Chocolate Biscuit Refrigerator Cake

When I asked Mum what cake she wanted for her birthday, the answer was instantaneous 'Chocolate Biscuit cake please!'. I'd never made a biscuit fridge cake, and I'd forgotten how much I used to love the taste of it. Remarkably easy to make, without needing half the usual cake ingredients, it was a real winner. You'll be pleased to know that we let the birthday girl have the lion's share, but not without internal struggle. Just goes to show that this delightful cake thrills children of ALL ages.

Recipe
Adapted from one torn out of Grazia magazine last year, author unknown.
Serves 8

200g Rich Tea Biscuits
70g Maltesers
70g Mini Marshmallows
70g hazelnuts, chopped small
70g pistachio nuts, shelled
70g raisins or other dried fruit
150g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup
250g dark chocolate
edible silver glitter, to decorate, optional
small white birds or anything else you fancy to decorate, optional



1. Line a 1lb loaf tin with cling film, making sure to leave extra overhanging the sides.

2. Put the biscuits in a double bag made from 2 plastic bags. Tie the end securely, and then hit the biscuits with a rolling pin, until all are crushed.

3. Pour the crushed biscuits into a large bowl, and then add the sweets, nuts and dried fruit.

4. Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in a bain mairie (a heat proof bowl over a pan of just simmering water). Leave to cool for a moment.

5. When cooled a little, carefully stir the melted ingredients into the dry using a wooden spoon.

6.  Once combined, spoon the mixture into the prepared cling filmed loaf tin, and press it down gently to flatten the top evenly.

7. Place in the fridge for 2 hours, until solid.

8. Remove the cake from the tin once set by pulling on the cling film and easing it out with a knife. Turn it out on to a plate, and decorate with edible glitter. I added a couple of white birds I'd found in the local florist - purely for decoration and not to be eaten obviously!

9. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. This cake slices best when just out of the fridge.

 

This cake was idly made while listening to the Anthony & The Johnsons album I Am A Bird Now

Orange & Pistachio Cake

This cake is my own recipe, and it's really delicious. The light crumb is threaded with sweet orange zest, and it has a pretty toasted pistachio ring decoration which looks so autumnal with the rich nut purples browns and greens. A great cake to eat with a warm cup of tea after a long walk in the woods. Everything I make has a rustic look to it (ie. I'm too idle and too wedded to a love of imperfection to make things 'just so'); I've no doubt you could make this cake look prettier still if you had a go.

Recipe
Serves 8 -10

200g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g golden caster sugar
200g plain flour, sieved
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground almonds
grated zest of half an orange
juice of half an orange
3 eggs

1. Turn the oven to 160C (140C fan oven). Grease and line a 20 inch round baking tin.

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add 1 egg, the orange juice and zest, and beat well. Add the 2nd egg, plus the baking powder and a third of the sieved flour and combine. Finally, fold in the 3rd egg along with the rest of the flour and all the ground almonds. Mix gently until the batter is totally combined.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and put in the oven for approx 50 mins. It will be done when a skewer comes out clean and the top bounces back when you touch it with your finger. Take it out of the oven and leave in the tin for 15 minutes, before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool.

For the icing:
2 tbsps freshly squeezed orange juice

100g icing sugar, to decorate

300g unsalted pistachio nuts, shelled

1. When the cake is cool, roast the unsalted pistachios in a medium heat oven for approx 4 minutes.

2. Put the icing sugar in a bowl and add the orange juice, whisking with a fork until the icing is a good thick but runny consistency.

3. Spoon the orange icing over top of the cake.

4. Place the pistachio nuts in a ring over the icing and leave to set for at least 20 minutes.

This cake was idly baked to the sounds of The Kinks' album Something Else