Bite into a slice of this buttery choc chip fudge traybake and embrace your inner hedonist. Dark chocolate chips provide the perfect foil to pieces of sweet fudge, creating a delicious, but not sickly sponge. It’s a real party pleaser for sure and it makes a perfect cake sale bake into the bargain. The recipe is from a baking cookbook by The Pink Whisk.
Post updated to include more information and a recipe card, March 2022.
I’m sure most of you will know Ruth Clemens as the highly accomplished finalist in the first series of The Great British Bake Off on BBC television three years ago. I expect most of you will be familiar with her engaging and informative blog The Pink Whisk.
But did you know that she has published not one, but two print books as well as several e-books? The Busy Girl’s Guide to Cake Decorating which I have to confess I have not seen, came first.
I was, however, recently sent a copy of her second book, The Pink Whisk Guide to Cake Making to review. Published by David & Charles it is priced at £12.99 and is available in most book shops as well as from The Pink Whisk’s very own online shop.
The Pink Whisk Guide To Cake Making
I’ve been following The Pink Whisk blog since its inception back in 2010 and have found it interesting, thorough and informative. I’ve tried a few of Ruth’s recipes in the past and they have worked really well every time; she is not a ‘fling it all together and hope for the best’ type of girl.
She has her readers very much in mind when writing and delivers well researched, practised and reliable recipes. This approach carries through to her book. In the introduction Ruth explains how she made 25 versions of her golden syrup cake before she was satisfied enough to include this recipe in her book. See what I mean about thorough?
Aimed primarily at the novice or unconfident baker, this 127 page step-by-step guide leads the reader gently but smartly through the art of making cakes. There is a guide to equipment, a comprehensive guide to basic ingredients and a few pages of techniques, such as how to tell when a cake is properly baked, how to line a tin and how to rescue your cake when it looks as though it’s gone wrong.
Cake Recipes
The main part of the book contains the recipes. It’s arranged by the three main baking methods: creaming, whisking and melting. Ruth gives top tips throughout and whilst she gives the reader explicit technical instructions to follow, she also encourages them to be adventurous and play with different flavours.
Although there are only 28 recipes in total, they are by no means standard fare. Ruth has come up with a diversity of types and flavours and there are bakes here to interest the more experienced cook as well as the beginner. The rhubarb and custard bombe sounds particularly fun and quite a technical challenge as well. It’s rhubarb season at the moment. Just saying.
As you’d expect from the pink whisk, pink is the dominant colour of the book. Either the text or pages are in pink and there are flourishes of pastel blue throughout, which gives a nice bit of contrast.
There are plenty of pictures to give an idea of what the final bake should look like, something that is lacking in most cookbooks these days. Many of the recipes have photos to accompany the step-by-step instructions.
These recipes are then followed by something similar, so the same method can be used. A nifty way of providing interest without having to photograph every step again. Once a Victoria sponge has been mastered, for example, a whole world of combinations is opened up.
Choc Chip Fudge Madeira Traybake
The banana and cardamom chocolate brownie cake grabbed my attention and I fully intended to make it. But when I was ready to start baking, I realised I didn’t have any bananas.
I did, however have some of my aunt’s homemade fudge which she gave me for Christmas. So I rapidly changed track and turned my hand to Ruth’s choc chip and fudge madeira cake. I made a few adjustments of course – I just can’t help myself (sorry Ruth!) For a start, I decided to make it a traybake rather than a loaf cake.
It’s a fairly straightforward cake to make. Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, stir in flour and add chocolate chips and fudge. Voila! The main thing you need to remember is to get the butter out of the fridge well before you need to use it. I’ve been caught out by rock hard butter way too many times.
Once the cake is baked and cooled, cut it into nine large squares or twelve slightly more refined rectangles. You don’t have to decorate them, but a drizzle of dark chocolate and a few pieces of fudge scattered over the top makes them look even more appealing.
I had complete confidence in Ruth and knew this cake would turn out well and it did. It rose well, cut well, looked good and tasted good. It wasn’t as sweet as I thought it might be, which I take to be a bonus.
In fact this choc chip fudge traybake is a real crowd pleaser and absolutely perfect for a cake sale. That banana and cardamom chocolate brownie cake is definitely on my radar though.
What Is The Best Fudge To Use?
Plain vanilla fudge is a good one to use for this choc chip fudge recipe. If you use anything else, the flavours might start to get muddled. But ultimately, go with whatever fudge grabs your fancy or needs using up.
Other Choc Chip Recipes You Might Like
- Apple chocolate chip muffins
- Caramel chocolate chip bars
- Chocolate chip apple crumble
- Cinnamon choc chip friands (vegan & gluten-free)
- Coconut & fennel chocolate chip cookies
- Skillet choc chip cookie (vegan)
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this choc chip fudge madeira traybake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more traybake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Choc Chip Fudge Traybake – The Recipe
Choc Chip Fudge Traybake
Ingredients
- 150 g unsalted butter – softened
- 150 g golden caster sugar (I used vanilla sugar and no vanilla extract)
- 2 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 180 g flour (I used half wholemeal spelt, half plain white)
- ¾ tsp baking powder.
- 60 g dark chocolate drops
- 50 g fudge chopped into small pieces
Topping
- 25 g dark chocolate
- 25 g fudge chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Cream the butter with the sugar until it’s very light & fluffy. I do this by hand with a wooden spoon, but you can use an electric mixer instead, if you prefer.150 g unsalted butter – softened, 150 g golden caster sugar
- Beat in the eggs, one by one followed by the vanilla extract.2 large eggs, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix gently until you can no longer see any flour.180 g flour, ¾ tsp baking powder.
- Add the chocolate buttons and fudge pieces and stir into the mix.60 g dark chocolate drops, 50 g fudge
- Spoon into an 8″ (20 cm) sq silicone cake mould or lined tin and bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 25 minutes. It should be well risen, golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Topping
- Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Drizzle it over the top of the cake with a teaspoon or piping bag.25 g dark chocolate
- Scatter the fudge pieces over the top.25 g fudge
- Allow the traybake to cool then cut into 9 large squares or 12 more refined rectangles.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Cake Making Giveaway
David & Charles have kindly offered a copy of this excellent book to two lucky Chocolate Log Blog readers.
To be in with a chance of winning one of the books, please fill in the Rafflecopter below. You will need to leave a comment on this post which then gives you additional chances to enter if you so wish. Rafflecopter will pick a winner at random from the entries received.
Please give me some way of identifying you in the comment section as I will need to verify the validity of entries and will always check back to the comments to ensure that part has been done. Any automated entries will be disqualified.
This giveaway is only open to those with a UK postal address. You need to be 18 or over to enter. Winners will need to respond within 7 days of being contacted. Failure to do this may result in another winner being picked.
Prizes are offered and provided by David & Charles and Chocolate Log Blog accepts no responsibility for the acts or defaults of said third party.
Closing date is Saturday 8 June 2013
You might also want to take a look at my giveaway page to see if there is anything else you would like to enter.
chris cook says
i would like a red whisk blend with my kitchen
Michelle says
I would love an orange whisk to match my kitchen
Amanda Gregory says
I should say black to go with my kitchen but really I’d go for purple, as I love everything purple.
cheryl100 says
Red for me 🙂
Carol Bevitt says
I’d like a Cerise pink whisk.
RhiannonAlwen says
A lovely red one.
Leanne B says
Green or Orange to go with my tiles / floor 🙂
Hussy London Housewife says
Ruth Clements is such a brilliant baker / food writer. Can’t wait to have a peek at this great new book
Hayley Todd says
My kitchen is vintage / shabby chic in style and very pink! So I would love a pastel pink whisk!
hussylondonhousewife says
Any, as long as it help me do the job quickly
Tracey Tolchard says
pink…..of course!
Sally Poole says
yellow
jo-anne says
A pink one just for me please!! Cakes look super good on here! :)_
Mark Whittaker says
I think it would be the pink whisk itself , hey its not just girls who like pink lol . Plus it would fit into the purple/red colour scheme
Anonymous says
a rainbow coloured whisk would be unique, yum!!
Susan says
Stainless Steel
Amanda says
Green or Red!
smither666 says
absolutely love baking 😀 at home, in school with the children, at families houses, I love it xxx
kelandab says
Green…. Matches my colour scheme x
Michelle Hughes shell_shoez27@yahoo.com says
I would love a lime green one 🙂
Joanna Sawka says
beige whisk
teresa1963 says
I’d like a nice bright orange one bright and cheery
rachael jones mann says
blue or red for my red white and blue theme
margaret moe dunlop says
pink x
Elizabeth Yeates says
i would like a pink whisk!
samantha_ripley says
i would say black but my girls would want everything in pink
emsmiff says
Stainless Steeel all the way
Katherine Penny says
I would choose red, to match my decor 🙂
Manda Louise says
A Pink Whisk,my favourite colour 🙂
Jenny Rogers says
Purple would be my choice.
patanne1 says
yellow, orange or red for me
Chrissy Faery says
Pink! Although a red one would match my current colour scheme!
katarina micallef says
a green one!
carolD says
A black one as my kitchen has black & silver utensils
Laura Caraher says
It would have to be a purple whisk as it’s my favourite colour 🙂
Naomib1980 says
Red for me x
Diane says
Cream or orange
Rebecca Funnell says
Silver
Phyllis Ellett says
Nice and bright, fed up with all the brushed aluminium etc in kitchens nowadays, so Pink would stand out.
maddogs says
Bright purple. I’m forever putting it down to do something else then losing it so hopefully a bright colour should stand out.
Emma Asante says
Ohh Pink.. Purrrrfect for my kitchen 🙂
Cheryll says
Something bright and funky – lime green or bright orange 🙂
Lucy Mayer says
Pink 🙂
NICOLA TERRY says
Red would be nice to match the glass tiles in my kitchen
Tracy Hughes says
Purple, I seem to be obsessed with that colour these days
tinkertink2010 says
Turquoise 🙂 xoxo
Jen Price says
It would have to be blue to match the name of my blog 🙂
apn1179 says
A royal blue whisk would be nice
jo says
Would have to be purple
updatemaster says
Red as it looks so stylish
Steven Fairbairn says
Blue and white for the Shaymen.
Rebecca Jones says
Light blue
Light-Wilson Francesca says
A bright red one to go with my toaster 🙂
Laura says
I’d love a multi-coloured one.
pepicola says
Purple – it’s the wife’s favourite – Paul Witney
choux pastry hearts says
I have a pink whisk, its brilliant 🙂
laura
xx
Judith Luscombe says
A red whisk would be lovely to match my other kitchen accessories
Andrea @ love and cake says
pink
Rebecca Phillips says
Blue – maybe my son would like to help out then!
saf khan says
I’d like a lime green whisk!
Justlucky says
Yellow to match the sun shine..
wildchild says
Bright red!
cattyhaxby says
A red whisk
Rainbowwitch says
Love a Red Whisk to match the walls of my kitchen
michele omalley says
I’d love a purple one but I dont think it would go in my kitchen lol
Mardylady says
The recipes look amazing. I love cooking and baking, especially for the kids and my hubby. Tray bakes are such a joy for the kids, they can get involved with the decorating but I am sure I am not alone with the bit they enjoy the most…..licking the bowl!!!! as for whisks as the comments seem to be??? I have many metals ones they work well but I would love a purple one think it is the colour a la mode! the book looks fab xx
milkpetal says
Baby pink!
Hele
anna says
turqouise to match with my other kitchen accessories
Mluckw says
Green!
mluckw@gmail.com
Vicki Hennie says
green
Julie Guy says
I’d love a purple or pink whisk, my favourite colours.
Blulu says
Purple and/or silver 🙂
Robyn Loughlin says
I already have a multi-coloured whisk. Its great. Though if I was to buy a new one, it would have to be red, to match my other kitchen gadgets!
Fiona Matters says
Purple – my favorite colour
@PaulM74 says
Black
Mrs M says
Red!
thelittleloaf says
I’d love to win a copy of this, The Pink Whisk is fab!
Vikkii says
I’d have a green whisk in my kitchen especially for my boyfriend!
Alida says
Purple would be my favourite!
JudeVFR400 says
Black. Well, goes with the music in this house.
Sarah Walford says
Purple to match in with my toaster and Kettle
JaynesDen says
Red
Jacky Cole says
Purple
caroline says
I’d just loooove a pink whisk @mscazzingtons on twitter
Rachel says
Blue I think
victoria says
baby pink or baby blue whisk to match my kitchen 😀
Joan says
Green, it’s my favorite color or red to match my kitchen counters. Decisions, decisions!
The Caked Crusader says
Ooh – nice cake
Red, always red!
John Taggart says
Would love a blue one
CG says
I would have a purple whisk!
Corina says
pink
rebecca nisbet says
My kitchen is painted red with cream accessories, so either red or cream
Anna Maria says
Yellow whisk would be lovely.
Nikki says
a whisket a tasket a green and yellow basket? oops! not the right song! um,,,,,, let’s see- i think orange would go nicely in my sunny wee kitchen, thanks!
Cutie Candy Pop says
Red for me, it would match my other things.
Susan Hill says
Love a pink one.
TRUCKINGIRL says
red or silver:)
mebookshelfandi says
I’d love a purple whisk x
Caroline says
A really bright neon yellow would brighten things up.
Anonymous says
Blue or green – I have a bit of a Mediterranean vibe going on
carol810 says
It seems lots of us have red kitchens. I would love a red one too but the one I have at the moment is grey.
vohnmcg.com says
I inherited my grandmother’s vintage Kenwood mixer, which has a sky blue trim. I am gradually adding blue accessories to my kitchen to match it, so would choose a blue whisk. It can be difficult to get the correct shade of blue, so I am just going for any blues which is turning out very nice as it gives a more modern look. Vohn x
Caroline says
My boyfriend’s last name is Cowe so I want one of those whisks with a cow on top!
Cupcaker says
Blue
MrChiblet says
baby blue to match my vintage kitchen cupboard doors
marnellfox says
turquoise
Margaret says
Green
Penny Lee says
pink
Anonymous says
I’d love to have a silver whisk to go with the kitchen
Mary Heatley says
These recipes look so tasty. Not the best for a diet but I’m sure I will get over that.
Frances Fox says
I’d have a lovely red one.
Janice5972 says
red as I have a couple of red appliances
saurus says
Green – it’s an uplifting colour! But probably should be black to match the colour of how my baking usually pans out!
Choclette says
Oh noooooo – it sounds like this book is just what you need!
Alan C says
A sky blue one
Foulds Charley says
a deliciously chocolate colour!
Jenni says
Pink or purple!
Emma Walters says
i’m trying to go for greens when i get my new kitchen so i would go for a green whisk 🙂
Pisces Cate says
I’d love a pink whisk to match the book!
Emily Phipps says
Red – would match my kitchen! Also whisking with something the colour of love might make my cakes taste yummy!
Lynn says
purple, definately purple, i love all things purple
Susan says
Beautiful bakes…Ruth is ace she really knows her stuff, I always go to her first book for basic recipes in different measurements/sizes etc. It has never failed me. x Here is my review from last year…Busy-girls-guide-to-cake-decorating.
Victoria Lee says
Orange!
Janice Pattie says
I’d have to have an aqua blue whisk as that is the colour of my kitchen
Janice Pattie says
How very delicious that bake looks. I follow The Pink Whisk, but don’t have either of these books will need to remedy that!
dark1988 says
Might have to look into this book then. I’ve been put off more than one buying a recipe book due to no photos. I like to have some idea of what I’m cooking/baking, especially if I’ve never tried the recipe before! So this one having photos is a huge selling point for me 🙂
Kim Dillon says
Bright cerise pink – wouldn’t go with anything, but I’d LOVE using it 🙂
Jane Willis says
I ought to say terracotta, to match the kitchen, but actually I think a bright red one to make me whisk aggressively would be a great idea
Jean says
Pink or purple would be my choice of whisk – very girly!!
Tracy K Nixon says
pink or green would match in nicely with my decor!
Rachel A says
I’d love a red whisk, it would add much excitement o my baking! Thanks for the giveaway!
belleau kitchen says
well I already have a rainbow coloured whisk so that would be mine… C, those cakes look so incredible… my mouth is simply watering like crazy!… nice giveaway, thank you x
Angie McDonald says
I’d love a yellow whisk! It would help to brighten up my baking! 🙂