Everybody loves cake

Everybody loves cake, this delightful sweet treat has spawned multi-million dollar industries worldwide, both in the bakery business and packaged cake mixes. But there is something to be said for a home-made cake.

The experience begins with the baker who literally sees regular ingredients, (flour, butter, sugar, eggs) being transformed into sweet, thick, foamy or creamy mixtures, which are further transformed with the application of heat, into delectable, light, sweet and rich cakes as we know them.

Cakes need precision measuring, methodical mixing, accurate oven temperatures and attention to detail. But when all of those prerequisites are met, the outcome is nothing short of glorious. Fruits and spices further excite the flavour profile and frostings make the experience so very dreamy! Happy baking.

Lime yoghurt poppy seed cake

5 tbs butter

1 tbs poppy seeds

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup full fat all natural yoghurt

1 tbs freshly grated lime zest

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Glaze: 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 2 tbs lime juice

Melt butter in a small sauce pan, add poppy seeds and remove from heat, cool.

Beat eggs in an electric mixer until frothy, add sugar and continue beating until thick.

Add yoghurt and combine. Add lime zest.

Combine flour with baking powder. Divide into three parts.

Fold in the flour in two parts, fold in butter and poppy seed mixture, then fold in the last of the flour.

Turn into a lined 8-inch loaf tin and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until golden or when a wooden pick inserted, comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack.

Make the glaze: Combine confectioner’s sugar with lime juice. Spread glaze onto cake.

Let set, slice and serve.

Makes one loaf cake.

Chocolate marble pound cake

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

3 tsp baking powder

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbs milk

3 tbs cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease the base and sides of a 2 lb loaf tin, (9x11x3 inch), line the base and grease and flour paper.

Place butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer beat ingredients until the mixture is lump free and well combined, and you have attained a fluffy batter.

Divide mixture into 2, combine cocoa with milk, whisk until smooth.

Stir this into one half of the batter.

Spoon alternate dollops of cake batter into the prepared tin.

Take a wooden skewer and drag it through the batter to create a swirl, do not overdo or else the mixture will be over mixed in the tin.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake pulls away from the tin and a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove, cool in tin for 5 minutes then remove.

Makes one cake

Chocolate and spice Guinness cake

For the cake:

1 cup Guinness stout

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup sour cream or un-flavoured yoghurt

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and line 9x9-inch cake pan.

In a medium saucepan combine Guinness and butter. Melt butter slowly then remove from heat. Stir in cocoa and sugars, whisk to blend.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; whisk well. Add to Guinness mixture.

Combine flour with spices and baking soda. Add to Guinness mixture and whisk until smooth.

Pour into prepared pan, bake for one hour. Until a wooden pick inserted through the centre comes out clean.

Place cake on a cooling rack and cool in the pan.

Make the frosting: Cream ¼-cup unsalted butter with 8-ozs cream cheese, beat until smooth, add 2 cups sifted icing sugar, and beat until fluffy. Frost cake.

Serves 8 to 10 persons