Enchanted Winter Berry Cake
Ingredients:
For the Purple Sponge Cake:
4 large eggs
250 grams of granulated sugar
250 grams of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
120 ml of whole milk
120 ml of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Purple food coloring (gel works best)
For the Italian Meringue:
4 large egg whites
250 grams of granulated sugar
60 ml of water
A pinch of cream of tartar
For the Whipped Cream Frosting:
600 ml of heavy cream
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Pink food coloring
For the Decoration:
Edible pearls and glitter
Sugared berries (cranberries, blueberries, raspberries)
Candied lemon peel, finely chopped
Edible gold stars
Instructions:
1. Bake the Purple Sponge Cake:
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line three 18 cm (7-inch) cake pans.
In a bowl, beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and light in color.
Sift together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to the egg mixture.
Mix milk, oil, vanilla extract, and purple food coloring in a separate bowl. Then fold into the batter until uniform.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely after baking.
2. Prepare the Italian Meringue:
Place sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Once the sugar syrup reaches 115°C (239°F), start whipping the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
When the syrup reaches 121°C (250°F), slowly pour it into the egg whites while continuing to whip until glossy and cool.
3. Make the Whipped Cream Frosting:
Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
Take a portion of the whipped cream and mix with pink food coloring for the colored layers.
4. Assemble the Cake:
Trim the tops of the cakes to level them if needed. Place one layer on a cake stand.
Spread pink whipped cream on the first layer, then add the second layer and repeat.
Frost the outside of the cake with the white whipped cream, smoothing it out.
5. Decorate the Cake:
Pipe Italian meringue on top in tall swirls to create a dramatic effect.
Decorate with sugared berries, edible pearls, and glitter.
Add bits of candied lemon peel around the edges for a zesty touch and place gold stars sporadically for a magical finish.
6. Serve:
Chill the cake for at least 1 hour to set the frosting and meringue before serving.
Slice with a hot knife to get clean cuts and serve this enchanting dessert.
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Hearty Homestyle Ragu Tagliatelle
Ingredients:
For the Ragu:
Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
Butter: 2 tablespoons
Onion: 1 large, finely chopped
Carrot: 1 large, finely chopped
Celery stalks: 2, finely chopped
Garlic cloves: 2, minced
Ground beef: 500 grams (1.1 lbs)
Pork mince: 500 grams (1.1 lbs)
Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
Dry red wine: 1 cup
Canned crushed tomatoes: 2 x 400 grams (14 oz each)
Milk: 1/2 cup
Salt and pepper: to taste
Bay leaves: 2
Nutmeg: a pinch, grated
For the Tagliatelle:
Tagliatelle pasta: 400 grams (14 oz)
Salt: for boiling water
To Serve:
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves: for garnish
Instructions:
1. Prepare the Base:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until softened and golden (about 10 minutes).
2. Brown the Meat:
Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and pork mince. Cook until browned (about 15 minutes).
3. Deglaze and Simmer:
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.
Add the red wine, reducing by half.
Add the crushed tomatoes, milk, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently, partially covered, for at least 2 hours.
4. Cook the Tagliatelle:
Near the end of the ragu's cooking time, boil a large pot of salted water.
Cook the tagliatelle until al dente, then drain, reserving some pasta water.
5. Combine and Serve:
Toss the pasta with the ragu, adjusting the consistency with pasta water if needed.
Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh basil.
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Strawberry Marzipan Scones
I've been wanting to make @thida.bevington (Instagram) scone recipe for a while and now the strawberries in my garden are starting to grow I had the perfect excuse! These straw and marzipan scones were a real hit and I'm so pleased with myself for freezing some for later. Future me will be very happy! And yes I did make them as big as my head, what of it!?
As a side note seeing these did make me laugh because the other day I baked something and needed to prop it up a little bit for the photo so I used a blob of marzipan. Later, when my husband came to eat it he said 'I should have known there would be marzipan somewhere. With you it's either strawberries or marzipan!' so now I get to combine the two 😍
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