Now, I am not a fan of sweet things. But baking is one of the skill that I was 'forced' to learn in NZ. Why I said so? Well... on a fine night when I was having my dinner, my landlord suddenly just took out all his baking tools and materials, and excitedly asked me to bake a cake. I don't really like to cook, plus I really dislike cakes and sorts, so this activity is a big nono. But how to refuse the kind old man that waited me all excitedly with all the tools and materials already prepared nicely for me.. ahhhh.. and so i baked 2 cakes out of scratch that night.
Lemon Sour Cream Cake
125g butter, softened 1 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar ½ cup sour cream
3 eggs Icing sugar
Beat butter, lemon rind, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold sifted ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream, mixing until smooth. Pour mixture into a greased and lined 20cm round cake tin. Bake at 160°C for 45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. When cold dust with icing sugar.
Chocolate Cake
175g butter, softened 2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence 2 teaspoons baking powder
1¾ cups sugar 1 cup milk
3 eggs Chocolate icing or icing sugar
½ cup cocoa
Cream butter, vanilla essence and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift cocoa, flour and baking powder together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Pour mixture into a greased and lined 22cm round cake tin. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. When cold ice with chocolate icing or dust with icing sugar if wished.
Coffee Cake
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder 1½ cups plain flour
1 tablespoon boiling water 1½ baking powder
175g butter, softened 3 tablespoons milk
¾ cup caster sugar Coffee icing
1 teaspoon vanilla essence Walnut pieces
2 eggs
Dissolve coffee in the boiling water. Cream butter, sugar, coffee mixture and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and baking powder together and fold a little at a time quickly into the creamed mixture. Stir in milk. Pour cake mixture into two greased and lined 20cm sponge sandwich tins. Bake at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Fill and ice with coffee icing. Decorate with walnut pieces if wished.
Butter Cake
150g butter, softened 3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence ¾ cup milk, approximately
¾ cup sugar Icing sugar
2 eggs 1½ cups plain flour
Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold into creamed mixture. Add sufficient milk to give a soft dropping consistency. Spoon mixture into a greased and lined deep 20cm round cake tin. Bake at 180°C for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. When cold dust with icing sugar.
Lemon Syrup Cake
Spoon butter cake mixture into a greased and lined 22cm loaf tin. After cooking cake, spoon hot syrup over hot cake. Leave in tin until cold.
Syrup - 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 cup sugar
Gently heat lemon juice and sugar together, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
>> I've never got the chance to tried the recipes shared below yet.. But they seem good too so I think I would share lah.
Banana Cake
125g butter, softened 2 tablespoons hot milk
¾ cup sugar 2 cups plain flour
2 eggs 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups mashed ripe bananas Chocolate or Lemon icing
1 teaspoon baking soda Icing sugar (optional)
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed banana and mix thoroughly. Stir soda into hot milk and add to creamed mixture. Sift flour and baking powder. Fold into mixture. Turn into a greased and lined 20 cm round cake tin. Bake at 180°C for 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. When cold ice with Lemon or Chocolate Icing or dust with icing sugar.
*Variation : The mixture can be baked in two 20 cm round sandwich tins at 180°C for 25 minutes. The two cakes can be filled with whipped cream and sliced banana.
Chocolate Bubble Cakes
250g vegetable shortening 1 cup coconut
1 cup icing sugar 1/4 cup cocoa
4 cups cornflakes or puffed rice breakfast cereal
Put vegetable shortening in a medium saucepan. Cook over a low heat until melted. Sift icing sugar and cocoa together. Add sifted ingredients, cornflakes and coconut to saucepan, stirring until well combined. Spoon mixture evenly into 24 paper patty cases. Chill until firm. Makes 24.
Rich Chocolate Cake
(A very moist and rich flourless cake. Suitable for dessert.)
175g unsalted butter, softened 150g cooking chocolate, melted
¾ cup brown sugar 2 x 70g packets ground almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla essence Icing sugar
6 eggs, separated Whipped cream
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Fold in melted chocolate and almonds. In another bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually fold whites into chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased and lined 20cm spring-form tin. Bake at 190°C for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 150°C for a further 35 minutes or until firm. Allow cake to cool in tin. Release cake and transfer to a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or cold with cream.
Chocolate Liqueur Cake
Omit vanilla essence and replace with 2 teaspoons chocolate, coffee or orange liqueur.
Happy baking !! And don't forget to share your baking experience with me ! If you don't mind ! :)
