Category Archives: Cakes

Caramelised Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake

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Caramelised Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake Recipe One Perfect Mess 7

It’s a dark, wintery night and you’re cozied up on the couch, hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea, listening to the crackling fire and the pitter-patter of gentle rain on the roof, but there’s something missing…until you pull this Caramelised Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake out of the oven! I firmly believe that one slice of this soft, sweet, sticky cake will solve a significant number of your problems, and will be gladly received by whoever you choose to share it with. This recipe has become a favourite of mine, and I’ve experimented with it over the years to produce this fool-proof version.

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White Chocolate Layer Cake with Blackberry Buttercream

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White Chocolate Layer Cake with Blackberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe One Perfect Mess 1

It’s starting to feel like Autumn. Right now, the streets are adorned with vivid crimsons and fiery golds, the air is crisp and laced with the scents of log fires and fresh rain, and the kitchen smells like warm hot cross buns. I’m getting ready to hibernate for a winter of baking, drinking tea, reading, lambing, going for long walks… I’m definitely a cold weather frog. And after months of no rain, dry paddocks and hungry sheep, winter couldn’t come sooner! This scrumptious cake holds the last of the season’s blackberries, and fed a gang of friends and family as we huddled by the fire last night. Three layers of fluffy white chocolate cake are held together by velvety swiss meringue buttercream, flavoured with fresh blackberries and white chocolate. The berries are a wonderful offset to the sweetness of the chocolate, and I had a lot of fun (in hindsight) experimenting with the ombre frosting effect…not as easy as it looks but definitely worth the challenge!

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Double Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Blackberries

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Double Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Blackberries Recipe One Perfect Mess 6

This is a monster for chocolate lovers; layers of rich, moist, chocolate buttermilk cake held together in a delicious embrace by a thick, velvety, dark chocolate cream cheese frosting, topped off with fresh juicy blackberries! The cream cheese frosting is decadent, but its slight tang provides the perfect offset to the rich, chocolatey sweetness of the cake itself. And I just love blackberries…I summoned my inner jungle girl and went crawling through a dense forest near my house to pick a whole container-full of these bad boys. I came back with some pretty severe war wounds down my legs and arms, but it was so worth it.

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Roasted Almond and Dark Chocolate Layer Cake

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Roasted Almond and Dark Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe One Perfect Mess 3

This is a celebration cake to get happy about; happy as you whip up the one-bowl cake batter for the layers of soft almond vanilla cake, happy as you see that your chocolate ganache has cooled to a fudgy frosting, happy as you meticulously scrape and lick the bowls clean with your spatula, happy as you press the roasted almonds into the thick chocolate coating, happy as you slice through the four layers and discover that the whole thing actually holds together perfectly…and then JUBILANT as you take a bite and realise it’s just as yummy as it was easy to make! I whipped this one up for my spectacular cousin’s 8th birthday, and it was enjoyed by kiddies and grandparents alike with lots of cups of tea and candles. I promise you the whole recipe really is foolproof, but the final cake looks like you slaved and sweated for hours. So I’m basically handing you the opportunity to appear much more impressive than you really are…does that and a slice of roasted almond and dark chocolate layer cake tempt you enough? If so enjoy the pictures and keep scrolling down for the recipe! Have a great weekend y’all 🙂

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Lamington Layer Cake

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Lamington Layer Cake Recipe One Perfect Mess 5

Life has suddenly gotten very busy, so it is with a slight delay that I present to you my Australia Day creation… a Lamington Layer Cake! The mother of all lamingtons, this cake is a sky high collaboration of an easy, light sponge, thickly whipped vanilla cream, some luscious slatherings of strawberry jam, dark chocolate buttercream and shredded coconut. If you’re not familiar with the classic Australian lamington, you are ordered to invest some time in this creation so that you know what you’ve been missing! Note that my sponge cakes look ridiculously yellow thanks to the eggs of my free range chooks, do not be alarmed by any bright yellow food you come across on this blog…

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Blueberry and Almond Chocolate Meringue Torte with Coffee Cream

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One Perfect Mess Blueberry and almond chocolate meringue torte with coffee cream 1Welcome to the recipe for one of my favourite desserts, ever. I pinky promise that it legitimately is super easy to make, and whilst you need to prepare it the day before serving (often a blessing in my opinion), the actual method is simple and quick. Your main weapon of choice must be a strong electric whisker, preferably one in a mix master, and armed with that you’re on your way to chewy, crispy, creamy, nutty goodness…with the added benefit of antioxidant-packed dark chocolate and blueberries? Any excuse to help yourself to a second slice, or a sixth. Actually, this torte is quite rich, so you should be feeling jovial and satisfied after one hefty helping!

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Chocolate, Cherry and Coconut Ice Cream Wreath

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Chocolate, Cherry and Coconut Ice Cream Wreath recipe One Perfect Mess 3

For those of you who can’t be bothered spending longer than 45 minutes in the kitchen, I give you this Cherry Ripe inspired ice cream cake creation. We shared this with family and special friends to end a beautiful Christmas Day of eating, laughing, talking and dancing…it was bliss.

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Vanilla Spice Celebration Cake with Strawberries, Chocolate Ganache and Rosewater Frosting

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Vanilla Spice Celebration Cake with Strawberries, Chocolate Ganache and Rosewater Frosting Recipe One Perfect Mess 6

So guess what? I’ve passed 1000 views on this little blog! This is a pretty big milestone for me, and I’m so excited to know that there are people out there who are enjoying what I bake and ramble about, and wondering what I’m going to throw out there next. I usually dapple in pretty simple ‘home-cook’ style recipes, but to celebrate I thought I’d go all out with something special. This beauty is composed of four layers of vanilla spice cake that are interspersed with layers of fresh strawberry mousse, then the whole thing is encased in rosewater Swiss Meringue Buttercream, drizzled with dark chocolate ganache, and covered in glazed strawberries and chopped pistachio nuts. Are you tempted yet?

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Lemon, Ricotta and Almond Flourless Cake

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Lemon, Ricotta and Almond Flourless Cake recipe One Perfect Mess 5

Light, creamy, and delightfully lemony, this lovely cake is perfect for a lazy summer afternoon tea. With only a handful of ingredients, it is straightforward to whip up and perfect for days when you need an indulgence that’s not ridiculously unhealthy. Because almond meal acts as a flour substitute, the cake is crumbly, moreish and completely gluten free! The stiffly beaten egg whites give the cake its height, and the ricotta ensures each bite is incredibly moist and smooth.

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Coconut and Banana Bread

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Coconut and Banana Bread Recipe One Perfect Mess 2

I know I’ve been cooking a lot with coconut lately, but it’s just so darn delicious! Not to mention versatile; there’s coconut milk, water, cream, essence and oil, you can buy it shredded, dessicated, shaved or whole, and you can eat it fresh, toast it, stir it into batter or sprinkle it atop any cake or slice for a magical, sweet crunch. Oh and it’s not that bad for you either! This Coconut and Banana Bread recipe is moist, dense, moreish, and just generally scrumptious. The crunchy topping I made provided a perfect contrast to the very soft bread, and made the whole thing even harder to resist. Continue reading →