Happy New Year!

I hope 2013 was as good as you imagined it to be. It was definitely my best year and I can't wait for 2014. Hope you get to spend the eve with good people and good food.

Cheers!

Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers

I am in love with this sugary-cinnamon snack lately. It is done within minutes and tastes so so good! And what better way to end this year with a cinnamon treat, right? 

You need:

Recipe from Martha Stewart

1 cup sugar

2 table spoons cinnamon

2 sheets puff pastry

Stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of the mixture on the work surface and place one sheet of puff pastry over. Sprinkle two more table spoons of the mixture on top of the pastry and roll over dough with a rolling pin. Now gently roll the dough, starting at the one end and rolling up halfway. Turn over and roll the other end up the other half. Slice crosswise into 3 centimetre pieces. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and dip each cookie into the remaining sugary mixture, then place it on the sheet. Bake for 12 minutes on 200°C, then turn around and bake for another 5. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Nutty Chocolate Bars

Today I want to share a family recipe from a dearest friend of mine. These chocolate bars are so so good you will definitely go for seconds. Or thirds. Or fours.

You need:

140 grams sugar

140 grams butter

2 tea spoons baking powder

4 eggs, divided

70 grams walnuts, roughly chopped

70 grams chocolate of choice, roughly chopped

100 grams flour

4 table spoons jam of choice (apricot works best for me)

Chocolate ganache

300 millilitres cream 

300 grams chocolate

Put the cream in a small saucepan and heat it until little bubbles start to form on the edge. Set aside and add chocolate. Let sit for two minutes, then stir until chocolate is fully incorporated.

Sprinkles

Cream together sugar and butter, gradually add the flour and baking powder. Mix well, then add the egg yolks and mix again. Next add the meringue from the egg whites. Mix and add the nuts and chocolate. Pour the batter in a greased baking tin and bake for 20 minutes on 190○C. When baked, let cool and spread the jam on top. Lastly, pour some chocolate ganache on top and decorate with colored sprinkles.

Spicy Crinkles

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Hope you have a nice day and enjoy good food.

Here's another great cookie recipe that was a success yesterday at our Christmas Eve Party.

You need:

2 eggs

70 grams powdered sugar

1 cup shredded coconut

80 grams cocoa

100 grams chocolate morsels

1 tea spoon cardamom

some powdered sugar to roll the cookies in (about 3 table spoons)

Separate the egg yolks from whites and put the yolks in a medium sized bowl, set aside. Beat the whites until stiff and set aside. Now put the sugar to the yolks and beat ten minutes, until smooth. Gradually add the coconut and cocoa powder mixed with cardamom. Beat on slow, then mix in the egg whites. From here on mix with a spatula, so you don't over mix the batter. Add the chocolate morsels and mix well. Take a spoonful of batter and form into a ball, then roll in powdered sugar. Place every ball on the baking tray, press gently with a finger so you flatten every ball a bit. Bake for 8 minutes on 190°C.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Christmas is just around the corner and I haven't been baking like crazy yet. It is kind of weird because last year December flew by due to my busy cookie baking afternoons. I love to bake and prepare Christmas menus, but this year I decided to take it easy. Of course, my Christmas menu is allready planned but the cookie baking starts today. Excited!!!

Todays recipe is one of my family's favorites. Cinnamon rolls in mini size. Who doesn't like anything sweet when it comes in bite sizes? The amount of rolls you get out of this recipe is around 12, so if you want more just double or triple the ingredients.

Happy baking!

You need:

For the dough

200 grams flour

1 egg

25 grams melted butter

2 tea spoons active dry yeast

Pinch of salt

1 table spoon sugar

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

For the filling

2 table spoons sugar

2 table spoons cinnamon

For the frosting

1 table spoon milk

2 table spoons powdered sugar

Put all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and knead until dough is soft and forms into a ball. Set the dough aside in a warm place to let it rise for half an hour. When the dough doubled in size roll it out, about 2 centimeters thick and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar filling over it. Roll the dough and cut into little pieces. Put the buns into a muffin tray and let sit for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes on 190○C. When cool, spread the frosting over them (beat the sugar with milk) and enjoy.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Nutmeg Cookies

Can you believe tomorrow is the first of December?? Wow, this year flew by so so fast and it has been a good one for me.

Since December is a special month for me, The Cake Baby celebrates it with cookie baking. If you are a new reader, you should check out my cookie craziness from last year. And let's start this cookie month by baking some wonderful whole wheat cookies. Because whole wheat means healthy, right? And healthy means you can eat a dozen of them in one sitting, right? 

These cookies are so amazing if you love cinnamon and nutmeg. I even baked a batch for my friend and she loved it. You can never go wrong with a home-made gift.

You need:

Recipe adapted from here.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tea spoon baking powder

1 tea spoon baking soda

dash of salt

1 tea spoon cinnamon

1 tea spoon nutmeg

110 grams butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 tea spoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

2 table spoons milk

zest of one lemon

For the topping:

1 table spoon granulated sugar

1 tea spoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 200°C and line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Strain flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl and set aside. In another, large bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar and vanilla. Beat well, then add egg, milk and the lemon zest. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until combined. Now use a tea spoon to measure the amount of dough you need and form a ball with your hands. Set the balls on parchment paper and use a fork to flatten them a bit. Then sprinkle with the topping (just mix the sugar with cinnamon) and bake for 10 minutes. When baked, let cool on a wire rack.

Carrot Cake

First of all, I have to apologize to every one, and especially to my blog, for being absent for such a long time. I was sick and couldn't even stand straight, yet write a blog entry. But, I am back and ready for blogging again! 

My dad bought some amazing organic carrots the other day and they were so beautiful and tasty. I am a great carrot cake lover and when I saw those gorgeous carrots I had to make a carrot cake. What I don't like that much is the butter frosting you can see on so many cakes and cupcakes. I mean, frostings have to be light and fluffy, not buttery and rich. So, here is my ultimate cake frosting which I love to add to so many cakes and cupcakes because it is so light and tasty. The special ingredient is Greek yoghurt. I am a Greek yoghurt addict and just love to experiment with it. As a matter of fact, did you know you can substitute almost every oil/butter/cheese with the same amount of Greek yoghurt? You should try it. But first, try this gorgeous carrot cake.

Recipe adapted from here.

You need:

For the cake:

2 cups flour

2 tea spoons baking soda

2 tea spoons baking powder

1/2 tea spoon salt

3 tea spoons ground cinnamon

1/2 tea spoon nutmeg

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup oil

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tea spoons vanilla

3 cups grated carrots

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugars, vanilla, and eggs together and blend well with a mixer.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Gradually add the flour to the sugar and egg mixture and mix well.

Stir in the grated carrots. Pour into prepared pan.  

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Let it cool and spread the frosting on top.

For the frosting:

1 cup Greek Yoghurt

2 table spoons honey

Mix the yoghurt with the honey and spread evenly over cooled cake. Enjoy!

Pudding Tiramisu

My best friend came for a visit last weekend and my cookie/candy drawer was empty so I had to quickly make a yummy dessert for her. When people randomly pay me a visit and expect something good I always make my famous pudding tiramisu. It is a great treat for coffee lovers and it is made within minutes.

You need:

2 packages instant Vanilla OR Chocolate OR both Pudding

Lady fingers

2 cups of brewed coffe, sweetened

Prepare a baking dish, the size you want the tiramisu to be (I use a bigger sized dish, maybe 25x20 cm or so) and start layering the tiramisu. First layer are the lady fingers, which you arrange in the dish, side by side and pour a small amount of coffe over them, I use 1 table spoon for each lady finger. Be careful because you don't want those lady fingers to fall apart when cooled. The next layer is a pudding layer - just cook the pudding according the instructions on the package and smear a good amount of it on the lady fingers. Continue to do so, finishing with a pudding layer. Chill for an hour or over night if you have time. You can top the tiramisu with whipped cream or fresh fruit.

New York-Style Cheesecake

Do you like celebrity chefs and their recipes? I have to admit that I absolutely love their cookbooks and tv shows. One of my favorite tv chefs is Annabel Langbein. She makes wonderful dishes in no time and I love her tips and accent, of course :)

She has this new cookbook called Free Range in the City and you can download a preview on her website. I fell in love with the New York Cheesecake because it requires just a few ingredients. I have to say I was a bit worried because the cake is crustless and as a crust-lover I used to think cheesecakes and cookie crusts are best friends. Boy, was I wrong! You can believe me when I say that this is the BEST cheesecake I have ever eaten. It is so moist and refreshing, you don't need a crust. I put a couple of fresh nectarines on top just for some fruity taste, but you can make it plain or add any fruit you like.

You need:

500 grams cream cheese

500 grams sour cream

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tea spoons vanilla

finely grated zest of 1/2 a lemon

2 table spoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a 23cm cake form with baking paper, grease the sides with a little butter. Place all ingredients in a mixer or in a bigger bowl and mix it all up, until creamy. This should last for a minute or so. Now pour the mixture into the prepared cake form and bake for 1 1/4 hours, then turn off the oven and leave the door open for another hour. Then take the cake out of the oven and let it cool. You can top the cake with fresh fruit or enjoy it plain.

Nutella Cake

Do you like Nutella? I LOVE it! Seriously, I could eat it every day till the rest of my life. I always buy a big jar of Nutella and I don't want to admit how many days it lasts. 

Nothing is better than a slice of whole grain bread with Nutella on top. If you like Nutella and love cakes, you should deffinitely try this Nutella cake. The recipe is an old classic, which a friend of mine found on the internet. Whenever a family member celebrates his birthday, they demand this cake. It is so so amazing and really easy to do.

You need:

For the batter:

6 eggs

120 grams sugar

180 grams flour

1 tea spoon baking powder

1 tea spoon vanilla

5 generous table spoons Nutella

Plus 

1/2 cup of water

5 table spoons sugar

For the filling:

2 cups heavy cream

4 generous table spoons Nutella

Prepare two medium sized mixing bowls and crack the eggs, putting the yolks in one bowl and whites in the other. Put half of the sugar to the egg yolks and mix until creamy. Put the other half of the sugar to the egg whites and mix until you get a stiff meringue. Set aside. 

Now mix the Nutella into the yolk sugar mixture and gradually add the meringue. Mix carefully, you don't want to overmix the batter. Now combine the flour and baking powder, sift and fold in the batter mixture. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake on 180°C for 25 minutes. When baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. 

Once cool, remove from the tin and cut twice through the sponge, so you get three equal sponges. Put the first sponge on a cake plate and moisten it with the mixture of water and sugar. For the filling, beat the heavy cream and add the Nutella. Be careful to not overmix it. The filling should be light and fluffy, not liquid or too hard. Smear a third of the filling on the sponge and put the next sponge on top. Do the same on this layer, finishing with the filling, which you smear all over the cake. Cool in the fridge for two hours, or overnight.

Mexican Lasagna

September is flying by so fast, I can't believe it is Fall already. Even though I hate those crisp, cold September days, I love to cook something really tasty when I come home. When I think of comfort food, I think of a spicy, Mexican dish. I love tortillas and everything spicy and hot actually, and this is my favourite tortilla dish. 

The recipe can be found here and it is from Eva Longoria's Eva's Kitchen which is a good cookbook, I think. I can't imagine her cooking all those dishes she has in the book, however. 

The recipe is pretty easy and you can prepare the lasagna a night before and just put it in the oven the following day. 

Pflaumenkuchen

I am back from my trip to Cologne. The past month has been the best in my life; I have learnt so much, experienced millions of things and most importantly - I have met the most amazing people. If anyone of you guys are reading this, please remember that you are all lovely people and I could talk to you for hours and hours straight. Ich kann es kaum erwarten euch wieder zu sehen! Bleibt so wie ihr seid!

So, back to my "normal" life. Our plum tree is so generous that I have problems eating all of the plums. My friends, family and my boss benefit from this since they all got a lot of plums recently. This Pflaumenkuchen reminds me of my days in Cologne, where I ate an amazing slice of Pflaumenkuchen and this is my recreation.

You need:

For the dough

300 grams flour

20 grams butter

1 egg

10 grams sugar

For the filling

900 grams plums, pits removed

2 tea spoons cinnamon

For the crumbly topping

320 grams flour

200 grams sugar

200 grams cold butter

Combine all of the ingredients above and mix with a wooden spoon. Now knead the dough for a couple of minutes, form into a ball and set aside. Leave to rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime prepare the filling; put the plums into a small bowl and dust with cinnammon. You can also add sugar to the plums, if you wish but I prefer them plain because they are naturally sweet. After the dough has rested, roll it out (cca. 2 centimeters thin) and put in a pie dish. Put the filling on top and set aside. Make the crumbling topping by putting all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix with an electric mixer on full speed for a couple of minutes, until crumbs start to form. Top the pie with it and bake for 45 minutes on 180°C.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I don't like overripe bananas. They don't look very appealing to me, even though they can still be eaten. I know most of you will think I am so picky, but overripe bananas are nothing more than an ingredient for a dessert to me. 

I had two sad looking bananas in my kitchen the other day and I couldn't decide what to do with them. I didn't want to overheat the house by turning on the oven, but when I saw this recipe I just had to.

This is my first time ever baking a banana bread. I am always reserved when it comes to desserts with bananas because the flavor is mostly too dominant and I don't like that. I have to say this is my favorite banana recipe so far because it is so moist and tastes great, the bananas are not dominant and the chocolate chips make the bread so chocolaty and amazing. That is why I call it a chocolate chip banana bread, with the chocolate on first place because you can never have enough chocolate chips in it.

You need:

2 ripe bananas, smashed

1 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

1 tea spoon vanilla

1 tea spoon baking soda

dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a loaf pan. Smash the bananas in a mixing bowl and add the butter. Mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir and add the baking soda, salt and flour. Mix well and finally mix in the choc chips. Pour batter in a loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes.

Simple Cheesecake

It's all about simplicity in today's recipe. A simple, yet gorgeous and delicious cheesecake is the best cake. I love cheesecakes and everything simple to make. The recipe is from this wonderful website, written by a lovely fellow Slovenian blogger. 

You need:

For the crust:

250 grams digestive biscuits

100 grams butter, melted

For the filling:

500 grams cottage cheese

3 eggs

150 grams sugar

For the topping:

1 tea spoon vanilla

250 ml sour cream

3 table spoons sugar

First, put the biscuits in a bowl and crash them until ground. Put in a bowl and add butter, mix well and put in a lined springform pan. Use your hands to press down on the crumbs, until they are nicely layered all around the pan. Set aside. In another, medium sized bowl, mix the cottage cheese until light and fluffy (use a hand electric mixer). This should take up to five minutes. Then, gradually add the eggs, mixing well. When incorporated, add sugar and vanilla and mix for another two minutes on full speed. Pour the filling over the crust and bake on 150°C for one hour. After that, take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool for about twenty minutes. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream and sugar and mix well. Pour over the cheesecake and bake for another fifteen minutes. When baked, leave to cool before slicing.

The Cake Baby Turns 1

It's The Cake Baby's first birthday today! I am so excited and can't believe it's been a year. 

The main goal of this blog was to create a space with all my favorite recipes and share it with friends and family. Nowadays I can't imagine my life without The Cake Baby. I have read and whipped up a great amount of  incredible and delicious recipes from other bloggers and adore so many of you! 

Thanks to all my readers for stopping by and commenting on recipes. I love your ideas and am grateful for your feedback.

My wish for the next year is to continue sharing homemade, easy and delicious recipes. And now, grab a bottle of red wine and drink to that!

In case you're wondering, I am celebrating with these babies:

Patatas Bravas

The other day I was preparing a party menu and couldn't decide what to make for a snack. It has to be something that is quickly done, goes well with the wine and something that everyone likes. I was searching Pinterest, which kind of became my hobby, and found lots of things but they were all either too time consuming, or too fancy for a party with friends. You can see my party snack recipes HERE.

I decided to make Patatas Bravas. The recipe is from Valentina Smej Novak, a lovely fellow Slovenian, who had a famous Tv cook show and has so many lovely recipes for any occasion. 

I can tell you, this little fellas were a huge success! Everyone loved the spicy sauce and people started to ask for the recipe. And that is always a good sign.

You need    (recipe adapted from here.)

1 kilo potatoes

2 table spoons olive oil

For the sauce:

250 ml canned tomatoes

1 tea spoon brown sugar

1 table spoon balsamic vinegar

1 tea spoon chilli powder

1 table spoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 table spoons mayonnaise

Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks (about 2 centimeters). Preheat the oven to 200°C and prepare a roasting tray – put one sheet of parchment paper on the tray and set aside. Wash the potato chunks and season them with salt and pepper. Put one to two table spoons olive oil to the potatoes and toss them in the mixture. Put the potatoes on the tray and bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Meanwhile prepare the sauce. 

Put olive oil in a sauce pan and heat on medium flame until hot. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar and chilli powder. Mix well and leave on heat for two minutes. When it starts to boil, remove from heat and mix in the mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper and set aside. When potatoes are baked, remove from the oven and put on a plate. Top with the sauce and serve hot.

Double Chocolate Vegan Brownies

I tend to go vegan every now and then. But mostly when I discover that I don't have enough eggs in the fridge and can't make any ordinary dessert. Yes, it happens. Vegan desserts are actually just as good as normal desserts and it is hard (if not impossible) to tell the difference between a vegan and a non-vegan, if you ask me.

The following brownie recipe is one of my favorites because the batter is so easy to make and it is not sticky or gum-like. The brownies are moist and gooey, just as they have to be. Recipe from this blog.

You need:

1/3 cup brewed coffee

1 table spoon vegan margarine

1 ounce semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/4 cups plus 2 table spoons sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

a pinch of salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup water

1/2 table spoon vanilla

1 cup plus 1 1/2 table spoons flour

1/2 tea spoon baking powder

1/4 cup plus 2 table spoons chocolate chips

Grease a 8x8 inch baking tin and preheat the oven to 190°C. Combine coffee, margarine, and 1 oz chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and carefully microwave until smooth and melted. Stir to combine. In another bowl combine sugar, cocoa, salt and mix to combine. Add the oil, water, and vanilla. Stir well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. Stir in the chocolate chips. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. Pour the batter in the prepared baking tin and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before removing from tin.

Simple Tuna Pasta Salad

I crave salads lately. Blame it on the hot weather or whatever, but summer is the time of the year that turns me into a salad monster. Salads are very easy and very quick to prepare which is another plus, right? Besides, you don't have to turn on the oven to make a simple dish. 

What I like about this salad is the tuna. I love tuna! You can use this delicious fish in so many recipes. I have already posted a delicious and really easy tuna spread. This salad is a pasta salad, which besides tuna contains lots of veggies and of course, pasta. Win-win for a great meal.

You need:

500 grams pasta of choice

1 cucumber,  peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 table spoons capers,

3 table spoons mayonnaise

Juice of one lemon

2 cans tuna fish

First, cook the pasta and drain well. Set aside to cool completely. Meanwhile put all of the veggies in a medium sized bowl and mix with the tuna. Add the pasta and season with lemon juice and mayonnaise. 

Chocolate Cherry Cake

It is summer time! I love summer, sun and those long evenings outside with friends and great food. And when I think of summer food, I think of cherries. Aren't they the ultimate summer fruit? So fresh and juicy and they always taste best when eaten straight from the cherry tree.

You need:

100 grams fine grind almonds

100 grams chocolate

180 grams sugar

125 grams flour

2 table spoons baking powder

200 grams butter, melted

1 tea spoon vanilla

1 table spoon cinnamon

4 eggs

250 grams stoneless, fresh cherries

First, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and set aside. Combine eggs and sugar in a big mixing bowl and mix until fluffy. Add almonds, the melted chocolate, butter, cinnamon, flour and baking powder. Mix well until combined. Pour the batter in a lined cake pan. Arrange the cherries on top and bake for 25 minutes on 190°C.

Pre-bake

Peach Charlotte

You already know I have a thing for fruity desserts, but this one is the easiest ever. Really. Charlotte is one of the desserts I have loved when I was a kid, and today I still like it even though the real reason we eat a lot of Charlotte lately is my sister, who is obsessed with it.

Charlotte is the ultimate summer dessert; light, fruity, packed with flavor and doesn't require baking. I have to warn you however, this recipe is not the original Charlotte recipe. This one is my version of it. I know how a Charlotte looks and tastes like, but believe me – this one is much easier to do and tastes just like any other.

You need:

12 ladyfingers

2 cans peach halves in juice

2 cups heavy cream

8 table spoons sugar

1 tea spoon vanilla

First, drain the peach halves and cut them into chunks. Then put the peach chunks in a blender and mix them until smooth (or if you wish, a bit chunky). Beat the heavy cream together with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks start to form and set five table spoons aside. Combine the rest of the cream with the peach mixture. Mix well and set aside. Prepare small glass bowls and start making your Charlotte; put three table spoons of the peach mixture in the bowl. Then stand four ladyfingers upright around side of the bowl. Put the remaining heavy cream on top. Let cool.

Apple Dumplings

Do you love apples like I do? I am a huge fan of apples and eat at least two a day. Of course, I love other fruit too, but apples are the numero uno when it comes to fruit. When I go to buy some, I tend to buy too many and then I start baking apple pies or eat them with peanut butter, which is a great snack by the way! Or I make this great dish, called Apple Dumplings.

You might notice this dish does not look fancy and appetizing at all, but trust me it is amazing. It is such an easy recipe and you can do it in minutes, and have a great breakfast/dinner/dessert ready.

You need:

500 grams apples of choice (Granny Smith are probably the best here)

1 egg

150 grams flour

A pinch of salt

½ cup sugar

½ cup bread crumbs

3 table spoons butter

Peel the apples and grate them. Let them stand for a few minutes and pour the liquid into a glass and drink it because you don't need the juice here. Put the apples together with the flour and salt into a medium sized bowl and mix well with a spoon. Now use your hands and try to form dumplings. Remember that your hands have to be a bit wet so the batter doesn't stick to it. Pour 2 liters of water in a bigger pot and bring to a boil.Carefully put the dumplings in and cook until they start to float to the top. This may take five minutes or so. Remove them from the water and set aside. Put the butter, sugar and bread crumbs in a medium sized sauce pan and let it slightly brown over low heat. Add the dumplings and turn them a few times in the mixture. Serve.

Polenta Pizza

You know those days when you don't feel like cooking but you have to? Yes, I do have a few of such days in the year and I actually really like them. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook and it is my favorite hobby, but when I come back from work or the faculty exhausted I don't want to cook a fancy meal.

This is when Polenta comes in handy. Polenta is my favorite dish ever. Ever! I could eat it every day, no matter what. If you, by any weird reason, haven't tried Polenta yet – go to the store and buy it. It is the numero uno comfort food. So, once you discover the beautiful Polenta world, your cooking will change. I like my Polenta in a trillion ways. For example, when I want an old-school dinner that reminds me of childhood, I cook it and pour some cold milk over. Or when I want something special and yet a classic, I do this Pizza.

This is an easy recipe and everyone can make it. You need 15 minutes and your favorite pizza toppings. And Polenta, of course.

You need:

3 cups water

1 cup Polenta

Pizza toppings of choice (mozzarella, cheese, ketchup, olives, origano, ham, turkey etc.)

First, bring the water to boil and add the polenta. Stir constantly until thickened, this may take about 5 minutes. When cooked, pour into a baking tin (medium sized, or bigger if you want a thin layer of Polenta) and leave to cool down. Once it is cold, put toppings on it; I used ketchup as a base and then put mozzarella cheese, tuna chunks, olives and shredded Gouda on top. Put in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Peanut Thai Noodles

Hello readers! I am back!!! It feels so good to finally start blogging again. I have taken two weeks off writing The Cake Baby because I was on teaching practice and couldn't find the time to sit down and write a post. In case you're wondering, I am a student teacher, have a part time job as well as a social life :)) but enough personal details; I can't wait to read what all of my favorite bloggers were up to. 

I still have lots of delicious recipes to share and a lot to write so you will see The Cake Baby with crazy good stuff for the next months. 

One of the things I absolutely love is spicy food. I could eat it every day. This recipe is really easy and it is so quickly done. You just need to cook the noodles and in the mean time the sauce is ready, too. I was searching for a perfect Thai noodle recipe forever, but I couldn't find a good one. Either you need crazy ingredients that you don't have in your kitchen when you need them, or it takes forever to make the sauce. So I made this sauce that is just perfect, I think.

For one serving you need:

1/4 cup water

3 table spoons Peanut Butter (I use smooth, but you can use crunchy if you want)

1 table spoon olive oil

1 table spoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tea spoon chili powder

1 table spoon ginger (I use the powdered version, you can use fresh if you have it in your kitchen)

First cook the pasta of choice and drain well. While the pasta is cooking, put all of the above ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over low heat until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and mix with the pasta. Serve.

Happy Easter

The Cake Baby wishes you happy Easter!!!

Sacher Torte

Today's recipe is a real classic. The famous Sacher Cake. My sister loves this cake and wants to eat it every weekend. I love it too, but I am more of a fruit cake fan. This recipe is really old and I don't know from where I have it, but it is really really good. I have tried a million Sacher Cake's from the local stores, and believe me you don't want to know what some stores sell as a Sacher Cake. It should be illegal.

For the sponge:

150 grams butter

150 grams flour

150 grams sugar

150 grams chocolate (with 60% cocoa)

1 table spoon milk

1 tea spoon vanilla

2 tea spoons baking powder

6 eggs

For the filling:

5 generous table spoons apricot jam

For the glaze:

100 grams chocolate (with 60% cocoa)

100 grams butter

First, add milk and butter to the chocolate and melt it on a double boiler. Once melted, set aside to cool a bit. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and set aside. Add sugar to the chocolate butter mixture and mix well. Add the yolks and mix with a whisk or a electric mixer. Next add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl add the baking powder to the flour and slowly, with continuous mixing add to the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff and carefully blend the meringue to the batter. Now put the batter into a greased round baking pan and bake for 40 minutes on 180°C.

When baked, set aside to cool down completely, then cut the sponge in half. Heat the apricot jam in a small pan or in a microwave and spread it out on one half of the cake. Place the other half on top and spread the rest of the jam on top. Make the glaze by melting the chocolate together with butter over low heat. Pour it all over the cake and leave to set.

Lemon Poppyseed Donuts

Lemons are one of my favorite ingredients when it comes to baking. I love the smell of it in baked cookies or the gorgeous color when you squeeze the juice out of it. I always wanted to bake these donuts, but since my father really hates poppyseeds I decided better not. Well, I couldn't stop thinking about those perfect little polka dot babies, so I finally made them the other day. And you know what? My father liked them. Win-win.

For the donuts:

1/2 cup fat-free milk

4 tablespoons fat-free yogurt

1 1/2 cups all purpose white flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

juice + zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

For the glaze:

4 tablespoons fat-free yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cornflour

Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl (milk, yogurt, butter, egg, lemon juice) and the rest of the ingredients in another bigger sized bowl. Pour the wet mix to the dry ingredients and stirr until combined. Do not overmix! Pour the batter in the greased donut tin and bake for 15 minutes on 180°C. 

Remove to a wire wrack and leave to cool before drizzling with the lemon yogurt glaze which is made by beating all the glaze ingredients together.

New Design

Hello readers!

I just wanted to stop by to announce that The Cake Baby has a new design. Isn't it gorgeous??

Pesto and Mozzarella Pasta Salad

Another go-to recipe today. I know that these are everyone's favorites. 

I just discovered pesto a few days ago. Shame on me, right? I always wanted to try it, but somehow couldn't decide what to do with it. I was such a fool! Pesto is great. My sis loves it in her sandwich and I love it on my pasta. Problem solved. 

When I saw this recipe I knew I have to make it. Now this pasta salad is on my favorite dishes list. 

120 grams pasta of choice, cooked and drained

2 tomatoes, cut small

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

2 table spoons Pesto

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Serve cold and enjoy.

Liebster Award

If you don't know what this is, let me enlighten you:

This award was designed to be a blog award in the "pay it forward" fashion. Once you've been nominated, you award it to five blogs that you like that have fewer than 200 followers, to encourage new visitors to visit these blogs.

The rules for accepting this award are:
You need to thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog. Post the award onto your blog. Give the award to five bloggers who you appreciate that have fewer than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this awesome award!

Next you need to PAY IT FORWARD!

So, I got this nomination from a fellow Slovene Blogger - Maja from Jutri pa začnem zares. Thanks again!!! I nominated her as well because she is a gorgeous gal, who writes about her fitness routines and healthy lifestyle.

My nominees are:

Jutri pa začnem zares

Evelinamalina

A new lease of life

Pink diamond

Mateji ustvarjata

Berry Trifle

I like to make no bake desserts because they are so quick and easy to do, yet they look amazing and taste good. Trifle is one of those desserts I was so excited to make. 

If you google 'Trifle' or search it on Pinterest, you get tons of amazing looking pictures. And I wanted to try a lighter version of it. Something fresh, fruity and tasty of course. That is why I chose to do a berry trifle  One can never go wrong with berries, right?

You need:

1 package Savoiardi (Ladyfinger) biscuits

3 cups mixed berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries)

Whipped cream

Some rum to soften the biscuits

A few Oreos or any kind of chocolate (I used chocolate covered Oreos)

Prepare a bigger bowl and create layers. The first layer should be Savoiardi biscuits, that you previously soaked into rum. Then put a layer of whipped cream, next the berries, and repeat until you finish with the whipped cream. Put some strawberries on top and sprinkle with Oreos. Let sit for an hour or two in the fridge. Enjoy!

Banana oatmeal cookies

Once again I would like to thank the inventor(s) of Pinterest for creating a virtual pinning board that turned me into an addict. I like to pin. A lot. And it is a good thing because I spotted so many wonderful recipes and so many great ideas for home decor, DIY projects and  lots and lots of other stuff.

The following recipe is another Pinterest classic. It has only two ingredients and no added sugars. You can add whatever you want to the basic two ingredients. I added some chocolate chips. You can be creative and mix in some nuts, cinnamon or other spices.

This cookies make a great snack in between meals, a dessert or even breakfast. Hey, I like desserts for breakfast! No judging. Just make them.

Recipe from here.

2 large ripe bananas

1 cup quick cooked oats

½ cup chocolate chips

If you wish: cinnamon, raisins, nuts….

Put the bananas and oats in a mixing bowl. All you have to do is mash the bananas and mix with the oats. Now put one spoonful of the mixture on a greased baking tray and put some chocolate chips in. Bake for 25 minutes on 190°C.