The Baking Club (Part 1) - Banana hazelnut cake, Strawberry-filled whoopee pies

Banana hazelnut cake

130g butter, softened

260g caster sugar

3 jumbo eggs

¹/₂ cup buttermilk

280g cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

A pinch of salt

1 tsp mixed spice

3 ripe bananas, mashed

100g hazelnuts, toasted, roughly shopped

Grated zest of 1 lemon

For the icing

130g icing sugar, sifted

230g cream cheese, softened

2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C. place the butter in a bowl, add the sugar and, using an electric beater, beat well for 2 – 3 minutes. In a jug mix together the eggs and buttermilk, whisk to combine and add to the butter mixture.
2. Sift together all the dry ingredients, except the nuts and lemon zest. Add half the dry ingredients and half the mashed bananas to the batter, stir well to combine, then add the remaining dry ingredients and bananas. Stir through the nuts and lemon zest.
3. Pour the mixture into a prepared 20cm square tin and bake for 40-45 minutes, remove and allow to cool completely before icing.
4. For the icing: beat together all the ingredients, spread over the cake.

Makes 20

3 eggs

100g caster sugar

½ tsp rose water

125g cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

115g butter, melted

For the icing

100g icing sugar, sifted

1 tbsp water

Pomegranate rubies and rose petals

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C. In a large bowl place the eggs, sugar and rose water, beat for 5 minutes with an electric beater until mixture is light and thick.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients, add to the egg mixture and beat, then add the melted butter and continue to beat until the mixture is combined.
3. Spoon mixture into a prepared Madeleine tin and bake for 15 – 18 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
4. For the icing: in a small bowl add the icing sugar, stir in the water and whisk until well combined.
5. Drizzle with icing and garnish with pomegranate rubies and rose petals.

Strawberry-filled whoopee pies

Makes 12 pies

225g butter

150g caster sugar

2 eggs

300g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp cocoa

A pinch of salt

1 cup butter milk

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp red food colouring

For the filling

100g cream cheese, softened

50g icing sugar, sifted

½ tsp vanilla essence

½ cup double cream

125g strawberries, hulled and finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C. Line a large baking tray or 2 smaller ones with baking paper. Place the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, cocoa and salt and, in a separate bowl, whisk together the butter milk and cider vinegar. Add half the dry ingredients and half the butter milk liquid to the egg mixture, stir to combine then stir in the remaining dry ingredients and butter milk.
3. Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe 24 rounds onto the baking tray. Place in oven and bake for 7 minutes.
4. Remove, allow rounds to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. For filling: place the cream cheese in a bowl, add icing sugar, vanilla and double cream, beat to combine, stir through chopped strawberries.
6. To assemble: spread strawberry filling onto one side of round, top with a second round and sandwich together; repeat with remaining rounds.

Makes 18

1 cup vegetable oil

200g demerara sugar

3 eggs

220g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

¼ cup poppy seeds

Grated zest of 1 lemon

A pinch of salt

1 cup grated carrot

440g tin crushed pineapple, drained

For the icing

125g butter

120g icing sugar, sifted

2 tsp orange blossom water

2 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C. Place oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl; using an electric hand-held beater, beat well till combined.
2. Sift together flour, bicarb and spices; add poppy seeds, lemon zest and salt, and add to oil mixture along with carrots and pineapple. Stir to combine.
3. Line a muffin tin with paper cases, fill with a large dollop of mixture, bake for 30 min or till an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on a cooling tack before icing.
4. For the icing: place butter in a bowl, beat till soft, add the icing sugar, orange blossom water and lemon juice. Beat until combined.
5. Spread over/ pipe with icing.