Double Chocolate Brownies

This is a straight-forward Double Chocolate Brownie recipe that is fabulous to make with children and loved by the kids and grown-ups alike. 

This makes enough for x8-10 thick brownies and they can last a few days in a sealed container, but they rarely do. We made them on Sunday morning and enjoyed for our dessert that day. 

Double Chocolate Brownies

Here's how:

• 200g dark chocolate
• 190g salted butter
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 275g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200g milk chocolate

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and fill and boil the kettle. In the meantime, grease and line a square baking tin with grease proof paper and set aside.

Now place the just boiled water into a small saucepan and above it place a heat-proof dish to melt the dark chocolate in. Break up the dark chocolate and place into that bowl with the salted butter. Allow this to slowly melt down until you are left with what can only be described as chocolate lava. Now remove from the heat and set aside. 

Take the milk chocolate bar, and cut into chunks and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the caster sugar and eggs; use a whisk and really be quite vigorous to get as many air bubbles into the mixture as possible (this will help the brownies to rise). 

In a different, smaller bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder, pass through a sieve. 

Now take the chocolate lava mixture and gently pour into the beaten eggs and sugar, and gently fold in using the figure of eight method. You don't want to knock out all of the air, so do this carefully. 

Now repeat the process by adding the flour and cocoa into the bowl, and again gently folding it in until it's all combined. 

Finally add most of the chocolate chunks, and stir through. Then pour the brownie batter into the baking tin and allow it to be as evenly distributed as possible. Now place each remaining piece of chocolate all over the top of the batter. 

Place into the hot oven for exactly 28 minutes, then remove and leave on the hob, in the tin for at least an hour to cool right down before you attempt to remove it from the tin. When you do, cut into your preferred number, and leave in a cool dry place in a sealed container until ready to serve. You should have rich, fudgey, moist brownies that are utterly delicious. 

Double Chocolate Brownies

Here are a few other baking recipes you may enjoy making:

• Lovely Lemon Cake
• White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies
• Chocolate Hobnobs
• Lemon & Raspberry Yoghurt Loaf Cake
• Rhubarb & Custard Cake
• Coffee & Walnut Tray Bake
• Lemon Honey and Yoghurt Cake
• Apple Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Monte Carlos Biscuits

White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies

White chocolate and cranberry is a classic combination and the sweetness with the caramel tasting cookie dough from a brown sugar base, makes these cookies melt-in-the-mouth delicious.

They're easy to make and are great to make with little ones, as I did this weekend. 

You can make big or small cookies and you can also freeze the dough if you don't want to use it all up at once, I always use the lot as the cookies can keep for up to a week in a sealed container; they never do though.

White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies

Here's how:
150g salted butter
170g brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
240g plain flour
2 tsp vanilla
150g white chocolate
100g dried cranberries

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a couple of baking sheets or roasting tins with greaseproof paper. 

Now cream together the brown sugar and softened butter (if the butter's been in the fridge, cut into cubes and microwave for a few seconds until soft, but not completely melted) with a wooden spoon. 

Once well combined, crack in the eggs and add the vanilla too and mix well.

Now sieve in the plain flour and baking powder and mix well. The dough/batter will probably be quite thick at this point, so add the milk a little at a time to loosen up. You may not need 2 tbsp or you may need a little more. 

Once you're happy with the consistency, throw in the cranberries, retaining a few. Now roughly chop the white chocolate into thick chunks and throw most of that into the bowl too, again retaining a few bits, and mix well. 

Now take a tablespoon and roughly fill with the dough, then place onto the baking sheet, you may need another spoon to gently push the dough off. Leave plenty of space around each cookie, I usually fit 5-6 on a normal sized baking sheet. Once they are all on, dot a couple of pieces of white chocolate and a cranberry on the top of each little mound of dough.

Place into the centre of the oven and cook for 10-11 minutes, then remove and leave to stand on the baking sheet for five minutes. At this point they will be soft to the touch; but they will harden a little as they cool. Gently remove them with an egg slice (I find this works best) and place onto a wire rack or board to cool completely. Then repeat the process until all of the cookies are baked. Enjoy!

If you're looking for more biscuit inspiration here are five more fab recipes you might like :

Monte Carlo Biscuits
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Hobnobs
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Easter Cookies with Mini Eggs

Lemon & Raspberry Yoghurt Loaf Cake

This is a lovely cake to make at the moment, when raspberries are in abundance; and the yoghurt and lemon juice help to keep this a really moist cake.

The quantities here make x2 loaf cakes, and they keep for up a week. You could also freeze once baked, but it's best to do so without the icing. We tend to deliver one as a gift when I bake this.

Lemon & Raspberry Yoghurt Loaf Cake

Here's how:

• 225g caster sugar
• 225g salted butter
• 225g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 75g natural yoghurt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 300g raspberries

For the icing:

• 400g icing sugar
• Juice & zest of x1 lemon
• 2 tbsp milk (may need more)
• 2 drops of pink food colouring (optional)
• 100g raspberries

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, and grease and line x2 loaf tins. 

In a large bowl, cream together the salted butter and caster sugar until combined. 

Now crack in each of the eggs one at a time, and combine. 

Now sift in the self raising flour and baking powder and mix until all combined. Add the zest and juice of the lemons and the yoghurt until you have a fairly liquid batter. Now add the raspberries, and stir through carefully so you don't break them all up. 

Divide the batter between the two loaf tins or one large tin and place both into the middle shelf of the oven and cook for exactly 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and cooked through. Check with a skewer in the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean with no wet crumbs, it's cooked through. If it is a little wet and crumby return to the oven for five more minutes. 

Remove from the oven and allow to stand in the tins, somewhere cool for 10-15 minutes, then gently remove from the tin and place on a wire rack or board to cool further. 

Now make up the icing by combining the icing sugar in a large bowl, with the lemon juice and the 2 tbsp milk. You want the icing the be fairly thick and glossy liquid that can be spooned on top of the cake. If you need to, add a drop more milk at a time to get the right consistency. When satisfied, add the drops of food colouring, if using, to get a nice pretty pink colour and stir thoroughly so the colour is distributed throughout the icing. 

Spoon over the top of the cake, mostly on the middle allowing it to gently drip over the sides of the cake. 

Scatter over the raspberries on the top of the cake, any way you like, and then finally add the zest from the lemon over the top for a final pretty flourish. Enjoy!

Lemon & Raspberry Yoghurt Loaf Cake

If you love baking here are ten other cake recipes you might enjoy:

Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Ring Cake
Rhubarb and Custard Cake
Guilt Free Apple Cake
St Clement's Drizzle Cake
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Carrot Cake
Peach Upside Down Cake
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Coffee & Walnut Cake with Vanilla Latte Icing
Simple Double Chocolate Traybake

Chocolate Hobnobs

If like me, this lock down has got you baking a whole lot more, especially with the kids, then give these gorgeous homemade Chocolate Hobnobs a try. They are without a doubt my favourite biscuit for tea-dunking and the children really enjoyed making them, especially dipping them in chocolate. 

You could use milk or dark chocolate, we used milk as we had a ton of Easter eggs leftover, but use what you prefer or have at home. We also used Golden Syrup, but if you don't have any in stock, you could try using maple syrup or honey instead. 

The below makes 15 delicious biscuits - be warned, they won't last long.

Chocolate Hobnobs

Here's how:

• 120g porridge oats
• 120g plain flour
• 120g caster sugar
• 120g butter
• 1.5 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp baking powder mixed in with 1 tbsp boiled water
• 130g milk chocolate (or dark if you prefer)

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line two baking trays with grease-proof paper.

Pop the flour, porridge oats and caster sugar into a mixing bowl and roughly combine with a wooden spoon. Make a bit of a hole in the middle, or a well, as you would when making dough.

In a small saucepan, place the 120g butter with the golden syrup on a low heat to gently melt and then remove from the heat and stir in the boiled water and baking powder mixture.

Now pour the butter and syrup mixture into the dry ingredients into the hole, a little at a time, and gently combine, repeating the process until you have a sticky batter-like substance. At this point, it should have a really tempting aroma too.

Once all combined, place 1 tbsp of the mixture onto the baking sheet, with room to spread out. And repeat until you have x5 on each baking sheet. They should be like a little ball, as they will spread out as with cookies when you bake them.

Place into the hot oven for 9 minutes exactly, and then remove, allow to cool on the tray for five minutes, during which time they will harden a little and become less delicate. Then use a fish slice to carefully remove them and place onto a wire rack or board to cool further.

Repeat the process until all biscuits have been baked, and are cooling on a wire rack or wooden board.

Now to melt the chocolate, break up into small pieces and heat over a small pan of boiling water, or in microwave if you prefer for 2-3 minutes, but opening and stirring every 30 seconds so the chocolate doesn't become one big sticky mess.

Once melted, remove the bowl and place onto the kitchen side. Now take each biscuit and gently dip into the chocolate, until half (or if you prefer all) of the biscuit is coated in chocolate and then once again, place onto a board or wire rack to allow the chocolate to set. Repeat the process until all of the biscuits have a delicious chocolate coating.

Be warned, these are ridiculously moreish! Enjoy!

If you are looking for some easy baking recipes with the children during lockdown here are some of our favourites:

Chocolate Cornflake and Marshmallow Cakes

Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Lemon Curd & Blueberry Muffins

Banana & Berry Breakfast Muffins

Mini Egg Brownies

Lemon, Honey and Yoghurt Cake with Blueberries 

Banana and Chocolate Chunk Bread

Maltesers Indulgence Easter Cake

This cake is a real celebration of Easter and for me, chocolate is the key to a happy Easter, especially with my two girls, Bridget and Beatrice. This cake is not frugal, nor healthy - it is truly decadent, indulgent and calorific, but it is also absolutely delicious and fun to make with kids or solo. It takes a little more time than an ordinary sandwich cake, but is well worth the effort.

If you do want to shave off a few calories, you could make it without the vanilla sponge layer, but the height does help to make a hidey hole for the Maltesers which pour out as you slice into the cake. 

Malteasers Indulgence Easter Cake

Here's how:

For the chocolate sponge:

• 8 tbsp boiling water
• 50g cocoa (sifted)
• 4 eggs
• 60ml milk (use full fat if possible)
• 180g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 115g butter (room temperature)
• 270g caster sugar

For the vanilla sponge:

• 2 eggs
• 120g butter (room temperature)
• 120g caster sugar
• 120g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

The chocolate buttercream:

• 100g milk chocolate
• 200g butter (room temperature)
• 450g icing sugar
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4-6 tbsp milk

To decorate/adorn:

• x3 large packs of Maltesers or 1 share bag
• x6 Maltesers Bunnies

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line x2 20cm round sandwich tins and set aside.

Make the vanilla sponge first by simply using the all-in-one method, literally put the butter, caster sugar, self-raising flour, baking powder, vanilla essence into a mixing bowl, crack in the two eggs and mix well to form a cake batter. 

Pour into one of the lined cake tins and tilt the tin to ensure the cake batter covers the entire bottom and is well spread out. 

Place into the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown, risen, and you can stick a skewer inside without any wet crumbs coming out. 

Remove from the tin, place onto a wire race or a board to cool. Re-line the cake tin, firstly removing any cakey debris. 

While the vanilla sponge is in the oven, set to work making the chocolate sponge. First place the cocoa into a mixing bowl, and pop the 8 tbsp boiling water into the bowl too, using a wooden spoon to stir and making a bit of a paste. It shouldn't be too dense, and should have some movement, so if you need to add a little more boiling water, do so, 1 tbsp at a time until you're happy with the consistency.

Now add the rest of the cake ingredients; the butter, eggs, milk, sugar, baking powder and self-raising flour and mix well with the wooden spoon until a batter is formed. 

Now pour the batter into the two sandwich tins, as evenly as you can (you can use scales to be precise but I don't bother for an 'at home' cake and gauge it by sight instead.

Again tilt the tins to ensure the batter is all over the tins and spread out well then place into the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. 

Again, use a skewer to ensure the cake is cooked through, and if not return to the oven for a further five minutes.

Gently remove from the tins after a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack or a board to cool and leave for 20-30 minutes so they're cooled through.

For the buttercream, first break up the milk chocolate (we used an Easter egg) and melt in a bowl over a pot of boiling water or in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, then set aside.

Now in the final mixing bowl (or the one you've washed up twice) combine the butter, with the icing sugar and cocoa. If you can, sieve the icing sugar and cocoa in, as it will make the buttercream less grainy - but I was lazy yesterday! Add the milk and stir well with a wooden spoon. You want it to be loose and easy to spread with a knife or palette knife, so add more milk a tbsp at a time if it feels a little too thick. Pour in the melted chocolate and give a final stir then set aside.

To assemble the cake, use a cake stand or whatever you want the cake to sit on, and place the bottom layer (whichever one is tattiest) of chocolate sponge on the stand. Use a cookie cutter and cut out a round right in the centre of the cake. Remove the centre sponge piece, (if you have small children I'm sure they will help to get rid of the cake!). 

Now spread the rest of the top of the bottom layer of chocolate sponge with a thin layer of the chocolate buttercream.

Next cut out the centre of the vanilla sponge and place the remaining outer circle on top of the chocolate sponge on the cake stand. Now you should have the two layers, with a big, deep hole. Fill with two thirds of the Maltesers. 

Maltesers Indulgence Easter Cake

Now spread the vanilla sponge on top with the chocolate buttercream and place the final, full chocolate sponge on top. It may dip a little in the centre, but don't worry about that.

Now spread the chocolate buttercream all over the cake, using the back of a knife or if you have one, a palette knife to get it as neat as you can. Any remaining buttercream pop into a small Tupperware dish and it will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks for any cakes you might want to ice.

Now to tidy the stand, so if you are like me, you may have made a little mess of the stand with the chocolate, use some kitchen roll or tissue to mop up any spillages and make neat and then you can pop on the final decorations.

Add the x6 Malteser Bunnies around the outside, they should stick to the buttercream without anything extra needed.

Bash up the remaining Maltesers with the end of a rolling pin so they're all crushed and then scatter over the top of the cake. Enjoy!

If you love a chocolate bake like us here are a few other recipes you may enjoy:
Mini Egg Brownies
Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Ring
Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Rich Mocha Cake
Simple Double Chocolate Traybake
Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Banana and Chocolate Chunk Bread

This Banana and Chocolate Chunk Bread is really a cake - deliciously moist with a close texture and ideal for an elevenses or tea-time treat with a cup of tea. 

It is also a great way to use up any over-ripe (or even slightly browning) bananas too - no waste here.

There are tons of varieties of Banana Bread and they each have their own charm, if I don't add chocolate I love a gentle spicing with ginger and cinnamon or even mixed spice; vanilla also works well but when the chocolate is in the mix, I don't think it needs anything else. 

Banana and Chocolate Chunk Bread

Here's how:

• 275g peeled banana
• 2 tbsp milk
• 180g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 75g walnuts
• 100g dark chocolate
• 2 eggs
• 100g melted butter
• 160g dark brown sugar

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees and grease and line a square or loaf tin. 

Now in a mixing bowl, mash most of the bananas up quite smoothly with the milk. Then with the final 1-2 bananas use your fingers to gently break up into bigger chunks - and allow for a different texture throughout the cake.

Into the banana bowl, sift the flour and add the salt and baking powder and gently mix.

In a different mixing bowl, add the butter (melt first if it isn't already). Add the brown sugar and the eggs and whisk up till light and creamy in texture.

Now roughly chop the walnuts and chop the chocolate into large chunks and set aside.

Add the banana and flour into the sugar, butter and eggs combination and fold in until you have a good, wet cake batter and no evidence of any flour hanging about.

Now add the walnuts and chocolate and give a final stir through.

Pour the batter into the lined tin, and place into the oven for 60 minutes exactly. 

Remove from the oven, and allow to stand in the tin for ten minutes. Then remove, and allow to stand for a further ten minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Banana and Chocolate Chunk Bread

Lemon Curd Drizzle Cake

This is a gorgeously moist and zingy cake that is perfect to enjoy at home with a cuppa during this horrendously cold, windy and wet weather. I made it yesterday with my girls to keep them occupied for a while, and after we enjoyed a slice, warm from the oven we delivered some to my Dad at his allotment which was very well received.

I've given a double icing here - but you could cut down the calories and sugar by just having the usual lemon drizzle icing.

Lemon Curd Drizzle Cake

Lemon Curd Drizzle Cake

Here's how:

The cake batter:

• 225g salted, softened buter
• 225 caster sugar
• x4 large eggs
• 225g self raising flour
• 3 tbsp lemon curd
• Juice and zest of x1 lemon

Drizzle icing:

• 85g caster sugar
• Juice of x1.5 lemons
• Zest of x1 lemon

White icing:

• 100g icing sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 20cm square or circular tin with baking paper. 

In a large mixing bowl place the softened butter and caster sugar and beat together with a wooden spoon.

Once combined, crack in each egg one at a time, mixing in as you go. 

Now sift in the self raising flour, squeeze in the lemon juice and add the zest and combine until you have a thick cake batter.

Once satisfied with the batter, place about half into the bottom of the cake tin and use the back of a metal spoon to smooth down a little.

Now take the lemon curd, and use a teaspoon to dot spoonfuls of it all over the cake batter until you've used it all up.

Now spoon over the remaining cake batter, smooth down and place into the centre of the oven for 35 minutes exactly.

In the meantime you can prepare your drizzle icing and white icing. For the drizzle simply add the lemon juice to a small bowl with the caster sugar and mix well.

For the white icing it's the same method - combine the icing sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Now place into an icing bag, or a food bag will suffice perfectly.

When you carefully remove the cake from the oven, take a wooden skewer and prick in the centre of the cake - if it comes out without wet crumbs, it's cooked, so remove it from the oven. If you have wet crumbs, return to the oven for five more minutes.

Now use the wooden skewer to prick all over about ten times, whilst still hot in the cake tin, which will create a runway to the cake when you pour the drizzle icing over.

Pour the drizzle icing over making sure the entire top of the cake gets a good coating.

Finally make a small snip into the corner of the icing bag (if using a food bag) and then just drizzle the white icing all over.

Allow to cool for five minutes before carefully turning out of the pan. This is delicious warm from the oven or cold but always with a cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

I made these yesterday for the end of the dance term for a tasty teacher gift and it's the first time I've made them in a while. This recipe works with any chocolate-based biscuit - I've used Bourbon's before, or even chocolate chip cookies but we love the look and taste with these Oreo style cookies - (although I actually bought the Neo biscuits, which are a cheaper copy from Lidl).

They are super rich and the extra chocolate chunks plus the cookies mean these are a real squishy, fudgy treat - delicious.

Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Here's how:

• 200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 185 salted butter at room temperature
• 80g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 3 eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• 100g white chocolate
• 100g milk chocolate
• 1 pack Oreo or Neo (or alternative) cookies

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, fill and boil the kettle and then grease and line a baking tin with greaseproof paper. 

Using the just-boiled water, place into a small saucepan and in a bowl that rests on top of the saucepan, add the butter and the dark chocolate, broken into small pieces. Allow this to gently melt until it is a liquid lava of chocolate and then remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool whilst you get everything else prepared. 

Chop the chocolate into small chunks and set aside. Also break about half of the cookies up into small pieces either by hand or by chopping and also leave to the side for the moment.

In a small bowl sift in the plain flour and cocoa powder. 

In a mixing bowl add the caster sugar and eggs and begin to whisk. This  is the most laborious part of the process - you need to work this quite hard to get as many bubbles in there as possible to allow the brownies to rise up. The final mixture should be light and fluffy and full of bubbles - do at least six minutes of whisking if doing by hand, and of course, take breaks if you need to.

Once you are satisfied, remove the whisk and grab a wooden spoon; now gently pour in the melted chocolate and butter into the bowl, and slowly fold in the mixture - be as gentle as you can to try and not whack all of the air out of the batter. 

Once this is combined, repeat the process with the flour and cocoa - use the figure of eight folding method if you can.

Finally add the chopped pieces of chocolate to the batter and mix to distribute well.

Now pour in half of the brownie batter into the baking tin. Now carefully scatter or place in the broken pieces of biscuits into the batter so they are evenly distributed. 

Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Pour the remaining half of the batter over the biscuits so they are completely covered.

Finally take the remaining, whole Oreo/Neo biscuits and place neatly across the batter just on top - I try to keep one for each piece or portion of brownie. 

Once complete, place into the oven and bake for exactly 28 minutes - this timing works every time in my oven, which can be quite fast compared - so if you're unsure, use the skewer method to see if it comes out dry - if so it's done, if not return to the oven for a few more minutes, then test again.

When you remove from the oven give the tin a bang - this will make it easier to extract the brownies. 

Triple Chocolate Cookie Brownies

Leave to cool for as long as possible - it can be difficult when the kitchen is filled with an intoxicating chocolate aroma, but you'll thank me for it, when you're able to cut into neat squares. If you can't wait (we usually can't either) then be prepared for slightly more rustic brownies, with scruffier edges. Either way it won't impair the taste - enjoy!.

Lovely Lemon Cake

This citrus cake is light and delicious with a triple hit of lemon running through it from the sponge cake, the lemon curd and the lemon buttercream. It's perfect for a celebration cake.

It's simple to make too - I've used the all-in-one method for the sponge which works every time.

Lovely Lemon Cake

Add caption

Here's how:

• 250g salted butter
• 250g self-raising flour
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 drop of Sicilian lemon extract
• 2-3 tsp milk 
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the buttercream:

• 180g salted butter
• 500g icing sugar
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons
• 1 drop Sicilian lemon extract
• 3 tbsp lemon curd
• Lemon Jelly Slices (I use Morrison's from the baking department)

First pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease and line two 20cm sandwich tins. 

Into a large bowl measure the flour, softened butter and sugar and baking powder and mix well to combine. Add the lemon zest and extract and once well mixed, add a drop of milk at a time until you have a thick and unctuous cake batter at a consistency you're happy with. 

Now carefully divide the cake batter between the two sandwich tins, level out and place both into the hot oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and risen.

Test the cake with a skewer - as long as it comes out dry the cake is good to go.

Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 20 minutes, then carefully remove and place onto a board to cool further.

Now begin to prepare the lemon buttercream - ensure the butter is soft, and if not place into the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Add the icing sugar, the lemon juice, zest and extract to the butter and mix well. Once all combined you can begin the assemble the finished cake.

Place one sandwich at the bottom and spoon over a few tablespoons of the lemon buttercream - use a palette knife to spread so it's evenly distributed.

Now spoon over the lemon curd and spread around - it doesn't need to be too neat but try to get an even spread.

Place the second sandwich on top of the first. 

Now spread the buttercream over the top and the sides of the cake all around. Again, use a palette knife to spread and make as neat as possible. 

If using the Lemon Jelly Slices simply place them all around the outside of the cakes' top and you're done. 

The cake will last for up to a week if covered and kept in the fridge but it never lasts more than a day or two around here.

If like me you're partial to a fruity cake here are a few other recipes you might like:

• Lemon & Honey Yoghurt Cake
• Lemon Drizzle Cake
• St Clements Drizzle Cake
• Guilt Free Apple Cake
• Rhubarb and Custard Cake
• Peach Upside Down Cake

Plain Scones

Cream Tea at Home

If you enjoy a cream tea, and like baking, then a simple scone recipe is a great one to have in your cooking armoury. 

You'll be surprised at how easy these are to make, and if you serve them slightly warm, they are just to die for. Buttery, crumbly and delicious - especially with a cup of tea.

As we are heading to Cornwall very soon, I served these the Cornish way; jam first, then the Roddas Clotted Cream - just perfect.

Plain Scones

Plain Scones

Here's how:

• 375g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 95g butter - room temperature, and cut into cubes
• 3.5 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 190ml milk (use full fat)
• 1 drop of lemon juice
• 1 beaten egg to brush over before baking
• Roddas Clotted Cream and some Strawberry Jam to serve

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees and get a baking sheet ready - line it if you wish.

In a large bowl tip in the self raising flour, the salt and the baking powder and mix a little.

Now add the butter cubes into the bowl and use your hands to rub the mixture together, until it resembles breadcrumbs.

At this point add the sugar and mix well.

Measure out the milk into a small jug or bowl and add the vanilla then pop into the microwave for twenty seconds to take the chill off of it. 

At this point pop the baking tray into the oven to warm up as you want to place the uncooked scones onto a hot surface.

Now make a hole in the middle of the flour in the large bowl and pour in the liquid as well as the drop of lemon juice.

Use your hands to bring everything together, it will be quite wet to begin but will soon come together as a dough.

Once it is a dough consistency, scatter some more flour over a clean work surface and place the dough onto it. Use your hands to fold over the dough 3-4 times, until it is quite smooth. Be careful not to overwork it here.

Use your hands to then smooth it out into a flat piece of dough, it doesn't need to be perfectly straight or flat, just a similar thickness, about 3-4cm deep.

Now take a round cutter and make 4-6 scones. With any excess dough bring back together and press down and you can make another scone. 

Now quickly beat an egg and then remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. 

Place each scone onto the tray and brush over the beaten egg.

Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes until they are golden brown and well risen.

Serve warm with your choice of clotted cream, jam or even butter. Enjoy!

If you enjoy simple bakes here are a few other ideas you might enjoy:

Rhubarb & Custard Cake

Guilt Free Apple Cake

Lemon and Honey Yoghurt Cake

Lemon Curd and Blueberry Muffins

Simple Double Chocolate Tray Bake

Chocolate Cornflake and Marshmallow Cakes

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Banana and Berry Breakfast Muffins

Cheese Muffins

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

I made this cake for the first time on Sunday as an experiment as my parents were coming for dinner and both my Dad and I absolutely adore rhubarb. It made a completely delicious dessert served with good vanilla ice cream.

It had a tartness from the rhubarb but was well balanced with the sweet custard-flavoured cake batter and I’ll be sure to make it again. I mean, who doesn’t have a fondness for the combination of rhubarb and custard.

We eat the entire cake in one sitting between the six of us so that should give an indication of the reception it got. I will say it looked a little over-brown and charred when it came out of the oven, but it really did taste great.

I took inspiration from The Australian Women’s Weekly The Cake Stall recipe book which I was gifted a long time ago; but I made a cheat short-cut in adding ready-made custard instead of making my own. This added a thicker baked custard-like texture and just sped up the process (I was painting garden fences whilst preparing dinner on Sunday). Feel free to make your own custard though if you have plenty or time. 

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

Rhubarb and Custard Cake

Here’s how;

• 4 rhubarb stalks
• 110g Caster sugar
• 200g Softened butter
• 185g Self-raising flour
• 3 tbsp custard powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 carton or tin of ready-made custard

Firstly pre-heat the oven and grease and line a small but deep tin.

Now prepare the rhubarb stalks by cutting the ends off and then slicing length-ways down the rhubarb and setting aside.

In a mixing bowl cream together the sugar and softened butter until thick and creamy, then add the eggs, beating them in one at a time.

Next combine the flour and custard powder and sift into the wet mixture and mix until all is combined.

Now pour about half of the cake mixture into the bottom of the tin and smooth across so it’s evenly covering the base.

Now take a few of the rhubarb stalks and place them gently into the cake batter.

Next pour over the custard, and then finally spoon on the remaining cake batter and carefully spread over the custard.

For the final thing before baking, gently place the rhubarb on top of the cake batter, and press lightly down.

Place into the oven for 45 minutes, then test with a skewer to ensure when prodded the skewer comes out dry. If not return to the oven for a further ten minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or even more custard.

For more baking inspiration here are a few other cake recipes you might like:

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Mary Berry's Marbled Chocolate Ring Cake

Guilt Free Apple Cake

Coffee and Walnut Tray Bake with Vanilla Latte Icing

St. Clement's Drizzle Cake

Peach Upside Down Cake

Lemon Honey and Yoghurt Cake with Blueberries

Carrot Cake