Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

I'm using the excuse that it wasn't my oven; As my defence, that the cake wasn't cooked enough; It obviously wasn't that, I didn't read the recipe properly, and the oven was supposed to be set at 160 instead of 180. That's also obviously, why the background has been occasionally changing recently, since I've been making full use of the house my mum house/dog sits for; by borrowing their kitchen of course! 

This is now the second citrus fruit, and poppy seed cake in a row, after this one. I do like them, I promise!(well it was my birthday cake) I'm not just trying to use the packet of poppy seeds up, like you all think. I love the slight crunch, and the nuttiness they give the cake. If your making the cake for a special occasion, then toasting the seeds will enhance their flavour.

If you don't like orange marmalade, then feel free to change it to a different marmalade, such as lime, or lemon. Also feel free to swap the marmalade top, with a sugar crust (just mix granulated sugar and orange juice together, use this recipe for it). If you don't like poppy seeds, then feel free to take them out.

Ingredients 
3 tbsp thick cut marmalade
150g plain yogurt
3 eggs
175g caster sugar
200g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
175g butter
zest of orange
5 tsp poppy seeds

for the sticky top:
juice 1/2 orange
5 tbsp marmalade

1. preheat the oven to 160°c. 
2. butter and line a loaf tin 
3. melt the marmalade into a small pan or microwave, then beat in the yogurt and leave to cool
4. put the remaining cake ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth
5. quickly beat in the yogurt and marmalade mix, and pour into the tin( it will be quite runny).Don' smooth and level the top to encourage a crack in the middle.
6. bake for 1hr- 1hr 10mins, until golden and well risen, loosely cover if its getting too brown
7. meanwhile, while heat the orange juice and marmalade in a small pan, until combined and thick, but still runny glaze
8. spoon over the topping, while it's still warm 

Sticky Gingerbread Loaf

With the weather slowly getting warmer, and the first day of spring a few days ago; i thought i would say farewell to the cold, and perhaps rain? Who am i kidding! i live in England. To say "goodbye",I made a sticky gingerbread loaf, with all the wintry spices, that warm you from the inside out( I'm talking about the ginger, btw).

 

I made this for my dads birthday,(yes, i know it was in May, i just haven't got round to posting this yet. Sorry.) it kept well, so is a great choice if you know someone doesn't eat allot of cake, but you still want to give them something.

Serve it with butter, which is what we had it with, as it was quite dense like a malt loaf. or if you wanted to turn it into a dessert, warm it up and serve with hot custard. If your going to serve it as a pudding, or eat it on its own with a fork, to make it even more gingery and delicious, when its still warm pour over stem ginger syrup with chopped stem ginger pieces. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
350g flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 whole nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tbsp milk
175g black treacle
175g golden syrup
175g dark brown soft sugar
175g butter
2 eggs, beaten

1. preheat oven 170°
2. sift flour and spices( incl the pepper) together
3. mix the bicarb and milk together, set aside
4. melt the treacle, golden syrup, sugar and butter with  150ml water, until blended
5. add the syrup mixture to the flour, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon
6. when the mixture is smooth beat in the eggs, a little at a time
7. then beat in the milk and bicarb mixture
8. pour into a prepared tin and bake for 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hrs, until well risen, firm to the touch and has slightly shrunk away from the sides
9. remove,allow to cool. 
10. best eaten when matured for a few days. enjoy