Cakes

This page has a list of cake recipes for all to enjoy and reuse. The collection of cakes vary in flavours, textures and difficulty of preparation, however they all produce fantastic and tasty results to share among friends.



Apple Cinnamon Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Photos by Yasmin

This is a very simple tea cake. It doesn't have much flavour but is very moist and perfect for tea, coffee or a snack. If you have a sweet tooth and aren't a fan of simple flavours then serve this cake with a jam of your choice. You can eat it like a scone with the jam by cutting the cake in two or you can serve it on the side of the cake (as shown in the photo) and eat it with the cake, like with a dessert. This recipe isn't in any way a festive Easter cake, however it is delicious to eat on Easter Monday in the peace and quiet of your home.

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 2 tblsp castor sugar
• 3 tblsp softened butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup milk

Topping:

• 200g green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or more if desired)
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 1/2 tblsp butter, melted

Method:
Preheat oven to 180'C. Prepare cake tin. Sift flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add butter and cut into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the egg and milk. Beat to a smooth batter. Pour into the prepared bake tin.

Combine the apple, cinnamon and cornflour in a bowl - to coat the apple slices in flavour. Arrange on top of the cake batter. Drizzle butter over the top. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Cool in the tin on a rack. Remove from the tin when cooled and serve.




Easter Cake

Recipe and photos by Yasmin

I understand completely that this is being posted a few days after Easter, but this is when I had time to make it. Also, I understand that I am going completely against my rule that this blog would contain no traces of chocolate whatsoever, however, Easter isn't really Easter without some chocolate. So here is my main Easter recipe that is a little bit naughty but a whole lot of fun. I guarantee that you will enjoy making and serving this dessert because it is full of life and the joy of Easter.

Ingredients:

Coffee cake batter:

• 2 tblsp margarine or butter
• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavouring
• 2-3 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 3 tblsp boiled water

Decorations:

• chocolate icing
• melted cooking chocolate
• sugar coated mini chocolate eggs
• cellophane and miniature chicken

Method:
For Coffee Cake; Grease a fluted cake tin. Heat oven 180'C fan forced. Melt butter in a medium sized bowl. Add all other ingredients and beat until smooth. Put in prepared cake tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once cooked turn out onto a wire rack. Prepare chocolate icing while cake is cooling.

For Chocolate icing see Icing and Sauces Page on blog.
Once cake is cooled, ice.

Leave the cake to set. Once set, arrange the cellophane in the middle of the cake to fill majority of the hole. Cover cellophane with sugar coated chocolate eggs. This arrangement of decorations should look like eggs in a nest.

Melt 2-3 tblsp cooking chocolate or cooking choc chips in a plastic zip lock bag (be careful not to burn the chocolate - melt on a low heat). Using scissors, snip a pin prick sized hole at one end of the zip lock bag to create a mess free piping bag. Pipe long lines from left to right until the cake is covered with chocolate lines (as seen in the photo below).

For the finishing touches, place a miniature yellow chicken in the nest near the eggs - giving the Easter and mother hen effect.

Serve.

Sticky Toffe Pudding

Recipe from I Love Sugar
Images by Yasmin

(serves 6-8)
I have always loved caramel flavoured treats and desserts, and recently at a friends house I was reminded of one of my favourites; Sticky Date Pudding. This dessert was so delicious that I promised myself that I would make it again soon. So when the occassion arose, I jumped at the chance to offer this twist to a classic; Sticky Toffee Pudding. Although it almost turned out as a disaster because I forgot to fold in the flour, this dessert will serve everybody's cravings for sweet and scrumptious. I served this cake as a welcome home dessert for my sister, Alana, who has been in Japan for the past three months and is homesick for my cooking! What separates this dessert from the original is that it has more dried fruit, not as many basic cake ingredients, and a new and improved sauce, Sticky Toffee Sauce. I loved this dessert and I know you will too! Did you know that dates are old fruits from the holy land that grow on Date Palms?

Ingredients:
Pudding:

• 75g sultanas
• 150g stoned dates, chopped
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 25g butter
• 200g soft light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200g SR flour

Sticky Toffee Sauce:

• 25g butter
• 17ml double cream
• 200g soft light brown sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 180'C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm round cake tin.

To make pudding, put the sultanas, dates and bi-carb soda into a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak. Put the butter into a separate bowl, add the sugar and mix well. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Drain the soaked fruit, add to the bowl and mix.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and turn out onto wired racks to cool if not serving immediately.

About five minutes before the end of the cooking time, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the cream and sugar and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn out the pudding onto a serving plate and either pour over the sauce or place in a jug and allow guests to serve themselves. Serve with whipped cream or unwhiped cream drizzled on or ice-cream or custard (optional).

Coconut Cake with Passionfruit Sauce

Recipe from Erica
Images by Yasmin

This is a beautiful little tea cake to share among friends. I first ate this cake at a family friends home for morning tea a few years ago and have been baking it ever since. It is just so simple and sweet. I love the different textures of the coconut, passionfruit pulp and soft sponge cake, all combining perfectly in your mouth as you take the first bite. The mixture of textures, flavours and the hot sauce, balances this cake perfectly.

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 170g raw sugar
• 120g butter
• 150g SR flour
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 1 egg
• 60g milk
• 60g coconut milk
• whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Syrup:

• 170g tin passionfruit pulp
• 50g water
• 60g sugar

Method:
Preheat oven 180'C fan forced. Prepare square cake tin. Place sugar in food processor. Pulverise. In seperate bowl, melt butter. Add to sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into prepared tin. bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes in tin. Put on rack to cool completely. For Syrup recipe visit the Icings and Sauces Page on this blog. Serve with cream and syrup.



Jolly Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Images by Yasmin

This cake is very festive. It will suit all special occasions; birthdays, parties, Easter and especially Valentines Day. With knowledge of this upcoming event, and my Mum's birthday, I prepared  this cake in the shape of a love heart and decorated it accordingly. Depending on this situation depends on the decorations and design, be as creative as possible! Personally, I love layered cakes and sweet flavours. In this cake the filling is not the usual cream and strawberries combination, but instead is honey and lemon icing - a beautiful combination. This 'jolly' cake is best shared in the happy accompaniment of friends and family, in order to give life to it's name.

Ingredients:
Base:

• 175g butter
• 175g brown sugar
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 175g SR flour, sifted
• 1/3 cup whisky

Filling:

• 50g butter
• 175g icing sugar
• 1 tblsp lemon juice
• 2 tblsp thick honey (alternatively you can use golden syrup)

Method:
Preheat oven 190'C fan forced. Prepare two cake shallow cake tins for layering. Cream butter, sugar, lemon zest. Gradually beat in eggs, keeping mixture stiff. Fold in half the sifted flour. Add whisky and the remaining flour. Pour evenly into the 2 prepared tins. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Allow to cool on rack.

For lemon butter cream filling, beat all ingredients into a bowl. Sandwich cakes together with half the filling. Spread left over filling on top of the cake. Decorate accordingly. Serve.

Khaki Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible
Image by Yasmin

Khaki Cake is my favourite cake. Not only is it inventive and moist - it has very tasty ingredients including sultanas, coconut and golden syrup. This gives the cake a very pleasant taste and lovely texture. What I love best about this cake is the optional icing. Depending on your fridge ingredients and cravings at the time of baking, this cake is perfect for cream cheese icing or simply plain. Either way it tastes delicious. I would recommend this cake to anyone wanting to try something a little bit different.

Ingredients:

Cake Mixture:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tblsp golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
• 125g butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup sultanas
• desiccated coconut, as much wanted (recommended 1 cup)

Cream Cheese Icing (optional):

• 125g softened cream cheese
• 25g softened butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g icing sugar

(half quantity for less icing - this makes a lot)

Method:

Warm milk and golden syrup together, then stir. Add bi-carb soda and allow to cool. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in egg. Pour cooled milk mixture into butter mixture, then sift in flour, salt and baking powder. Beat well. Add sultanas and vanilla, mix well. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes at 180'C. When cool, ice with cream cheese icing (optional).

Caramel Cake

Recipe from Cake Bible

This is a simple yet yummy cake. It is just as easy to prepare as simplicity cake.

Ingredients:

• 125g butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tblsp golden syrup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 1/2 cup raisins

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200'C fan-forced. Lightly grease and flour a 23cm cake tin.

Cream butter and sugar, and beat in egg. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a separate bowl. Melt golden syrup and milk, and add bi-carb soda. Add milk mixture and sifted dry ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture.

Pour half the mixture into prepared cake tin. Sprinle over raisins. Pour the rest of the mixture over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes.



Coke Cake

Recipe from YouTube

I have never made this cake before and am unlikely to, but I am intrigued by the originality and inventiveness of this recipe. I am posting this recipe as a favor to my friend who showed me this recipe on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9FKn-ESq_M For all who wish to make this recipe, it is really simple to prepare and is sure to keep you awake (from the caffeine)!

Ingredients:

• Packet cake mix
• can of coke

Method:

Pour the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Grease a cake tin and pour in cake mixture. Following the packet instructions, cook the cake. (The longer in the oven the better). Remove from oven and cool for one hour. Remove from tin onto a plate (the cake will stick to the tin). Serve.




Orange Coconut Cake

Recipe from Great Aunt Marie

A truly scrumptious Orange Coconut Cake.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup milk
• 125g (4 oz) butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tblsp grated orange rind
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp soft butter
• 1 1/2 tblsp orange juice, approx.

Method:
Combine coconut and milk in bowl stand 1 hour. Cream butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sifted flour, coconut mixture and extra milk alternately; pour into greased and greased paper-lined 23cm x 12cm loaf tin. Bake in moderate oven 45 to 50 minutes or until cooked when tested. Stand 5 minutes, turn on to wire rank to cool. Top with orange icing (See Icing and Sauces page).



Classic Lamington

Recipe from Great Aunt Marie

(Serves 6)

I have always loved sponge cakes since I was a little child. For many years I would have a sponge cake for my birthday. I love the light texture, the strawberries and of course the whipped cream!! This is the recipe for a classic sponge; however, this recipe can also be slightly twisted to produce another beautiful sponge called Love Heart Lamington (see post or cake page for recipe).

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 cup SR flour
• 2 tblsps boiling water
• 300ml tub thickened cream
• 2 tblsps icing sugar mixture
• 1/3 cup lemon butter, softened
• 1/2 x 250g punnet, strawberries, thinly sliced
• sugar flowers, to decorate

Method:
Grease two 20cm round cake pans. Line base and sides with baking paper.

To make sponge, beat eggs in small bowl of electric mixer for 1 minute, or until mixture reaches top of bowl. Transfer to large bowl of electric mixer. Beat for 7 minutes. Add 1 tblsp of sugar at a time, beating between each addition. Beat in essence. Sift flours twice onto a sheet of baking paper. Sift again over egg mixture. Add water. Using a large balloon whisk, gently fold to combine. Don't stir. Divide mixture between pans. Cook in a moderate oven (180'C fan-forced) for 30 minutes, or until sponges slightly shrink away from sides of pans. Immediately turn out onto wire racks covered with baking paper. Turn sponges, top side up, to cool. Beat cream and icing sugar in small bowl with electric beater until firm peaks form. Place one sponge on serving plate. Spread with lemon butter. Top with strawberries, whipped cream and remaining sponge.

Ice with lemon icing and decorate, then serve (see Icings and Sauces page for recipe).



Love Heart Lamington

Recipe from Great Aunt Marie

This is a great twist to a classic sponge recipe.

Follow the method for making a sponge. Pour into a greased and lined 28cm heart-shaped cake pan. Cook in a moderate oven (1800'C fan-forced) for about 40 minutes, or until cooked. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. When cold, cut in half. Sandwhich together with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Combine 2 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture, 1/2 tsp strawberry essnce, 1/4 cup milk and pink food colouring until smooth. Ice sponge. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.



Whole Orange Cake

Recipe from Super Food Ideas
Images by Renata and Yasmin

(serves 12)

The first time this cake was made in our household it was prepared by my mother. I watched intricately as she showed me the important steps preparing this cake; you must boil the oranges whole, with skin, twice. This is done to remove the bitterness of the orange and softening the peel and pitch; leaving a sweet taste for the cake. I have now successfully, as my friends told me, made a replica of this cake - following my mum's example. Everybody enjoyed devouring this cake at afternoon tea along with a wide collection of my favourite recipes; Gooey Caramel Muffins, Rum Balls (which will sadly not feature in this blog as it contains chocolate) and Scones (an old family recipe). Everybody always has a great time when surrounded by friends, family and great food!

Ingredients:

• 2 small (400g) oranges
• 125g butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups SR flour, sifted
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
• Orange zest to decorate

Orange Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
• 10g butter
• 2 tblsp orange juice

Method:
Preheat oven to 160'C fan-forced. Grease a 24cm (base) fluted ring pan (as seen below).

Place oranges in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil. Drain. Cover with cold water. Return to the boil. Drain. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Roughly chop oranges in quarters. Remove and discard seeds. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Stir  in butter, milk, eggs, flour, sugar and almond meal until combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in cake comes clean. Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes. Use a knife to lightly cut around the edge and middle to separate cake from edges of the tin. Turn onto wire rack and cool.

To make icing: Place sugar, butter and orange juice in a heatproof bowl  over pan of simmering water (bain marie). Stir for 5 minutes or until smooth. Set aside for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour over cake. Top with orange zest. Stand for 15 minutes or until set.