DATE CAKE WITH sweet walnut topping

This is a simple cake to make, moist and light with the crunch of walnuts.  A beautiful twist on an old favourite.  Serve cold or warm with ice cream.
Preparation and cooking:  1 hour (approx)
Ingredients
  • 1½​ cups water
  • 1½​ cups sultanas 
  • 1 cup dates, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp bicarb soda
  • 125gm butter
  • 3/4 cup caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1½​ cups plain flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
Topping
  • 60gm butter
  • ½​ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp cream (or sour cream works wonderfully also)
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).  Grease and line a 23cm loaf tin, ensuring that the baking paper rises about 5cm above the rim of the cake tin, to avoid overflow.
  2. Combine water, sultanas and dates in a saucepan.  Bring to boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat then stir in bicarb soda.  Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla.  Stir in the flour, salt and date mixture.  Pour batter into prepared tin.
  4. Bake for around 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Remove cake from oven then adjust oven to grill setting.
  5. Melt butter in saucepan.  Stir in brown sugar, cream and chopped walnuts.  When mixture is smooth, remove from heat and gently pour over the warm cake.  Place under grill until lightly browned.  This should take about 3 minutes.  Please check the cake every 30 seconds or so, as the mixture will burn easily.
  6. Serve warm with ice cream (or its great served cold too).

Thanks to www.allrecipes.com.au for the inspiration

BANANA  CAKE  WITH  CINNAMON  CREAM

Are your bananas going bonkers?  Mash them up and turn them into this decadent and delectable banana cake.
As I was not serving the cake immediately, I substituted chopped toasted almonds for the fresh banana on top.  I have topped the cake with either golden syrup or honey.  Both are fabulous!!

Thanks to www.taste.com.au for the recipe Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream
​
​Happy Baking!!

custard cake

This cake is easy to make, moist and delicious.
Preparation + cooking:  1 hour (plus cooling time)
Serves 8
Ingredients
  • 200gm butter
  • ½​ cup caster sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 + 1/4 cups self-raising flour
  • 1/4 cup custard powder
  • 1½​ cups icing sugar, sifted
  • 50gm butter, softened
  • Cinnamon
Custard
  • 2 tbsp custard powder
  • 1/4 cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 20gm butter
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  Grease and line a 20cm cake pan.
  2. To make the custard, whisk the custard powder and sugar together in a small saucepan.  Gradually add the milk, whisking until smooth.  Whisk over medium heat until custard boils and thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in butter.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
  3. Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Sift flour and custard powder together over butter mixture and stir well until combined.
  4. Spread half the batter in the cake pan.  Remove plastic from custard and spread over batter.  Spread remaining batter over the custard.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Turn out and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Beat the icing sugar and butter until smooth and creamy then spread over cake.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, serve and enjoy.
Variation:  Stir the pulp of 2 or 3 passionfruit into the icing.
Recipe credit:  Woolworths Fresh Magazine May 2015

Chocolate ChickPea Cake with ganache

For something a little bit different ...
Preparation + cooking:  45 minutes (+ cooling time)
Serves 8
Ingredients
  • Cooking spray (for greasing)
  • 400gm dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 2 tbsp boiling water
  • 240gm can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½​​ cup plain yoghurt (or cream)
  • Walnuts, or similar, to garnish
​Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  Grease and line a 20cm springform tin.
  2. Melt 200gm of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth.  Combine coffee and boiling water in a small cup then stir into melted chocolate.
  3. Place chickpeas, brown sugar, vanilla essence and olive oil in a food processor and process for about 2 minutes or until smooth.  With the motor running, add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add the chocolate coffee mixture to chickpea mixture and stir gently to combine.  Stir in flour and baking powder and mix until just combined.  Spoon mixture into prepared tin and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.  Set aside to cool slightly then remove from pan.
  4. To make ganache, melt remaining 200gm chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Stir in yoghurt or cream and mix to combine.  Place in fridge, remembering to stirring frequently, until mixture reaches spreading consistency.
  5. Spread ganache over top of cake and top with walnuts (or your choice of garnish).

Layered Carrot Cake with Honeyed walnuts


This is a delicious and moist recipe.  The addition of the honeyed walnuts really makes it "pop". 

Thanks to www.taste.com.au for the recipe Layered Carrot Cake with Honeyed Walnuts

Easy Date Loaf

Picture
A good, old-fashioned favourite and very easy to make
Preparation + cooking :  1 hour (approximately)
Ingredients
  • 1 cup roughly chopped dates
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 100gm butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 + 3⁄4 cups self raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
​Method
  1. Preheat oven to 170°C.  Grease and line the base a loaf tin with baking paper.
  2. Combine the dates, brown sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Pour in the boiling water and stir until butter has melted completely.
  3. Stir in sifted flour and bicarbonate of soda then mix until well combined.  Stir in vanilla then transfer mixture to loaf tin.
  4. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes until browned and cooked through.  Serve and enjoy.

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing

Cooking + preparation time:  70 minutes
Ingredients
  • 225gm self raising flour
  • ½​ tsp baking powder
  • ½​ tsp baking soda
  • ½​ tsp cinnamon
  • ½​​ tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 175gm granulated sugar
  • 150ml vegetable oil
  • 200gm carrots, grated
  • 50gm walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (plus extra for decorating)
  • 50gm sultanas (optional)
Cream Cheese Icing
  • 100gm cream cheese
  • 50gm butter, melted
  • 225gm icing sugar, sifted
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 150°C.  Grease and line two deep 20cm cake pans.
  2. Sift together the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.  While beating, gradually add the sugar and then gradually add the vegetable oil.  Fold in the combined dry ingredients and grated carrot, alternately, being careful not to over-work the mixture.  Stir in the walnuts or pecans and sultanas (if using).
  4. Pour mixture evenly into the two prepared cake pans.  Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool completely.
Cream Cheese Icing
  1. Beat the cream cheese until soft and creamy.  Slowly mix in the melted butter.  Fold in the icing sugar until mixture is a spreadable consistency. 
  2. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.  If mixture appears thin, refrigerate for an hour or so before use.
  3. Use a little of the icing to sandwich the layers together.  Cover the top of the cake with the remainder of the icing then decorate with chopped walnuts or pecans.

Cinnamon Cake with Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients
  • 175gm butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups plain flour, sifted
  • 3/4 cup self raising flour, sifted
  • 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup milk
Vanilla Cream Frosting
  • 250gm butter, softened
  • 3 cups icing sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 6cm-deep, 19cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing 2cm overhang on all sides.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and orange rind together until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Stir in flours, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and milk.  Spread mixture into prepared pan.  Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Allow to stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
  3. Make frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in icing sugar and vanilla until combined.
  4. Using a serrated knife, cut cake in half.  Place base on a serving plate and spread with half of the frosting. Place other half on top and spread with remaining remaining frosting.  Serve and enjoy.

Easy Apple Cake

Picture
Ingredients
  • 125gm butter, melted
  • 6 tbsp caster sugar
  • 8 tbsp self raising flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 4 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
  • Caster sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling on top
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C.  Grease and line a lamington tin.
  2. Place melted butter, caster sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and apples in a large bowl.  Stir to combine.
  3. Pour mixture into prepared tin. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake for approx 30 minutes.
  4. Serve cold with cream or warm with custard and/or ice cream.

White  Chocolate  Mud  Cake  with  Ganache

Decadent, rich and delightful
Ingredients
  • 250gm unsalted butter, chopped
  • 150gm white chocolate, chopped
  • 2 cups caster sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1½​ cups plain flour
  • ½​ cup self raising flour
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Ganache
  • 300gm white chocolate, chopped
  • ½​ cup thickened cream
Method
  1. Grease and line a 22cm deep cake tin.
  2. Combine butter, white chocolate, sugar and milk in a medium pan.  Stir over a low heat until chocolate is melted. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in sifted flours, vanilla and eggs and stir to combine. Pour into prepared cake pan.
  4. Bake in slow to moderate oven (160°C) for approx 2 hours, covering with alfoil half way through cooking.
  5. Stand cake in pan for 30 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
  6. Prepare Ganache.  Combine white chocolate and cream in a medium pan and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate (stirring occasionally) until the mixture is a thick and spreadable consistency. Spread over cake and decorate as required.

Orange Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients
  • 200gm butter, at room temperature, chopped
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 2 tsp orange zest, finely grated
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups self raising flour
  • 100ml orange juice
  • Jaffas or similar to decorate
Ganache
  • 300gm white chocolate, chopped
  • ½​​ cup thickened cream
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line base with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Beat butter, sugar and orange zest until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. Sift flour into mixture and pour in orange juice. Fold together until just combined. Spoon into prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake on low shelf in the oven for 45-50 mins, or until firm to a gentle touch in the centre. Stand in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. Prepare Ganache.  Combine white chocolate and cream in a medium pan and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate (stirring occasionally) until the mixture is a thick and spreadable consistency. Spread over cake and decorate as required.

ideas  AND  inspiration ...