This is from the May Skywatch magazine - didn't know they had recipes! I have never made a cake with so many eggs - it turned out deliciously rich and intense and I used less sugar.

 

400g dark choc (I used Whittaker's Dark Ghana)

360g unsalted butter

360g caster sugar (I used under 350g)

6 heaped Tbs plain flour (could easily be gluten free)

pinch cinnamon or cardamom, optional (I used about 1 tsp of each)

6 eggs

icing sugar

 

Preheat oven to 200C. Melt chocolate, butter and sugar ...

Continue reading ...

This is from Marian Keyes' Saved By Cake. Delicious and very easy (if not the cheapest cake to make!)

100g dark (70%+) chocolate
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (seems a lot!)
250g caster sugar
125ml sunflower (or other non-flavoured; I used grape-seed) oil
250ml sourcream
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g (approx) frozen rasberries, defrosted

The recipe says to make 2 23cm cakes, and stick together with rasberry jam; I made one, in a bundt tin, it just needed longer to...
Continue reading ...

Just look at this thing of beauty.
Adapted it slightly from the Rose Bakery recipe:

Sweet pasty (make your own or buy one)
3 egg yolks
2 eggs, 1 blended for basting the pastry (to then be used in the tart)
100g caster sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract,
grated zest of 3 oranges, 500g ricotta cheese
roughly 180g grated dark chocolate (70% or more)
1 tablespoon plain flour

Method
Preheat oven to 180 deg C

Pastry
Put pastry in 28cm (roughly) tart tin, chill for 30 mins, then blind bake for 10 minute...
Continue reading ...

This is a very simple tart (especially if you use a bought pastry). The recipe is a bit loose as I made it up as I went along... So interpret as you will. The tang of the little purple guavas cuts through the richness of the ricotta; I don't think it needs a lot of sugar.

Pre-heat over to 180C

Pastry
I amount of sweet pastry

Put pastry in 23cm (roughly) tart tin, chill for 30 mins, then blind bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the weights from the pasty case, and baste it thoroughly with some egg. B...
Continue reading ...

Another one of Nigella’s. Very moist and perfect with yoghurt. Gluten free!

 

150g caster sugar

125ml olive oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g ground almonds

1 tsp nutmeg

2 grated carrots

½ c golden sultanas soaked in rum (I just used normal sultanas soaked in brandy)

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

pine nuts

 

Preheat oven to 180C. Whisk sugar and oil until thick. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in rest of ingreds.

Pour into 23cm round lined tin. Sprin...

Continue reading ...

This cake is an adaption of two recipes: Fijian chocolate cake by Alexa Johnston from foodie.co.nz (http://foodie.co.nz/Recipes/Fijian-Chocolate-Cake-by-Alexa-Johnston.aspx) with a Black Forest-type filling. Alexa calls in Fijian because it uses coconut cream. It makes a really dark, moist chocolate cake. I made 1 ½ times this recipe to make a big cake to feed 10 adults.

210 g flour
55 g cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
200 g sugar
2 eggs
125 g melted...

Continue reading ...

I adapted a recipe for 'Fresh Plum Cake with Yoghurt' by Amanda Laird that appeared in Viva recently (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10781284)

Serves 8-12 (1 x 24 cm cake)

500g plums (ish)
1 cup caster sugar
250g butter
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk + 1/4 cup yoghurt
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1+1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup semolina
4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 24cm springform tin (if no springform...

Continue reading ...

Welcome to Bake Club, Nerida! She explains this German specialty:
I fell in love with this kind of poppy-seed pie on my first visit to Germany. The poppy-seed filling is not adulterated with flour. And the crumble or streusel topping is the delicious finishing touch!

Filling:
375 ml milk
50 g butter
50 g sugar
250 g poppy seed
50 g semolina
50 g almond slivers
1 large egg
3 TB raisins soaked in rum

Heat milk, butter and sugar stirring constantly until butter is ...

Continue reading ...

Here's a banana nut loaf  baked good...

It is not the most beauteous thing to look at, but it is very very simple and healthy and delicious (and a good use for overripe bananas!). I used about 1/3 C sugar instead of 3/4 and it was not super sweet but still nice. It has no butter, so is an excellent dairy-free recipe. But then it is nice eaten with butter!

The recipe is from "A Second Helping: More from Ladies, a Plate" by Alexa Johnston.

Oven to 180C
grease a med-sized loaf tin, line the ...
Continue reading ...

From the good ol’ Edmonds Cookbook

3 eggs

175 g sugar

1/8 tsp salt

125 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

50 g butter

2 tbs boiling water

Beat eggs with salt , add sugar and beat until thick. Fold in sifted flour and BP lightly. Add melted butter in boiling water. Bake in greased 20cm tin or sandwich tins for 25-30 mins at 190 C.

Serve with cream and strawberries. I also spread strawberry jam in between the layers.

Continue reading ...

I’m actually quite enjoying Nigella’s Xmas shows on the box at the mo. She’s decadent, with rich recipes and no excuses. In my opinion, Xmas time is more a celebration of getting to the end of another year, and to treat ourselves with eating whatever we desire. Her recipes aren’t complicated and she uses pre-bought items if it helps make preparation easier. One of her simple ones was mixing up fruit cake with port and melted chocolate, roll into balls and refrigerate...

Continue reading ...

InTENSE! DeeVINE! AND served with masarcapone cream! This creation dates back to Ginny's indoor birthday picnic where she made about 3 different cakes!

Cake
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (179 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) white granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (177 ml) red wine, any kind you like*
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (133 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2...

Continue reading ...

Ginny made this wicked chocolate cake. It was the crowning glory of a Persian feast, which included several courses beforehand. She also presented this amazing selection of Middle Eastern sweets personally brought over from Iran. Look how colourful they are. From left, there's REAL nougat (with 48% pistachios), baklava, various pistachio and lemon almond sweets and delicious spun sugar, like fancy candy floss, which we called horse's hair.

The cake was incredibly rich and melt in the mouth. It...
Continue reading ...

No eggs, no wheat but still tastes great. The brown sugar and dates caramelised.
I found this recipe on bestrecipes.com.au that doesn’t use eggs.

1 c chopped dates
2/3 c brown sugar or even less
60 g dairy free spread or butter
1 c boiling water
1 and 3/4 c gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb of soda
2 tsp vanilla essence

You could also add chopped walnuts and ginger if you're feeling spicy.

Put dates and sugar in bowl then add margarine. Pour in boiling water, stirring until ma...

Continue reading ...

Rich and spicy cake for any occasion!

2 21/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 tsb cocoa powder (more if you want it richer chocolatey)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups soft brown sugar
2 cups apple (peeled and grated)
1 cup chocolate chips, chunks (dark!)


heat oven to 160C
cream butter and sugar in a mixer (or beating), then add eggs, then oil and water and vanilla (it''l be really liquid
sieve together: flour, cocoa, baking ...
Continue reading ...

Alex M made this sponge cake for his girlfriend Talia for her birthday, and we all got to eat it. Ain't that nice!

Ingredients:

175g soft butter
175g sugar
3 eggs
175g self raising flour
1tsp of baking powder
1tsp of vanilla extract

jam
whipped cream
icing sugar

steps:

1/ Preheat your oven to 180c and grease two 18cm cake tins. Line the tins.

2/ Cream the butter & sugar until they are light and fluffy and your arm is sore. Beat in the eggs one at a tim...
Continue reading ...

This is easy and guaranteed to impress everyone.

Preheat oven to 170 C. Into a blender goes:

¾ c sugar

2 eggs

1 c plain yoghurt

¾ c oil

zest of 2 or 3 lemons

2 c self-raising flour (or 1 c ground almonds, 1 c semolina, 1 Tbs baking powder)

 

Blend until mixed. Pour into greased baking tin and bake for 45-60 mins until cooked through.

While cake is cooling, make a syrup by heating up in a pan the juice of 2 lemons and ¼ c sugar. Poke some holes on top of the ca...

Continue reading ...

I wanted to find a recipe to use my homemade yoghurt. I adapted Heidi Swanson’s buttermilk cake from her latest book, Super Natural Every Day. Her summer version uses sliced plums and she recommends a winter version of 12 chopped Medjool dates and 1 c toasted walnuts. I had neither so I used dried goldenberries, cranberries and hazelnuts.

 

1 ½ c spelt flour
1 c white flour
1 tbs baking powder
½ dark muscovado sugar
½ tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1 ½ c yoghurt or buttermilk
6...

Continue reading ...

This is my attempt at Alessandra Zecchini's chocolate and fig cake. She used fresh figs, which looked beautiful and pinky, but I didn't have any on hand. The feijoas aren't so aesthetically pleasing but it still tasted good; the tart feijoa contrasts well with the chocolate.

250 g bar of Whittaker's Dark Ghana Chocolate
100 g butter
3 eggs, whites beaten into stiff peaks
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
3 tbs self raising flour
10 feijoas peeled and cut in half

Melt chocolat...

Continue reading ...

Continue reading ...

I quite enjoyed Jamie Oliver's TV series travelling to different cities. In Athens he whipped us this cake and I recreated it with success using homemade yoghurt.
5 eggs
225g yoghurt
225g caster sugar
75g ground almonds
zest of lemon and orange
150g plain flour
200g polenta or semolina
2 tsp baking powder
200ml olive oil

Syrup:
100ml honey
juice of lemon and orange
150g toasted, chopped pistachios

Mix all the ingreds and pour into 20-22cm cake tin greased and floured. ...

Continue reading ...

3 eggs
7 apples (or pears)
1 ¼ c vegetable oil
1 ½ c sugar
2 ½ c flour
pinch salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp
cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 c raisins

Turn oven to 350 deg F.

Peel and cut apples (or pears). Put aside. Put flour in a small bowl. Mix in cinnamon and baking soda.

Mix oil and sugar together in another bowl. Add 1 egg at a time to bowl, then vanilla. When mixed in add apples, raisins and flour mixture.

Pour into a 20cm ring tin and cake tin. Bake for 1 Â...

Continue reading ...

Below is what Nigel says about this cake ... I can't find fault with him, in any way. It was delightful.

However: I bought pre-toasted hazelnuts and accidentally put a mix of nutmeg and cinnamon into the cake (because I didn't read the spice jar label... it wasn't a disaster!)
I left the cinnamon out of the icing, and I dressed it with pomegranate. Yum!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP HAZELNUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CINNAMON BUTTER CREAM by Nigel Slater

I like birthday cake. I love maki...

Continue reading ...

Katrina made a real tangy polenta cake for Nicky's birthday. Was delicious with yoghurt.

250g butter, softened
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup lemon juice
150g (1 1/2 cups) ground almonds
1 cup fine polenta

Syrup
1/4 cup each lemon juice and sugar

Preheat oven to 160C. Lightly grease and line a 20cm round cake pan.
Beat the butter, rind and sugar, until light and fluffy. Slowly add the egg yolks, beating well. Stir in the
juice, ground almonds and polenta.
Whip ...
Continue reading ...

Continue reading ...

I have adapted this from a recipe given to me by a student in my department, it was her grandmother's, originally (the student was considerably older than me), and makes a damn fine banana cake, I think perhaps the best I have tasted. I don't like bananas, but in cake like this, that's a different story. easy, fool-proof one could say. works well in a round or a ring tin, but then bake for slightly less time. I would just say if using chocolate it probably pays to line the base of the ...
Continue reading ...

Ginny says: I would recommend NOT doubling the cornmeal, which I did not paying attention to quantities. Made it crunchier than I would have liked.

Continue reading ...

When Ginny said she used about 8 bowls to make this cake, we were so impressed. Ginny lets the story unfold...
I wanted to make a rich and moist chocolate cake for David's birthday. I leafed through a heap of recipes, but Nigel Slater's chocolate beetroot cake in Tender (Vol 1) jumped out at me and sounded pretty good. It was. Delicious. Rich. Moist. Sticky. Everything I wanted in the cake, and more.
It was also a lot of work! The most involved cake I have made...Three and a half hours i...
Continue reading ...

This olive oil cake from Frankies Spuntino in Brooklyn was one of the nicest things I ate in NYC...oily with a hint of orange.
I didn't have a bundt tin, so it was a bit oily in the middle, but still delicious (took longer to cook and so the edges were crusty). A lot of olive oil, but it's worth getting one that tastes nice... :

5 large eggs, at room temperature
finely grated zest of 1 1/2 oranges
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil (you could get away with less)
2 cups cake flo...
Continue reading ...

Like a giant cream puff donut, this ring measured more than 30 cm in diameter - bigger than an LP!

1 c water
75 g butter
150 g flour
1 dessertspoon sugar
4 eggs

Bring butter and water to the boil, add flour and beat until the mixture leaves the sides of the saucepan. Remove from heat, add sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time. Make into a wreath shaped on a greased tray. Bake at 200 C for 30 mins.
Slit ring in half while hot. When cool, fill with whipped cream with a bit of rum and freshly sliced f...
Continue reading ...

Carrot cake ain't carrot cake without cream cheese icing!

2 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 oil
1 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)
1 1/2 c grated carrots

For icing, mix together:
100g cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 c icing sugar
enough lemon juice to taste

Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add oil, then fold in dry ingredients. Pour into greased ring tin or loaf tin. Bake at 150C for 3/4 hour.
Wait till cool to sp...
Continue reading ...

Mama Chan usually only makes pavs at Christmastime, but when granddaughter Sophie came to visit from Melbourne, she pulled out all the stops with a huge family dinner and dessert.

3 egg whites
1/2 c castor sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp vinegar

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add sugar and keep beating until shiny. Add vanilla, vinegar and cornflour.
Bake for 125 C for 1/2 hour then 100 C for 2 1/2 hours.
Must serve with cream and fruit in season.

Mama Chan has experimented over th...
Continue reading ...

On a trip to Windsor, England, in August we were treated to homemade treats by Penny. We'd never seen marzipan inside a fruit cake before so I had to take a pic. Was very tasty.

Continue reading ...

Why does a 'coffee cake' not contain any coffee? Does anyone else find this an annoying misnomer? Anyway, this recipe comes from Mama Chan's first homemade recipe book that my older sister Karen typed out more than 30 years ago! That's why the measurements are imperial. She's probably used the same ring tin since then too. Indeed, this streusel coffee cake goes well with any warming beverage at any time of the day.

1/ 1/2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
2 oz butter
1 egg
1/2 c mil...
Continue reading ...

Our humble Bake Club has been visited by professional cake maker Jordan Rondel! Jordan has kindly sent us her recipe for this superb disc of deliciousness. You can order special cakes by Jordan via her website, www.thecaker.co.nz. She is raising funds to learn further baking techniques in France.

Jordan says:
"This cake is perfect for a sophisticated dinner party or dignified morning tea. In fact, it's perfect for any time of day because it's light and not too sweet. It contains whole orang...
Continue reading ...

A cake from Chile with German origins which involves drenching apples in cream. Yeah!
Ginny also provided clotted cream for this drunken affair.

Filling
1lb 7oz tart apples, prepared weight (about 5)
2¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup granulated sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
3½ fl oz/½ cup heavy cream
(I added half a nutmeg, grated)

Cake
10½ oz/2 cups all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt (heaping, for me)
5½ oz/scant 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tbsp ...
Continue reading ...

This cake was so popular at work, by the time I got to photograph it most of it was gone! Birg also makes a gluten-free version with riceflour and almond meal. Most excellent.

3 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup rice bran or grape seed oil
440g can crushed pineapple, drained of juice (Birg used pineapple chunks, very nice)
2 mashed bananas
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream cheese icing
250g cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cu...

Continue reading ...

zest and juice of 2 lemons
250 g butter
1 1/2 c castor sugar
6 eggs
1/4 self raising flour
2 c plain flour
3/4 c sour cream

Cream butter, sugar and zest. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in sifted dry ingreds alternatively with sour cream and lemon juice.
Pour into greased 23cm round cake tin. Bake at 150C for 1 1/4 hours (a little less if it's a ring tin).
To serve dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream and/or yoghurt.
Recipe from cousin Suzanne many years ago.
Mama Chan also made a gluten free versio...
Continue reading ...

Ben excelled himself for Flynn's 3rd birthday in Nov 09 with this exploding volcano. The volcano is a meringue with pink, orange and red coloured cream 'bubbling' out of the crater. This rather complicated and involved project included customising a baking tray using steel cutting tools to make a hole in it so a bowl could be inserted! This created a mould to shape the meringue over. Once the candles were blown out, the kids all took turns cracking open the volcano's shell to get their volcan...
Continue reading ...

I just freestyled this recipe so feel free to make up as you go along too!

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup carrot pulp (from my Oscar juicer)
1/2 cup beetroot pulp
tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (whatever spices you like)
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder (or make your own with 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda, 1 part cornflour)
1/2 cup dark choc bits
another version I added chopped toasted hazelnuts and coconut
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil or 1/2 cup melted Olivani
about 4 tbsp Fre...
Continue reading ...

This recipe is for two square tin cakes, with lined sides and bottom.

Soak in 1 1/2 c of brandy overnight:
2 kg fruit mince
red and green cherries
zest of 4 lemons

3 T golden syrup
3 T marmalade
3 tsp vanilla
500g butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
4 1/2 c flour
9 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
3 tsp mixed spice

Pre-heat oven to 150 C. Mix fruit with rest of ingredients. Pour into tins.
Tie double layer of brown paper on the outside of the tines. Place 8 layers of newspaper on shelf underneath the tins.
Bake for half hour...
Continue reading ...

6 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c almond meal
1/2 c self-raising flour (or use normal flour and add 1 tsp baking powder)

Line 2 x 25cm sponge tins. Whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy. Fold in dry ingreds. Bake at 180C for 1/2 hour.
We brushed a couple of tablespoons of rum on each sponge and layered it with jam and cream. I think the kiwifruit looks great and yes, there are 50 candles there!

Continue reading ...