Carrot cake with orange blossom icing

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

Grrr, I've had so much trouble getting this post up. Sometimes Blogger totally misbehaves when I'm trying to add text and it drives me crazy! Anyway, enough of my moaning and back to the serious business of cake. 

This is a pretty reliable carrot cake recipe that produces a handsome round cake. It can also be scaled down to make a generous batch of muffins or mini loaf cakes.

The great thing about this cake is it’s packed full of sweet seasonal carrots and juicy sultanas, which make it surprising moist. I use the smallest amount of orange blossom essence in the icing, but you could use a little grated orange zest instead.

I hope you like the piccies I’ve done to go with this recipe - I’ve been watching way too much Downton Abbey ;)

You will need:

For the cake

300g soft light brown sugar
3 free range eggs
300ml sunflower oil or vegetable oil
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp vanilla extract
300g carrots, grated
1 small handful of dried sultanas
100g shelled walnuts, chopped, (plus extra to decorate)

For the icing:
300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold
½ tsp orange blossom essence

1.) Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3. Line and grease a round 8 inch loose-bottomed cake tin.

2.) Put the sugar, eggs and oil in a mixer. Using a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk), beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Next, sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and vanilla extract and continue to beat until all the ingredients are combined.

3.) Add the grated carrots and walnuts, stir together and then pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for around 1hr 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. When the tin is cool enough to touch, remove the cake and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled you can make your icing. This process is best done in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, but you can use a handheld electric mixer too. Just lightly hold a tea towel over the bowl when mixing to prevent covering yourself with icing sugar.

4.) Sieve the icing sugar and add into a mixing bowl along with the butter. Beat together until the mixture is well combined.

5.) Add the cream cheese and ½ tsp of orange blossom essence (this must be exact or your icing will be too runny) and beat on a medium/high speed for about 4/5 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.

6.) Ice your cake using a palette knife and decorate with a mixture of whole and crushed walnuts.

Nigel Slater's Chocolate Espresso Cake

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012


I’ve been in a bit of a baking frenzy this week. I do try to be healthy during the week, but when the weekend comes around I can’t resist a bit of a treat. A friend had raved about this Nigel Slater recipe, and when she mentioned the words ‘dense and fudgy’ I needed no further convincing.

It was quite easy to make but I did end up using every available pan and bit of work surface in my kitchen. I was also a bit eager with the mixer while whisking my egg whites and ended up having to give the walls (and myself), a wipe-down – boy, can that stuff travel!

The finished cake had a crisp top, a soft sponge and was delightfully fudgy inside. To be honest, it was quite rich and more like the sort of cake I’d serve in thin slices after a meal, perhaps with a bit of cream or ice-cream. It was still very delish though.

There’s a link to Nigel’s recipe here.

I'm just working on another baking post, this time with a bit of a vintage theme. Watch this space...

Signs of spring

The first signs of spring are starting to appear in Sussex. I love each change in season and feel so lucky to be living so close to such beautiful countryside. These little crocuses were in a grass verge just near my home, straining towards the sunlight. The next day, after heavy rain, they had all closed up again.

I'm hoping to get round to some baking this week. I've got a couple of cake recipes to try out for the weekend. I've also just discovered a lovely local farm shop, so I'm looking forward to stocking up on goodies and spending some time in the kitchen.

I hope your week is going well.

Forced rhubarb, mascarpone and ginger semifreddo

All images © Heather Wilkinson 2012

Forced Rhubarb:  available January – Feb/March

I really like rhubarb but hadn’t ever tried the ‘forced’ variety before, so I eagerly bought a big bagful when I spotted it in my local fruit and veg shop.

Forced rhubarb, as the name suggests, it is literally forced to grow. The plants are grown in long sheds where they are subjected to heat and darkness so that the young shoots grow quickly in a desperate search for light. Apparently, it was originally cultivated to fill a gap in the vegetable calendar when there wasn’t much else available.

I wanted to try something a bit different from the usual rhubarb crumble (yawn), so decided to have a go at making a semifreddo. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

The ginger is the first of the flavours to come through, followed by the rhubarb – it’s almost like they politely take it in turns to tickle your taste buds.

The rhubarb flavour is a lot stronger in the sauce and balances the richness of the mascarpone cheese well.

PS: fellow Brightonians, I got my rhubarb from Taj in Western Road.

You will need
For stewing the rhubarb
200g forced rhubarb
Juice and zest of 1 large orange 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g caster sugar
2 pieces of stem ginger (about the size and thickness of a 2p piece), finely chopped


For the semifreddo:
4 eggs, separated
500g mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

1.) Roughly chop your rhubarb and place in a saucepan with the orange juice, orange zest, 100g caster sugar and chopped ginger. Then add enough water to the pan to just about cover your rhubarb.
2.) Bring to the boil and simmer for about 7 minutes until the rhubarb is soft.
3.) Sieve the rhubarb over a clean bowl.  Set the juice aside and pop it in the fridge when it’s cooled.
4.) Next, whip the egg whites into soft peaks with a pinch of salt.
5.) In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes and then add the mascarpone cheese.
6.) Whisk the cheese and egg yolk mixture for a couple of minutes until smooth, then stir in your stewed rhubarb (not the juice).  Add one tablespoon of the egg whites and stir in with a metal spoon.
7.) Carefully add the cheese and rhubarb mixture to the egg whites and stir gently. Take care not to knock the air from the beaten egg whites.
8.) Line a freezer-proof container with cling film and pour in the mixture. Freeze for around 4 hours (or overnight).
9.) Remove the semifreddo from the freezer and leave to stand for around 5 mins while you make the sauce.
10.) For the sauce, pour the chilled rhubarb juice into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and cook down until it thickens.
11.) Carefully lift out the semifreddo using the cling film, place it upside down on a serving plate and remove the cling film.
12.) To serve, cut even portions of the semifreddo and drizzle each the sauce. To finish, sprinkle with crushed amaretto biscuits (optional).

Chicken and leek risotto

Here’s the final recipe in my ‘Give life to your leftovers’ series. This recipe not only makes good use your remaining roast chicken, but also includes delicious leeks, which are currently in season. And the addition of parsley and lemon zest (optional, of course) really brings this dish to life.

The secret to great risotto is to take your time over it, adding the stock gradually and stirring slowly to allow it to be fully absorbed by the rice. This recipe serves 2.

You will need
Your remaining chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
175g Arborio risotto rice
600ml of chicken stock
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
½ large leek, diced
2 tbsp of crème friache
1 small onion, chopped into small pieces
A generous handful of finely grated parmesan cheese
Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
A teaspoon of grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Heat the stock
2.) In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and leeks. Fry very slowly for about 15 minutes until softened.
3.) Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes until the rice is coated and glossy.
4.) With the heat on a simmer, carefully add your chicken stock, one ladle at a time, to your saucepan of rice and stir using a wooden spoon.
5.) Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, allowing each to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next. This will take about 15 minutes. You're aiming for your rice to be soft but with a slight bite.
6.) When all of your stock has been used and absorbed by the rice, add your chicken, stir, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the parmesan, 2 tbsps of crème fraiche, stir and season to taste.
7.) Divide the risotto between two bowls, top with lemon zest, parsley.

Chicken noodle soup

In my last post, I promised recipe ideas for leftover roast chicken. So, here goes with the first, ideal for this time of year when you want something warm, satisfying and healthy. This recipe serves two people.

You will need:
2 pints of chicken stock (read my last post for a how-to)
1 tsp caster sugar
half a red chilli
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 tbps of dry sherry
2 portions of dried egg noodles (thick, thin, or whatever you prefer)
½ small leek, shredded
Leftover roast chicken, cut into small slices or bite-sized pieces
2 tsp sesame oil
A handful of fresh coriander

Add the stock, a mug of cold water, soy sauce, chilli, sugar, star anise, cinnamon and sherry to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat right down and allow to simmer very gently. In a separate pan, cook your noodles, drain and then toss in the sesame oil. Remove your soup mixture from the heat and sieve it over a bowl or pan.

Divide your noodles between two big bowls, ladle the soup over the noodles and then add chicken. To finish, add shredded leeks and coriander and, if you’re feeling adventurous, some thin slices of red chilli too.

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few days for the final roast chicken recipe.

I almost forgot to mention that I was really chuffed to be featured on Fiona Beckett's (Guardian food and wine columnist) lovely blog recently. Thanks Fiona!

Give life to your leftovers

Is there anything better than a fat, juicy roasted chicken for Sunday lunch, accompanied by golden, crispy roast potatoes and mountains of seasonal veg?

Before roasting, I like to lovingly massage my chicken with a generous amount of butter and then pop a lemon up its *ahem* bottom for maximum flavour.

There tends to be plenty of meat leftover if I’m just cooking for two, so I make sure I’ve got some decent recipes up my sleeve to make full use of the remaining meat and carcass. Over the next few days, I’m going to post a couple of recipe ideas for you to try. For both recipes, you will need to make stock from your chicken carcass.

You will need
1 chicken carcass
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 stick celery, washed and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme


Makes 2 litres
1/2 hours cooking time

1. ) Put the chicken carcass into a large saucepan, add enough cold water
to cover it. Place on the heat and bring to the boil.
2.) Reduce the heat to a simmer, skim off any froth and fat that rises to the surface.
3.) Add all the vegetables, garlic and a good grinding of black pepper to the saucepan.
4.) Push all the ingredients under the surface of the stock and bring back to the boil. The idea is to boil the carcass for as long as you can to give your stock as much flavour as possible. I'd advise anywhere between 1 and two hours.
5.) Skim once more and set to simmer for half an hour, skimming the surface when necessary.
6.) Strain and cool. Will keep for up to three days in the fridge. Freezes well too.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Seville Orange Marmalade

Seville oranges: Now in season – January/February

Bringing a blast of colour to the bleakness of winter are Seville oranges. Aromatic, with a bumpy thick skin, Seville oranges are notable for their intense bitter taste – perfect for cooking, especially marmalade. Happiness in a jar.

The process of making marmalade with Seville oranges is incredibly pleasurable. It's also slightly magical because the oranges contain high levels of pectin, a natural gelling agent which, when combined with sugar and cooled, sets to form a firm amber-coloured jelly.

If you Google how to make marmalade you will find loads of different recipes, and so it’s just a case of picking whichever one takes your fancy and having a go. And whether you like your marmalade with thick or thin-cut peel, with no peel at all, or with a glug of booze, the beauty of making your own is that you’re free to adapt it to your own exact preference.

A word of warning: you’ll need to make marmalade in two stages, so I’d advise making it when you’ve got a free weekend.

After a bit of trial and error, I found Nigel Slater’s recipe to be the best, especially as his method of scoring the oranges meant I didn’t lose any juice, the peel was easy to remove, and could easily be cut up into neat little strips. I’ve used his recipe in part with my own adaptations.

You will need
12 Seville oranges
1 lemon
1.25kg unrefined golden caster sugar 
1 or 2 muslin cooking bags.
Large cooking or preserving pan

1.) Using a small sharp kitchen knife, score four lines down each fruit from top to bottom, as if you were cutting the fruit into quarters. Let the knife cut through the peel but without piercing the fruit.
Cut each quarter of peel into fine shreds. On my first attempt I thought I’d managed to cut the shreds pretty fine but on reflection they were still a bit too chunky. It’s personal preference, of course, but I’d advise aiming to get your slices thinner than a matchstick if you can.

2.) Squeeze each of the peeled oranges and lemons into a jug, removing and reserving all the pulp and pips.

3.) Make the juice up to 4 litres with cold water, pouring it into the bowl with the shredded peel. Use more than one bowl if you need to. Tie the reserved pith, squeezed-out orange and lemon pulp and the pips in muslin bag and push into the peel and juice. Set aside in a cold place and leave overnight.

4.) The next day, tip the juice and shredded peel into a large stainless steel or enamelled pan and push the muslin bag down under the juice. Bring to the boil then lower the heat so that the liquid continues to simmer. It is ready when the peel is totally soft and translucent. One my first attempt, with really chunky peel, this took about an hour and 10.

5.) Place a small plate or saucer into the fridge to cool. Sounds strange but you'll need it later.

5.) Once the fruit is ready, lift out the muslin bag and leave it in a bowl until it is cool enough to handle. Add the sugar to the peel and juice and turn up the heat, bringing the marmalade to a rolling boil. Squeeze as much juice as you can from the reserved muslin bag into the pan. As you squeeze you should feel that the juice coming out of the muslin is thicker than when you started. Leave at a fast boil for 15 minutes.

6.) Remove the chilled plate from the fridge,  add tablespoon of the preserve and then put it back in the fridge for a few mins. Your marmalade has reached setting point if a crinkly skin has formed on the top. Test it by dragging your finger across the surface. Test every 10 – 15 mins (some mixtures can take up to 50 mins so be patient!)

7.) Skim off any scum from the surface and then switch the pan off and leave it to settle for 15/20 mins (if you don’t then you the peel will rise to the top of your marmalade).

8.) Ladle into the sterilised pots, seal immediately and leave alone until the jars have cooled completely.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Chocolate-dipped flapjacks

I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to the Christmas foodie treats, so I thought I’d buck the new year diet trend and do a bit of comfort baking. Another adaptation from a Nigel Slater recipe.

I absolutely adore flapjacks. They’re a synch to make and great to slip into your rucksack if you’re out walking,and they have got a bit of fruit in them so they aren’t all bad - if you ignore the sugar, and butter and chocolate…

You will need:
30g/1oz dried apricots
30g/1oz pumpkin seeds.
30g/1oz sour cherries
50g/2oz hazelnuts
50g/2oz unsalted butter
100g/3 ½oz caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
200g/ 7oz porridge oats
100g/ 3 ½oz good quality dark chocolate
1 tbsp ground almonds

1.) Warm the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4. Grease and line an oven tray.
2.) Roughly chop the apricots, cherries and hazelnuts and put into a bowl. Add the ground almonds and pumpkin seeds.
3.) Slowly melt the butter, golden syrup and sugar in medium saucepan.
4.) Next, add your oats, nuts and fruit and mix until combined.
5.) Put your flapjack mixture into the oven tray and spread around evenly. Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes.
6.) Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly and stiffen. Then cut your flapjacks into squares (or triangles, if you prefer).
7.) On a low heat, melt the chocolate in bowl over a pan over simmering water and gently dip each of your flapjacks into the chocolate and place on a piece of baking paper.
8.) Chill your flapjacks in the fridge for 15/20 mins to allow the chocolate to harden.