Mary Berry's Divine Double Chocolate Cake

HAVING met and spoken to Mary a few times I realised with shame that I hadn’t cooked any of her recipes. So feeling in a baking mood I made her Double Divine Chocolate Cake.
It is so easy to make- what I loved about it is there is no butter- just oil- so it is easier to mix. The icing was a bit more tricky.
I prefer my usual method of heating the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water as I find it then mixes better with the cream. That is my one tip.
The way it is described below I ended up having to add more cream cheese to make it thicker. The end result is really impressive. It serves a lot more than six people though as it is rich!
 Here’s the recipe:
 • 190g self-raising flour
• 2 level tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 level teaspoon baking powder
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 150ml milk

Icing
• 200g Belgian white chocolate
• 150ml double cream
• 1 x 125g tub full-fat cream cheese

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line with greased greaseproof paper the bases of 2 x 20cm (8in) straight-sided loose-bottomed sandwich tins. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the syrup, eggs, oil and milk, mix with an electric hand whisk and pour into the tins. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertips. Turn out on to a wire rack, remove the paper and leave to cool. For the icing, break the white chocolate into a bowl. Heat the double cream in a pan until hot and pour the hot cream over the white chocolate to melt it. Stir until melted, then set aside to cool. Spoon the cream cheese into a bowl, gradually add the white chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Set aside to cool a little until thick enough to ice. Spread half the icing on one cake, sit the other cake on top and spread the remaining icing on top to give a pretty finish.

Eating out in Liverpool

A WEEKEND in Liverpool. What does the city of culture, fake tan and two Premier League football clubs have to offer in terms of food. Rather a lot actually! Staying in a Premier Inn with five of my friends, we decided to head out for breakfast.

It helps to have a friend already in Liverpool so when I looked up Leaf in Bold Street on the internet I asked her advice and she said it was a very good choice. It doesn’t look great from the outside but go through the doors and you are met with a homely lay out with a laid back atmosphere with mismatched wooden chairs. Grab a menu, then order at the bar.

There are lots of good breakfast choices. I went for the Full English (£6.50), which was lovely, with thick, bloomer toast nicely buttered, flat tasty field mushrooms and a well seasonsed sausage. The bacon, potato croquet, tomato, eggs and beans were also good. Other options on the table were Eggs Benedict, which looked delicious, and was served with shredded ham hock. There is also a good selection of tea (I went for ginger). Feeling comfortably full we didn’t stop for food again until the evening.

 

We went for Mexican at Lucha Libre in Wood Street. It sells street food and is very much a sharing experience. There is a great atmosphere with friendly staff. I shared Chorizo and Potato Quesadillas (£4), Chargrilled Chicken Quesadillas (£4) and Rib Enchilada (£8.50).

There are also burritos, tacos and chilli. The Quesadillas were delightful little morsels of creamy mild cheese. The fillings were a bit lacking though, especially the potato. The enchilada was divine with soft, flavoursome meat and chilli sauce and sour cream. I would also recommend the lovely refried beans and the pil bil tacos.

The next morning we felt a little jaded but did manage to wander down to the docks, where there is a large selection of places to eat.

We went for the PanAm Bar and Restaurant. It was a Sunday, but as only one of us wanted roast she couldn’t have this as you had to sit upstairs to eat this, which seemed a bit unfair. It is quite a simple bar menu.

PanAm Burger

I went for the PanAm Burger (£8.95), which was bacon, jalapenos, gherkins (I asked for no cheese) and a beef burger. There was a shocking lack of gherkins on my burger but once I asked for more a small pot of the vinegary bites were brought to me. The chips were good, the burger tasty- a satisfactory lunch time treat. Liverpool is a great place to go for the weekend and you won’t be disappointed by the food.

Afternoon tea at a beautiful hotel in Evesham

I went to The Wood Norton Hotel in Evesham, where my brother works, with my mum and dad for afternoon tea.
It was a beautifully sunny afternoon and we sat outside in the splendid grounds, with lovely gardens.
Mum and I enjoyed a refreshing glass of champagne, before tucking into the main event. The finger sandwiches were ham, salmon and cucumber, which were all tasty with substantial fillings.
There was a fruit and plain scone each with strawberry jam and thick clotted cream. The scone was huge! And I could only manage one but they were very well done.
Unfortunately the lemon drizzle cake was a bit dry and the carrot cake missed a cream topping- however the carrot cake was very tasty. It was a lovely afternoon in the sunshine and one I would recommend.

Salt and Pepper cafe in Monmouth: a summer treat

SALT and Pepper in Monmouth is a delightful cafe with fresh, home cooked food.

I would highly recommend it if you find yourself in this pretty Welsh town. I met my friends, Kat and Rach, there for a sunny lunch.

There is some outdoor seating but there is plenty indoors too. They have a varied menu of sandwiches, jacket potatoes, snacks and hot food. And they also have about eight daily specials.

I went for one of these- a fish cake with tartar sauce. I was advised it would be a 15 minute wait as it was freshly cooked. It was worth the wait. The fish cake was thick and bursting with chunks of white fish and salmon, covered in a crispy breadcrumb coating and great seasoning, which made sure the fish wasn’t overbearing.

 The tartar sauce alongside it was beautifully thick and creamy with salty capers to round it off a treat. It was all just so fresh and tasty and at £6.50 a bargain.

Rach went for a bowl of nachos, with creamy guacamole, tomato and quite a strong cheese- a huge bowl. And Kat had the goat’s cheese and pear Panini with a generous portion of crisps. Both went down a treat.