Butter Cake

This recipe produces a light, delicate and fluffy buttercake unlike some buttercakes which can be dense and a bit dry. I think it's a cross between a sponge and a buttercake which lends itself to being filled with cream and topped with buttercream or ganache, made into a multi layered cake or just left plain.

Note: I've used eggs from an 800 gm carton of 12 eggs.
Note: If making lamingtons use 5 eggs, 250 gms Butter, 250 gms Caster Sugar, 250 gms Self Raising Flour and 1 & 1/4 tspns Baking Powder

Pre heat oven 160 deg fan forced. Grease and paper line 20cm round baking tin or swiss roll tin if making a multi layered cake or lamingtons.

4 Eggs
200 gms Butter softened and diced
200 gms Caster Sugar
200 gms Self Raising Flour
5 gms Baking Powder

Insert Kneading Blade
Add eggs
Sp5:10sec
Add all other ingredients in order listed
Sp6:15sec to combine ingredients
Sp11:1min 30 or until mixture is smooth, scraping bowl with spatula as required

Spoon mixture into baking tin and smooth surface with spatula.

Bake 25-30 mins or until done when tested. I baked in a Swiss roll tin for 28 minutes. A cake tin will take a little bit longer.

Cool on wire rack.

Decorate as desired.

Cream Puffs

Choux pastry is very versatile and so simple to make in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. This recipe uses 2 eggs and makes 12 to 16 small cream puffs. You can double the recipe, adjusting the mixing times as required if you want to make more puffs or to make eclairs. I've filled my cream puffs with Creme Diplomat and blackberry jam and topped with melted chocolate. Before baking I lightly sprayed water over the choux pastry to stop the pastry drying out too quickly in the oven and this helped the choux pastry to puff up more and the centres to cook.

Note: Add beaten eggs 1/4 at a time until mixture is smooth, thick and glossy. You may not need all
of the egg.

60 gms Plain Flour
15 gms Cornflour
60 gms Unsalted Butter diced
5 gms Caster Sugar
2 gms Salt
110 gms Water
2 Eggs lightly beaten with fork

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Sift flour and cornflour together and set aside.
Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add butter, sugar, salt and water.
Sp3:90deg:4mins or until mixture boils.
Add sifted flours.
Sp6:1min.
Remove lid and let rest 5 mins.
Replace lid.
Sp6:30sec.
Start Sp:7 adding 1/4 of the beaten eggs through hole in lid, mix 15 sec before adding the next 1/4 of beaten egg, mix another 15 sec before adding another 1/4 of beaten egg and mix a further 15 sec. Check if pastry is smooth, thick and glossy. If not, add the remainder of the beaten eggs and mix 15 sec.
Pipe rounds onto prepared baking sheet, lightly spray with water and bake 20 minutes or until a dark golden brown. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR whilst puffs are baking.

Pierce cooked puffs with a skewer to release steam and place on cooling rack to cool.
Fill and decorate as desired.
If using Creme Diplomat, slice puffs in half,  pipe creme diplomat onto bottom layer and refrigerate until firm before placing tops of puffs over the filling.

Creme Diplomat 

245 gm Thickened Cream
270 gms Milk
1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract
80 gms Caster Sugar
40 gms Cornflour Sifted
4 Egg Yolks
200 gms Thickened Cream extra
Insert Whisk. Stopper in.
Add 245gms thickened cream, milk, vanilla extract, caster sugar and cornflour.
Sp8:1min 30sec.
Add egg yolks.
Sp8:30sec.
Set Dessert: 6-7mins or until custard has thickened. Stopper out.
Place custard in heatproof bowl, cover with cling wrap pushing cling wrap onto surface to prevent skin forming and place in refrigerator to chill.
Whip extra Thickened Cream until stiff peaks form (I used a stand mixer. If using CC to whip cream, wash bowl and whisk after whipping cream, rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly).
Insert Ultrablade. Stopper out.
Add chilled custard.
Sp8:15sec or until custard is smooth. Scraping bowl with spatula as required.
Insert Whisk. Stopper out.
Add 1/3 quantity of whipped cream.
Sp5:5sec. Repeat twice with remaining cream.
Remove whisk and fold through any unmixed cream with spatula.
Refrigerate until firm enough to pipe.
If using to fill cakes or slices, pipe or spread Creme Diplomat onto bottom layer of cake or slice and refrigerate until firm before topping with top layer of cake or slice.

Flourless Chocolate Bundt Cakes

These gluten and nutmeal free chocolate bundt cakes are the most delightful moist, dense chocolate cakes I've ever tasted. There are only 3 ingredients, eggs, chocolate and butter and the Tefal Cuisine Companion whips the batter to perfection in a matter of minutes. The cakes are cooked in a Bain Marie which gives them the most light texture and they're perfect to serve with whipped cream and fresh berries for dessert or afternoon tea.


Note: I used a mixture of 45% cocoa and 70% cocoa chocolate to give a perfect chocolate balance, neither too sweet nor too bitter.
Note: I use eggs from an 800 gm carton of 12 eggs.
Note: It's important to use good quality Cooking Chocolate. Plaistowe or Cadbury

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Place oven rack one level down from centre. Preheat oven 160 deg fan forced. Generously grease 4 mini bundt tins and place bundt tins in baking tin measuring approximately 30cm x 20cm.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Batter

4 large Eggs placed in warm water for 7 minutes
180 gms 45% cocoa Cooking Chocolate (Plaistowe, Cadbury or Nestle)
50 gms 70% cocoa Cooking Chocolate (Plaistowe, Cadbury or Nestle)
115 gms Butter softened

Insert Whisk. Stopper out.
Add eggs
Sp8:10mins
Whilst eggs are beating place chocolates in microwave safe glass bowl and melt in microwave on med/low temp and then add very softened butter and stir to combine. Set aside stirring from time to time.
After eggs have completed beating.
 Start Sp4:30sec pouring combined melted chocolate and butter mixture through hole in lid.
Remove whisk and gently fold through with spatula.
Pour batter evenly into prepared mini bundt tins.
Place in preheated oven and carefully pour boiling water up to 3/4 of the height of the baking tin.
Bake 20-25 mins or until tops of cakes are firm to the touch.
Remove bundt tins from Bain Marie and leave for 10 mins on cooling rack before turning out to cool completely. Cakes will settle whilst cooling.
Decorate as desired.
I left my cakes to cool, then refrigerated for 1/2 hour before spooning chocolate glaze over cakes, decorating with whipped cream, chocolate curls and serving with raspberries.

Chocolate Glaze

170 gms 45% cocoa Cooking Chocolate 

90 gms 70% cocoa Cooking Chocolate 

1 teaspoon Canola or Vegetable Oil

Melt chocolates in microwave on med/low heat and stir in oil until combined.

Spoon over chilled bundt cakes placed on a wire rack and leave until chocolate sets refrigerating if necessary.

Sourdough Pizza Crust

I love pizza but sometimes I'm disappointed in the crust. A lovely customer I met at work gave me this fermented pizza crust recipe and although her instructions and ingredients were a bit vague she was very insistent that I leave it on the bench top for 12 to18 hours and then refrigerate for a day or two before use to bring out the sourdough flavour. The Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes the dough to perfection in a matter of minutes and the dough is then placed in a large oiled lidded plastic container to ferment.

Note: This recipe made 2 x 33cm pizza crusts.
Note: I bake my pizzas on a pizza stone in my Weber BBQ. After 15 minutes I remove the tray and place pizza directly on stone to complete baking.

1/4 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
200 gms Bread Flour
325 gms Plain Flour
10 gms Salt
20 gms Olive Oil
300 gms Warm Water

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out
Add all ingredients in order listed.
Select Pastry P1:2mins30sec. Do not allow to continue to proving function.
Remove dough and place in a large lidded plastic container which has been brushed with olive oil.
Leave on bench top for 12-18 hours or until doubled in volume with lots of air bubbles then refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before use to bring out the sourdough flavour.
When ready to use, preheat oven 220 deg and place pizza stone in oven.
Divide the dough in half and place on oiled 33cm pizza trays.
Using the tips of your fingers pat out the dough starting from the middle and patting out to the outer edge of pizza tray, if dough keeps shrinking leave for 5-10 minutes before resuming.
Top dough with ingredients of choice, drizzle with olive oil and bake in hot oven until done.

Peppermint Slice

Peppermint Slice is one of those delicious old fashioned slices that we never tire of. The peppermint, chocolate flavours are a classic taste sensation and the Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes these slices in minutes. These are perfect served as an after dinner treat or anytime when you want a delicious peppermint, chocolate slice to serve to family or guests.

Note: I've used Granita biscuits for the base but any favourite store bought or home made biscuit can be used.
Note: I've used the Mini Bowl to crush biscuits but the regular bowl can be used with the steamer insert fitted.

Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper extending the paper over the long sides of tray to facilitate easy removal of slice.

Biscuit Base

250 gms biscuits of choice

140 gms Butter melted

Mini Bowl Instructions

Add half of the biscuits and pulse until biscuits are crushed. Set aside.

Repeat with remaining biscuits.

Add melted butter and stir with metal spoon until combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared tray, press down firmly and refrigerate whilst making peppermint filling.

Tefal Regular Bowl Instructions

Insert Kneading Blade, Stopper in.

Add all of the biscuits.

Insert Steam Basket

Pulse until finely crushed.

Set aside, add melted butter and stir with metal spoon until combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared tray, press down firmly and refrigerate whilst making peppermint filling.

Wipe Bowl and Kneading Blade with paper towelling.

Filling

40 gms Milk

20 gms Butter softened 

470 gms Icing Sugar mixture 

1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Essence or to taste

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.

Add milk and butter.

Sp3:70deg:2min or until butter is melted.

Add icing sugar and peppermint essence.

Stopper in.

Sp8:30sec or until mixture is combined and smooth. Scrape sides of bowl with spatula as required.

Spoon peppermint mixture quickly over crushed biscuit base, level with spoon and refrigerate whilst preparing chocolate layer.

Chocolate Layer

250 gms Milk or Dark Chocolate 

10 gms Butter softened 

50 gms White Chocolate

Green Gel Food Colouring

Small zip lock bag

Melt milk or dark chocolate in microwave.

Stir in softened butter unti smooth and pour over peppermint layer and refrigerate until set.

Melt white chocolate in microwave. 

Leave to cool slightly

Stir in 1 drop of green food colouring and stir until combined.

Place in small zip lock bag and cut a small hole in one corner.

Squeeze coloured white chocolate through hole in zip lock bag in decorative pattern over slice.

Refrigerate until set.

When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and slice using large knife dipped in hot water and wiped with paper towelling.

Orange Yoghurt Cake

This is definitely a cake for orange lovers. The orange flavour is intense and the addition of yoghurt gives this cake a delicious tang and moistness which makes it perfect for keeping in an airtight container or freezing for school or workday treats. This is a quick mix cake which the Tefal Cuisine Companion mixes in a matter of seconds.

Note: Instead of Plain yoghurt you can use Greek yoghurt, light sour cream or Creme Fraiche, I used a combination of Creme Fraiche and light sour cream.
Note: You could add Poppy Seeds to make an Orange Poppy Seed Cake.

Generously Grease Bundt Tin. Preheat oven 160 deg fan forced.

3 Eggs
Grated zest of 1 Orange
60 gms Orange Juice
240 gms Plain Yoghurt (see note above)
125 gms Butter softened
300 gms Self Raising Flour
200 gms Caster Sugar

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add all ingredients in order listed.
Sp6:15sec or until just combined.
Press Turbo:15sec or until smooth. Time will depend on how soft your butter is.
Place mixture into prepared bundt tin and bake 45-50 minutes or until done when tested.
Rest 5 minutes before turning out onto wire rack to cool.
Decorate as desired.

Orange Fruit Cake

This delicious orange fruitcake is quick and easy to make in the Tefal Cuisine Companion. The Tefal Cuisine Companion creams the butter and sugar before the other ingredients are added and the pre soaked fruit are stirred through just before baking.

Note: The dried fruit, zest and orange juice are combined and refrigerated 12-14 hours before using.
Note: I use eggs from an 800 gram carton of 12 eggs.

300 gms Dried Fruit
190 gms Orange Juice
1 teaspoon Orange Zest grated
Combine dried fruit, 190 gms orange juice and zest, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate 12-14 hours.

Preheat oven 160 deg. Grease and bottom paper line loaf tin, grease paper.

100 gms Glacé Cherries quartered
250 gms Butter softened and diced
110 gms Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
10 gms Orange Juice extra
230 gms Plain Flour

Add glacé cherries to dried fruit/orange juice mixture and set aside.

Insert Kneading Blade. Stopper out.
Add butter and caster sugar.
Sp10:1min 30sec or until mixture is creamy scraping sides of bowl with spatula every 15 sec.
Add eggs, 10 gms orange juice and plain flour.
Sp6:1min
Turbo in 10 sec bursts until batter is smooth scraping sides of bowl with spatula every 10sec.
Remove blade.
Add set aside dried fruit, cherry and orange juice mixture.
Stir with spatula until combined.
Bake 55-60 minutes or until done when tested. Cover loosely with foil after 45 mins if top is browning too much.
Leave in tin 5 minutes then place fruit cake on cooling tray to cool completely.
Decorate as desired.