First of all, I’d like to wish you all a belated happy New year, may 2012 hold lots of exciting and delicious things! Mr Bits and I had a lovely break in Knysna and I’m now feeling refreshed, inspired and ready to take on this year! It was my 29th last week (yes, I was spoilt rotten!) and our 2nd wedding anniversary is at the end of the month 
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In the spirit of celebrations, new beginnings and the love of eating, I give you 2 yummy cakes… C xxx
Victoria sponge with fresh cream and raspberries
225g butter
1 c (250 ml) castor sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ c (375ml) self-raising flour
To finish off:
1 c (250 ml) strawberry jam
1 c (250 ml) fresh cream, whipped to soft peaks – do not sweeten
a punnet of fresh raspberries
icing sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Line the base of 2 x 22 cm (8″) tins with greaseproof paper.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Fold in sifted flour.
Bake for +- 25 minutes.
Turn out onto a cooling rack.
Sandwich together with strawberry jam and half of the cream, top with remaining cream and decorate with fresh rasberries. Dust lightly with icing sugar.
Moist chocolate cake with caramel and peppermint crisp crumble
I love a chocolate cake that is so moist and fudgy that is sticks to your palate. This is that cake. You can’t go wrong with good old caramel treat and the peppermint crisp just balances out all that sweetness and brings on another flavour dimension. What a treat!
Chocolate sponge:
2 c (500 ml) cake flour
2 c (500 ml) sugar
pinch salt
1 t (5 ml) bicarbonate of soda
125 g butter or margarine
1 c (250 ml) water
½ c (125 ml) oil
½ c (125 ml) cocoa powder
2 extra large eggs
½ c (125 ml) buttermilk or plain yoghurt
To finish off:
2 tins caramel treat, beaten until smooth and silky
2 peppermint crisp chocolate bars, blitzed in a food processor to make coarse crumbs
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease and Line a 24 cm round cake tin with baking paper.
Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
In a small pot, heat the butter, water, oil and cocoa. Boil for a few minutes and whisk until well combined. Allow to cool slightly.
Pour over the flour mixture and mix lightly.
Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Add to the flour mixture and fold together until well combined.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake in preheated oven for ± 35 – 40 minutes.
Turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.
Sandwich the cakes together with half the caramel, sprinkle with half peppermint crisp crumble.
Spread remaining caramel on top of the cake. Sprinkle with more peppermint crisp crumble.
Other suggestions:
Use this choc sponge to make a black forest or a choc ganache cake.
For a bit of a coffee flavour, replace the water with strong coffee – mocha fudge cake!
This cake can also be baking in a deep baking tray or pyrex dish – bake for +- 25 minutes.
This cake was inspired by an old recipe I use often called Allyson’s chocolate cake.
We’ve been eating alot of salads over the last few weeks. With this hot weather we’ve been having, the last thing you feel like is a rich meal. I find myself craving things like crunchy iceberg lettuce with caesar dressing, room temperature spaghetti with grassy olive oil and fresh lemon or another big love of my life, crispy Cos with parmesan shavings and toasted pinenuts. I could easily not eat meat during these hot months but I do have to keep the hubby happy and throw in some “vleis” every now and then.
