Traditional Victoria Sponge

This has to be one of the prettiest cakes I have made to date, and it is traditionally British which makes it better!

Victoria Sponge Sandwich Cake with Fruits

Ingredients:
200g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
200g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
4 Eggs
2tbsp Milk
Filling;
140g Icing Sugar
100g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
Raspberry Jam

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line two 20cm cake tins with butter.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together, then add the flour and eggs and beat until fully mixed. Add the milk if necessary and vanilla extract if desired.
3. Spread evenly between the tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Leave to cool upside down before decorating.
4. For the filling; mix the sugar and butter together. Spread over the bottom of one of the sponges. Spread the jam on the bottom of the second sponge.
5. Place the sponge with the jam on top of the butter icing sponge.
6. Decorate with berry fruits (in this example, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries were used) if desired and finish with icing sugar over the top.

Raspberry and Almond Weight Watcher Muffins

This is a spin-off to the Weight Watcher Blueberry muffin recipe. Instead, it is raspberries with almond essence!

Ingredients:
200 g Plain White Flour
1/2 teaspoons (level) Bicarbonate of Soda
2 teaspoons (level) Baking Powder
75 g Caster Sugar
1 pinch Salt
75 g Margarine, Soft, Polyunsaturated, melted
100 g Low Fat Natural Yogurt
100 ml Skimmed Milk
1 medium (raw) Egg, whole
80g Raspberries, fresh and cut into quarters

1 Tablespoon Almond Extract


Method:
1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/400°F. Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin or cup cake cases.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl mix the melted margarine, yogurt, milk, almond essence and egg together.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine very gently so you don't over-work the mixture.
4. Gently stir in the raspberries, again keeping the mixing to a minimum, then quickly spoon into the muffin cases. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and golden on top.
5. Transfer to a wire rack and cool or eat warm.

Raspberry Jam Almond Tartlets

These biscuit tartlets are worth making and they look nice and smart too.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
90g ground almonds
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
Rasperry Jam

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheight, 180 degrees celsius or gas mark 4. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder, set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar and ground almonds.  

2. Mix together the butter and caster sugar. Mix in egg, then blend in vanilla and almond extract.

3. Mix in the almond mixture, then with mixer set on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until it is all fully combined.

4. Dust the work surface with flour, and get the combined mixture (should be a dough) and roll out with a rolling pin, into 1/8 to 1/6-inch thickness.

5. Cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter, then using a smaller heart shape cookie cutter, cut smaller hearts into the centers of half of the hearts.

6. Carefully transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets (you can run a sharp knife or pastry scaper under cookies to help lift them if needed!), spacing cookies 1-inch apart.

7. Bake in preheated oven 10 - 12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.

8. Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Spread strawberry jam over whole hearts, and place the cookies with the centres cut out over the tops. 10. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe altered from: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/01/linzer-cookies/

Raspberry filled Almond Cupcakes

These were made purely because I baked some cherry bakewell tarts and had spare cake mix. Because I also had spare jam, I filled the middle of the cupcakes and decorated them as normal. The jam keeps them wonderfully moist in the middle and the almond and raspberry compliment each other extremely well, these cupcakes really are a delicious twist to a standard vanilla sponge.

I would highly recommend these cupcakes to make! Only a few different ingredients but they have an exceptional taste.

This recipe makes 12 standard cupcakes.

Ingredients:
110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
2 medium free-range eggs
55g ground almonds
55g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp almond extract
Raspberry jam (for filling)

Icing sugar

Dried raspberry pieces (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) and fill a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. 

2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth.

3. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding 1 tbsp ground almonds after each addition. 

4. Add the flour, remaining almonds and almond extract and stir well.

5. Fill the cupcake liners and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked (an inserted knife will come out clean). 

6. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

7. Once cooled, using a teaspoon dig into the centre of the cupcakes and remove some of the sponge. Take care not to remove sponge such that the bottom of the cake case is being exposed. Fill the gap with raspberry jam to fill to the top.

8. Create a thick icing with the icing sugar and water and decorate on top. Add optional dried raspberry pieces.

Cherry Bakewell Tartlets

For my first ever batch of cherry bakewells, these came out wonderfully. It you want to make some delicious little tarts, then follow this recipe and you won't be disappointed. I actually had too much material for this recipe but it might have been because I used a slightly smaller baking tray. I still produced LOADS of wonderfully bitesized treats though!

Ingredients:
500g sweet shortcrust pastry
3 - 6 tbsp Raspberry jam
200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 medium free-range eggs
100g ground almonds
100g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp almond extract

For the topping:
300g icing sugar (approximately)
Glacé cherries to decorate

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to fit the base and sides of a 29cm x 21cm (or a 30cm x 20cm) baking tray. Spread the jam over the pastry base.
2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, adding 1 tbsp ground almonds after each addition. Add the flour, remaining almonds and almond extract and stir well. Spoon the mixture over the jam, spreading to make an even layer.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes until well risen, firm and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the icing sugar and 3 tbsp water to make a fairly thick icing. When the tart is cold, spoon the icing on top, spreading evenly. Decorate with glacé cherries and leave to set. Cut the tart into squares or rectangles and arrange on platters to serve. 

Recipe adapted from: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/iced-bakewell-tray-bake

Neopolitan Cupcakes

These are a great summer treat! This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

 Ingredients
 110g caster sugar
 110g butter
 110g self raising flower
2 large eggs
I tbsp vanilla extract
4tbsp 70% cocoa powder
Milk
For the icing
100g butter
100g icing sugar
Red food colouring
Chopped strawberries or raspberries for decoration (optional)

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases.
2. Mix together the butter and caster sugar with an electric whisk. Add in the eggs one at a time and whisk.
3. Mix in the flour slowly and mix in between adding. Add the vanilla extract and any milk that may be required so the consistency is such that it drops off the whisk or a spoon.
4. Split the mixture in two. For the first mixture, spoon this into one half of the cupcake tins only.
5. For the other mixture, add in the cocoa powder (more may be added depending on how chocolatey this part of the cake needs to be). The consistency can be returned to what it was with more milk.
6. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the other half of the cupcake cases.
7. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
8. For the icing, cream together the butter and icing sugar to form a paste. Add the red food colouring.
9. Apply the icing to the cakes. Add decorations if required.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Ripple Vanilla Swirl Cupcakes

Based from a normal vanilla cupcake recipe, I edited the ingredients with raspberry infusions to create some scrummy treats!

Ingredients:
110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g self-raising flour
1-2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp Seedless Raspberry Jam

For the buttercream icing;
140g butter, softened
280g/10oz icing sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
a few drops of red food colouring

Dried raspberry pieces and other to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs a little at a time and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency.

4. Spoon the raspberry jam into the mixture and fold, making sure that the jam does not mix with the cake mixture entirely - a subtle marble effect wants to be achieved.

5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until they are half full.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into one of the cakes comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
7. For the buttercream icing, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

8. Then add the remaining icing sugar with one tablespoon of the milk, adding more milk if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

9. Add the red food colouring until a very pale, light pink colour is achieved.
10. Ice the cupcakes using a knife (can also use icing bags). 

11. Decorate the tops of the cakes with the dried raspberry pieces and other decorations such as milk chocolate stars. 

Recipe altered from - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cupcakes_93722