LILY'S WHITE CHOCOLATE AND MACADAMIA TRAY BAKE

I dedicate this recipe to Lily; whose 80th birthday party I made this white chocolate and macadamia tray bake for. Topped with cream cheese frosting and gorgeous little pastel colored sugar flowers in keeping with the color theme of the day, they went down a storm and I just had to get them up on here so that people could give them a go at home. The recipe is super easy to follow but they look and taste so great that it goes to show that you don't always have to make something complicated to treat someone on their special day!

There isn't much I would recommend changing about this recipe. If your not a fan of white chocolate then I can't imagine why you would be looking at a recipe for a white chocolate tray bake. The macadamia nuts are a perfect companion to the white chocolate but they can be left out if you are allergic to nuts. You could use some other types of nuts as well if you like. Pecans, walnuts and maybe even some pistachios would all work delightfully.  

As for the cream cheese frosting, well I love a cream cheese frosting, I find it the most easiest to make and to work with (and it's also quite naughty!). You can ice your cakes with another type of icing if you prefer. A buttercream, fondant or maybe just a white icing. Along as it's enough to stick down your sugar flowers on top and taste delicious then go for it!

Sugar flowers. pick them up online. The Craft Company sell them for a very reasonable price. They are featured in this recipe as they fit with the theme of Lily's party so if you want to decorate them with something else or just leave them plain feel free. The decoration is where you can stamp your personality on the tray bake.

Lets get to it. Recipe below will make 25 portions. You can double up quantities and tin sizes if you are catering for a large gathering (or you just really love white chocolate, nuts and cakes!).

White Chocolate And Macadamia Tray Bake

275g White Chocolate Broken Into Chunks

165g Softened Unsalted Butter

100g Golden Caster Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

130g Plain Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

150g Chopped Macadamia Nuts
300g Icing Sugar
125g Cream Cheese

1. Begin by turning your oven on to 180 degrees (160 fan) and line a 22cm square baking tray with grease proof paper.
2. Place 175g of the white chocolate chunks and 115g of butter in a large heatproof bowl and place this over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir regularly until everything has melted and combined together.
3. Remove the bowl from over the pan and stir in the sugar before adding in the 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp of the vanilla extract and beating together until well combined.
4. Add in the flour, baking powder, half the chopped macadamias and the remaining chocolate chunks and fold them through until the flour is fully incorporated into the mix.
5. Tip the mixture in the tin, level it out and sprinkle over the remaining nuts. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out almost clean (the tray bake will bake for a little longer when out the oven). Check the bake after 15 minutes and if the top is browning too quick, cover with foil and place backin the oven until baked.
6. Remove the tray bake form the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin to allow it to firm up.
7. Once the cake is firm and cool, remove from the tin and prepare your cream cheese frosting. Add the icing sugar, cream cheese, 50g butter and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and beat together until well combined and the mixture becomes a fluffy frosting has formed. Do not over beat otherwise the frosting will become too runny.
8. Spread the frosting over the top of the tray bake and then place the tray bake in the fridge or in a cool place to allow the frosting to firm up. Once ready, cut into 25 equal sized pieces and decorate each piece with your sugar flowers.

You cakes are now ready to go. Place them on a large platter and put them on your buffet table and let your guests help themselves. The sponge will be gorgeously moist and delicious and each bite will contain a stunning light nutty flavor from the macadamia nuts and little bursts of white chocolates from the chocolate chunks you folded through the batter. The frosting adds even more naughtiness to the diddy cakes whilst the little sugar flowers just make them look so cute and irresistible. Lily's cakes are amazing and I suggest if your having a party to celebrate a special person in your life then this tray bake is the one to go for!