Week Four

We have just had a wonderful week in Melbourne at the Australian Open Tennis. I am sitting here now watching Roger Federer in the Final. Go Roger!!

I came back with the intention of baking a tennis cake, but after the family heard what the ingredients were, we decided against it. No one is a fan of glazed cherries and sultanas in a cake so I settled instead for a Almond Raspberry cake.

The recipe comes from the Harbour Kitchens Book, celebrating Lyttleton, its food and people. Page 83, a gluten free cake made be Gill Hay, original owner of The Preservatory in Fendalton. Its an expensive cake with 12 egg whites in it and a lot of ground almonds. I took it to a friends get together tonight and it was received very well. It was designed to serve 10-12 people, we managed to get 15 plus servings.

So sorry, but there is none left for pop in cake and coffee!!

Never mind, I will have the Kenwood out again tomorrow as it is hubbys birthday and his 'favourite' cake is a sponge. What a challenge that will be!! Never made a sponge in my life and I have heard they can be tricky. So good friend Kerry suggested the only sponge cake to make is on the back of the Edmonds Fielders Cornflour box...I just happen to have a box of cornflour so tomorrow I am off to the friendly New World to buy two round sponge tins.

Another tip in the dropping of the tins before and after they enter the oven. this could be interesting...watch this space!!

Hey if your passing tomorrow, pop in for a birthday drink and sponge.

Week three - Carrot cake for Julie

Week three and my lovely friend Julie starts her Chemo next Wednesday. I feel she needs a cake while her taste buds are still in tact! so her fav is Carrot cake.

I consulted the wonderful 'Combined' recipe book (Christ's College/St Margaret's) and on page 84 is a tried and true recipe from Abbey Taylor and Caren Butler. So amazingly easy to make, I threw it together while dinner was cooking last night. Ready now to ice and deliver.

For you, Julie, made with love. Enjoy!

Cake eaten in a day!

Well its Sunday and the Marble Cake was a success, it has been eaten already!! John had the first taste this morning for breakfast! I managed to save a third of it for Dad even though he was supposed to get the whole cake.

Lesson learned, always wait for the cake to cool completely before icing it! I did know that, but I was in such a rush to get it looking pretty with the feather icing that I just couldn't wait.

A whole week ahead to think of the next cake. Any ideas?

Week two - marble cake

This weeks cake inspiration comes from my parents being married 50 years on Saturday next. I remember dads aunt used to make him a Marble cake, so I thought that should be the cake for this week. So, I consulted my 'Ladies a plate' traditional home baking recipe book and sure enough, on page 106 is the perfect recipe complete with colourful feather icing.

This cake is also known as Ribbon cake, Rainbow cake, Patch cake, Neapolitan cake. "The mixture is a good, light butter cake that will stand a bit of manipulation while remaining moist and tender."

What a lot of fun it was making this cake! Breaking the mixture in to three and adding color to each part and then throwing it all back together again and watching it all meld (theres a canasta term for you!) together as it cooks. Here is a photo before the icing.

Its been an interesting week with the Madeira cake, and the comments of those who have heard that I am making a cake a week. I think more people are more concerned of the family's waistlines and cholesterol levels after having to eat so much cake all year! Thank goodness I have an extremely active family.

Brother in law has a birthday this week and his favourite cake is banana with no icing. (made with wholemeal flour and low fat butter is the request from his wife!) So I have the bananas rotting as we speak and will throw that together on Monday night.

I have a whole list of cakes to make in the weeks ahead, but if you want me to make a special one just for you, please just let me know.

Till next week, pop in anytime for coffee and cake if your passing.

Week one - cake one- madeira

It all began with my beloved and long serving Kenwood mixer blowing up.

After the inital sadness and traditional mourning period for what was not only an integral part of every successful pavlova I've ever made but also a present from 26 years ago with all its original parts, I purchased the new model kenwood.

Shining silver and much quieter than my old faithful, the new mixer has inspired me to bake more cakes.

So i will, bake a new cake, from a new recipe every week of 2010, starting now, just a week late.

The madeira....a cake dating back to the 1850s when baking powder was scarce or non exsistant.

After just arriving home from two weeks away in the sounds, the kitchen couches are full of washing ready to be folded and pristinely ironed. I ignore it as there is a cake to make.

It went ok, but the proof is in the tasting.

They say...'A good madeira has a golden brown exterior. a fine yellow crumb, is not too dense, and can be cut cleanly without crumbling.'

Ben, the son, was my taster and critic. He says, its more of a brown than a golden brown, could be lighter, tastes like summer in a cake and gives it 8/10. Prefers Earnests rather than mine.

Dont let that put you off, if your in the neighbourhood, pop in for cake and coffee!