sweet – My Whisk and I

Russian Honey Cake

October 26, 2025October 25, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

Burnt honey:
190ml honey
63ml water

Cake:
63ml burnt honey
190ml honey
280ml granulated sugar
200g butter, cubed
6 eggs
12,5ml baking powder
3,7ml salt
5ml ground cinnamon
940ml flour

Honey-cream:
125ml burnt honey
360g tin of caramel treat
2,5ml salt
600ml whipping cream

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 11 pieces of baking paper to the size of a large baking sheet and trace a 22cm circle onto each. Set aside.

For the burnt honey:
Pour the honey into a small saucepan and place it over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium when it start to bubble.
Cook until it becomes an amber colour – about 3 minutes.
Take the honey from the heat and add the water – stand back as it will sputter!
Whisk together once it stops bubbling.
Pour the burnt honey into a measuring jug and set aside to cool.

For the cake:
Pour the burnt honey, honey, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Stir until the butter has melted and then whisk by hand to combine.
Add the eggs one at a time while whisking continuously, still over the simmering water.
Add the baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whisk together for 30 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the heat.
Sift the flour into the mixture in 3-4 batches, whisking after each addition until the batter is smooth. (You may use an electric hand-held whisk)
Scoop a heaped 125ml measuring cup of the batter onto the baking paper circle and spread it out evenly with a spatula.
Bake each layer/disc for 7 minutes until it is a dark caramel colour.
Place the baked discs on a flat surface to cool completely.

For the honey-cream:
Add 125ml burnt honey, the caramel treat and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk by hand to combine.
Add 190ml cream, a little at a time, while whisking.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pour the remaining 410ml cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat to medium soft peaks.
Add the honey and caramel mixture and beat to medium stiff peaks.

Assembly:
Assemble the cake on your serving plate so that you don’t have to move it later on.
Place the first cake disc on the plate and scoop a generous amount of the honey-cream on top. Spread out evenly not worrying that it will crawl down the sides.
Keep going until all the cake discs have been stacked.
cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining honey-cream and smooth it out.
Place the cake in the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours.

If you would like to, blitz up a selection of salted nuts and cover the sides and top of the cake with it before slicing to serve.

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Honeyed quince

May 25, 2025by Karen Claassen1 Comment

60ml sugar
500ml water
4 cloves
2 star anise
4 quinces
half a lemon
60ml honey

Pour the sugar and water into a smallish saucepan and place it over a high heat.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved and bring the liquid to the boil.
Add the cloves and star anise.
Peel and halve the quinces and rub them with the lemon to stop them browning.
Lower the quince into the poaching liquid and allow to simmer until they are soft enough to pierce easily. This should take around 25 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line an oven dish with baking paper.
Lift the quince out of the poaching liquid and arrange them on the oven dish.
Pour 150ml of the poaching liquid into a bowl and mix in the honey.
Pour this over the quince and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve the quince with their cooking juices.

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Peppermint Crisp Tart

February 9, 2025February 8, 2025by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 x 200g packets Tennis biscuits
125ml milk
1 x 250ml container Orley Whip
250ml fresh whipping cream
1 x 360g can caramel treat
300g Peppermint Crisp chocolate, grated

Dip enough biscuits into the milk to make a double layer in the base of a tart dish. Set aside.
Pour the Worley whip into a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until you have firm/stiff peaks. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a clean mixing bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
Spoon the cream into the Orley whip, add the caramel and mix well with an electric whisk.
Fold 150g of the peppermint crisp chocolate into the mixture, using a spatula.
Spoon the mixture over the biscuit layer and even it out.
Sprinkle the remaining 150g chocolate over the top of the tart and refrigerate for 6 hours.
Slice and serve.

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Millionaire’s Cheat Pots

November 21, 2024November 20, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

10 shortbread biscuits
360g tin caramel treat
100g dark chocolate, chopped
150ml double cream

Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and smash them with a rolling pin until you have crumbs.
Scoop a large heaped dessert spoon of crumbs into 6 ramekins/glasses and give it a shake to level out. Set aside.
Scoop the caramel out of the tin into a mixing bowl. Stir/beat by hand until softened.
Now scoop a spoonful of caramel onto the biscuit crumb and level it out slightly with the back of a teaspoon. Set aside.
Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water.
Stir until the chocolate has melted completely.
Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Beat the cream and chocolate with electric beaters for about 4 minutes – it has to become airy and thick.
Divide the mixture between the ramekins and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Take the cheat pot from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.

This dessert may be prepared two days in advance.

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Black Bean Protein Muffins

September 12, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

2 eggs
1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained
100g syrup
50g sugar
10ml vanilla
a pinch of salt
70g cocoa powder, sifted
5ml baking powder
2,5ml bicarbonate of soda
30ml vegetable oil

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a muffin tin with 6 paper cups. Spray the linings with cooking spray and set aside.
Add the eggs to a blender and blitz together until frothy.
Now add all the other ingredients and process for 1 minute.
Divide the mixture between the cups and bake for 25 minutes.
Cool the muffins on a cooling rack, in the baking tin.
Serve at room temperature.

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Mini Banana Cheesecakes

September 8, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

200g tennis biscuits, finely crumbed (keep a handful aside for decoration/to serve)
60ml sugar
120g butter, melted
450g cream cheese, room temperature
125ml sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla
250ml sour cream
250ml mashed banana
5ml cornstarch
125ml milk
2 bananas, sliced
whipped cream
a handful of biscuit crumbs

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a muffin tin with paper cups. Set aside.
Add the biscuit crumbs, 60ml sugar and melted butter to a mixing bowl and mix until it resembles wet sand.
Divide the mixture among the paper cups and press it down firmly in the bottom to form a base. Set aside.
Add the cream cheese and 125ml sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on high speed, scraping down a few times, until smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and add the vanilla as well.
Pour in the sour cream and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
Add the mashed banana and cornstarch to a bowl and drizzle in the milk. Whisk by hand until combined and thick.
Fold the mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
Spoon the batter into the prepared biscuit bases.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Allow the cheesecakes to cool completely and place them in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
Take the cheesecakes from the paper cups, scoop some whipped cream on top and decorate with slices of banana and a sprinkling of biscuit crumbs.

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Blood Orange Cake

September 2, 2024September 2, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

I made this cake with blood oranges but it can be made with regular oranges as well. You will need 6 oranges in total.

3 blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
15ml + 60g honey
75g butter, softened
1 blood orange, zested and juiced
3 eggs, separated
100g almond meal
90g polenta
200g ricotta cheese, drained
a pinch of salt
110g caster sugar
raw shelled pistachio nuts, to decorate
crème fraîche, for serving

Syrup:
150g caster sugar
2 blood oranges, juiced

Preheat your oven to 160℃ and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Layer the blood orange slices on the bottom of the tin, in two layers.
Drizzle the 15ml honey over and set aside.
Add the butter, 60g honey and orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on high speed, until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Take the bowl from the mixer and fold in the almond flour, polenta, ricotta and orange juice. Set aside.
Add the egg white and salt to a clean bowl and beat until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in the caster sugar until shiny.
Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture.
Spoon the batter onto the orange slices in the prepared cake tin.
Smooth the top and bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the syrup:
Add the sugar and juice to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and cook until you have a light syrup – about 10 minutes.

Once the cake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup over and allow to cool.
Invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the baking paper.
Decorate with a scattering of pistachio nuts and serve with crème fraîche.

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French Style Hot Chocolate

August 14, 2024August 13, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

250ml + 60ml milk
125ml cream
15ml vanilla
30ml cocoa powder
7,5ml cornflour
a pinch of salt
150g chocolate, finely chopped

Add the milk and cream to a small saucepan and place it over medium heat until it is steaming hot.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside.
Add the cocoa powder, cornflour and salt to a small bowl.
Now add a few spoonfuls of the warm milk to it and stir to form a runny paste.
Pour the paste back into the saucepan and stir to combine.
Add the chopped chocolate and place the saucepan back over a very low heat.
Stir until the chocolate has completely melted.
Pour the hot chocolate into serving cups and add a dollop of whipped cream to serve.

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Bea’s Guava Crumble

August 10, 2024August 6, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

3 x 410g tins of guava halves
100ml brown sugar
5ml ground cinnamon
125ml cream

Crumble:
250ml flour
125ml brown sugar
120g butter, cut into small cubes
125ml chopped nuts
80ml oats

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and lightly spray a 28cm x 24cm oven dish with cooking spray.
Drain the guava halves and arrange them in a single layer in the oven dish.
Drizzle the cream over.
Add the brown sugar and ground cinnamon to a small bowl and mix together.
Sprinkle over the guavas and set aside.
Add the flour, brown sugar, butter, chopped nuts and oats to a mixing bowl.
Rub the ingredients together with your fingertips until you have a lumpy mixture with the consistency of wet sand.
Scatter the crumble over the guavas and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.
Serve the guava crumble with custard.

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Green Cheesecake

August 3, 2024by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

260g oreo biscuits
115g butter, melted
900g cream cheese, room temperature
83ml sour cream
15ml lemon juice
45ml matcha powder or protein shake
120g icing sugar, sieved
15ml vanilla
125ml whipping cream

Break up the Oreo biscuits and place them in the bowl of a food processor.
Process on the pulse setting until the biscuits are broken down to crumbs.
Drizzle in the butter while the engine is running.
Sprinkle the sugar over the crumb mixture and stir through.
Tip the mixture into a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin and press into the bottom and sides.
Freeze the crust while preparing the filling.
Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until soft.
Add the sour cream, lemon juice, matcha powder, icing sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed for one minute.
Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
Pour the cream into a clean mixing bowl and whisk to stiff peaks.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Remove the crust from the freezer and spoon the filling into it. Smooth the top and cover the cake tin with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 6 hours.
Sprinkle/sift over the macha and slice to serve.