The Nest is Full Again.

Adam arrived home this morning from his 6 months of adventure in many countries around the world. He arrived looking very tanned and hairy and craving all of the comforts of home, including cake.

The washing machine has been working hard today, as his pack that he has been living out of for the past half year was upturned and the contents washed in nappysan and Amway SA8.

We have been entertained with many an interesting story and it really was quite fantastic to have all of us sit around the dinner table tonight enjoying Adams favourite meal of fillet steak, and catching up on all the happenings of late.

Dessert time and enter my cake of the week......

Since this is all about Adam, his request was for a chocolate jelly cake with pineapple lumps!

Well the chocolate cake was the easy part. Then I decided it would be nice to have the jelly in the centre and on the top. Jelly doesnt stay on the top of the cake. It all cascaded down the sides and the pineapple lumps also subsided down the sides and so it looks very ugly and lumpy! ha ha, but it tastes very lovely and sweet and has gone down a treat.

Welcome Home Adam, the nest is full again, the ironing pile is huge, the fridge is full for the moment, the television is on the sport channel every moment of the day, another car up the drive, wet towels on the floor, and I am loving it.

Orange and Chocolate = Jaffa Cake

My daughter came home from work one night armed with Cake recipes from her work collegues. This week I decided to make one of them. I love Jaffas and so I chose to make the Jaffa cake.

The recipe said to mush up an orange, skin and all, in a food processor until it resembles pulp and then add the pulp to the butter, egg and sugar mixture. No problem there for someone who doesn't like and use food processors (too many bits to clean, I find them a nuisance in the kitchen, not a necessity like many people!), out came the magic bullet....great invention. Pulped that orange in an instant.

Then once the mixture is in the tin, the recipe said to poke chocolate pieces into the mixture....gosh what a good idea...means the chocolate stays in chunks and is decadent to eat.

45 minutes later and the cake was complete, smelling very lovely and orangey.

Emma went to work yesterday morning with morning tea for all. I heard it went down very well accompanied by yoghurt and a coffee from nearby cafe, Ng.

I also shared the cake with my cycling buddy of the day and a friend popped in for a taste at lunch time.

This is what this cake making is all about. Sharing, enjoying something a little naughty in the nutrition department (although, nothing wrong with oranges!) putting on smile on someones face and a chance to sit and chat over coffee and cake.

The prodigal son returns next Monday from his adventures, so will be a chance to kill the fatted calf and also make him a welcome home cake! I think he would prefer a corona and fillet steak actually.

Ben's Birthday Cake

Well, as I mentioned last week, this Monday, Labour Day, is Ben's 19th Birthday.

I have always been big on birthdays. I think I enjoy them just as much, if not more than, my kids.

Ben has chosen the good old faithful chocolate cake that I have been making for the last 23 or so years!

This cake recipe was found back in the early days of the microwave. It was in the womans weekly and is called The Best Microwave Cake Yet. I have made this cake millions of times and it is so easy, also it is an absolutely no fail cake.

Always very moist and easy to ice and it tastes very light and lovely.

This week I have also started making Christmas Cakes. I have decided to make them for my nearest and dearest for Christmas. I read through all of my favourite cake recipe books for Christmas cake recipes and found 6 really good ones. The first I tried was from the Treasure of NZ Baking and the recipe was by Lauraine Jacobs. The recipe was originally from her grandmother and handed down through generations past and future. It is a huge cake, as most Christmas cakes are and it has a drop of black rum poured over the finished product. The ingredient that is unique to the cake is blackcurrant jam. So it is wrapped in paper and sitting in a Christmas cake tin ready to be given away come Christmas.

I made another one today from the latest issue of Foodtown Magazine. The fruit in this cake is stunning....saltanas, currents, figs, apricots, raisins and cherries, orange, lemons and chopped almonds. Bit of brandy in there too. This was a slightly smaller cake but it will still feed the millions.

That is about it for now. Ben's birthday cake will be served with whipped cream, probably sometime in the afternoon. See you then.....

My Kettle - RIP Russel Hobbs

Well I know it is mid week and I normally blog in the weekends after making a cake. But, I feel this deserves its own little blurb. Our Russel Hobbs Kettle that was given to us by my Aunty Mina and Uncle Brian for a wedding present way back in 1983, has had to be replaced.

It had boiled millions of times faultlessly over the years but it now leaks from the spout all over the bench and it cannot be mended. So after settling down from the aftershock that read 5 on the richter scale (incidentally, I was in the shower with a full head of shampoo and a soap lathered body at the time!), I ventured into Ballantynes and went to park in the carpark building. A sign at the entrance read, enter at your own risk, so I high tailed it out of there and found a park on the side of the road away from any possible falling debris.

I purchased a sparkling new Dualit Kettle.

I have just poured myself a cup of tea from the new addition to our kitchen. Our trusty Russel Hobbs will now live in the garden among the herbs. I think I will put a coriander herb in it.

Technology of old, I wonder if this new kettle can last the 27 year distance.

Happy Birthday Anton

Our Friend Anthony turned 46 yesterday and the day was busy preparing and enjoying the evening for the Brain Injury NZ Charity Auction and Dinner. This was held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor and our MC was John Campbell from TV3. The evening was very enjoyable with a lot of money being raised for this charity, even amongst a 4.6 aftershock. (not so flash when you are 14 floors up!)
Anton asked for a whopping great big banana cake with cream. So here we have it. Delivery will take place this afternoon so if you are passing his place this weekend, I am sure he will share!

I made the trusty banana cake that I made for my brother in law at the beginning of the year. Cooks slowly for an hour on 160 C, is very moist with the help of a little yoghurt and milk and three eggs, and of course 3 mashed very ripe bananas.

Next weekend is Labour Weekend and we celebrate the birth of my youngest cherub 19 years ago......I really do feel old as I type that. Ben will choose the cake which will be interesting as he refuses to look, touch or acknowledge anything fruity.

Until then.....

Mooloolaba

Well here we are in Sunny Mooloolaba, at least it was for the first two days....we have had torrential rain for the last three days and we are really hoping tomorrow will bring lots of sunshine! Still, it is very enjoyable having a relaxing time reading, sleeping, coffeeing, and watching the Australian games...oops I mean the Commonwealth Games.

This weekend we had Beth having a birthday so it was my pleasure to make her a cake. I threw together an orange and poppyseed cake direct from the box! ha ha. We found a silicon cake pan in the supermarket....easy to transport home scrunched up in the suitcase, and by adding a simple egg and water and baking in the oven for 55 mins, viola! a cake. Add water to the icing mixture and we have cream cheese icing on the top.

Ben found some candles at the 7/11 and we were away laughing. So it was Happy Birthday Beth and the cake was polished off in seconds among the 15 of us last night.

Next week, we have a novelty cake for an awesome gentleman friend.....thats all I will give away at this stage.

In the Simple act of baking, pleasure given is pleasure gained.

It is just before 6am on Monday morning as I write this and I am pondering over the cake for this weekend.....weekend has been with no cake made. On purpose of course, as it is my sister inlaws birthday tomorrow and for her present I am giving her a copy of one of the best recipe books I own. She is a very busy lady and does not always have time to cook for themselves, so a recipe book may just sit on her coffee table looking attractive. But, I really do think she will use this one and to get the ball rolling, I am making a cake from the book for her.

Sister in law is very healthy conscience so I am aware of this when choosing what to make. Chocolate cranberry slice......main ingredient is chocolate and condensed milk....mmm no.

Espresso Hazelnut Ripple......main ingredient white and dark chocolate and nuts....mmmm no.

Vanilla Plum Cake.....300grams of Butter...I dont think so!

I think I should possibly make a cake in the book that she probably wouldn't make herself so settled on The Ultimate Chocolate Cake, that way she can share this with everyone at the office and take some home for hubby!

During the week I made the Blueberry Crumble Cake from the same said book, page 272 Annabel Langbein The Free Range Cook (this will be my summer 'bible') and it is very delicious. It would have been even more delicious had I not omitted the 3/4 cup of yoghurt from the mixture! Never mind, it went down a treat with the female guests we had for dinner that night.

So if you are passing Opzeeland transport on Tuesday, wish M a happy birthday and you may be treated to a slice of cake, if your quick.

Next week I will be off shore and away from my Kenwood. I will still be making a cake so watch this space.