COURGETTE AND PISTACHIO CAKE
3 eggs
250ml castor sugar
180ml oil
5ml vanilla essence
500ml grated courgettes
125ml chopped pistachio nuts
125ml ground almonds
5ml ground cardamom
5ml mixed spice
500ml flour
5ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml salt
Icing:
750ml sifted icing sugar
juice and rind of 1 lime
water to mix
chopped pistachio nuts for decorating
Beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Beat in the oil and vanilla essence. Stir in the courgettes (zucchini) and nuts. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture.
Spoon the mixture into a deep greased and base-lined 20cm cake pan. Bake at 170°C for 50-60 minutes until a skewer, when inserted, comes out clean. Remove and cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out on to a rack.
When cool, ice with glacé icing and sprinkle with nuts.
Icing: Place icing sugar in a bowl. Add lime rind and juice and enough water to make a thick, spreadable icing.
SWEET POTATO CAKE WITH CARAMEL GLAZE
625ml flour
15ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
5ml salt
3 eggs
375ml mashed cooked sweet potato
180ml warm water
375ml castor sugar
5ml vanilla essence
250ml dried cranberries
100g pecan nuts,
lightly toasted and chopped
Glaze:
125ml caramelised condensed milk
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Combine the eggs with the sweet potato and mix until blended.
Add the water, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients and lastly the cranberries and the nuts.
Spoon the batter into a greased 23cm ring pan.
Bake at 170°C for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer, when inserted, comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out. When cool, drizzle with glaze.
Glaze: Place the caramel in a bowl and warm slightly in the microwave, then drizzle over the cake. Decorate with a few extra cranberries if desired.
BEETROOT AND CHOCOLATE CAKE
300ml flour
10ml baking powder
125ml good quality cocoa powder
300ml castor sugar
3 medium beetroots, cooked until soft
3 eggs
200ml oil
Ganache:
200g dark chocolate
150ml cream
Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and sugar into a bowl. Peel and chop the beetroot and place in a food processor together with the eggs and oil. Blend until smooth. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
Pour the mixture into a greased and base-lined 20cm cake pan and bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before turning out on to a rack. When cold, ice with chocolate ganache.
Ganache: Combine chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave on medium for 2 minutes or until chocolate melts. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool until thick enough to spread on to cake.
* If you use a dark, good quality cocoa powder, your cake will have a rich dark velvety colour similar to that of a red velvet cake.
PARSNIP AND HONEY CAKE
180g butter
310ml light brown sugar
100ml honey
500ml flour
10ml baking
powder
10ml mixed spice
5ml salt
500ml parsnips, cooked and grated
1 green apple, peeled and grated
125ml chopped pecans
10ml grated lemon rind
Cream cheese icing:
100g butter
125g thick cream cheese
500ml sifted icing sugar
5ml vanilla extract
Grease and base line 2 x 20cm cake pans.
Place the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan and melt over a gentle heat. Pour into a bowl. Sift the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture together with the parsnips, apples, nuts and rind. Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Divide the mixture between the two pans and bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes until cooked. Cool for 5 minutes before turning out on to a rack.
Sandwich together with half the icing and spread the remainder on top. Sprinkle with pecan nuts if desired.
ICING: Cream the butter and cream cheese, add icing sugar and vanilla and mix to form a stiff icing. - Saturday Star