RAINBOW CUP CAKES
Makes 18
125g butter
250ml castor sugar
2 eggs
5ml vanilla essence
500ml flour
10ml baking powder
160-180ml milk
pink, yellow and green food colouring
Butter icing
125g butter
500ml icing sugar sifted
50-60ml milk
Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the eggs and beat well. Add vanilla.
Sift flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture with enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
Divide the mixture into three portions. Colour each portion with a few drops of the pink, yellow and green colouring.
Using a teaspoon, place a teaspoonful of each colour into paper cups.
Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes. Remove and when cool, top with butter icing.
For a decorative touch pop each cupcake into a cupcake wrapper.
Icing: Cream the butter and icing sugar, adding enough milk to make a spreadable icing.
DECORATED CHOCOLATE EGGS
Selection of hollow chocolate eggs
2 egg whites
500-600ml sifted icing sugar
food colouring of various colours
disposable icing bags
sweets, icing flowers and coloured or silver dragees to decorate
Using a hot knife carefully cut the chocolate egg in half at the join. Place on to baking paper on a tray.
Icing: Lightly whip the egg whites and add enough icing sugar to make a stiff icing.
Beat icing well until smooth.
Divide the icing into four or five small bowls and colour each one with a few drops of different food colouring.
Spoon into an icing bag and pipe decoratively on to the eggs.
Decorate with sweets, flowers and dragees.
Allow the icing to dry.
BANANA SQUARES
makes 15 squares
125g butter, softened
125g light brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
500ml flour
5ml bicarbonate of soda
5ml baking powder
pinch of salt
50-60ml buttermilk
Icing
125g smooth cream cheese
80g butter
5ml vanilla essence
500ml icing sugar, sifted
buttermilk to mix
Beat the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the bananas.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt and add to the creamed mixture with enough buttermilk to make a thick dropping consistency.
Spread the mixture into a greased 22cm square pan and bake at 180ºC for 20-30 minutes until firm. Remove from oven and cool completely. When cool, remove slab from the pan and top with icing.
Icing: Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and icing sugar to make a spreadable icing. If necessary, add a little buttermilk.
CHOCOLATE COCONUT BARS
makes 24-30 squares
400g tennis biscuits, crumbed
60ml sugar
150-180g butter, melted
100g pecan nuts, chopped
250ml white and dark chocolate chips
250ml chopped cherries
397g condensed milk
375ml medium shredded coconut
Combine the biscuits and sugar and stir in enough butter to bring the crumbs together.
Press mixture on to the base of a 20x30cm baking pan.
Bake at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool.
Sprinkle with pecan nuts, chocolate chips and cherries.
Pour over the condensed milk and scatter over the coconut.
Return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until coconut is golden and toasted.
Remove and cool completely before cutting into squares. - The Star
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