Date & Walnut Cake

Ingredients
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method
Soak the chopped dates in the boiling water with 1/4 tsp baking soda till ready for use.
First heat the oven to 180o.  Grease a 7" round cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper and grease again, for easy removal of cake.
Place the butter and sugar into your food processor and churn till light and fluffy.  Alternately you can beat them together in a large bowl till light and fluffy.
Add 1 beaten egg and the vanilla and churn again.
Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon together and add this to the butter mixture alternately with the date mixture.
Sometimes I pass this through the mixie to give it a smooth finish, but the small pieces of dates and the walnuts give the cake a real crunchy taste.
Now stir in the walnuts
Spoon the batter into the greased and lined baking tin.
Garnish with more walnuts and bake for about 1 hour.
Cool the cake before removing it from the tin

LEMON / CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients

200 gms butter ( 1 cup)

125 gm (1/2cup + 1 tbsp) sugar

125 gms (3/4 cup) flour

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp soda bi carb.

1 tsp lemon essence

2 tbsp milk

For Chocolate cupcakes:

75 gms flour and55 gms cocoa powder (1/2 cup flour & ¼ cup cocoa)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Put everything in the food processor in the order mentioned.  Add 2 tbsp milk and mix again.  The mixture will be soft and sticky.  Fill up the paper cups ½ full.  Surprisingly this amount will fill 12 paper cups.

Bake for about 15-20 mins in a preheated oven at 200^oC or 400^oF.

You can have them plain – they are just as delicious. You could make 1-2 doz and put them in the fridge, and when required, a 20 sec. in the microwave makes them taste as good as new!!

If you want to ice the cakes, cool them before to do so.

BUTTER CAKE

I have several recipes of Butter Cake but I found this one to be the best. It’s moist, buttery and soft. - its definitely a winner! Butter Cake is always my first choice when I have to make something for guests coming for tea!

Ingredients:

200 gm Butter  softened – (1 full cup)185 gm /5 oz Castor Sugar- (1 ½ cups full)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
A pinch of Salt
6 Egg separated

½ tsp cream of tartar (optional)

1 tbsp Milk
165 gm/ 5 oz Flour – (2 level cups)
2 tsp Baking Powder

Method:

·         Preheat oven at 180^oC. Grease and line the 8" baking pan. ( For this recipe I sometimes use two pans- a loaf pan and a 6” square pan, so the cake lasts longer!!)

·         Sift together the flour and baking powder.

·         Beat the butter with a hand mixer till soft. Then add the sugar, salt and vanilla essence and beat until creamy and light.

·         Separate egg yolks from the whites and add in egg yolks, one at a time and beat after each addition.  Add in the milk and mix well.

·         Now fold in the sifted flour – a spoon at a time until well mixed.

·         Take a separate bowl, rinse in water and whisk the egg whites in it along with the cream of tartar ( this will help the whites to stay stiff and foamy- but this is optional - the cake will still be light).  Whisk till foamy and standing in peaks.

·         Very gradually fold this into the butter mixture, a little at a time.  Fold in very gently so as not to release all the bubbles.

·         Pour the batter into the baking pans and bake at 180^oC for about 40-45 mins or until cooked. (A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean).

·        HAPPY BAKING!

(Tip: the yardstick for this cake is that the flour, sugar and butter all measure 5 ozs each, with a little extra butter to ensure its softness! - easy to remember)

Brownies

Brownies are by far my favourites. Anytime is "Brownie- time!"  I have been trying out various recipes for brownies, but I find this recipe to be really chewy and gooey!

Brownies

Ingredients

375 gm soft  butter

375 gm dark chocolate

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

500 gm caster sugar

225 gm plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts  Method  Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Take a pan of approximately 33 x 23 x 5 1/2cm and line it with foil or butter paper.  In a large heavy based saucepan melt the butter and chocolate together.  Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla in a separate pan.  Measure and sieve the flour into another bowl and add the salt.  When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit then add the eggs and sugar mixture, and then the nuts and flour.  Beat to combine and using a spatula scrape out the mixture from the saucepan into the lined brownie pan.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  When done, the top should be dried, but the middle should be dark and dense and gooey.  Brownies normally continue to cook a bit as they cool, so by the time you get to eat them, they should be completely done!