Raspberry, Pistachio And Chocolate Cake

I am completely addicted to baking so I hope you are ready for another cake!

This is another simple but delicious cake that I often bake at work. The original recipe I found in one of my many Vogue Entertaining Cookbooks asks for pear but I have taken the liberty to replace it with raspberries as berries do  have a more popular appeal.

You may dust the cake with icing sugar but you will be surprised how a little decorating work can transform an otherwise ordinary looking cake.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, happy cooking and baking!

makes 1 loaf
preheat oven to 180 C (conventional) 150 C (fan force)
a lined 22 cm x 11.5 cm loaf tin
you'll need;
225 g of plain flour
1.5 tsp of baking powder
225 g of caster sugar
a pinch of salt
225 g of unsalted butter, soften
4 eggs
300g of dark chocolate buttons, roughly chopped
1.5 cups of frozen raspberries
1 cup of pistachio nuts
zest of 2 oranges

for the decoration;
2 cups of icing sugar mixture
2 tbs of orange juice
1/4 cups of pistachio, chopped

Put flour, baking powder, caster sugar, salt, soften butter and eggs in the bowl of a mixer and process until just combined. (~ 1 minute, do not over-process)

Fold in the chocolate, raspberries, pistachio nuts and orange zest until evenly distributed.

Transfer the mixture into a lined loaf tin and bake in the oven for about 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre withdraws clean. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out to a wire rack to cool.

Prepare the icing by mixing the icing sugar mixture with orange juice until sugar dissolved and it is spreadable. Spread the icing over the cooled cake.

Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts and allow the icing to set before serving.

German Apple Cake

Surprised and speechless to see a baking post on my blog? You better get used to it as cakes, slices and all things sweet and pretty will appear regularly from now on.

No! I haven't suddenly developed a sweet tooth but baking is simply part of my new job and I must confess I am loving every moment of it! The transformation of a non baker with complete baking phobia like me to a baking addict in less than a week can only proof one thing - baking is fun and not that difficult after all.

This is a recipe I found in my first baking book, Baking Step By Step. A book I highly recommend for all baking novices.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and happy cooking and baking! :)

P.S Photos were taken using my smartphone, so do excuse me for the less than agreeable quality.

recipe from Baking Step - By -Step by Caroline Bretherton

serves 8

preheated oven at 190 C (conventional)

A lined 20 cm springform cake tin

you'll need;

262 g of butter, soften

262 g of brown sugar

zest of 2 lemons

5 eggs, lightly beaten

262 g of self rising flour

4.5 tbs of milk

4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges

for the streusel topping;

115 g of plain flour

85 g of brown sugar

2 tsp of cinnamon powder

85 g of butter, diced

Method for topping;

Place all topping ingredients in a bowl, rub everything with your fingers to form a crumbly ball of dough. Wrap with cling film and chill for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add zest and a little eggs at a time, mixing well after each addition to avoid curdling. Stir the flour into the batter and gently fold in with the flour. Finally add the milk in and gently mix it in.

Spread half the batter in the lined tin and smooth the surface with a pallet knife. Arrange half of the apple wedges over the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the batter and arrange the remaining apple wedges in an attractive pattern.

Remove the streusel dough from the refrigerator and coarsely grate it.

Sprinkle the grated streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Insert a skewer into the center, if it is coated in batter, cook for a few more minutes and test again. 

Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.