KEEPCALM

AND

BAKEON

Glorious baking!

Do you want to have a right royal celebration in honour of the Queens Diamond Jubilee this Spring Bake Holiday weekend?

KEEP CALM AND BAKE ON

Plan ahead. The type of occasion youre having be it a formal dinner, garden party or street celebration will determine the type of food you prepare as will the number of guests. Start writing everything down and plan your food and drink menu for the day. Write separate to do lists and dont forget to assign tasks everyone in your household should have a role!

Cater for classic tastes but add your own twist. There are a few quintessential British favourites when it comes to parties, from ham sandwiches and mini quiches, jam tarts and a good old Victoria Sponge, which are sure to appeal to everyone but try adding your own twist by mixing traditional flavours or presenting such dishes in a different way.

Cakes and bakes are brilliant to share. Easy to prepare in advance and always popular at parties, baked items such as sausage rolls and cakes

will be a big hit with your guests, particularly when they know they are homemade. Making that extra effort is sure to win you brownie points!

Lets decorate! Its time to dress your house, garden or street in its red, white and blue finest but why do all the hard work yourself? You could ask your guests to help set up the decorations as part of the fun, helping to get everyone in the spirit of things and get everything ready in next to no time.

Dont spend the whole day in the kitchen. Whether you are having guests at your house or throwing a street party with your neighbours, its important you dont spend the whole day with your apron on. This special occasion comes once in a lifetime so sit back with a slice of cake, relax with a pot of tea and enjoy as the whole nation comes together for the biggest party this year.

TOP TIPS

Cont.

Neff believes theres no better way to commemorate this historic occasion than by Baking It Yourself and sharing delicious homemade food with your family, friends and neighbours. So to ensure your party is fit for a queen, here are our top tips to Keep Calm and Bake on for the Jubilee...

To celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Neffs Bake It Yourself campaign has created a very special cake the Elizabeth Sponge.

Commemorating Queen Elizabeth IIs Diamond Jubilee, the Elizabeth Sponge is a dark chocolate sponge with a dark chocolate peppermint cream filling, finished with a butter cream ganache and crushed glacier mints for a bit of diamond-like sparkle and crunch. Inspired by the Queens childhood fondness of peppermint creams, the Elizabeth Sponge will surely be well-received by her royal highness as she too reportedly enjoys a slice of cake and a cup of tea every afternoon, with chocolate being her sponge of choice.

In addition to this homage to our current Queen, Neff has also created a unique recipe for another member of the royal family, and the nations sweetheart, Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge. With a modern look yet classic taste, the Catherine Sponge combines white chocolate and raspberries to create a cake fit for a future queen.

Read on to see these truly sumptuous recipes

Cont.

ELIZABETH SPONGE RECIPEPreparation time: 30 minutesBaking temperature and time (using Neffs CircoTherm): 160C for 25-28 minutesBaking temperature and time with any other oven: conventional 180C gas mark 5Serves: 8-10

INGREDIENTS:Chocolate sponge:200g Caster sugar200g Butter softened4 Eggs lightly beaten250g Self raising flour1 tsp Baking powder4 tbsp Cocoa dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water1 tbsp Maple syrup

Dark chocolate peppermint cream filling55-65g Peppermint matchmakers55g 85% Dark cocoa solids 100ml Double cream15g Butter1 Egg white whisked until stiff Ganache200g Plain Belgian chocolate175ml Double cream30g Butter - soft6-8 Glacier mints crushed roughly

Sponge method:1. Lightly oil 2 x 23cm (9) sandwich tins and line the bases with circles of baking parchment2. Cream butter and sugar until light and Fluffy, add eggs a little at a time3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder then fold in to the butter, sugar and egg mixture

4. Stir in dissolved Cocoa and maple syrup and mix thoroughly5. Divide mixture between the two sandwich tins 6. Place tins in the centre of a pre-heated oven and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Sponge is baked through when well risen and firm to touch. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes then carefully turn out on to wire racks, remove baking parchment and allow to cool thoroughly

Peppermint cream filling method:1. In a saucepan over a low heat, warm the cream and gently melt chocolate and Matchmakers into the warm cream 2. Once melted together remove from heat and beat in the butter3. Fold in whisked egg white then leave to cool and set

Ganache method:1. In a pan over a low heat, melt chocolate into the cream, remove from heat 2. Beat butter into the mixture until its thick and glossy. Set aside and allow to cool

Construct the perfect Elizabeth sponge:1. Spread peppermint cream filling on to one cooled sponge then sandwich the second sponge cake on top 2. Use the Ganache mixture to spread across top and down the sides of the cake 3. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving4. Sprinkle the top with crushed Glace Mints for a diamond like sparkle

Mmmm!Cont.

CookS TIP:For additional texture, break 4-6 matchmakers into small pieces and scatter over peppermint cream

before assembling the cake

CATHERINE SPONGE RECIPEThis is a decadent 4 layer sponge cake with a white chocolate and raspberry cream

Preparation time: 30 minutesBaking temperature and time (using Neffs CircoTherm): 160C for 30 minutesBaking temperature and time with any other oven: conventional 180C gas mark 5Serves: 8-10

INGREDIENTS:Cake350g White chocolate 225g Self-raising flour150ml Milk 140g Caster sugar3 Large egg whites 140g Very soft butter1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder

Filling and Topping300g Light cream cheese, at room temperature225g Raspberries150ml Double cream

Method:Pre-heat the oven on CircoTherm at 160C. Lightly oil 2 x 20cm (8) sandwich tins and line the bases with circles of baking parchment.

Make the chocolate curls to decorate. 1. Use a flat vegetable peeler or large kitchen knife (with care) to scrape the surface of the white chocolate blocks which will make thin ribbons of chocolate2. Weigh out 50g of curls. Carefully place them in a container and into the fridge

Sponge method:1. Break up the remaining (300g) white chocolate 2. In a bowl over simmering water very gently melt HALF (150g) of the chocolate pieces 3. In a bowl, whisk half (75ml) of the milk, the egg whites and vanilla extract 4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder together. Add the soft butter and remaining 75ml of milk to the dry ingredients and mix with electric beaters for 1 minute to blend together

5. Add the milk, egg white and vanilla mixture in 2 batches beating really well in between for a minute or so, to incorporate the ingredients6. Fold in the melted chocolate and mix well. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake in the oven on shelf positions 1+3 (in a Neff oven or centre of other ovens) for 25- 30 minutes, until golden and risen. Remove from the oven they will sink back slightly and become level. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, before loosening with a pallet knife and turning out to cool on a rack

Raspberry filling:While the cakes cool, make the raspberry filling1. Melt the remaining white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the double cream and cream cheese to soften 3. Blitz half the raspberries in a mini chopper to make a puree. Then add the pureed raspberries and the melted chocolate to the cream and cream cheese mixture and beat together well

When ready to assemble the cake, use a serrated bread knife to cut each cake across the middle. Use a sawing action to keep the cutting even.

1. Cut both cakes across to make 4 rounds of cake2. Spread the raspberry cream in between each layer and stack up the sponges reserve the largest amount to spread over the top and sides 3. Decorate with the reserved raspberries and sprinkle over the white chocolate curls

Enjoy!

CookS TIP:If the topping is very soft refrigerate

for 30 minutes before spreading.