Sweet NZ April Roundup

Well here it is, my round up of all the delicious and wonderful creations whipped up this month. Fruit featured heavily in the recipes for this month, and its not hard to understand why. All the beautiful stone fruit collected over summer, the new season apples and feijoas and the zingy fresh taste from berries, it's hard not to bake without having fruit, or in one case beetroot, as inspiration.

So, lets begin...

First up was Bridget from After Taste with a recipe of a Late Summer Plum Cake. This looks so perfect and in her own words is "moist, tender and wonderfully fruity" and can be made with apples, nectarines or peaches. Sounds pretty perfect to me.

Next was Alessandra with two recipes she actually managed to send while away in South America battling with ovens that don't work. Her first one from Only Recipes is Fresh As lychees, raspberries and feijoas dipped in dark chocolate.

And the second one from her Alessandra Zecchini website is a Very Easy Semifreddo Dessert...which looks delicious, and not only very easy to make but would go down a real treat at any dinner party to impress guests. Happy travels Alessandra!

Mairi from Toast made the most amazingly flavour combination shortbread with her Lime, Clove and Pinenut Shortbread. I bet her kitchen smelled delicious while these were baking.

Lesley from eat,etc made Coffee and Walnut Cupcakes which sound like my ideal morning tea snack. I LOVE coffee cake.

Coffee lovers will love these little mouthfuls of coffee and walnut cupcakes, light in texture, rich in taste.

The lovely Nicola from Homegrown Kitchen made an amazing Pink Butterfly Cake for her daughters third birthday. Isn't it beautiful?

It is moist and light, while dairy- and egg-free, low in sugar and boosted with the power of beetroot. Iced with a cashew 'cream' icing, delicately coloured with a few drops of homegrown beetroot juice.  

Zo from Two Spoons made a Magic Custard Cake with Raspberries and Caramel Sauce. I'm a sucker for anything custardy so I'm pretty sure I'm going to try and make this!

Frances from Bake Club made a chocolate version of a louise cake with this Chocolate Cherry Louise Cake. Yummo!! 

Sue from from one of my favourite blogs Couscous & Consciousness gives us a recipe for Fig, Vanilla and Chocolate Jam. After reading her post I wish I was having the same breakfasts she is enjoying with this jam!! Oh my goodness it sounds amazing.

Lydia from Lydia Bakes has had an exciting new blog extreme makeover, so you should check her out just for that, let alone these swoon worthy Passionfruit Cupcakes with Passionfruit Curd Filling!

Don't they look divine? I've got a whole load of passionfruit pulp sitting in my freezer from an amazing summer haul, so I'm thinking the curd recipe alone is a great way to use them up.

And Lydia says "These delicious cupcakes are filled with delicious and easy to make passionfruit curd, then topped with creamy passionfruit buttercream (I even show you how to decorate them!) I'm not lying when I say these are one of my favourite cupcakes I've ever made!"

And lastly, myself with my Apple Meringue Pie recipe from all the abundant apples I've had this month. This is a warm filling dessert perfect for the cooler evenings, with a bit more glam than your average apple pie.

That's it folks - go and check each of these wonderful blogs out and get some baking inspiration. And if you haven't done so yet join us in May for the next Sweet NZ entry. May is being hosted by  Bridget from After Taste.