HOMEMADE: Tiramisu Layer Cake (aka GBD's Ultimate Coffee Cake!)

I have to admit, these days my palate has a bit of a love-hate relationship with cake. Well, maybe more 'not too keen' than 'hate' but, still, cake divides me in a way I wish it wouldn't. The reason for this: overwhelming sweetness. Specifically, cakes, especially, some shop-bought ones, that do little to balance liberal amounts of icing and/or buttercream. Of course, this doesn't apply to all, a Victoria sponge with lots of freshly whipped cream and a bit jam for the filling or a carrot cake with a cream cheese topping are just a couple of great examples that get it right for me.

With this in mind, I was thinking about good old coffee cake the other day and I hit upon the idea of switching in the usual buttercream for a boozy Tiramisu-style filling. In my head, this combination would deliver sweetness but, crucially, punctuate proceedings with some heady, mature notes. Anyway, I was convinced by the concept and quickly set about making it.

My starting point for the cake was a basic sponge recipe. I wanted to have four layers of cake so each slice would deliver a decent hit of boozy cream filling. To that end, I used four large eggs and employed the old fashioned method of weighting out my butter, sugar and self-raising flour against them. I chose light Muscovado for an extra depth of flavour, though regular caster would have been fine. As for the sponge's caffeine component, I turned to an instant coffee favourite, Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence, for a beautifully rich flavour.  

When it came to the filling, I looked no further than the cream, mascarpone, sugar and brandy combination that had served me so well with my previously featured tiramisu (see here). Liking a decent hit of alcohol, I put in quite a bit of brandy but upped the sugar accordingly. Slathering this on three of the sponges, I then grated some 70% dark chocolate over the fillings to intensify those deep, mature notes.

As for the topping, I exchanged the brandy in the filling recipe for some more coffee mixture using my Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence. I played around with the quantities of sugar a bit, as you might want to if you make this, but I eventually got the smooth, rich taste I was looking for. In any case, the result was a fittingly brownish, coffee-looking cream to top the cake with. 

In terms of taste, this cake lived up every bit to my expectations. The sponge and topping provided a beautiful wave of sweet, coffee-laden notes whilst those hits of filling delivered a gorgeous burst of warm brandy. The only thought I had afterwards was whether or not I could have replaced the filling between the second and third sponges with a coffee-flavoured one, as per the topping recipe. The reasoning behind this is that, being a four-layer cake, it is hard to get the coffee and brandy creams in every mouthful. By alternating the creams it might have helped alleviate this issue but, then again, I do love my brandy! 

All in all, this was a great success and, if I do say so myself, the best coffee cake I've eaten to date. Definitely recommended. 

RECIPE

Ingredients

Sponges

4 large eggs

Self-raising flour, light Muscovado sugar (or regular caster sugar) and softened butter - quantity of ingredients determined by weighing each against 4 eggs used.

Coffee mixture (around 4 very decent teaspoons of instant coffee fully dissolved in around 1 tbsp boiling water)

1/2 tsp baking powder

Filling

185 g mascarpone

425 ml double cream

5 tbsp golden caster sugar (or regular caster sugar)

110 ml brandy

Dark chocolate

Topping

3 tbsp sugar

35 g mascarpone

70 ml double cream 

Coffee mixture (around 2 1/2 very decent teaspoons of instant coffee fully dissolved in around 1 tbsp of boiling water).

Tins

2 x 20 cm / 8 in round baking tins (well greased and base lined)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C non-fan).

2. Cream together the softened butter and sugar. 

3. Pour in the coffee mixture and then add the eggs slowly, mixing them in one at a time.

4. Add the flour (sift in) and baking powder and fold in gently until everything is well incorporated. 

5. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two prepared tins.

6. Place in the preheated oven for around 25-30 mins, or until the sponges are coming away from the sides and are nicely coloured.

7. When done, remove the sponges and place them inverted on wire racks to cool. 

8. After 5 or so minutes, lift off the tins and leave the sponges to cool thoroughly.

9. When the cakes have cooled completely (this will take a few hours or so), take a serrated knife and very carefully cut the two sponges in half.

10. For the brandy filling, place the mascarpone, double cream, sugar and brandy in a bowl and, using an electric whisk, mix until nicely thickened. 

11. Top three of the sponges with generous amounts of filling and finish off each by grating over dark chocolate.

12. For the topping, place the mascarpone, double cream, sugar and coffee mixture in a bowl and, using an electric whisk again, mix until nicely thickened.

13. Liberally spread this coffee cream over the fourth, still-bare sponge.  

14. Assemble the cake with the coffee-cream topped layer obviously going on last.

15. If not eating immediately, refrigerate due to the use of fresh cream.

BRAND LINKS
Douwe Egberts Website

HOMEMADE: BBC Good Food Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of those dishes the British have taken to their hearts and, boy, am I glad for it. Given speed of preparation and taste, this dessert gives a lot for very little effort. Moreover, when entertaining those that don't usually like sweet dishes, tiramisu can prove useful as the marriage of alcohol and coffee often sings to even the most mature of taste buds.  

On this occasion, the recipe I turned to came from BBC Good Food - always a handy resource. The dessert boasted a nicely layered structure as coffee soaked sponge fingers alternated with boozy cream. Of course, the glass bowl provided an alluring profile view whilst the grated chocolate topping added just a touch of finesse. Admittedly, it was very hard to spoon out elegant servings; however, any aesthetic shortcomings were quickly overlooked when I began to dig in.   

Taste-wise, this recipe didn't disappoint one bit as the cream punched through with the alcoholic warmth of brandy - admittedly, I added a touch more than originally suggested :) Of course, the coffee soaked sponge fingers followed quickly and jostled with the alcohol for supremacy. This interplay of strong coffee and alcohol stole the show but the textural contrast of the layers also proved a delight.

All in all, this recipe didn't push the tiramisu boat out with any particular flourishes; however, I didn't really care as it delivered on the basics tremendously: it was super easy to put together and an absolute joy to eat. Indeed, for me, this was a boozy, coffee-fueled triumph that I have no hesitation in recommending to others.

RECIPE

See here. 

NOSTALGIA HIT: 70's/80's John Smith's Yorkshire Bitter

These 70's and 80's John Smith's ads set in Yorkshire parody famous British comedy, Last of the Summer Wine, to give us a good laugh. The first one with the dog is a particular highlight for me whilst the last one is poignant in a way only a beer advert could be.

NOSTALGIA HIT: 90's Guinness 'Pure Genius'

With Guinness' new design reviewed earlier today I thought it was time to sit back and enjoy one of their many great ads.

NEW PACKAGING: Guinness Original

Alcohol brands don't get much more iconic than Guinness so GBD takes note when the Irish brewer overhauls its signature product with a design that, in a continuing trend, very much harks back to move forwards.

THOUGHTS

- The Front:

The new white label creates the white-black aesthetic used extensively in the brand's advertising to signify the drink's head and body respectively. Furthermore, the label picks up on the brand's heritage by taking inspiration from historic Guinness designs. As the back label explains in part (see image below), the red 'XX' graphic is a reference to the fact that, originally, Guinness used an increasing number of 'X's' on its porters to denote strength. In a direct comparison with today's range, the brand's high strength 'XXX' product can be equated with Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, whilst their mid-strength 'XX' product can be equated with Guinness Extra Stout or Guinness Original. Another point of interest in the design comes in the form of the text reading "Brewer's Source 1821". This is recognition of year Arthur Guinness II revised the brewery's recipe to produce Guinness Extra Superior Porter, the drink most closely associated with the stout we drink today.

Also worthy of note is the nice added touch of the embossed signature towards the top of the bottle. Of course, the signature is that of the brand's originator, Arthur Guinness, and is just the sort of extra piece of detail that helps elevate this design above its predecessor.

- The Cap: 

The cap design retains a simple and smart look with homage paid to the brands origin at St James Gate, Dublin.

- The Back:

The label on the back is smart with gold coloured font used for the first time to distinguish the drier product information. The text at the top at the top is a nice addition with the brand providing a short explanation of the 'XX' branding and employing white font to visually connect this content back to the front label design. 

SUMMING UP

This is a smart, mature design befitting of a brand icon such as Guinness. I love how the new design pays its respect to brewer's history and the evolution in branding from 'XX' to the 'Guinness Extra Stout' or 'Guinness Original' we know today. The brief explanation on the back of the bottle aids consumers in understanding the significance of the 'XX' branding and, in my mind, can only help in further enriching the narrative of this famous drink.

BRAND LINKS  
Guinness UK Website
Guinness Facebook

Guinness Twitter

OUT AND ABOUT: The Byron (Byron Hamburgers)

I was out and about in York the other week and, wanting some lunch, popped in to Byron Hamburgers. Byron is a relative newcomer on the UK burger scene with the founder, Tom Byng, taking inspiration from his travels to start it up in London in 2007 based around the idea of 'doing a simple thing well and doing it properly'. Since then Byron has expanded to include a number of restaurants around the country and, having heard good things about it, I thought I should give their signature burger, the Byron, a go.

THOUGHTS

The waiting staff were very friendly and the whole atmosphere was quite relaxed which was nice to see for something angled at the premium end of the market. After being asked how we would like our burgers cooked, we were very politely informed that there would be a wait as everything is made to order - McDonalds this certainly isn't! 

When the burgers arrived I must say they looked and smelt amazing - the little flags declaring how the patties were cooked did make me smile. As you can see from the photo, the gherkin was left as a standalone component which, for many, would be a nice thing to see as I know they can be bit of a Marmite food. That said, I love the tang of a gherkin so I added it in chunks to the burger and dove right in - I was pretty ravenous at this point. The burger bun was beautifully light and airy with a delightful crunch from the toasting. This gave way to a wave of flavours and textures consisting of the luscious Byron Sauce - a slightly tangy tomato ketchup and mayo mix - melted cheddar cheese, salty bacon, crisp salad, onion, tomato, the aforementioned gherkin, and, of course, the patty itself which, I can confirm, was cooked a perfectly juicy medium rare. Eating through it, I must say I found the balance of all these ingredients superb with my palette not feeling too overwhelmed by any one component. Indeed, I was thoroughly impressed with this burger and would not hesitate to recommend it.  

Also worthy of mention on the food front was the skin-on homemade chips I ordered to complement my burger. Again, these were top notch with a crisp exterior and lovely fluffy inside all presented nicely in a little pot that felt in good proportion to the rest of the meal. 

As for the lager - brewed and canned exclusively for Byron by London-based, Camden Town Brewery - it arrived in a very smart, chilled can together with a very cold, frosted-up glass - a welcome sight given that it was a hot day. Needless to say, this slipped down tremendously easy with its light, fresh taste and very mild bitterness. An excellent drink for an excellent meal. 

SUMMING UP

I was highly impressed with Byron: they hit the mark on taste, quality and service for me. Plus I should mention that the waiter said they are very flexible with burger ingredients so you can customise to suit your needs. Anyway, I look forward to returning and continuing to make my way through their delicious looking menu.

BRAND LINKS  
Byron Website
Byron Twitter
Byron Facebook