baked desserts – My Whisk and I

Sponge on Fruit

June 28, 2023June 25, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

It might not be one of the prettiest bakes you will serve but wins all the accolades for simplicity, speed and flavour!!!

250ml sugar
250ml water
250ml blueberries
3 pears, peeled and sliced into 1,5cm chunks
2 apples, peeled and sliced into 1,5cm chunks
45ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
125g sugar
125g butter, room temperature
2 eggs
125g self-raising flour

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 20cm x 16cm ceramic dish with cooking spray.
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches a boil.
Cook for 1 minute without stirring.
Now add the pear and apple chunks and cook over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the fruit from the liquid, spread it in the baking dish and add the blueberries.
Scatter the sugar and cinnamon over the fruits.
Add the sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on high speed.
Turn the mixer on medium and add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl down and mix again.
Run the mixer on low speed and add 1-2 tablespoons of flour at a time. Beat to incorporate between each addition.
Spoon the batter on top of the fruit, spread it out evenly and bake for 45 minutes.
Serve the dish warm with ice cream or custard.

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Chocolate Pudding Cake

May 8, 2023April 20, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

190ml flour
60ml cocoa powder, sifted
80ml granulated sugar
1,2ml salt
10ml baking powder
1 egg
55g butter, melted
80ml milk
5ml vanilla
80g chocolate, chopped
125ml pecan nuts, chopped
80ml granulated sugar
80ml brown sugar
80ml cocoa powder, sifted
375ml strong coffee

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 20cm x 20cm baking tin with cooking spray.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and baking powder to a mixing bowl and stir together with a whisk.
Add the egg, melted butter, milk and vanilla to a jug and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients.
Add the chopped chocolate and nuts and stir to mix.
Spoon the batter in to the prepared baking tin.
Add the 80ml granulated and brown sugar and the cocoa powder, to a bowl and mix.
Sprinkle the mixture over the cake batter.
Pour the coffee over and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Serve the chocolate pudding cake with cream or ice cream.

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Chocolate Soufflé

September 14, 2022September 13, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This recipe makes 6 individual soufflés.

50g butter, melted
140g chocolate, chopped
30ml sour cream
10ml vanilla
4 eggs, separated
2 egg whites
a pinch of cream of tartar
a pinch of salt
45ml sugar

Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Place 6 ramekins on a baking sheet, brush the insides evenly with the melted butter and dust with some sugar, making sure you cover the bottom and sides of each ramekin. Set aside.
Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and allow to melt.
Take the bowl from the heat, add the sour cream and stir through.
Add the vanilla and stir through.
Now add the egg yolks, one at a time and stir to combine. Set aside.
Add the 4 + 2 egg whites to a clean mixing bowl, sprinkle the cream of tartar and salt over and whisk until soft peaks form.
Add the sugar a teaspoonful at a time while whisking continuously.
Fold a third of the egg white mixture into the chocolate with a metal spoon.
Now add the rest and gently for into the chocolate mixture. Do not over mix but do get rid of white streaks in the mixture.
Fill each ramekin. Gently run your thumb around the inside of the ramekin to create a small well.
Bake the soufflés for 12 minutes.
Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

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Hot Cross Bun Pudding

August 1, 2022July 31, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

4 eggs
180g sugar
600ml cream
600ml milk
15ml vanilla
6 hot cross buns
butter
125ml pistachio nuts
grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat your oven to 170℃.
Add the eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk together with electric beaters until pale. Set aside.
Pour the cream and milk into a saucepan and place it over a high heat. Bring the mixture just to the boil.
Pour the cream and milk onto the egg and sugar in a very thin stream, while constantly whisking.
Add the vanilla to the mixture and stir through.
Set aside to cool slightly.
Slice the buns in half and spread each with butter. Dip each half into the milk mixture, allowing 2-3 seconds for the buns to absorb the liquid.
Arrange the halved buns so that they overlap slightly in a 18 – 23cm ovenproof dish.
Now pour the rest of the mixture through a sieve and drizzle it onto the buns.
Scatter the pistachio nuts and orange zest over and set aside for 20 minutes so that the buns can soak up the custard mixture.
Place the pudding in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with custard.

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Apple Almond Pudding

April 18, 2022March 25, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

5 eggs, separated
135g sugar
4 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and grated
80g almond meal
80ml flaked almonds
icing sugar to dust

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spay a 22cm ovenproof dish with cooking spray.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together until light in colour.
Scoop the apple into a clean tea towel and squeeze the juice from it.
Add the apple to the creamed mixture and mix through.
Add the almond meal and mix on medium speed until incorporated into the batter. Set aside.
Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the batter.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the flaked almonds over.
Place the pudding in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Dust the apple pudding with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Quick-Bake Cheesecake

November 8, 2021November 7, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is a small cheesecake that serves about 8 people with a taste-size portion which makes it ideal to serve with tea. It goes against cheesecake rules as it is baked in quite a hot oven and not in a baine Marie, has no eggs in it and is sweetened with condensed milk.

200g digestive biscuits
80g butter, melted
250g cream cheese, room temperature
1 x 385g can of condensed milk
125ml lemon juice
fresh fruit to serve

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 25cm x 11cm x 7cm loaf tin with baking paper.
Add the digestive biscuits and butter to the bowl of a food processor and process until you have a texture that resembles wet sand.
Line the baking tin with the mixture, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Put aside.
Add the cream cheese and condensed milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Set the mixer on high speed and mix until the cream cheese is smooth – scrape the bowl down once or twice.
Now set the mixer on a low speed and drizzle in the lemon juice. Mix until fully incorporated and you have a smooth mixture.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for 30 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside until it has cooled completely.
Place the cheesecake on a serving dish and arrange fresh fruit on top before serving.

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Chocolate Bread-and-Butter Pudding

July 28, 2021July 18, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

This is the perfect make-ahead dessert when entertaining as it needs to rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. With its crunchy outside top and soft, squidgy inside it is best served in small portions as it is very rich. Leftovers are equally good when cold!

10 slices white bread, 0,5cm thick
160g dark chocolate, chopped
75g butter
450ml cream
60ml dark rum
110g caster sugar
a pinch of cinnamon
3 eggs
extra pouring cream for serving

Grease a 18cm X 28cm ovenproof ceramic dish.
Remove the crusts from the bread slices and then cut each slice into 4 triangles. Set aside.
Add the chocolate, butter, cream, rum, sugar and cinnamon to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water.
Stir the mixture every now-and-then until the butter and chocolate has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the bowl from the heat and give it a good stir to amalgamate the ingredients. Put aside.
Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
Pour the chocolate mixture over the eggs in a thin stream while whisking continuously. Remember: pour slowly, whisk quickly.
Spoon a 1cm layer of chocolate mixture into the base of the baking dish and arrange half the bread triangles in overlapping rows on this chocolate layer.

Pour half of the remaining chocolate mixture as evenly as you can, over the bread.
Arrange the rest of the triangles on top of this layer, finishing off with a layer of chocolate.

Gently press down the bread with a spoon so that it gets covered evenly with the liquid as it cools.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely. Place the dish in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Cooking the pudding:
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the pudding for 35 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving with pouring cream, custard or ice cream.

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Self-saucing Chocolate Pudding

April 15, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Not all things need to be pretty and with this recipe the proof IS in the pudding! Easy to make, not too sweet, fit for all seasons and a real crowd pleaser … give it a try, you will thank me!

250ml self-raising flour
62ml cocoa powder
125ml caster sugar
60g butter, melted
125ml milk
5ml vanilla
1 egg

125ml granulated sugar
45ml cocoa powder
500ml boiling water

Preheat your oven to 160℃.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add the caster sugar.
Stir the ingredients to combine and put aside.
Add the melted butter, milk, vanilla and egg to a separate bowl and whisk together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined into a batter.
Spoon the batter into a 25cm X 15cm ceramic dish and level the top with the spatula.
Sprinkle the granulated sugar onto the batter in an even layer.
Sift the 45ml cocoa powder onto the sugar layer and then gently pour the boiling water onto the batter.
Bake the pudding for 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stand for at least 10 minutes.
Serve warm.