Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Won Christmas!!!

Happy new year!!! Now Christmas is over I feel like I'm beginning to come out of the "cake haze" that has been my world for the majority of December. Before I forget what a blissful place that it was, I thought I would mention some of the highlights of the month. Top of that list was the opportunity to get into the kitchen (without toddler), and create this little beauty for Christmas....a No-Bake Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake inspired by an article from my Sister In-Law and another cake blog. I tweaked the recipe as some ingredients weren't readily available in the UK, however it tasted as good as it looks. If you're Reese's Peanut Butter Cup fan, try this recipe:

No-Bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Prep time:  20 mins

Total time:  2 hours 30 mins

Serves: 8-10 slices

Ingredients

For the crust

• 2 Pks Oreo Cookie Crumbs
• 100g Unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

• 360g Cream cheese
• ¾ of a tub Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Heavy whipping cream
• 50g Icing Sugar (Optional)
• 10 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (chopped)

For the garnish

• 6 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (chopped)
• Chocolate sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove the filling from your Oreos and discard. Use a food processor to crush the Oreos cookies into a fine crumb.
2. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl and pour melted butter over Oreo crumbs. Stir to combine until all crumbs are moistened.
3. Press into a 9” spring form pan using a spoon or measuring cup to compress crust. Set aside in refrigerator while you make the filling.

For the filling

1. Using the paddle attachment of your Kitchen Aid mixer, whip cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy for 2-3 minutes. Add peanut butter spread and continue to beat until well mixed.
2. Add the vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream, increase mixing speed to medium-high and whip for 2-3 minutes to add air into the batter.
3. Once all ingredients are mixed together, add icing sugar to sweeten and beat into batter. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix together.
4. Chop Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into small pieces and drop into batter. Stir to combine. Empty filling into prepared biscuit base.
5. Chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours (if time allows). Serve chilled.

For the garnish

1. Chop Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into halves spread over the top of the cheesecake.
2. Heat chocolate sauce in the microwave in 10 second increments. Caution, chocolate will be hot! Stir until smooth and drizzle over cheesecake.

As well as eating "Santa's" body weight in cake over Christmas, I also got to bake a Red Velvet Cake and Chocolate & Banana Cake (see above) for our house-warming! 

I think I'm going to avoid the scales in January, and start working on a new cake adventure: "The Cake Club" More details to follow...:-) 

Easy Chocolate & Banana Cake for Plan UK Night

I had to dust off my baking skills this week, as the Brownies had a charity Fundraiser for Plan UK - where they sold their "no sew" scarves - which were a favourite with the parents!!! And home baked goods were made by the girls for sale.

So I decided to make an easy recipe - Chocolate Marble and Banana Cake (inspired by Rachel Allen), and it went down a storm! Even Foxy (our honorary Brownie) wanted a piece...As Plan UK are such a brilliant charity and do so many great things for children all over the world, the Brownies went all out as the pictures below demonstrate.

 

Here's the recipe for my Chocolate Marble & Banana Cake (It's a winner with kids!):

• 200 g butter, at room temperature
• 200 g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 225 g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 50 g cocoa powder, sifted

Method

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter and flour the sides of a 20cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
• 2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• 3. Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently to mix. Fold in the mashed bananas
• 4. Tip half of the cake mixture into another large bowl and, into this bowl, fold in the sifted cocoa powder.
• 5. Place the cake mixtures into the prepared tin by alternating spoonfuls of the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter, then with a skewer or similar implement, gently draw swirls through the cake mixture to ‘marblise’ it. Don’t overmix or you won’t have that wonderful marble effect. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• 6. Turn the cake out onto a wire rack and allow to cool before serving.
• 

Sandwiched at Bill's!

I was treated to the ultimate "Fluffy Sandwich" this week, when dining at Bill's...A part of their specials menu, was a Brioche sandwich filled with fluffy marshmallows and nutella, topped with pistachio ice cream and a drizzle of strawberry coulis. Yes this delight was all on one plate, and after a tapas style meal, this was the perfect and unforgettable masterpiece!!!

Having been to Bill's a few times, I have to say the food and staff on this occasion were a lovely combination -I would highly recommend it (especially if you can get your hands on this fluffy sandwich!) 

Birthday Cake Extravaganza!!!

I always refer to October as being the best month of the year, normally because it's my Birthday month and so it's generally a happy time. But this October has been super special!!! Why, you ask?! Because the cake choices were beyond what I had anticipated...I enjoyed so much cake / desserts (see picture above), I can't wait for my birthday to roll around again, so I have another excuse to consume so much, and pass it off as being my birthday month! 

(Okay imagine me whispering to you now!) I even had evenings out where I ate 2 desserts at one meal seating - naughty me!!! But it was so worth it...first I went to the Manor House in Wanstead where I literally couldn't decide which dessert to have, and since my friends were having coffee with their desserts, and I'm not a coffee drinker I thought why not have what I really want - more cake! So treacle tart and chocolate brownies it was :-)

There was also a night of bowling...where although the food wasn't amazing at the Volti Noti restaurant, having 2 desserts (a mistake on their part!) And birthday cake more than made it alright. I can't even mention all the other "extra" cakes I have eaten this month, although I must say that my Hubby did satisfy my new "Red Velvet" obsession with a cupcake from the Buttercup Cake Shop too. I had a great month of catching up with my "lady friends" and eating my age (sorry I'm not relieving!) in cake/dessert/chocolate/pastries.....

Cake-tastic Time At The Cake & Bake Show!!

I cannot describe to you the excitement I felt at arriving at the annual Cake & Bake Show! It was like all my cake dreams had come true...the displays and range were incredible, and had me oooing and ahhing!

The vast array of stalls, made choosing all the the more harder and we couldn't help stopping to take in the beautiful layouts. It would have also been rude not to sample the goods on offer! The exhibits that really drew our attention were places like; The Little Round Cake Company  who had so much choice, I physically struggled to decide on the flavours, but opted for the White Chocolate & Raspberry, Apple Crumble, Sticky Toffee and Blackforest. Another stall I couldn't resist was Eat N Mess Cakes, their danity cupcakes and pie slices looked too cute! We also bumped into the odd celebrity or two at the show's cooking classes (namely Eric Lanlard!) 

I didn't want to leave Hubby and Baby Boy out of my cake adventure, and I didn't have to look for long...as we came upon a local Jamaican-inspired bakery who had Mango and Chilli cupcakes - right up Hubby's street! Then there was the stall called Sponge who had adorable 7" cakes, a chocolate cake for Baby Boy was in order (he loves chocolate already!!)  

That wasn't all on offer - there were non-cake stalls (yes at a cake show!) But they were serving some great treats, especially Supreme Sausages and The Flour Station. My friend fell in love with the delights of both of these stalls, and carried home many indulgences from both! So all in all we have a fabulous time - roll on next year!!!

Happy National Cupcake Week!

I was profoundly glad to hear that this week is "National Cupcake Week". Who wouldn't want to pay homage to the dainty pleasure of a cupcake...! Sometimes they can make the world seem like a better place - yes I said it, I have that reassurance in the frosted delight!

On a more sensible note, cupcakes have become a huge trend and business in many countries, with everyone trying to out-do each other in flavours, colours and sizes. As my previous post demonstrated there's not many ingredients or prices that won't be spent when coming up with the ultimate cupcake. 

I think of the cupcake as being a staple requirement to any worthy dessert buffet, as was the case when I got married a few years ago. I even went to the lengths of having our monogram put onto cupcake toppers for the occasion (see below).

I know that there's many people who do not care for or eat cakes or cupcakes (what is wrong with you?!) But cupcakes cannot go unnoticed when laid out...

In salutation of the humble cupcake, I will strive to consume a cupcake delight this week, because how can you not love a cupcake - see 33 reasons why you should here - haha! I will leave you with this wow of a cupcake....have a burger (cupcake) on me! :-)

World's Most Expensive Cupcake!

Okay so there are not many cakes that make me go "Wow", but when a friend sent this little beauty to me...I was beyond "Wowsers!!" Not because I thought it was exceptionally beautiful (although it is striking), but because of the eye-watering price attached to it...£540! Yes you read right, this birthday cake masterpiece cost more than many people's monthly shopping bill.

As you know I adore cake like no other, but even I would struggle to part with hundreds for something that could be consumed in less than 10 mouthfuls!

Read the full ingredients breakdown and cake motive here.