Cakes for mom

Mothers are indeed very special, they give of themselves to their children in the best way they can, they are the best advisers that one can have, because with age comes wisdom, and mothers are indeed wise. They cherish and love their grandchildren in their own special grandmotherly way, and they are all great cooks.

Some of the best memories of childhood are memories made in our mother’s kitchens, partaking of some of the best foods we’ve ever enjoyed.

Tomorrow lets cherish and show her appreciation, let mom put her feet up and relax, you can cook her lunch instead.

It doesn’t matter what the menu comprises of, just prepare something you can do very well, and then you can take the time to create a delicious cake for her. Because I think we are all in agreement that a beautiful cake is a true show of appreciation!

Here are some for you to try this weekend.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our great moms out there!

White coconut cake with fluffy white frosting

½ cup freshly-grated coconut

1 cup milk

2½ cups cake flour

1 tbs baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup butter

1½ cups granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

5 egg whites, unbeaten

Frosting

2 egg whites

1½ cups granulated sugar

⅓ cup water

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 cup freshly-grated coconut to garnish

Preheat oven to 350F

Line, grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake tins.

Make the cake:

Bring the milk to a boil, add the coconut, remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes.

Puree and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy, add egg whites and continue to beat until creamy, your mixture would not get very fluffy, but it should be thick and creamy.

Add vanilla.

Add flour in 3 additions and coconut milk mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide batter equally among the cake tins.

Bake in the middle of the oven until golden 30 minutes.

Cool in tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto cooling racks.

Prepare the frosting:

Place sugar and water into a saucepan and boil until the thread stage is reached.

Beat whites until fluffy, add cream of tartar, pour in sugar and beat continuously until mixture begins to loose its sheen somewhat.

Frost cake, place one layer upside down on a plate, spread about ¼ cup frosting onto this layer, sprinkle with some coconut, then place another layer on top, frost top and sides of cake and decorate with the balance of the grated coconut.

Serves 8 to 10

Carrot walnut cake

¾ lb carrots, peeled and grated

2 cups, sifted, all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp grated nutmeg

4 eggs

1½ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease. Line and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan, or 2 9-inch cake pans.

Beat eggs with sugar until light and tripled in volume, add vanilla, with beater on medium speed slowly pour in vegetable oil, and beat for one minute.

Sift together dry ingredients, reduce mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated.

Using a spatula, fold in carrots, pineapple, and raisins.

Pour batter into prepared tin/tins.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes for large cake, or 35 minutes for smaller cakes.

Remove from oven cool and frost.

Makes one 9-inch by 13-inch cake or 2 9-inch round cakes

Cream cheese frosting

1 lb cream cheese, room temperature

⅔ cup butter

2½ cups icing sugar, sifted

1 tsp grated orange zest

2 tbs milk

Cream butter with icing sugar until creamy, add cream cheese and stir to a creamy consistency, add a few drops of milk at a time if needed to bring batter to a spreadable consistency.

Stir in orange zest.

Frost cake.

Will frost and fill 2 9-inch round cakes or one 9-inch by 13-inch cake

Grenada spice cake with caramel rum glaze

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2⅓ cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground allspice

1 cup unflavoured yoghurt

1 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease and flour an 8-inch ring cake pan.

Cream butter with sugar until light and creamy.

Add eggs 1 at a time beating well between additions.

Add vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and dried spices.

Add dry ingredients to batter alternately with yoghurt, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour.

Fold in nuts, your batter will be quite stiff.

Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Invert cake and leave for 5 minutes in tin then remove, place cake right-side up and pour on caramel glaze.

Serves 8 to 10

For the caramel rum glaze:

In a small heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, add 4 tablespoons brown sugar and cook stirring until sugar melts, add about 1 quarter-cup evaporated milk, remove from heat, stir well, add 2 tablespoons rum. Place back on heat and cook until creamy, remove then beat in ¾ to one 1 cup sifted Royal icing sugar. Mixture should be of a pourable consistency.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir.

Pour glaze onto cake letting it run down sides. Garnish with toasted pecans.

Divine chocolate cake with fudge frosting

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup yoghurt/thin

Line, grease and flour a 9-inch cake tin.

Preheat oven to 350F

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well between additions.

Combine all dry ingredients and sift 3 times.

Add flour mixture alternately with the yoghurt in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Spoon batter into a 9-inch cake tin.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until cake leaves the side of the tin, remove, cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Fudge frosting

In a saucepan, warm ½ cup sugar with ¼ cup water, and 2 tbs corn syrup, cook for a couple of minutes until sugar melts.

Add ¼ cup cocoa powder stir then add 3 tbs butter. Turn off heat and stir well.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl, beat in 2 cups icing sugar with 2 tbs hot water.

Frost cake.

Bring the frosting to a creamy consistency, if necessary.

Fill and frost cake.

Lime coconut cupcakes

1 cup Blue Band margarine

2 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp freshly-grated lime zest

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup desiccated coconut

2 cups cake flour

3 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

½ cup Greek yoghurt

Preheat oven to 350F

Line 20 cupcake tins with baking cases.

Cream together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add lime zest then eggs 1 at a time beating well between additions.

Combine coconut with sifted flour and baking powder.

Add this to the creamed mixture alternately with the yoghurt, beginning and ending with flour.

Scoop ⅓ cup mixture into each paper case.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Cool on wire racks.

Frost with coconut lime frosting.

Coconut lime frosting

Cream together ½ cup Blue Band margarine and 4 cups sifted icing sugar.

Add about 1 tablespoon lime juice a little at a time until a spreadable consistency is reached.

If you need to add more liquid add a few drops of milk.

Frost cupcakes and sprinkle generously with white desiccated coconut.

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