The perfect breakfast option when you’re craving a moreish cake-like texture, but want a filling, healthy breakfast.   

Baked oats base

Makes 1

½ cup rolled oats
1 medium banana
¼ cup milk
1 egg
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Mocha Baked Oats 

Add oat base ingredients to a blender along with 1 Tbsp cocoa powder. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp boiling water and 1 tsp instant coffee and add to the blender. Blend mixture for 15 seconds. Decant batter into an oven-safe bowl and stir through 40g chopped chocolate of choice (we used dark), dotting a few pieces on top. Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Serve with a dollop of double cream plain yoghurt.

Carrot Cake Baked Oats 

Add oat base ingredients to a blender along with ½ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and 1 tsp mixed spice. Blend for 15 seconds, then stir through 2 tsp warmed apricot jam, 1 small grated carrot and 3 finely chopped pecan nuts or walnuts. Decant batter into an oven-safe bowl and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Serve with extra pecan nuts or walnuts and a drizzle of honey.

Peanut Butter & Blueberry Baked Oats  

Add oat base ingredients to a blender along with ¼ cup smooth peanut butter. Blend for 15 seconds, then decant into an oven-safe bowl and swirl through  cup frozen blueberries, adding a spoonful of extra peanut butter, if you like. Bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Serve scattered with extra frozen blueberries.

Recipes and styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photographs: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Old-fashioned oats with warm apple sauce

The post 3 ways with baked oats appeared first on MyKitchen.

Give ouma’s pumpkin fritters a run for their money! From sweet to savoury and everything in-between, Gail Damon gives this timeless classic some festive flair.   

Carrot cake-spiced baked fritters 

Makes 12-15 

Carrot cake meets pumpkin fritter in just one bite! 

Ingredients

400g pumpkin, cooked and mashed
2 carrots, cooked and mashed
3 eggs
3 Tbsp honey
2 cups self-raising flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spiced
Pinch of salt

For the cream cheese  

175g medium-fat plain cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar + extra for dusting
1 lemon or 2 limes, zested and juiced

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease two 6-hole Bundt tin trays with butter, adding flour to each bunt hole. Shake to coat well and discard excess flour.
3. Combine pumpkin, carrot, eggs and honey and mix well.  
4. Sift together flour and spices, then add salt.
5. Gradually fold wet mixture into dry ingredients.
6. Divide batter between prepared Bundt trays.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes
   or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  
8. Cool in the tins for 5–10 minutes, then unmould.
9. For the cream cheese, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth.
10. Dollop zesty cream cheese over warm pumpkin fritters and dust generously with icing sugar to serve.  

Festive sprinkle
Take this dish up a notch with a sprinkling of candied seeds. Simply toss ¼ cup each pumpkin-, sunflower-, and sesame seeds with 1 tsp canola oil and 1-2 Tbsp honey or golden syrup. Spread evenly onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, and bake at 180°C until golden and crunchy.

Pumpkin fritters with miso caramel 

Makes 20-25 

Salted caramel does not stand a chance! This miso caramel is literally EVERYTHING, combined with the sweetness of the pumpkin, it’s a match made in flavour heaven.  

Ingredients

500g pumpkin, cooked and mashed
3 eggs
3 Tbsp honey
2½ cups self-raising flour
1 tsp ground aniseed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Oil, for deep frying

For the miso caramel  

1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 heaped tsp white miso paste
½ cup butter, cubed
½ cup cream

Method 

1. Combine cooled pumpkin, eggs and honey and mix well. 
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and spices, then add salt. 
3. Gradually fold wet mixture into dry ingredients. 
4. Heat oil over medium heat until shimmering hot.
5. Drop a heaped tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with remaining batter. 
6. For the miso caramel, combine sugar and water over medium heat, mixing until sugar has dissolved. 
7. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce turns a caramel colour. Immediately add miso paste, butter and cream then stir until smooth. Cool completely. 
8. Serve fritters hot, drizzled with caramel or serve on the side as a dipping sauce. 

Pumpkin & parmesan fritters 

Makes 20-25 

Halve the amount of pumpkin and replace with grated sweet potato, if you like.  

Ingredients

4 cups (about 600g) grated pumpkin
½ cup grated Parmesan
½ tsp ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp self-raising flour
Salt and milled pepper
1½ Tbsp milk
1 egg
Glug olive or canola oil

For serving

Handful sage, fried (or use fresh coriander instead) 
Parmesan shavings
Sweet chilli sauce

Method 

1. Combine pumpkin, cheese, nutmeg and flour. Season.
2. Whisk together milk and egg. Stir into pumpkin mixture to combine. 
3. Heat oil over medium heat and shallow-fry 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through until golden, crispy and cooked through. 
4. Repeat until mixture
   is done.
5. Serve scattered with sage and Parmesan, with sweet chilli sauce on the side.  

Recipes & styling: Gail Damon 

Photographs: Zhann Solomons 

Also read: Low-carb pumpkin and sage cannelloni

The post 3 festive twists on pumpkin fritters appeared first on MyKitchen.

Adding pineapple to the batter results in an utterly moist and flavourful cake! 

Spiced carrot cake with cottage cheese frosting 

SERVES 6

Ingredients

3 chai tea bags
½ cup (125ml) hot milk
2 cups (300g) cake flour
1 packet (100g) peanuts, chopped (or mixed nuts) + extra for decorating
2 tsp (10ml) each bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon and baking powder
½ tsp (3ml) fine salt
1½ cups (300g) SELATI Golden Brown Sugar
4 eggs
1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil
2 cups (160g) grated carrot
2 cups (420g) frozen pineapple, thawed

Frosting: 

1 tub (250g) smooth cottage cheese
½ tsp (3ml) ground cinnamon
4 cups (520g) SELATI Icing Snow
Lemon juice, to taste

Method

1. Steep tea bags in hot milk for 10 minutes, then discard bags.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C and line two 20cm round loose-bottomed cake tins with baking paper
3. Combine dry ingredients, except sugar, in a bowl.
4. Cream sugar and eggs together in a separate bowl until pale and fluffy.
5. Whisk in oil, then fold wet mixture into dry ingredients.
6. Stir in carrot and pineapple until just combined.
7. Spoon batter into baking tins.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
9. Cool for 5 minutes in tins, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
10. Cut cakes in half horizontally to create 2 layers each.
11. Whisk cream cheese until softened and smooth.
12. Add cinnamon and 1 cup icing sugar and whisk until smooth.
13. Add remaining icing sugar in two parts, mix in each time until smooth and add drop lemon juice to taste.
14. Pipe or spoon frosting between cake layers.
15. Top cakes with frosting and nuts or decorate with spun sugar, if you like.

CHEF’S TIP

Make it mini – Divide batter between four 8cm prepared loose-bottomed cake tins then bake. (Two 18cm baking trays will work too – cut baked cake later with a cookie cutter to create rounds.)

The post Spiced carrot cake with cottage cheese frosting  appeared first on MyKitchen.

Who doesn’t love cupcakes? Go ahead and try these carrot cake ones at your next birthday bash!

SERVES 15  •  TOTAL TIME  50 min, plus cooling

For the cupcakes

Flour 150 g

Baking powder 1 tbsp

Bicarbonate of soda ¾ tsp

Mixed spice 7.5 ml

Salt ½ tsp

Sugar ¾ cup

Oil ⅔ cup

Eggs 2

Carrots, grated 1 cup 

Tin crushed pineapple, drained ½ cup

Pecan nuts, chopped   cup, plus extra to garnish 

Apricot jam, warmed 2 tbsp

For the cream cheese frosting

Butter, softened 70 g

Cream cheese 230 g

Icing sugar, sifted 2 cups

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a 12-hole muffin tin. 

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarb, mixed spice and salt. Set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, whisk  together the sugar and oil. Add the eggs and beat until light.

4. Add the carrots, pineapple, pecan nuts and jam, then beat until combined.

5. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet mixture and beat until just combined. 

6. Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds of the way with batter.

7.  Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the cake brings back when poked. Cool for 5 minutes in the tray, then remove the cupcakes and set on a wire rack.

For the cream cheese frosting

1. Whisk the butter until it is pale and creamy.

2. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined.

3. Add the icing sugar in three batches, scraping down the side of the bowl between additions and mixing until just combined. 

4. Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with extra chopped pecan nuts.

Recipes & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Callen Jefferson/hmimages.co.za

There is no one on earth who would turn their noses up at this chocolate Yule log, even if they aren’t a fan of chocolate!

The post Carrot Cake Cupcakes appeared first on MyKitchen.

We never say no to cake! And neither should you! So why not try our delicious carrot sponge cake with banana icing?

SERVES 12 // COOK TIME 35 min

INGREDIENTS
For the carrot cake
2½ cups cake flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1½ tsp bicarb
1¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup veg oil
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups grated carrots
¾ cup chopped pecans
¾ cup desiccated coconut
440 g tincrushed pineapple, drained
For the banana icing
1 cup cream cheese
1 banana, mashed
6 cups icing sugar, sifted

METHOD
For the carrot cake
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 20 cm tins.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, bicarb, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until pale.
4. Stir in flour mixture, then add carrots, pecans, coconut and pineapple.
5. Divide the batter between the cake tins. Bake for 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Do not open the oven until just about done. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out.
For the banana icing
1. Blend the cream cheese and banana until smooth.
2. Slowly whisk in the icing sugar, until thickened.
To assemble
1. Sandwich the 2 layers together with half the icing. Ice the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing

DID YOU KNOW: Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it draws water to itself. Brushing this cake with sugar syrup both adds moisture and preserves it, should the cake sit out for a while before it’s eaten.

Recipes & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Gareth Van Nelson

Dreaming of a creamy, ultra-smooth classic cheesecake recipe, paired with a red-velvet crust? Then look no further than this simply decadent red-velvet cheesecake.

The post Carrot sponge cake with banana icing appeared first on MyKitchen.

There’s no artificial flavouring here! These carrot cake ice cream cones are the real deal, and perfect for enjoying on a hot summer’s day.

SERVES 20 // COOKING TIME 3–4 hours 30 min

INGREDIENTS
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup water
4 carrots, peeled and grated
1 L vanilla ice cream, softened
½ cup chopped pecans, plus extra for cones, finely chopped
½ cup chopped dried fruit, plus extra for cones, finely chopped
1 tsp mixed spice or Chinese five-spice
1 tsp vanilla essence
50 g white chocolate
20 cones

METHOD
1. Bring the sugar and water to the boil, heating until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the carrots and boil for 10 minutes, until a thick syrup forms. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then drain any excess syrup.
3. In a bowl, mix the ice cream, carrots, pecans, dried fruit, spice and vanilla. Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for 3–4 hours.
4. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl. Dip the rim of each cone into the melted chocolate and then into the finely chopped dried fruit and nuts. Set aside to harden.
5. Serve the ice cream in the decorated cones.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

These pancake lollies with berry syrup are another fun summer treat to try!

The post Two-in-one carrot cake ice cream cones appeared first on MyKitchen.