TIPS FOR BAKING
* Collect all your ingredients before starting.
* Have all ingredients at room temperature.
* Preheat the oven to the correct temperature.
* If using a fan oven, it is advisable to lower the baking temperature by 10°C.
* Make sure the butter and sugar are well creamed before adding the eggs.
* Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the mixture at the bottom of the bowl is also scraped down.
* Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled after adding the eggs. This will come right once the dry ingredients are added.
* Don’t over-mix once the dry ingredients are added as this can cause a tough texture.
* Cool your cake in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out. Hot cakes are fragile and could break.
* Always base-line your tin to make sure your cake will turn out perfectly.
* If your recipe calls for self-raising flour and you don’t have any on hand, use cake flour with 5ml baking powder added to every 250ml flour.
MARBLE LOAF
125g butter, at room temperature
180ml castor sugar
5ml vanilla extract
2 eggs
500ml self-raising flour, sifted
180ml milk
a few drops of pink food colouring
30ml cocoa powder, sifted
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
GLACÉ ICING
500ml icing sugar, sifted
a few drops of pink food colouring
water
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and base-line a 22x12cm loaf pan.
Using an electric beater, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl, until creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Lightly fold the flour into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
Divide the batter evenly into three. Leave one portion plain, add a few drops of food colouring to another and the cocoa and the bicarbonate of soda to the third.
Drop alternate colours into the prepared pan until all is used.
Draw a skewer or thin-bladed knife across through the batter to streak the colour.
Smooth the top and bake for 45-50 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cover with glacé icing.
ICING: Combine the icing sugar, food colouring and enough water to make a smooth, spreadable icing.
COCONUT LOAF
3 eggs
310ml milk
5ml vanilla extract
625ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
10ml ground cinnamon
180ml castor sugar
375ml desiccated coconut
80g butter, melted
In a jug, mix the eggs, milk and vanilla.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and castor sugar. Add the coconut and mix to combine.
Add the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the melted butter.
Spoon the mixture into a 12x22cm loaf pan that has been base-lined and greased.
Bake at 180°C for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Delicious served warm with butter.
GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE LOAF
180g butter
125ml castor sugar
4 eggs, separated
100g dark chocolate, melted
250ml gluten-free cake flour mix
10ml baking powder
60ml cocoa powder
125ml ground almonds
60ml extra castor sugar
ICING
200g dark chocolate
100ml cream
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat well.
Beat in the cooled melted chocolate.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix into the creamed mixture. Mix in the ground almonds.
Beat the egg whites until stiff then gradually beat in the extra castor sugar. Fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Spoon into a 13x23cm loaf pan that has been base-lined and well greased.
Bake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning on to a cooling rack. When completely cool, spread with chocolate icing.
ICING: Combine chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave on 50 percent power for 1-2 minutes until melted. Stir until smooth.
Cool completely until the mixture is of a spreadable consistency. Spread on top of the cake and decorate as desired.
LEMON CARROT LOAF
Makes 4 small loaves
4 eggs
250ml light brown sugar
180ml lemon-flavoured olive oil
500ml cake flour
10ml bicarbonate of soda
10ml ground cinnamon
5ml salt
4x250ml grated carrots (about 3 large ones)
125ml chopped pecan nuts
ICING
125g butter
500ml icing sugar
10ml grated lemon rind
30-40ml lemon juice
Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale. Beat in the olive oil.
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir into the egg mixture.
Stir in the carrots and nuts.
Spoon the mixture into four 14x8cm loaf tins which have been base-lined and greased.
Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
ICING: Cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon rind and enough lemon juice to make a spreading consistency.
Spread each loaf with some icing when cold.
* The lemon-flavoured olive oil can be replaced with sunflower oil if desired.
BAKLAVA LOAF
NUT MIXTURE
80ml pecan nuts
80ml blanched almonds
10ml ground cinnamon
45ml castor sugar
CAKE
200g butter
250ml castor sugar
5 extra-large eggs
10ml grated lemon rind
560ml cake flour
10ml baking powder
3ml bicarbonate of soda
125ml Greek yoghurt
5ml vanilla essence
SYRUP
180ml sugar
60ml honey
150ml water
NUT MIXTURE: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until finely chopped. Set aside.
CAKE: Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon rind.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the yoghurt. Mix in the vanilla.
Spoon a third of the batter into the bottom of a 13x24cm loaf tin which has been base-lined and greased. Sprinkle over a third of the nut mixture.
Add another layer of cake batter then nuts. Add the final layer of batter and sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.
Bake at 180°C for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
SYRUP: Combine all the ingredients in a pot and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
When the cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer to pierce holes in it and pour over the syrup. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out on a cooling rack.
Angela Day, The Star