Quick Mix Chocolate Cake with Fudge Icing

Quick Mix Chocolate Cake with Fudge Icing

185g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk

Fudge Icing

60g dark cooking chocolate
15g butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk

Have all ingredients at room temperature.
Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes lighter in colour and smoother in texture.
Bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven, in a well greased 16cm x 26cm tin.
When cold, top with fudge icing.

Melt chocolate and butter over hot water, stir in sifted icing sugar and enough milk to give a thick, spreading consistency.

Greek Walnut Cake

3/4 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp strongly flavoured honey - like manuka
juice of 1 orange
1 cup water
3 tbsp brandy
125g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat the oven to 180c
Grease and line a 22cm cake tin
To make a syrup: - put the caster sugar, honey, orange juice and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then allow to cool completely.
Stir in the brandy and set aside.

Beat the butter, brown sugar, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until thick, pale and creamy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of flour after each egg.
Stir in the remaining flour, chopped walnuts and baking powder.
Pour into the tin
Bake about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove cake from tin and place on a serving plate to cool a little.
Pierce the cake with a skewer to allow the syrup to soak in.
Pour the syrup over the cake and baste the cake with syrup until it has all soaked in.
Allow to cool completely, then serve in wedges with Greek yoghurt

Apricot Yoghurt Slice

Apricot Yoghurt Slice

1/4 cup toasted coconut
125g sweet biscuits - crumbed
60g butter

125g dried apricots
1/2 cup boiling water
2 x 200g cartons plain yoghurt
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs

Combine toasted coconut, biscuit crumbs and butter and mix well.
Press into a lined 18cm x 28cm pan and refrigerate.

Cover apricots with boiling water and stand 30 minutes.
Whizz apricots and their liquid with yoghurt, honey and eggs until smooth.
Spread the yoghurt mixture over the base and bake in a moderate oven 30 - 35 minutes, or until set.
Cool then refrigerate several hours before serving.
Sprinkle the top with a little extra toasted coconut.
Sweet, tart.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

6 egg
250g caster sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
50ml extra virgin olive oil
200g finely chopped hazelnuts
150g chopped dark chocolate
175g flour
whipped cream, for serving

Pre-heat the oven to 175c
Grease and line a 24cm diameter cake tin
Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until pale, thick and creamy
Stir in the olive oil, then stir in the hazelnuts, chocolate and flour
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely.
Serve in wedges with whipped cream
Pour into the tin and bake 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

Fruit Roly Poly

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
pinch salt
125g butter
about 1/2 cup milk

Sift flour and salt. Rub in butter and mix to a medium/dry dough with milk.
Knead on a floured board.
Roll out and cover with drained fruit.
Roll up as for swiss-roll and cut into pieces.
Arrange in a greased oven-proof dish.

Fillings
Dried mixed fruit, fruit mince, crushed pineapple, apricots, spiced apples - or a mixture of all.

Sauces
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup fruit syrup
50g butter

or (and this is the nicest)
1 scant cup sugar
1 cup water
50g butter
2 tbsp lemon juice

Make sauce by heating all ingredients together until boiling.
Pour over the rolls, being careful not to have the sauce more than 3/4'' from the top of the dish as it may boil over.
Bake at decreasing heat 30-40 minutes in a hot oven

Delicious Date Scones

Cut up 11/2 cups of dates and soak overnight in 1/2 cup fruit juice to cover.
Pre-heat oven to 200c
Sift
 4 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar

Melt
 50g butter
Add
 1 cup milk
3/4 cup water

Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a knife until blended.
Add date mixture and stir in gently
Turn onto a floured board.
Roll out lightly
Cut into about 16 (4x4) squares
Brush with milk
Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned
You can sprinkle with raw sugar before baking

Banana Walnut Cake

2 bananas - roughly chopped
1 cup walnut pieces - chopped
1 cup sultanas or cranberries
1 cup sugar
Mix all in a large bowl

In another bowl:
Beat 1 egg and gradually pour in 100g melted butter.
Mix into the banana mixture

Sift in:
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tsp mixed spice
Stir lightly - this is a still mixture

Turn into a well greased 20 - 25cm cake tin
Bake 45 - 50 minutes at 180c
Cool in the tin
Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Can also be used as a dessert - served with whipped cream

Instead of bananas you can use feijoas - 2 cups of fruit (approx 5 feijoas) - peeled and chopped. It is important to measure them correctly.