Simple Recipe for Pavlova

If I've got lots of people visiting: a family lunch, friends for dinner, or for a party I often turn to this pavlova recipe. It's so simple to make yet can be dressed up to be a bit of a show-stopper. I always get people saying 'wow' and obviously bask in the glory - yet secretly feel a bit of a fraud.

I think people often see this as a summer desert but I love it in the winter, too. That is, if my chickens have laid enough eggs during the darker months. It's a much lighter desert to the sponges with custard or the pies. 

I know I'll be preparing one to take to my mum and dad's house for our family get-together this Christmas. 

PAVLOVA RECIPE

Equipment

Baking tray covered in baking parchment with a dinner plate shaped circle drawn on. Electric mixer, food processor (if possible), sieve.

Ingredients

For the pavlova base

• 5 egg whites
• 250g white caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod

For the cream and fruit topping

• tub of strawberries (or any mixture of fruit you prefer)
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 142ml pot double cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from vanilla pod

For the raspberry sauce ( you can make this or buy it already made in a bottle to save time and faff)

• A few handfuls of raspberries
• 1 tsp icing sugar

1. Heat oven to 220c/200c fan.
2. Whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until very stiff.
3. Keep the mixer going and gradually pour in the sugar and vanilla until you're back at the stiff peak stage.
4. Turn out onto the baking tray and form into the circle you've drawn (see Equipment above), making a slight dip in the middle.
5. Place in oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 150c/130c fan.
6. Bake for 60 - 80 minutes. (I prefer to bake mine for 80 minutes to make it more crunchy on the outside.)
7. Switch oven off but leave in the oven as long as possible with the door shut. You could even leave it there overnight.
8. When you're ready to assemble whisk the cream with the icing sugar and the vanilla until thick and smooth
9. For the raspberry sauce place the raspberries into a bowl and puree with a fork until smooth (you could also use a food processor).
10. Push the pureed raspberries through a sieve to remove the seeds. Mix in the icing sugar.
11. Hull and half the strawberries.
12. Spread the cream thickly over the meringue, scatter the strawberries over the top and finish by drizzling over the raspberry sauce.

Plum Jam & Cream Sponge Cake Recipe

This is actually a fatless sponge, made with just eggs, sugar and flour. Obviously I made up for the lack of butter in the sponge with a huge dollop of whipped cream in the centre along with some delicious homemade plum jam. It is also four tiers, just to make it especially indulgent.

Equipment

2 - 4 20cm/8 inch cake tins.(If you have only two the same it just means baking in two batches in the oven.) Electric whisk. Sieve. Spatula. Baking parchment.

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 8 eggs
• 200g caster sugar
• 200g self-raising flour
• Extra caster sugar for turning the sponge cakes out

For the filling

• 200ml double cream
• jam of your choice

Method

1. You can choose to make the entire cake mixture at once if you have four tins the same size, or divide the recipe in half if you only have two tins the same size and doing it in two batches.
2. Make sure your cake tins are well greased and the bottom is lined with baking parchment.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees fan.
4. Mix the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. When it's ready the mixture, when dribbled, should leave a trail on the surface of the mixture.
5. Add the flour through the sieve (which removes the lumps).
6. Fold the flour into the mixture using a spatula. You want to retain as much air in the mixture as possible. Make sure all the flour is incorporated (there is often some hiding at the bottom!)
7. Divide the mixture between the tins and place in the oven for 15 minutes - or until the sponge is shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
8. While it is baking prepare a sheet of baking parchment with caster sugar sprinkled on.
9. Remove the tins from the oven and turn out the cakes onto a sheet of baking parchment sprinkled with caster sugar.
10. Allow to cool.
11. If you're doing in two batches wipe the tins out, re-grease and re-line and start again.
12. Beat the cream until thick and smooth.
13. Once all the layers are cool spread the jam over the bottom layer and sandwich with another layer of cream. Repeat this process as you go up the tiers.
14. Sprinkle the top with icing or caster sugar.
15. Serve. This cake is at its best eaten the same day.

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

Last Friday I was um-ing and ah-ing. I was going to a friend's house for dinner and I'd suggested I take pudding. But what to make? I wanted something simple, but looked great. My mind was a blank. But then, on the dog walk during the morning (ideas always come on a dog walk) I decided on chocolate cake. It was fairly quick and simple but I knew it would go down a storm. (Which it did. It completely disappeared.)

Homemade chocolate cake is one of the nicest cakes you can make. Shop bought always has a bit of a chemically aftertaste, I don't know what it is (additives?) but in this cake all you have is butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa powder and, my secret ingredient, melted dark chocolate.

RECIPE FOR EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Equipment

• Two 8-inch/20cm, loose-bottomed if possible, cake tins. Grease each tin with butter on the bottom and sides then add a little flour, tapping it around so it covers all the butter. This stops the cake from sticking.
• Electric mixer
• Wire rack

Ingredients

For the cake

• 225g/8oz butter
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200g/7oz self-raising flour
• 25g/1oz cocoa powder
• 100g dark chocolate (70%), melted

For the buttercream

• 175g/6oz butter, softened
• 340g/12 oz icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 100g dark chocolate (70%), melted
• A splash of milk
• Maltesers or chocolate decoration of your choice

1. Pre-heat your oven to 160 fan.
2. Using an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the four eggs along with a spoonful of the flour/cocoa powder (to stop the mixture from splitting). Mix.
4. Add the rest of the flour/cocoa powder and mix well.
5. Melt the dark chocolate then pour into the cake batter while the mixer is still going round.
6. Once thoroughly combined, divide equally between the two greased cake tins.
7. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
8. Test if cooked through by pressing the sponge lightly. If it springs back it is cooked. You can also test using a metal skewer. If it comes out clean it is cooked. If it isn't done bake for a few more minutes.
9. Allow to cool in the tin a little then tip out onto a wire rack.
10. To make the buttercream - in the electric mixer combine the soft butter with the icing sugar.
11. Add the cocoa powder and melted chocolate along with a splash of milk.
12. Mix well for a few minutes.
13. Once the sponge has cooled spread the buttercream over one half. Then place the other half on the top.
14. Spread the rest of the buttercream over the top and the sides.
15. Decorate with maltesers if desired.