Week Twenty One

Two weeks to go until we head away for the best part of a month to cycle through, up and down the mountains of France and Italy. The wet week that has just been, has put a damper on our training regime and had us lugging our bikes around to our lounge for a spin class. Was a lot of fun but we are chomping at the bit to get out in the fresh air! And fresh it will be!

But that has absolutly nothing to do with this weeks cake idea. I noticed rhubarb in the vege section of our local New World, so rhubarb cake it is.

The baking recipe book had four rhubarb cakes on offer, one with custard, another with ginger. I opted for the plain Rhubarb cake and it is very moist and delicious. There is only 60gm of butter in this creation, low fat yoghurt, brown sugar and of course rhubarb providing the roughage!

We will try it tonight with a little yoghurt on the side.

This weeks cake keeps very well, so should you be out and about and find me at home, then come on in for a taste!

Week Twenty...Happy Birthday Trudy

I thought of doing a rendition of our wedding cake since it was 27 years this week since the first one, but that would have been as corny as it sounds! The suggestion came from Emma, our first born. That lead me to recall how the top layer of our wedding cake was kept in an air tight container and bought out and re iced for her christening. I took it to a lovely lady to have it iced and she had to break the news that the cake was totally ruined and smelly.......so much for that great idea and a new cake was made for the occasion.

Anyway, back to the present.....Our very dear friend Trudy, turned another year older today and her favourite cake of all time is carrot. There is a very simple butterless recipe in one of the many cake books I have, so we took it around this morning and stayed for a sample. Very nice, if I do say so myself!!! So Happy Birthday Trudy, it is lovely to be able to make YOU a cake for once as you are the queen of catering and have turned out many a delicious cake over the years for us.

I ended up coming home with another recipe book. I have been trying to get my hands on this book for quite some time ..... 'Fuel for your Family The Waihi Cooks'. I notice there are 9 cake recipes in it so I will try one for next week. Until then, take care.

The Nineteenth Week

I did not have any idea what to make this week.

There was no major event that happened this week that warranted a cake, and no funny story that triggered a cake idea. So I sent a text to a couple of friends and Kerry was the first to answer, 'something low in fat'. After telling her not to be so boring I actually thought that was a good idea. To me, low in fat is using less butter. I consulted what is proving to be one of the best cake recipe books I have, 'A Treasury of New Zealand Baking', and found on page 212 a Sweet Orange Angel Food Cake which has no butter at all.

Sunday morning while everyone else was sleeping as the much needed rain fell, I made this cake. Was fun to make as the base is a pavalova consistancy. Resulting in a very light spongy textured cake. Friends arrived at 4 and I served the cake with whipped cream and vanilla yoghurt. I recommend a glass of bubbles on the side.

Sorry there is none left to share!

Week Eighteen

This week has given me so many reasons to make a cake. Daughter ran her first half marathon in a brilliant time of 1.51, eldest son took off on his life experience to South America and beyond, and it was mothers day!

So I went with Emmas choice from this months Cuisine magazine and called it 'Marathon Farewell Mothers Cake'.

Not very original really is it?

It tastes quite lovely really, served with blackcurrent couli and marscapone.

We awoke this morning to a text from Adam in Miami on his way to Ecuador and is bag is still in Washington! Ha brilliant! He has been flying since leaving here on Saturday and should get to final destination tea time tonight our time.

Back to the cake....that is pear quarters on the top of the cake and the main flavour is almonds.

The Seventeenth Week

Ben returned from his extended boys trip too jet lagged to notice the Walnut Cake smothered in chocolate icing, awaiting him in the Ta Da! Consequently, this cake hasn't had many takers.....no flour just the crumbs of two pieces of toasted white bread and a cup of ground walnuts, and the usual eggs and essence to give it life!

Onwards and upwards, we have a birthday in the house this week. His desire for a birthday cake is a large triple chocolate and banana muffin with chocolate icing on top! So tomorrow I will make millions of muffins and erect them in a pyramid and pour chocolate icing over the lot. Watch this space for a photo.

In the mean time, happy 22nd birthday Adam.