Tarek Malouf - The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days - Recipes to make every day special

BREAKFAST BRAN MUFFINS

An excuse to eat cake for breakfast! You can substitute other dried fruits instead of the raisins or sultanas in these muffins, which are best eaten when fresh.

Makes 10–12 muffins

180g (6½oz) wholemeal flour

50g (1¾oz) rolled oats

50g (1¾oz) All-Bran

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

20g (¾oz) raisins or sultanas

20g (¾oz) sunflower seeds

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

⅛ tsp salt

120g (4oz) soft light brown sugar

250ml (9fl oz) whole milk

2 eggs

85g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted

One 12-hole deep muffin tin

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the tin with muffin cases.

2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer, mix together the flour, oats, All-Bran, orange zest, raisins or sultanas, sunflower seeds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar. Pour the milk into a jug, add the eggs and mix together by hand.

3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk and egg mixture while mixing on a low speed using a hand-held electric whisk or the freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment. When all the ingredients have come together, increase the speed to medium and mix in the melted butter.

4. Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling them two-thirds full, and bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown in colour and springy to the touch. Leave in the tin for a few minutes after removing from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool down fully.

CRANBERRY MAGIC BARS

We find that cranberry works best with white chocolate; however, you may also wish to add milk or plain chocolate chips, depending on your taste.

Makes 10–12 bars

FOR THE BASE

150g (5½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

40g (1½oz) icing sugar

120g (4oz) unsalted butter, softened

FOR THE TOPPING

100g (3½oz) white chocolate chips

100g (3½oz) dried cranberries

150ml (5½fl oz) unsweetened condensed milk

50g (1¾oz) desiccated coconut

50g (1¾oz) pecan halves

One 22 x 31cm (9 x 12½in)

baking tray

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the baking tray with baking parchment.

2. In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, set on a low speed, or rubbing together by hand, mix together the flour, icing sugar and butter until a dough forms.

3. Using floury fingers, press the dough into the prepared baking tray, making a slight lip around the edge to stop the filling from pouring over the edges of the base during cooking. Place in the oven and bake the base for approximately 20 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown and the middle is pale but cooked.

4. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the topping, then spread evenly over the prepared base. Place back in the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the topping is set and golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool before carefully slicing into 10–12 slices.

MIXED BERRY MUFFINS

This variation on a classic recipe uses blueberries and raspberries, but you can use other similar berries. Don’t worry if most of your berries sink to the bottom of the muffins during cooking, that’s perfectly normal.

Makes 10–12 muffins

300g (10½oz) plain flour

155g (5½oz) caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp salt

250ml (9fl oz) whole milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

85g (3oz) unsalted butter, melted 50g (1¾oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) blueberries

50g (1¾oz) fresh or frozen (and defrosted) raspberries

One 12-hole or two 6-hole

deep muffin tins

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5, and line the tin with muffin cases.

2. Sift together the flour, 115g (4oz) of the caster sugar, the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and place in a large bowl or the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer. Pour the milk into a jug, add the eggs and vanilla essence and mix together by hand.

3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and, mixing slowly in the freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, pour in the milk and egg mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to catch every bit of the mixture, increase the speed to medium and continue beating the batter until smooth. Then pour in the melted butter and beat again to incorporate.

4. Stir in the berries by hand, making sure they are evenly spaced throughout the mixture, then spoon the batter into the muffin cases, filling each up to two-thirds full and sprinkling the tops with the remaining sugar.

5. Bake in the oven until the muffins are golden brown on top and bounce back when lightly pressed. Leave in the tin for a short while, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

MOTHER’S & FATHER’S DAY

PISTACHIO WHOOPIE PIES

The addition of pistachios makes this an oh-so-elegant whoopie pie variation. Serve them with pistachio ice cream, which can be found in Italian ice-cream shops.

Makes 8–10 pies

FOR THE SPONGE

1 large egg

150g (5½oz) caster sugar

125g (4½oz) plain yoghurt

25ml (1fl oz) whole milk

2 tsp vanilla essence

75g (2½oz) unsalted butter, melted

275g (10oz) plain flour

¼ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

60g (2oz) ground pistachios

FOR THE FILLING

170g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened

280g (10oz) icing sugar

220g (8oz) vanilla marshmallow fluff

1. Using a hand-held electric whisk or a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment, whisk the egg and the sugar until pale and fluffy. Pour the yoghurt and milk into a jug, add the vanilla essence and stir together, then tip this mixture into the creamed eggs and sugar and mix on a medium speed until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Add the melted butter and mix again.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then add to the creamed mixture in two batches and mix in thoroughly after each addition, slowly at first and then on a medium speed. Stir in the ground pistachios by hand, making sure the nuts are evenly mixed into the batter, then place in the fridge to cool and set for 20–30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line two baking trays with baking parchment.

4. Once the batter has cooled down, spoon the mix on to each tray in 8–10 mounds (16–20 in total), each 3–5cm (1¼–2in) in diameter and spaced 2–3cm (¾–1¼in) apart. Place in the oven and bake for 10–13 minutes or until the sponges are lightly golden on top and bounce back when gently pressed. Allow the cooked sponges to cool completely, on a wire rack, before assembling.

5. While they are cooking, make the filling. Using the electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment, slowly mix together the butter and the icing sugar until fully blended. Mix in the marshmallow fluff, then increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy. Place the frosting in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up slightly.

6. Spread the flat side of one of the sponges with about 1 tablespoon of the filling, adding a little more if needed. Sandwich another sponge on top, with the flat side facing down, then repeat with the remaining sponges and filling.