BAKING A CAKE
The basic recipes I share here provide a platform for almost any cake you wish to make. You may wonder why there’s no creaming of butter and sugar in the recipes. An extremely good cook told me long ago that this isn’t necessary – using melted butter does just as well. I’ve found that she was right, and this is what gave rise to my super-easy cake batters. So, armed with these never-fail recipes, you can easily have your cake and eat it, too!
BASIC RICH BUTTER CAKE
Makes one 18 to 20cm round cake, or approximately 24 small patty cakes or 12 larger ones
I often use this versatile recipe for butterfly cakes, or add dried fruits to make old-fashioned patty cakes. It makes a good basic muffin, too – add a mashed banana, for instance, or blueberries, or even chocolate chips – delicious! For lamingtons, it is beyond compare.
1 cup (220g) sugar
2 large eggs
¾ cup (185ml) milk
1¼ cups (185g) self-raising flour
¼ cup (30g) cornflour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
125g butter, melted
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease an 18 to 20cm round cake tin, and line base with baking paper; grease again.
Put all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat for 2 minutes.
Pour into prepared tin, and bake for 30 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to stand in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Variation: For an orange, lemon or lime cake, add the grated rind of two of each of these respective fruits.
LIGHT BUTTER CAKE
Makes one 18–20cm cake or approximately 24 small cakes or 12 larger ones
This cake has a lighter, spongier texture than the rich butter cake with a huge potential range of applications. For instance I find it’s ideal for making little pink jelly cakes; bake them in small-scoop patty tins, roll them in red jelly and then coconut, and fill them with cream.
Another family favourite is to pour this mixture into a 20cm round tin, then top with preserved (or tinned) apricots or other fruits before baking. It also serves as a very good teacake when, once cooked and still hot, it’s brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
1 large egg
¾ cup (165g) sugar
1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour
½ cup (125ml) milk
70g butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin, and line base with baking paper; grease again.
Whisk the egg and sugar together till well combined, then whisk in the flour, milk and butter all at once.
Pour batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top, and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to stand in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
BASIC SPONGE CAKE
Makes one 20cm cake
Lighter again, this recipe will make a delicious sponge that can be cut in half and filled with sweetened whipped cream. Perhaps my personal favourite is this cake, filled this way and the top spread with passionfruit icing.
3 eggs
½ cup (110g) sugar
½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
¼ cup (30g) cornflour or custard powder
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm round deep cake tin, and line base with baking paper; grease again.
Beat the eggs with an electric beater for 5 minutes, then gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoonful at a time, and beat for 3 minutes more once all the sugar has been added.
Meanwhile, mix the flour and cornflour or custard powder together. When eggs and sugar have finished beating, sift in the flour mixture, and fold in with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour evenly into the prepared tin.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and pulling away from the sides of the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut in half with a serrated knife, and fill and ice as desired.
BASIC CHOCOLATE CAKE
Makes one 20cm round or square cake, 24 small cupcakes, or 12 larger muffin-size cakes
I often use this recipe as the cake component of a Black Forest cake.
2 eggs
1 cup (220g) sugar
½ cup (125ml) milk
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
⅓ cup (40g) cocoa
20g dark chocolate, melted
100g butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm round tin, and line base with baking paper; grease again.
Put all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat for 2 minutes.
Pour into prepared tin, and bake for 30 minutes or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to stand in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For small cupcakes, bake for 15–20 minutes; muffins approximately 20 minutes.
BASIC SWEET YEAST CAKE DOUGH
Makes 9 cream buns or 12 fruit buns
This recipe is ideal for making cream buns or Chelsea scrolls. To make fruit buns, add 1½ cups (280g) dried fruit and a grated apple, along with the grated rind of one lemon, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon mixed spice.
3 cups (450g) plain flour
1½ tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons instant dried yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
60g butter, melted
1¼ cups (310ml) warm milk or water, approximately
2 tablespoons milk or water, extra
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl, then make a well in the centre and pour in the egg, butter and 1 cup of the milk or water. Mix to a soft dough, mixing in the extra liquid only if necessary. Mix well with a metal spoon until well combined.
Cover bowl with a clean tea towel and allow to rise until doubled (about 1–1½ hours).
Preheat oven to 190°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Shape as desired (for instance, 9 balls for cream buns or 12 for fruit buns).
Place on trays, allow to rise until about doubled in size again, then bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on trays or racks.
BASIC BOILED FRUIT CAKE
Makes one 20cm round cake
I know, this is a very humble fruit cake, but it certainly shouldn’t be despised for its simplicity. There’s nothing like it for feeding a family or guests. It can easily be converted to a date cake by substituting dried dates for mixed fruit and adding a handful of walnuts for extra flavour and texture. It can also be served warm with custard and ice-cream for a delicious dessert, and even pass as a hasty Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
I’ve even been known to use the mixture for lovely, fruity, tasty muffins.
140g butter, diced
1 cup (220g) sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup (250ml) water
½ cup (125ml) apera or brandy
375g mixed dried fruit
1 apple, cored and grated
2 teaspoons jam or marmalade (any sort)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 large eggs
1 cup (150g) plain flour
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
Put the butter, sugar, spices, water, apera or brandy, mixed fruit, apple, jam or marmalade and bicarbonate of soda in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm round deep tin, and line base with baking paper; grease again.
Whisk the eggs and add to the fruit mixture, then add the flours and mix with a metal spoon until well combined. Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a metal skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in tin. Store in an airtight container.
BASIC ICINGS
1½ cups (180g) icing sugar
2 teaspoons softened butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Boiling water
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the butter and vanilla, then stir in the boiling water, 1 teaspoon at a time, and mix to make a smooth paste of spreading consistency.
• For chocolate icing or cordial syrups – add 2–3 teaspoons cocoa powder to the icing sugar
• For coloured icings or cordial syrups – use natural colourings
• For fruit-flavoured icings – add sieved jams
• For citrus-flavoured icings – add finely grated rind and replace some or all of the boiling water with citrus juice.
• For jelly coatings – 85g jelly crystals dissolved in 300ml boiling water then cooled