Cherry Cake

This cake is delicious! Its that time of year again when cherries are gracing the supermarket shelves. They can be expensive, but if you shop smart you can get them at a great price! I picked up two punnets on Thomas st for just a euro each!  I found the recipe on the BBC food website and it caught my eye as it incorporates cinnamon in the recipe which I love! Again it's super easy to make (we're not a fan of difficult recipes here!) and soooooo tasty! Try it quick before cherries go out of season!!

Ingredients:

• 140g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp milk
• 85g butter, melted
• 250g  ripe cherries
• icing sugar, for dusting

For the topping:

• 50 g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g golden caster sugar
• 50g butter, at room temperature, diced

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin using butter. Sift the flour, cinnamon and caster sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, milk and melted butter, then combine with a wooden spoon or electric whisk. Beat well to make a thick, smooth mixture. Spoon into the tin and spread evenly.
Next, stone the cherries, place them in the cake tin and press them in to the cake mix. To make the topping, tip all the ingredients into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingers to make a crumb-like mixture, then work the mixture until it comes together in pea-sized pieces. Scatter the topping over the cherries and place the cake in the oven for 35-40mins. Place on a wire rack to cool, serve with cream and enjoy!

Quick and easy Irish Soda Bread!

This is perhaps one of the tastiest and easiest recipes you will ever make. Nothing beats a spread of butter on a warm slice of home made bread. This recipe is so quick to make, there is no excuse for not making it yourself at home! so crack out the mixing bowl and get baking... Believe me, you won't regret it!


Ingredients:

175g self rasing flour
1 tsp of bread soda
1 tsp of salt
300g of extra coarse wholemeal flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
50g oats
50g mixed seeds
450ml of buttermilk
1 tbsp of seeds to sprinkle on top

Method:

 Preheat the oven to 200degrees.
Grease a loaf tin with a small knob of butter.
Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon.
Pour the dough into the tin and brush with a little butter milk.
Make a line along the centre of the loaf using a teaspoon.
Sprinkle on the tablespoon of seeds and place the loaf in the pre heated oven for 30mins.
Reduce the heat to 150degrees and cook for another 30mins.
The bread should be brown and should make a hollow sound when you tap on the bass.
Turn on to a wire rack to cool and enjoy!