Lime Ginger And Mascarpone Cake Food

LIME & GINGER DRIZZLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base and ends of a 900g loaf tin with a strip of buttered baking parchment. Cream the butter and caster sugar together until really pale, light and fluffy. Grate the zest from 3 of the limes and add to the mixture. Gradually add the eggs, mixing well between each addition.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and a pinch of salt. Using a large metal spoon, fold into the cake mixture with the coconut and chopped stem ginger. Add the milk and juice from 2 of the limes and mix until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and spread level using a palette knife.
• Bake in the bottom third of the oven for 1 hr - 1 hr 15 mins, or until golden brown - a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 10-15 mins.
• Use a wooden skewer to make holes all over the top of the cake. Meanwhile, mix the remaining lime juice with the granulated sugar and the stem ginger syrup. Slowly spoon the sugary mixture over the top of the warm cake and leave in the tin until completely cold. Top with the chopped crystallised ginger to serve.

LIME AND GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9-inch square metal baking pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder and salt.
• Add eggs, buttermilk, butter, lime zest and vanilla to flour mixture.
• Using an electric mixer on med-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended.
• Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula.
• Beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
• Spread batter even into prepared pan.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make icing: in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, butter, lime juice and lime zest until blended and smooth; use immediately.
• Spread icing over top of cooled cake.

CARROT CAKE WITH LIME AND MASCARPONE TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line two 8" cake pans (or one deep pan). Sift the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl and mix in the spices.
• Using an electric mixer, whisk together the muscovado (or brown) sugar, sunflower oil, and eggs until smooth. With a large metal spoon, fold in the grated carrots and chopped walnuts, then fold in the flour and spices until evenly combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan(s), set on a baking tray, and bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean; test after 25 minutes for layer cake; 40 minutes for a deep cake. Leave to cool in the pan(s) on a wire rack.
• For the frosting, pare a few shreds of lime zest with a zester and set aside; grate the rest of the zest and squeeze the juice from one half. In a bowl, beat the mascarpone with the softened butter, sugar, grated lime zest, and the lime and lemon juices. Taste. I like a good sharp topping, so sometimes add more lime, sometimes more lemon juice.
• Sandwich the layers together with some of the mascarpone mixture, (or cut a deep cake into two layers). Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and smooth it down the sides to cover completely, then ruffle the surface. Either refrigerate or serve immediately, topped with the reserved zest. I like it a little cold, so that the frosting has set slightly.
• Add snowdrops in season!

STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes., Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottoms of two 8-in. round baking pans; line with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together twice; place in another large bowl., In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, 1-1/4 cups sugar, oil, water, orange zest and almond extract until blended. Add to flour mixture; beat until well blended., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites., Gently transfer to prepared pans. Bake on lowest oven rack until top springs back when lightly touched, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., Meanwhile, for whipped cream, in a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour. For filling, in a small bowl, beat mascarpone cheese and cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until assembling., Drain strawberries, reserving juice mixture. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes if domed. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Brush with half of reserved juice mixture; spread with 3/4 cup filling. Arrange half the strawberries over top, creating an even layer; spread with remaining filling. Brush remaining cake layer with remaining juice mixture; place layer over filling, brushed side down. , Gently stir whipped cream; spread over top and sides of cake. Just before serving, arrange remaining strawberries over cake.

CARROT CAKE WITH LIME MASCARPONE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, pulsing after each addition. Add orange zest and juice; pulse to combine. Add baking powder; pulse to combine. Add cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger; pulse until mixture is well combined.
• In a large bowl whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gently fold in almonds, walnuts, flour, and carrots; fold cake mixture into egg white mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cake cool in the pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, mix together mascarpone, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and lime zest and juice. Spread mixture over top of cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

STICKY TREACLE, GINGER & LIME CAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter, muscovado sugar, treacle and ginger syrup in a saucepan. Heat for a few mins, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool for 5 mins. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm-deep round cake tin with baking parchment.
• Whisk the milk into the butter mixture, then add the eggs and beat well to combine. In a large bowl, mix the flour, bicarb and ground ginger. Pour in the buttery liquid and stir well to combine, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Add the stem ginger and lime zest, and stir again.
• Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1 hr 15 mins. To check if the cake is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake - if any uncooked cake mixture sticks to the skewer, return the cake to the oven for a further 10 mins, then check again. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Split the cake into 2 or 3 layers with a long, serrated knife. Spread the lime marmalade or curd between the layers then reassemble.
• In a small bowl, mix the lime juice and icing sugar until thick and smooth, adding a little extra icing sugar if it's too runny. Transfer to a sandwich bag, squeeze down into one corner and twist shut, then snip off a tiny bit of the corner. Drizzle in stripes over the cake. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the sugar crystals or cubes, with half the lime zest, to a chunky rubble and scatter over the top of the cake. Finish by sprinkling with the remaining zest. Will keep in a tin for up to 1 week - it tastes great on the day it's made, but even better after a day or two in the tin.

ORANGE & ALMOND CAKE WITH CITRUS MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Boil two of the oranges (whole) in water, with the lid on the pan, for about 1 hour or until squidgy. Drain and leave to cool.
• Butter a springform cake tin, 23cm/9in wide and 7cm/23⁄4in deep. Add 1-2 tablespoons of polenta, tip the grains around until the tin is coated, then knock out the excess. Set aside.
• Whizz the flaked almonds to a grainy powder in a food processor, then mix in a bowl with the polenta and baking powder. Set aside.
• Halve the cooked oranges and remove any pips. Remove zest from the third orange. Whizz the zest and the orange halves (with skin on) to a smooth purée in the food processor. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C. Using a mixer or electric beaters, beat the eggs, yolks and sugar for a good 5-7 minutes until the batter looks like a very thick milkshake.
• Quickly beat in the almond mixture, then the purée until just blended. Pour the batter into the tin, leaving at least 1.5cm/5⁄8in at the top.
• Bake the cake in the middle of the oven. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 150C/ Gas 2/fan oven 130C, bake for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 140C/fan oven 120C for a further 30 minutes (if you have a gas oven, cook at gas 4 for 10 minutes, then at gas 2 for 11⁄4 hours until done without reducing the temperature further). The cake is ready when it has risen, is golden-brown and the centre is just firm - don't panic that it still feels fragile.
• Leave the cake to cool in its tin (it will sink a little), then run a palette knife around the edge before releasing the sides. Only attempt to transfer it from the metal base to a decorative plate or stand if you have a proper cake lifter.
• Whisk the liqueur and marmalade into the mascarpone. Serve the cake in thick wedges with the mascarpone dolloped on top.