Little Box Brownie

A Baking Blog from Melbourne, Australia

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Carrot Cake

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Carrot Cake would have to be my all time favourite cake. Every time I return to my home town, I can’t resist going to a little cafe (zigg zagg) in the city of Napier that serves one amazing carrot cake. Its the most moist carrot cake I have ever had, it just melts in your mouth. I have tried for years to bake something remotely close to it, and this next recipe is the closest I think I have come. I have topped the cakes with some apricots, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds like they do at this little cafe, it adds to the texture and makes the cake even better. The icing is a must, an absolute must in any carrot cake and quite simply makes it. Carrot cake without icing is like, a chocolate cake without chocolate, bacon and eggs without the bacon, bread without flour, its just not right. So if you decide to make this cake without the icing don’t say you weren’t warned. Enjoy xxx


Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons Nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup of oil
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup walnuts
2 cups carrots
 
Icing
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
200g cream cheese
1 medium lemon
 
 
Pre heat oven to 180C
Sift the flour, spices and baking powder into a bowl, add the sugar then stir through. Add in the eggs, oil and milk and stir until combined. Stir through the walnuts and carrot then pour into 3 small loaf tins 9x15cm.
Cook for 45minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before icing.
 
To make the icing, place the cream cheese into a bowl and sift in the icing sugar, using an electric beater beat until smooth then stir through the lemon juice.

 

Easter Nests

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These are the simplest little gifts you can make this easter, to give to family and friends. They only require three ingredients, four if you count the easter eggs. I first saw these made by a wonderful lady who was making them for her grandchildren she made them into biscuits and they were a huge hit. So I decided to adapt the idea to make some birds nest, to fill with some chocolate eggs for easter.
Birds Nests
 
1 bag of fried noodles
1 tablespoon peanut butter
250g milk chocolate
 
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a heat proof bowl, stir through the peanut butter. Then pour in the noodles and stir until they are covered in chocolate. Spoon into some little round moulds that are covered in plastic wrap so they can be removed with ease. Spread the mixture around to form little nests place in the fridge until set, then fill with some chocolate eggs. 

Cranberry Hot Cross Buns

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Happy Easter!! Hope you’re all having a great few days off. And it goes without saying, enjoying some great food with your family and friends.
Did you all enjoy some freshly baked, hot out of the oven hot cross buns today? No you say? You bought them already made? Well then, do I have the recipe for you. Its a little less traditional but equally as tasty. Thats the great thing about making your own, you get to choose what goes into them! Plus you get the bonus of fresh bread baking and that lovely smell wafting throughout your house, giving it a homely and inviting smell.
I do realise they are a little more labour intensive than picking some up from the supermarket, but they are great fun, and something you have to do at least once in your life.
Hot Cross Buns

50g butter
1 cup of milk
3 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 whole nutmeg grated
1/3 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of yeast
1 egg
1 cup cranberries 
 
 
2 tablespoons of water
1/2 cup flour
 
Melt the butter in the microwave, then add the milk and place back in the microwave for 30seconds just to warm the milk slightly. 
In a separate bowl, Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg in, then add the sugar and yeast. Pour in the butter and milk mixture along with the egg. Stir to combine then pour out onto a floured surface and kneed for 10minutes, during this time sprinkle the cranberries in as you kneed.  Alternatively use a freestanding mixture and place a dough hook on it, turn it on slowly then when the mixture has combined, add the cranberries, then turn up the speed for about 5minutes. Then remove from the bowl and kneed for 5 minutes. 
Place into an oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave until the dough has doubled in size. Remove from the bowl and knock the dough back down, place the dough back in the bowl and leave again to double in size. Remove the dough, knock it back down again then form into 9 round balls and place them on a baking tray or into a square cake tin. Leave for 1 hour, during this time, pre heat the oven to 180C. Brush the dough with some egg whites.
 
To make the cross, combine the flour and water and put the mixture into a pipping bag. Pipe the mixture on and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until cooked.

Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

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Peanut butter cup cakes
Peanut brittle

Since my last experiment with peanut butter, the peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, I haven’t been able to resist eating the stuff. Its an addiction, I’ve been eating it on toast morning, noon and night, taking spoonfuls of the stuff straight from the jar. I have even started stirring it through curries, which if you have never done you really must try it, its simply delish. So to deliver on a promise I made to you, to start baking with more peanut butter (well thats what I’m telling myself, definitely not to satisfy my cravings), I have come up with these peanut butter cup cakes. To take the peanut taste a little further, I have topped them with a crunchy amber peanut brittle. So if you need a nutty sugary fix these are simply perfect.

Chocolate cup cakes
 
Chocolate Cup Cakes
 
Cup Cake
 
250g dark chocolate buttons
200g butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
 
Pre heat oven to 180C
 
In a double boiler heat the chocolate and butter until they melt and come together. Set aside.
 
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar together with and electric whisk until they are pale and fluffy, this will take about 5 minutes. Slowly add the chocolate and butter mixture to this, whisking the entire time.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa and stir through until the mixture is combined. 
Spoon the mixture into 12 cup cake cases, fill them till about half way as they will rise.
 
Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked, let cool before icing
 
Peanut Butter Frosting
 
200g soft butter
1/2 cup of peanut butter
2 cups of icing sugar
 
Place the butter and peanut butter into a bowl and beat with and electric beater until they are pale and fluffy. Sift the icing sugar in, and stir through until combined. Place in a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cup cakes.
Peanut Brittle 
 
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of water
 
Place the peanuts on a lined baking tray, set aside. Place the sugar and water into a saucepan on a medium heat. I like to swirl the pan just to combine the sugar and water, I never stir it. You don’t want sugar crystals to form, many people use a wet brush to brush down the sides of the pan. I just leave it to do its thing, it will take about 5 minutes to become a beautiful amber colour, just make sure you watch it the whole time as it can burn very quickly. When it turns amber remove from the heat and pour over the peanuts. Be careful as it is ridiculously hot. When the toffee is hard either chop it up with a knife or place it into a bag and smash it with a rolling pin. Sprinkle over the top of the frosting and place the bigger shards into the top.