Tag: spice

Cinnamon + blueberry mini cakes

Cinnamon and blueberry cakes

I first started experimenting with this particular flavour trio (blueberry, cinnamon and white chocolate) when I was young. I remember buying waffles from the supermarket and covering them with a fresh blueberry compote spiked with cinnamon, and then drizzling molten white chocolate over the top. I called them ‘midnight waffles’.

Cinnamon and blueberry cakes

Years later I’ve decided to reunite the trio in cake form. The result is a toothsome cinnamon sponge (I don’t like to go small with spices) with fresh, bursting blueberries and white chocolate grated on top. I think this looks sweet, you may think it looks like toenail clippings. You could always drizzle melted chocolate instead, or even put chocolate chunks into the sponge along with the blueberries.

Cinnamon and blueberry cakes

Cinnamon + blueberry mini cakes

110g Gluten free self-raising flour

110g softened butter

2 eggs

55g light brown sugar

One handful fresh blueberries

3 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 bar white chocolate

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the other ingredients (except the blueberries) and mix to combine.
  3. Gently fold the blueberries into the mix.
  4. Distribute the mixture and bake for around 12 minutes (times may vary depending on your tin).
  5. Extract your cakes from the tin whilst they are warm but not hot, and grate the chocolate over them (if desired). If the cakes become too cool the chocolate will not stick to their surface.

Winter spice cake with Cointreau icing

Like a lot of people I’m not a bit fan of traditional British Christmas cake, pudding, and mince pies.  They’re just not really to my taste, so a few years ago I made a lightly spiced sponge cake in a bundt tin, and iced it with a drizzle of white water icing and some shiny gold sprinkles.  It was simple but festive, a nice antidote to the sickly stickiness of the dried fruit which dominates at this time of year.  Great for children and adults, I decided that I would definitely make this cake again for future Christmases.  

Winter spice cake with Cointreau icing

It’s the perfect cake to have when people drop by; it’s light and festive, and can be customised as you please.  Although it’s gluten free this cake doesn’t crumble to dust on impact, but remains lovely  and spongey.  The warm spices gently unfurl as you’re eating the cake, and the toppings provide crunch and chew.  I think that any decoration on a bake should be pleasant both to look at and to eat.  Dried rose petals, for instance, look divine but become pot pourri in the mouth.  

Winter spice cake with Cointreau icing

 This time I decided to add Cointreau (an orange liqueur) to the icing.  I feel like Cointreau is one of those old-school drinks which comes out at Christmastime, and I wanted to provide some inspiration of what to do with it if you stumble upon a bottle (you can also make my Christmas 75 cocktail, recipe on the blog!).  If you’re making this cake for children or non-drinkers then feel free to replace the Cointreau with fresh orange juice or orange extract and water.

Christmas 75 cocktail and winter spice cake

Winter Spice cake with Cointreau Icing:

175g gluten-free self-raising flour

175g butter

115g caster sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1tsp almond extract (optional)

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

100g icing sugar

Cointreau or orange juice or orange extract

Toppings of your choice (dried fruit, nuts, sprinkles etc)

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and butter a bundt tin.  
  2. Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well.
  4. When the mixture is well combined place it in the bundt tin evenly and smooth the top.  Try to ensure that the mixture looks level all around. 
  5. Bake for about twenty minutes until the cake is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Leave the cake to cool.
  6. Once the cake is cool place a plate or board on top and flip the plate/board and cake tin upside down.  Your cake might not come out straight away; I went around the edge of mine with a dinner knife a few times first. 
  7. Once the cake is out you can prepare your icing.  Pour the icing sugar into the bowl and gradually add your liquid (Cointreau, juice, water) bit by bit, stirring well, until you have a thick, opaque icing which drips easily from the spoon.  If you’re using Cointreau you may think the icing tastes strong, but once it’s on the cake it tastes fine.
  8. Decorate your cake as you please.  Enjoy!