Upside Down Orange Cake

There aren't many dessert recipes out there to suit all occasions, but this is one of them. This upside down orange cake is a light and refreshing dessert that would suit anything from a light morning tea to a delicious dessert. This dessert is perfect for those who don't like overly sweet or rich desserts as it's very light and refreshing on the palate.

After sifting through many orange cake recipes I was at a loss, I was making this cake for my father in laws birthday as orange cake is his favourite. But he also can't eat nuts, and looking through many recipes I couldn't find one that was nut free and what I was after. So I then took a chance and mixed several together and the result was this, and it turned out amazingly!

This recipe is nut free, vegetarian friendly and can be made gluten free simply by changing the flour. Changing to gluten free will not affect the results what so ever, I made mine gluten free which is the one pictured above and it was delicious!

So here's the recipe

Upside Down Orange Cake:

90g Sugar
2tbsp Water
Orange-peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup Self Raising Flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup butter
3 eggs
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp orange zest
2tbsp orange juice

Preheat oven to 180oC

Line and grease a cake tin of your choice, I chose to use a spring form tin as I find them easier to remove a cake from.

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and over medium heat and mix until mixture goes golden brown (Note. To mix this I didn't use a spoon I just constantly swizzled the saucepan). Once the mixture is golden brown, pour into the bottom of the cake tin and spread to ensure that it completely covers the bottom.

Next place the orange slices on top of the toffee mixture trying to completely cover it.

Place remaining ingredients in a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix it until the batter is pale and fluffy. Once batter is ready pour into the cake tin over the orange and toffee mixture.

Place cake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer is inserted into the centre and comes out clean

Once cake is cook leave it to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes or until the cake tin is cool to touch, once this happens flip the cake out of the tin.

And there you have it, a delicious upside down orange cake!

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

I'm a sucker for quick and easy meal, and this has to be up there with being one of the easiest. What makes it even better is that they are super yummy! 

I got this recipe once again off of the yummly app. I highly recommend downloading this app if you have a smartphone or ipad, it's free and it's full of delicious recipes.

This recipe is gluten free

Honey Mustard Pork Chops:

6-8 pork chops

2 tbsp Djon mustard

4 tbsp Honey

Place pork chops in a pan on medium heat.

While pork is cooking mix together the mustard and honey.

Once mixed baste the pork with the honey mustard. Do this a couple of times to get a more fuller flavour.

Keep cooking until cooked through. Serve with salad and wedges.

Roasted Salmon with White Sauce

Need a quick and easy meal packed full of goodness? Well I've got the answer for you!

I've adapted this recipe from the amazing website yummly.

This meal takes 20 minutes cook, and if serving with a salad you can always make the salad earlier in the day, cutting down cooking time.

This dinner is jammed packed full of goodness, and goes perfectly with either a selection of vegetables or a nice fresh salad. I chose to serve it with salad and home made wedges.

This recipe is gluten free adaptable, all you need to do is use gluten free plain flour.

Serves 4

Roasted Salmon:
700g Skinless Salmon Fillets
Course Salt 
Ground Pepper

White Sauce:
1 tbsp Butter
2 tsps Plain Flour
1 cup of chicken stock
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 180oC 

Line a tray with baking paper

Season salmon with salt and pepper, place on tray and place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until salmon becomes opaque all the way through.

While salmon is cooking, in saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for a minute until smooth. Add the chicken stock and bring to boil while constantly stirring. Turn down heat and add the salt and pepper to taste.

Once salmon is cooked break into large chunks and drizzle the white sauce.

Zucchini Slice

Want a dish that's delicious both hot and cold? Well here it is. Zucchini slice is great as either a meal or just a quick snack.

If serving as a meal it goes great with a bit of salad on those warm summer nights or with some home made wedges on those cool winter nights.

This recipe is gluten free adaptable, all you have to do is use gluten free flour instead of regular flour. Or if you're looking at wanting to make it vegetarian friendly simply leave out the bacon, and if you feel like it, swap it for some spinach! 

Zucchini Slice:

1 large zucchini (grated)

1 brown onion (finely diced)

1 cup of cheese (grated)

1 cup of self raising flour 

5 eggs lightly beaten 

1/2 cup of oil

1 cup of diced bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200oC

Grease or line baking dish

Mix all ingredients together

Pour into prepared baking dish and then bake for around 40 minutes. Note keep checking the slice and if it starts to go too brown on top cover slice with aluminium foil and continue cooking.

Once Cooked let the slice cool for 10 minutes. Once cool serve.

Apple Pie

Got some spare apples you need to use up quick smart? Well what's not to love about apple pie, warm or cold it's always a hit, and this recipe is mouth watering!

This recipe is vegetarian friendly and is gluten free adaptable. The photo pictured above is a gluten free version.

Apple Pie:

4 cups self raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
200g butter chopped
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
8-10 large apples
Icing sugar (decoration)

Pre heat oven to 200oC

Place flour, sugar, butter and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until mixture is clumping together.

Then press 2/3 of the flour mixture into a greased 23cm cake tin ( I used a spring form cake tin as it is easier to take off later). Press mixture down onto the bottom of the cake, and a couple of cms up the side.

Peel and thinly slice the apples, discarding the cores. Place apples slices in a large bowl and then drain any excess liquid. Once drained mix in the lemon juice and remaining cinnamon. Once all mixed through place apple in the cake tin pressing down firmly (the apples will be quite high).

Then sprinkle the remaining flour mixture over the top of pie, and then place in oven for 40mins or until golden brown and cooked through ( note the top of the pie may get caught in places, this is normal)

Once cooked pull out and let cool in the tin for a good 20 minutes or until the pie is nearly at room temperature

Once cooled take out of tin and sprinkle icing sugar over top and enjoy!

Choc Chip Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Looking for a delicious dessert? Well this recipe is mouth watering and definitely won't last long!

This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian friendly.

Choc Chip Peanut Butter Ice Cream:

3/4 of a cup of caster sugar 

1 1/4 cups of smooth peanut butter 

1 1/4 cups of full cream milk 

600ml thickened cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 1/2 cups of chopped chocolate of your choice

1.In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine peanut butter and sugar until smooth

2.Add milk and mix on low until sugar is dissolved (roughly around 2 mins)

3.Pour in the thickened cream and vanilla essence and beat until well combined and smooth

4.Pour into ice cream machine and churn for about 20-30 mins or until thickened 

5. A couple of minutes before you're ready to stop mixing and the chopped chocolate 

Then you can either eat it straight away as it will be of a soft serve consistency or put it in the freezer to let it get thicker.

This recipe can be achieved without an ice cream machine. To achieve the same result, follow steps 1-3 above. After your mixture is smooth add your desired chocolate and then put the mixture into the freezer. Then ever 2 hours you will need to thoroughly mix the ice cream ensuring you get out any ice crystals that form. You will need to do this roughly around 3 times until the mixture is a smooth and thick consistency. 

Doughnuts

Ran out of treats and you've got guests coming over? This recipe is a quick and easy recipe and one that is sure to go down well with anyone that eats them.

Doughnuts are a great treat at anytime of day and this recipe has to one of the simplest out there.

This recipe is vegetarian and is also gluten free adaptable, just use gluten free flour rather than regular flour. Changing the recipe to gluten free doesn't affect the end result or taste what so ever, the doughnuts pictured above are in fact gluten free ones.

Doughnuts:

2 tbsp white vinegar

3/8 cup milk 

2 tbps butter

1/2 cup white sugar 

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

2 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 tspb baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Cinnamon sugar

Stir the vinegar into the milk and let it stand fir a few minutes.

While that's standing, in free standing mixer (or you could use a electric hand held mixer) cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.

Beat in the egg and vanilla essence until well blended.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.

Now stir into the sugar mixture both the flour and milk mixtures, alternating between the two.

At this stage the dough will be very soft and almost runny, but it should be able to hold its shape, so if it's too runny add a bit more flour. Once you've got the dough sorted roll it out on a well flour counter so the dough is between 2-3cm thick, and then cut your doughnuts using either a doughnut or cookie cutter.

Heat oil in a deep fryer. Fry doughnuts off until golden brown, turning once. Drain on some paper towel the. Toss in Cinnabon sugar and serve.