Life of Pie

Easter at Life of Pie

Our friends at Life of Pie have a put together some wonderful sweet treats for Easter.

You can choose between two boxes this Easter. A small box which contains small cakes and cake pops and a large box which contains a frosted cake with decorations so that you can decorate it home.

They also make other celebration cakes and cupcakes.

Please visit them to order at Life of Pie


Lemon Polenta Cake

We've decided to divulge the secret and publish the recipe of a cake that has become quite famous. It's sharp and tangy and it's gluten-free too!

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
400 g soft unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)
400 g caster sugar
400 g ground almonds
200 g fine polenta
16 g baking powder
6 large eggs, beaten
zest of 5 lemons (save juice for the syrup)

for the syrup
juice of 5 lemons
250 g icing sugar

Method
Line the base of a 26cm springform tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter.

Preheat the oven to 150°C

Beat the butter and sugar till pale and whipped, in a Magimix Patissier or freestanding mixer.

Mix together the almonds, polenta and baking powder and salt. With the machine running, add the eggs to the butter, a little at a time.

Add the almond and polenta mixture and blend the mixture well. Finally, beat in the lemon zest. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for about 60-70 minutes.

It may be slightly wobbly, but if the cake is cooked, a cake tester should come out cleanish and, most significantly, the edges of the cake will have started to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack, but leave in the tin.

Make the syrup by boiling together the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small saucepan. Once the icing sugar’s dissolved into the juice, it's done.

Prick the top of the cake gently all over with a cake tester (or toothpick), pour the warm syrup over the cake, and leave to cool before taking it out of the tin. Serve in slices with whipped cream or creme fraiche.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Banana Cake

This cake is the perfect think to make when you have some bananas from the past week which are bit over-ripe. Not only will you be using them up and not wasting anything, but your friends and family will love you for doing so.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
125 g butter, softened
45 g brown sugar
220 gr castor sugar
3 eggs
300 g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
180 g sour cream
1 cup roughly mashed ripe banana
caramel sauce

Method
Preheat the oven to 180° C. Place the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.

Gradually add the eggs and beat well. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture. Add the cinnamon, sour cream and banana and stir to combine.

Spoon the mixture into a greased loaf tin. Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on a wire rack.

Make the caramel sauce, according to the recipe given. Serve warm drizzled over the cake.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

This carrot cake recipe is gluten free. The flour is replaced with ground almonds, which ensures that this is a light and moist cake. Of course carrot cake wouldn't be complete without the obligatory creame cheese topping.
Serves 8
Ingredients
5 eggs
265 g brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125 ml sunflower oil
440 g ground almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
400 g carrots, peeled and grated
75 g shredded coconut
70 g toasted pecan nuts, roughly chopped
80 g golden raisins

cream cheese icing
250 g cream cheese
55 g icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method
Preheat oven to 160°C.

Grease and line the base of a 24 cm springform tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer and whisk for 15 minutes or until thick and tripled in volume. Place the oil, ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, carrot, coconut, pecans and raisins in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Fold through the egg mixture and spoon into the tin.

Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes – 1 hour 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely in the tin before refrigerating for 2–3 hours or until firm.

To make the cream cheese icing, place the cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the lemon juice and beat for a further 1 minute or until smooth. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and pread with the icing.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours 


Chocolate Guinness Cake

Nigella Lawson is famously known as The Domestic Goddess. Her cakes and dispelling baking myths have made her a household name. Recently someone told us we had to make her Chocolate Guinness cake. So we did. The combination of chocolate and Guinness makes a deep, dark cake, which is moist and delicious. And now we're sharing the recipe with you.

Ingredients
250 ml Guinness
250 g unsalted butter
75 g cocoa powder
400 g castor sugar
142 ml sour cream
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
275 g plain flour
2 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
for the topping
300 g cream cheese
150 g icing sugar
125 ml cream

Method
Preheat the oven to gas mark 180°C and butter and line a 24cm springform tin with baking paper.

Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter and heat until the butter has melted. Whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the buttery Guinness pan and finally whisk in the flour and bicarb.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, place it on a flat platter or cake stand and start with the icing. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sieve over the icing sugar and then beat them both together. This can also be done in a processor, putting the unsieved icing sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency.

Ice the top of the cake and serve.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Limoncello Almond Cake

Ingredients
250 g blanched almonds or 250 g ground almonds
5 eggs
190 g castor sugar
100 g butter, softened
40 g potato flour (gluten free) or flour
75 ml limoncello
grated zest of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
6 g baking powder
icing sugar to decorate (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 160° C.

If using whole blanched almonds, grind them finely in a food processor, otherwise add the already ground almonds to the bowl. Add the eggs to the food processor and blend for 2 minutes until the eggs are well mixed with the almonds.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the baking powder and blend to a smooth batter. Add the baking powder and blend briefly until just mixed.

Dampen a piece of baking paper with water from a tap. Squeeze out the excess and use to line a 26 cm round  cake tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool and decorate with icing sugar and flaked almonds.

As we announced last week, not only is Di Zabbia a delicious degistif, it is also wonderful ingredient in cooking and baking. Try this delicious limoncello almond cake, it's quick and easy to prepare.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours


Noordermarkt August 2014

Portabella Organic Mushrooms

Portabella is a market company specializing in mushrooms. Fresh, wild and organically grown mushrooms are available at the market stall throughout the year. Wild mushrooms and truffles are subject to seasonality and availability. The cultivated mushrooms are grown here in the Netherlands and can be enjoyed year round. Visit their stall and experience an array of mushrooms you never knew existed.
For more information please visit Portabella Paddestoelen

Scottish Kitchen

You want to have your own English tea but don't want the hassle of baking yourself?
You're looking for the most delicious scones and shortbread?
Then you need to visit the Scottish Kitchen at the Noordemarkt! You'll also find lemon curd, clotted cream, chutneys and many more cakes. All lovingly made by Stelle Robertson. Stelle trained in Scotland, where she learnt the basics of patisserie. She has also trained with some of the best here in Amsterdam and this is evident in the quality and assortiment on offer.
For more information please visit schotsekeuken

Raspberry Maxx

Carlo Peters and Henny van Bergeijk started their raspberry farm, Raspberry Maxx, in 2004. What started with a farm growing raspberries in the usual way, quickly turned into a completely organically certified company with delicious raspberries. But it does not stop there.
Raspberry Maxx has been creating dreams for a decade. Dreams of a world where people see nature as a source an inspiration and as a means to bring beautiful things to reality. The Raspberry Maxx events annually attract a host of visitors. As the demand for the raspberry Raspberry Maxx raspberries has grown, it was decided to sell directly to consumers through markets and online. That means a shorter farm-to-table chain with even fresher raspberries. An extension to the range with different raspberry products includes jams, muesli's and dried raspberries at events such as markets, open days and raspberry competitions.
You can find Raspberry Maxx at the Noordermarkt on Saturdays.
For more information please visit raspberry maxx

Wolverei goats cheese

Wolverlei is an ecological goat farm in Twente in the eastern part of Holland. In the meadows around the farm a hundred Swiss Saanen dairy goats graze. The fertile soil makes for perfect grazing.
In the modern dairy under extremely hygienic conditions, the goats milk is transformed, using a traditional French recipe, into the famous Wolverlei goats cheese.
The hundred Wolverlei goats are milked twice a day. The milk is automatically transported to the cooling tank via a closed system. The dairy is in a sterile area that meets with the strictest European rules. A sterile environment prevents contamination. The recipe for the soft cheeses originally comes from France. As an homage, many of them carry a French name.
They have a wide assortment of goats cheese, from fresh to aged, flavoured with herbs and spices to the delicious baby crotte de chèvre, which we particularly love. You can find Wolverlei goats cheese every Saturday at the Noordermarkt in Amsterdam.
For more information please visit Wolverlei goats cheese

 

 


Summer apricot cake

Ingredients
250 g brown sugar
125 g unsalted butter, softened
8-12 apricots, halved and pits removed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125 g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
85 ml cream
creme fraiche, to serve

Method
Preheat the oven to 175° C. Combine 150 g of the brown sugar with 60 g of the butter in a saucepan. Stir over a low heat until well combined and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a well-greased, round, 23 cm cake tin, spreading it out evenly. Place the apricot halves on top, cut-side down.

Beat the remaining 65 g butter and 100 g sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder to combine with a pinch of salt. Fold into the butter mixture, add the cream and mix well. Spoon the batter over the apricots and bake for about 40 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a plate.

Serve with creme fraiche. The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Note: Other stone fruit such as plums or small peached and nectarines also work well.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours