Category Archives: Home Baking

Lemon Meringue Sheet Cake

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Serves 16-20

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Lemon meringue pie is one of my favourite desserts and my recipe for this Lemon Meringue Sheet Cake takes the wonderfully fresh flavours of Spring, delivers them in a fun sheet cake, taking into consideration possible allergies so that everyone can have a slice of the fun!

I’ve partnered with Enjoy Life for this delicious gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, allergen-friendly dessert, as the brand offers a wide range of delicious baking chocolate, perfect for Spring entertaining, as well as school-friendly snacks. All of their products are free-from the top 14 common food allergens and are also certified gluten-free; School-Friendly; verified Non-GMO; and made in a dedicated nut-free and gluten-free facility. 

The standout feature of this cake is a decadent lemon white chocolate ganache layer made using Enjoy Life White Baking Mini Chips. Smooth, zesty and utterly delicious, it can be enjoyed by anyone around the table!

Ingredients

Lemon Ganache layer

  • 680g Enjoy Life white baking mini chips
  • 1 cup whipping cream alternative
  •  2 tablespoons lemon zest (2 large lemons)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)
  • 1-2 drops yellow food colouring gel

Vanilla Cake layer

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour*
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ¾ cup canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar

Meringue layer**

  • 1/2 cup aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid)
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Lemon Ganache layer

  1. Place the Enjoy Life white baking mini chips into a large bowl
  2. Microwave for 15 second bursts, stirring in between, until the chips are starting to melt. Set aside until needed
  3. In a small pan, heat your whipping cream alternative until just boiling – you’ll see small bubbles forming at the edge of the liquid. DO NOT allow the liquid to fully boil
  4. Remove from the heat and pour over the semi-melted white baking mini chips, ensuring all the chips are submerged. Allow to rest for 5 minutes
  5. After this time add in the lemon zest and lemon juice, stirring to incorporate. Continue stirring until the mixture is completely emulsified, smooth and uniform in color. Don’t worry if along the way the mixture looks like it has separated- just continue stirring and it will come back together. Using an immersion (stick) blender here really helps with the process, speeding it up
  6. Once your ganache mixture has fully emulsified, add in 1-2 drops yellow food colouring gel and stir until uniform in colour. Cover the surface of the ganache with cling wrap, and set aside for minimum 4 hours to thicken at room temperature

Vanilla Cake layer

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F
  2. Prepare a 9” x 12” baking pan by greasing and lining with baking parchment
  3. In a large bowl combine all the cake ingredients- the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, water, canola oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar
  4. Whisk until fully combined, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to avoid any dry ingredient residue. Continue mixing until fully blended and smooth
  5. Pour into your prepared pan. If needed gently tilt the pan to allow the cake batter to flow into the corners
  6. Bake in your preheated oven for between 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester, or skewer, comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Remove the cake from the oven allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes in a rack
  7. After allowing to cool for 5 minutes, invert the cake onto a cooling rack lined with baking parchment
  8. Remove the tin and lining baking parchment paper and allow the cake to cool fully before covering with the ganache layer

Meringue layer**

  1. In a large bowl combine the chilled chickpea liquid and cream of tartar, whisk until soft peaks form using an electric whisk
  2. With the whisk still running, gradually add in the powdered sugar in stages, being sure to fully whisk in the current amount before adding more (the mixture should not feel grainy at all). Once all your sugar has been added increase the whisk speed and continue to beat until stiff peaks have formed. (If using a handheld electric whisk this part of the process will take longer than making typical egg-based meringue)
  3. Once stiff peaks have been achieved, add in the vanilla extract and whisk to incorporate

To Finish

  1. With your vanilla cake layer fully cooled, spread or pipe the ganache onto the surface. Use a spatula or palette knife to smooth it out
  2. Spoon the aquafaba meringue over the ganache layer and spread to cover the surface. Use a fork or the back of a spoon to create ruffles/ peaks
  3. Gently torch the surface of the aquafaba meringue with a hand-torch or place until the broiler for a few minutes until browned
  4. Slice, serve and enjoy! This sheet cake is best enjoyed straight away

*I use gluten-free flour that incorporates xanthan gum. If yours doesn’t add in 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum with your dry ingredients. Regular all-purpose flour can also be substituted 1:1, without the addition of xanthan gum.

**If chickpea aquafaba in the meringue topping isn’t an option, the cake can be enjoyed with your favourite allergen-friendly whipped topping as an alternative

Cherry & Ginger Amaranth Oat Cookies

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Yields 30

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, cubed and softened
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon dark molasses
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups whole rolled oats
  • 1 cup puffed amaranth grains
  • 1 cup dried sour cherries
  • ½ cup crystallised ginger, roughly chopped

Method

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add both the sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed
  2. Add the eggs, molasses, and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine
  3. While the butter and sugars are creaming, Whisk the flour, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt together in a separate medium bowl. Set aside until needed
  4. Once the butter and sugars have been creamed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.
  5. Once fully combined, fold in the oats, dried cherries and crystalised ginger. Your dough should be quite thick and sticky. Cover and chill the dough for at least 45 minutes in the refrigerator
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
  7. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the cookie dough, about 3 Tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place well apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 13-14 minutes or golden brown. The edges will appear slightly darker than the centre of the cookie
  8. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Puddings

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Makes 6

Ingredients

Pumpkin Puddings

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 cup natural pumpkin puree

Toffee Sauce

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 medium Tonka bean, finely grated (can be substituted with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • 2 teaspoons Rum (or omit for a kiddy-friendly version)

Method

Pumpkin Puddings

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease, or spray with baking spray, 6 mini-savarin or mini-Bundt tins
  2. In a small heatproof bowl, pour orange juice followed by the boiling water over the chopped prunes; stir in the baking soda. Stir together to combine and set aside to soak for about 15-20 minutes until softened
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt. Set aside until needed
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy and combined
  5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined, followed by the maple syrup
  6. Reduce speed to low, beat in the flour mixture in stages until just combined, scraping down bowl between additions
  7. Add the date mixture (including liquid) followed by pumpkin purée, and beat at low speed until just combined
  8. Divide the batter into the prepared mini-pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes*
  9. Remove from oven, and continue to Finishing Steps

Toffee Sauce*

  1. With about 5 minutes left on the pumpkin pudding baking time, in a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, finely grated tonka bean and the rum (if using)
  2. Bring to a gentle boil over moderate heat, stirring to melt the butter and sugar, cooking until slightly thickened and deep golden, about 3 minutes.
  3. Keep warm on a low heat until serving

To Finish

  1. Once you remove the puddings from the oven, using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the exposed surface
  2. Spoon 4-5 teaspoons of the warm toffee sauce over the puddings, and let stand until absorbed, about 10 minutes
  3. Serve warm, turned out onto plates (they may take some gentle persuasion!) with some of the remaining sauce spooned over. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp

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Yields: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
  • 1 cup whipping, heavy cream, room temperature
  • Sea salt flakes, to taste

Filling

  • 1 ¼ kg tart, firm apples, such as Ganny Smith, Jonathan or Honeycrisp (about 6 medium apples)
  • Grated zest of 1 orange
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoons good quality vanilla paste or extract
  • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Crisp Topping

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup chopped pecans
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Method

Caramel Sauce

  1. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and water in a large saucepan set over a medium–low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–12minutes until it becomes a deep gold colour, but not dark brown. DO NOT STIR at any point. If you need to you can gently swirl the pan to make sure the mixture is melting evenly. When the caramel begins to colour, it will darken quickly so keep a close eye on it
  2. Once it reaches the correct color, quickly, but carefully, remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter cubes and using a wooden spoon gently stir until the butter has melted and is well combined. It will bubble a little and release steam so take care not to burn yourself!
  3. Next, add the cream and again slowly stir, again taking care not to burn yourself from the rising steam
  4. Once well combined, add sea salt flakes to taste (carefully tasting as you go!) and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool completely in a hat-proof container while you prepare the rest of the crisp*

Filling

  1. Heat your oven to 350F degrees and lightly butter/ oil a 9- or 10-inch oven-safe skillet
  2. Peel, core and slice the apples into ½-inch slices
  3. Combine the sliced apples, both zests, both juices, vanilla extract, spices and salt in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Drizzle ½ cup cooled caramel sauce over the top and stir again. Scrape the apples and all their juices into your prepared skillet

Topping

  1. In the same bowl, combine the flour, oats, pecans, sugar and salt. Stir until well combined, then add the butter and mash it into the dry ingredients with your fingers until crumbs form. Pour the crumb topping evenly over the apples
  2. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden and the juices are bubbling, 40 to 50 minutes
  3. Serve warm with more warm caramel sauce and ice cream

*Store any remaining sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. It can be rewarmed for later use in a saucepan over low heat.

Mega Pumpkin Spice Pop Tart

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Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

Pop Tart

  • 2 pie crusts (you can use store bought or homemade)
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 1/4  teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)

Glaze

  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons milk or cream
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste

Method

Pop Tart

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
  2. Roll out half of your pie dough on a well-floured surface. Cut the dough into a roughly 12″ x 8″ rectangle using a sharp knife. Carefully roll the dough back around your rolling pin and roll out onto your prepared baking sheet
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, egg, brown sugar, pumpkin spice and salt until smooth. Set aside
  4. Whisk a large egg with a little bit of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the outside inch of dough on the baking sheet. Spread the pumpkin filling in the centre of the bottom crust, leaving about a 1 inch border on all sides
  5. Roll out and cut, the second pie crust to the same size as the first one and carefully place the second piece of dough over the first, using your fingers to slightly push dough together around the edges. Use a large fork to make indents along the border of the pop tart, then poke fork lightly in the centre of the pop tart to allow air to escape
  6. Brush the whole top of the pop tart with the remaining egg wash
  7. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until the dough is light golden brown. Allow to cool fully while you make the glaze

Glaze

  1. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and use a whisk to mix until smooth
  2. Spoon the glaze evenly over the cooled poptart, the spread over the surface of the poptart. Use as much glaze as you like. Cut into 8 equal size pieces
  3. Serve and enjoy!