From cookies to cake, bunny bites and no-bake rocky road, my delicious recipes below have you covered.

Happy Easter and happy baking!

Britt xo

The post Easter Recipe Roundup! appeared first on She Who Bakes.

This time, I would be working with the new Microplane Limited Edition Neon Yellow Premium Classic Zester and the new Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Slicer with Julienne Feature. As soon as I saw them I knew I wanted to do something with root vegetables and freshly grated nutmeg and so the idea came to me for a Parsnip & Pecan Loaf. Beautifully warming, packed with parsnip and chopped pecans, nutmeg and maple syrup. This recipe is a sure winner this winter.

I’ve always been a little weary of Julienne slicers, mainly because I’m sometimes a little clumsy, but I was so pleased to also receive a Microplane Cut-Resistant Glove to keep me safe. It felt like chain mail! I will also say, the V-Blade Slicer felt incredibly safe. The blade is tucked away nicely and the cutting plate on top (that can be easily switched around to give you normal slices and Julienne slices) was very sturdy and I felt very safe using it. The sharp blades made easy work of the tough parsnips, slicing them swiftly and elegantly into thin pieces, perfect for this loaf recipe.

The Zester as well, has a quality weight to it, with a bright eye catching neon yellow handle and long, sleek features, it made grating fresh nutmeg effortless. I much prefer to grate nutmeg myself as I find it has a deeper flavour and the smell is just incredible and this Zester was perfect for the job.

Check out the bottom of the page for details on how you can win your own Microplane Limited Edition Neon Yellow Premium Classic Zester and Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Slicer with Julienne Feature!

So! Let’s get baking!

Ingredients;

• 200g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 200g parsnips
• 75g pecans (with a little extra for the topping)
• Fresh nutmeg
• 50ml maple syrup
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 150g light brown sugar

Method;

• Firstly, using a zester or fine grater, grate the fresh nutmeg until you have about ½ a teaspoon of it. Put this to one side.
• Next, top and tail the parsnips, peel them and then using the Julienne blade, slice into rough small pieces.
• Mix together the light brown sugar, sunflower oil and eggs.
• Add in the grated parsnips and maple syrup and mix.
• Add in the plain flour, baking powder and fresh grated nutmeg and mix again.
• Finally mix in the chopped pecans.
• Pour this into a bottom-lined and greased 1lb loaf tin and bake at 140C (fan assisted) for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
• Leave to cool completely before decorating.

I’ve made a maple buttercream to top my loaf but feel free to use any topping you like. A cream cheese frosting would also go well and you can find my recipe for that here.

Maple Syrup Buttercream

Ingredients;

• 100g unsalted butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Method;

• Cream the butter on it’s own for a few minutes.
• Add in the icing sugar and mix well.
• Add in the maple syrup and mix on a high speed until soft and creamy.

To decorate;

Once the loaf has cooled, spread on a layer of maple syrup buttercream. Top with chopped pecans and a little more freshly grated nutmeg.

Once your cake is made, store in an airtight container. This bake will last 3-4 days. 

I’ve loved partnering with Microplane again. The V-Blade Slicer and Neon Zester are so brilliant to bake with. Super sharp while also being very safe. They feel well made, great quality and would make a wonderful addition to any kitchen.

For more about Microplane, check out their website here – http://microplaneintl.com

Happy baking!

Britt xo

Competition Details

For your chance to win your very own Microplane Limited Edition Neon Yellow Premium Classic Zester and Microplane Adjustable V-Blade Slicer with Julienne Feature simply follow the instructions below.

The Instagram winner will be chosen at random from someone who follows my Instagram page instagram.com/brittmariebox and Microplane’s Instagram page www.instagram.com/microplaneintl and tags a friend on my Instagram post. 

You may only enter once on Instagram.

Best of luck!

Britt xo

And now for the terms & conditions:

– The competition starts at 6:30pm on Monday 7th December 2020

– The competition closes at 9pm on Wednesday 9th December 2020

– The competition is only open to UK mainland entrants.

– The winners can not transfer the prizes and there is no cash alternative.

– The competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.

– The winners will be chosen at random and the decision is final.

– The winners will be notified within the week after the competition ends.

– The prizes must be claimed within a month after the winners’ announcement. After that time the prizes will be reallocated if unclaimed.

– The prizes will be posted out directly from Microplane International in January of 2021.

The post Parsnip & Pecan Loaf appeared first on She Who Bakes.

A rich chocolate sponge packed with melted dark chocolate and white chocolate chunks, filled with white chocolate buttercream, topped with a white chocolate drip and milk chocolate decorations, this decadent delight is sure to be a winner every time.

I’m a white chocolate fiend so I’ve put that in both the buttercream and used it as the drip, but if you’re not as keen you can easily swap it out for milk or dark chocolate instead.

To get the perfect layers, I’ve used a cake leveller from Iced Jems. They are a game changer and I highly recommend them.

This cake will hold up to being covered in sugarpaste/icing and used as a middle tier.

Once baked, it will last 5-6 days. This recipe is for a single height 7″ round cake.

NOTE – As I wanted an extra deep cake, I baked two 7″ rounds using the above recipe and stacked them one on top of another. If you bake one you will get a cake half this height.

Cake Ingredients

• 200g Self Raising Flour
• 150g Unsalted Butter
• 50g Golden Syrup
• 300g Dark Brown Sugar
• 50g Cocoa Powder
• 5 medium eggs
• 100g Dark Chocolate
• 100g White Chocolate Chunks
• 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Instant Coffee in 100ml Hot Water

Method

1. Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
2. Make up the instant coffee.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar and golden syrup.
4. Add in the eggs.
5. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
6. Add in the melted dark chocolate and coffee.
7. Finally stir in the white chocolate chunks.
8. Pour into a lined 7″ round tin and bake at 140ºC for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
9. Check after an hour and only take out when a skewer comes out clean.
10. Leave to cool completely upside down on a sheet of greaseproof paper.

For the Buttercream

• 250g Butter
• 500g Icing Sugar
• 100g White Chocolate (melted)

1. Mix together the (room temperature) butter and icing sugar until soft.
2. Add in the melted white chocolate.
3. Mix until you have a smooth consistency.
4. Split the cake into three sections using a cake leveller and fill with the delicious buttercream.

For Decoration

• 100g White Chocolate
• Chocolate Stars
• Chocolate Chunks in White and Dark

1. Cover the cake in a layer of white chocolate buttercream and leave to set.
2. Melt 100g white chocolate and pour onto the top of the cake.
3. Use the back of a spoon or a palette knife to edge the melted chocolate to the sides of the cake and let it drip down.
4. Top with chocolate chunks and chocolate stars.

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

Give it a try and let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Happy baking!

Britt xo

#AD – Originally made in 2017 in partnership with Dr Oetker and webake.co.uk

The post Triple Chocolate Cake appeared first on She Who Bakes.

This recipe continues my Mickey Treat series, previous park inspired instalments include my Chocolate Chip Mickey Cookies and my Mickey & Minnie Decorated Cookies.

Today’s treat is a sticky and sweet, classic Disneyland delight – Mickey shaped Marshmallow Rice Krispie Treat Pops!

Made using soft marshmallows, Rice Krispies and a couple of personal additions and decorated with melted chocolate. I originally saw these pop designs on Pinterest, inspired by the actual treats in the Disneyland parks and tracked them down to What Charlotte Baked.

You can, of course, just use the classic combination of butter, Rice Krispies and marshmallows but by adding in the vanilla and salt, I think it takes this tasty treat to a whole new level!

For the treats you will need – 

• 50g unsalted butter
• 250g marshmallows
• 200g Rice Krispies
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cube your butter and heat in a large pan. Once the butter starts to melt, add in your vanilla and salt and mix well.

Then, add in the marshmallows and mix until completely melted. Once melted, take the pan off of the heat.

Mix in your Rice Krispies until completely coated. Then, pour into a lined tray. I’m using an 8″ x 8″. I’ve also used more greaseproof paper than I need and left it outside of the tin so I can lift the treat slab out easier.

Gently push down to flatten the top. I’ve found the best way to do this is to wipe a little oil onto the back of a rubber spatula and use this to press down with.

Leave to set completely.

Once set, lift the slab out of the tin. You can then either cut into squares using a sharp knife or, if you want the Disney touch, cut out shapes using a Mickey cutter (you can find the cutter I used here).

A little tip, wipe a little oil around the metal of the cutter before pressing down. This made it much easier.

Then push your shapes out onto a wire rack. My slab made 6 Mickey shapes with a bit leftover to nibble on!

To decorate you will need – 

• 150g milk chocolate
• 150g white chocolate
• Sprinkles
• Mini Smarties
• Flat lolly pop sticks
• 2 teaspoons coconut (or unflavoured) oil

For the decorations, I’m going with three designs; milk chocolate with white chocolate drizzle, white chocolate with sprinkles and milk chocolate with mini Smarties. You can either leave them plain or do something completely different!

If you’re going with one of the designs I’ve used, break 150g milk and white chocolate into squares in separate bowls and microwave on short bursts until melted. I like to add a teaspoon of coconut oil into the melted chocolate to make a better consistency (and it tastes nice!) but if you don’t like coconut, use any unflavoured oil instead.

Carefully dip the Mickey Rice Krispie into the chocolate face first. Lift it slowly and let the excess chocolate drop back into the bowl. Then place it on a wire rack with a sheet of greaseproof paper underneath.

I dipped four in milk chocolate. Two of these I covered in mini Smarties and then drizzled in more milk chocolate. Two more I left to set and then drizzled in white chocolate. The last two I dipped in white chocolate and then covered in sprinkles.

Leave these to set completely.

Once they are all set, spread a little oil onto the end of your lollypop stick and gently push into the bottom of your Mickey treat (you can find the sticks I used here).

You need to keep these treats in an airtight container. They will last 2-3 days. They do not need to be refrigerated as this may make them too firm to enjoy.

These treats are best enjoyed snuggled up on the sofa, watching a Disney classic.

If you fancy a more classic Rice Krispie Treat, check out my bars here.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on, either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Happy baking!

Britt xo

The post Mickey Rice Krispie Marshmallow Treat Pops appeared first on She Who Bakes.

I love creating new recipes but I am a firm believer of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ and this is why I tend to use the scone recipe on the BBC Good Food Website which can be found here. But I have made a few observations and changes to the recipe.

As I can’t have raw or semi-raw egg, I omit this entirely and instead brush the top of the scones with milk before baking. I also tend to use a very small amount of lemon juice as too much really makes the milk go funny.

As well as this, I find the baking time is a little off and it needed double that time in my oven. Remember, all ovens are different and yours might behave differently to mine so I advise to bake them for the allotted time and then check on them regularly and adjust accordingly.

These scones are best fresh on the day they are made. They can also be frozen for a later day.

Give it a go and as always, let me know how you get on, either on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Happy baking,

Britt xo

The post Scones with Jam & Cream appeared first on She Who Bakes.

For this recipe, I’ve used my no spread cookie dough which really helps the biscuit keep it’s distinctive shape.

I followed the steps exactly up until step 5, where by I mixed in 80g chopped chocolate (you can also use chocolate chips but we didn’t have any in!). The rest of the steps are then the same. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour, wrap well in cling film for 30 minutes and then, once chilled, roll out the dough and cut into your desired shapes. As I was replicating the Mickey cookie design, I used a Mickey cookie cutter. You can find the cutter I used here.

I then chilled the cut out shapes on the baking tay for 30 minutes. Then baked at 180C (fan assisted) for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

Once cooled, I melted 150g chocolate and mixed in 1 tablespoon coconut oil. This made the chocolate a love consistency for dipping. I then dipped the top of the cookie (the ears) into the chocolate and laid on a cooling rack over a sheet of greaseproof paper. I then used a tablespoon to drizzle chocolate onto the rest of the cookie. Thus replicating the design!

Once the chocolate is set, these cookies are ready to eat! Stored in an airtight container, they will last for 2 weeks.

If you’d like to see another Disneyland Paris inspired bake, check out my blog post for decorated Mickey & Minnie Cookies here.

Give it a go and let me know how you get on, either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Happy baking!

Britt xo

For more information on how to decorate your cake and go from home bake to showstopper, check out my list of latest online cake decorating courses here.

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

The post Chocolate Chip Mickey Cookies appeared first on She Who Bakes.

These were made using my vanilla cupcake recipe, but instead of splitting into cupcake cases, I have poured the whole mix into a lined 10 x 8 baking tray and baked for the same time; 45 minutes at 140C fan assisted.

Once baked I left to cool in the tin, then turned out and carefully turned over.

I decorated with vanilla buttercream (recipe here) that I split and coloured with Sugarflair Aqua, Sugarflair Grape Violet and Sugarflair Pink and then mixed together. Be careful not to mix it too much otherwise it will turn completely purple without a hint of other colours. Just a quick mix is all you need to do.

Spread the buttercream over the cake, top with sprinkles, cut into slices and enjoy!

If vanilla Unicorns aren’t your thing, these cake squares are so customisable too. If you wanted them a different flavour, just omit the vanilla from the sponge and buttercream and add anything else you like. Here are some ideas based on different versions I’ve baked before –

• Strawberry Delight. 100g freeze-dried strawberry pieces and 1tsp strawberry flavouring added to the mix before baking. 1tsp strawberry flavouring added to the buttercream. Topped with more freeze dried strawberry pieces and strawberry dessert sauce.
• Caramel & Chocolate. 50g tinned caramel and 50g milk chocolate chips added to the mix before baking. 1 tablespoon tinned caramel added to the buttercream. Topped with caramel pieces and milk chocolate chips.
• Bailey’s & Coffee. 2 teaspoons of instant coffee mixed with 50ml hot water added to the mix before baking. 2 tablespoons Bailey’s added to the buttercream. Topped with white chocolate shavings and drizzled with melted milk chocolate.

As you can see, the only limit is your imagination! Have fun with it, baking is all about experimenting!

Happy baking,

Britt xo

The post Unicorn Squares appeared first on She Who Bakes.

If you want to turn your baking hobby into a career, check out my book Cakes, Bakes & Business for everything you need to know about running a successful baking business, including pricing, marketing, insurance and much more!

Give it a try and let me know how you get on either on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram.

Happy baking!

Britt xo

The post Peanut Butter Recipes appeared first on She Who Bakes.

Give them a go and let me know how you get on, either on Facebook or Twitter!

Happy baking,

Britt xo

The post Halloween Cupcake Toppers Tutorial for Cake Boss UK appeared first on She Who Bakes.

I was asked to bake and bring along a cake fitting to the theme of the Great British Bake Off main show. This week, it was European Cakes! I made a triple layered Ferrero Rocher cake. And here it is;

(You have to excuse the naked cake board. A cardinal sin in my eyes, however, it was purely for transport purposes and was transferred to a posh looking cake stand in the studio!)

Being in the studio was very surreal. For those who know me, will know when I was younger I appeared on all manner of TV programmes for one thing or another. I was frequently on CD:UK and SM:TV (for those of you born in the 90’s and after, google it.) and Extra Slice was filmed in the same studio! So being there brought out my inner teenager I’ll be honest.

Colin and I were treated so well by all the studio staff and production people. We got to hang out in one of the dressing rooms until the studio was ready for us, then as part of the ‘Bakers Area’ we got to sit on the cute little tables right at the front. Being front and centre was pretty awesome. We met Jo Brand first who was so lovely and hilarious. Also on the show panel was Richard Corrigan, Fay Ripley and Romesh Ranganthan. And the guests on the show were Diane from this series of Great British Bake Off, Francis Quinn and Glenn Cosby from last years series.

I think the hardest part of the filming was keeping the secrets. Colin and I knew the outcome of Great British Bake Off from Wednesday since Sunday 7th when the show was recorded and after signing an NDA, couldn’t tell a soul! The pressure!! I have no idea how the 12 bakers do it so easily!

We didn’t finish filming until quite late, so the sensible thing to do was have a slice of my cake on the last train home!

The recipe for the cake was adapted from this recipe on Let The Baking Begin.

For the filling, I used a Nutella buttercream rather than fresh cream as I was travelling to London with it! I decorated it with piped swirls of chocolate Nutella buttercream, topped with Ferrero Rocher chocolates and 24ct gold leaf.

For the cake;

• 100g caster sugar
• 5 large free range eggs
• 200g finely ground hazelnuts
• 50g self raising flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 tsp baking powder

For the buttercream;

• 200g Nutella
• 300g Icing sugar
• 150g Softened unsalted butter

Also;

• 100g crushed ice cream wafers
• 100g chopped hazelnuts
• Gold Leaf (optional)

Method;

1. Preheat the oven to 170C.
2. Line an 8″ tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until they have tripled in volume.
4. Carefully fold in the flour, finely ground hazelnuts, baking powder and cocoa powder. (Be careful not to knock any air out!)
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 35 minutes.
6. Once cooled, use a cake leveller to split carefully into three layers.
7. Mix together the buttercream ingredients until you have a fluffy consistency.
8. Spread your buttercream over your first cake layer and then sprinkle over 1/3 of your crushed ice cream wafers.
9. Repat for the next two layers.
10. Stack your layers on top of each other and coat the sides and top with your Nutella buttercream.
11. Press the chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of your cake all the way around.
12. Pipe small circles onto the top of your cake. Place your Ferrero Rochers into your piped circles and, if desired, add on some gold leaf for effect!

We had a fabulous day and are so grateful to have been part of the whole experience! For good measure, here are a few screen shots of Colin and I on Extra Slice.

Happy baking,

Britt xo

The post Great British Bake Off – Extra Slice & Ferrero Rocher Cake appeared first on She Who Bakes.