Chocolate Lace

Method

Melt cooking chocolate (either dark or Melts), pipe onto baking paper, waxed paper or foil in lacy pattern. Allow to set at room temperature for best results.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

Butter                               125 gm chopped
Grated Lemon Rind          2 teaspoons
Castor Sugar                    220 gm (1 cup)
Eggs                                 2
Self-raising flour                225 gm (1 1/2 cups)
Plain Yogurt                      180 ml (3/4 cup)
Mixed Peel                       1/3 cup (55gm)


Method

Grease 14cm x 21cm loaf pan, cover base with baking paper.

Combine butter, rind, sugar, eggs, flour and yogurt in medium bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until ingredients are combined. Then, beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in colour. Stir in mixed peel. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in moderate oven about 1 hour. Stand few minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Top cold cake with 1/2 quantity Vienna Cream Frosting (click here for recipe) and extra mixed peel, if desired 

Caraway Seed Cake

Ingredients

Butter                     125 gm Chopped
Castor Sugar          1 Cup (220 gm)
Eggs                       2
Self-raising flour      1 1/4 Cups (185 gm)
Custard Powder      1/4 cups (30 gm)
Milk                        1/2 cup (125 ml)
Caraway seeds        2 tablespoons

Method

Grease 14 cm x 21 cm loaf pan, cover base with baking paper.

Combine butter, sugar, eggs, flour, custard powder and milk in medium bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until ingredients are combined. Then, beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in color. Stir in seeds.Spoon and spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in moderately slow oven about 1 hour. Stand few minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Dust cold cake with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Almond Caraway Cake

Ingredients

Butter                      185 gm chopped
Almond essence       1/2 teaspoon
Grated lemon rind     2 teaspoons
Castor sugar             1 cup (220 g)
Eggs                         3
Self-raising flour        2 cups (300 g)
Ground Almonds      1 tablespoon
Milk                         1/4 Cup (60 ml)
Caraway seeds         3 teaspoons

Method

Grease 23cm square slab cake pan, cover base with baking paper.

Combine butter, essence, rind, sugar, eggs, flour, nuts and milk in medium bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until ingredients are combined. Then, beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in colour. Stir in seeds. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake in moderate oven about 40 minutes. Stand few minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Top cold cake with 1 quantity Orange Vienna Cream Frosting (click here for recipe), if desired.

Poppy Seed Lemon Cake

Ingredients

Butter                          185 gm chopped
Grated Lemon Rind     2 teaspoons
Castor Sugar               220 gm (1 cup)
Eggs                            3
Self-Raising Flour        300 gm (2 cups)
Milk                            180 ml (3/4 cup)
Poppy seeds                55 gm (1/3 cup)

Method

Grease 15 cm x 25 cm loaf pan, cover base with baking paper.

Combine butter, rind, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in medium bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until ingredients are combined. Then, beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and changed in colour. (Mixture might appear to be curdled at this stage, but will reconstitute later. Stir in seeds. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake in moderate oven about 1 hour. Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

Top cold cake with 1/2 quantity Lemon Vienna Cream Frosting (click here for recipe), if desired.

Vienna Cream Frosting

Ingredients

Butter                            125 gm chopped
Icing Sugar mixture         1 1/2 cups (240 gm)
Milk                               2 tablespoon


Method

Beat butter in small bowl with electric mixture until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the sifted icing sugar, all the milk, then remaining icing sugar.

VARIATIONS

Chocolate:  Sift 2 or 3 tablespoons cocoa with the icing sugar; add a little more milk, if necessary.
Cinnamon:  Sift 2 or 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon with the icing sugar.
Coffee     :   Dissolve 3 teaspoons instant coffee powder in 2 tablespoons hot water; cool. Substitute for milk
Lemon    :  Substitute lemon juice for milk; 1 teaspoon grated rind can be added.
Orange   :  Substitute orange juice for milk; 1 teaspoon grated rind can be added.

Chocolate Curls

Melt cooking chocolate (either dark or Melts), spread a thin layer over a cool surface such as ceramic tile, granite or marble, allow to set at room temperature. Then, carefully holding a large, sharp knife at about a 45° angle, pull the knife gently over the chocolate to form curls of varying sizes and shapes.