More Babeczki – More Buns

I saw a baking tin recently whilst shopping – by the American company Nordic ware  – as it was at a greatly discounted price, I could not resist buying it.

I have similar tins bought from both Lidl and from Marks & Spencer and used these in previous recipes.

This one is much thicker and heavier.

Babka refers to the shape of the cake and babeczki are smaller – they are buns.

Babka and Babeczki

I tried our various recipes using this new tin and found it was rather difficult to get the babeczki – the buns – out of the tin and many just ended up being fed to the birds.

Cake Seeking Bird

One of a pair of large wood pigeons that come into my garden – looking for cake!

At last I found two recipes that work well with this tin!

Tip

I have found that you have to grease the tins very well – I use melted butter and then I dust with dried Breadcrumbs (or you can use flour).

Carrot Spice Babeczki

• These are based on a recipe for carrot cake which I use and has  dark brown sugar  as one of its ingredients – this is very popular in Britain  where sugars made from sugar cane are readily available.
• In Poland where sugar is made from sugar beet, white sugar is the norm in the shops.

Ingredients

• 225g self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice ( I like the mixture from Marks & Spencer)
• Grated rind of 1 orange
• 150g of soft dark brown sugar
• 150g of medium grated peeled carrots.
• 2 eggs
• 150ml of sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons of milk

Method

• Grease and dried breadcrumb (or flour) the tin ... you might have some mixture left over – so use bun cases in bun tins for the remainder.
• Pre-heat the oven to GM5 – 190°C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Place the flour and the mixed spice into a large bowl.
• Add the sugar (sometimes I have found that this sugar has a few lumps in it  – I mix these into the flour with my finger tips to remove them.)
• Stir in the carrots and the orange rind.

 

 

• Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the beaten egg, oil and milk.
• Mix well together with a wooden spoon until the mixture is evenly blended.
• Fill the tins around 2/3rds full.
• Bake for around 15 to 18 minutes.

 

 

 

• Let them cool slightly, then, using a spatula ease the buns gently out of the tins.
• Dust well with icing sugar.

Chocolate Babeczki

• Here I have used the same recipe as for my Chocolate Babka with a slightly different recipe for the chocolate icing.
• Evaporated milk is used for the cake and the icing – a very small tin – 170g is enough for both.

Ingredients – cake

• 200g self raising flour
• 2250g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 25g cocoa powder
• 200g butter or block margarine
• 2 eggs
• 75ml evaporated milk
• 75ml water
• 2 drops of vanilla essence

Method – cake

• Grease and dried breadcrumb (or flour) the tin ... you might have some mixture left over – so use bun cases in bun tins for the remainder.
• Pre-heat the oven oven to GM 4  – 180°C.
• You need to use a large bowl for this cake mixture.
• Rub the butter into the flour so that the mixture is like breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the salt, sugar and cocoa powder.
• Lightly beat the eggs and add the evaporated milk, the water and the drops of vanilla essence.
• Stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients mixing thoroughly to give a thick batter.
• Fill the tins around 2/3rds full.
• Bake for around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Let them cool slightly then using a spatula ease the buns gently out of the tins.
• You can then dust with icing sugar or add an icing.

Ingredients – icing

• 40g butter
• 2 level tablespoons of cocoa
• 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk
• Around 180g icing sugar

Method – icing

• Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the cocoa, stirring continuously.
• Remove from the heat and beat in the evaporated milk.
• Beat in the icing sugar until the mixture is thick.
• Pour the icing over the babeczki.