Cake Decorating 101

Some ideas to style up the humble patty cake.

Cinnamon Teacake

65g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

1/3 cup milk

Cinnamon topping

10g butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons caster sugar

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 4.5cm deep, 20cm round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together for 2 minutes or until combined. Stir in half the flour, then half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Level top.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn, top-side up, onto a wire rack.
4. Make topping Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Brush hot cake with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon mixture. Cool. Serve.

Chocolate Raisin Biscuits - Gluten Free

200g milk or dark chocolate

150g butter, softened

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups gluten-free plain flour

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

100g raisins, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Chop half the chocolate. Place chopped chocolate into a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Heat, stirring with a metal spoon every minute, for 2 to 3 minutes on MEDIUM (50%) power, or until melted. Set aside to cool.
2. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in melted chocolate.
3. Sift flour and baking powder over butter mixture. Stir gently to combine. Chop remaining chocolate. Stir into butter mixture with raisins. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.
4. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place onto trays, allowing room for spreading. Flatten with the back of a metal spoon. Bake for 15 to 20 min, or until golden brown, swapping the trays around once. Let stand for 5 min before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Orange and Almond Cake - Gluten Free

Who says you need gluten to have a good time?

2 large navel oranges, (choose oranges with unblemished skins as the whole fruit is used in this recipe)

5 eggs

1 1/4 cups (250g) caster sugar

2 1/2 cups (250g) ground almonds

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder*

Pure icing sugar to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line the base of a heart-shaped pan.
2. Place the two whole oranges in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, ensuring that the oranges remain covered with water. Drain and cool. Chop the oranges into quarters, discard any seeds, then place the chunks into a blender and puree until smooth.
3. Beat the eggs with the sugar until thick, then add the orange puree, ground almonds and baking powder and mix well.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Leave the cake to firm up in the pan for 20 minutes then turn out, remove the baking paper and turn over to finish cooling right way up. This cake definitely mellows with a little time and can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance.
5. To serve, sift icing sugar on top and decorate with orange zest and almonds.

Florentine Slice

Good as a biscuit, great as a slice.

375g packet mixed dried fruit

125g slivered almonds

200g mixed glace cherries, finely chopped

1/4 cup plain flour, sifted

150g butter, chopped

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, lightly beaten

200g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 3cm-deep, 18cm x 28cm (base) slab pan. Line with baking paper (see note).
2. Combine dried fruit, almonds and cherries in a large bowl. Stir in the flour.
3. Combine butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes or until butter melts. Allow to cool slightly. Add honey mixture and egg to fruit mixture. Mix until well combined.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside in pan to cool completely.
5. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50%) for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Spread chocolate over cooled slice. Set aside for 2 hours or until set. Cut into pieces. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

Peanut Brittle

Only three ingredients!

4 cups unsalted roasted peanuts

4 cups caster sugar

150g butter, chopped

Method

1. Grease two 18cm x 28cm (base) slice pans. Line bases and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides. Place 2 cups peanuts, in a single layer, in each pan.
2. Combine sugar and 2 cups cold water in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, without boiling, for 5 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to the boil. Boil for 10 to 15 minutes, brushing sides of pan down with a wet pastry brush, or until mixture turns golden. Remove from heat.
3. Working quickly, stir in butter. Pour mixture over peanuts in pans. Tap pans gently on bench. Set aside for 3 hours or until firm. Using a mallet or the back of a large metal spoon, break brittle into pieces.

Toffee Apples

A classic!!

430g (2 cups) caster sugar

60ml (1/4 cup) honey

250ml (1 cup) water

125ml (1/2 cup) liquid glucose

Red food colouring (optional), to decorate

10 (about 120g each) small dry red apples (such as Pink lady or Royal Gala)

Method

1. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Stir the sugar, honey, water and glucose in a medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves completely.
2. Place a sugar thermometer in the pan. Bring the toffee to the boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, without stirring, brushing down the side of the pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in water. Continue for 20 minutes or until the sugar thermometer reaches 150°c or "crack stage" (see tip). set aside until the bubbles subside. Add a few drops of red food colouring, if desired.
3. Meanwhile, insert a skewer or piece of dowel into the core of each apple.
4. Dip 1 apple into toffee and rotate to coat completely. Transfer the apple to the prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining apples. Set aside until the toffee sets and the apples have cooled completely.

Mars Bar Slice

Stand on a street corner with this stuff, and just see how many new friends you make!

50g butter

1 tbs golden syrup

4 x 53g mars bars, finely chopped

3 cups (60g) rice bubbles

200g milk chocolate

20g copha

Method

1. Grease and line the base and side of a 19 x 29cm slice pan with baking paper, allowing the sides to overhang.
2. Combine the butter, golden syrup and three-quarters of the mars bars in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until mars bars and butter melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
3. Place the rice bubbles and remaining mars bar in a large bowl. Add the mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Set aside for 1 hour to cool completely.
4. Place the chocolate and copha in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water, stir until chocolate melts. Pour chocolate over the top of the slice to evenly coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to set. Cut into squares to serve.

Muesli Slice

Very delish, and healthy too.

50g butter

110g (1/2 cup) raw sugar

60ml (1/4 cup) honey

200g pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 Sanitarium Weet-bix, crushed

90g (1/2 cup) sultanas

50g (1/2 cup) rolled oats

75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 20cm (base measurement) square cake pan with non-stick baking paper. Place the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Combine the pepitas, Weet-bix, sultanas, oats and flour in a large bowl. Add the butter mixture and stir until combined.
3. Spoon the mixture into the lined pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Set aside in the pan for 30 minutes to cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

Lemon Friands

This is a good basic recipe which could be 'jazzed up' further with some fruit.

190g unsalted butter

60g plain flour

1 1/3 cups (200g) icing sugar, plus extra to dust

120g almond meal

5 eggwhites

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt butter and use a little to grease a 12-hole friand pan. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess.
2. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, then stir in the almond meal.
3. Place eggwhites in a small bowl and lightly froth with a fork. Add to dry ingredients with melted butter and zest, stirring until completely combined. Fill each friand hole two-thirds full. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven, leave in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Date and Walnut Loaf

We don't condone being quite so heavy handed with the butter as shown in the illustration.

1 cup pitted dates, chopped

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

3/4 cup traditional rolled oats

1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

light cream cheese, to serve.

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 6.5cm-deep, 9cm x 19cm (base) loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at both long ends.

Place dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water and maple syrup. Stand for 15 minutes.

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda together into a bowl. Add oats, walnuts and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the date mixture. Stir until well combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand loaf in pan for 5 minutes. Lift onto a wire rack to cool. Slice and serve with cream cheese.

Scones

This recipe makes 16 first-class scones.

3 cups (450g) self-raising flour

1 tsp caster sugar

Pinch salt

50g butter, chopped

1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk

Milk, extra, to glaze

Boysenberry or raspberry jam, to serve

Double cream, to serve

 

Preheat oven to 230°C. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.

Pour the milk into the well and use a butter knife in a cutting action to stir until a soft but sticky dough forms (add more milk if necessary to make the dough soft).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; gently knead until dough just comes together. Use fingertips to gently pat the dough into a 2cm-thick disc.

Lightly dust an oven tray with flour. Use a 5cm-diameter round pastry cutter dipped in flour to cut out scones. Arrange scones on the tray. Gently brush the top of each scone with a little extra milk to glaze.

Bake scones on the top shelf of preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and scones sound hollow when gently tapped. Turn scones out onto a clean tea towel and cover lightly with another tea towel. Serve scones warm or at room temperature with jam and cream, if desired.

Chocolate Crackles

Rest easy, this recipe is copha free!

200g Mars bars, chopped

2 tbs thin cream

2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted

3 cups Rice Bubbles

20 Smarties, to decorate

Place the Mars bars, thin cream and cocoa in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, making sure bowl does not touch water. Stir until melted and smooth. Place Rice Bubbles in a large bowl, pour in Mars bar mixture and stir until well combined. Pile mixture into paper cases and decorate each with a Smartie. Place in the fridge until firm.

Pink Lamingtons

The cake mix is included for this recipe, but of course, you can always buy a ready made sponge slab or use a packet mix.

340g packet golden butter cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
60g butter, softened
2 cups desiccated coconut

Pink icing
3 cups icing sugar mixture
20g butter
1/2 cup milk
pink food colouring
1 teaspoon strawberry essencePreheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 17cm x 27cm rectangular slice pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all sides.

Prepare cake mix following packet directions, using eggs, milk and butter. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Stand for 2 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Trim cake edges. Cut cake into 32 pieces.
Make icing: Sift icing sugar into a heatproof bowl. Add butter and milk. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir icing until smooth. Tint pink with food colouring. Stir in essence.
Using a fork, dip 1 piece of cake in icing to coat. Toss in coconut to coat. Place lamington on a wire rack over a tray. Repeat with remaining cake, icing and coconut. Stand at room temperature for 2 hours or until set.

Melting Moments

Often eaten with eyes involuntarily shut, they're so good. This recipe should make about 32.

250g unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 cup pure icing sugar, sifted

2 cups plain flour

1/3 cup cornflour

Passionfruit filling

60g butter, softened

1 large passionfruit

1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted

 

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter, vanilla and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flours over butter mixture. Beat on low speed until a soft dough forms.

Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture into small balls. Place on trays. Using a fork dipped in flour, lightly flatten each biscuit until 1cm thick. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm. Cool on trays for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make passionfruit filling: Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Stir in passionfruit pulp and icing sugar.

Spread flat side of 1 biscuit with 1 teaspoon filling. Top with another biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling. Dust with icing sugar.

Shortbread

Not just for Christmas, but for Fair time too! This recipe should make about 50 biscuits.

Melted butter, to grease
225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
120g (2/3 cup) McKenzie's Rice Flour
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
Pinch of salt
225g cold butter, coarsely chopped
Plain flour, extra, to dust
Melted white chocolate, to decorate

Preheat oven to 150°C. Brush 2 large baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease. Combine the flour, rice flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll dough out until 1cm thick. Use a 5cm-diameter star-shaped pastry cutter to cut shapes from dough. Place on prepared trays. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, swapping trays halfway through cooking, or until shortbreads start to change colour. Cool on trays for 1 hour. Drizzle with chocolate to decorate.

Chocolate Fudge

This will make a 15cm square slab.

1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1 cup (215g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) thin cream
1/4 cup (60ml) milk
2 tbs glucose syrup or pale corn syrup
50g dark chocolate, chopped
40g butter, chopped
Icing sugar mixture, to dust

Grease a 15cm square cake tin. Combine the brown and caster sugar, cream, milk, glucose syrup and chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. Cook, stirring, occasionally brushing side of the pan to remove any sugar crystals, for 20 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high; bring to the boil. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until thermometer reaches 116°C.

Remove from heat. Add the butter, but do not stir. Set aside to cool to 40°C without stirring. Once mixture cools to 40°C, use a wooden spoon to stir for 3-4 minutes or until mixture reluctantly falls from the spoon. Pour into prepared pan; cover with foil. Put aside overnight to set. Cut into squares and dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Rainbow Cake

This is quite involved, so you might want to make it for the Fair, or keep it in the vault for your next special birthday. Use the butter cake mixture below (which is actually three times the amount required for a normal cake) or buy three vanilla packet mixes. Another tip! Use the special gel colours from cake making shops to get this sort of brilliant colour.

4 1/2 cups of self raising flour
3 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups of milk
6 eggs
375g (4 oz) butter, melted
3 tsps vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 180oC conventional. Put all ingredients in a bowl and beat on medium speed for five minutes. That's it.
Divide your mixture up into the number of layers you want. You'll need about 1 1/2 cups of mixture per layer. Colour them their separate colours and bake each in about a 22cm tin for around 12 minutes.

To ice: trim the rounded tops of each one so the layers are completely flat ( you could use the offcuts for some psychodelic trifle?), and turn over so you are icing the firmer bottom.
Make an icing mix from icing sugar, butter and warm water and 'glue' the layers together. Coat the whole cake in a thin layer of icing and refrigerate for at least an hour for it go hard. This is called the 'crumb layer'.
Ice over the whole cake once the crumb layer is firm and you won't have crumbs in your icing.
Finish off with sprinkles, etc.

Rocky Road

300g marshmallows with roasted coconut, chopped coarsley
400g turkish delight, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup roasted blanched almonds, chopped coarsley
1/2 cup roasted shelled pistachios
450g milk or dark eating chocolate, melted

Grease two 8cm x 26cm bar cake pans and line the base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above the long sides.
Combine marshmallow, turkish delight and nuts in a large bowl. Working quickly, stir in chocolate, spread mixture into pans, push mixture down firmly to flatten top. Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares.

Coconut Ice

Pretty as a picture and Miss Popular too.

5 1/4 cups icing sugar
2 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
395g can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg white, beaten lightly
pink food colouring

Line a deep 19cm square cake pan with baking paper. Sift icing sugar into a large bowl, add coconut, then milk and egg white. Stir to combine. Press half of the mixture into the pan. Tint the remaining mixture pink and press evenly over the first layer. Cover, refrigerate for several hours before cutting into squares.

Classic Lamingtons

You can make the cake part of the lamington from scratch if you'd like. Or, you could just go and buy yourself a 23cm (or similar) square sponge cake.

23cm square sponge cake or similar
4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
20g butter, melted
2/3 cup (160ml) milk
2 cups desiccated coconut

Cut the cake into 16 squares. Mix the icing sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over a pan of simmering water, and stir until the icing is of a coating consistency. Dip squares of cake in the icing, then into the coconut.

Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Choc Chip Biscuits

You could also use white or dark chocolate, or even lollies like smarties.
225g butter, softened
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Nestle Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup Nestle Milk Choc Bits
Preheat oven to 190
Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl.
Beat in sweetened condensed milk. Cream until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Sift flour and baking powder.
Stir into butter mixture with choc bits.
Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place on a lined oven tray.
Press biscuits down with a fork to flatten.
Bake in preheated oven for 15mins or until the biscuits are golden brown. oC.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

You could substitute the same amount of another fruit in this recipe too.
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ caster (superfine) sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1/3 vegetable oil
1 ¼ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 180
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
Place the sour cream, eggs, lemon rind and oil in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir the sour cream mixture through the flour and sugar mixture until just combined.
Sprinkle over the blueberries and stir once.
Spoon the mixture into 12 x ½ cup capacity non-stick muffin tins until two-thirds full.
Bake for 12 mins or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Makes 12.
Hints:
For tender muffins that rise well, stir the mixture evenly and only until just combined. Do not overwork the mixture. oC.

Gingerbread Biscuits

Gingerbread Biscuits
Make them ladies, men, stars, free form....

¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 ½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 egg
½ cup golden syrup
3 ¼ cups plain flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and syrup and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients.
Roll pastry on a floured board and cut into shapes.
Bake 180
This recipe can be made without eggs and ginger and it still works. oC until golden.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Biscuits

A classic!
110g (1 ¼ cups) rolled oats (Uncle Toby’s)
150g (1 cup) plain flour, sifted
65g (¾ cup) desiccated coconut
150g (¾ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125g butter, cubed
60ml (¼ cup) water
2 tblsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Preheat oven to 150
Combine the rolled oats, flour, desiccated coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl, and mix well.
Combine the butter, water and golden syrup in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Add immediately to the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir to combine.
Roll walnut-size portions of mixture into ball s and place on the lined tray about 5cm apart (the biscuits will spread during cooking). Flatten each ball slightly.
Bake in preheated oven for 22 – 25 mins or until cooked through and beginning to darken around the edges. Set aside for 2-3 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Hints: Use the base of a glass to flatten these biscuits.
For chewy Anzacs, bake the biscuits for 18 minutes.
Makes 50 (approx) oC. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

Basic Patty Cakes

Basic Patty Cakes
Whip them up and go to town with the decoration!

125g butter, softened
1 teas vanilla extract
2/3 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/4 cup milk

Preheat over to 180 degrees. Line two deep 12-hole patty pans with paper cases.
Beat butter, extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in  small bowl of electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and changed to a paler colour. Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of mixture into paper cases.
Bake for about 20 minutes.

Coconut Yogurt Cake

Coconut Yogurt Cake

Boring name, but a beautiful cake.

125g butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup plain flour
200g greek yogurt
2/3 cup milk

icing
2 cups icing sugar
1 1/3 cups desiccated coconut
2 egg white, beaten lightly
pink food colouring

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease deep 23cm square cake pan and line base with baking paper.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a small mixing bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time. Transfer mixture to a larger bowl and stir in coconut, sifted flours, yogurt and milk in two batches. Spread mixture into pan and bake cake about 40 minutes. Stand in pan for five minutes before turning out.
To make the icing sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl (just to ensure you've now used every bowl in your kitchen), stir in coconut and egg white. Place half the mixture in a small bowl and tint with pink colouring. Mix it all back in together and spread over cooled cake.

Rum Balls

Rum Balls

For those celebrating Christmas in July.

10 Weetbix
Tin of condensed milk
2 tabs cocoa
2-3 tabs rum
1 cup coconut
1 cup minced/mixed fruit

Mix the weetbix, condensed milk, cocoa, rum and dried fruit together. Roll into small balls and toss in coconut to coat.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Formerly a lunch box filler, now a status symbol!

8 tabs unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached, plain flour
1 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 teas vanilla
1/2 cup shelled walnuts

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cream butter and sugar with eggs. Add sifted flour, salt, baking soda. Fold in bananas, walnuts and vanilla. Spread into a loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Berlin Apple Cake

Berlin Apple Cake
This is quite an ordinary looking cake, but you will not find a more perfect companion for a cup of tea.

1 cup white sugar
125g butter at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup self raising flour
40g tin of mixed spice
500g granny smith apples (or 400g tin pie apples), peel & sliced

Prehead oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line an 18cm tin. Place apples in a saucepan, add a little water and cook until soft. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Fold in flour and spice. Spread half of the mixture over the base of the cake tin. Spread this with the cooked apple in an even layer. Take care not to mix the apple into the cake mix. Layer the apple with dollops of the remaining cake mixture. It won't cover the top completely. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Cool in the tin before turning out.

Serious Chocolate Slice

Serious Chocolate Slice
Don't worry about the exact amounts in this. Near enough is good enough. There's no limit to how much chocolate you can cram into it either - I've experimented. It's not pretty, but it tastes very good.

1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tabs cocoa
125g butter, melted
400g can condensed milk
250g dark or milk chocolate

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a lamington tray and line with baking paper. Combine flour, coconut, sugar, butter and condensed milk in a bowl and mix well. Spread into pan.
Press chocolate bits on top and bake for 30 minutes. Gently cut into pieces while still quite warm and sprinkle with icing sugar for decoration once cooled.

Variations: you can add white chocolate to this and leave out the cocoa so it's blonde, add mixed fruit and cherries, add some nuts on top, mix the chocolate in with everything else, use smarties instead of chocolate...anything.

Lemon Butter

Lemon Butter
Call it what you will, lemon curd, lemon cheese, lemon butter - it's delicious! This is technically Stephanie Alexander's Lemon Butter, but I'm sure she won't mind if we use it. For best results, strain your eggs and use loads of fine zest.

2 large lemons juiced
100g unsalted butter
175g white sugar
3 eggs, lightly whisked & strained

Finely grate zest and juice lemons. In a heavy-based saucepan (or double boiler), combine butter, lemon juice, zest and sugar. Stir constantly over heat until sugar has dissolved. Add eggs off the heat and stir to mix well. Cook over gentle heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and coats the back of your spoon, usually about 10-15 minutes. Do not allow to boil or it will curdle. Pour straight into small, hot, sterilised jars.

Lemon butter can be spread between layers of a sponge cake, or dolloped under the cream on butterfly cakes too (it can also be eaten with a spoon straight out of the fridge).