Molly Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan., In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sweet potatoes, wine, lemon juice and vanilla., In another bowl, whisk flour, orange zest, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices; gradually beat into sweet potato mixture. Gently fold in apple, cranberries, carrots and raisins., Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place the dates in a saucepan, and add the water. Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• Sieve the plain flour, wholemeal flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add the mixed spice and cinnamon.
• Pour the wet date mixture into the dry mix, then add the dried fruit and the orange juice. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture into a greasproof paper-lined loaf tin, or divide it between 6 smaller tins. Bake for 40-45 minutes if making one large loaf, or 30 minutes for the mini mollies. A skewer stuck in the centre of the cake should come out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. To make the iced topping (if using), melt the jam and water together in the microwave. Add wet mixture to the icing sugar, and stir well. Drizzle over the cake, and sprinkle the chopped apricots and cherries on the top. Alternatively, decorate with ready to roll icing, cut into shapes.

Steps:

• For the dough: Warm the milk until just warm to the touch (90 to 100 degrees F). Stir in the yeast and a pinch of the granulated sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Combine the flour, remaining granulated sugar and the kosher salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine. Separate 1 of the eggs and set aside the white for the egg wash. Whisk the egg yolk and remaining whole egg into the yeast mixture. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, then mix on low speed to make a smooth, thick dough. Increase the speed to medium and add the butter a piece at a time. Once all of the butter has been added, beat on high until smooth, about 1 minute. Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough until it forms a smooth, springy ball on the hook, 4 to 5 minutes (add a little more flour, if needed, if the dough doesn't form a ball). Grease a large bowl and turn the dough in the bowl to coat. Cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the custard: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the cream, granulated sugar, cornstarch, kosher salt, egg and yolk. Whisk it together and heat over medium heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and extract; stir until combined. Transfer to a clean bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap. Let cool at room temp.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough in half, then cut each half into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, form the dough into balls by folding the dough under itself and pinching to seal underneath. Set the ball, smooth-side up, on a floured surface, and turn in your hand to form a tight round shape. Divide the 12 buns among the lined baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Once the buns have risen, gently press down on each to make indentations that will make space for the custard. Fill the indentations with the custard. Top with the plums. Brush the buns with the reserved egg white mixed with a splash of water and sprinkle with demerera sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and flakey salt. Bake, rotating the trays from top to bottom halfway through, until the buns are risen and golden and the custard is set, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 170oC/Gas Mark 3 and line 2 loaf tins with baking parchment (this will make two flattish cakes, for a full-sized cake use just one tin).
• Put the dates and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• Sieve the plain flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl. Add the wholemeal flour, mixed fruit and ground almonds. Stir to combine. Stir in the wet date mixture and the orange juice. Mix well.
• Spoon into the tin(s). Bake for 50 minutes (170C / gas mark 3) or until a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool.
• Serve in slices with a nice cup of tea.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with butter and line with parchment or line two 12-cup cupcake tins with liners and set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the oil and the extracts.
• With the mixer running on low, add the dry mixture and the milk in 2 or 3 alternating batches and mix until just barely combined. Gently fold in the sprinkles using a rubber spatula until they're evenly distributed. Distribute the batter among the cake or cupcake pans, spreading it out evenly if using cake pans, and bake until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at 25 minutes for cakes and 20 minutes for cupcakes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter until smooth with the whisk attachment and gradually add the confectioners' sugar until creamed. Add the milk, extracts and salt and beat to combine. Decorate as desired and enjoy.

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, coconut oil and granulated sugar. Cream together on medium speed, scraping the bottom and sides with a rubber spatula as needed, until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until fully incorporated. Add the food coloring, vanilla and vinegar and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk in 2 to 3 alternating additions and beat until just combined. Divide the batter between the cake pans, spreading it out evenly.
• Bake until the sides of the cakes start to pull away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pans, then invert onto racks and let cool completely.
• Trim the top of each cake layer to make a flat surface. Place the bottom cake layer on a turntable or something easy to rotate. Dollop about a third of the Frosting on the cake layer and spread with an offset spatula in an even layer to the edge. Top with the second cake layer, cut-side down. Frost the sides and top, then decorate with chopped pistachios or sprinkles as desired. Use icing gel to write "Happy Birthday," if desired.
• Cream together the butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla and whip, scraping down the sides as necessary, until combined, light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add the lemon zest, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, mixing just to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Place on a rack.
• Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and gradually whisk in the lemon juice. Brush some of the mixture over the top of the cake. Let stand for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and brush the cake top, sides and bottom well with the lemon mixture. Repeat after 10 minutes. Slice and serve.