RECIPES: Be a star, bake a cake

Families, friends and colleagues are being encouraged to take part in the Be a Star, Bake a Cake campaign which supports Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in April.

TV chefs Gino D’Acampo, Greg Wallace and Nadia Sawalha are all donating their favourite cake and dessert recipes that you can bake to raise money for vital research, information and support services for the charity.

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and this year Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer is hoping more people than ever will hold a bake sale and raise as much money as possible to fund must needed research, information and support services that will help save lives from bowel cancer in the country.

Your baking will help to stop bowel cancer in Scotland. To sign up and get baking, visit

bowelcanceruk.org.uk/be-a-star,-bake-a-cake

Gino D’Acampo’s Coffee and Ricotta Tart

SERVES 10

FOR THE SWEET PASTRY

• 190g plain white flour
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed plus extra for greasing
• 2tbsp caster sugar

FOR THE FILLING

• 1.25kg ricotta cheese
• 120g caster sugar
• 2tbsp plain white flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1tbsp instant coffee
• 2tbsp Baileys liqeur
• 120g dark chocolate,
• 70% cocoa, finely chopped
• 4 medium-sized egg yolks
• 50g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa for decoration
• Half tsp vegetable or sunflower oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. To prepare the pastry, sift the flour in a large bowl and add in the butter. With your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until fine and crumbly. Stir in the sugar and pour in 3tbsp of cold water. Pinch with your fingers to form a dough and add a little more water if necessary.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather together into a ball. Cover with cling film and leave it to rest refrigerated for 10 minutes.
4. Grease with butter a 25cm diameter spring-form tin.
5. Place the rested dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to half cm thickness. Line the tin in a way that the pastry comes about two thirds of the way up the side. Cover with cling film and refrigerate while preparing the filling.
6. Place the instant coffee in a cup and dissolve in 1tbsp of water and Baileys. Set aside.
7. Place the ricotta cheese in a large bowl and add in the sugar, flour and salt. Mix all together until smooth. Pour in the coffee mixture, chopped chocolate and egg yolks and stir until well mixed. Spoon the filling into the pastry shell and smooth the top. Cover with cling film and chill for 45 minutes.
8. Place the tin on a baking tray and bake in the middle of the oven for one hour. Turn off the oven, slightly open the door and leave the tart to cool in the oven.
9. Place the remaining chocolate in a small saucepan and pour over the oil. Stir and melt over a very low heat.
10. Take the tart out of the oven and lift out of the mould. With the help of a fork, drizzle over the melted chocolate.
11. Slice and serve at room temperature with a nice cup of coffee.

Recipe from Italian Home Baking published by Kyle Books, photography by Peter Cassidy

Ainsley Harriott’s Chocolate Parfait Terrine with Fresh Raspberries

SERVES 6-8

• 450g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into squares
• 4 egg yolks
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 600ml double cream
• 450g fresh raspberries, to serve
• Rapeseed or vegetable oil, for greasing
• Extra chocolate, grated for serving

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir until completely smooth. Leave to cool.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until light and fluffy.
3. In a third bowl, whip the cream until it stands in soft peaks. Carefully stir the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold in the whipped cream.
4. Line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with oiled cling film and pour in the mixture. Cover with cling film and freeze for at least four hours or preferably overnight until solid.
5. Remove the parfait from the freezer about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve. Turn out onto a flat plate and peel away the cling film.
6. Dip your knife into a bowl of hot water and cut the parfait into slices. Arrange on plates and scatter around fresh raspberries and grated chocolate to serve.

Original recipe taken from Ainsley Harriott’s Just Five Ingredients, published by BBC Books. Photography by Dan Jones.

Greg Wallace’s Pear Tarte Tatin

SERVES 6

• 75g caster sugar
• 20g cold butter, chopped
• Quarter tsp ground ginger
• Quarter tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 pears
• 175g all-butter puff pastry
• Double cream, to serve

FOR THE BRANDY CREAM

• 120ml double cream
• 1 to 1.5 tbsp icing sugar
• 1.5 tbsp brandy

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/gas 6.
2. Peel and core the pears and cut into wedges. Put a 18cm diameter frying pan with an ovenproof handle on a hob over a medium heat. Add the sugar and heat to a caramel colour, stirring constantly. Add the butter, ginger and cinnamon and stir.
3. Place the pears in the sauce and spoon over the mixture. Turn the heat down and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the pears are tender, but retain their shape. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Arrange the pears in a floral shape in the pan.
4. Roll out the puff pastry to about 5mm thick and cut a circle slightly bigger than your pan. Place the pastry disc on top of the pears, then tuck it around the outside of the pears and down into the sides of the pan.
5. Bake the pie for 25–35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. Run a knife around the edge, place a plate over the top and carefully turn the tart onto the plate.
6. Meanwhile make the brandy cream by whipping the cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Quickly fold in the brandy.
7. Serve the tarte with the brandy cream.

Jo Pratt’s Courgette, Pistachio and Orange Loaf Cake

MAKES 1 LOAF

• 125ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 eggs
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 350g coarsely grated courgette
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 300g wholegrain spelt or wholemeal/whole-wheat flour
• 75g cup shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp ground cinnamon

FOR THE ORANGE GLAZE (OPTIONAL)

• 60g icing sugar, sifted
• Juice and zest of about half an orange
• 1tbsp roughly chopped pistachio nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
2. Oil a 1kg/2lb 4oz loaf pan and line the base with baking parchment.
3. Lightly beat together the eggs, olive oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Stir in the grated courgette/zucchini and orange zest.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, pistachio nuts, baking powder and cinnamon. Pour in the egg mixture and mix everything together well.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the loaf.
6. If the cake starts to brown too much, cover the top with foil.
7. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire/cooling rack to cool completely.
8. To make the orange glaze, if using, put the icing sugar in a bowl with the orange zest and gradually mix in enough orange juice to form a runny icing. Pour over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides, then scatter over the pistachios.
9. The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.