Chocolate Blueberry Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

I think this cake sums up how ready I am for the weekend. Hands up who's had a busy week too? 

It's the perfect season for Blueberries; you'll now find them at a great price in the supermarkets and probably get a huge pack! Often blueberries are teamed with lemon or cinnamon flavours, however I adore the the taste of blueberries and chocolate. The almost perfumed flavour of blueberries enhances the creamy notes of chocolate. 

I've used dairy-free white chocolate in the buttercream. I bought this in the 'Free-From' section of my local Sainsbury's in the form of buttons. You can also find dairy-free white chocolate in health food stores. A little tip: prepare the white chocolate buttercream just before you use it as the melted chocolate will set fairly quickly. 

The frosted blue hues of the blueberries look incredible on the cake- this is destined to be your weekend table centre piece. Well, if it lasts that long without being eaten by you... and you only. 

Makes 1 medium cake 

Ingredients 

For the cake:

230ml soya milk 

1 tsp cider vinegar 

140g granulated sugar 

90ml sunflower oil 

130g plain flour

50g cocoa powder 

¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the blueberry compote filling: 

200g fresh blueberries 

1 tbsp maple syrup 

For the white chocolate buttercream: 

 3 tbsp Vitalite (or any other dairy-free margarine), softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g icing sugar

50g dairy-free white chocolate (I used Humdinger buttons) 

Selection of blueberries to decorate 

Method 

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas mark 4

2. Mix together the soya milk and cider vinegar; the mixture will curdle. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla extract and whisk until foamy. 

3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

4. Pour the soya milk mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently until combined; do not over mix as this will affect the texture.

5. Pour into the greased cake tins, filling them three quarters of the way to allow room to rise. Bake for 18-20 minutes and allow to cool fully before icing. 

For the blueberry compote:

1. In a saucepan, heat the blueberries and maple syrup over a low heat for 8-10 minutes until the berries have broken down. Stir occasionally and set aside to cool. 

For the white chocolate buttercream: 

1. Mix the Vitalite and vanilla extract in a bowl. Gradually add the icing sugar until a thick mixture is formed. Using a mixer, whisk the buttercream for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

2. Add the white chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and melt in a microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Microwave for a further 20 seconds and stir. The chocolate should be fully melted. 

3. Pour the melted chocolate into the buttercream and whisk for 2-3 minutes until combined. 

To assemble the cake: 

1. Spread half of the buttercream on top of one of the cake halves. Spoon the blueberry compote evenly over the icing. Place the other half on top to sandwich the fillings. Spread the top of the cake with the remaining buttercream, piping if you wish. Decorate the top with blueberries. 

Enjoy! 

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Sweet potato and roasted radish salad, with chive & lime dressing

I've had a deliciously indulgent extended weekend of eating out, so now I'm thinking about getting in my kitchen and creating some lighter meals. As you know, I'm not one to 'watch the calories' as I believe that healthy food is honest, whole food. And it has to be full of flavour. 

I had a couple of lonely sweet potatoes at the back of the fridge along with a pack of radishes. It's a foodie trick to roast radishes, unleashing a mellower, fuller flavour to the normally peppery vegetable. Team this with roasted sweet potatoes, red kidney beans, a hint of smoked paprika, seasonal leaves and you have the perfect salad. 

Drizzle with chive and lime dressing to remind yourself that it's summer (really). 

Serves 2 

Ingredients 
For the salad:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 radishes
1/4 tsp smoked paprika 
Drizzle of olive oil 
2 generous handfuls of baby spinach leaves
2 generous handfuls of watercress 
3 tbsp canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

For the dressing: 
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped 
Juice and zest of 1/2 unwaxed lime 
Pinch of sea salt 

Method 
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas mark 6
2. Place the sweet potato and radishes on a baking tray and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until softened. 
3. Arrange the spinach leaves, watercress and kidney beans on plates and set aside. 
4. To make the dressing, add the extra virgin olive oil, chives, lime juice and zest and sea salt to a jar, replace the lid tightly and shake until combined. 
5. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and spoon generously over the leaves and beans. Drizzle with chive and lime dressing. 

Enjoy! 

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Raspberry Chocolate Tiffin

I always need a little treat to see me through the early part of the forthcoming week. It's been such beautiful, warm weather this weekend, so the last thing I wanted to do was spend it in a hot kitchen. 

I'm very in love with fresh Scottish raspberries at the moment, sweet and succulent, the perfect addition to a yummy chocolate tiffin. Tiffin is so much more than a 'fridge cake'. The thick chocolate topping is firm to the first bite, before the crunchy biscuit, smooth filling and in this version, juicy, sharp raspberries. 

I've often heard people who make a vegan version state that the cake doesn't firm-up enough (as butter is replaced with non-dairy margarine). A trick that I've found successful is to place the tiffin in the freezer for one hour, before adding the chocolate topping then refrigerating for two hours. 

Makes approximately 12 slices 

Ingredients 

For the base: 

150g golden syrup 

100g Vitalite (or any other dairy-free margarine) 

300g dark chocolate, broken into squares

200g rich tea biscuits, broken into uneven pieces (many brands are vegan, I used Sainsbury's) 

100g fresh raspberries 

For the topping: 

100g dark chocolate 

Method

1. In a large pan heat the golden syrup, Vitalite and dark chocolate over a low heat until melted and combined. Stir through the rich tea and raspberries. 

2. Line a baking tray with cling film. Press the chocolate biscuit mixture into the tray and place in the freezer for 1 hour. 

3. For the topping, melt the dark chocolate in a pan over a low heat until fully liquidised. Remove the tiffin from the freezer. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the tiffin. Apply generously until a thick topping is created. 

4. Place in the fridge for 2 hours until firm. Slice into triangles. 

Enjoy! 

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