New recipes from Bake-Off's Candice Brown

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Smoky cheese and olive scones

Makes 12 scones

Prep: Less than 30 minutes

Cooking time: 10-30 minutes

Ingredients

675g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

3 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

110g unsalted butter

300g Manchego cheese, grated

150g Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to finish

300g Spanish black and green olives

1 bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped

1 tsp dried basil

3 large free-range eggs

250ml full-fat milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard powder and smoked paprika in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheeses using a round-ended knife.

3. Chop the olives into varying sizes and add to the mixture along with the fresh and dried basil.

4. Lightly beat the eggs with the milk. Add almost all of the egg mixture to the dry mix (save some for glazing) and mix with a knife until it comes together as a dough.

5. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, then turn out the dough. Knead briefly to bring the dough together – try not to handle it too much, it should be a fairly wet and ragged. Using your hands, flatten the dough into a circle about 2½c thick. Using a 5cm pastry cutter, cut out 12 scones – push straight down, do not twist.

6. Place the scones on the prepared tray. Glaze with the reserved egg mixture and grated Parmesan.

7. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden-brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate and orange cake

Serves: 20

Prep time: 1 – 2 hours

Cooking time: 1 – 2 hours

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake

275g plain flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ tsp baking powder

150g golden caster sugar

65g soft brown sugar

1 orange, zest only, finely grated

25g ground almonds

3 large free-range eggs

225ml coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled

225ml whole milk

3 tbsp golden syrup

For the orange cake

115g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

115g soft unsalted butter

115g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for the syrup

2 large free-range eggs

1 orange, finely grated zest and juice

10 cardamom pods, seeds only, crushed

For the ganache filling

300ml double cream

200g orange and almond dark chocolate

200g plain chocolate

1 orange, zest only, finely grated

For the chocolate icing

500g dark chocolate

225g unsalted butter

To decorate

50g white chocolate, melted

toasted flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line 3 x 20cm round cake tins.

2. For the chocolate sponge, mix together the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugars, orange zest and ground almonds. Make a well in the middle. Using an electric handheld whisk, mix in the eggs, melted coconut oil, milk and syrup until well-combined and smooth.

3. Divide equally between two tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Remove the paper and allow to cool completely.

4. For the orange sponge, put the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs, orange zest and the ground cardamom seeds in a bowl with half the orange juice. Mix well using an electric handheld whisk until smooth. Spoon into the prepared tin, smooth the surface out evenly and bake for 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch. Leave to cool in tin for few minutes then turn out onto cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

5. Put the remaining orange juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar for the syrup in a saucepan. Cook over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is thickened slightly. Set aside.

6. For the ganache filling, put the cream into a saucepan over a medium heat until just approaching a boil. Take the cream off the heat and add the chopped chocolate and orange zest. Leave to melt for a few minutes before mixing until smooth and shiny. Cool until the mixture is a thick, spreadable consistency.

7. For the chocolate icing, put the plain chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Melt until smooth, then add the butter, stirring until melted and incorporated. Cool until the mixture is just pourable.

8. To assemble the cake, trim the tops of the cakes so the layers are flat. Spread one quarter of the ganache filling over the top of one of the chocolate sponges. Brush the orange sponge with the orange syrup and place on top. Spread another quarter of the ganache over the orange sponge and place the second chocolate sponge on top. Use the remaining ganache to cover the outside of the cake completely, making a smooth surface.

9. Set the cake on a rack placed over a sheet of newspaper. Pour the chocolate icing over the top of the ganache and use an offset palette knife to push the icing over the whole cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate before the icing has set completely.

10. Put the melted white chocolate into a disposable piping bag and drizzle over the cake. Scatter with flaked almonds to decorate.