Baking scares people – it’s the not so small fact that baking is a science and all it takes is one ingredient miscalculated to produce a massive kitchen fail. Baking, however, can be easy and dare I say fun. There’s nothing more satisfying than home-baked goods and Bake it Easy provides dozens of one-pan recipes even a novice baker can master. Written by Tom and Oliver on the premise that baking can be easy, fast and affordable. They’ve stripped down the intricacies of baking to provide recipes that require little more than a bowl to whip up and avoid costly baking ingredients like nuts and fancy chocolates. It’s simple bakes that prove less is sometimes more.
Dietary Notes
It’s a baking cookbook so expect lots of flour, sugar, eggs and butter. There are a handful of vegan and gluten free recipes as well.
Best For
Beginner bakers and those who want an arsenal of easy baking recipes.
Cooking Level
Beginner. Recipes are geared towards simplifying baking. They do use weighted measurements which is one of the best ways to ensure baking perfection so make sure you have a scale beforehand.
Zucchini, marrows, courgette – call it what you want – this green veggie works surprisingly well in baked goods adding moisture and fibre. I’m sharing the Bake it Easy Courgette recipe. It has loads of courgettes (enough for it to count as one of your five a day) and a touch of fresh rosemary. It’s like a kugel and cake had a baby and is the perfect sweet but not too sweet snacking cake.
Bake it Easy Courgette Cake
Equipment
- 1 loaf tin
Ingredients
- 270 grams self-raising flour
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 100 ml neutral oil (they used canola, we used coconut)
- 225 grams caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- ½ tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
Lemon Glaze
- 130 g icing sugar sifted
- Juice and zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180? fan and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Sift the flour into a small mixing bowl, then add the bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix everything together. Put the oil, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, grated courgette and chopped rosemary in a large mixing bowl and beat until everything is incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix until the flour begins to incorporate. At this point give the sides and bottom a good crape with a spatula and mix until you have a smooth cake batter. Do not overmix as that may create a dense cake.
- Transfer the cake batter to your prepared loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove it from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the lemon glaze, mix the ingredients in a small bowl. You want a relatively thick consistency that can still drip down the sides of the cake. If your glaze is too thick add more lemon juice, too thin – add more icing sugar.
- To serve, spread the glaze over the top of the loaf and finish with a light grating of zest.
Bake it Easy is published by Quadrille and distributed by Jonathan Ball Publishers. It is available here.
