Chocolate Coconut Cake Squares

If you are following me over on Instagram, then you will have seen my nephew and I made some Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes. It has been so long since I had coconut and I had forgotten how deliciously scrumptious it is. So I decided to spruce up the child friendly version and make a more pretty refined cakey treat.

Cake cut into squares,dunked into melted chocolate and covered in coconut....pretty yes...refined not so much!

These little squares would be perfect for Christmas party finger food and let me tell you why....

They are much tastier the next day, so you can have them done way ahead...yay!
The chocolate seems to set more but is still velvety and soft.
The coconut makes them Christmassy and almost snow like.
You can make them as small as you like so they're just bite-size. No chocolate and coconut all over you.
They are Deeeelicious,absolutely finger lickin' good.

Honestly they are a winner in my book.

Recipe for Chocolate Coconut Cake Squares

Makes 16 (depending on what size you cut them,mine were 1 1/2" squared)

Ingredients

 

Victoria Sponge

• 175g butter, room temp
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs,beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but a must in my books)
• 175g self-raising flour, sifted 

Chocolate Ganache

• 150g milk chocolate,chopped into pieces
• 80ml double cream

Coconut Topping

• 150g desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line your tins. I used a 7" square tin.
2. Beat your butter for a minute or two until soft. Add your sugar and cream the mixture until it is light and fluffy.
3. Add your vanilla extract, if using, to your eggs. Slowly add this to the mixture while continuing to beat or if your doing it by hand beat well after each addition. If you add the eggs too quickly, the mixture will curdle, making the cake much heavier. If it does curdle don't panic try adding a spoonful of flour to bring it back.
4. Fold in your sifted flour and pour the mixture into your prepared tin. Bake in the oven for 15-20mins until the cake is risen and spongy to touch. Leave to cool completely.
5. While the cake is cooling make your ganache. Chop chocolate into small pieces and tip into a heat-proof bowl.
6. Pour your cream into a saucepan and heat until it is just at boiling point. Carefully pour your cream over your chocolate and stir until all your chocolate is melted.
7. Cut your cake into square shapes,I went for 1 1/2" squared cakes.
8. Place coconut into a large bowl. Using a fork stuck in one side of your cake, dip it into your melted ganache. Then using a spoon sprinkle coconut abundantly. I did this over the bowl of coconut to catch any waste. You could also leave the ganache cool and spread it on the cake but I don't think the coconut sticks as well. I also find the cake almost soaks some of the chocolate in, making them super moist. Place on wire rack and let set.

I think its almost impossible not to end up eating half the ganache and coconut by themselves. If you love bounty bars, you are going to adore these. They taste exactly like bounty bars but with cake....seriously good!

Happy Tuesday peeps :)

Shirley x

Victoria Sponge with Nutella Buttercream Frosting

I don't know anyone that doesn't like Nutella. Whether you're smothering it on bread,stuffing it into a cupcake or my fav, licking it off a spoon. It is always a huge hit! I've seen loads of different recipes around for Nutella buttercream but I decided to wing it. Lets face it buttercream isn't exactly rocket science, once you've mastered the basics you're pretty set but I was happy with myself none the less.

I will admit I used copious amounts of Nutella trying to get the flavour just right. I had scribbled down on a piece of paper what I thought the recipe would be and ended up with a whole different recipe.

At first this buttercream gives you a super strong flavour of nutella but then it becomes smooth and creamy. It is actually like a nutella cream flavour. The cake was a Victoria Sponge ,sandwiched also with this buttercream. I'd love to try a chocolate cake with this buttercream too. I've a feeling it would be a winner!

Recipe for Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Iced and sandwiched a 10" cake

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter
• 550g icing sugar
• 280g nutella
• 60ml double cream
• 2tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Beat butter until completely softened. Add nutella and beat until well combined almost fluffy. Add icing sugar bit by bit while beating. Using a mixer mix on highest setting beat until all ingredients are well combined.
2. While beating, mix double cream and vanilla extract together in a jug. Slowly pour the liquids into the buttercream mixture. And BEAT!! I did it for about 8 mins. You should have a light creamy Nutelly mixture.

I ate waaay too much of this straight out of the bowl, it is not the kind of buttercream that you can just have a taste. I had to restrain myself from diving in face first lol!

I am linkin up today to Tea Party Tuesday as recommended below by the lovely Hazel.
 

                                                           

 Hope you are all having a great day :)

Shirley x

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

I think, along with fairy cakes, pastry was one of the first things I ever made on my own from scratch. I remember making apple tarts as teenager and being so proud of myself when they turned out nice.

I adore sweet shortcrust pastry. It is definitely my favourite pastry. I'm all about the crust. I could just eat the crust with cream and I would be in heaven.

I have heard so many people say they would be too scared to make their own pastry and my answer usually is 

                                                                                  WHY?

Pastry is honestly one of simplest things to make. It more than likely will shrink and crack but once you get the hang of it, there's nothing to it. The only thing that can really go wrong is you burn it and we've all been there!

Recipe for Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Makes 400g

Ingredients

200g plain flour, sifted
1 tbsp icing sugar
100g chilled butter
1/2-1 med egg

Instructions

Place the flour, icing sugar and butter in a mixer and mix until resembled bread crumbs.

Add a little egg at a time until your mixture is just moist enough that it comes together.

With your hands, flatten out your dough into disc shapes (this just helps it chill faster) and wrap in cling film.

Leave in fridge for at least 30 mins or if pushed for time 10-15 in the freezer. Pastry done!

If you want to blind bake your tart,head on over to my Rhubarb Tart recipe for instructions.

Here are a few tips I've learnt along the way.......

• Work quickly with your pastry. You want a crumbly moist pastry, over working it can make it quite chewy.
• All your ingredients must be cold, if your pastry gets quite warm you will end up with a dense pastry.
• CHILL your pastry! I never used to do this back in the day but now it is a MUST! Even after you have put it in your tin,you must re-chill it. Your pastry must go into the oven cold. It will help to avoid shrinking and cracking. 

Don't be scared,go make some. I've done all of the above wrong in the past but you will learn as you go and it usually turns out delicious, even if it does shrink and crack!

Below are some recipes I've made using Shortcrust Pastry.

Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

Rhubarb Tart

Strawberry Frangipane Tart

Enjoy!

Shirley x

Red Onion And Sage Focaccia

Bread.......my love!

I made this focaccia to go with a pasta dish we were having for dinner, I do believe I'm Italian at heart.

I made it ever so slightly different. Instead of flattening it out like my Garlic and Herb Focaccia.I just left it in its lovely loaf form, quite large, quite chunky. It still had its soft airy inside and slightly crunchy chewy outside. Perfect for mopping up sauce!

Recipe for Red Onion and Sage Focaccia

 

Makes 1 Loaf

 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 sachet (7g) dried yeast
• 210ml luke warm water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 350g strong plain white flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, cut very thinly
• 1 tbsp sage

Instructions

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until it looks frothy and bubbly. This is the yeast being activated.
2. Stir in salt and add flour, stirring to form a soft dough.
3. Knead dough until soft and elastic. This usually takes about 5 minutes in a mixer.
4. Place dough in large bowl coated with olive oil, cover with cling film and let rise for 45 mins  in a warm place.
5. Place dough on a baking sheet coated with oil. Sprinkle over red onion, the onion will shrink so don't be frightened to over sprinkle. Scatter over Sage. Cover and again allow to rise for 25 mins in a warm area.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C. Use your fingertips to create small indentation on focaccia. Bake for 14 mins or until lightly browned. We ate this warm, it was only ok cooled in my opinion but my folks couldnt get enough of it.

I wish I had gotten a better photo but because we ate it warm out of the oven, impatience got the better of me!

                                                         Hope everyones having a great week.

                                                                               Shirley x