Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
cooking up a storm at the edge of the world
This traditional French yoghurt cake recipe is one of the easiest cakes to make, so much so that it’s often one of the first cake recipes French children learn how to make. This cake is light with a gorgeous crumb, and the lemon drizzle finish makes for a moist, zesty, lemony tea-time treat. This recipe …
Huffsie (or hufsi) is a traditional Shetland tea loaf that originated on the island of Whalsay. The recipe I use is made with tea-soaked dried mixed fruit, brown sugar, and treacle, but there are many variations. Served ‘klined’ (Shetland dialect for ‘spread’) with butter, it’s a delicious teatime treat whether on land or at sea. …
This light and fluffy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe is delicious, straightforward to make and keeps fresh for five days in the refrigerator. It has become a firm favourite with my walking tour guests at the Aald Harbour Hoose in Lerwick, Shetland (What? Where? Walking tour guests?! Subscribe to my newsletter to learn …
In this eggless birthday cake, three layers of vanilla sponge cake are infused with thyme syrup before being sandwiched together with a decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting. A not-too-sweet, visually striking birthday cake for a 70th birthday celebration. A 70th birthday cake for a man The challenge: to create a visually impressive, tasty, subtly indulgent …
This super easy Halloween graveyard cake features an effortless egg-free chocolate sponge topped with chocolate frosting and plenty of sweets to resemble a spooky graveyard. Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Difficulty: Easy A super easy egg-free Halloween cake recipe I absolutely love Halloween. It’s my favourite holiday of the year. The whole …
Use up some of that end-of-summer courgette glut with this light and fluffy spiced courgette cupcake recipe topped with cream cheese frosting. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Difficulty: Easy Spiced courgette cupcakes – rainy-day baking With these shorter, colder days and the return of the seasonal rain and gales, I’m all about comfort …
This super easy but impressive three-layered Black Forest Gateau is decorated with whipped cream, black cherry conserves and dark chocolate curls. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Difficulty: Easy Black Forest Gateau – without fresh cherries… … because at the end of September, in Shetland, there’s not a single fresh cherry to be …
Perfect for summer, this easy strawberry trifle recipe stars layers of strawberry jelly, Prosecco-soaked strawberries, sponge cake, custard and whipped cream. Prep Time: 2 hours Cooking Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Easy A strawberry trifle recipe – perfect for summer parties We have had the most extraordinary summer weather of late – people are going to …
These super easy Easter egg hunt cupcakes have a vanilla sponge cupcake base topped with green ‘grass’ frosting. They’re then finished off with a few mini candy Easter eggs. Ready in under an hour, they’re perfect for some Easter baking with the kids! Easy Recipes for Kids: Easter Egg Hunt Cupcakes I can’t believe it’s …
This pressure cooker apricot and almond Christmas cake is incredibly delicious and moist, ready in just 2.5 hours! With no soaking and no feeding needed, it’s perfect if you need a last-minute homemade Christmas cake (or two!). Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1.5 hours Difficulty: Easy A Christmas cake in a pressure cooker! I …
This French-style strawberry yogurt cake is incredibly easy to make and is a great way to use up the last of a pot of strawberry yogurt. It’s a perfect weekend bake, and great with a cuppa! Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Difficulty: Easy This is the perfect cake for a lazy Saturday …
Sweden’s favourite cake, toscakaka, combines a soft tender crumb with a crispy, chewy top. Recipe reprinted with permission from The Little Swedish Kitchen by Rachel Khoo. Cherries are in season just now, and I can’t resist buying them at the supermarket. Truth be told, this year, for some reason, the cherries seem to be even …
This dark rainbow unicorn birthday cake is the perfect centrepiece for a unicorn-themed party. Three layers of vanilla buttermilk cake are frosted with purple-tinted white chocolate buttercream and decorated with Midnight Magic Sprinkles. Shards of unicorn candy bark and a purple candy melt drip finish it off perfectly. Prep Time: 1 hours Cooking Time: 30 …
A celebration cake made in honour of Henry and Meghan’s Royal Wedding. A swiss roll sponge is filled with sharp lemon curd and decorated with an elderflower scented whipped cream frosting and crumbled meringue pieces. I confess, I really wasn’t that fussed about the Royal Wedding up until this week. Celebrity and Royal goings-ons are …
Because life’s too short not to take out the fine china. I’ve become a lady who lunches, on occasion now. I’ve been regularly meeting up with a few other ladies in the village for coffee, cake, soup, that sort of thing, over the last few months. I’ve really been enjoying our chats and get-togethers. It’s …
In collaboration with a2 Milk™ & Percol Coffee. I have to confess, I am a bit of a coffee addict. I love my morning cuppa(s), plus one more to help keep me going around mid-afternoon. I love coffee flavoured things too, cakes, sweets, cupcakes, you name it. The only thing better than coffee is a …
A delicious, spiced cake made with the humble swede (rutabaga). Did you know that the humble swede (aka. rutabaga, neep or Swedish turnip) can make a rather excellent flavoured cake? Think carrot cake, but with a more subtle vegetable flavour. Warming spices like ginger and nutmeg make it for the perfect Autumn bake, excellent with an …
In collaboration with the Garda Trentino S.p.A. Tourism Board. I watched the landscape change while on the train from Milan to Lake Garda a few months ago, during my first ever visit to the Italian mainland. I found the apartment buildings on the outskirts of Milan hugely fascinating, their tall, earthy hued walls dotted with …
An original recipe from Kate Hackworthy’s debut cookbook Veggie Desserts + Cake. Vegetable desserts can be so much more than just carrot cake, as food-writer Kate Hackworthy of award-winning Veggie Desserts shows us with her debut cookbook Veggie Desserts + Cakes. Published by Pavilion Books on the 3rd of August 2017 this stunning manuscript pushes …
Fresh strawberries and balsamic vinegar are a match made in heaven. These quick and easy strawberry shortcakes take no time to whip up and they taste utterly amazing! Perfect for a summer picnic! “Mum, do you know what I really, really want?” our youngest son (aged 8 and 1/4) asked recently. “What’s that?” I enquired. …
