Black Forest Cake

Black Forest Cake

Ingredients :

•   Refined flour – 60 gms
•  Cocoa powder – 60 gms
•  Baking powder – ¼ tsp
•  Soda bi-carb – a pinch
•  Sugar – 120 gms
•  Eggs – 4
•  Melted butter – 120 gms
•  Vanilla essence – 2 drops

For decoration:

•    Whipped cream – 200  gms
•  Grated chocolate –  15 gms
•  Walnuts or broken  cashew nuts
•  or cherries – 50  gms.

Method :

Line and grease two 175 mm diameter cake tins.

Sift flour, cocoa, soda bicarb and baking powder together twice.

Beat eggs and sugar over hot water till thick like custard sauce. Add vanilla essence.

Fold in lightly the sieved flour and melted butter, adding a little water to get pouring consistency.

Put the mixture in the tins and bake at 400º F for about 20 minutes.

Cool and sandwich together with the fresh cream and put a thick layer of cream on top.

Finish off the decoration with chopped nuts on the sides and grated chocolate on top.

Strawberry & Apple Loaf

Strawberry & Apple Loaf

Ingredients :

Self raising flour – 250 gms

Butter – 175 gms

Sugar – 175 gms

Cinnamon - ½ tsp

Castor sugar – 2 tbsp

Apple – 1 medium

Strawberries – 225 gms

Eggs, beaten -2

Orange zest, finally grated of 1 orange

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Method :

Heat oven to 180º C

Butter and line the bottom of a 9 x 20 x 13 cm loaf tin.

In a large bowl, rub the flour, butter and sugar together with your fingers to make fine crumb.

Measure out 5 level tbsp of this mixture into a small bowl for the topping, and mix into the cinnamon and castor sugar. Set aside.

Coarsely grate the apple down to the core and mix in with the eggs and the zest.

Stir the baking powder into the rubbed-in mixture in the large bowl, and then quickly and lightly stir in the egg mixture until it drops lightly from the spoon. Don’t over mix.

Gently fold in 3 quarters of the berries with the metal spoon trying not to break them up.

Spoon into the tin and level.

Scatter the rest of the berries on top. Sprinkle over the topping and bake for 75-80 minutes. Check after 50 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it is browning too much. When done, the cake will feel firm, but test with a skewer to make sure.

Leave in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out, and then cool completely on a wire rack.

Peel off the paper before cutting. Will keep wrap in foil or in a tin for upto 2 days.

Tropical Fruit Gratin

Tropical Fruit Gratin

Ingredients :

Tamarillos – 2

Sweet Pineapple – ½

Ripe Mango - 1

Blackberries – 175 gms

Sparkling White Wine – 120 ml

Caster (superfine) Sugar – 115 gms

Egg Yolks - 6

Method :

Cut each tamarillo in half lengthways and then into thick slices.

Cut the rind and core from the pineapple and take spiral slices off the outside to remove the eyes.

Cut the flesh into chunks. Peel the mango, cut it in half and cut the flesh from the stone (pit) in slices.

Divide all the fruit, including the blackberries, among four l4 cm gratin dishes placed on a baking sheet and set aside.

Heat the wine and sugar in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Put the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until pale.

Slowly pour on the hot sugar syrup, whisking all the time, until the mixture thickens.

Preheat the grill (broiler).

Spoon the mixture over the fruit, Place the baking sheet holding the dishes on a low shelf under the hot grill until the topping is golden.

Serve hot.

Tips & Variations :-

Although boiling drives off alcohol in the wine, children do not always appreciate the flavour; so substitute orange juice if making the gratin for them. White grape juice or pineapple would also work well.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake

Ingredients :

Powdered sugar – 170 gms

Butter or margarine – 170 gms

Self –raising flour – 170 gms or plain flour with 1 ½ tsp baking powder

Eggs – 3

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Milk – ½ cup

Method :

Sieve the flour.

Take out the butter from the refrigerator 1 hour in advance

Cream the butter and sugar very well.

When the mixture is light and creamy, add the eggs, one at a time, beating each time thoroughly.

If the mixture curdles while adding the eggs, add a little flour before adding the next egg.

Finally, fold in the flour and add milk until the mixture forms a dropping consistency.

Add the vanilla essence.

Grease and dust two 175 mm diameter sandwich tins.

Pour half the mixture into each of the two prepared tins.

Bake in a hot oven at 400° F for 20 minutes.

Tips & Variations :-

Orange Sandwich: Add finely grated rind of 2 oranges when creaming the margarine and sugar. Fill with orange butter icing and top with orange glace icing.

Chocolate Sandwich: Instead of 170 gms of self raising flour, use 140 gms of the flour and 30 gms of cocoa. Fill with chocolate butter icing and top with chocolate glace icing.

Raspberry Triffle

Raspberry Triffle

Ingredients :

Trifle Sponges or Cubes of plain Victoria sponge or coarsely crumbled sponge fingers – 17 gms

Medium Sherry – 4 tbsp

Raspberry Jam – 115 gms

Raspberries – 275 gms

Custard – 2 cups, flavoured with 2 tbsp medium or sweet sherry

Whipping Cream – ¼ cup

Icing (confectioners’) Sugar – 1 tbsp

Toasted flaked (sliced) Almonds and Mint Leaves - to decorate.

Method :

Spread half of the sponges, cake cubes or sponge fingers over the bottom of a large serving bowl. (A glass bowl is best for presentation.)

Sprinkle half of the sherry over the cake to moisten it.

Spoon over half of the jam, dotting it evenly over the cake cubes.

Reserve a few raspberries for decoration. Make a layer of half of the remaining raspberries on top.

Pour over half of the custard, covering the fruit and cake. Repeat the layers. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, whip the cream with the icing sugar until it forms soft peaks.

Spoon the sweetened whipped cream evenly over the top of the custard.

To decorate, sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and arrange the reserved raspberries and the mint leaves on top. Serve as soon as possible.

Tips & Variations :-

Use other ripe summer fruit such as apricots, peaches, nectarines arid strawberries in the trifle, with jam and liqueur to complement the fruit.

Carrot, Orange and Banana Semolina Cake

Carrot, Orange and Banana Semolina Cake

Ingredients :

 Oranges- 2 

 Vegetable oil – 125 ml

 Plain flour -125 g 

 Carrots, grated – 275 g

 Baking Powder – 1tsp   

 Banana, mashed – 225 g

 Baking soda – 1 tsp        

 Egg whites – 3

 Castor sugar – 250 g      

 Dried cranberries – 60 g

Method :

Line the base of a 20cm round tin with a parchment paper.

Place oranges in a saucepan and cover with water.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until oranges are soft. Drain, cool then cut into chunks removing pips. Mash with a potato masher until very fine.

Mix flour, baking powder, soda, sugar and semolina together in a bowl.

Mix orange, oil, carrot and banana into dry ingredients until combined.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake mixture.

Pour the cake mixture into the tin. Sprinkle over dried cranberries.

Bake at 180°C for 1 ½ – 1 ½ hours or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Cool it in for 10 minutes before turning into a cooling rack.

Cut into slices and serve.