First meet of 2019!

The theme this month was fruit and veg - inspired by our determination to get fit and healthy in the new year! Cake is healthy if it has one of our 5 a day in it, right? There was a great turnout for out first meeting of 2019 and this meant there was such a variety of fruit and veg inspired bakes for our members to taste-test! Below I have listed a few of the recipes for the month - for inspiration and reference in future bakes.

Hannah's Sundried tomato, Pesto and Mozzarella Puffs (star baker)

First, cut puff pastry into squares
Top with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella
Brush edges with milk wash
Bake for 9 minutes at 200 ish

Holly's Courgette Cake

400g plain flour 1/2 tsp salt 1tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2tsp baking powder 1tsp ground cinnamon 1/4tsp freshly grated nutmeg 300g caster sugar 100g demerara sugar 3 eggs beated 200ml sunflower oil 2tsp vanilla extract 380g courgettes, grated (skin left on) 75g walnuts ( I omitted the walnuts as my little boy doesn't like them) two loaf tins

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C and butter and flour the loaf tins.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and spices into a large bowl. Add both sugars and mix.
Add the beated eggs, oil, vanilla extract and grated courgettes and mix well. Add the walnuts and divide between two tins.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and a quarter or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 20mins before turning onto a wire rack.

Madeline's Sweet Potato Brownies

350g peeled and diced sweet potato

4 tbsp white hot chocolate powder

160g smooth almond/peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 200C and line a brownie pan with greaseproof paper
Place the sweet potato in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 7 minutes or until soft
While the sweet potato is cooking, put the hot chocolate powder and nut butter in a mixing bowl and combine
When the sweet potato is cooked through, drain it and then return to the hot saucepan so any excess water will evaporate. Mash with a fork until smooth.
Add mashed sweet potato one spoonful at a time to the other ingredients. Once all sweet potato is added, taste the mixture as it may need more hot chocolate powder if you have a sweet tooth
Put mixture into a brownie pan and press out to the edges with a spoon
Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until the top is set and the edges are golden
Leave to cool in the tin before cutting into either 25 or 36 pieces
Optional: for added sweetness, drizzle some melted white chocolate over the top of the blondies before cutting

Brie, apple and caramelised onion tart

320g pack ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry, defrosted at room temperature if frozen

1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus a drizzle

3 large onions, halved and sliced

2 tbsp white wine vinegar, plus a splash

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

small bunch of thyme, leaves picked, plus a few sprigs to serve

1 eating apple

100g cranberry sauce (or chutney)

175g brie, sliced (or other cheese)

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry sheet onto a large baking tray (leave it on the paper from the pack). If the edges are not straight, trim them with a sharp knife. Score a border, about 1cm in from the edge. Score a criss-cross pattern over the central piece of pastry (this will prevent it from rising too much) and around the border, if you like. Bake for 15 mins.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onions and cook for 10-15 mins until softened and starting to caramelise. Stir in the vinegar, bubble for 1 min more, then add the Dijon mustard and thyme, season well and set aside. Slice the apple thinly through the core so a few slices have a nice star in the middle, and remove any seeds. Toss the slices in a splash of vinegar to prevent them from browning.
The pastry should be puffed and starting to colour. Push down the centre, then spread over the onions. Add blobs of cranberry sauce, then top with the apple slices and brie, overlapping them to cover the tart. Add a few more thyme sprigs, drizzle with a little oil, then put back in the oven for a further 25 mins until the cheese is bubbling and the apple slices are soft. Serve warm or cold.

Clementine Cake - Nigella

approx. 375 grams clementines (approx. 4)

6 large eggs

225 grams white sugar

250 grams ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

Put the clementines in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil, partially with the lid and cook for 2 hours. Drain, discarding the cooking water, and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the pips. Dump the clementines - skins, pith, fruit and all - and give a quick blitz in a food processor (or by hand, of course). Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190ºC/170°C Fan/375ºF. Butter and line a 20cm / 8 inch Springform tin.
You can then add all the other ingredients to the food processor and mix. Or, you can beat the eggs by hand adding the sugar, almonds and baking powder, mixing well, then finally adding the pulped oranges.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for an hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover with foil or greaseproof after about 40 minutes to stop the top burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, on a rack, but in the tin. When the cake's cold, you can take it out of the tin. I think this is better a day after it's made, but I don't complain about eating it at any time.
I've also made this with an equal weight of oranges, and with lemons, in which case I increase the sugar to 250g / 2¼ cups and slightly anglicise it, too, by adding a glaze made of icing sugar mixed to a paste with lemon juice and a little water. You could also add a chocolate glaze - like in this photo

Malik's Lemon and ricotta slice

3 tbsp unsalted butter (43 grams) softened, plus more for greasing pan

5.5 tbsp granulated sugar (69 grams)

1 egg

6 tbsp all-purpose flour (47 grams)

1 tsp baking powder (4 grams)

pinch of salt

1/3 cup ricotta (81 grams)

zest of half a lemon

1/3 a medium apple (approx 1/3 cup) peeled and grated

powdered sugar to dust the top with

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 6" cake pan with some softened butter. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together using a rubber spatula. When the two are combined and creamy, add in the egg and mix to combine.
Pour in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir everything together. Then add in the ricotta, lemon zest, and grated apple. Again, stir everything to combine - there should be no visible clumps of flour or dry ingredients.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the batter. Bake the cake for approximately 25 minutes, until the cake is beginning to golden on top and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before flipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust the top with powdered sugar.

Mathilde's courgette, lemon and poppy seed cake

For the cake:

350g grated courgette

unwaxed lemon zest

150g soft brown sugar

2 tbsp poppy seeds

300g self raising flour

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

pinch of salt

125ml sunflower/vegetable oil

For the icing:

250g mascarpone

85g icing sugar

juice and zest of 2 limes

pinch of salt

round cake tin - 26cm

For the cake - Drain the courgette using kitchen roll or by squeezing the liquid out (to stop cake becoming soggy)
In a large bowl, mix together the courgette, lemon zest, sugar, poppy seeds, eggs, salt and oil
Once mixed well, add flour and fold it in (dont overmix - stop when the mixture is lump free)
Bake the mixture in the greased tin for 50 minutes
For the icing - whisk all ingredients together until smooth, spread on cake once cooled

Amy's Apple Crumble Cake Traybake

For the cake:

250g butter

250g light brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1tbsp maple syrup

4 eggs

250g self raising flour

50g pecans

2 apples, cored and diced

whipped cream

For the crumble:

50g butter

100g plain flour

50g light brown sugar

For the fudge topping:

25g brown sugar

25g butter

25g maple syrup

50ml double cream

For the cake, preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 25cm springform tin
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the cinnamon and maple syrup, then the eggs, one at a time
Fold in the flour, pecans and half the diced apples. Add the mixture to the cake tin
For the crumble, rub the butter into the flour and sugar to resemble breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the cake mixture with the remaining diced apples, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes
For the fudge topping, while the cake is cooling, add brown sugar, butter, maple syrup and cream into a pan and bring to the boil
Slice the cake horizontally and sandwich with whipped cream. Drizzle with the fudge topping

Rachel's Raspberry and Lemon Loaf

For the cake:

188 Grams (1 1/2 cup) All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

266 Grams (1 1/3 cup) Granulated Sugar

6oz (3/4 Cup) Unsalted Butter, at room temp.

2 Large Eggs, at room temp.

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 heaping tbsp lemon rind

4oz (1/4 cup) Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream

8oz Raspberries (fresh or frozen-if frozen keep frozen until you fold them in the batter)

For the glaze:

188 Grams (1 1/2 cup) powdered sugar, sifted

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9X5 loaf pan (affiliate link).
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer combine sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes, so it’s nice and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon rind and juice. Fold in dry mixture. Then fold in Greek yogurt, then gently fold in raspberries.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for at least 30 minutes before starting glaze.
While cake is cooling prepare lemon glaze. In a bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Drizzle on top of the cake when it is completely cool. Store cake in an airtight container, store in fridge to last longer

Banoffee Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

175g self raising flour, sifted

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150g light brown sugar

1 banana (150g), peeled

3 medium eggs

100g unsalted butter, melted

75ml buttermilk

For the topping/decoration:

150g dulce de leche toffee sauce

75g unsalted butter, softened

250g golden icing sugar, sifted

mini fudge chunks (optional)

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases
Put the flour, bicarbonate of soda and brown sugar into a large bowl
Mash the banana with a fork
Put the eggs, melted butter and buttermilk into a jug and lightly beat together until combined
Pour this into the flour mixture, add the mashed banana and stir with a spatula until just combined
Divide the mixture equally between the paper cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden and risen
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely
For the topping, whisk together the toffee sauce and butter in a bowl till just combined. Gradually whisk in the icing sugar until light and fluffy
Using a palette knife, spread the buttercream on the top of each cake, then decorate with the mini fudge chunks

Joanna's Fruit Swirls (Chelsea Buns)

3 Tbsp butter

1 packet instant yeast

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp sugar

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

For the filling:

3 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 - 1 Tbsp mixed spice Raisins (Pre-soak in sherry/orange juice)

Orange zest

Combine yeast, warm milk, sugar and butter. Leave till frothy.
Combine with flour and knead. Allow to rise for about 1hr.
Flatten dough into a rectangle and spread with butter then sprinkle with raisins, sugar, orange zest and any spices.
Roll up into a rectangle and cut slices like a swiss roll.
Arrange in ovenproof dish and leave to rise for about 30mins.
Preheat oven to 180’C. Cook Chelsea buns for about 20-25 mins (Keep an eye on raisins which may burn). Once cooled top with water icing.

Iona's carrot cake

For the cake:

450ml/16fl oz vegetable oil

400g/14oz plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

550g/1lb 4oz sugar

5 free-range eggs

½ tsp salt

2½ tsp ground cinnamon

525g/1lb 3oz carrots, grated

150g/5½oz shelled walnuts, chopped

For the icing:

200g/7oz cream cheese

150g/5½oz caster sugar

100g/3½oz butter, softened

For the carrot cake, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line a 26cm/10in springform cake tin.
Mix all of the ingredients for the carrot cake, except the carrots and walnuts, together in a bowl until well combined. Stir in the carrots and walnuts.
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the tin and set aside to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, for the icing, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and butter together in a bowl until fluffy. Spread the icing over the top of the cake with a palette knife.

Here is a selection of the other bakes and photos from the meeting: