Chocolate & Cherry Loaf Cake

INGREDIENTS
LOAF CAKE
• 240g fresh cherries, stoned, halved, and tossed in a little plain flour
• 200g unsalted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 150g plain flour
• 80g ground almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75g milk chocolate, melted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 50g natural yoghurt

ICING
• 200g butter
• 400g icing sugar
• Couple of drops of cherry essence
• 1 tsp milk

OPTIONAL DECORATION
• 6 fresh cherries
• 50g milk chocolate, melted

METHOD
1. Grease and line a loaf tin and preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
2. Using a stand or electric hand mixer beat together both sugars and butter until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, melted milk chocolate and natural yoghurt and beat again until thoroughly combined.
4. Add in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder and beat again until fully combined.
5. Add the chopped cherries and using a spatula or spoon stir through the cake batter
6. Pour into your lined tin and bake on your middle shelf for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the cherry buttercream:
8. Beat the butter until pale and creamy. Add in the icing sugar and beat again until soft.
9. Add the cherry essence and milk and beat again until you have a spreadable creamy consistency.
10. Either pipe or spread across the cooled cake, decorate with a drizzle of the melted milk chocolate and fresh cherries (optional)

ENJOY! If you opt for Chocolate & Cherry Loaf Cake, please do share a picture!

Double Chocolate, Cherry and Oat Cookie Cake Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 125g salted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g golden granulated sugar
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tbsp natural yoghurt
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g jumbo porridge oats
• 1 large egg
• 250g glace cherries
• 100g white chocolate chips

METHOD

1. Grease and line a 9×9 inch tin and preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
2. Using a stand or electric hand mixer beat together both sugars and butter until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and natural yoghurt and beat again until thoroughly combined.
4. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, oats and bicarbonate of soda, beat again until fully combined.
5. Add the glace cherries and white chocolate chips and fold through
6. Pour into your lined tin and bake on your middle shelf for 18-20 minutes
7. Allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out.

ENJOY! If you opt for Double Chocolate, Cherry and Oat Cookie Cake Bars, please do share a picture!

Pina Colada Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

CUPCAKE
• 200g unsalted butter
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp of coconut cream
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 3 pineapple rings cut into small pieces and dusted in a little plain flour
• 200g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

ICING
• 250g unsalted butter
• 450g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tbsp white rum (optional)

DECORATION
• Glace cherries and pineapple chunks

METHOD
1. Line a muffin tin with 12 deep cupcake cases and preheat the oven to 175 degrees fan.
2. Beat together your unsalted butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, coconut cream and vanilla extract beat until combined.
3. Add flour, baking powder, desiccated coconut and beat again until smooth.
4. Fold in the chopped pineapple rings
5. Spoon equal amounts into each cupcake case and bake for 18-20 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean).
6. Remove from oven, leave in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. To make the icing, beat the butter until pale and fluffy, then add the icing sugar, coconut cream and white rum and beat again until soft and creamy.
8. Either using a spoon or pipe on to your fully cooled cupcakes and top with glace cherries and pineapple chunks

ENJOY! If you opt for Pina Colada Cupcakes, please do share a picture!

Cherry, Almond & White Chocolate Loaf Cake

This is a very simple loaf cake, it’s delicious and quick and easy to make. A cherry and white chocolate chip loaf with white chocolate buttercream and mascarpone icing, topped with toasted almonds.

INGREDIENTS

Loaf cake
200g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
4 large eggs
200g self raising flour
200g glace cherries
150g white chocolate chips

Icing
125g unsalted Butter
250g icing Sugar
125g mascarpone
125g white Chocolate (melted)

Decoration
50g flaked almonds

METHOD

1. Preheat the over to 200 degrees and scatter the flaked almonds on a lined baking tray, bake for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and pop into a bowl and leave to one side

2. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees fan and line a loaf tin

3. Using a hand or stand mixer beat the sugar and butter until light and creamy

4. Add eggs and beat again, then add flour and beat until combined

5. Add glace cherries and white chocolate chips and fold through the mixture with a spoon

6. Pour the loaf batter into the lined tin and bake for about 55-60 mins or until a skewer comes out clean

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack

8. Whilst the cake cools, make the icing. Beat the butter in a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy, add the icing sugar, mascarpone and melted white chocolate and beat again until smooth.

9. Pipe or spread with a palette knife the icing over the top of the fully cooled cake.

10. Scatter the toasted almonds over the top of the icing and serve.

ENJOY! If you opt for Cherry, Almond & White Chocolate Loaf Cake, please do share a picture!

Black Forest & Pistachio Cheesecake

This no bake, rich, delicious cherry and pistachio no bake cheesecake makes the perfect weekend treat. Its one of the most simple recipes you could ever create, yet maximises on flavour and tasty joy!

INGREDIENTS

Base
50g unsalted butter (melted)
300g milk chocolate digestives

Cheesecake
300ml double cream
500g mascarpone
100g icing sugar
200g milk chocolate (melted)
200g dark chocolate (melted)
200g fresh cherries (pitted and chopped )
100g Morello cherry jam
100g pistachios (finely chopped – I use a food processor for this)

METHOD

1. Line a deep 8 inch loose bottom cake tin with grease proof paper.

2. Using a food processor blitz the digestives to a fine crumb, then add in the melted butter and pulse until all combined.

3. Press down the biscuit base into the bottom of the lined tin and push down so it is even using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate whilst you make the cheesecake.

4. Put the mascarpone, cream, melted chocolates and icing sugar in a large bowl with an electric hand mix or a stand mixer and beat until it is all combined and thick (if you over work add a couple of tbsp of milk and beat again).

5. Add in the Morello jam and beat again briefly

6. Fold in the chopped cherries with a wooden spoon or spatula.

7. Remove the base from the fridge and spoon on top level off with the back of a spoon.

8. Scatter the finely chopped pistachios all over the surface. Then pop back in the fridge to firm up for around 3-4 hours.

9. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and take out of the spring form tin on to a plate. (Tip – use a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing from the tin.

10. Store in the fridge and will last around 4 days.

ENJOY! If you opt for Black Forest & Pistachio Cheesecake, please do share a picture!

Chocolate & Cherry Cupcakes

If you love fresh cherries, this is not one to be missed, white chocolate chips and baked cherry muffins topped with a cherry buttercream.

Top tip: If you don’t already have one, invest in one of these cherry pitters, my absolute favourite kitchen gadget, so quick and mess free at removing the stones. Making it perfect for baking and snacking alike (it also works on olives). HERE

INGREDIENTS

350g fresh cherries (weight including stone), pitted and chopped, then put aside 125g of those in a separate bowl for the icing
200g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
100g dark chocolate (melted)
150g white chocolate (broken in to pieces)

For the topping:

250g unsalted butter
500g icing sugar
150g white chocolate melted
12 whole fresh cherries

METHOD

1. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases and preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan.

2. Beat together your unsalted butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

3. Add flour, baking powder and melted dark chocolate and beat until smooth

4. Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped cherries until combined

5. Spoon equal amounts into each cupcake case and bake for 18-20 minutes.

6. Remove from oven, leave in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale and fluffy, then add the icing sugar, melted white chocolate and remaining 125g chopped cherries and beat again until soft and creamy.

9. Either pipe or spoon onto the cooled cupcakes

10. Optional – top with a whole cherry

ENJOY! If you opt for Chocolate & Cherry Cupcakes, please do share a picture!

Malteser & White Chocolate Tiffin

This is a no bake, delicious recipe, can be made in 10 minutes, then popped in the fridge for a few hours ready to be eaten. It is a firm family favourite!

INGREDIENTS

200g Maltesers
100g glace cherries
150g hobnobs
100g milk chocolate (broken in to pieces)
300g dark chocolate (broken in to pieces)
175g golden syrup
125g butter

For the topping:

300g white chocolate
50g dark chocolate

METHOD

1. 1. Line a 9inch square tin with greaseproof paper .
   2. Melt the golden syrup and butter on a low heat in a saucepan. Once it has fully melted and is just starting to bubble a little take it off the heat and add in the broken chocolate, stir until it has fully melted. If you need to you can briefly add back on to the heat, but do this carefully as you do not want the chocolate to split
   3. In a large mixing bowl break up the hobnobs into chunks (I like them super chunky so I just use my hands to break apart), add the glace cherries.
   4. Pour the butter, chocolate, golden syrup mixture over the hobnobs and cherries and stir until combined. Then add the Maltesers and stir again.
   5. Pour into your lined tin and refrigerate for an 1/2 hour.
   6. Whilst that is refrigerating melt the white and dark chocolate in separate bowls in the microwave on 30 second bursts, stirring each time, until melted.
   7. Remove the tiffin from the fridge and pour over the melted white chocolate, smooth with a knife so it is all covered. Then drizzle on the melted dark chocolate all over, if you want you can then swirl with the knife to make a lovely effect.
   8. Pop back in the fridge for another few hours or until completely set. Then cut into 16 squares and serve. This will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, ours usually lasts about 2 before its all eaten!!

ENJOY! If you opt for White Chocolate and Malteser Tiffin, please do share a picture!