Magical Animal Cakes E-Book

Angela Romeo

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Turn every baking occasion into a celebration of all your favourite animals, with over 45 delicious recipes for animal-themed cakes, cookies and more! Take a walk on the wild side of baking with this stunning collection of recipes that are baked or decorated in the shape of a whole host of furry friends. From bunny-shaped biscuits to enjoy at Easter, to a fabulous flamingo cake fit for any child's (or big-kid's!) birthday, each recipe is fun to create and tasty to eat. At the beginning of the book you'll find all the basic recipes you need for your animal bakes and, together with must-know decorating tips, you'll be well on your way to mastering the designs for every cute critter. Each chapter is then separated by a different theme. 'A Day at the Zoo' features a Smiling Sloth cake. 'Garden Critters' welcomes a Buzzing Bee Hive into your kitchen, while in 'Perfect Pets' you'll find an Adorable Pug. Head 'On the Farm' for a No-Drama Llama cake or Fluffy Sheep gingerbread and, then, grab your magic whisk for 'Fantastical Creatures' where you'll summon rainbow Unicorn Cupcakes and a Bubbly Narwhal. Each bake is sure to be the cute and creative centre of every party!

Leseprobe

Magical

AnImAl CaKeS

Magical

AnImAl CaKeS

45 bakes for unicorns, sloths, llamas and other cute critters

ANGELA ROMEO & ANNIE RIGG

Senior Designer Toni Kay

Editor Sarah Vaughan

Production Manager Gordana Simakovic

Art Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Publisher Cindy Richards

Indexer Stephen Blake

First published in 2020 by

Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields, London

WC1R 4BW

and

341 E 116th St, New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Recipe collection compiled by Sarah Vaughan

Text copyright © Angela Romeo and Annie Rigg 2020

Design and photographs copyright © Ryland Peters & Small 2020

See page 144 for full picture credits.

eISBN: 978-1-78879-265-3

ISBN: 978-1-78879-191-5

Printed in China

The authors’ moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

US Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

NOTES:

• Both British (Metric) and American (Imperial plus US cups) measurements are included in these recipes for your convenience, however it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe.

• All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified. A teaspoon is 5 ml, a tablespoon is 15 ml.

• All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless specified as large, in which case US extra-large should be used. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. We recommend using an oven thermometer. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

CoNtEnTs

InTrOdUcTiOn

BaSiC ReCiPeS

FaNtAsTiCaL CrEaTuReS

A DaY At ThE ZoO

On ThE FaRm

PeRfEcT PeTs

GaRdEn CrItTeRs

InDeX

PiCtUrE CrEdItS

InTrOdUcTiOn

Top offa themed birthday party with the ultimate animal cake and have baking requests covered with this book full of magical designs. There’s a creation for everyone – from a fabulous two-tier Tropical Flamingo to a roarsome King of the Jungle Lion – perfect for little imaginations as well as for all the big kids at heart!

As you make your way through the animal cakes, cookies and more, you’ll discover a wealth of clever tricks and short cuts, such as candies and chocolates for eyes, and liquorice strips for tongues and tails! Enjoy exploring different decorating techniques with these creative animal bakes – try a touch of fondant icing, test out the smooth, shiny results of flood icing and enjoy experimenting with the versatile nature of buttercream.

This collection of recipes is great for building your cakey-confidence. We hope you have fun recreating these magical recipes – you’ll see how the decorating techniques can be transferred to any design you or your little ones can dream up. There are classic cake mixtures in differing sizes and with easily adjustable flavours – the Basic Vanilla Cake can be easily converted into delicious chocolate, lemon or orange. The possibilities are endless to personalise to your own preferred taste.

When juggling goodie bags, sandwiches, gifts and invitations, you’ll also want to enjoy your time spent cake decorating! So choose a design to match the time you have, and plan ahead by making any pieces that you can in advance. Finally, enjoy the smiles then the satisfied peace when everyone is eating the tasty results!

BaSiC Recipes

BaSiC VaNiLlA CaKe

This is the most basic vanilla cake mixture, which can be adapted to introduce different flavours, such as chocolate (see end of recipe). It is used in many of the recipes in this book as it makes a good base for cakes that need to be cut up and re-assembled, and it tends to be liked by most of the family, young and old. Here there are four quantities to suit individual recipes but the method remains the same regardless of the quantity you use. For best results use an electric freestanding mixer, but a hand-held electric whisk will do just fine. Before you start baking make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature, the oven is preheated with the oven shelf in the correct position and the relevant cake pans have been prepared. The oven temperatures given throughout the book are for a conventional oven; if you are using a fan oven, adjust the temperature according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

EXTRA LARGE

350 g/3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

350 g/1¾ cups caster/superfine sugar

6 large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

350 g/2⅔ cups plain/all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons baking powder

4–5 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

LARGE

250 g/2¼ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

250 g/1¼ cups caster/superfine sugar

4 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

250 g/2 cups plain/all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3–4 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

MEDIUM

175 g/1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

175 g/¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

175 g/1⅓ cups plain/all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

SMALL

125g/9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

125 g/⅔ cup caster/superfine sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

125 g/1 cup plain/all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

Cream the butter and sugar in an electric freestanding mixer or with a hand-held electric whisk until pale, light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Very gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the cake mixture in two batches, mixing until smooth. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

Revert to the relevant cake recipe and continue as instructed.

ALTERNATIVE FLAVOURS

Basic Chocolate: substitute 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for the same quantity of flour in the Extra Large mixture, 3 tablespoons in the Large, 2 in the Medium and 1 in the Small.

Lemon or Orange: substitute the grated zest of an unwaxed lemon or orange for the vanilla extract.

VaNiLlA CaKe

This makes for another great base but has a few tweaks compared to the mixtures on the previous page. It is best to stick to the specified recipe for each animal cake but, on a rainy day, why not give both mixtures a go and try to taste the difference!

350 g/2⅔ cups plain/all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda

a pinch of salt

225 g/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

350 g/1¾ cups caster/superfine sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

250 ml/1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 23-cm/9-inch or 3 20-cm/8-inch cake pans, greased and lined

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F) Gas 4.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of/baking soda and salt.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric freestanding mixer until really pale and light – at least 3–4 minutes.

Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla together. Gradually add to the creamed butter in 4 or 5 additions, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bowl from time to time with a rubber spatula.

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the bowl alternately with the buttermilk. Mix until smooth.

Now turn to the relevant recipe and continue with the instructions, or if you want to bake the cake, divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans and spread level with a palette knife/metal spatula. Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 3–4 minutes in the pans, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

BuTtErMiLk CaKe

This base can be used for both small and large cakes but, with its higher buttermilk to flour ratio (compared to the Vanilla Cake, opposite), it is best suited to some of the cupcake recipes in this book. Paper cupcake cases can vary enormously in size, so it’s safest to suggest filling the cases two-thirds full. This recipe makes 12–16 regular cupcakes depending on the cases used. Undecorated cupcakes can be frozen in plastic airtight boxes and defrosted for another time.

175 g/1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

200 g/1 cup caster/superfine sugar

2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

225 g/1¾ cups plain/all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda

125 ml/½ cup buttermilk

MAKES 12–16 CUPCAKES

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the side of the mixing bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of/baking soda and add to the mixture in alternate batches with the buttermilk. Mix until smooth, then turn to the relevant recipe.

VaNiLlA CuPcAkEs

This is a simple cupcake mixture to make. Here it’s flavoured with pure vanilla extract but you could just as easily use lemon or orange extract, rosewater or coffee essence, if you prefer.

175 g/1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

175/¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

175 g/1⅓ cups plain/all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda

a pinch of salt

3 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature

12-hole muffin pan, lined with cupcake cases

MAKES 12

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy – about 3 minutes in an electric freestanding mixer.

Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well and scraping down the side of the bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of/baking soda and salt into the bowl, add the sour cream and fold in using a rubber spatula or a large metal spoon.

Once the mixture is smooth, divide it evenly between the cupcake cases and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cakes are golden, well risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 3–4 minutes in the pans, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

ChOcOlAtE CuPcAkEs

Here is a delicious and just-as-easy chocolate cupcake recipe.

40 g/⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

100 ml/⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

150 g/1¼ sticks butter, at room temperature

175 g/¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

150 g/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda

a pinch of salt

2 tablespoons sour cream, at room temperature

12-hole muffin pan, lined with cupcake cases

MAKES 12

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4. Tip the cocoa into a small, heatproof bowl, add the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes in an electric freestanding mixer. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well and scraping down the side of the bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla and cocoa mixture and mix again. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of/baking soda and salt into the bowl, add the sour cream and fold in using a rubber spatula or a large metal spoon.

Once the mixture is smooth, divide it evenly between the cupcake cases and bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cool for 3–4 minutes in the pans, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.

BaSiC VaNiLlA CoOkIe DoUgH

If you can resist tucking into these delicious cookies straight from the oven, they will keep undecorated for up to 3 days in an airtight box. Once they’ve been decorated, they should be eaten within 24 hours.

225 g/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

225 g/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

450 g/3½ cups plain/all-purpose flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

MAKES ABOUT 12 LARGE COOKIES

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the beaten egg, vanilla and salt and mix well.

Gradually add the flour and mix until incorporated. Bring together into a dough, then flatten into a disc. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 3–4 mm/⅛ inch, then turn to the relevant recipe.

Remember that once you have stamped out the shapes required in the individual recipes, you can gather the remaining dough together into a ball and re-roll to make more shapes. The shapes will then need to be chilled for a further 15 minutes before baking.

BaSiC SpIcEd GiNgErBrEaD

Here is a simple, spiced gingerbread dough suitable for all the decorated cookies in this book. The recipe makes approximately 12 medium-sized cookies depending on the cutters used. If you like, add 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystallized ginger or candied peel to the dough to make the gingerbread more sophisticated.

2 tablespoons golden/light corn syrup

1 large egg yolk

200 g/1⅔ cups plain/all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

½ teaspoon baking powder

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon