Recipes - Horizon Guest House

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

Posted on May 20, 2026May 21, 2026 by Angus

I’m always searching for the perfect chocolate cake recipe – one that uses oil instead of butter so that it’s moist, doesn’t have too much sugar, and isn’t too complicated to whip up at short notice. I found a recipe that was pretty close and made some of my own modifications. It’s super moist, and the recipe is straight-forward. It’s also perfect for splitting and filling with whipped cream and your favorite jam.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup (250g) all-purpose flour

⅔ cup (56g) cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

½ cup (110g) packed light brown sugar

¾ teaspoon (4.5g) fine table salt

2 large eggs

½ cup (120ml) canola oil

¾ cup (180ml) Greek yoghurt (full fat or non-fat is fine)

1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract

1 cup (240ml) hot coffee

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans, option to dust lightly with flour or cocoa powder (the cocoa powder clings to the sides of the pan and can help the cake to rise higher). Line the base with circles of parchment papers. (It’s best not to use springform pans as the cake batter can leak out).

Make the coffee and keep it hot. I usually make an espresso (I use decaf since not everyone wants the caffeine) and add hot water to make up to a cup. If you are using instant coffee, add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules (or 2 teaspoons of espresso powder) to 1 cup of boiling water. Put aside and continue with making the cake batter.

Combine the dry ingredients. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add both types of sugar and salt, and whisk to blend well. Ensure the ingredients are combined, working out any lumps of brown sugar.

Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Adding the eggs, oil, Greek yoghurt and vanilla, and whisking to blend.

Use a spatula to make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients.

Mix with an electric handheld mixer on medium-low speed until blended. Option to use a stand mixer with whisk attachment. The mixture will be fairly dry.

Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages, mixing until evenly combined and the batter is smooth. The batter will be quite thin.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and tap the pans on the countertop to allow any large air bubbles to surface and pop.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before running a knife around the sides and turning the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.

Optional: Half each cake horizontally and remove the top layer of one of the cakes (this gives you four layers – three flat and one with the top). Then you can build your layers, a layer of whipped cream, then jam, then whipped cream and then the remaining top of one of the cakes.

Pumpkin Maple Cornbread

Posted on October 30, 2025November 26, 2025 by Angus

This recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving when you need to make something with only the most basic of ingredients on hand (plus a can of pumpkin purée). This cornbread works as both a side for Thanksgiving or as a dessert. We’ve adapted the recipe from The New York Times by substituting plain yoghurt for buttermilk, making this something that’s easy to whip up on Thanksgiving morning.

Ingredients

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter (1¼ stick), melted, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 cup/180 grams finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup/165 grams packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 cup/240 milliliters canned pumpkin purée
• ½ cup/120 milliliters buttermilk or Plain Greek yoghurt
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 milliliters maple syrup
• ¼ cup/15 grams pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan (we used a glass dish of a similar size). Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter the parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup melted butter, the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin purée, buttermilk/yoghurt and ½ cup maple syrup.

Fold in the dry ingredients. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth out the top.

Top evenly with the pumpkin seeds.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the surface has turned a dark brown color – 25 to 30 minutes, but may need up to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

Transfer bread in the pan to a wire rack. While the bread is still warm, brush the entire surface with the butter-maple mixture. Remove the cornbread from the pan using the overhanging parchment, and cut cornbread into pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Peanut Chocolate Brownies

Posted on July 30, 2025August 14, 2025 by Angus

This recipe is a New Zealand classic and though it’s called a brownie it’s actually a chocolate cookie with crunchy roasted peanuts.

Ingredients

125g butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 ½ cups standard plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 Tbs cocoa powder

1 cup roasted peanuts (optional to roast again in the oven prior for extra flavor)

¼ cup of dark chocolate (buttons or chips)

Makes 20 brownies (cookies)

Instructions

Oven roast the peanuts for about 10-15 mins at 350F (lay out on an oven tray). Cream butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well.

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder together. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Add peanuts and chocolate (if using chocolate buttons chop roughly). Mix well.

Divide mixture and roll into about 20 balls. Place balls on a greased oven tray. Use a floured fork to flatten each brownie.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350F. Remove from oven and allow time to cool.

Let us know what you think of the New Zealand ‘brownie’ in the comments below. Is it just a cookie, or something a little different?

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Posted on June 14, 2025July 28, 2025 by Angus

This is a great variation on banana bread, with chocolate chips for that extra something special. Allspice, cinnamon and molasses give the cake a unique, aromatic flavor.

Recipe from Jim Lahey and Maya Joseph, adapted by Melissa Clarke at New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients

84 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

135 grams all-purpose flour

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup olive oil

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

½ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)

120 grams chocolate chips

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and fine sea salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, allspice, cinnamon, espresso and vanilla until just combined. The secret to this cake’s texture is to stop mixing before the sugar is dissolved.

Use a spatula to mix egg into butter mixture, then stir in flour mixture just to combine. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and bake until top is golden and sides begin to pull away from pan, about 25 minutes.

Let cool for at least 20 minutes (or longer, until completely cooled), then run a thin spatula around the edges to separate from the pan. Invert onto a serving plate. Cake will keep for 1 day, covered.

Cranberry tart with almond flour crust

Posted on November 29, 2024July 28, 2025 by Angus

This version of the classic cranberry tart is our modified version of the recipe by David Tanis at the New York Times. Rather than a hazelnut and rice flour crust we made an almond flour crust (gluten-free) – which is a lot easier to make – and reduced the amount of butter in the curd and the amount of eggs and yolks used.

We found there were better results by taking the time to use an immersion blender on the cranberry mixture and then to carefully press the mixture through a sieve in order to produce a smooth curd.

Ingredients

Pie crust

2 cups of almond flour

2 tablespoons corn starch

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

6 tablespoons (100 grams) softened butter

Cranberry curd

12 ounces (340 grams) fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

Orange peel from 1 orange

Orange juice from 1 orange (about ½ cup)

3 eggs

½ stick of softened butter (about 55 grams)

Instructions

Make the crust: in a food processor add almond flour, corn starch and salt. Pulse to mix.

Cream sugar and butter in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon until thick.

Add flour mixture to the bowl and combine until a dough is formed (add a little cold water if the dough is on the crumbly side).

Press the dough into a 10-inch tart pan (grease pan with cooking oil spray or similar), using about half the dough for the base and half for the sides. Prick the dough with a fork and then freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350F and then bake the pie shell until a light brown (about 15 minutes). Allow time to cool.

Cranberry curd: place fresh cranberries, sugar, orange juice and orange peel into a saucepan over a medium heat.

Simmer mixture until the cranberries have softened – 10 minutes or so.

Remove mixture from heat and remove the orange peel. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture while still in the saucepan until it resembles a purée. Press purée mixture through a mesh sieve.

In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and then slowly whisk about a cup of the warm cranberry mixture into the eggs to temper before adding the remaining mixture. Whisk together. Add softened butter, whisking to combine.

Return the mixture to a clean saucepan and cook over a low heat until thick – 10 minutes or so.

Allow mixture to cool. Pour the cooled cranberry mixture into the tart shell and smooth the surface of the curd with a spatula.

Bake at 350F for 10 minutes to set the curd.

Allow time to cool. Serve with whipped cream. Store the tart in the refrigerator.

Happy Holidays!

How did your pie turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Pumpkin & ginger pie

Posted on October 30, 2024December 6, 2024 by Angus

A slightly different variation on the classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Crystallized ginger adds an extra tangy flavor!

Ingredients

Pie filling

2 eggs

1 can of pumpkin puree

1 1/3 cups of heavy cream

¾ cup of brown sugar

½ cup chopped crystallized ginger

1 ½ tsp of pumpkin pie spice, or:

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp of salt

Pastry or pie crust for 9-inch deep-dish pie

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F and prepare the pie crust. We made our own but store-bought works just as well.

In a food processor pulse together the chopped ginger and brown sugar.

In a large bowl beat the eggs together. Stir in the remaining ingredients including the ginger and sugar.

Pour mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 425F and then an additional 40-45 minutes at a reduced temperature of 350F.

Allow time to cool and then refrigerate before serving with whipped cream.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How did your pie turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Strawberry Shortcake with Baked Oats

Posted on January 30, 2024December 30, 2024 by Angus

This is a breakfast cake! A unique take on a strawberry shortcake, made with oat flour (easy to make yourself). This cake is a great way to prep tasty breakfasts for the week ahead.

Ingredients

Cake

5-6 Large Strawberries (Mashed)

4 Dates (soak in hot water for 5 minutes, drain & then mash)

2 Cups Oat Flour

1 Cup Almond Flour

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 Cup Oat (or Soy Milk)

A Pinch of Salt

Cashew Protein Whip

1 Cup Vanilla Yoghurt

2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 Cup Cashews (soak in hot water for 10 minutes, and then drain)

2 Tbsp Agave (or choice of liquid sweetener)

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a square baking tray.

Make your own oat flour in the food processor or blender. Super easy and quick!

Mix together all the ingredients for the cake. The mixture should be thick and slightly sticky.

Pour mixture into the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely and slice in half horizontally.

Make the cashew whip. Place all the cashew protein whip ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth.

Place one layer of the cake in the bottom of a container, top with half the cashew protein whip and then add the other layer of cake, and then the remaining whip on top. Set in the fridge for 3 hours.

Garnish with a sliced strawberry and a dash of cinnamon! Can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.

We hope you enjoyed making this breakfast cake!

How did your breakfast cake turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek

Chocolate Cherry Bars

Posted on December 28, 2023December 30, 2024 by Angus

Perfect for the holiday season, these chocolate bars are sweet, chewy and snack-size. These bars can be made with different types of preserves but we went for cherry because it’s such a great combination with chocolate.

This recipe is a variation on a Bob’s Red Mill recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Bars. We used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour but other brands work just as well.

Ingredients

1½ cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 cup Rolled Oats

½ cup Wheat Germ

½ cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

1 cup melted Butter

10 oz Cherry Preserves

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

½ tsp ground Cinnamon

1 cup Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, oats, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add melted butter and stir until the consistency of a crumbly dough.

Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

In a bowl, combine cherry preserves, vanilla and cinnamon and then spread evenly over the mixture in the pan.

Sprinkle chocolate chips and the remaining mixture over the preserves.

Bake until the top layer is brown and the preserves begin to bubble. Approximately 35-40 minutes.

Cool completely before slicing.

We hope you enjoyed making these chocolate cherry bars.

How did your bars turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek

Key Lime Pie with Almond Macadamia Nut Crust

Posted on November 15, 2023December 30, 2024 by Angus

Key Lime Pie is a classic and we decided to make it with a twist! We had some guests that were gluten-free so the challenge was to create a tasty crust without the gluten. The answer was a combination of almond flour and roasted ground macadamia nuts.

The Key Lime Pie filling recipe is courtesy of Vaughn Vreeland at The New York Times.

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

- 6 oz macadamia nuts
- 1 cup almond flour
- A pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 2/3 of a stick of butter

FOR THE FILLING

- 1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh finely grated Key lime zest and ½ cup juice*
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), or ¼ teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare the crust: Lightly roast the macadamia nuts [300 degrees for about 10 minutes] – grind up using Cuisinart. Add almond flout, pinch of salt, 1/3 cup regular sugar and pulse to combine. Add 2/3 of a stick of melted butter and pulse to combine.

Turn out into a pie or tart pan (I used a tart pan with removable bottom) and press to even out bottom and sides. Use a square sided measuring cup to help smooth it out.

Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until the color begins to deepen slightly. Cool completely.

While the crust cools, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, yolks, lime zest and salt. Add the lime juice and whisk until evenly combined and noticeably thicker, about 1 minute.

*I juiced one lemon first into the measuring cup, then juiced the balance from regular limes to make the 1/2 cup of juice. The zest was only from the limes.

(You may be tempted to prepare the curd in advance, but don’t do so more than 5 minutes before baking, as the lime juice may cause the mixture to curdle.)

Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the curd is set at the edges and slightly jiggly in the middle. Transfer to a rack to cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

We hope you enjoyed making this delicious twist on the classic Key Lime Pie!

How did your pie turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Posted on October 16, 2023December 30, 2024 by Angus

Pumpkin flavored treats are comfort food this time of year. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars are easy to make and perfect for Halloween, or as a treat with your morning coffee. The key is not to overwork the dough as this can change the consistency of the cookie bar.

This recipe is courtesy of Jesse Szewczyk at The New York Times.

Ingredients

¾ cup/170 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks)
Nonstick cooking spray or neutral oil
1¾ cups/385 grams packed light brown sugar
¾ cup/170 grams canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups/320 grams all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ cups/9 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

In a saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring continuously to prevent the milk solids from burning. Stir until the butter foams, darkens to a light amber color and becomes fragrant and nutty, approx. 3 to 4 minutes more (be careful that the butter doesn’t burn).

Pour the butter along with any of the browned milk solids into a large heatproof mixing bowl. Let cool for 20 minutes until warm, not hot.

Heat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch metal or glass baking pan with cooking spray or oil. Line with a piece of parchment paper that hangs over the two long sides to create a kind of sling.

Add the brown sugar, pumpkin purée and vanilla extract to the cooled butter and whisk until smooth and glossy.

Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cloves and nutmeg (you can substitute pumpkin spice if you don’t have cloves and nutmeg).

Stir with a spatula until a soft dough forms with no patches of unincorporated flour. (Be careful not to overmix).

Add 1 ¼ cups/216 grams of the chocolate chips and stir, taking care to evenly distribute throughout the dough.

Transfer the dough to the baking pan and press into an even layer using a spatula or clean hands coated with nonstick spray or oil. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chocolate chips – press them in so they stick.

Bake until the bars are puffed and the top is lightly browned. A skewer or a knife inserted into the center should come out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. Using the parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 24 squares.

You can keep the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

We hope you enjoyed making this Halloween-inspired treat!

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

This recipe is a New Zealand classic and though it’s called a brownie it’s actually a chocolate cookie with crunchy roasted peanuts.

Ingredients

Instructions

This is a great variation on banana bread, with chocolate chips for that extra something special. Allspice, cinnamon and molasses give the cake a unique, aromatic flavor.

Recipe from Jim Lahey and Maya Joseph, adapted by Melissa Clarke at New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients

Instructions

We found there were better results by taking the time to use an immersion blender on the cranberry mixture and then to carefully press the mixture through a sieve in order to produce a smooth curd.

Ingredients

Instructions

How did your pie turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

A slightly different variation on the classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Crystallized ginger adds an extra tangy flavor!

Ingredients

Instructions

How did your pie turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

This is a breakfast cake! A unique take on a strawberry shortcake, made with oat flour (easy to make yourself). This cake is a great way to prep tasty breakfasts for the week ahead.

Ingredients

Instructions

How did your breakfast cake turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek

Perfect for the holiday season, these chocolate bars are sweet, chewy and snack-size. These bars can be made with different types of preserves but we went for cherry because it’s such a great combination with chocolate.

This recipe is a variation on a Bob’s Red Mill recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Bars. We used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour but other brands work just as well.

Ingredients

Instructions

How did your bars turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek

Key Lime Pie is a classic and we decided to make it with a twist! We had some guests that were gluten-free so the challenge was to create a tasty crust without the gluten. The answer was a combination of almond flour and roasted ground macadamia nuts.

The Key Lime Pie filling recipe is courtesy of Vaughn Vreeland at The New York Times.

Ingredients

Instructions

How did your pie turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek

Pumpkin flavored treats are comfort food this time of year. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookie bars are easy to make and perfect for Halloween, or as a treat with your morning coffee. The key is not to overwork the dough as this can change the consistency of the cookie bar.

This recipe is courtesy of Jesse Szewczyk at The New York Times.

Ingredients

Instructions

How did your cookie bars turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

Author: Angus Meek