Lemon Curd Cake

4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups plain flour - sifted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
4 tbsp butter - softened
2 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
6 large egg whites
icing sugar to dust

Whisk together egg yolks, eggs and 1/2 cup sugar.
Stir in 1/2 cup of lemon juice
Cook the mixture over a double boiler, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes - or until thick.
Strain, place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard and chill until cold.
Mix the cold lemon curd, butter, lemon zest and 3 tbsp lemon juice until well combined.
Stir in the sifted dry ingredients.
Beat the egg whites until frothy and gradually add the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar.
Beat until soft peaks form.
Fold the meringue into the cake batter.
Put the mixture into a buttered and lined 23cm spring-form pan and bake at 180c for 50-55 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then invert onto a rack to cool completely
Dust the cake with icing sugar to serve.
The cake can be made a day in advance. Store, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature

Coconut Orange Cake

1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup milk
125g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp grated orange rind
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup milk extra

Combine coconut and milk in a bowl, stand 1 hour
Cream butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Stir in sifted flour, coconut mixture and milk alternately. (The mixture will appear curdled at this stage)
Bake in a well-greased tin, 50-60 minutes in a moderate oven.
Ice as desired.

Zucchini Fritters

From 'Meals Without Meat' by Alison and Simon Holst

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
2 eggs
1 clove garlic - finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups shredded zucchini - unpeeled
1/4 cup grated parmesan
about 1/2 cup self-raising flour

Mix everything together
Cook in hot oil

Sticky Date Pudding

People go quiet when they try this pudding - it's that good. A friend asked for the recipe, which I gave her and she phoned to ask why I had left the amount of chocolate out of the recipe.... there is no chocolate in it, but it tastes as if there ought to be. This is so easy to make ahead - I usually pour the sauce carefully over the pudding ahead of time and then re-heat the whole thing as we're eating the main course. Serve it with a blob of softly whipped cream oozing over the top. This is one of the puddings I miss the most.

STICKY DATE PUDDING


Pre-heat the oven to 190c
Line a tin with baking paper.

185g stoned dates
250ml water - cook gently together until they reach a jam-like consistency (add a little more water if you need to)
Beat in the remaining ingredients and mix well:
60g butter - chopped
2 eggs
185g sugar
185g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp vanilla

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake on the centre shelf for about 25 minutes or until cooked.
You can serve the following sauce separately.

Sauce
150g brown sugar
150ml cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Put all the ingredients into a pan and boil for 5 minutes.

Best Ever Cheese Scones

BEST EVER CHEESE SCONES

2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
30g softened butter
3 1/2 cups vintage cheddar - grated
220ml milk
1/4 tsp paprika

Pre-heat the oven to 210c
Sift flour and salt. Rub in butter, then stir in 2 1/2 cups cheese.
Using a knife, cut in the milk.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and break off large lumps with a floured knife.
Transfer lumps to a lined baking tray.
Mix the rest of the cheese with the paprika and sprinkle over the scones.
Bake about 10 minutes until puffed and golden.
Serve hottish with lots of butter.

Lemon Cake

LEMON CAKE

4 eggs
340g caster sugar
zest of 2 lemons
Whisk together till creamy, and then add
180g plain flour
100g almond meal
1/2 tbsp baking powder
160ml cream
Whisk until smooth, and then add
100g melted butter - cooled
juice of 2 lemons
Whisk again
Bake 160c - 180c until done

Icing
150g icing sugar
100g butter at room temperature
Beat together, the add
zest and juice of 1 lemon
100g cream cheese at room temperature
Beat until smooth.
Ice cake when it is cool,then dust thickly with icing sugar.

This cakes keep well and is light and delicious. You can you orange juice and zest, or lime juice and zest instead of the lemon.

Mum's Banana Cake

Mum taught me a neat trick with this cake. It is actually something I think would work really well when baking with the alternate flours you have to use when you have to avoid gluten.... because almost everything I have tasted that has been made with these flours tastes awful. Dry, crumbly - ick. I think this trick might go some way to solving that problem.

MUM'S BANANA CAKE

125g butter
175g sugar
cream these together till light and fluffy
Add
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas - mashed
Sift, then add
175g plain flour (now here's the trick! measure the flour then take away 1 tablespoon of it and in its place add 1 tablespoon of dessicated coconut)
1 tsp baking powder
50g cornflour
Now add
2 tbsp boiling milk, mixed with
1 level tsp baking soda

Bake 180c

The coconut makes the cake lighter and more moist.
This is another recipe that everyone asks for.