in season, there are so many, and they are so good, that without fail you completely gorge yourself on them, and by the end of the season, are so over them that you're searching for new and interesting ways to use them up. 

Note: they also freeze really well, so you can scoop the pulp and stow it away in the freezer for a baking on a rainy day if you've already had your fill for now. 

After the feijoa oatcakes and crumbles I've been making of late I wanted to try something new, plus Mr 3 wanted to make a 'Mudders Day' chocolate cake for me... FYI - by him helping bake, he means he wants to lick the spoon and eat all the ingredients, minimal help actually attained. But, he's there and involved and we have fun making a mess, so that's all good. But, yes, I made my own Mother's Day cake essentially. 

Now, he wanted chocolate cake, but me being me, and hating seeing food go to waste, I knew I needed to include the feijoa. There's a few feijoa cakes out there with cocoa in them,  but the idea of milk or dark chocolate with feijoa just doesn't quite sound right to me. Plus I wanted to make something that could have cream cheese icing, no explanation necessary on that one, cream cheese icing is THE BEST. 

A few years back I made feijoa and white chocolate muffins, which were an amazing flavour combo, so I wanted to recreate that in cake form here. The result here is a deliciously moist, rich yet tart cake. The richness comes from the white chocolate which caramelised in some spots, and the tartness from the feijoa and cream cheese icing. I've left the icing quite soft, as that's how I like it, but if you prefer a firmer icing, simply add more icing sugar. 

Ingredients (makes 24cm round cake): 

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 3/4 flour
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 120 grams butter, melted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp boiling water (45ml)
•  1 cup of feijoa pulp
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, optional, but worthwhile

Icing:

• 100g butter, room temperature
• 100g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice and lemon zest

Method:

Grease a 25cm diameter cake tin. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. 

In a cake mixer, or using an electric hand beater beat sugar and eggs till light and fluffy. 

Add lemon juice, mix. Then add baking powder and flour, half a cup at a time, till all combined. 

Mix baking soda with boiling water, and along with feijoa pulp and melted butter, add to your cake mix, folding together till well combined. Finally fold in the chocolate chips. 

Pour cake mix into your greased cake tin and bake 40 - 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. 

Leave to cool in tin for 15 mins before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Once cooled ice with cream cheese icing. 

To make icing, beat butter until light in colour and fluffy. Add softened cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined. Add sifted icing sugar half a cup at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. I like it quite soft. Stir in a teaspoon of lemon juice and lemon rind (optional). 

Carrot and Date Loaf

I find baking rather therapeutic, or maybe it's the eating of the baking afterwards. Either way, it's good for the soul, and in my book it's much better for you as a treat than any of the store bought packaged items available. I couldn't decide if I wanted to make a carrot cake or a date loaf. Carrot cake seemed too elaborate for the lunch boxes, and date loaf, well... not quite right. Hence I combined the two.
This is delicious as a snack, dessert or even breakfast; smeared with softened butter, or in keeping with the carrot cake theme delicious spreadable cream cheese. 


Ingredients (Makes 8-10 slices): 

• 100 grams butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup of dates
• 1 cup of cold water
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup or 120 grams of chopped nuts (I've used a combination of walnuts, almonds, cashews) 
• 1 cup of packed grated carrot
• 2 eggs at room temperature

In a saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, dates, water, ginger and cinnamon. Gently bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally till the dates begin to break down. Remove from the heat and stir in baking soda - get the kids to watch as it fizzes up! Set aside to 20 minutes to cool down. 

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 180•C bake or 160•C fanbake. Line a loaf tin (or 12 muffin tray) with baking paper so that there is plenty of overhang. 

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, nuts and grated carrot. 

Once cooled, quickly beat the eggs into the date mixture, then combine this with the flour mix. Mix till just combined before pouring into the loaf tin (or muffin trays). Bake for 50 minutes (25-30 minutes for muffins) or until a skewer comes out clean. 

Leave in the tray for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. Enjoy morning, noon or night served with softened butter, or a lashing of cream cheese for that carrot cake nostalgia. 

Savoury Cheese Veggie and Polenta Muffins

Savoury muffins are my new favourite snack, breakfast on the go, or as they were today, a quick and easy lunch alongside my favourite tinned soup 

These muffins are loaded with veggies and tasty cheese for calcium and a protein kick. You're welcome to chop and change the veggies used. Corn kernals and roasted pumkin or kumara are also very tasty. 

Polenta is also known as cornmeal and is available at most supermarkets, if you don't have it, you could substitute for 1/2 a cup of ground nuts, or 3/4 cup of extra flour.  

This recipe is easily doubled. I make a double batch, then individually wrap and freeze them. Frozen they stay fresh for up to 3 months. Simply grab one in the morning and it will be good to eat by morning tea time, or quickly warm in the microwave for 30 seconds. 

Ingredients (makes 12 regular muffins, or 6 texas* muffins): 

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp dried herbs or 1 tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, chives oregano or thyme) 
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup polenta 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup grated cheese, plus 1/4 extra for sprinkling on top
• 1 grilled red pepper (skin removed), roughly chopped 
• 1 cup of baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped, or 1/2 cup of frozen spinach, defrosted 
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion, shallots, or sliced spring onion
• 1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli flakes (optional) 

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Grease muffin trays or line with paper cases. 

Mix milk, oil and egg in a bowl. 

Sieve flour and baking powder in another bowl and stir through polenta, herbs, cheese, pepper, spinach, onion and pepper.  

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and fold in the wet ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix, some dry bits are fine. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. 

Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes if making regular size, or 25-30 minutes for Texas sized muffins. 

Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.
Serve warm or room temperature with lashings of butter and a dollop of chutney. Also, a smear of vegemite or marmite adds a salty nutritional boost. 

Can freeze for up to 3 months. 

* Texas muffins are the larger muffin trays and are a similar size to what you would get in a cafe, while regular are the more cupcake size. 

Mum's "Meat Dish" Banana Cake

I call this "meat dish" banana cake because traditionally the recipe actually makes enough to bake it in a meat-dish, and usually we do. It's the perfect cake to whip up to feed a crowd and is always a pleaser with even the fussiest of eaters. I found the recipe in my mother-in-laws hand written recipe journal and this cake, along with the others in the journal have been feeding my husband and his brothers and cousins for decades. So rest assured, it has been rigorously quality assurance tested. 

If you don't fancy making one large tray cake, you could (as I did this time), bake two 22cm round cakes and either ice both, or layer them. I also had enough batter to make a dozen cupcakes, which I've popped in the freezer for another day. 

The chocolate chips were an optional extra that I tried this time, though my MIL wasn't too sure about me changing the recipe, it turned out just as luscious as always. 

You can ice it with cream cheese frosting, a chocolate buttercream, or as I did a simple lemon and/or chocolate icing sugar mixture. Mix 2 cups of sifted icing sugar with 2 tbsp melted butter, and enough liquid to form an icing of your desired consistency. For lemon icing, add lemon juice as the liquid, and for chocolate icing, sift 3-4 tbsp of cocoa powder in with the icing sugar, then add enough water or milk to form the paste. Spread onto the cooled cakes. 

Ingredients (to make one "meat dish" slab cake, or two 22cm round cakes and 12 cupcakes): 

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 7 overripe (practically black) bananas, lightly mashed
• 1 cup or 175 grams of chocolate chips (optional) 
• 3 cups of plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 225 grams melted butter

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and grease or line your cake tins. I always grease the sides and line the bottom with greaseproof paper, this means you'll never have any trouble removing the cake from the pan. 

Using an electric mixer (I used a kenwood cake mixer, but a hand mixer would work), beat the eggs and sugar until light light and fluffy, almost foamy - this is the most important bit for a good cake. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder into another bowl. 

Add the bananas to the egg mix and beat well to combine, then add the chocolate chips, beat again. 

Pour the sifted dry ingredients on top and either on a low speed with your cake mixer, or with a wooden spoon fold the dry and wet ingredients until just combined (about 6 turns of your cake mixer), some flour may still be visible. Finally add the melted butter and mix again till everything is combined. 

Pour the batter into your prepared cake tins and put into a hot oven. 

Bake times vary depending on the size of your tin: for a large slab cake bake about 45 minutes, round cakes approximately 35 minutes, and cupcakes approximately 20 - 25 minutes. Just keep an eye on them and test with a skewer. When the skewer comes out clean the cakes are done, also, your nose will let you know when they are nearly done as the smell coming from the oven will be amazing. 

My assortment of cakes and mini-cakes...  

... which never last very long

White Chocolate Hot Cross Cakes

These Easter cakes are a real treat, and are best served with a lashing of butter in the middle. They're like a cross between a hot cross bun and a fruit loaf. Try them for morning or afternoon tea instead of your usual Good Friday hot cross buns. 

Ingredients (makes 10):

• 50grams butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup currants - or raisins 
• 1/4 cup of cranberries
• 50 grams of white chocolate chips 
• 3/4 cup wholemeal flour 
• 3/4 cup plain flour 
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp allspice 
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Grease 10 muffin holes of a muffin tray. 

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the dried fruit and white chocolate. 

In another bowl sift the flours, baking soda and spices. Tip the wholemeal husks into the bowl with the flour. 

Mix the baking soda and milk together. 

Stir the flour and milk into the creamed butter alternatively till all is well combined. 

Spoon mixture into 10 muffin tins. 

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

When cooled melt the remaining white chocolate. Spoon the melted chocolate into a clean plastic bag and snip 1mm off the corner. Pipe crosses onto the top of each muffin. 

Serve with a spread of softened butter in the middle of each. 

Lemon and White Chocolate Muffins

One of my goals this year was to stop eating junk food. What I mean when I say junk food is processed food. Which means, that if I want treats, I have to make them myself, or a friend. So long as it doesn't come in a packet. My only exception to that rule is chocolate - Whittaker's Chocolate - Quality Chocolate. 

So I created these muffins for our Friday morning tea... The tartness of lemon mixed with the sweet chocolate flavour is a match made in heaven. Even better, these don't take long to whip up and get into the oven. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups flour 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp lemon rind 
• 1/2 cup Whittaker's white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup milk 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil - something lightly flavoured like rice bran or canola
• 1 egg 
• 12 squares of Whittaker's white chocolate for the top

Grease a 12 hole muffin tin and preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. 

As per usual muffin recipes, sift the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, and baking powder. Stir in the lemon rind and chopped Whittaker's white chocolate. 

In another bowl beat the lemon juice with milk, vegetable oil and egg till well mixed. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. While turning the bowl, use a wooden spoon to fold the dry and wet together, till just combined (a few floury bits are ok here, it will sort itself out while cooking). 

Place in the hot oven for 20 minutes till a skewer comes out clean. 

Once removed, place a square of Whittaker's white chocolate on the top of each muffin. Allow this to soften for a minute and very gently press it down onto the muffin a little to make sure the chocolate is secure (I find this method 'pretties' them up, without all the fuss of making icing, plus you get more of the chocolatey goodness!).

After 5 - 10 minutes remove from the tin to cool completely. 

Keep somewhere cool in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or, wrap and freeze muffins individually for up to three months. 

Pumpkin'n'Spice Muffins

Earlier this year I completed Junk Free June and thanks to all my sponsors raised $700 for The Cancer Society. One of the main things that challenge taught me was how much hidden sugar I eat, daily. Or ate. One lasting change I have made is to my 'snacks'. Once upon a time, a muesli bar-oholic. Eating at least one, sometimes more, every day. I was kidding myself thinking that these chocolate coated morsels were 'healthy', usually full of sugars and contributed to my 3pm crash, which was usually fuelled by more muesli bars or chocolate. 

The lasting change I have made is no more processed morning teas. No more muesli bars. I'm not saying that all muesli bars are unhealthy, there are definitely some good options out there, and they can be a great grab'n'go snack to resort to. However, part of my goal was to cut them out. As a result, I've discovered a range of easy to make refined sugar free lunch box fillers, as I go I'll update the blog with the 'lunch box' tag. 

These muffins are gently spiced with cinnamon, ginger and turmeric. I've raved about the health benefits of turmeric before, as a natural anti-inflammatory it's a wonderful inclusion in a healthy diet. 

Ingredients (makes 12): 

• 3/4 cup mashed pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk (almond, coconut, or dairy) 
• 1/3 cup rice malt syrup (or maple or honey) 
• 3 tbsp oil (olive, rice bran, or coconut) 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts and seeds (walnut, sunflower & pumpkin) 
• 1/4 cup dried fruit (diced dates, currants or raisins) 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 

Grease 12 muffin holes with oil. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius. 

In one bowl mix all the wet ingredients, including mashed pumpkin. In another bowl mix dry ingredients, including nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Divide mixture into the muffin holes and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. 

Cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out. 

Delicious served warm with butter and a drizzle of honey.