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Number 1 Birthday Cake


I made a number 1 birthday cake for my granddaughter, Aisha, who turned 1 last week. For this cake I made a double batch of  my chocolate cake mixture. I drew a number 1 on a A4 paper, cut it out, then shaped the number 1 from there onto the cakes. With the left over cake pieces I made a chocolate trifle.

Number 1 Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

To make the number 1 cake you will need to make 2 batches of chocolate cake mixture.

Ingredients for 1 cake:

3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cake flour

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 25cm x 20cm baking tin. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric beater mix together the egg yolk, sugar, water and oil until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the dry ingredients and fold it into the wet ingredients.

Use a clean, dry bowl and whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold the stiff egg whites into the cake mixture. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Now mix and bake the second layer as above.

Cool the cakes on a cooling rack

Cool the cakes on a cooling rack

Draw and cut out a number 1 on an A4 paper

Draw and cut out a number 1 on an A4 paper

Place the number 1 shape in the centre of the cake, secure with toothpicks. Cut the cake around the number 1

Place the number 1 shape in the centre of the cake, secure with toothpicks. Cut the cake around the number 1

Sandwich the layers together with chocolate butter cream

Sandwich the layers together with chocolate butter cream

To make the butter cream you will need

125g soft butter

1 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Enough milk to make it spreadable

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder mix together. Add drops of milk to make the mixture soft and spreadable. Sandwich the 2 layers together using the butter cream.

Decorate the cake with ganache

Spread ganache over the cake

To make the ganache you will need:

400g good quality chocolate

200ml fresh cream

Method:
Pour the cream into a pan and heat until it is about to boil.
Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Allow ganache to cool before pouring spreading over the cake.

Decorate with sweets or as you like

Decorate with sweets or as you like

I used the left over cake pieces to make a chocolate trifle. I’ll share the recipe in my next post.

Click here for details of where to purchase the NEW Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook by Salwaa Smith

Triangle Cheesecake


Triangle Cheesecake

Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights

From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!

One of the first cheesecake recipes I learned to make as a teenager many years ago and it is still one of my favourites to make and share with my family.

Triangle Cheesecake

Triangle Cheesecake

Ingredients:
125g butter
1 large egg
250g cream cheese
24 tennis biscuits
1 cup fresh cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
15 glacé cherries
Flake chocolate to decorate
Foil

Method:
In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together.

Add the egg, vanilla essence and cream cheese.

Place 3 rows of tennis biscuits on a piece of foil.

Place rows length wise side by side.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the biscuits.

Add a row of cherries down the centre.

Lift the foil from sides of the pyramid leaving the center biscuits to form a base, pinch the two sides together to close.

Leave to set in the fridge overnight.

Before serving, spread the cake with whipped cream and garnish with the chocolate.

Cook’s Notes

You can replace the egg with one tablespoon apple sauce.

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Lemon Meringue


Lemon Meringue – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith

Lemon Meringue

Lemon Meringue

This recipe makes a medium meringue and can easily be doubled if a large one is required. This one cuts into approximately 6 – 8 slices.

Lemon Meringue2

Crust:
½ packet tennis/marie/tea biscuits
100g butter, melted

Filling:
1 tin condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 extra large egg yolks

Topping:
3 extra large egg whites
1 Tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp cream of tartar

Make the base by crushing the biscuits finely, mix with the melted butter. Lightly grease a flute pie dish or any other suitable dish. Pour the biscuit crumbs into the dish and press down firmly using the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until firm or leave in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the filling. Mix together the condensed milk, egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon rind in a medium mixing bowl. When the base has set pour the filling on top.

Using a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the castor sugar and the cream of tartar. Pile the egg white on top of the filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for
15 – 20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, leave to cool down completely and refrigerate for about 2 hours  before serving.

Lemon Meringue

Lemon Meringue

Click here for details of where to buy the NEW Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights

Gheema / Beef Curry


Gheema / Beef Curry – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights, Salwaa Smith

Boneless beef cut into small cubes made into a curry and served with roti or white rice. Curry is almost always accompanied with atchar or sambals.

Gheema Curry

Gheema Curry

Ingredients:
3 onions finely chopped
2 ripe tomatoes grated
1/2 green and red pepper finely chopped
2 tsp garlic grated
2 tsp ginger grated
3 green chillies slit
3 bay leaves
3 pieces stick cinnamon
7 cardamom pods
5 allspice
10 curry leaves
2 tsp tomatoe paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 kg beef steak cut in small pieces
2 tbsp leaf masala / roasted masala
2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tsp tumeric
1 1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp whole fennel / bariship seeds
Few potatoes (optional), peeled and cut into quarters

Method

Braise chopped onion in oil until transparent or slightly brown
Add garlic, ginger, green, red pepper and braised a further 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add cardamom, allspice, stick cinnamon and bay leaves.
In another hot pan take all the whole spices, fennel, cumin and coriander and warm it in the pan for about 1-2 minutes take care not to burn these spices. Make it semi fine in a mortar and pestle and put aside. The aroma is beautiful.
Braise for a further 5 minutes then add salt and all the spices.
Add beef steak and cook for about 45 minutes until beefsteak are soft and tender adding little bit of water at a time.
Now add tomatoes and tomatoe paste as well as curry leaves give the pot a vigorous stir then add potatoes and cook until potatoes soft not forgetting to add little of water as needed and stir occasionally.

Serve with roti, white rice or flat bread or naan bread.

Click here for details of where to buy the Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook by Salwaa Smith
Enjoy

Pear and Chocolate Pudding


Pear and Chocolate Pudding – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith

Pear & Chocolate Pudding

Pear & Chocolate Pudding

This dessert is so versatile and is suitable for both winter or summer. Serve the pear and pudding with vanilla ice cream on a warm day. For a cold winter’s day it can be served with a chocolate sauce and or thin custard. Very easy to make with the minimum of fuss using everyday store cupboard ingredients.

 

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

½ cup juice of the canned pears

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsps baking powder

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 cup cake flour

2 (410g) tins canned pear halves

Butter for greasing

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Grease a 20cm square dish with the butter. Arrange the pear halves in the dish, cut side down. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together using an electric mixer. Pour the mixture over the pears. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, it will be slightly gooey when baked. Cool down slightly before cutting into squares, serve with thin custard, chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream. Cut into approximately 9 slices.

Arrange the pear halves in a greased oven proof dish

Arrange the pear halves in a greased oven proof dish

 

Pour the chocolate mixture over the pears

Pour the chocolate mixture over the pears

Chocolate sauce

100g good-quality dark chocolate

1 Tbsp butter

½ cup fresh cream

1 Tbsp sugar

Break the chocolate into small pieces. Microwave in a suitable bowl for about 1 – 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds on its progress until it is melted. Heat the cream, butter and sugar over low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir well. Serve with the pear and chocolate pudding. Delicious serve whilst still warm.

Serve with chocolate sauce

Serve with chocolate sauce

Serve with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream

Serve with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream

Serve with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream

Serve with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream

 

Pear & Chocolate Pudding

Pear & Chocolate Pudding

Click here for details of where to purchase the new Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook by Salwaa Smith

© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights

Pampoen Bredie (Pumpkin Stew)


Stew or bredie as it is known in South Africa usually consists of mutton or lamb pieces cooked with various fresh vegetables. Bredies are traditional Cape Malay food which is simple and inexpensive to cook, especially when feeding large families.

 

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

600g mutton or lamb pieces

1kg pumpkin, peeled and cubed

3 stick cinnamons

½ crushed dried red chillies

1-2 green chillies

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Water as needed

 

Heat oil in a large saucepan and braise onions un­til golden brown, 5-10. Add washed and drained meat. Braise until dark brown, 10-15 minutes. Add salt, chillies, stick cinnamon and enough wa­ter; simmer until meat is nearly tender, 15 – 20 minutes. Add pumpkin and simmer until pumpkin is soft and mushy about 15 minutes. Add sugar, stirring gently to dissolve. Serves 6

 

Pumpkin2

Click here for details of where to buy the new Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook

Saucy Tiger Prawns Served With Lemon Rice


Saucy Tiger Prawns

Saucy Tiger Prawns

Saucy Tiger Prawns – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Quick and easy way of cooking prawns, this recipe can also be used for crayfish tails. Marinade the night before.Ingredients:
18 extra large tiger prawns (approximately 1kg)
1 Tbsp seafood masala (I used the one of Simply Spice)
1/4 cup Nandos lemon & herb sauce
1/4 cup peri-peri Spur sauce
1 Tbsp tomato sauce (optional)
#capemalaycooking

Method:
Slit the prawn on top half way threw and devein, wash and allow all the water to drain off in a colander. Rub seafood masala in each prawn. Marinade for a few hours or better still overnight in the fridge. Cook in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

Mix together the sauces and pour over the prawns and cook a further 10 minutes. Serve with lemon rice.

 

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice
4 cups cooked rice, preferably long grain or basmati
2 tsp coriander / koljana seeds
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
3 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 ½ tsp turmeric / borrie
Juice of 2 lemons

Gently roast and then coarsely powder the coriander seeds. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry till the spluttering stop, taking care not to burn the spices. Add the turmeric powder and turn off the heat.
Add the lemon juice and mix well. Add the rice, roasted coriander powder and mix thoroughly. Reheat the rice if necessary.
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights

Orange Biscuits (lemoen koekies)


Orange Biscuits (lemoen koekies)

Traditional Cape Malay biscuits flavoured with orange essence and dried citrus peels.

 

Orange Biscuits / Lemoen Koekies

Orange Biscuits / Lemoen Koekies

Ingredients:

250g soft butter or good quality baking butter

1 cup sugar

1 extra large egg

¼ cup sunflower oil

3 tsp orange essence

4 x 250ml cake flour, sifted

1 tsp ground naartjie/orange/satsuma peel (dried and ground)

1 tsp baking powder

Cachous (sen-sen) sweets to complete

Sen-Sent Sweets / Pink Cachous

Sen-Sent Sweets / Pink Cachous

 

Method:

Using a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar

Add the oil, essence and egg, mix well

Add the flour, baking powder and citrus peels

Mix well to form a firm dough

Roll out the dough approximately 5mm thick on a lightly floured surface

Cover the dough with cling film or greaseproof paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin

Take a fork and lightly scrape the surface of the dough to make a line pattern

Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter and place the biscuits on a baking tray (no need to grease the baking tray)

Place a sen-sen sweet in the middle of each biscuit

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned

Makes approximately 70 biscuits.

Orange Biscuits

Orange Biscuits

Lemoen Koekies

Lemoen Koekies

© Cape Malay Cooking

Chocolate Chiffon Cake


Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Light and fluffy chocolate cake made in a Bundt or ring tin.

 

5 extra-large eggs, separated

1 cup white sugar

1 cup self-raising flour

½ cup sunflower oil

2 tsp baking powder

¾ cup hot water (boiled water, slightly cooled)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

 

Preheat your oven to 170C.

Grease a Bundt (ring) tin.

Using a large mixing bowl, cream the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the oil and stir to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together in a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture and the hot water to the wet ingredients in stages mixing well after each addition.

Using an electric beater whip the egg whites stiff until they hold their peaks.

Fold the egg whites lightly into cake mixture until just combined. DO NOT OVER STIR as the cake will lose volume and won’t be as light and fluffy.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake at 170C for 35 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.

 

Ganache

200g Cadbury Diary milk chocolate

½ cup fresh cream

Melt together for 60 seconds in the microwave in a suitable container without stirring. Let it rest/stand for 2 minutes and stir to combine the chocolate and cream. Pour this over the cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries and/or chocolate curls.

Chiffon Cake© Cape Malay Cooking – Salwaa Smith

 

Crayfish Curry


Crayfish Curry
Use crayfish tails to make this lovely seafood curry or add whole crayfish (cleaned and cut). If you like a more filling seafood curry add chunks of stockfish fillets. You can of course use more or less chillies depending on your palate. Serve with boiled fragrant or basmati rice.
Alternatively follow the recipe to make a lovely crayfish curry potjie.
Crayfish Curry

Crayfish Curry

Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 kg crayfish tails, deveined and cut into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoons plain yoghurt
3 large onions (finely chopped)
2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
2 teaspoons coriander/koljana
2 teaspoons cumin/jeera
1 teaspoon turmeric/borrie
2 – 4 green chillies, deseeded and chopped
1 – 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
4 large cloves of garlic, grated finely
Dhanya leaves (finely chopped), optional
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup water or as needed
Method:
Heat the oil in a pot and sauté onions on low heat till the onions are light brown in colour.
Mix in the grated garlic and green chillies. Fry till it turns golden-brown stirring all the time.
Add the tomato pieces and cook till the onions and tomatoes are soft, about 5 – 10 minutes. Add drops of water to prevent the onion mixture sticking to the bottom.
Now add all the spice powders except the garam masala and mix well to combine the spices with the onion mixture.
Gently stir in the crayfish tails, salt and the yoghurt.
Cook on high for about 5 minutes.
Add the water. Cover and allow it to simmer on low heat till the crayfish meat is cooked and tender about 15 minutes or until the shell of the crayfish turns pinkish. Stir every few minutes, add more water as needed, depending on the consistency you like the texture of your curry (thick or thin gravy/sauce)  Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice. Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Serve with freshly cooked basmati or fragrant rice.
Crayfish Curry

Crayfish Curry

Follow the above recipe and make a lovely crayfish curry potjie!
Crayfish Potjie

Crayfish Potjie

Crayfish Potjie

Crayfish Potjie

© Cape Malay Cooking