Staple2

Plum and vanilla cake  TOPPING ninety grams (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour hundred grams unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces ninety grams (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar CAKE hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter, softened two hundred and fifty grams (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar three eggs, lightly beaten one teaspoon vanilla extract one hundred and eighty five grams (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour two teaspoons baking powder five hundred grams fresh plums, halved and seeded  one/ Preheat the over to 180 celsius. two/To make the topping, place the flour butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. I prefer to do do this in a food processor!  three/ To make the cake, cream the butter (melt it a bit in the microwave) and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder in the bowl and fold into the mixture. Spread into a 24cm greased or non-stick springform cake tin. four/ Top with the halved plums with the cut side up. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  five/ Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes.  Serves ten to twelve
Jun 4

Plum and vanilla cake 


TOPPING

ninety grams (3/4 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

hundred grams unsalted butter, chopped into small pieces

ninety grams (1/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

CAKE

hundred and eighty grams unsalted butter, softened

two hundred and fifty grams (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

three eggs, lightly beaten

one teaspoon vanilla extract

one hundred and eighty five grams (1 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

two teaspoons baking powder

five hundred grams fresh plums, halved and seeded

 

one/ Preheat the over to 180 celsius.

two/To make the topping, place the flour butter and sugar in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until crumbly. I prefer to do do this in a food processor! 

three/ To make the cake, cream the butter (melt it a bit in the microwave) and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour and baking powder in the bowl and fold into the mixture. Spread into a 24cm greased or non-stick springform cake tin.

four/ Top with the halved plums with the cut side up. Sprinkle with the topping and bake for one hour, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

five/ Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes. 

Serves ten to twelve

Rhubarb and Hazelnut Cake   two hundred and fifty rhubarb, finely chopped third of a cup of currants third of a cup of brown sugar one teaspoon of vanilla extract three quarters of a cup caster sugar two cups self raising flour one cup hazelnut meal half a cup milk one/ Preheat oven to one hundred and eighty degrees. Place rhubarb, currants, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. two/ Place butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder, hazelnut meal and milk in a bowl and stir to combine. three/ Line the base of a twenty two centimetre springform tin with baking paper. Press half the cake mixture into the base of the tin and top with the rhubarb mixture. Then spread and press the remaining cake mixture over the top of the rhubarb. four/ Bake for forty five minutes or until cooked and golden brown. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Jun 16

Rhubarb and Hazelnut Cake

 

two hundred and fifty rhubarb, finely chopped

third of a cup of currants

third of a cup of brown sugar

one teaspoon of vanilla extract

three quarters of a cup caster sugar

two cups self raising flour

one cup hazelnut meal

half a cup milk


one/ Preheat oven to one hundred and eighty degrees. Place rhubarb, currants, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

two/ Place butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder, hazelnut meal and milk in a bowl and stir to combine.

three/ Line the base of a twenty two centimetre springform tin with baking paper. Press half the cake mixture into the base of the tin and top with the rhubarb mixture. Then spread and press the remaining cake mixture over the top of the rhubarb.

four/ Bake for forty five minutes or until cooked and golden brown. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Simple apple cake  one and a half cups self-raising flour three quarters caster sugar  one hundred and twenty five grams butter, softened one teaspoon vanilla extract two eggs  half a cup milk two apples, cored and thinly sliced two tablespoons demerara sugar  one/ Preheat oven to hundred and sixty degrees. Place flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until just combined. (You can easily do this by hand)  two/ Spoon half the mixture into a greased tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Put a layer of apples and then pour the rest of the mixture on top and layer with the rest of the apples. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar.  three/ Bake for forty five minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer. Serves eight to ten.
Jun 28

Simple apple cake
 

one and a half cups self-raising flour

three quarters caster sugar 

one hundred and twenty five grams butter, softened

one teaspoon vanilla extract

two eggs 

half a cup milk

two apples, cored and thinly sliced

two tablespoons demerara sugar
 

one/ Preheat oven to hundred and sixty degrees. Place flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and milk in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until just combined. (You can easily do this by hand) 

two/ Spoon half the mixture into a greased tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Put a layer of apples and then pour the rest of the mixture on top and layer with the rest of the apples. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar. 

three/ Bake for forty five minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested with a skewer.

Serves eight to ten.