Maxibon Bundt Cake

I'd never even heard of Maxibon bars. You all know I love a bundt shaped challenge, but when my friend Wayne suggested an ice cream bar themed birthday cake, I had to do a bit of research. This involved a trip to my local Tesco, purchasing a box, and eating two in my lab coat (read pyjamas) to check for flavour, consistency and aesthetic. I saw my challenge, and accepted it.

It comprises of rich vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips, half drenched in chocolate with hazelnuts, the other half with Maxibon biscuits. Easy gig. The melted ice cream bar will help transform your cake from a vanilla sponge, to actually tasting like the genuine article, so don't skip this. This is bundt alchemy, bakers. Embrace it, Snape would be so proud.

Needless to say that this cake got a bit of a laugh as well as destroyed. Mission accomplished!

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 350g Homepride plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 200g chocolate chips
• Two Maxibon bars, biscuits removed and ice cream melted

To decorate:

• 1 jar chocolate spread (not Hazelnut)
• 100g finely chopped hazelnuts
• Biscuits from your melted Maxibons (I used more...)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray/melted butter, and dust with flour. 
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and chocolate chips.
6. Pour the yoghurt and vanilla extract into a jug.
7. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt. Repeat this until everything is combined.
8. Tip in the chocolate chips which are now covered in flour, which will stop them from sinking like stones!
9. Stir in the melted Maxibons.
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Tip your batter into your prepared bundt tin.
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, melt your chocolate spread in the microwave until it's quite runny.
15. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts.
16. Tip over the cake.
17. Decorate with your Maxibon biscuits, and bits of the box if you so please!

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Ferrero Rocher Bundt Cake

The challenge was set... The recipient, my friend Tash; she of Italian heritage, cocktail drinking expertise, and cake eating prowess. I told her she could pick her desired flavour. With barely a moment's hesitation, she declared it shall be a Ferrero Rocher bundt cake.

I've been asked for this one before, but declared it a bit boring. I had to liven it up, and see that it was fit for my little party pal. It was going to be a moist chocolate cake, laced with hazelnuts, Nutella, and hidden Ferrero Rochers, which would be baked into the cake. No messing around with this one.

Sadly, I had to break the news to my colleagues that this was going to sit on my desk all day, then be taken elsewhere at the end of the day. Did not go down well. Not at all.

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 50g ground hazelnuts 
• 40g good quality cocoa powder - I use Green and Blacks.
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons of Nutella
• 6 Ferrero Rocher, cut in half (full ones will sink like a stone...)
• Jar of chocolate spread (not the hazelnut type)
• Chopped hazelnuts, lightly toasted
• More Ferrero Rocher to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour mixed with a little cocoa.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, ground hazelnuts, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug and stir in the Nutella.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
11. Push the Ferrero Rocher halves vertically into the mix, as if you were marking out hours on a clock. Push them in until they are only just peeping out of the batter. It will swell over the top when baking. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, pop the chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 30 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with more Ferrero Rocher and chopped hazelnuts..

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

We Bake - The Bake Brighter Days Community Challenge

It's nearly Valentine's Day folks! Whether you're into it or not, let's face it, it's a great excuse to get baking. Who doesn't love a bit of indulgence; whether it be for your beloved, you pals, or just for yourself to enjoy with a cuppa. This Valentine's Day, the wonderful folk at We Bake want to see your creations in all their loved up glory.

What is We Bake?

We Bake is the community that rewards you for baking. It’s the first baking social media, where you can share recipes, get inspiration, enter competitions and even share your cake fails (moral support heals even the worst cake wreck). The community is there to coach you through mishaps with their hints and tips, and give you the motivation to try something new. Recipes are split by level, so you're not going to find yourself biting off more than you can chew, with the ingredients and method set out in an easy to read format.

How to get started

It's really easy. You set up your profile which can be linked to your Facebook account or can be done with an email, then you can start following other bakers from all over the country, win prizes in the challenges, and get access to exclusive events. It's a bit like all the best bits of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, but tailored towards those of us who love to bake.

The Bake Brighter Days Community Challenge

Chocolate Indulgence Bundt Cake

I'll be entering my Chocolate Indulgence Bundt Cake for this year's Valentine's Day Bake Brighter Days community challenge. I designed this recipe with my friends in mind. I regularly bake for my pals at work, but it's usually to use them as guinea pigs for my weird and wonderful cake creations, or when a bit of bundt alchemy has been going on in the kitchen. However, their favourites are always the chocolate themed cakes. You guys like chocolate? You'll get all of it...

When asked what was in this cake, I simply replied 'all the chocolate'. It includes Dr. Oetker Fine Dark Cocoa Powder, grated milk chocolate, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, it's covered in white chocolate, and then filled with Aero Bubbles. I wasn't joking. The resulting cake is a hearty yet ultra moist chocolate cake, which will have them fighting over the last piece (true story). I urge you to try this.

We Bake are giving away £50 Red Letter Days vouchers every day, so there are loads of chances to win if you enter. I've just posted my recipe on my We Bake profile so you can have a go yourself. Check it out here, become a We Bake member and let me know how you get on.

Easter Bundty Rabbit Chocolate Cake

The Easter Bunny came to work today. Well, I did, and I brought cake. No, I didn't wear bunny ears and a bob-tail, that would just be weird. I had set myself a brief; all the chocolate. I was smitten by Marks and Spencer's little chocolate rabbits, so decided to design a cake around them. 

This is a rich, mega moist cake, with both milk and white chocolate chips, smothered in more white chocolate. This isn't exclusively for Easter, but I'm a big fan of naff Easter confectionary, so as you can see, I used it all! Taste has no place here. 

This cake got some cracking feedback at work, so I can see it being reinvented for lots of different occasions. 

 Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 40g good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons of milk chocolate spread (optional)
• 100g milk chocolate chips
• 100g white chocolate chips
• Jar of white chocolate spread 
• Sweets to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour mixed with a little cocoa.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, salt and chocolate chips.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug and stir in the chocolate spread.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Note: Your chocolate chips will be caught in the sieve, ensuring they are covered in flour. This will stop them sinking!
10. Stir in the chocolate chips.
11. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
12. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
13. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
14. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
15. When the cake is fully cool, pop the white chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 20 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with chocolate Easter bunnies and plus any other garish items you can get your paws on!

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release
Fleur De Lis Bundt
Round Cake Board

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Bundt Cake

Superbowl. A time for the boys in our clan to gather, eat BBQ food, play horse-racing games, drink too much, fall asleep mid-game, inevitably end up in a hot tub, and return home at 6.30am. No fantasy here folks, all actual fact from Superbowl 50. It's now tradition that the annual Superbowl party has an appropriately themed bundt, and this year it was the turn of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to soak up some of the booze!

This is a lovely moist chocolate cake with a ripple of peanut butter going through the centre. Your kitchen will smell quite outstanding, I assure you.

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 40g good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons of chocolate spread
• 5 tbsp peanut butter
• Jar of chocolate spread (minus 2 tablespoons!)
• Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour mixed with a little cocoa.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug and stir in the chocolate spread.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Pour 3/4 of the mix into your prepared tin.
11. Cover with a layer of peanut butter.
12. Pour in the rest of the mix and smooth over. 
13. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
14. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
15. When the cake is fully cool, pop the chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 20 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release
Nordic Ware Chiffon Bundt
Reese's Minis
Reese's Peanut Butter

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Creme Egg Bundt Cake

I've intended making this cake for the last couple of years, mainly because I was so bloody curious as to what would happen to a Creme Egg when baked in a bundt... Would it melt? Would it cause a big vacuous hole in the cake? Would it end up a big sloppy mess at the bottom of the tin? Would it kill me if I never tried it? You know I had to. 

So I watched it. Every fifteen minutes or so, that sly-girl look into the oven and a sigh of relief that it hadn't exploded, or erupted into a volcano of molten fondant. Then when it was out, I was fully expecting it to be adhered to the tin like superglue. None of these things happened. In fact, it released like a dream. But then I had to wait until the morning after to find out what was appertaining inside the cake. 

The result is very strange, yet oddly satisfying. The bundt mix actually protects the form of the egg, and does the baking equivalent of hard boiling it. You're left with random pockets of chewy Creme Egg filling, which has that unmistakable taste of Easter! It was a massive hit at work, and they are pretty partial to bundt... 

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 40g good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons of Cadbury's chocolate spread
• 6 mini Creme Eggs (1 bag)
• Jar of Cadbury's chocolate spread (minus 2 tablespoons!)
• Creme Eggs to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour mixed with a little cocoa.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug and stir in the chocolate spread.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
11. Poke in the mini creme eggs, ensuring they are well covered. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, pop the Cadbury's chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 20 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with Creme Eggs and a little Easter naffness (optional). 

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release
Nordic Ware Bavaria Bundt
Cadbury Creme Eggs Minis
Easter chicks

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Dinosaur Bundt Cake

I just needed an excuse to make it...

I adore dinosaurs. When my brother and I were kids, we loved going to the shop at Bolton Museum to collect figurines of our favourites. We were obsessed with the original Japanese Godzilla films too, which were so badly dubbed, it was genuinely funny! No other bugger watched them, so they stuck them on channel four at about 3am. We had quite a 'recorded from the telly' VHS collection.

Ages ago, I bought a little bag of plastic dinosaurs, knowing full well that they would make it onto a cake. I had no idea when or indeed why, but I knew it had to happen. Cue Sam. Sam is my mate Emma's son. He's a pretty cool kid, and bloody loves a massive lizard, just like me! Em and I decided that a dinosaur cake was required, and she trusted my mental imagination to come up with the goods (don't worry, she's met me before...).

I was genuinely really excited at the prospect of making this, yet equally terrified as I wasn't totally convinced that the idea in my head would translate into something edible. I also had a second idea for another dinosaur cake whilst making this one...

Big question though - nothing to do with the cake... Diplodocus. When did Dip-lo-do-cus become Dip-lod-er-cus? Then there are some bozos throwing Dip-lo-dock-us into the mix. Huh? Terrible.

Anyway, this is just a rich chocolate bundt with crackers decorations, so you could just make it sans dinosaurs... if you want... fool. Anyway, here's how to make one!

 Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml plain yoghurt
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 150g chocolate chips 
• 1 heaped tbsp chocolate spread
• 1 jar of chocolate spread (minus the above mentioned spoonful)
• Cookies to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray/melted butter and dust with flour with a little cocoa mixed in.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the vanilla extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Stir in the chocolate chips and chocolate spread.
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, pop the chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with bits of cookie!
15. I decorated mine with green sugar paste cut into footprints, chocolate eggs, and of course, plastic dinosaurs!

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release
Nordic Ware Bundts
Green Icing
Coloured eggs
Green Cake Board
Dinosaur Model Figures

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bundt Cake

I love a challenge. One of my friends needed something chocolatey to take to a New Year's Eve Party, which would be suitable for adults and kids alike. So off I trot for a wander round Tesco for some inspiration. I happened across the packets of mini chocolate chip cookies, and was sold on the idea of sticking them in a bundt.

This is a densely chocolatey cake with the exact taste of cookies, made even more wonderful by being covered in chocolate. It's dead easy and will get you maximum brownie points from the chocoholics in the room.


 Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml plain yoghurt
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 4 crushed chocolate chip cookies - I pop mine in a food processor
• 150g chocolate chips 
• 1 heaped tbsp chocolate spread
• 1 jar of chocolate spread (minus the above mentioned spoonful)
• Cookies to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray/melted butter and dust with flour with a little cocoa mixed in.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the vanilla extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Stir in the crushed cookies, chocolate chips and chocolate spread.
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, pop the chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with bits of cookie!

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release

Heritage Bundt Pan

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Chocolate Praline Bundt Cake

When we were kids, my brother and I were obsessed with Guylian chocolate seashells. In all fairness, I'm still very partial, but Chris is a champion Guylian destroyer, especially at Christmas. I can't believe I've never done this cake before.

It's not the prettiest bundt I've ever made, but form follows function for this one. It's all about the taste. It's a beautiful blend of chocolate and smooth hazelnut flavours, which just remind me of our favourite chocolates. Strangely, it also reminds me of when my husband and I were at Uni, and spent most morning's watching Bob Ross and scoffing these... 

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 40g good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 75ml chocolate milk
• 2 tablespoons of Nutella
• Jar of Nutella (minus 2 tablespoons!)
• Chocolate pralines to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour mixed with a little cocoa.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug and stir in the chocolate spread.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
11. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
12. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
13. When the cake is fully cool, pop the Nutella into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 30 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate praline chocolates.

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release

Nordic Ware Bundt Tin
Guylian Chocolate Seashells

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Millionaire's Shortbread Bundt Cake

I've been threatening this one for a bit. How do you fancy this? Ultra moist chocolate cake, flavoured with actual shortbread, and doused in caramel. I don't even like chocolate cake that much, but this one is pretty good. 

I made this on National Bundt Day for my dad's birthday. I think it's safe to say that it was a resounding success amongst our lot. I used crushed shortbread 'powder' in the cake to give it a really authentic biscuity taste, and added a good dollop of chocolate spread swirled with caramel into the mix. I've been under pressure to write this one up, as my Twitter pal Claire has already bought her shortbread in anticipation! Dedication right there... 

 Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 310g plain flour
• 40g cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt
• 50ml chocolate milk
• 1 heaped tbsp chocolate caramel spread
• 50g crushed shortbread - I pop mine in a food processor
• 1 tin Carnation Caramel
• Shortbread to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray/melted butter and dust with flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
6. Pour the yoghurt, chocolate milk and chocolate caramel spread into a jug.
7. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
8. Stir in the crushed shortbread.
9. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
10. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
11. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
12. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
13. When the cake is fully cool, pop the Carnation Caramel into a jug and heat in the microwave to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with more shortbread!

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release

Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt

Carnation Caramel

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Malteaser Bundt Cake

I fancied baking again this morning, but had no idea what to make. I put it out to Facebook. Someone mentioned Malteasers, and it was a done deal. It's been on my mind ever since I saw the Malteaser spread in Tesco. Had to be done.

This uses my basic moist chocolate cake recipe, but is 'thugged up' a little with the addition of almost every Malteaser themed product out there! The spread has lovely little malty spheres in it, which once my OCD had calmed itself, made a lovely topping. This will go down an absolute dream at work tomorrow...

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 40g good quality cocoa powder
• 1 sachet of Malteaser hot chocolate drink mix (powder)
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 250ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 100ml chocolate milk
• 50g crushed Maltesers
• Jar of Malteaser spread 
• Malteasers to decorate (the rest of a large bag)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, Malteaser powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Stir in the crushed Maltesers.
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, pop the Malteaser spread into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 20 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with yet more Maltesers!

Where to buy this stuff:
Cake Release

Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Tin
Maltesers Spread
Maltesers Hot Chocolate Malt Drink

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.

Chocolate Honeycomb Bundt Cake

So this week I learned that honeycomb is called seafoam toffee in America. That's your fact of the day folks.

This cake had healing properties. I'd had a bit of a week with one thing and another, so decided that the best medicine was not to sulk, but to get out the bundt tin and get to work. What's the point in dwelling on negativity when there is cake to be made, and more importantly, shared with your nearest and dearest? Instant chakra realignment right there.

This was a bit of an experiment, again. I knew mixing honeycomb into a cake would mean something magical would happen. It's basically sugar in another form, but did wonder what it would do. The trick is to chop it into quite big chunks. It'll never retain its shape, but it does do this weird thing where you end up with these nice sticky pockets within the cake. Give it a go.

Ingredients:

• 225g butter
• 450g golden caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 310g plain flour
• 40g good quality cocoa powder
• 100g chocolate honeycomb (or 2 Crunchies) - chopped up.
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200ml vanilla yoghurt 
• 50ml chocolate milk
• 1 heaped tablespoon of chocolate spread (go for one without hazelnuts)
• Jar of chocolate spread (minus 1 heaped tablespoon!) I used Cadbury's
• 50g of chocolate honeycomb to decorate (1 Crunchie bar)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to gas 3/160 c
2. Prepare a regular sized bundt tin - 2.4l, 10 cup, 10 inch with Cake Release spray and dust with flour.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
5. Add the extract.
6. In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
7. Pour the yoghurt and chocolate milk into a jug and stir in the chocolate spread.
8. Sift in a third of the flour mix followed by half the yoghurt mix. Repeat this until everything is combined.
9. Stir in the chopped up chocolate covered honeycomb.
10. Give everything a quick mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds.
11. Pour the mix into your prepared tin. 
12. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
13. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin.
14. When the cake is fully cool, pop the chocolate spread into a jug and heat in the microwave for around 20 seconds to loosen it. Tip over your cake and decorate with more chopped up honeycomb.

Bloggers: Please respect the fact I am sharing my own ideas and basic recipe. Blood, sweat and many tears have gone into getting this right, so you may enjoy a perfect bundt. If you wish to re-blog a recipe from these variations, please credit my blog and link to this original post rather than pasting the recipe on your own page.