Category Archives: Cakes
Various cakes
DATE TRUFFLES
DATE TRUFFELS
Ingredients:
250g dates (pitted)
1 packet Tennis or Marie biscuits
110g butter or margarine
2.5ml vanilla essence
90ml sugar
1 egg, beaten
Desiccated coconut
METHOD:
Chop the dates ensuring no pits remain.
Crush the biscuits.
Combine the dates, butter, vanilla essence and sugar in a small pot.
Cook over low heat until well mixed and soft.
Allow to cool slightly, add the beaten egg and crushed biscuits and mix well.
Shape into small balls by hand and roll in the coconut.
Store in the fridge.
ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES
This remains a firm favourite with my kids. We have it at least twice a month and they never get tired of eating it! We love it with vanilla ice cream or whipped fresh cream.
ROCKY ROAD BROWNIE BARS
Makes about 2
Ingredients
2 cups of chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups of cake flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 ½ teapoon of baking powder
¾ cup of sugar
1 1/4 cup of soft brown sugar
6 tablespoon of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups of mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups of walnuts, coarsely chopped
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C. Spray a 13x9inch baking pan with non stick cooking spray and lay the bottom with parchment paper.
Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a small bowl and melt in the microwave and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
Beat in the dry flour mixture and spread this mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly sticky.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the marshmallows, remaining chocolate chips and walnuts. Return to oven for 2 minutes or until the marshmallows begin to melt.
Variation: Substitute the vanilla essence with peppermint essence and sprinkle peppermint crisp chocolate over instead of the chocolate chips for a pepperminty flavour.
Let them cool for about 30 minutes and cut into bars.
ORANGE CAKE
This delicious cake is rich and full of flavours. Perfect snack or afternoon treat!
Orange Cake, a deliciously moist cake!
Ingredients
Serves: 12
250g cake (plain) flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
200g caster sugar
125ml milk
125ml orange juice
125ml vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest
Orange butter icing:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
250g icing sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and flour two 20cm round cake tins.
In a measuring jug, combine milk, 125ml orange juice, oil, beaten eggs and
1½ teaspoons orange zest. Set aside.
Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Mix in sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Divide cake mixture between the two prepared tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool.
To make Orange Butter Icing:
Cream butter until smooth. Gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoons orange juice to bring to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla and 1 teaspoon orange zest. Spread over cooled cakes.
ENJOY!!
Orange cakes are especially delicious in winter when citrus is in season
COOK’s TIP FOR BAKING A PERFECT CAKE:
When making a cake it is important to follow the recipe exactly. If you try to skip a step you may have less than desirable results. Skip the sifting step and your flour will be heavier than it should, creating a heavy, dry cake. Over-mix and your cake will be tough and chewy, more like a good bread.
First, use the right ingredients and measure carefully.
Beat the liquid ingredients well before combining with the dry ingredients. Once the dry ingredients are added, the cake should be stirred gently, unless the directions tell you otherwise. If your cake is course and dry, or has tunnels, you have probably over-mixed.
Preheat the oven as directed. Starting in a cold oven, or too hot an oven will affect the rising and browning of the cake. A cake started in a cool oven will not allow the cake to rise sufficiently before the crust forms and the cake may fall. Too hot an oven may cause a crack to develop, and the crust to harden and overbrown. The cake should be placed in the center of the oven for best heat distribution. Be aware of your oven, if there are hot spots in your oven you may need to adjust.
The cake is done when it is lightly browned and it springs back when lightly pressed with the fingertip in the center or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry. The cake will have begun to shrink away from the sides of the pan.
Ensure your ingredients are room temperature before starting your cake.
BANANA LOAF
Banana Loaf
Ingredients:
125g butter
Extra butter for greasing the tins
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
500g selfraising flour
4 bananas, mashed
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 1 large loaf tin or 2 small loaf tins with the extra butter.
In a mixing bowl cream together butter, sugar and eggs.
Mix in mashed bananas. Add flour, bicarb and milk and mix to a thick batter. Pour into the prepared tins. Bake in preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes. To test if the cake is done insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out dry the cake is done.
BANANA LOAF
CHOCOLATE CAKE
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Quick and economical to make!!
These ingredients makes a 20cm round cake. For a larger or square cake double the amounts and adjust your baking time accordingly.
Ingredients:
3 eggs separated (use the yolk)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
Mix the above ingredients well.
ADD
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour
Whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into cake mixture. Divide into 2 well greased round (20cm) baking tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approx 15-20 minutes. Decorate with cream, butter cream, icing sugar….
CARROT CAKE
CARROT CAKE
Ingredients:
300g cake flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
200g soft brown sugar
4 eggs
250ml oil
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
200g carrots, finely grated
150g walnuts, chopped
227g tin pineapple pieces, well drained and chopped (optional)
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
50g icing sugar
250g cream cheese
Method:
Heat the oven to 170C/fan. Line a 20cm, 10cm deep cake tin. Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar. Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests. Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture. Fold in the walnuts and pineapple if using. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool.
For the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it’s thick but spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and continues upwards from the side of the cake. Decorate with walnuts (optional)
Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights - Salwaa Smith 
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