American Style: Devil's Food Cake (Wheat Free)

Every year, for his birthday, my brother Paddy asks for the same kind of chocolate cake: chocolate sponge sandwich with chocolatey icing. Every single year for at least 10 years; in fact, the first photograph I ever took of one of my own cakes, back in 2006, was one of Paddy's super duper chocolate heart attack cakes.

Each year, I try to find a way of making a nice moist cake that's still airy and not too dense. Of course, it's quite tricky when the cake is so richly chocolatey. So, how does one maintain moisture and airiness at the same time?

1. Sugar
I'm all for trying to make cakes with the least sugar possible, but sometimes inordinate amounts of the stuff are necessary. Sugar retains moisture, and also adds structure to capture the little air bubbles, meaning you get that delicious moist crumb and a nice airy texture. Turns out you can have your cake and eat it, too (pardon the pun).

2. Creaming
Usually in my cakes I go for the good whisked eggs and sugar base to make them light and airy, but that approach is far too delicate to hold air in a rich cake such as this (or indeed a fruit cake). Butter offers a far superior structure as a solid fat: I cream the butter and sugar together until it's almost white and super light, before whisking in each egg one at a time, making sure to completely whisk in each egg.

3. Baking soda and baking powder
This cake batter is quite thick, so in order to keep it light and airy it needs two kinds of lifting power: a fast acting, and a slow acting. The baking powder begins to work as soon as it hits the oven, and once it's been used up, the soda kicks in and continues to raise the cake slowly but surely until it's fully cooked.

There are many nuances to this cake, but I'm not going to bore the knickers off everyone with science stuff. I'll just explain how to make the cake.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For one large 8 inch (22 centimetre) round cake

• 7 ounces (200 grammes) white spelt flour
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking soda
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) brown sugar
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) cocoa powder
• 6 fluid ounces (180 millilitres) hot water

For the filling and icing,

• 12 ounces (340 grammes) chocolate
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) caster sugar
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) evaporated milk
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) vanilla essence

METHOD

• Preheat your oven to 170ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 3), and grease and flour an 8 inch (22 centimetre) deep round cake tin.
• In a large jug, mix together the brown sugar and cocoa until fully blended with no lumps of sugar or cocoa powder. Add the hot water, and mix thoroughly into a syrup. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together into a bowl. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until very light, fluffy, and pale. You can use an electric mixer, or a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and beat until completely creamed. Take your time with each egg to prevent curdling. Mix in the vanilla essence, also.
• Add half the flour mixture, fold gently with a rubber spatula or balloon whisk. Fold in the cocoa syrup in the same way, then finally add the rest of the flour and mix until completely combined.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Check the doneness by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean it's done. However, if it's sticky, return the cake to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
• Once the cake is cooked, set it on a wire rack and loosen the edges with a thin knife or palette knife. Allow it to cool completely in the tin before turning out to decorate.

For the icing and filling:

• For the chocolate icing, pour the evaporated milk and the sugar into a saucepan and heat together gently until the sugar has melted. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a minute or two.
• After two minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter, or margarine, and stir until melted or almost melted.
• Return to the heat and cook for another minute, stirring continuously, until you have a smooth, shiny mixture. Remove from the heat and allow to cool at room temperature for about an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent crusting, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

To assemble:

• Cut the dome off the cake, then slice in half horizontally. Attach the top half of the cake to its platter with a tiny smear of the filling to make the bottom layer. Spoon one third of the filling onto the bottom layer, spread out with a palette knife (or butter knife) until it's about half an inch (1 centimetre) from the edge.
• Place the bottom half of the cake on top upside down, so the flat surface is not the top of the cake. Press gently to glue together, and chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up.
• Spread about a third of the icing on top of the cake, making a swirling zig-zag pattern for decorative effect, then ice the sides with the remaining icing. If you're not feeling confident about not getting crumbs in the icing, do a thin crumb coat first, chill for 10 minutes, and then ice completely.
• Once the cake is completely iced, decorate how you like with sprinkles, or chocolate vermicelli. You could also use the leftover cake dome and make it into crumbles for decoration.

Apologies for the poor picture quality, but it was late at night and indoor lighting is cat. The texture of this cake is soft, fluffy, and moist. Perfect for a celebration!

Halloween 2016: American Pumpkin Pie (Wheat Free with Dairy Free Option)

And for another American treat, here's a classic: pumpkin pie! I've never actually eaten one before, let alone made one, so this was a genuine adventure!

This for me was quite a stretch. Not because it was in any way a stretch of my ability, because this was actually incredibly simple, but it was a test of what my palate can tolerate when it comes to weird and wonderful foods. Maybe it's because I wasn't brought up by Americans who eat this treat every year, but the idea of making a custard pie out of a vegetable is a bit out there as a concept to me. Nevertheless, I gave it a try!

To my understanding, dessert pies are enjoyed prolifically across the Southern United States: pecan pie, chess pie, Mississippi mud pie, buttermilk pie, key lime pie, and pumpkin pie are all slight variations on the idea of a custard pie. All of these are baked in the oven using egg as a thickener, and rely heavily on dairy, whether whole milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, buttermilk, or cream; butter, also.

I always think of pumpkin being fairly bland in flavour, but definitely savoury. So the idea of mixing it with evaporated milk, brown sugar and spices didn't make much sense to me. That didn't stop me, though.

The pie cooked well, and the surface was pristine, until I accidentally knocked it with the top knuckle of my pinky finger! Marred!

Another mistake I made, and this was a biggy, was I forgot to chill the dough. This meant it shrank when I blind baked it. As such, I had a few spoonfuls of filling left in the bowl that didn't fit into the case. If it had not shrunk, the filling would have been the perfect amount. The recipe is written with this in mind.

I wasn't brave enough to eat the final pie myself, to my shame. I did however try some of the uncooked filling: it was definitely sweet, with a nice spicy warmth, and a slight nutty flavour from the pumpkin. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't to my taste. However, I fed it to my friend Josie and she enjoyed it, so that's good enough for me!

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For one 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie

For the pastry

• 6 ounces (170 grammes) white spelt flour
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine
• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) icing sugar
• Cold water, to bind

For the filling

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) pumpkin purée (buy it, or see below for how to make it)
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) light brown sugar
• 4 fluid ounces (120 millilitres) evaporated milk, or coconut milk
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt

METHOD

• Make the dough according to the instructions found here. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for an hour.
• When chilled, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mk. 4)
• Roll out the dough to a quarter of an inch (5 millilitres) thick, keeping it as circular as possible. Lie over the rolling pin and lay into a 9 inch (23 centimetre) pie tin or dish. Press into the tin.
• Cut a piece of baking paper to fit over the pastry case, then scrunch it up. This helps it fit into the case better. Un-scrunch it and lay it in the case, fill with coins or dry rice, and bake for 20 minutes.
• While the case is cooking, prepare the filling. Mix all the ingredients together at the same time in a mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout) with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Don't be tempted to use a whisk: this will make it catch air, which will crack it during baking. See below for how to make pumpkin purée.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 150ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 2), and gently slide out the shelf with the case on it just enough that you can pour in the mixture. Pour the filling into the case slowly but surely, then push it back in gently.
• Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until dry on the surface, set about an inch (2 centimetres) all away around the edge, but still jiggly in the centre.
• Gently remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.

I have it on good authority (that is, the woman who ate this pie) that it was delicious. I wasn't brave enough to try it myself though, so if you want to try this recipe and take that leap of faith, be my guest!

Halloween 2016: Maple Peacle Tarts (Wheat Free)

Continuing in the vein of Halloween treats, here is a tasty American style morsel for you: maple peacle tarts!

Yes, before you correct me, I know it's a pecan, not a peacle. But, this recipe combines the powers of a maple pecan pie, and a treacle tart. It's a bit of a Transatlantic experience.

Here in Ireland, maple syrup is incredibly expensive, as I discussed in my post on a full sized maple pecan pie. Luckily though, maple flavoured golden syrup is a thing! I prefer using it because it has a stronger--albeit synthetic--flavour, whereas natural maple syrup's flavour is much more subtle

As you can see in the picture, I used the wrong kind of cutter for the tarts: I tried to be all artsy and use a flower shaped cutter, but it meant that the filling overflowed. Take it from me: do traditional cases with a round cutter.

This recipe could very easily be adapted for the good American Thanksgiving celebration coming u in November, as I understand maple pecan tart is something eaten at a holiday family meal in the States. Or it could be eaten pretty much anytime!

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy (dairy substitutes can be found in italics)
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products


INGREDIMENTS
For 12 tarts

For the pastry

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) white spelt flour
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter, at room temperature, or margarine
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) icing sugar
• Cold water, to bind

For the filling

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) maple flavoured golden syrup
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) ground almonds
• 1 medium egg
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) chopped pecan nuts
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) lemon juice
• 12 full pecan nut halves

METHOD

• Make the dough according to the instructions found here. Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill for an hour.
• When chilled, preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mk. 4)
• Roll out the dough to an eighth of an inch (3 millilitres) thick, and cut into 3 inch (8 centimetre) rounds. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with the rounds, and prick the bases with a fork. Crumple up squares of tin foil to fill each case, and cook for 15 minutes, or until golden.
• While the cases are baking, prepare the filling. Mix all the filling ingredients except for the nuts in a mixing bowl until smooth.
• When the cases are cooked, remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150ºC (325ºF, Gas Mk. 2). Remove the tin boil balls, and divide the chopped nuts between the cases. Divide the batter between the cases, filling almost to the top, and place a pecan half in each tart.
• Tap gently on the work surface, and return to the oven for a further 20 to 25 minutes, or until the centres have set and they are golden and crusty on the top.
• Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These tarts are super sweet, in true Halloween treat fashion! Enjoy with caution. These will keep in an airtight container for up to a week, if they last that long.

Halloween 2016: Toffee Apple Doughnuts (Wheat Free)

It's October! Or as I like to call it: Halloween advent. And here's a sticky treat: toffee apple doughnuts!

Since I discovered my inner darkness in my teen years, and also as a result of Mum and Dad making it into a fun event in the year, I've always been fond of Halloween. I like the early dark evenings, the turf fire on at night, and the get-togethers involving food and party games.

Moving into adulthood, unfortunately, Halloween parties become drinking fests, and I find myself yearning for the simpler childhood events that involved wearing a black bin liner (which could make you anything you ever wanted) and eating sweets until I was sick.

One of the sweets that rarely--if ever--graced the Halloween spread in our house was toffee apples. Apple made an appearance in the form of bobbing for them in a mixing bowl full of water, but they never appeared covered in toffee. And in a way that's a good thing, because generally speaking when kids eat them you end up with a house full of skinned, mauled apples with all the toffee eaten off.

As I got older, I experimented with toffee apples and I actually like them, but it's important to use very small, tart apples, which are hard to find. I used to use Pink Ladies, because they're slightly sour and very firm fleshed, but spending ages hovering over the loose apples looking for the smallest ones is time not worth spending.

I experimented with toffee dipping slices of apple, but the surface of the slices was too juicy and the toffee would either run off as I was applying, or melt off over the course of the day, leaving a sticky toffee puddle under the apple slice. Apple slices dip very well in chocolate, however.

So, I decided to try and do something to capture the essence of a toffee apple, but be a small treat that isn't overwhelmingly and insurmountably sickly. And who doesn't like doughnuts?

A little cake doughnut filled with stewed apple and wrapped in a creamy toffee layer provides that instant sugar hit and autumnal feel that you'd get with a toffee apple, but without it eating it being a monstrous task.

FREE FROM

☑ Soya (check for soya lecithin)
☑ Yeast
☑ Wheat
☑ Nuts

CONTAINS
☒ Eggs
☒ Dairy
☒ Gluten
☒ Refined sugar products

INGREDIMENTS

For about 16 mini filled doughnuts

• 1 pound (455 grammes) doughnut dough (use your favourite recipe, or use this recipe)
• 1 firm eating apple, like a Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Gala
• Two pinches ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon cornflour

For the crunchy toffee coating

• 6 ounces caster sugar
• 3 ounces golden syrup
• 3 ounces evaporated milk, or cream
• 16 wooden lolly sticks

HOW-TO

First, make the apple filling,

• Peel and core the apple, and cut into half inch (1 centimetre) cubes. Put into a small saucepan with all the ingredients except the cornflour. Bring to the boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the apple is tender.
• Put the cornflour in a small cup, and add a tablespoon of water. Mix into a slurry, then pour into the saucepan slowly, stirring all the time. Cook until the sauce goes back to being transparent, and it has thickened.
• Once fully cooked, set aside until completely cool; about an hour.

Then, make the doughnuts,

• Preheat the cooking oil to 180°C (350°F), either in a deep fryer or a heavy saucepan.
• Roll out the doughnut dough to a quarter inch (5 millimetre) thickness. Cut into as many 3 inch circles as you can, and make pairs of circles. Put half a teaspoon of the apple filling on one circle, brush another circle with water, and make a sandwich. Press the edges together very well, then cut into a 2 inch (5 centimetre) circle, keeping the jam in the centre. This will keep them well sealed. 
• Repeat until you have run out of circles, then gently mash together and re-roll the trimmings, Continue until you have used all the dough.
• Cook the doughnuts in the oil, about 3 at a time so as not to overcrowd the fryer. Cook for about 2 or 3 minutes on either side, until golden brown and puffed. Drain on kitchen towel then allow to cool on a wire rack.

Finally, make the toffee and assemble,

• Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper, or a silicone liner.
• In a medium saucepan, combine all the toffee ingredients and melt together slowly over low heat, until every sugar grain has dissolved.
• Increase the heat to medium, and cook at a slow boil for about 10 minutes. If you have a sugar thermometre, it should read between 146 and 154°C (295 to 309 °F). If using the cold water test, a small drop in a glass of ice-cold water should snap cleanly.
• Immediately remove from the heat, and place on a folded tea towel to protect the work surface. Take a lolly stick, dip the very tip in the toffee, and stick it into a doughnut. Then dip the doughnut into the toffee, twirling it to cover it completely in toffee. Tap gently on the edge of the saucepan to drip off the excess, then place it on the tray, holding it for a few seconds untilit can stand upright by itself.
• Repeat this process with the remaining toffee and doughnuts. If the toffee starts to set, put it over a low heat until it goes runny again.
• If you have any toffee left over, you can pour it out on another baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper, or a silicone cake tin.

This is a tasty alternative to a full toffee apple, and they have a lovely fluffy doughnut added to boot. This should be a delicious treat for Halloween, or indeed Bonfire Night on November 5th.