Quick and Easy Vanilla Passion Fruit Cake

Are you looking for a delicious cake that is quick and easy to make and fit for any occassion? Well look no further. My Vanilla Passion Fruit Cake is easy to make, taste heavenly and it will look like you have spend hours in the kitchen.



Cake fit for a tea party

Vanilla Sponge Cake

2 1/2 cups (625ml) Self Raising Flour
2 cups (500ml) Sugar
4 large Eggs
1 cup (250ml) Milk
1/4 cup (65ml) Vegetable Oil
1 tsp (5ml) Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Mix the eggs and sugar together till thick.
Add the flour, milk, oil and vanilla
Beat till smooth and creamy. Pour into two prepared round cake tins (20cm)

Bake for 30-40 mins. It is done when a test pin comes out clean.

LET THE CAKE COOL COMPLETELY

Icing

2 cups (500ml) Icing Sugar
125g Unslated Soft Butter
100g Passion Fruit pulp (fresh or canned)

Mix the butter and icing sugar together till light and fluffy, add the passion fruit pulp and beat lightly.

Wait till the cake is completely cool, assemble and ice with Icing.

Now this is where the fun part comes in, the cake is already wonderfuly decadent, but if you are making it for a special occassion then you have to add something to make it look like you have spend hours working on it (get my drift). I added some different sugar flowers that I have made and experimented with, you can either make a few or alot of sugar flowers before hand (they keep well in an airtight container) or you can buy some, whatever works best for you.

Add the flowers and voila! you have a cake fit for any occassion.



Summer Flower Garden Cake

Fondant Hibiscus Flowers

Fondant Roses

Lekker Easy Koeksisters

If you are South African, you probably have many fond memories of Koeksisters. These delicious, mouth-watering deep-fried plaited dough, soaked in syrup that runs down your chin when you bite into them are totally irresistable. Every South African loves them, but nobody ever wants to make them. I don't really know why this is, I think somewhere down the line we were all led to believe that they are really difficult to make?

I thought the same, a Koeksister was something I ate only when someone else baked or when they had some left at the bakery or home industy, but that was before I found a very easy recipe, so easy I made it twice in one week! Not recommended as Koeksisters are not calorie friendly! So after you have induldged go for a walk....a long walk.

Here is my Easy Koeksister Recipe...

LEKKER EASY KOEKSISTERS

Dough

240g Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk

Syrup

1 kg Sugar
2 cups Water
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
a pinch of salt
Grated peel and juice of 1 Lemon
1 hand full of bruised fresh Ginger

To deep-fry

Canola Oil or Sunflower Oil

Sift all the dry ingredients together and rub in the Butter. Add the Sour Milk or Buttermilk and mix into a soft dough. Knead well and leave to rest for about 15 minutes.

Put all the syrup ingredients into a pot. Heat and stir till the sugar has disolved, simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat and chill in the frigde or freezer.

Roll out your dough to thickness of about 5mm and cut into strips of 5mm wide and 7cm long. Create plaits with three strips. Make sure you press the ends together very firmly, if you dont it will fall apart in the oil (this happened to me!)

Deep fry the Koeksisters in hot oil until golden brown. Drain quickly and dunk into the cold syrup till saturated. Remove and put on a wire drying rack. The secret here is to have the syrup ice cold and the Koeksisters as hot as possible, this way it soaks up the most syrup.

Best eaten when cold. Take a bite and let the syrup run down your chin......mmmmmmmm.

This makes about 18 Koeksisters, but you will have enough syrup for another batch. Syrup freezes well!

Amarula Cream Chocolate Cake

I think there is no better way to celebrate life than to indulge in a big slice of Chocolate Cake, and so much better if this Chocolate Cake turns out to be delicious Amarula Cream Chocolate Cake. Actually forget the slice why not have the whole cake! This naughty Chocolate Cake is filled with wonderful, creamy Amarula Cream Liquor and will leave you feeling totally guilty!

AMARULA CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE

CAKE

2 cups (500ml) All Purpose Flour
1 cup (250ml) White Sugar
150g Soft Butter (unsalted)
2 tsp (10ml) Baking Powder
20g (4 tbsp) Cocoa Powder
3 Extra Large Eggs
200ml Amarula Cream Liquor
50ml Full Cream Milk

Mix the Eggs and Butter together, add the Amarula Cream Liquor.
Add the Flour, Sugar and Baking Powder to the wet mix.
Mix everything together till you get a medium consistency - not too thick and not too runny. Add more milk if it is too thick.
Fill two round prepared cake tins.
Bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes or till a sharp knife comes out clean.

COOL DOWN COMPLETELY

AMARULA CREAM ICING

1 and half cups (375ml) Icing Sugar
15g (3 tbsp) Cocoa Powder
50g Soft Butter
200ml Amarula Cream Liquor

Mix Icing Sugar and soft Butter together, add a few drops of Amarula Cream Liquor to get it to the right consistency (easy to smear)

DECORATING

Place one layer of Cake on a cake plate. Pour the remaining Amarula Cream Liquor onto the cake layer, pour it slowly so that the cake can absorb the Amarula Cream. Then decorate with a layer of Amarula Cream Icing. Add the second layer and decorate with the remaining Amarula Cream Icing.

Sprinkle with grated chocolate and decorate with chocolate and pink fondant roses for a classy touch.

Come on indulge....I know you want too!!!

80's Theme Birthday Cake

A friend of mine recently had a 80's inspired Birthday Party and I offered to bake her a cake for the occassion. Thinking of the 80's, who can still remember Pac Man, the Rubbiks Cube, AirWolf, A-Team and Who's the Boss? And don't forget all the music that made the 80's what it was, Cindi Lauper, Men at Work, Prince, Michael Jackson, Madonna, AHA, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Queen just to name a few.

I wanted to bake a cake for her that  incorporated all the things we liked about the 80's and this is what I came up with...

I made a hip teenager that is chilling on her bed with a Vogue and her favourite Music Tapes and Walkman at hand (and her Rubbiks Cube of course!) Everything but the doll is edible.


80's INSPIRED BIRTHDAY CAKE


Vanilla Sponge Cake

2 1/2 cups (625ml) Self Raising Flour
2 cups (500ml) Sugar
4 large Eggs
1 cup (250ml) Milk
1/4 cup (65ml) Vegetable Oil
1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla Essence

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Mix the eggs and sugar together till thick.
Add the flour, milk, oil and vanilla
Beat till smooth and creamy

I used a square cake tin 20cm x 20cm for the bed

Bake for 30-40 mins. It is done when a test pin comes out clean.

LET THE CAKE COOL COMPLETELY

Decorate

500g Butter Icing
250g Royal Icing
Edible Glue
1 kg Ready to Roll Fondant - white
Ball of Sugar Paste - about the size of your fist
Gel Colours - Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, Black
Edible Food Markers - Red, Blue and Black
Chocolate sticks (Sticko) or round wavers

The day before

Colour a small piece of the Sugar Paste light yellow and make some flowers out of the sugar paste and let them dry,also colour a small piece of Sugar Paste bright yellow and cut out a circle (for PacMan) and lettering for Happy Birthday.

Colour a small piece of sugar paste red, orange, blue, yellow, green, black and grey. Cut into small blocks for your Rubbiks cube. Use black fondant to make some Tapes. Grey for Walkman and airphones and blue for magazine cover. Write in your magazine with edible markers, also make stickers for your tapes and write on it with edible marker. If you need to fill in the spaces of the Rubbiks Cube use a black edible marker.

Fondant Tapes

Fondant Walkman

Fondant Rubbiks Cube

Fondant Magazine

On the day

Bake the cake.

Colour most of the Ready to roll Fondant purple (blue mixed with a little red), the remaining piece I coloured light yellow.

Bed
To make the bed, I cut off a 5cm (2 inch) piece of cake from the side of the Sponge Cake. This I used for the pillows.
I then covered the whole cake with Butter Icing.
Next I rolled out the purple fondant to fit the size of the cake. Carefully place the fondant over the cake, smooting it as you go to get rid of any air bubbles. Only smooth the fondant out over the top of the bed, let it fall naturally towards the bottom - this creates the effect of a duvet.
I cut the piece of cake I took from the top into two equal pieces and cover them with purple fondant. This is your pillows. I used a crimper tool to do the edges of the pillow and to seal the fondant.

Headboard
Then take your chocolate sticks or wafers and attatch them to the top of the bed with some royal icing. This is your headboard. Once the headboard is dry you can pop the pillows onto the bed.

Fondant Doll's clothes
The top and pants for the doll is made from sugar paste that is coloured bright yellow. Cut two flower shapes out of the sugar paste that is big enough to cover her breasts. Attach to the doll with edible glue and another piece of white sugar paste on her back for the strap. Make a hot pants out of the rest of the bright yellow sugar paste and attach with some edible glue.

Once the doll's clothers is completely dry, you can position her on the bed. You might want to stick her to the bed with some royal icing - just to make sure she does not move around.

Fondant Blanket/Throw
Use the rest of the purple fondant to make her a little blanket that she can throw over her legs. Crimp the edges with the crimping tool. Stick some of the flowers you made all over the throw and on the pillows (use edible glue).

Fondant Frill
Use the light yellow piece of fondant that you kept asside. Emboss with a nice patern. Attach to the end of the duvet - as a pretty frill. Attach with edible glue.

Now all you need to do is add the accessories - Walkman, Tapes, Rubbiks cube and Vogue and the PacMan and Birthday lettering and voila!

80's Theme Birthday Cake

Be creative and have fun!

Homemade Soft Pretzels without yeast

While living in America I fell in love with Soft Pretzels. Fall time in New York City, the wonderful smell of freshly baked pretzels and roasted nuts hung think in the cool crisp air. There was no way pass them, with at least two vendors on every street selling freshly baked Soft Pretzels and gorgeous honey roasted cashews and walnuts I had to stop and buy some every time!

A few years down the line and I still crave those wonderful delicacies. Luckily I stumbled upon an old American recipe book, and when I saw the Pretzel recipe I was adamant to make my own. The only problem was that this recipe contains yeast, and I was not about to wait for dough to rise etc. etc. I wanted my Pretzels now! I adapted the recipe, tried it and it was absolutely delicious......

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HOMEMADE SOFT PRETZEL RECIPE

2 cups (500ml) All purpose Flour
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 tbsp White Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 (75ml) cup Full Cream Milk (this is Whole Milk if you are in America)
pinch of salt
Coarse Salt or Salt Flakes
1 Egg - beaten

Rub the Unsalted Butter into the Flour until it looks like crumbs. Add Sugar, Baking Powder and Salt and mix together. Add Milk slowly till all the ingredients are wet. Do not add all the milk at once. You have to make sure that the dough is not too sticky, but also not too dry. If you need more milk, you can add another drop. Once the dough is formed you do not have to let it rest, you can work with it straight away.

Divide the dough into smaller balls. Roll out each ball into a long snake. Twist them into shape and put onto prepared baking sheet. Once you have made all your pretzels, brush them with the egg (egg wash) and sprinkle with coarse salt or salt flakes.

Bake in preheated oven 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes (depending on size of your pretzels) - they should be nice and golden on the top.

Serve warm. You can serve them as is or with a delicious dipping sauce. Think honey and mustard dipping sauce or even a spicy salsa or nice guacamole sauce.




Now for that roasted nuts..............mmmmmm

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Enjoy!

 

Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

This is the easiest Homemade Ice Cream recipe ever! No churning and no machine required!

If you ever thought making your own Ice Cream is impossible or difficult, think again! This is the easiest Homemade Ice Cream recipe ever. I know you may think this Ice Cream cannot possibly be as good as the professional made ones or the good store bought ones, but I can guarantee you that it is just as good if not better and it is o so creamy and o so easy!!

Once you get the basic recipe right, you can really make any flavour of Ice Cream. I really like the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream because it reminds me of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups...yummy!

Homemade Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2 Cups (500ml) Full Cream
1 tin Condensed Milk - you can half this if you want it to be less sweet
4 tbsp Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 cup (250g) Chocolate Chips

Whip the cream till it forms soft peaks. In a seperate bowl mix the Condensed Milk, Crunchy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips together. Fold into the Whipped Cream. Pour into container and freeze for at least 6 hours. Take it out of freezer 5 minutes before you serve it.

Now that you have mastered this easy Homemade Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, you can try different flavours. I will post some more flavours as I make them. Enjoy!

Easter Egg Bunnies and Chickens with Chocolate eggs and Fondant

This year I wanted to make some special Easter Eggs for Easter. I decided to make some cute Easter Bunnies and Chickens using White Chocolate Easter Eggs and Fondant. It took me quite a while, but I had so much fun making them.

HOW TO MAKE EASTER EGG BUNNIES AND CHICKENS

You will need white bantam Easter Eggs (the white candy coated chocolate eggs). You can use the bigger ones, but I found that the smaller bantam eggs works really well.

You need fondant in alot of different colours.

You need white and green Royal Icing.

Edible Glue and Colour pens (edible ink).

Marie Biscuits as a base for your eggs.

Green edible food spray (optional)

Easter Bunny with Easter Egg basket 

For the Easter Bunny with a basket of Easter Eggs I used white fondant for his muzzle, his eyes, ears, feet and Easter Eggs.

I used a black pen to draw on his muzzle and different coloured pens to draw on the Easter Eggs.

Black fondant for his eyes.

Pink fondant for his nose and ears and little cotton tail.

I stuck his muzzle, feet and ears with some white royal icing and his eyes and nose with edible glue.

I used yellow for the basket  on which I made an imprint.

Red and yellow fondant for the flowers.

The base is a Marie Biscuit covered with green royal icing. 

Basket with Easter Eggs

Easter Bunny



Baby Boy Bunny

For this adorable Baby Boy Bunny I used white fondant for his muzzle, his eyes, ears, feet and Easter Eggs.
I used a black pen to draw on his muzzle and different green and red coloured pens to draw on the Easter Eggs.
Black fondant for his eyes.
Pink fondant for his nose and ears and little cotton tail.
Blue fondant for his outfit which I embossed with a design.
I stuck his muzzle, feet and ears with some white royal icing and his eyes, nose and outfitwith edible glue.
The base is a Marie Biscuit covered in green royal icing.

For the Easter Chicken I used red fondant for his beak and comb. I used white and black fondant for his eyes. I used white fondant for his eggs. I used the coloured pens to draw some dots on the eggs.Yellow fondant for his wings, feet and little heart. The base is a Marie Biscuit covered with white royal icing which I sprayed with green food spray. (you can also just use green royal icing)                                                                 

Chicken Licken

For this cute Litte Girl Bunny I used white fondant for her muzzle, her eyes, ears and feet.  

I used a black pen to draw on her muzzle.

Black fondant for her eyes.

Pink fondant for her nose and ears and little cotton tail. Pink fondant for her little outfit which I embossed with a design.

I stuck her muzzle, feet and ears with some white royal icing and her eyes, nose and outfitwith edible glue.

I used yellow and pink fondant for the flowers.

The base is a Marie Biscuit covered in green royal icing.

 

Baby Girl Bunnies

For this Little Cottontail I used white fondant for his muzzle, his eyes, ears and feet.  

I used a black pen to draw on his muzzle.
Black fondant for hir eyes.
Pink fondant for his nose and ears and little cotton tail.
I used blue and yellow fondant for the flowers.
The base is a Marie Biscuit that is covered with green royal icing. I also piped some green grass with the royal icing.

  

For the cute Bunny with large Easter Egg I used white fondant for his head and body, his eyes, ears and feet. I used a black pen to draw on his muzzle.
Black fondant for his eyes.
Pink fondant for his nose, ears, teeth and little cotton tail.
Yellow fondant for his outfit which I embossed with a design and for his bow and flowers on the egg.
Blue fondant for the flowers on the egg.
Red and yellow fondant for the flowers on the grass.
I stuck his muzzle, feet and ears with some white royal icing and his eyes, nose and outfit with edible glue.
The base is a Marie Biscuit covered in green royal icing and I also piped some green grass with royal icing.

      

 

Happy Easter and happy creating!

Cheese and Mouse Cake

I just love baking. I love the whole idea of creating something delicious and homemade, I love the wonderful smell of freshly baked goods that lingers in the air, but most of all I love decorating! I sometimes bake just to decorate! This was one of those times, there was no real occassion apart from celebrating life!
This is what I came up with.....

My Cheese and Mouse Cake

CHEESE AND MOUSE CAKE

Vanilla Cake

2 1/2 cups (625ml) Self Raising Flour
2 cups (500ml) Sugar
4 large Eggs
1 cup (250ml) Milk
1/4 cup (65ml) Vegetable Oil
1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla Essence

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Mix the eggs and sugar together till thick.
Add the flour, milk, oil and vanilla
Beat till smooth and creamy

Bake for 30-40 mins. It is done when a test pin comes out clean.

LET THE CAKE COOL COMPLETELY

Decorate

300ml light yellow butter icing

Fondant - I made my own fondant, but you can also use the bought ones
2 balls (size of my fists) light yellow
1/2 ball dark yellow.
1 ball grey
small piece pink
small piece black
small piece white

I will post a recipe for easy fondant and butter icing soon!

When the cake is completely cool, cut a slice out of the cake then ice the cake with the butter icing.
Roll out the light yellow fondant to 1/2 cm thick and cover the whole cake with the fondant.
Cut circles out of the dark yellow fondant and place all over the cake - to create holes. You can use an edible glue to stick the circles to the cake, but a little water works just as well.
Make some mice out of the grey fondant, add pink to the ears and some black for the nose, eyes, tails and whiskers. Use the white for teeth and eyes.

Fondant Mouse

Baby Fondant Mouse

I used a bit of icing sugar on the light yellow fondant which I covered the cake with to make the cheese look a bit "old and mouldy" - I think this gives it a bit more authentic look - but you can leave it out and make it a bright shiny new cheese!

Have fun baking and creating!

Cheese and Mouse Cake - with fondant

Easy Cinnamon Rolls Without Yeast

Here is my promised recipe for Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls without yeast. Now I know you think that you cannot possibly make Cinnamon Rolls without yeast, but I guarantee you they are just as good as the ones with yeast, if not better and way easier! They are delicious and will definitely be a hit among your family and friends.

EASY CINNAMON ROLLS WITHOUT YEAST

Dough

2 cups (500ml) Self Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) Melted Butter (unsalted)
2/3 cup (175ml) Milk
1 tbsp Vanilla Essence

Filling

3 tbsp Melted Butter
1/4 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
3tbsp Cinnamon

Glaze

1/2 cup (125ml) Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Water

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together and work till it is a nice soft dough ball (not sticky) - use extra flour if needed to get it to the right consistency. Roll dough out on flat surface till it is about 2cm thick and a rectangular shape.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling together and smear it on the rolled out dough. Make sure to cover every part and the corners too.
Roll the dough into a log - take care not to let the filling spill.
Cut the log into 2 cm pieces. Place on a prepared baking sheet (remember the baking paper), place it about 2 cm appart.
Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 200 degree celcius oven till golden brown.

Once they have cooled down you can drizzle them with the glaze.

Make 12 Cinnamon Rolls

You might want to double up...it is that good!

Quick and Easy Cinnamon Rolls

There is nothing better than delicious, warm, fresh Cinnamon Rolls just out of the oven, and the best part is that you dont have to slave in the kitchen for hours to enjoy these divine Cinnamon Rolls.

They are so quick to make, I have a fresh batch of Cinnamon Rolls ready to enjoy with some coffee on the beach for a weekend breakfast in less than 15 minutes.

Ok, I admit I do cheat a little by buying the bread dough from the local bakery, but I have made my own dough before (with yeast) and it taste just the same. When I do make the Cinnamon Rolls without the yeast again, I will blog it, as it is a bit different, but also very very delicious.



QUICK AND EASY CINNAMON ROLLS

1 kg Bread Dough

Filling

3 tbsp soft Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
3 tbsp grounded Cinnamon
1 tbsp Honey

Glaze

1/2 cup Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Milk

Roll out the bread dough with rolling pin into a rectangular shape of 2cm thick.
Mix all the ingredients for filling together.
Smear the filling on the bread dough.
Roll the bread dough with filling into a log.
Cut the log into pieces 2 cm thick.
Place the buns 2 cm away from each other on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 -15 minutes in a 200 degree celcius oven. Put some baking paper on the baking sheet as it will be sticky and messy.
When the rolls are nice and brown you can remove them from the oven and let them cool for 2 minutes before you drizzle them with the glaze.

Makes about 12 Cinnamon Rolls

Tip: You can bake the whole log in the oven and then cut it into slices once it has cooled down and then drizzle with the glaze - as I have done (see picture) the baking time will increase by about 10 minutes if you do bake the whole log.

It is so quick and easy, you will want to have Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast every morning!