June - Light and Fluffy Scones

I frickin love scones, I should really be more adventurous and try cherry/raspberry/blueberry scones! Preheat the oven to 220^°C and they take 10-12 minutes to bake depending on your oven.

I added sultanas...

Scones

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

25g caster sugar

50g butter, cubed

150ml milk

1 egg

• blitz the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter in a food processor or rub the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs. 
• add milk and bring the mixture together to form a soft dough.
• press the dough out on a floured surface until 2cm or so thick.
• cut the dough and place on a baking tray - brush the top of each scone with beaten egg and bake!

Wendy

xo

March - Victoria Sponge Cake

Who doesn't love a good Victoria Sponge Cake? Fresh cream and jam (next time I'll make the jam too!) Preheat the oven to 180^°C and grease two 8 inch sandwich tins.

Just a little flat ;)

Sponge

225g butter

225g caster

4 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

225g self-raising flour

Filling

8 tbsp jam

200ml cream, softly whipped

• cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
• beat in the eggs one by one and add the vanilla.
• fold in the flour with a large metal spoon
• bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• once cooled, sandwich the cakes with jam and whipped cream.

February - Choc and Cheesecake Cupcakes

These went down a treat! They were a lovely balance between sweet and savoury. Preheat the oven to 150^°C and line a muffin tin with 12 bun cases, or make mini ones as per the magazine image. 

Chocolate Layer

125g plain flour
150g caster sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
40g cocoa powder
25g vegetable oil
1.5 tsp white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
125ml water
25g white chocolate, grated

•  add the flour, caster sugar, bicarb, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, vinegar, pinch of salt and water - mix until smooth and then stir in the chocolate. Add a tablespoon of the mixture to each bun case.

Cheesecake Layer

200g light cream cheese

50g caster sugar

1 large egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

25g dark chocolate, grated

• add the cream cheese, caster sugar, egg and vanilla extract - mix until smooth and stir in the chocolate. Add a tablespoon of the mixture to each bun case.
• bake for 10 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean - leave to cool then decorate.
• the magazine used Dr.Oetker Designer Icing - I just used icing sugar and some cream cheese :) 

January - Coffee Victoria Sponge

This was a really quick and fun way to make a coffee cake! Preheat the oven to 160^°C and line 2 tins with greaseproof paper. 

Melting icing...again

Sponge

4 Eggs 

Soft Margarine

Self-raising flour

2 tbsp instant coffee granules

• Weigh eggs in shells, weigh out the same amount of margarine, sugar and flour.
• Cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, whisk in the eggs, sieve flour into the mixture.
• Mix the coffee with 1 tbsp of hot water and fold into the mixture.
• Spoon into prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes.

Icing

300g icing sugar

2 tbsp instant coffee granules

15g butter, melted

Walnut halves (or coffee chocolate beans - nom!)

• Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, mix the coffee with 3 tbsp of boiling water add to the icing sugar with the butter.
• Once the cake is cooled ice (ice baby...) and decorate your cake.

PS - I wish I was better at icing cakes 

Prima Calendar 2013 - 12 Seasonal Bakes

January - Coffee Victoria Sponge

February - Choc & Cheesecake Cupcakes

March - Victoria Sponge Cake

April - Cherry Chocolate Cake 

May - Neon Sugar Meringues

June - Scones

July - Peach and Chocolate Cake 

August - Birthday Cake with Berries and Cream

September - Carrot Cake 

October - Pumpkin Pie

November - Gingerbread Men 

December - Mini Christmas Cakes

12 new recipes, 12 new bakes - so far I've managed to try 4 of the recipes. College, exams and holidays got in the way after that. Onward and Upward!

PS - The pictures are taken of a magazine - shiny shiny :)