Glazed Doughnut Cake

Don’t you just love it when you Google a recipe, give it a try and it’s perfect? I do but then I hate it when I lose it. As was the case with this so, so simple Glazed Doughnut Cake I found years ago and used to make it all the time. When I wanted to make it again just recently, do you think I could find it? Oh no! But I did and I want to share it here, for my own sake!

If you love doughnuts, cinnamon and an easy recipe, then this is one for you. A soft spongy cake like dough smothered with a buttery, cinnamon mixtured, baked and then topped with a sweet sticky glaze. Just like a doughnut but made into a sheet cake. It’s suitable to freeze but it’s best eaten when it’s straight out of the oven, all bubbly and hot.

This recipe does contain yeast but if you’ve never worked with yeast before, this is a good one to get started on. There’s nothing to it really. You only have to mix the yeast with warm milk, mix through the other ingredients, let sit for 15 minutes and then bake. No kneading required. I’m forever grateful for Nicole Weston from Baking Bites who I got the recipe from. It changed my world when I wanted to serve the children a hot doughnut treat without all the fuss of making doughnuts. 

Mix the flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl.

Mix together  yeast with warm milk. A box of yeast sachets is available in the baking aisle of the supermarket. You’ll need two sachets for this recipe.

It will start to froth up. 

Add the yeast/milk mixture and remaining ingredients to the flour, sugar and salt and mix together until a dough forms.

Press this into a 20x25cm slice tin lined with baking paper and allow to ‘rest’ in a warm place for approximately 15 minutes.

The yeast will be activated and it will puff up.

While the dough is resting, melt butter and add cinnamon and brown sugar.

Pour onto batter.

With a knife, swirl the cinnamon/butter mixture all over the batter so it is mixed in.

Bake for about 30 minutes. (I had mine on the bottom shelf of the oven so it browned a little too much on the bottom but it was still good to eat.)

While still warm, pour over glaze. I coloured mine pink because the kids always seemed to like the pink glazed doughnuts when we buy them. Now that I’ve found one of my favourite all time recipes, there’s no need to buy doughnuts anymore. Eat while still warm. Be careful not to burn your mouth though. This is definitely a great one for winter mornings, perfect for breakfast and perfect to freeze for lunchboxes. The kids loved it. 

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Glazed Doughnut Cake

A delicious glazed doughnut like cake that involves using yeast but is so easy to make.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 18

Author Anne

Ingredients

Cake batter

• 1.1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp dry yeast 2 sachets
• 2/3 cup warm milk
• 3 tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg beaten

Cinnamon topping

• 3 tbs butter melted
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1-2 tbs milk
• food colouring optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
2. Line a 20x25cm (8"x10") pan with baking paper.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.
4. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture.
5. Mix well, until very smooth.
6. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
7. While the dough rests, mix together melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
8. Spread evenly on top of rested dough and swirl the mixture into the dough with a knife.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
10. Mix the icing sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzle it onto the bread.
11. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Food colouring could be added to the icing mixture.

Adapted from Quick & Easy Cinnamon Bun Bread by Baking Bites

Easy garlic naan bread

It was a cold Saturday night a few weeks back and just the husband and I, no kids and it was late and we couldn’t really be bothered cooking dinner. I was craving Indian food for some reason and I looked online for a local Indian takeaway. I was dreaming of a hot, fragrant, spicy curry and some chewy, soft, garlic filled naan bread to soak it all up. I had all the ingredients for ALL of it and said, “don’t be lazy, get in the kitchen and make it” so I did. I had this garlic naan bread made in about 20 minutes flat while the curry was bubbling on the stove. By the time it would’ve taken us to order it, pick it up, bring it home and serve it, I had dinner made.

Every country has their own bread. The Mexicans have tortillas, the Turkish have pide and lavash, the Lebanese have pita bread and it goes on and on. Indian breads are some of the nicest and so, so easy to make. Cooking them on a griddle pan on the stove stop works just fine. It’s just a matter of mixing plain flour, baking powder, a little sugar and salt, adding oil and milk and in this case, garlic and finish off with melted butter once cooked.

I believe the best utensil in the kitchen is your hand so get stuck into it, bringing all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms.

After resting for 10 minutes, take a small piece of dough and roll out flat (about the size of your hand) and place on top a little crushed garlic. Fold that over and roll out flat again.

On a griddle pan (or any pan will do), place a piece of baking paper and the rolled out naan bread dough onto the pan over a high heat.

Once cooked and charred on the underside, flip over and repeat.

You don’t have to worry about the bread being uniform in size. I think it looks better a little uneven and odd shaped. Once cooked, brush with melted butter and serve immediately.

If you can walk to the kitchen, you can make this naan bread yourself without having to order take out. Indian food at home isn’t all that difficult. You only need a few basic spices and basic pantry ingredients to recreate similar dishes, like this naan bread, at home. Save yourself a few bucks and make this at home. You’ll be glad you did and you’ll be surprised just how easy it is.

Easy Garlic Naan Bread

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 cup milk (more or less, enough to bring the dough together to a smooth dough)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbs butter, melted

1. Place the plain flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and the milk.
3. Add the milk a little at a time, adding more until a smooth dough is formed. (You may need more than 1/2 a cup.)
4. Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Take small handfuls of dough and roll out into shapes approximately the size of your hand.
6. Place a small amount of crushed garlic into the centre of the dough and fold over.
7. Roll out again, ready for frying in the pan.
8. Preheat a griddle pan (or similar) on the stove top and line the pan with baking paper.
9. Cook each naan bread in the pan until it is cooked on one side and flip over.
10. Once cooked and nicely charred brown, remove from the pan and brush with melted butter.
11. Serve immediately.

Turkish bread pizza {lahmacun}

I’ve seen recipes many times for lahmacun (Turkish flatbreads topped with a ground meat mixture and flavoured with Middle Eastern spices) but its just one of those things on my cooking ‘to do’ list. I always forget about it or I don’t have the necessary spices.

Source

When I was asked to try the sumac from Herbie’s Spices I knew straight away that I had to try this delicious Turkish meal. From Herbie’s web site:

Sumac of culinary use comes from a tree that grows in the Middle East. It is the outer flesh of the berry that is harvested when crimson. Sumac has a delicious, fruity, lemon-like tangyness. Sprinkle over salads, particularly avocado and tomato, and used to season white meats during cooking. Sumac forms a tasty crust when coated onto lamb joints before cooking. 

It is commonly used in nearly all Middle Eastern cuisines and is such a handy spice to have in your collection. I found this recipe from one of my favourite food channels here in Australia, SBS Food. I used to remember Mum always cooking us savoury mince on toast when she wanted a night off from cooking. No takeaways in those days. Just something quick and easy. I guess you could say this is a Turkish version. A lovely spicy ground beef mixture which I served on Turkish bread. or a Fmore authentic dish, you could make your own bread, which isn’t really that hard.

Top with a tossed salad and you’ve got a complete, quick, easy AND tasty meal. There are a few ingredients from this recipe that I didn’t have but looking up the handy Cook’s Thesaurus, I was able to substitute tahini for peanut butter and sesame oil and pomegranate molasses with balsamic vinegar. You don’t have to go without trying some of these exotic cuisines nor have a pantry full of various ingredients. Just make do with what you have or just leave it out. Don’t leave out the sumac though. It’s delicious.

I also like to have sumac in my pantry to make za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend that is good on so many things. It’s like the Egyptian dukkah. A blend of spices that is served as a condiment for many meals, or how I like to use it, sprinkled on Lebanese bread and served with a dip like hommous.

To make za’atar:

• Grind 1 tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle.
• Then add 2 tablespoons dried thyme, 2 tablespoons of dried marjoram, 2 tablespoons dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of salt. (Recipe courtesy of About.com Middle Eastern food.)

For the ultimate spice experience, go online and buy your spices from Herbie’s Spices. You’ll find much more than just spices. There’s recipes, suggestions, kits and a whole lot more.

Disclaimer: I was supplied with a packet of sumac from Herbie’s Spices. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bread pudding cake

Its probably a few years ago now that I first saw this recipe on one of my favourite cooking shows here in Australia, Food Safari. Each week they feature the cuisine from a particular country but the food is being cooked right here in Australian family’s homes or that cuisine’s restaurants here in Australia. Its such a wonderful insight into so many different cuisines that use the same ingredients we have access to but how they can create such wonderful dishes such as this Maltese ‘puddina’. Its nearly like a fruit cake but made purely with stale bread and lots of dried fruit thrown in together with eggs and that’s about it.

I had 6 hot dog rolls that were on the dry side and I just ripped them up, soaked them in water, squeezed the moisture out and mixed in the other ingredients. It only needs 2 eggs so you don’t need to use a lot of eggs like some bread and butter puddings. My son and I have enjoyed this heated with ice cream nearly every night this week. I only used sultanas and chocolate chips in mine but its one of those recipes you could just open the pantry and throw in whatever you have. I’ll repeat the recipe as it first appeared but with my changes. If you like bread and butter pudding, you’ll love this and you may never go back. A perfect winter dessert or summer fruit cake served cold and a great way to use up leftover bread.

Bread Pudding Cake
(based on Puddina from SBS “Food Safari“)

• 1 day-old loaf of bread (I used 4 hot dog rolls)
• 370 g (1 ⅔ cup) sugar 
• 2 tbsp custard powder 
• 2 tbsp cornflour 
• 35 g (⅓ cup) cocoa 
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 500 g mixed dried fruit such as sultanas, raisins, currants and chopped peel (I used 1 cup sultanas)
• 250 g almonds (I left out but added 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
• 250 g glacé cherries, halved (I left out)
• vanilla extract 
• 80 ml whisky, brandy or sherry (I left out)

1. Tear the bread into small pieces and soak in cold water for 15 minutes until soft.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 
3. Tip the bread into a colander and squeeze out the excess water using a potato masher. 
4. Place the bread in a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, custard powder, cornflour and cocoa. 
5. Add the eggs and mix well. 
6. Add the dried fruit, half the almonds and half the glacé cherries. 
7. Add vanilla to taste and the whisky, brandy or sherry. Pour into a baking dish (or cake tin) and decorate the top with the remaining almonds and cherries. 
8. Bake for 45–60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. 
9. Serve in slices, warm or at room temperature.

Make your own bread at home

Bread is pretty cheap to buy these days but there are many ways to make your own bread at home.

“Bread is the staff of life”, as they say, but more recently, some experts consider bread not that good for us, in particular white bread. Because white bread is made from refined white flour, a lot of the goodness is removed from the grain plus a lot of preservatives are added to extend the shelf life. I personally prefer wholegrain bread and up until she was 3 years old, my daughter ate it too. Not so much luck now. I’m lucky to have found a local bakery who makes a preservative-free white bread. If she didn’t eat sandwiches, she wouldn’t eat anything.

source

Prior to this, I made my own bread some of the time. I was lucky enough to get my next door neighbour’s bread maker for nothing and I give it a good work out, more so in the cooler months. It’s great for small loaves (but with big slices), pizza dough, rolls, sweet bread products and you can even make cakes and jam in it.

You can pick them up from second hand stores and online for around $20. It’s certainly a good way to save money. It does all the hard work for you as in the mixing and kneading and then cooks it as well. Nothing smells nicer in the home than freshly baked bread. Here are the recipes I use for bread, fruit bread and pizza dough, using the bread maker.

White Breadmaker Bread:

• 1 + 1/3 cup water
• 1 + 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar, or honey, or maple syrup, or apple concentrate
• 1 tbs oil, or butter
• 3 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp dry yeast

Wholegrain Breadmaker Bread:

• 1 + 1/2 cup water
• 1 + 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar, or honey, or maple syrup, or apple concentrate
• 1 tbs oil, or butter
• 2 + 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup seed mix (pepitas, seasme, sunflower, linseed, soy grits)
• 2 tsp dry yeast

Add all ingredients, in order as listed, and follow manufacturer’s instructions for cooking times.

Scrolls in the Breadmaker:

Make a dough batch for a whole loaf in your breadmaker, up until the cooking stage. Put some flour on your counter and roll it out, approx 40x30cm Then add your topping and roll up again and divide this equally into eight scrolls. Place them onto a small oven tray, cover in cling wrap and place in the fridge until required (they will last in fridge for 3 days).Scrolls:

As you need them, take out of fridge, turn them over and let them rise for 40 minutes. Cook in a 200 deg oven for 18 to 20 minutes. The dough recipe could be doubled to make one batch of sweet scrolls and one savoury.

Suggested fillings:

• Nutella
• Cinnamon and sugar
• Jam, maple syrup
• Vegemite and cheese
• Garlic butter
• Herb butter
• Chilli sauce
• Olives
• Sundried tomatoes
• Ham and cheese
• Salami, tomato paste and mozarella cheese

[photo source]

Fruit Bread in the Breadmaker:

• 400ml water
• 600gm flour
• 3 tbs milk powder
• 2 tbs butter/margarine/oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 + 1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• sultanas/raisins

There are many traditional recipes for bake at home bread on the internet if you’re that way inclined.

Mexican Breads at Home

Many international cuisines have their own version of bread. Tortillas are one of the most popular enjoyed in Mexican cuisine all around the world. They are super easy to make yourself.

Indian Breads at Home

Indians have the most wonderful selection of breads and even without a tandoor oven, they’re quite simple to replicate at home. Some of the most popular that I know are Roti or Chapati, Paratha, Naan and Kulcha.

Indian breads are some of the most delicious I’ve ever tasted. They’re all very similar but can be made different with beautiful fillings such as garlic, cheese (paneer), spinach, tomatoes or something sweet like raisins.

Turkish Breads at Home

Turkish bread or pide is also delightful. They also sometimes fill it and it’s just so delicious. Pide is also great as a sandwich, plain or toasted or use as a burger bun.

Lebanese Breads at Home

Lebanese pita bread has nearly taken over the world with being an excellent substitute for what we know as sliced bread. They’re are very easy to make and you’ll be surprised at how easily they separate so you can stuff them with cold meat and salad, hummus, meatballs or whatever else you like. They also make great wraps.

Italian Breads at Home

Don’t forget the Italians. Besides pizza, they do lovely breads such as focaccia and ciabatta. You can add all sorts of toppings, similar to pizza but keeping it simple with a couple things like olives and rosemary, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs or just olive oil and salt is enough.

These kind of breads are good enough on their own, just dipped into olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar and as an accompaniment to an antipasto platter or a thick, hearty soup.

With some loaves of bread now costing over $3 per loaf in the supermarket, you might like to try your hand at making it at home, whether it be traditional white sliced or a delicious international flat bread.

Savoury Bread & Butter Pudding

This is one of those quick ‘throw together’ type meals that can be made with whatever you have on hand which is exactly what I needed last night after a chaotic day at home. My boy was home sick from Kindy with a bad cough which seems to be going around. He’s had it for a couple weeks now and it’s just not going away. I wasn’t up for much cooking after trying to keep him occupied all day and trying to get my housework done and I failed on all counts. This dish is great for a Sunday night quick supper, served with soup as a starter and you’ve got a hearty meal.

Savoury Bread & Butter Pudding

Leftover bread of any sort, ie sliced bread, bread rolls, croissants, bagels, sour dough etc
Eggs (depending on the size of the dish and the number of people – I used 3 for the dish above)
1 cup of milk (or more if you’re using more eggs)
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper
butter
bacon/ham
tomatoes, capsicum or any other vegies you want to throw in (I didn’t use any as I served Brocolli & Cauliflower soup for dinner as well)

Spread butter on bread and cut or break up into quarters or pieces. Layer in a greased baking dish. Mix together beaten eggs, milk and mustard. Sprinkle chopped ham or cooked bacon (plus chopped vegies) over bread. Pour over egg mixture which has been seasoned with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in a 180 deg C oven for approx 20 minutes or until egg mixture has set and cheese has melted.

Lovely soft gooey egg bread and crunchy bits on top. Serve with a salad or vegies if desired.