Orange Poppy Seed Syrup Cake

Orange Poppy Seed Syrup Cake

A popular combination of flavours makes this syrupy cake a safe bet to be loved by everyone.The cake by itself is deliciously moist.

• 1/3 cup poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup milk
• 185g butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup orange juice

1. Preheat oven to moderate. Grease and line deep 22cm round cake pan.
2. Combine seeds and milk in small bowl; stand 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile beat butter, rind and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined between additions.
4. Stir in flours, almond meal, juice and poppy seed mixture. Spread mixture into prepared pan.
5. Bake cake in moderate oven about 1 hour. Stand cake 5 minutes, then turn onto wire rack, pour hot syrup over hot cake. 

Orange Syrup

• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup water

Stir combined ingredients in small saucepan over heat, without boiling until sugar dissolves, bring to boil.simmer uncovered without stirring for 2 minutes.

Serves 16

Meringue Cake

Meringue Cake

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup caster sugar, extra

1. Preheat oven to moderate. Grease and line cake pan
2. Beat butter, sugar and egg yolks in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Using wooden spoon, stir in combined sifted flour and cocoa, the combined buttermilk and sour cream.
3. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, gradually add extra sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves between additions.
4. Spread cocoa cake mixture into prepared pan. Top it with the beaten egg whites and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle nuts or cherries if u want.
5. Bake cake in moderate oven around 30 minutes.

Serves 12.

This cake is best made on the day of serving.

Apple Pecan Cake

Apple pecan cake

The wonderful combination of nuts and fruit with maple-flavored syrup makes this delectably moist cake exceedingly more-ish.

• 90g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 cup white self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple flavored syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped raisins
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple

1. Preheat oven to moderate. Grease and line 20cm ring pan.
2. Beat butter, flours, cinnamon, sugar, syrup and eggs in medium bowl on low speed with electric mixer until ingredients are combined. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in colour.
3. Using wooden spoon , stir in nuts, raisins and apple. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, spread evenly with spatula.
4. Bake cake in moderate oven about 50 minutes. 

Tips

• Sultanas or finely chopped seeded dates or prunes can be substituted for the raisins and walnuts for the pecans.

Source: The Australian Women's Weekly

Milky Fruit Cake

Evaporated milk produces a moist fruit cake with a rich creamy taste.

• 225g butter, softened
• 225g soft light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• sieve together: 275g plain flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 250g currants
• 250g sultanas
• 250g raisins
• 115g glace cherries, halved
• 115ml evaporated milk

1. Cream the butter and sugar together, until light in colour and fluffy.
2. Beat in each egg; fold in the flour and baking powder
3. Stir in the dried fruit, glace cherries and evaporated milk; mix thoroughly
4. Place the mixture in a greased and lined 20cm round cake tin, smooth the top.
5. Bake at 160 C for around 2 - 2 3/4 hours until golden in colour and set and a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. 

Makes 16-20 slices

Source: Cakes and Biscuits

Chocolate Fudge Mud Cakes

Chocolate Fudge Mud cake

• 3 x 60g Mars bars
• 150g butter, chopped coarsely
• 150g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup self-raising flour
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease 12-hole muffin pan.
2. Chop 2 Mars bars finely; cut remaining bar into 12 slices.
3. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and the water in medium saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Transfer to large bowl; cool 10 minutes. Whisk in sifted flours, then eggs and finely chopped Mars bar.
4. Divide mixture into pan holes. bake about 25 minutes. Meanwhile make chocolate fudge frosting. Spread cakes with frosting, top each with a slice of Mars bar.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 50g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 25g butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons hot water, approximately

Stir chocolate and butter in heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water until smooth (do not allow water to touch base of bowl); stir in sifted icing sugar and cocoa. Stir in enough of the hot water until frosting is spreadable.

Makes 12

Chocolate Date Cake

Chocolate Date Cake

• 1 1/4 cups seeded dates
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 60g butter, chopped
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped finely

1. Chop prunes, combine with the water and soda in a medium bowl, cover and stand 5 minutes
2. Using wooden spoon stir in the finely chopped butter, until melted, then stir in sugar, lightly beaten eggs, flour and finely chopped chocolate.
3. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake in moderate oven for about one hour.(Oven should be preheated to moderate)
4. Serve hot with chocolate sauce.

Serves 8

Tips

• It is important that the pan be well greased, because the cake mixture is both very wet and very sugary (two conditions making it likely to stick to the pan when baked)
• Cake will keep for up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature. 
• The dates can be substituted with prunes.