Cherry Forest Chocolatey Nutella-y Cakiness without Egg!

In case you havent noticed I love baking! Its my favourite thing to do when I have some free time and I find the whole process of measuring out the ingredients, whisking & mixing and waiting for them to rise so therapeutic. This week me and my friend were at her place and abit bored so as her flat is a egg-free area we tried out this eggless Cherry Forrest Chocolate Cake with Nutella Buttercream. (sorry for the quality of pics, I only had my phone camera with me).

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

4 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cup plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 can (400 grams for full can) condensed milk
1 cup melted butter
2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Nutella butter cream & toppings:
1 cup Nutella
1/2 cup butter
1 icing sugar
1 tsp milk
2 tubs whipping cream
I carton of Morello cherry fruit filling

METHOD

For the cake:

1. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate soda.

2. Combine all the remaining ingredients with the dry ingredients together with 1 cup (200 ml.) of water in a bowl and mix well using a whisk.

3. Divide into two and pour this mixture into two greased 150 mm. (6") diameter baking tins.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (360°F) for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.

5. Unmould and cool on a wire rack

For the Nutella Buttercream and cream:

1.Beat the butter until smooth, then add the Nutella and beat until all combined. Slowly mix in the icing sugar and milk until combined.
2. Whisk the whipping cream until is forms stiff peaks or until is reaches your desired consistency. I put the cream in a piping bag swirted on top and around the sides

Then assemble your cake like so...

Et voilà!

Cherry Lane xoxo

Recipe Source: Chef in You 

The most amazing cupcakes I've ever made!!! Carrot & Raisin baby!

I've been getting into baking quite abit over the past few months and I've tried out quite a few different recipes but this is by faaaaarr the best thing I've baked!! (apart from maybe the ham and mushroom muffins they are so friggin delish I had to mention them lol)

These carrot cupcakes were so easy to make and turned out so incredibly soft and moist and bouncy in the middle with that lovely delicate airiness that makes cupcakes so yummy! The raisins also add that extra sweetness to make them amazing!!

INGREDIENTS:


For the cupcakes:


225g grated carrots
130g raisins
2 large eggs
130g golden caster sugar
120ml vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh orange zest
120g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon

For the cream cheese frosting:


300g icing sugar, sifted
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g cream cheese, cold

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160degC(fan)/180degC/350degF/Gas Mark 4. Line two 12 hole muffin tins with cupcake cases or papers.

2. Combine the grated carrots and raisins in a large bowl using a wooden spoon and put to one side. Beat the eggs and sugar together for several minutes and the carefully add the oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest and beat well.

3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon into a separate bowl and then slowly add these ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition.

4. Then pour the mixture into the bowl containing the carrots and raisins and mix by hand using a wooden spoon or spatula until they are well incorporated.

5. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling each case about two-thirds of the way up the paper.

6. Place the trays in the oven and bake for approx 25mins. When cooked the cupcakes will be quite dark brown in colour and feel spongy to the touch. Allow them to cool in their tins for 10mins or so before placing on a wire rack to cool.

7. For the cream cheese frosting: Beat the icing sugar and butter together with handheld electric whisk on medium -slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 mins. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cherry Lane xoxo

Carrot Cupcake Recipe Source
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Source

Swirly Lacha Parottas... Indian flatbread

So my mum's in India and I have been doing some cooking for my dad while she's been away. Its been years since I've cooked saak rotli (proper indian food) but I've been a good Indian girl and had a go! Yesterday my poor father had to eat my slightly burnt bhinda (okra) which he did without complaining but there's no doubt he's really missing mums cooking! 

While I was blog surfing I came accross this recipe on Priya's Now Serving  for an Indian flatbread named Lacha Parotta or what I like to call swirly parotta...oh my gosh the photo's were seriously making me salivate! So to treat my dad a little I decided to try and make these!

I must admit I'm not a very good cook but I do like to have a go. I put so much love into these parotta's cos I really wanted to get them right...I did make a mistake by using baking powder rather than baking soda but I think the overall result turned out ok consider this lil mistake and the fact that I have never make any type of parotta before!

Here are a few pics I snapped whilst making them...I had to use my phone camera cos my mum has taken my camera to India. What do you think? If you have made these...do you have any tips to make mine better??

Cherry Lane xoxo

Oreo Cheesecake and Hot Tubs...Perfect Weekend!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! What did y'all get upto?? Me? Well I invited some friends round to my place on Friday night I cooked a really lovely meal (even though I do say so myself lol) with prawns as a starter, paprika chicken and I made a yummy baked Oreo Cheesecake to top it off lol! It was so nice to just chill with my friends at my house and have a nice girly night in!

I didnt have time take photo's of the food on the night but these are og the leftovers lol. If you want to try making this at home its super easy!! Here is the recipe for the Paprika Chicken and here is the recipe for the Oreo Cheesecake. I accidently put double the amount of Oreo's in the cheesecake mix by mistake but hey...you can never get enough Oreo's right?! lol! You can also make an eggless version of this really easily...all you need to do is leave the egg out and dont bake it...this will give you more of a traditional fridge cheesecake.

Then on the Saturday I had a quick stroll around my town centre then went to my friends house...I'm so jealous of her because she has a massive hot tub in her garden! oh my gosh...its just soooo heavenly!! All the bubbles massaging your muscles, the beautiful multicoloured lights..so relaxing!! Especially awesome when its cold outside!!

Sorry these photos arent the greatest but I only had my iPhone camera with me. What you did guys get upto this weekend? I would love to hear your stories!

Cherry Lane xoxo

Traditional English Sunday Lunch...

Sunday lunch is an age old tradition - meat, yorkshire pudding, stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots and some greens for good measure.

I met up with a friend today at my favourite pub in my home town called The Dun Cow in Rugby and had the most amazing Sunday lunch of my life! I hadn't been there for a while so was really looking forward to it...I already knew the food here was good but this Sunday lunch was another level!!  I had the lamb shank which was just so incredibly beautiful..I'm talking fall of the bone tender! And the gravy sauce packed a huge punch of flavour! I'm used to spices and lots of flavour but this gravy was something else..it was outta this world! lol

I'm so gutted though because they had a gorgeous roaring fire inside which in my haste to get back home, I forgot to take a photo off! Oh well, I will just have to go back again soon to take one lol!

Cherry Lane xoxo

Random pic of a thatched house across the road from the pub

Check out the cute old lady coming out the pub...such a charming outfit lol

Lamb shank, Yorkshire Pudding (the round thing), roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, brocoli,
sprouts and that amazing gravy!!

and DONE! lol