Ingredients

-1¾ c. cake flour-2 tsp. baking powder
-1¼ c. milk
-1 c. unsalted butter
-4 large eggs
-2 c. granulated sugar
-½ tsp. salt
-5 tsp. vanilla extract
-6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
-6¾ c. confectioners' sugar
-1 tbsp. decorative sprinkles

Directions

1-Make the cake:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. Fit parchment paper into the bottom of the pan, butter the parchment and pan sides and dust with flour. Set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

2-Heat 1 cup of milk just to a boil. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and keep hot. Beat eggs in a large bowl using a mixer set on high speed until they become foamy. Add the granulated sugar, salt, and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until batter doubles in volume and becomes very thick and pale -- about 5 minutes.

3-Reduce mixer speed to low and add the hot milk and butter. Add the flour mixture, in 1/4 cupfuls, scraping sides occasionally. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean -- 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Release the cake and cool completely.

4-Make the frosting:
Melt the remaining 1 cup butter and chocolate over a double boiler. Transfer to a large bowl, add the confectioners' sugar and beat using a mixer set on medium speed. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk and continue to beat until fluffy.

5-Assemble the cake:
Cut the cake into two 9-inch by 6 1/2-inch halves. Split each half into 3 layers using a long serrated knife. Place one layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over the layer. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost cake top and sides and decorate with sprinkles.

By countyliving

Ingredients

-50ml Boxer Gin
-3cm cucumber (diced)
-15ml Belvoir elderflower cordial
-5ml fresh lime juice
-Angostura Bitters (dash)
-150ml Fever Tree tonic water
-Garnish, 3-4 basil leaves (no stems)

Directions

Muddle the diced cucumber, the lime juice, the bitters and the elderflower cordial in a glass.
Add the basil leaves and press them gently to release the flavour - slapping the leaves between your two palms will also do the trick.
Add a scoop of ice to the glass, followed by the gin, and shake vigorously for 7-8 seconds.
Strain into a chilled highball glass filled to the brim with ice and top up with the tonic water.
Give the mixture a good stir and garnish with a couple of basil leaves and a slice of cucumber.

Ingredients

-50ml gin (we like Bombay Sapphire for this recipe)
-100ml lemon tonic water (try Fever-Tree)
-10ml orange blossom honey
-Ice
To Garnish :

-Straw
-Long orange peel twist

Directions

Drizzle the honey into the bottom of a tall glass and add the gin.

Stir to mix fully, then add plenty of cubed ice.

Top with the lemon tonic water and stir to combine.

Finish by spritzing the orange peel over the top and sides of the glass. Then, feed the peel into the glass around the ice creating a spiral effect.

Ingredients

-30 mint leaves
-1 shot stem ginger syrup
-1 750ml bottle of light rum
-1L ginger ale
-Juice and pulp of 8 limes

Directions

1-Bruise the mint leaves and put in to a large jug.

2-Mix in the syrup and the lime before adding the rum and ginger ale and serve.

Ingredients

-2 tsp vegetable oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
-1 tbsp vegan Thai red curry paste
-1 tsp salt
-660g /1 lb 7 oz sweet potatoes, diced
-400ml / 14 fl oz canned reduced-fat coconut milk
-1 litre / 1¾ pints vegan stock
-Juice of 1 lime
-30g / 1 oz finely chopped fresh coriander, to garnish

Ingredients

1-In a large, heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil over a medium–high heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until soft.

2-Add the curry paste and salt and cook, stirring, for a further minute or so. Add the sweet potatoes, coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

3-Purée the soup, either in batches in a blender or food processor or using a hand-held blender. Return the soup to the heat and bring back up to a simmer. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice.

4-Serve hot, garnished with coriander.

Ingredients

-Vegan margarine, for greasing
-300g / 10 1/2 oz plain flour
-50g / 1 3/4 oz cocoa powder
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-300g / 10 1/2 oz granulated sugar
-375 ml/13 fl oz soya milk
-125 ml/4 fl oz rapeseed oil
-7 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
-1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing :
-40ml / 1 1/2 fl oz soya milk
-85g / 3 oz vegan dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
-60g / 2 1/4 oz icing sugar
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-Fresh raspberries, to decorate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 23cm/9 inch cake tin and line with baking paper.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir in the salt and sugar. Pour the soya milk into a medium saucepan and add the oil, raspberry jam and vanilla extract. Place over a medium heat and whisk to combine. Stir into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Transfer to the prepared cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

To make the icing, heat the soya milk in a small saucepan until boiling, then stir in the chocolate until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the icing sugar and maple syrup. Set aside to cool before icing the cake. Top with a few fresh raspberries.

Ingredients

-½ c. unsalted butter
-1½ c. sugar
-4 large egg yolks
-3 tbsp. red food coloring
-1½ tsp. vanilla extract
-¼ c. cocoa
-1 tsp. salt
-1 c. Buttermilk
-2¼ c. sifted cake flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. white vinegar

Directions

Make the batter: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray. Dust the pans with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside. In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar until light. Add the yolks and continue to beat for 1 more minute. In a small bowl, stir the food coloring, the vanilla, and the cocoa together. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the cocoa paste to the batter. In a glass measure, mix the salt with the buttermilk and add it to the batter by thirds, alternating with the flour. In another small bowl, mix the baking soda with the vinegar and blend into the batter.

Bake the cake: 

Divide the batter equally between the pans and spread evenly. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until a tester inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean -- about 30 minutes. Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen cake layers from the sides of the pans and invert the layers onto wire rack to cool completely.

Ice the cake: 

Use a serrated knife to split each layer into 2 even layers. Line the edges of a cake plate with 3-inch-wide strips of waxed or parchment paper and place a cake layer, trimmed side down, on top. Evenly spread 1 cup of icing over the layer and repeat with 2 other layers. Top with the final layer and cover the top and sides with remaining icing.