Saturday 31 January 2009

Earl grey tea cake


Preparation Time - 20 minutes Cooking Time - 20 minutes


Makes - 12 small individual cakes, however one large cake was made as we had no small tins.

Ingredients
Melted butter, for greasing
2 Earl Grey tea bags
60ml (1/4 cup) boiling water
80ml (1/3 cup) milk
100g butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
160g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
190g (1 1/4 cups) self-raising sugar
marmalade icing
230g (1 1/2 cups) pure icing sugar
1 1/2 tbs breakfast marmalade
1 1/2 tbs fresh orange juice, approximately
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 12 medium (80ml/1/3 cup) muffin pans with the melted butter to lightly grease.
Empty the tea leaves from the tea bags into a cup and add the boiling water. Set aside for 3 minutes. Stir in the milk and then transfer to a large bowl.
Add the butter, eggs, sugar and flour to the tea mixture. Use electric beaters on low speed to beat until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy (the mixture may look slightly curdled).
Spoon the mixture evenly into the greased pans. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside for 2-3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the marmalade icing, combine the icing sugar and marmalade in a small bowl. Add enough juice to make a very thick paste.
Use a teaspoon dipped in hot water to spread the icing over the tops of the cooled cakes. Set aside for 15-20 minutes to allow the icing to set.
Notes & tips
prep: 20 mins (+ cooling and 15-20 mins setting time)
Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
variation: Use a round 20cm cake pan, the base and side lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for 40-45 mins or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Ice as above.

Friday 16 January 2009

Sprout Cake

















2 eggs
125g Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
100 ml vegetable oil
125g Self raisin flour
125g carrots
125g sprouts
30g Walnuts
30g raisins
25g dried coconut
1/2 tsp fresh ginger grated
1/2tsp vanilla essence

1. Line a (2lb) baking tin with silicone paper.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar and oil for a couple of minutes, add the flour, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla essence and carry on mixing for a minute.
3. Fold in the grated carrots, sprouts walnuts, raisins and dried coconut. Split the mix between the two lined dish and cook in a preheated oven at 180°C for 50 to 60 minutes, (until a toothpick inserted in the middle come out dry).
4. The cake can be served on it's own, or you might like to enrich it by mixing some natural yogurt and icing sugar and pouring it over the cake.