CAKES

Cakes have been prepared by our ancestors for thousands of years.  They were originally made with flour, fruit and honey which was the only sweetening agent then known in Europe. They developed into pieces of art, invented by famous pastry cooks, and decorated with various kinds of fruit, whipped cream, ganache and caramelised nuts.


I shall give you below the recipes of several plain cakes that could be transformed into beautiful creations that you will proud to offer to your beloved family and friends.

                                        BANANA AND CHOCOLATE CAKE

An aromatic cake.

175 g caster sugar

175 g self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 tbsp cocoa

100 g finely chopped chocolate

100 ml sunflower oil or

100 g melted butter

200 g bananas, mashed

3 medium eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch of salt

50 ml of milk.

Heat oven to 160 C.  Grease and line a tin with baking parchment or alternately use 2 loaf tins.   Mix all the dry ingredients well together in a bowl, also mix the wet ingredients well together in another bowl.   Stir the two mixtures together and gently fold in the whipped egg whites until no traces of white are evident.  Bake for about 1 hour.  Cool in the tin/tins, and, finally spread with chocolate ganache.

                                       VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE No II

This is a fudgy, moist chocolate cake of which I have no words.

195 g (1 ½ cups) self-raising flour

65 g (½ cup) cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

225 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) sugar

Pinch of salt

Tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1 vanilla

1½ tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup of water

Icing sugar for dusting over 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350F) and line the base of a  round tin with oiled baking parchment.  Also, brush the sides of the tin with oil.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and stir in the wet ingredients until well combined and smooth.   Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake shrinks from the edges of the tin and a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Reverse on a dish and serve dusted with icing sugar. 

                                                        PARKIN CAKE

A delicious, sticky English cake for Guy Fawkes Day.

200 g butter plus extra for the tin

1 large egg

4 tbsp milk

200 g golden syrup

85 g treacle

85 g light, soft brown sugar

100 g medium oatmeal

250 g self-raising flour

1 tbsp ginger powder

Preheat oven to 160 C (140 F) and butter a deep 22 cm square cake tin with butter and line with baking parchment.

Whip the egg and milk together with a fork and set aside.   Gently melt the syrup, treacle, sugar and butter together until the sugar has dissolved, and remove from the heat.  Mix together the oatmeal, flour and ginger and stir into the syrup mixture.  Then stir the whipped egg and milk.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 50 minutes to one hour or until the cake feels firm and is crusty on top.   Cool in the tin and then wrap in baking parchment and foil.  Keep for five days before eating.

                                                       ETON MESS

An English dessert which everybody adores.

3 egg whites

1 tiny pinch of salt

120 g (4 oz) sugar

500 g (1 lb) hulled strawberries roughly chopped

500 ml (2 cups) double cream

1 tbsp icing sugar

Extra strawberries for garnisha

Heat oven to 120 C (248 F) and line a large tray with baking parchment.  Whip egg whites with a tiny pinch of salt to the soft peak stage, then add the sugar gradually whipping each time until well incorporated and forming stiff peaks.

Spoon dollops of the mixture on the lined tray and bake at the bottom of the shelf for 1 hour – 1 ¼ hour until the meringues are completely hard and come off the parchment easily and allow to cool.   Meanwhile, blend the strawberries to make a strawberry coulis.

In a large bowl whisk the cream with the icing sugar until thick.  Roughly crush the meringues and tip the with the chopped strawberries and stir. Then swirl through the strawberry coulis.  Spoon equally into individual bowls, crust the remaining meringues evenly on top.  Garnish with strawberries.

                                  CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RUM CUSTARD

A superb chocolate dessert. 

Cake:

45 g (½ cup) cocoa powder, sifted

195 g (1½ cup) self-rising flour

1 vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

200 g (1 cup) sugar

115 g (½ cup) butter, softened

1 egg

125 ml (½ cup) Greek yogurt

125 ml (½ cup) boiling water

Rum Custard:

687.5 ml (2 ¾ cups) milk

125 ml (½ cup) dark rum

1 vanilla

3 egg yolks

3 tbsp cornflour

100 g ( ½ cup) sugar

2 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of a 28 cm  spring-form tin with buttered baking parchment and brush the sides with butter.

Mix the first 5 ingredients for the cake, well together.  In a food processor pulse butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg and yogurt and pulse for 3 minutes more.   Add the dry ingredients and the boiling water, with the processor running, until a smooth batter is formed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake come out clean.  Leave for ten minutes, and reverse on a pretty serving dish.

Meanwhile, prepare the rum custard.  Simmer the milk with the rum and vanilla for 5 minutes and whip the egg yolks with the sugar and cornflour until creamy and thick.   Allow the milk to cool for 5 minutes and ladle it into the egg mixture, beating constantly as you add.   Return to the saucepan and simmer gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens, about 15-20 minutes.   Then stir in the butter and cover with cling-film and set aside to cool.  Then ice for ½ an hour.

Cover the chocolate cake with the rum custard Cover and refrigerate.  Before serving, bring the cake to room temperature and enjoy this delicious dessert.

   

             CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ALMOND POWDER AND CAYENNE PEPPER

A wonderful cake.

200 g dark chocolate (Ygeia’s Pavlidou), finely chopped

200 g butter

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 tsp instant coffee

(Melt butter and chocolate, add the Cayenne pepper and instant coffee, mix well together and set aside to cool)

300 g sugar, * three tbsp. reserved for the egg whites

6 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks with a pinch of salt, then whipped stiff with the reserved sugar

1 vanilla

60 g self-raising flour mixed with

40 g almond powder or more and

½ tsp baking soda

Ganache:

100 ml cream

100 g finely chopped chocolate (Ygeia’s Pavlidou) 1 tsp honey

(Heat the cream, pour over the chocolate and honey and mix very well together)

A few hulled strawberries for garnish

Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.   Add the flour/almond flour mixture and stir well together.

Pour in the chocolate/ butter mixture and stir until no streaks are visible.   Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the whipped egg whites and place the batter in buttered tin, lined with

baking parchment.  Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then reverse on a dish, spread with ganache, garnish with strawberries and serve.

Pink Rose by Debra Sisson