Rose Apple Cake

This is a very romantic cake. I love the idea of shaping thin apple slices into a rose pattern, it is very relaxing and simple. The final result is wonderful and very impressive. I added a few rose buds which I dried my own (use only organic, non-treated roses!).

Girls will really love this one :)

Ingredients:

200g butter, softened

100g sugar

4 eggs

200g flour

1 tsp baking powder

125g plain yoghurt

5 small apples (gala, if possible)

1 vanilla bean

3 Tbsp rose water

How to:

Preheat the oven to 160°. 

Use two apples for the rose decoration: peal them and then divede them in four. Slice them as thin as you can. You can use a potato peeler if you like. Cut the other three apples chunky. Set aside.

Meanwhile prepare the cake: beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the yoghurt, vannilla and rose water. Stir to combine. Sift over the flour and baking powder mixing well and then add the chunky apples.

Put in a 24cm cake tin, level the surface and place the tiny slices of the remaining apples to create a rose motif (they should be around 7, but it's up to you).

Bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center turns out clean.

Chocolate espresso cheesecake

A layer cheesecake that has an old favourite combination. 

Perfect served with extra strong coffee.

Ingredients

for the base:

250 chocolate cookies

125g butter

for the cream:

400g cream cheese

500g ricotta

200g sugar

4 eggs

200g melted chocolate

3 Tbsp instant coffee

How to

Prepare the base melting the butter in a saucepan. Add the cookies, minced. Put them on the bottom of a 20 cm cake tin. Put it in the fridge.

Prepare the cream whisking cream cheese, ricotta, sugar and eggs. Then add the melted chocolate and the instant coffee.

Pour over the cookie base and bake for about an hour at 160°. Let cool overnight.

Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are to die for. 

They are like shortbread to peanut butter flavour. They literally will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

125 g butter

150 g peanut butter

100 g sugar

150 g flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp baking powder

75 g peanuts, roughly chopped

How to

Beat butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, stirring constantly. Add the egg.

Sift flour and baking powder over the mixture, then add the peanuts. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Make little balls out of the butter, put them on a baking tray, lined with packment paper. Softly flatten the cookies. Bake for 15 minutes at 190°.

Peach and raspberry pistachio crumble

The perfect ending to a summer outdoor dinner.

Ingredients

2-3 peaches, dipending on the size

200 g raspberries

100 g pistachis

1/2 vanilla bean

for the crumble:

220 g flour

220 g butter, chilled and chopped

50 g pistachios flour

120 g sugar

How to

Prepare the crumble mixing all the ingredients with your fingertips. Try to do this very quickly to prevent the butter from melting. Put it in the fridge.

Prepare the fruit cutting the peaches in chunks. Cook them in a pan with 1/2 glass of water until soft (add some extra sugar to taste if needed). Add raspberries and pistachios.

Put the fruit in 4 little bowls suitable for the oven. Cover with the crumble, reaching the edge of each bowl.

Bake at 180° for 30 minutes.

Let cool.

Espresso Walnut Layer Cake

This is gorgeous for breakfast of brunch.

Ingredients

225 g flour

200 g brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

225 ml vegetable oil 

4 eggs, separated

50 ml espresso

50 ml milk

75 g walnuts

filling:

300 g ricotta

50 ml whipped cream

2 Tbsp sugar

How to

Set flour, sugar, walnuts and baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl mix vegetable oil, egg yolks, coffee and milk. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Mix together the liquid mixture with the solid one, then add the egg whites.

Put the batter in a loaf tin and bake at 180° for 50-55 minutes.

Let cool, then cut the cake longwise in three layers.

Prepare the filling mixing ricotta, sugar and whipped cream.

Spread half of the filling on the base layer, cover with the second layer and spread with the second half of the filling. Top with the last layer.

Put the cake in the fridge to cool for at least 1 hour.

Enjoy :)

Summer Babka

Babka (or Bobka) is a yeast cake mada mainly in Eastern Europe, traditionally baked during Easter.

It's swirly brioche-like with a chocolate or cinnamon filling.

I used ricotta and raspberry jam, to give it a summer twist.

Ingredients:

for the dough:

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup + 2 Tsp sugar

 25 g fresh yeast (3 tsp dried baking yeast)

3 1/4 cup flour

2 egg + 1 yolk

150 g butter

for the filling:

300 g ricotta

3 Tbsp sugar

100 g raspberry jam

80 g chocolate chip

How to

Melt the yeast in the warm milk and 2 tsp sugar and let rest for some minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour, eggs, egg yolk and the remaining sugar. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the soften butter. The batter will be very sticky. Let rise for at least 3 hours.

Divide the dough in two and roll it into 2 rectangles of 45x25 cm.

Prepare the filling beating ricotta and sugar. Set jam and chocolate aside.

Spread the dough first with a layer of ricotta, then add scoops of jam and half chocolate chip.

Starting from the short side, roll the rectangle over the filling to create a swirl. 

Put the babka in a plumcake tin and bake at 180° for 40 minutes.

Let cool.

Lavender, apricot and ricotta cake

I ADORE lavender in desserts. It yells Summer each slice you take.

I made this cake starting from a delicious ricotta cake base, then I added dried apricots and lavender flowers.

The taste is fresh and delicate. The cake is very light and moist thanks to ricotta, with a crispy apricot top.

This is my dad's favourite cake.

Ingredients

Top:

250 g dried apricots

2 Tbsp Cointreau

2 Tbsp sugar

125 ml boiling water

batter:

125g butter

125g sugar

300g flour

200g ricotta

3 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

vanilla bean, split

2 Tbsp fresh lavender flowers

How to

Boil water with Cointreau and 2 Tbsp sugar. Pour over the dried apricots and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Put them in the blender until rughly chopped.

Prepare the cake batter: beat butter, vanilla and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add flour and baking powder. Finally add the ricotta and mix roughly. Put the batter in a 20 cm baking tin, lined with packment paper, and cover the surface with the apricots.

Bake at 180° for 20 minutes, then put over the cake some foil to prevent the surface from burning. Let bake for another 25 minutes.