Nadiya Bakes episode 1 – Classics with a Twist: Nadiya Hussain presents her favourite recipes for classic bakes with a twist. Everyday cupcakes are transformed into ice cream-flavoured, fun-filled treasures that are guaranteed to make you smile.
A traditional scone is given a modern remix in a blueberry scone pizza that might just change the way you think about cream teas forever, while a spicy Asian kick takes a traditional toad-in-the-hole to a new level to create a comforting savoury classic. Finally, the traditional sponge is taken up a notch with mango and coconut flavours that are quite simply sunshine on a plate.
Across this series – Nadiya Bakes, she also shines a spotlight on the skills of some of the country’s incredible bakers and pastry makers. This week, pastry maestro and Instagram sensation Julie Jones shows her awe-inspiring pie decorations that are edible works of art.
Nadiya Bakes episode 1 – Classics with a Twist
Strawberry shortcake cupcakes recipe
Nadiya’s gorgeous strawberry shortbread cupcakes have a double surprise inside! Cut them open to reveal a whole strawberry and a crisp biscuit base. Perfect for picnics and parties.
Method
- To make the icing, whisk the butter with an electric hand whisk until pale and creamy. Sift in the icing sugar. Stir with a spoon to roughly combine and then beat with the electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the ice cream and whisk until just combined.
- Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Whisk the chilled icing until fluffy then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in star nozzle and put it back in the fridge while you get on with the baking.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a 12-hole large muffin tray with some cupcake cases of your choice. Add a biscuit to the base of each case, then top that with a whole strawberry, pointy bit facing up.
- To make the cake batter, add the clotted cream and sugar to a mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Add the vanilla bean paste and flour and mix until you have a smooth batter.
- Divide the mixture between the 12 cases, making sure that each strawberry is completely covered. Tap the tray on the work surface to level off the batter and bake for 15 minutes, until they are fluffy and golden.
- Take out of the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Pipe the icing onto the tops of the shortcake cupcakes and then sprinkle with the freeze-dried strawberries.
Blueberry and lavender scone pizza
This scone ‘pizza’ is a brilliant sharing platter that’s perfect for tea parties. Mixing the jam through the cream saves arguments too!
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- To make the scone, mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Add the sugar, dried lavender and lemon zest and mix well. Make a well in the centre and add the milk. Using a round-tipped knife, mix until it starts to form a dough. Gently bring the dough together with your hands.
- Tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and form the dough into a mound, but do not knead or the scone will become chewy rather than soft and crumbly. Transfer the dough to the centre of the prepared tray and use a rolling pin or the back of your hand to press the dough out to a large circle about 2cm/1in thick. You can trim the edges if you like, but I prefer not to.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the circle into 12 slices, cutting all the way down and all the way through. Bake for 15 minutes. The scone should be golden around the edges and firm to the touch.
- Leave to cool completely on the tray. As soon as it is cool enough, transfer to your chosen serving dish.
- To make the topping, mix the clotted cream and vanilla bean paste together. Add the jam and ripple it through with a spoon. Spread the mixture all over the scone, leaving a 1cm/½in gap around the edge, like a pizza crust, so you’ll have somewhere cream-free to hold. Top with blueberries, scatter with lemon zest and serve.
Mango and coconut cake – Nadiya Bakes episode 1
Nadiya’s coconut mango cake is quite a showstopper. The German buttercream makes the most luxurious filling, and the coconut and mango flavours are irresistible.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Line the bases and grease two 20cm/8in deep round cake tins.
- To make the cake, toast the coconut in a small pan until it is golden and sprinkle evenly into the bases of the cake tins. Add the mango in some sort of orderly fashion, straight on top of the coconut.
- Mix the yoghurt, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl until you have a smooth, shiny cake batter. Pour the mixture into the tins and tap the tins on the work surface to level off the tops.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Take the cakes out of the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to make the buttercream, add the milk to a saucepan with the sugar and vanilla over a medium–high heat. As soon as it comes to the boil, remove from the heat and stir to make sure the sugar has melted.
Method part 2 – Mango and coconut cake – Nadiya Bakes episode 1
- Whisk the egg yolks with the cornflour in a large bowl. Pour in the hot milk mixture in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a really thick custard that coats the back of the spoon. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with cling film and leave to cool, then place in the fridge for about an hour.
- When chilled, whisk the custard mix, then add a tablespoon of butter at a time, whisking after each addition. Keep whisking until you have a really stiff, pipe-able buttercream. Transfer to a piping bag.
- Place the first cake fruit side up on a serving dish. Pipe swirls of the buttercream all around the edge and then in the centre, covering the top of the cake. Place the other cake on top and make the same swirls around the edge, avoiding the middle and leaving gaps between the swirls.
- Pour the mango pulp into the centre, allowing it to drip down the sides. Sprinkle it with the toasted coconut and serve the cake with Greek yoghurt.