White Chocolate Icing for All Your Frosting Needs

This icing is amazing.  It's soft enough to spread on virtually everything, and sets to a medium firm icing that it dry enough to not smear off.

White Chocolate Icing for All Your Frosting Needs

110 g butter (if you use half a cup, I won't tell anyone)
250 g icing sugar
150 g white chocolate
1 tablespoon milk (if needed)

Melt the chocolate in the microwave until totally melted and smooth - leave to cool, but not so much that it sets
Cream together the butter and the icing sugar - it will be quite thick
Add the melted chocolate, mixing all the while, until a smooth and fluffy frosting forms
If the icing is too firm, add a little milk.  If it is too thin, add a little icing sugar

And that's it!  Spread on whatever you desire, or just eat with a spoon.  If the icing starts to firm up while you use it, you can heat it gently in the microwave to loosen it a little.  This recipe will make enough to ice the top and sides of a standard cake or 12 cupcakes.  If you want to make a layered cake with the frosting between the layers, I'd suggest either doubling the recipe, or add an extra 50% of the ingredients.

Cookie Dough Cake

When I made this cake the first time, I left it in the oven a bit long.  It didn't burn, but it was a bit dry and hard - something like a giant cookie that is still soft enough to cut into slices that hold their shape without crumbling.

Cookie Dough Cake

3 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180C, 350 F
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl
Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time, alternating the eggs with about 1/4 of the dry mixture
After the second egg is mixed in, add the rest of the flour to make a smooth, thick batter
Stir through the chocolate chips
Spread the batter into a lined, greased cake tin
Bake for 20 minutes - it will be a little soft and wobbily in the middle.  The idea is that it will make a moist, squishy cake
Cool completely before removing from the pan

My (Current) Favourite Cupcake Recipe

I find this recipe dangerous enough to force myself to only make it in batches of 6 cupcakes at a time.  It forms a light, buttery and rich cake, and the simplicity of it works wonders.  Plus, it's really easy!  I really, really love recipes with few ingredients, because it means that each ingredient shines through.  You can also use this recipe (doubled) to make an amazing cake that holds icing really well.

My (Current) Favourite Cupcake Recipe

60 g butter
75 g white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
90 g self-raising flour
1/4 cup milk

Preheat overn to 180C, 350F
Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla until light an fluffy
Add the egg and about 1 tablespoon of flour, and mix well until smooth
Add the remaining flour and combine
When you add the milk, make sure everything is well mixed and smooth
Spoon into 6 cupcake whole (lined with cases)
(If making a cake, line the bottom of the tin with parchment paper and grease the sides well)
Make for 20 minutes
Cool slightly before removing from pan to a rack, and cool completely

The cupcakes will be buttery and springy, and are perfect for icing.  Noms!

Super Easy Cheese Scone Bread Thing

I love scones but I hate cutting the butter into the flour because I am super-lazy.  I love bread, but I am scared of yeast.  I also love cheese in everything.  The following recipe is awesome, and super adaptable.  You can bake it as a loaf, you can bake dollops as scones, and you can also use it as a breaded crust to a casserol.  Bake!  Enjoy!

Super Easy Cheese Scone Bread Thing

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup grated cheese (a sharp cheddar works well, and I often add a few tablespoons of parmesan just for extra cheesey goodness)
2/3 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons pesto
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C, 350F
Mix all the dry ingredients (including the cheese) together to distribute all the cheese evenly
Add the milk, and mix gently until the dough is just combined
Pour/scoop the dough into a greased pan
Bake for 15 minutes

Thats it!  I like it served warm with lots of butter.