Around the World in 80 Cakes by Ruby Bhogal

A cultural baking cookbook featuring 80 delicious recipes from every corner of the globe.

For Foodie Explorers (baking enthusiasts!), this is certainly a book for you. Grab your tea or coffee and enjoy this very entertaining cookbook that takes you on a worldwide tour of cake baking.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cake baker Ruby Bhogal shares her new take on 80 cake recipes, introducing you to surprising new cake flavours, textures and historical backstories to keep you entertained.

Find recipes that are rarely found in baking books, such as:

Persian Love Cake – moist and fragrant
Dutch Slagroomtaart – contains a whole layer of meringue in the middle of the cake
Croation Madarica – with super-thin dough layers.

All recipes have clear and concise steps for you to follow plus beautiful photography to show you the end-style of cake you are hoping to create.

And now for a favourite flavour combination (adapted from the cookbook)

Irish Chocolate Guinness Cake

Serves: 8

Hands-on Time: 1 hour
Territory: Ireland
Difficulty: Intermediate

For the Loaf

360 g plain flour, sifted
3 tsp baking powder, sifted
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, sifted
120 g cocoa powder, sifted
440 g soft light brown sugar
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
175 ml Guinness
150 ml double cream, room temp
100 ml neutral oil
100 ml boiling water

For the Chocolate Glaze

160 ml double cream, fridge temp
140 g milk chocolate
¼ tsp sea salt

For the Whipped Cream Cheese

175 g full-fat cream cheese,
fridge temp
100 ml Irish cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
45 g icing sugar, sifted
225 ml double cream, fridge temp

To Finish
a handful of fresh blackberries
Crème de Mure (optional)
900-g loaf tin, greased and lined
PLUS a muffin tray, lined with
6–8 cases

Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3.

Start with the loaf batter. In a large bowl, put the dry ingredients and use a balloon whisk to mixwell, breaking down any large lumps of sugar.

In a separate bowl, put all the wet ingredients and mix well until smooth.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a balloon whisk to begin incorporating, then switch out to a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides and base of the bowl to ensure there are no unmixed flour pockets.

When smooth, transfer three-quarters of the mix into the prepared loaf tin, using any surplus to fill the muffin cases.

Pop the loaf into the oven and bake for
58–60 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle to check for doneness – you are looking for it to return a few crumbs and a small amount of batter.

For the cupcakes, bake for 18–20 minutes,
in a separate oven if possible.

Allow the cupcakes to sit for 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Cover the tops with clingfilm whilst they cool.

For the loaf, let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes
before transferring to a large sheet of clingfilm. Wrap tightly and leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in thefridge to chill overnight.

The next day, remove the loaf from the fridge and make the chocolate glaze. Add the double cream to a pan and bring to a near-boil, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate and
sea salt. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to sit for 2 minutes, then mix with a rubber spatula until glossy and smooth before leaving to cool for 30 minutes.

Place the chilled loaf on a cooling rack with a large tray positioned underneath.

Generously pour the glaze over the top to cover, coating all the surface area.

For the cupcakes, transfer any surplus glaze
(including any sitting in the large tray) to a
piping bag and pipe it into the middle of the
cupcake. To do this, use the base of a piping tip to press into the cupcake top and scoop out a little sponge, then fill the hole with ganache and place the scooped-out piece back on top.

Whilst the glaze is setting on the loaf, place the blackberries into a bowl and macerate lightly with a drizzle of creme de mure.

Once the ganache has set, make the whipped cream cheese. Add the cream cheese, Irish cream, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar to a bowl and mix until smooth.

Pour in the double cream and whisk to a medium peak, so you are left with a silky-smooth consistency that lightly holds its shape.

To serve, use a sharp, warm knife to slice
the room-temperature loaf. Pipe any leftover ganache on top and cover with a generous dollop of whipped cream cheese. Finish with the boozy blackberries.

The pairing of rich stout with chocolate is just so delicious – either a slice of loaf cake or a muffin.

Around the World in 80 Cakes by Ruby Bhogal is published by Pavilion (an Imprint of Harper Collins), photography by Matt Russell, and is available from all the usual book outlets.

Irish Chocolate Guinness Cake

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Ingredients

For the Loaf
360 g plain flour sifted
3 tsp baking powder sifted
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda sifted
120 g cocoa powder sifted
440 g soft light brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
175 ml Guinness
150 ml double cream room temp
100 ml neutral oil
100 ml boiling water
For the Chocolate Glaze
160 ml double cream fridge temp
140 g milk chocolate
¼ tsp sea salt
For the Whipped Cream Cheese
175 g full-fat cream cheese
fridge temp
100 ml Irish cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
45 g icing sugar sifted
225 ml double cream fridge temp
To Finish
a handful of fresh blackberries
Crème de Mure optional
900- g loaf tin greased and lined
PLUS a muffin tray lined with
6 –8 cases

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/170°C/gas mark 3.
Start with the loaf batter. In a large bowl, put the dry ingredients and use a balloon whisk to mixwell, breaking down any large lumps of sugar.
In a separate bowl, put all the wet ingredients and mix well until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a balloon whisk to begin incorporating, then switch out to a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides and base of the bowl to ensure there are no unmixed flour pockets.
When smooth, transfer three-quarters of the mix into the prepared loaf tin, using any surplus to fill the muffin cases.
Pop the loaf into the oven and bake for
58–60 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle to check for doneness – you are looking for it to return a few crumbs and a small amount of batter.
For the cupcakes, bake for 18–20 minutes,
in a separate oven if possible.
Allow the cupcakes to sit for 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a cooling rack. Cover the tops with clingfilm whilst they cool.
For the loaf, let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes
before transferring to a large sheet of clingfilm. Wrap tightly and leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour before placing in thefridge to chill overnight.
The next day, remove the loaf from the fridge and make the chocolate glaze. Add the double cream to a pan and bring to a near-boil, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate and
sea salt. Cover the pan with a lid and leave to sit for 2 minutes, then mix with a rubber spatula until glossy and smooth before leaving to cool for 30 minutes.
Place the chilled loaf on a cooling rack with a large tray positioned underneath.
Generously pour the glaze over the top to cover, coating all the surface area.
For the cupcakes, transfer any surplus glaze
(including any sitting in the large tray) to a
piping bag and pipe it into the middle of the
cupcake. To do this, use the base of a piping tip to press into the cupcake top and scoop out a little sponge, then fill the hole with ganache and place the scooped-out piece back on top.
Whilst the glaze is setting on the loaf, place the blackberries into a bowl and macerate lightly with a drizzle of creme de mure.
Once the ganache has set, make the whipped cream cheese. Add the cream cheese, Irish cream, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar to a bowl and mix until smooth.
Pour in the double cream and whisk to a medium peak, so you are left with a silky-smooth consistency that lightly holds its shape.
To serve, use a sharp, warm knife to slice
the room-temperature loaf. Pipe any leftover ganache on top and cover with a generous dollop of whipped cream cheese. Finish with the boozy blackberries.

Keyword cake, guinness, irish

Independent food and travel discoveries

Est 2007

Around the World in 80 Cakes Review – Ruby Bhogal