BUTTERMILK CRUMPETS
Makes 12-14
500ml flour
20ml sugar
300ml buttermilk
30ml water
10ml vanilla
30g butter melted
sliced banana for serving
golden syrup for serving
Put the flour and sugar into a bowl.
Add the buttermilk, water and vanilla and mix to form a smooth batter.
Stir in the melted butter.
Drop spoonfuls of mixture into a greased frying pan and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Turn over and cook on the other side. Remove and keep warm.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Serve the crumpets with sliced banana and golden syrup.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
500ml flour
5ml salt
5ml baking powder
10ml bicarbonate of soda
180ml cocoa powder
500ml sugar
250ml oil
125ml silken tofu puree
250ml milk
5ml vanilla essence
250ml hot coffee
60ml strawberry jam
GANACHE TOPPING
200ml cream
150g dark chocolate
white chocolate curls for decoration
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
In a blender puree the oil, tofu, milk and vanilla essence. Add to the flour with the coffee and mix to a smooth batter.
Divide the mixture between two 20cm well greased cake pans. Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
Sandwich the two layers together with strawberry jam. Pour ganache on top and decorate with white chocolate curls.
GANACHE TOPPING: Combine cream and dark chocolate in a bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for two minutes.
Stir until smooth.
Cool until thick and pour over the cake.
PEAR AND APPLE MUFFINS
Makes 12
250ml cake flour
125ml whole wheat flour
125ml oat bran
15ml baking powder
5ml ground cinnamon
160ml brown sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 pear, peeled, cored and diced
250ml milk
10ml vinegar
Combine the flours, oat bran, baking powder, cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl. Stir in the apple and pear.
Combine the milk and vinegar and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
Spoon the mixture into 12 paper-lined muffin cups and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Remove and cool.
PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA LOAF
125ml milk
5ml apple cider vinegar
250ml whole wheat flour
180ml light brown sugar
5ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
2 bananas, mashed
80ml peanut butter
5ml vanilla essence
180ml chocolate chips
ICING
80g butter
45ml peanut butter
375 icing sugar
a handful of chocolate chips for decorating
Combine the milk and the vinegar and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the bananas, peanut butter and vanilla to the milk mixture and combine well.
Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter is formed. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Spoon mixture into a greased and lined 10x20cm loaf pan and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and turn out on to a cooling rack. When cool, spread icing on top.
ICING: Cream butter and peanut butter together until soft and fluffy. Mix in the icing sugar and spread on to the loaf. Sprinkle with a few extra chocolate chips.
LEMON CAKE
625ml flour
10ml baking powder
5ml bicarbonate of soda
385g can of condensed milk
250m water
30ml vinegar
10ml vanilla essence
10ml grated lemon rind
125g butter, melted
ICING
100g butter
375ml icing sugar
15ml milk
grated lemon rind for decorating
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
Make a well in the flour and add the condensed milk, water vinegar, vanilla essence and lemon rind.
Mix with a wire whisk to combine. Stir in the melted butter.
Spoon mixture into a well greased 22cm ring pan. Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
When cool, spread with butter icing and decorate with lemon rind.
ICING: Cream the butter until soft. Add the icing sugar and milk and beat until fluffy.
RED VELVET CUPCAKES
Makes 12
375ml flour
250ml icing sugar
5ml bicarbonate of soda
45ml cocoa powder
80ml oil
250ml buttermilk
30m red food colouring
15ml vinegar
10ml vanilla essence
ICING
80g butter
125g cream cheese
500ml sifted icing sugar
5ml vanilla essence
Sift the flour, icing sugar, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a bowl.
Combine the oil, buttermilk, food colouring, vinegar and vanilla and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Spoon the mixture into 12 paper-lined muffin cups and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Spread each cupcake with icing.
ICING: Cream butter and cream cheese. Add icing sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in vanilla. - The Star